Chapter 35 Didn’t Check the Almanac Before Leaving

Chapter 35: Didn't Check the Almanac Before Leaving

Xi Qianyue felt delighted inside: "Old Master Meng, I'm Xi Qianyue. You may call me Qian Yue."

She wouldn't dare to address the old gentleman as if they were siblings.

"I won't keep you from pondering this chess puzzle. I'll return in three days."

With that, Xi Qianyue turned and left gracefully with her maidservants.

She truly didn't linger at all.

Nor did she even invite her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law along.

She must have felt wronged, right? Who knows what she'll face back at the mansion?

The onlookers all felt sorry for her, watching this Miss Xi—a woman of such grace and elegance—married into that run-down marquis's household...

Lady Wu and her party also slunk off, seething with hatred for Xi Qianyue.

They were shocked to find their carriage gone when they exited the temple gates!

Every other family either had their own carriage or had hired one ahead of time.

How were they supposed to get back now?

Lady Wu was losing her mind: "That lowborn wretch! How dare she, how dare she make fools of us!"

Yang Yao kept complaining: "Why didn't you leave a deposit? You stooped to arguing with that driver! Now look—we're stuck!"

Just then, Xi Qianyue's fancy carriage rolled right past them.

"Stop! Stop right there!" Lady Wu, throwing all dignity to the wind, rushed forward a few steps.

But why would that carriage stop?

They watched as it grew farther and farther away, until it vanished entirely.

Yang Yao was on the verge of tears: "How are we supposed to get back now? It's so far! Are we supposed to walk?"

"That vile woman Xi! I could kill her!"

Yang Luo gritted her teeth so hard they nearly ground to dust. She had pushed that woman into the pond—why hadn't she died?

If she were dead, wouldn't the marquis's household get control of her hundred thousand taels of silver and her entire dowry?

What a shame she'd been too soft-hearted.

Yang Luo trudged forward with difficulty, fantasizing about how she would kill Xi Qianyue.

Only by thinking such thoughts could she feel any relief.

"It's over twenty li—are we seriously walking all the way back?"

Yang Yao was utterly devastated. They were in the middle of nowhere.

Lady Wu panted heavily, trying to comfort her: "Don't worry, we'll be able to hire a carriage once we get down the mountain."

The mountain road was wide, but really hard to walk.

What made it even more humiliating was that every passing carriage lifted its curtains, whether on purpose or not, to gawk at them.

They were all women from other households.

She could faintly hear the hushed voices as the carriages passed.

"Those are the women of the Marquis of Changping's household."

"What a formidable, troublesome mother-in-law."

"The sisters-in-law are a bunch of meddlesome ones too..."

She knew full well that her daughters' marriage prospects would become even more difficult.

If the paralyzed marquis found out how they'd embarrassed him, he might just jump out of bed and walk a few steps.

The more she thought about it, the harder the road seemed.

Heavens! What kind of day was this? She should have checked the almanac before leaving.

Xi Qianyue was in high spirits. After returning to the mansion and having a bite to eat, she sent someone to inform the eldest young master.

"If the eldest young master is in the mansion, let him know. If he's not, then no need to bother."

Yang Xingxian happened to be in the mansion that day, having finally resolved to settle down and read.

But then Xi Qianyue's maidservant came to report: "Eldest Young Master, the Eldest Young Mistress says the Madam and the young ladies couldn't hire a carriage, so they're walking back from Damiao Temple. It will be a difficult journey."

"What? Walking?"

Yang Xingxian found it unbelievable. How could they have "failed to hire a carriage"?

"The Eldest Young Mistress is tired today, so she asks you to go pick them up yourself."

With that, the maidservant took her leave.

Achang was anxious: "Eldest Young Master, we should go at once. The mountain road may be wide, but it's rough and hard to travel."

"How heartless! Even if she's not her own mother, she's still her mother-in-law. She clearly had a carriage, yet she didn't bring her mother-in-law back."

Yang Xingxian muttered as he headed out with Achang.

Lady Wu and the others were exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. If only they had eaten the vegetarian meal at the temple!

The mountain road still showed no end in sight. At their pace, it would take another hour to get down the mountain!

Both daughters began complaining about her—about her stinginess, her lack of foresight, and her foolish decision to argue publicly with Xi!

Lady Wu was nearly furious enough to explode: "I haven't even mentioned you, Yang Luo. This is all your doing. I cleaned up your mess, and instead of being grateful, you're blaming me! That Xi woman stole the spotlight, and half of it was your handiwork."

"Mother, you're her mother-in-law! Can't you even keep her in line? One word—'filial piety'—would have been enough to humiliate her publicly. But no, you rambled on and on and ended up making a fool of yourself."

Yang Yao saw her elder sister attacking their mother and chimed in indignantly: "Sister, let's be clear—this was all your doing. You couldn't stand her stealing the spotlight, so you went up there spouting nonsense about the chess manual being from eldest brother. Go explain that to him when we get back."

At Yang Yao's words, Yang Luo began to worry. How could she have forgotten about that?

Lady Wu let out a long sigh. At least her younger daughter was considerate and knew how to care for her mother.

Her eldest daughter was two-faced! A weathervane! And a master at shifting blame!

In the future, when the daughters marry, the younger daughter's dowry should be the priority; the elder daughter just needs to be adequately provided for.

Lady Wu relied on this mental escape to alleviate the physical suffering she endured.

Her feet must be covered in blisters; every step was pure agony!

It wasn't just them; even the maidservants by their side, along with Nanny Wu, were grumbling inwardly.

But they didn't dare complain.

"I can't go on, I really can't walk anymore. Yicui, come carry me piggyback."

Yang Luo ordered the maid to crouch down so she could climb onto her back.

Poor Yicui, frail and thin as she was. As soon as the eldest miss pressed down on her back, she felt like her bones were about to snap.

She barely made it two steps before stumbling and falling.

Yang Luo was furious: "You little wretch, who are you putting on that act for?"

"Sister, stop giving the maid a hard time. She's so skinny, how could she possibly carry you?"

Yang Yao eased her own discomfort by mocking Yang Luo; watching her sister squirm made her feel a bit better.

As the two sisters bickered, a carriage suddenly approached from ahead.

"Mother, you're only this far along? I've been looking everywhere for you."

Yang Xingxian jumped down from the carriage. Lady Wu and the others, seeing him like a savior from above, burst into tears.

"My son, you've finally come. I thought I might die on this road today."

"Mother, what nonsense are you talking? Hurry and get on the carriage."

The carriage was quite large, but it could only seat six people.

Lady Wu reluctantly handed the two maids twenty copper coins: "Walk down the mountain and find a carriage to ride back. There's no room in this one; you'll just have to manage."

When Yicui and Caiyun saw the carriage, they didn't share the others' enthusiasm, knowing full well they weren't lucky enough to get a ride.