Aristocratic Family - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Enlightenment (Part 1)

Madam Mo returned to her courtyard. The maid by her side lifted the water-red lacquered door curtain. Inside the room, four corners had blue-and-white porcelain basins filled with ice blocks. The maids quickly came over to fan Madam Mo. As soon as Madam Mo entered the room, she felt a wave of coolness.

After Madam Mo sat down, the maid by her side took out a fan to fan her. After a while, Madam Mo waved her hand, dismissing the maids. She looked puzzled, “Liu Mama, do you think that girl is being cautious around me?”

Liu Mama nodded, “Judging from Third Young Lady’s demeanor, it seems like she’s being cautious around the Madam. But the Madam has always treated her like her own daughter. Why would she suddenly change like this? Madam, Gu Mama said it seemed like it started after that night’s nightmare. Madam, do you think it’s because the Old Lady said something?”

Madam Mo was troubled by Yueyao’s sudden change. She had thought Yueyao was easy to manipulate, and indeed she was. But she had no idea why Yueyao had started to think differently now.

However, Madam Mo shook her head at Liu Mama’s words, “No, the Old Lady may not like me, but she wouldn’t say such things to the child. What did Gu Mama say? How much family property does that girl have? Did Second Master really give her most of the family assets?”

Madam Mo was well aware that Yueyao had been learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in Jiangnan and hadn’t been involved in household affairs or cared about money. Gu Mama said that Yueyao had locked the money given by Second Master in a box and hadn’t touched it. As for how much, Gu Mama wasn’t very clear. After all, it wasn’t something that could be asked about casually, or it would arouse Yueyao’s suspicion.

Liu Mama said affirmatively, “Gu Mama said Third Young Lady has a considerable amount of family property. It’s estimated to be around 100,000 taels of silver or so. After all, Second Master had been in lucrative positions for years, and even without mentioning other things, just the annual gifts and tributes from below would be a large sum of income. Additionally, Madam Ma’s dowry was also tens of thousands of taels of silver.”

It wasn’t that Second Master was embezzling or taking bribes, but his positions were lucrative, and it was easy for him to earn tens of thousands of taels of silver annually. If there were other sources of income, he could earn hundreds of thousands of taels in a year.

Madam Mo listened to Liu Mama’s words and thought about the wealth, feeling suffocated. In previous years, when Second Master sent gifts back, they were always some dry, worthless local specialties.
She had never seen a single silver tael.

Both Second Master and his wife were dead, and he had been in office for so many years, so the family wealth should be abundant. But her husband only brought back some heavy, worthless things, and the silver was only tens of thousands.

She didn’t believe that the second branch couldn’t have only this little wealth. It must be that Second Master had hidden it, and the most likely place was with Third Young Lady. Through investigation, it really turned out as she expected, the wealth was with Third Young Lady.

So much wealth, invisible and intangible, made Madam Mo’s heart itch like an insect crawling. If she could get her hands on that money, the household expenses wouldn’t be so tight. With money to grease the wheels, the master’s official career would be smoother, and the weddings of Brother Li’er, Brother Yi’er, and Sister Bing’er could be held with grandeur. But the Old Lady held everything in her hands.

Madam Mo couldn’t get her hands on anything. On the surface, she was in charge of the household, but in reality, she had to listen to the Old Lady in every matter. After 16 years of marriage, she had never had a single year of peaceful days.

Liu Mama said cautiously, “Madam, now Third Young Lady seems like a different person. She’s not close to the Madam anymore. Madam, I always feel like it’s because the Old Lady said something?”

Madam Mo shook her head, “No, the Old Lady wouldn’t say anything to Third Young Lady. If she was going to say something, she would have said it long ago. Besides, I’m doing it for that child’s own good. Third Young Lady is so young, and she has such a large sum of money in her hands. It’s not safe.”

The Old Lady had been holding onto the household power for years, and Madam Mo had suffered countless losses, both openly and secretly. But the Old Lady valued face and would never say anything bad about Madam Mo in front of the younger generation. Madam Mo was certain of this.

Liu Mama shook her head, “Madam, Third Young Lady’s temperament has changed. We can’t use the same methods as before.” Liu Mama meant that they should use other methods.

Madam Mo clenched her fists, “No, we must stick to the old ways. Although Dr. Tang’s mouth is tight-lipped, I can see that the Old Lady doesn’t have much time left. At most, she has only one or two years left. We’ve already endured for over a decade, so what’s a couple more years? It’s better not to give her any chance to catch me making a mistake. She won’t hesitate to take advantage of me. If the master gets angry, I’ll be the one to suffer.”

Over the years, if it weren’t for her careful and meticulous management of the household, maintaining relationships with various parties, and making efforts to keep everything running smoothly, the Lian family wouldn’t be where it is today.

However, the Old Lady has always been wary of her and never trusted her. Fortunately, she gave birth to two sons, and they were both promising. If not, the Lian family would have been no place for her.

Liu Mama nodded.

Yueyao and Tingzheng had lunch together. Today’s lunch was quite sumptuous, with braised lion’s head (made from vegetarian ingredients, as they couldn’t eat meat during mourning), fresh flower tofu, sesame sauce with shredded Chinese cabbage, and creamy asparagus soup.

Yueyao no longer ate only a small bowl of rice like she used to. Now, she forced herself to eat at least one bowl of rice per meal, and if she could eat more, she’d have a small extra portion. Not eating meals and relying solely on supplements was detrimental to her health. After meals, she had to take a leisurely walk to aid digestion.

This was a lesson she learned from her time in the Buddhist Nunnery. The Master was knowledgeable about medicine and often treated the ladies and noblewomen. In fact, this was a significant source of income for the temple.

After Yueyao became ill a few times, the master, seeing her weak constitution, taught her the Five Animals Play (Wu Qin Xi). With time, Yueyao’s health gradually improved, and she rarely fell ill afterward. Therefore, she planned to start practicing the Five Animals Play now. However, it wasn’t suitable for her to begin without a valid reason, or it would arouse suspicion.

Tingzheng finished one bowl of rice and put down his chopsticks. Yueyao asked with a smile, “Are you full? If you’re not full, let Hualei give you more. You can have as much as you want.”

Tingzheng hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m full.”

Yueyao felt a pang in her heart. If he was truly full, he wouldn’t have hesitated. However, Yueyao gently touched Tingzheng’s forehead, “Hua Lei, give him a little more, about half a bowl. He doesn’t look like he’s eaten enough.”

After instructing Hua Lei, Yueyao said to Tingzheng, “You’re still growing, so you need to eat more. Eat more, and you’ll grow faster and taller. Sister is counting on you to protect her when you’re grown up.”

Hua Lei picked up the sweet porcelain bowl and added more rice for Tingzheng.

Tingzheng stared blankly for a moment, feeling both happy and worried, “Can I really protect Sister?”

Yueyao put a lion’s head into Tingzheng’s bowl: “Of course, it’s true. When our Tingzheng grows up to be a man, he’ll be able to protect Sister. So, you need to eat more and grow up quickly.”

Tingzheng looked at Hua Lei and Mu Qiu, and they both nodded. Tingzheng’s face lit up with joy, and he took the bowl from Hua Lei, eating happily. After finishing, he asked for more.

Yueyao saw that Tingzheng had reached his limit and stopped Hua Lei from adding more. She asked Hua Lei to serve him a bowl of soup instead.

Hua Lei felt extremely happy. The young lady had finally let go of her grief and was focusing on the present. With Tingzheng by her side, she believed the young lady would get better and better.

After lunch, Yueyao held Tingzheng’s hand and walked around the courtyard. The courtyard was spacious, and there were many flowers planted inside.
A gust of wind blew by, and the fresh air was filled with a sweet fragrance, rich and pure. The intoxicating scent was overwhelming.

Yueyao pointed to a lush patch of flowers near the courtyard, “Tingzheng, these are orchids, planted by Father back then. They’re blooming now.”

Tingzheng was familiar with the term “Father,” but he didn’t know much about the person. After hearing Yueyao’s words, he murmured, “Father?”

Yueyao told Tingzheng about how Father had studied hard in the cold window back then, eventually becoming a successful candidate and achieving the title of Tanhua. Tingzheng listened intently, his little face filled with seriousness. Finally, he looked up at Yueyao and stammered, “Sister, can I become someone like Father?”

Yueyao felt a sense of relief hearing this. As long as Tingzheng had the willingness to strive and make progress, that’s all that mattered. Yueyao nodded affirmatively, “Of course, you can. As long as you’re willing to work hard, you’ll definitely become someone respected and admired, just like Father.”

Tingzheng’s eyes lit up at first, but then they dimmed, and he fidgeted with his sleeves, showing his unease. After a while, Tingzheng stammered, “Sister, Concubine said I’m a fool, and Mama said I’m stupid. I-I’m not as smart as Father, and I can’t be as good as Father. Sister, will you abandon me when that happens?”

Yueyao heard Tingzheng’s cautious words and saw his anxious expression, as if she would abandon him at any moment. She couldn’t help but hug Tingzheng, and tears streamed down her face. She didn’t want to cry, but thinking about the tragic past, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

Hua Lei pulled Mu Qiu back, shaking her head, “Don’t go.” Let the young lady and the young master bond and get to know each other better.

Tingzheng used his small hands to help Yueyao wipe away her tears, “Sister, don’t cry. I’ll listen to you. As long as you don’t mind my stupidity.” Being called stupid so many times, Tingzheng had started to believe it himself.

Yueyao wiped away her tears, feeling extremely angry with Concubine You and the servants who had taken care of Tingzheng. They had really messed him up, “I won’t mind, my Tingzheng is not stupid. Those who say he’s stupid are the ones who are truly stupid. Tingzheng, the most important thing in learning to read and write is not intelligence, but diligence. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll definitely succeed.”

Tingzheng almost swore, “Sister, I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Yueyao stood up, “Good, since you’re not afraid of hard work, I’ll start teaching you to read and write today. If you’re afraid of hardship, I’ll have to spank your hands.” She had to be strict about this.

Yueyao led Tingzheng to the front courtyard. From now on, she would teach him to read and write in their father’s study.

When they entered the main hall, Tingzheng’s eyes were immediately drawn to the four panels of yellow pear wood carvings on the wall, depicting a scene of a spring outing, painted by Lian Dongbo himself.

In front of the screen, a black nanmu wood table with inlaid marble was placed, and on it was a bronze incense burner with intricate carvings. Two matching armchairs with blue cushions were placed on either side. Due to the mourning period, the decorations were simple, and all brightly colored objects were put away.

Yueyao led Tingzheng into the study. A desk was placed near the window, with sheets of rice paper scattered on it, and a set of writing instruments neatly arranged.

The largest bookshelf was closest to the desk, filled with thousands of books. Under the south-facing window, a pear wood couch was placed, with a blue porcelain vase on the side table, containing a few branches of orchids. The entire room was simple, elegant, and refined.

Yueyao glanced at the table and chairs where tea was served, and the chessboard on the side table, with pieces scattered about, as if the game was unfinished, waiting for the owner to return and continue.

Yueyao thought about how her father used to read and play chess in this room when he was young. Unfortunately, she would never see her father’s elderly figure again.

Tingzheng tugged on Yueyao’s skirt. She came back to reality, noticing that the desk was too high for Tingzheng to write comfortably. Normally, the desk would need to be replaced. However, Yueyao was reluctant to change it, as it would disrupt the layout of the study. After looking around, she decided to teach Tingzheng to read and write at the tea table instead.

Yueyao planned to start by teaching Tingzheng to recognize characters, having him learn the “Three Character Classic,” ” Hundred Family Surnames,” and ” Thousand Character Classic” thoroughly. Then, she would teach him Tang and Song dynasty poetry. Once Tingzheng had mastered these, she would send him to school.

However, after searching for a long time, Yueyao couldn’t find the books she needed. In the end, she wrote out the “Hundred Family Surnames” from memory. She would use this temporarily and either buy the books later or ask the two households to return them.

Yueyao picked up a brush, looking at the dried-up inkstone. It had been a long time since she last entered the study, and she had forgotten many things. When Hua Lei wanted to use the inkstone, Yueyao couldn’t bear to let her.

Instead, she asked Hua Lei to find another ordinary inkstone to use. This was something her father had used, and Yueyao wanted to preserve it. Although it might seem silly, she just wanted to keep it.

Hua Lei’s nose felt sour.