Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 3

Everyone in the Yu family knew that Yu Qizhe wouldn’t live beyond twenty more days. Madam Zhang was just trying to give Madam Song a bit of hope. She sighed, “He’ll get better.”

Madam Chun wiped the tears stung from the smoke out of her eyes and poured the rice into the pot.

When the rice finished cooking, Madam Song pulled out a black porcelain bowl, filled it with rice, and added a bit of vegetables on top. After glancing outside, she filled another bowl. She explained to Madam Zhang, who was squatting by the stove, “I’m bringing some food to that girl from the Meng family.”

Madam Zhang sighed. “Only someone like you would still be kind. That Meng girl is no good. If it were me, I’d have done what the old madam said, wrapped her in a mat and thrown her up the mountain.”

“She’s still a human life,” Madam Song said softly. She just hoped that by doing good, heaven would take pity on Yu Qizhe and help him recover soon.

She tucked one bowl of rice under her sleeve and carried the other in her hands as she walked toward the outer room.

In the courtyard, the old madam and several others from the third branch were still weaving grain baskets. When they saw Madam Song walk out of the kitchen with a bowl in hand, the old madam’s drooping eyelids twitched. “The rice is done?”

Madam Song stiffened slightly. She quickly hid the bowl under her sleeve more securely and answered, “Yes, I’m bringing a bowl to Mengshan first.”

The old madam’s face soured. Ever since Yu Mengshan broke his leg, Madam Song had been serving him first every time she cooked, acting as if the elders didn’t matter. But since the old master had given his silent approval, the old madam had to bite her tongue.

Seeing the old madam’s displeasure, Madam Song hurried toward the east room, worried she’d be caught serving two bowls. If discovered, it’d stir up yet another storm. As the second daughter-in-law, she knew her place. 

The village liked to say that Old Master Yu’s wife was kind and treated the sons of the first wife as her own, but only the Yu family knew how different things really were behind closed doors.

Back in the room, Madam Song set one bowl on a small table and told Yu Mengshan, “Mother’s still in the courtyard. I’ll bring Meng girl her food later.”

Then she went to call Yu Qizhe to the main hall for dinner while she stayed to help Mengshan eat. Mengshan shook his head and took the bowl from her. “It’s just my leg that’s broken, not my hands. You should go eat.”

He felt guilty, his wife hadn’t had a full meal since she started taking care of him.

The remaining grain had to last until the next harvest, and they had recently traded some for sorghum seeds. Food was running low. Every day’s portion was tightly calculated. The working men got most of the food; women had to make do with small bowls. If they were late, there’d be nothing left but hard scraps from the pot.

Madam Song knew what Mengshan was thinking, and her heart warmed. Smiling, she handed him chopsticks before heading to the main hall.

At the table, the old madam glanced at Madam Song and Yu Qizhe, her face sour. She felt increasingly irritated. Why was it always the second branch causing problems? The son was constantly sick and draining money, and now another had a broken leg. Only two women were left in their household, how could they contribute any labor? The rest of the family would end up supporting them.

The old madam felt her third son was being treated unfairly. But she couldn’t lash out too obviously; otherwise, she’d seem like a harsh stepmother to the late first wife’s sons.

So, she turned her anger toward Meng Yujiao again. After dinner, she dropped her bowl, lifted her heavy eyelids, and said coldly to Madam Song, “Tonight, throw that shameless girl from the Meng family up the mountain. We can’t risk word getting out. It would ruin the Yu family’s name. Silang is sitting for the imperial exam, we can’t let his reputation be tainted.”

Madam Song’s face went pale, and she could barely swallow her food. In a soft voice, she pleaded, “Mother, Meng girl is awake now, she’s still alive. And she hasn’t done anything inappropriate. The Buddha teaches that saving a life is more virtuous than building seven pagodas. Letting her live is at least an act of kindness.”

The old madam slammed her chopsticks down, Madam Song flinched in fear.

“You have some nerve,” she snapped. “You second branch people want to do good deeds at the cost of Silang’s future?”

Madam Zhao from the third branch cut in with a cold sneer, “Second sister-in-law, you’re too selfish. You want to keep that wretched girl around so she can crawl into Jinyan’s bed again? Your branch dragged in this jinx for a wedding ritual, who exactly are you trying to curse?”

Madam Song’s face turned red with anger. “Third sister-in-law, that’s too much. I’d never do anything to hurt Silang. Once Meng girl recovers, I’ll send her away.”

At the words “wedding ritual,” Old Master Yu, who had been quietly sipping his tea, finally reacted. When Yu Mengshan broke his leg, he had suggested bringing in that Meng girl to ward off bad luck from the second branch.

Clearing his throat, he took on the air of the household head. “Enough of this arguing!”

Madam Song quickly fell silent, hoping he would be moved to mercy.

The old master said, “Your mother is right. That girl from the Meng family is a curse. If any other girl had done what she did, she’d have been drowned in a pig cage by now. But since this concerns Silang’s reputation, we can’t let word get out. Who knows what kind of gossip would spread? Throw her in the mountains and let her live or die on her own. That way, it’s not our family’s fault.”

“But Father…” Madam Song tried to speak up again, but the old master gave her a sharp look. “You’ve always been obedient, don’t start talking back. Your mother is doing this for your own good.”

Madam Song had no choice but to swallow the rest of her words. She couldn’t risk being accused of disrespect.

The entire time, Yu Qizhe had been silently eating, saying nothing. Now, he suddenly set down his bowl and chopsticks. His clear eyes looked at the old master as he calmly said, “Let her stay. I feel like my health is improving. Maybe I’ll be able to take the exam this fall.”

The old master was stunned. Since suggesting the wedding ritual and bringing that girl in, Yu Qizhe had shown nothing but cold indifference. He had never even gotten close to her. Why was he suddenly speaking in her defense?

He studied his youngest grandson, the most brilliant and beautiful, but also the one with the shortest fate. “Are you serious?”

Yu Qizhe’s pale, handsome face was emotionless, but his eyes were calm and steady. He nodded. Madam Zhao immediately shouted, “Wulang, don’t lie just to protect her! Everyone knows how sick you are, how could you be getting better?”

Yu Qizhe turned to look at her. His peach blossom eyes were cold as water. Though he looked weak and frail, there was a quiet intensity in him that made Madam Zhao fall silent.

Her voice shrank to nothing, and the rest of her words died in her throat.