The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 22 Part 2

“Mother, big brother is still injured! What will we do when Sister-in-law comes back if you hurt him even more?” Cheng Shaoan, noticing his brother’s pained reaction, quickly stepped forward to stop her.

Madam Wang did care for her son. Hearing that, she stopped, and looking at her eldest son’s somewhat pale face, she couldn’t help feeling distressed. But the moment she remembered the daughter-in-law who’d been angered into leaving, she steeled her heart again and spat at Cheng Shaotang. “Serves you right! If you don’t bring mother and child back, I’m not done with you!”

Cheng Shaotang gave a bitter smile and sighed as he watched her huff away.

“Big brother, see? See? No one even knows who her real child is,” Cheng Shaoan whispered, leaning in.

 “Brother, how exactly did you manage to drive sister-in-law away? With her temper, she’s always the one infuriating others. I never thought she’d be the one getting infuriated.” After a moment, he asked curiously again.

Cheng Shaotang shot him an annoyed glare. “What’s going on with you and Cousin Jin? I heard Mother and Aunt are planning to arrange a marriage between you two.”

Hearing him bring this up, Cheng Shaoan grew both proud and a little shy. “It’s nothing much. Last time, that scoundrel in the village tried something improper, and I happened to pass by and saved her like a hero.”

Because of this, Madam Sun was frightened and no longer allowed Jin Qiaorong to keep stringing Cheng Shaoan along. She went to Madam Wang, intending to settle their engagement and put her worries to rest.

Although Jin Qiaorong wasn’t very willing, she had no grounds to object, though she still felt somewhat wronged. But Cheng Shaoan knew nothing of this. Right now, his heart was filled with the joy of soon winning his beauty.

The prettiest girl in the village would soon be engaged to him.

“Now that you’re engaged, you can no longer act recklessly. You must shoulder the responsibilities of a husband…” Cheng Shaotang was about to lecture him as usual, but Cheng Shaoan interrupted him, “I know, I know, brother, you should think about when to bring sister-in-law and Xiao Shitou back. I think Mother is probably quite angry this time.”

Cheng Shaotang sighed again.

To be honest, he didn’t want to have any more contact with the royal family, and he knew that Prince Qi’s residence was not a good place. However, Prince Qi had done him a great favor, and his sworn brothers had sincerely invited him, so he couldn’t refuse.

However, if she insisted on disagreeing, then the matter could be dropped. He could explain it to his brothers properly. They were brothers who had gone through thick and thin together, and he believed they wouldn’t blame him.

Now… he rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

When he lay alone in his empty bed at night, he felt quite uncomfortable, always feeling an emptiness in his heart, as if he had lost something.

At this hour, if Xiao Yu were home, she would be coaxing Xiao Shitou to take a bath. The little guy would initially refuse, but once his mother put on a stern face, he would reluctantly sit down in his special wooden tub, looking back every few steps.

A few moments later, the little guy would excitedly splash the water, soaking his mother completely, then receive a slap on the bottom, followed by a few howls.

Thinking of this scene that played out almost daily, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

“Tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll go and bring them back…” he muttered to himself but then changed his mind. “I should first make it clear to Brother Wu and the others that I won’t be going to Prince Qi’s residence.”

Ling Yu’s days at her parents’ home weren’t exactly easy either. Madam Zhou was alright; although she found her sudden return strange, she was easily coaxed away with a few words. But things weren’t so easy with Scholar Ling.

“Outrageous! Your husband is recuperating at home, and you, as his wife, not only fail to properly care for him but even take the child and leave in a fit of anger. Have you forgotten all the manners and morals I taught you?” Scholar Ling rebuked sharply, his face stern.

Ling Yu puffed out her cheeks, stubbornly meeting his gaze, yet not uttering a single word of rebuttal.

“Take Cheng Lei back first thing tomorrow morning!” Scholar Ling ordered.

“I’m not going back! This is my home—why can’t I stay!” Ling Yu finally exploded.

“Do I have to teach you again the principle of a married woman obeying her husband?!” Scholar Ling shouted.

“You—you didn’t even ask whether I was wronged before trying to drive me away! What kind of father are you?!” Ling Yu fired back.

Scholar Ling let out a cold laugh. “Shaotang is gentle by nature, and your mother-in-law is kind. Who would mistreat you? You must be the one making trouble to pull this ‘returning to your parents’ home’ stunt!”

His words weren’t entirely wrong, but Ling Yu was still so angry she burst into tears. She stomped her foot. “I knew it! You must be disgusted that I’m a girl and can’t carry on your family line!”

“If you were a son, I’d break your legs right now!”

“Alright, alright, can’t father and daughter talk things out? What’s with all this red-faced arguing?” Seeing the two quarrel so fiercely, Madam Zhou hurried over to smooth things over.

“It’s all thanks to your good daughter!” Scholar Ling glared at her.

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s all thanks to my good daughter, all my doing,” Madam Zhou agreed out of habit. She then turned to pull Ling Yu. “Xiao Shitou must be scared alone in the room—go keep him company.”

Ling Yu, still worried about her son, hastily wiped her tears and ran off.

“Just look at her! What kind of behavior is that? Not a shred of the manners a young lady should have!” Scholar Ling grew even angrier, pointing toward where his daughter disappeared and shouting at Madam Zhou.

“She’s not a young lady anymore. She’s someone’s wife now,” Madam Zhou corrected gently.

Scholar Ling was momentarily choked by her words. His face turned red before he huffed angrily, “I’ve said it—what’s the use of having a daughter? You raise her until she’s grown, and she becomes someone else’s! And when she comes home, she only comes to make me angry!”

“Yes, yes, yes—having a daughter is useless, better to have a son,” Madam Zhou said, agreeing with him.

“Nonsense! How are daughters useless? Daughters are their parents’ little padded jackets. And ours, even if she’s not perfect, is still at least a little vest.” Scholar Ling glared at her again.

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re right—daughters are little vests, little vests,” Madam Zhou continued, appeasing him.

Anyway, as long as it ended his anger, she’d agree even if he said the sun was square.

After settling her husband, Madam Zhou went to Ling Yu’s room. She saw Ling Yu holding Xiao Shitou and telling him a story, her gentle and patient expression completely different from earlier, and she couldn’t help but smile.

This father and daughter had made her worry endlessly, yet also made her never have to worry. It sounded contradictory, but it was absolutely true.

After coaxing her son to sleep, Ling Yu turned and saw Madam Zhou standing in the doorway with a smile. She pouted and asked, “Mother, what are you doing standing there?”

“Not angry anymore?” Madam Zhou asked with a smile.

“Father’s not here. Who would I be angry with? I’d just make myself sick,” Ling Yu scoffed.

“You!” Madam Zhou chuckled, poking her forehead affectionately before lowering her voice. “You’re already a mother. How are you still more childish than Xiao Shitou? Your father may act tough, but he loves you the most. Even your sister and I have to step aside.”

Ling Yu didn’t believe a word of it.

Of the three women, she was always the one getting scolded—yet supposedly the most loved? She wouldn’t buy that even if they tried telling Xiao Shitou.

Madam Zhou never expected her to believe it anyway. Both father and daughter were stubborn and prideful; neither had the right to complain about the other.

“Did you really argue with Shaotang?” she finally asked.

“…No.” Though she was still annoyed with Cheng Shaotang, Ling Yu couldn’t bring herself to lie, so she answered reluctantly.

“If you didn’t argue, how did you end up taking Xiao Shitou home without saying a word? Do you think I don’t know your temper? Your husband must’ve done something to upset you. And he’s terrible with words, doesn’t know how to coax anyone, so he ended up making you run off, didn’t he?” Madam Zhou said knowingly.

Ling Yu’s mouth stretched even longer. “Why does it sound like it’s my fault? You’re all siding with him.”

Madam Zhou laughed lightly. “Shouldn’t you be happy? The husband you chose has already won your father’s approval.”

“I already have a son. Why would I care about his approval?” Ling Yu snorted again, though the corners of her mouth had already curled up without her noticing.

Madam Zhou, of course, could see right through her stubborn façade and shook her head with a smile.

Since childhood, the thing Ling Yu had learned best was how to be thick-skinned. Whenever she was scolded and stormed out of the house, Scholar Ling would chase after her, shouting, “If you’re so capable, don’t come back for dinner!”

But every time the meal bell tolled, she would still stroll back home, cling to the dining table, and, under Scholar Ling’s resentful glare, eat until she was full.

So this time, when Scholar Ling told her to bring her son back the next day, she let the words slip straight through her ears. The following morning, she rose early, tidied the house with Zhou, and personally prepared breakfast.

Scholar Ling was long accustomed to his daughter’s shamelessness. He merely glared at her once before scooping Xiao Shitou into his arms and teaching him to recite the Three Character Classic.

A toddler not yet two years old could hardly sit still, and Scholar Ling’s stiff, monotonous reading was nothing like the soft and affectionate way Ling Yu usually told him stories. In less than fifteen minutes, Xiao Shitou was already squirming, trying to escape his grandfather’s arms.

“A person who doesn’t study won’t know manners. Even though you’re still very young, you can’t neglect learning and propriety. In the future…” Noticing his grandson’s wandering focus, Scholar Ling pressed him into the armchair in front of him and scolded him sternly.

Unable to struggle free and overwhelmed by the lecturing, Xiao Shitou finally burst into tears with a loud “waaah.”

“A man doesn’t shed tears easily, even though you—alright, alright, don’t cry… as the sages said… okay, okay, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

From not far away, Ling Yu watched the two of them and doubled over with laughter, gripping Madam Zhou’s hand tightly to stop her from rescuing the flustered grandfather. She was determined to enjoy watching her father make a fool of himself.

Finally, the scholar, having waited far too long for his wife to swoop in and save him, lost his composure. “Xiao Yu’s mother, hurry up and come here already!”

Ling Yu was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. It took her a good while before she managed to take her pitiful son from Madam Zhou’s arms. She planted a loud kiss on his cheek and praised him, “Such a good boy!”

In the afternoon, Ling Dachun came with good news. The landlord agreed to rent the shop to them first, and when they had more money later, they could buy it at the previously negotiated price.

“That good?” Ling Yu was stunned.

“Of course, there are conditions. They want us to buy up all the goods in the shop as well. I’ve run the numbers, and buying the fabric plus three months’ rent is still cheaper than purchasing the place outright. Besides, this batch of fabric was bought by the late owner himself, and the quality is excellent. We won’t lose money selling it off afterward. What do you think?”

Ling Yu asked carefully about the fabric’s quality, quantity, and price. After giving it repeated thought, she finally made her decision. “Alright!”

“Then I’ll pass this along to the young masters and get the contracts ready. Also, we need to draw up a partnership agreement with Miss Yang. Business is business; everything should be clear and well-defined. It’s not about distrust, just giving both sides some assurance. What do you think?” Ling Dachun urged, striking while the iron was hot.

Ling Yu nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”

Efficient as always, Ling Dachun immediately headed to the county to take care of the paperwork.

Several days passed before both the shop and the contracts were settled. For now, Ling Dachun covered all the costs of buying the fabric and renting the shop. After all, when Ling Yu left the Cheng family, she had taken only a few sets of clothes with her, not a single coin.

During this time, Ling Yu never once saw Cheng Shaotang. Cheng Shaoan, on the other hand, showed up several times with deliveries, claiming they were sent by his elder brother and mother, though Ling Yu couldn’t tell if that was true.

Although she had been busy with the shop these days and hadn’t had time to overthink, when she had a moment to herself, she couldn’t hide the feeling of grievance she felt, realizing that she had been away from home for several days, and her husband hadn’t even seen a trace of her. 

She patted her cheeks, refusing to let herself think about that heartless man any longer. Handing her son over to Madam Zhou, she went with Ling Dachun to the county town to find Yang Suwen.

This had been her plan all along. Now that the shop was secured, they had to build a reputation before opening. Ling Dachun didn’t understand at first, but once she explained, he praised it as “brilliant.”

“Also, Brother Dachun, we’re in the business of appearances. Your face is the best walking advertisement we have. Later, have Suwen give you something to put on. Make your skin look clean and bright. When people ask, you can use the chance to promote our Liufangtang Jade Complexion Cream.” Ling Yu instructed earnestly.

Ling Dachun’s expression shifted, and he hesitated. “Come on, no. I’m a grown man—why would I smear cream on my face like a woman…?”

“Do you still want to earn money?” Ling Yu’s expression darkened.

“Fine, fine, do whatever you want.” Ling Dachun sighed. He’d already spent most of his savings. Losing money was the last thing he could afford.

Ling Yu nodded in satisfaction.

This time, she brought Ling Dachun to see Yang Suwen not only to finalize the contract among the three of them but also to get some Jade Complexion Cream to give away. Once people tried it and experienced its effects firsthand, their reputation would naturally spread, and they wouldn’t need to worry about business when they opened.

Although Ling Yu had been the first to bring up the business, Ling Dachun had invested the most effort in the early stages. Moreover, Ling Yu felt that he would inevitably need to devote far more time and energy than the two women moving forward, so the contract was divided into a 40/30/30 split, with Ling Dachun receiving the largest share.

Yang Suwen, of course, had no objections. As far as she was concerned, all she needed to do was handle the preparations—nothing else required her attention.

Ling Dachun couldn’t refuse, so he agreed readily. From then on, it went without saying that he poured even more effort into Liufang Hall.

“Your young master must frequent Yixiang Courtyard* quite often, right?” Ling Yu suddenly asked.

(*TL’s note: 怡香院(Yíxiāng Yuàn)—In historical/xianxia/wuxia novel, a name like this almost always refers to a brothel/pleasure house/entertainment house)

Ling Dachun didn’t understand what she meant but answered honestly, “Indeed.”

“Good. Here are a few boxes of Jade Complexion Cream. Think of a way to give them to the girls at Yixiang Courtyard—preferably the ones who are quite popular but have recently run into little beauty troubles, like getting acne.”

“W-what? You… you want me to go to a place like that?” Ling Dachun stammered, wondering if he’d misheard.

“I’m asking you, where in our county can you find the most women with the means to lavishly spend money on their faces?”

“I know, Yixiang Courtyard!” Yang Suwen answered excitedly.

Ling Yu gave her an approving look.

“These boxes—find a way to give them to the ladies of your master’s household.” Before Ling Dachun could respond, Ling Yu pushed several more boxes of Jade Complexion Cream toward him.

Ling Dachun let out a breath. This task was fine, he could complete it through the young masters.

“Alright, leave the rest to me. I’ll give them out elsewhere.” Ling Yu tucked the remaining boxes into her clothes.

“Then, Sister Yu, what about me?” Yang Suwen asked quickly, seeing that everyone had been assigned a task except her.

“Focus on making the Jade Complexion Cream. Try to produce more. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“…Alright.”

“Didn’t you say we were running low on herbs? Since we’ve got some free time, let’s go buy more together!” Ling Yu added.

“Okay, let’s go!”

Ling Dachun, sullenly carrying a dozen boxes of Jade Complexion Cream, followed behind the two endlessly chattering women, wondering how he was going to distribute everything. Suddenly, a scream rang out ahead. When he snapped back to himself, he saw several unfamiliar men stuffing the unconscious Ling Yu and Yang Suwen into a carriage. Before he could react, the carriage sped away, disappearing in an instant.