The bright moon hid among the cottony and light as silk clouds as it looked at the peaceful world while casting the world with its pure light. This gesture was like a graceful beautiful girl looking smilingly at the earth.
Unfortunately, Wu Shi was not in the mood to appreciate this beautiful night. She had been waiting for a long time in Biteng Courtyard until the two inner gates were almost locked. Somehow, her husband had not yet returned. She immediately called the old woman servant beside her and instructed, “Go and see where Lord is resting.”
When Wu Shi heard that Han Jingyan had gone to Concubine Xin’s place, she almost bit her silver teeth. Over the years, she had been trying to get rid of Concubine Xin and her son, but Concubine Xin always slipped away from her hand, making her plans fail several times and was nearly discovered by her husband. Originally, especially in recent years, Lord had acted cold towards Concubine Xin, so Wu Shi didn't expect that today, Lord had gone to that evil woman’s room.
Wu Shi didn’t sleep well that night. If it was like before, she could sleep late and would lazily wake up during the daytime. However, yesterday, Old Lady told her to come to the main room at maoshi. It somehow slipped out from Wu Shi’s memory that she had overslept, but the maid and old woman servant beside her didn’t dare to forget what the Old Lady had said.
As soon as the time arrived, Mama Chen went into Wu Shi’s room and woke her up. Despite it happening this way, it was already late for Wu Shi to go to the main room. By this time, the Old Lady had done cleaning and dressed herself up.
Old Lady’s complexion didn’t show any sign of worry, and usually, she would just let this matter go. Yesterday, she told Wu Shi to come to the main room on time at maoshi, and somehow she still could even be this late. This was clearly showing that Wu Shi did not take her words to heart.
In fact, Old Lady Han was not an evil mother-in-law. She didn’t like to control her daughters-in-law. Over the years with Qiu Shi, they had gotten along like actual mother and daughter. Of course, it was also because Qiu Shi was filial, thinking of her in everything and caring about her more than her own son. Besides, Qiu Shi was not a person who loved power, so the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was very good. She did not want to set any rules for Wu Shi. She didn’t set any rules for Qiu Shi back then, and it was not good to be selective. Only that, what Wu Shi had done, worried her so much, so she made this request. In fact, she wanted Wu Shi to learn more from her than for her to set rules for Wu Shi and control her by her side.[+]
Unfortunately, Wu Shi was not at all aware of Old Lady’s painstaking efforts. For her, disaster had just begun.
Yuxi always got up on time at two quarters before maoshi. What she did every day was according to her own schedule. Even if she did the same thing as other days, there were no rules to stop her.
Yuxi finished her breakfast and was going to the backyard to see her herbs. However, Kufu walked up to her and whispered, “Miss, today Third Lady went to serve the Old Lady and she had been poured with dog blood by the Old Lady.”
Yuxi was surprised. Although the Old Lady didn’t like her, she had to admit that the Old Lady was not a person who liked to control her daughter-in-law. “What happened?”
Because of yesterday's matter, Kufu really hated Wu Shi. This caused her to gloat when she explained to Yuxi, “When the Third Lady went to the main room today, the Old Lady had already washed herself up. And when the Third Lady was waiting for the Old Lady to have a meal, the Old Lady was so angry that she threw away Wu Shi’s chopsticks for picking up the dishes she didn’t like.“
Wu Shi had never served anyone, nor knew the trick to do well here. If she was changed to another smart daughter-in-law, knowing that her mother-in-law would set some rules for her, she would first ask the people around her mother-in-law about her preferences, such as what kind of food she liked and what kind of tea she drank. As a result, Wu Shi did nothing nor did she know anything, which naturally made a mess of things.
Yuxi chuckled. Although the Old Lady was usually acting like a Bodhisattva, she was actually not a kind person. In her past life, the Old Lady also felt dissatisfied with Wu Shi but turned a blind eye for her son. Now that Wu Shi’s manners had been exposed, perhaps the Old Lady had to firmly sort her out.
What Yuxi had expected was proved right. The next following days were worse than death for Wu Shi. She had to go to the main room at two quarters before maoshi every day, and she couldn’t go back until the sun was three poles high. In the meantime, Old Lady Han kept picking faults with her in various ways.
When did Wu Shi ever suffer this kind of suffering from childhood? She really couldn’t stand it anymore. That night, she complained tearfully to Han Jingyan. Instead, her complaint provoked Han Jingyan’s anger. After giving her a good scolding, he slammed the door and went out. Then, he didn’t enter her door for half a month and continued to stay day and night at both of his concubines’ rooms, making Wu Shi felt extremely bitter till it was hard for her to say it out.
Wu Shi’s life was hard, while Qiu Shi’s life was free and unconstrained. The daughter-in-law who married into the residence door was helping her manage the residence common affairs, so she was not as busy as she was before.
Ye Shi gave Qiu Shi a gentle rub on her shoulder. This was not an act of Qiu Shi torturing her daughter-in-law, but Ye Shi showing her filial piety, especially serving Qiu Shi. In fact, Ye Shi felt very grateful to Qiu Shi. This mother-in-law was very good except for her straightforward nature. Other mother-in-laws dragged the housekeeping responsibility to their death and refused to let it go. However, her mother-in-law began to let her help with housework from the second month after her marriage. Qiu Shi was waiting for Ye Shi to be familiar with the housework before she could completely let it go.[+]
Qiu Shi suddenly remembered something and asked, "I remember that the first day of next month will be Marquis Taining wife's birthday, right?" The wife of Marquis Taining was Ye Shi's aunt. Ye Shi's marriage to the residence was also because of her aunt who acted as the go-between.
Ye Shi replied, "Mother is right. Aunt's birthday is on the first day of next month."
Qiu Shi nodded and said, "Buy Yuru and others some new clothes. Then, take them along with you." Yuru and Yujing were fast approaching their coming of age day. Marriage was also on her agenda. It was also because she didn't care much about their marriage, or else she would have been looking for their matches a long time ago. Of course, it was not too late for her to be a matchmaker at this age. [+]
Ye Shi gently nodded and answered, "Okay." Family members in such residences usually made new clothes and jewellery every time they went out for a visit. Not to compete with others, but not to lose the face of the residence.
The news of their visit to the residence of Marquis Taining was not at all a secret. Soon everyone inside the residence knew it. Naturally, Qiu Yanfu also knew about it.
Qiu Yanfu implicitly raised the matter to Wu Shi, but Wu Shi refused without even thinking much about it. She was already tired from dealing with the Old Lady now, and she even neglected her own daughter, so, where would she have the time to manage her niece? Her life nowadays, compared to her life in Hebei, was really like heaven and earth.
Yurong had moved to Cuiyun Courtyard. The Old Lady also invited the nurturing momo to come over in the shortest possible time. As for a teacher, she was not going to invite one. In the case of Yurong’s current manner, it was best she focused on learning the rules well. To invite a teacher for Yurong would just be a waste of money.
Qiu Yanfu felt somewhat anxious. She came to the capital to find a good family to marry into, but now that Wu Shi was squeezed to death by the Old Lady every day, and she was forced to withdraw into Shuixiang Courtyard, how could she find a good family?
Her servant girl, Yanyu said, "Miss, why don't you just forget it this time? Let's look for another opportunity next time!"
Qiu Yanfu shook her head and said, "I don't know when my aunt will be able to go out." Rong Biaomei was only nine years old, and there was no hurry to talk about marriage in the next few years. However, if she could not finalise her marriage this year, she would be 16 next year, and the older she got, the harder it would be for her to get married.
Yanyu pulled a long face as she exclaimed, "That's impossible!"
Qiu Yanfu really wanted to go, finally, she thought of Yujing. Because she knew that Qiu Shi didn't like Yujing before, so she didn't try to make friends with Yujing. But now, since she had no other way, she could only take this road. Among the four young misses of the residence, Eldest Miss seemed gentle and generous, but in fact, she was greedy and cunning. She had gained a lot of good things, but she had never really done anything for her. The Third Miss was in the same camp as the Fourth Miss. Now, she would have to go down Yujing's road.
Yanyu thought that this way was not appropriate, "Miss, rather than asking Second Miss, why don't you go to Mama Luo. As long as Mama Luo helps you to say a good word in front of Old Lady Han, it will certainly be several times better than Miss Yujing. "
Qiu Yanfu felt that the way Yanyu had suggested was also good. After thinking about it, she said, "Let's take a walk on both sides." Even if the Old Lady promised to let her go to the party, it would be embarrassing to find no one to introduce her and no one for her to talk to. If Yujing could help, it would save her a lot of strength.
Mama Luo's accepted the benefits gave by Qiu Yanfu's offer, so she told the Old Lady about it, "Old Lady, I look at this Qiu girl and she was not small-minded."
Old Mrs Han didn't care, "If she wants to go, let her go! Let her hit the wall." The girls who could attend Marquis Taining residence banquet were wealthy and respectable people. These girls didn't hang around with anybody. If one wanted to befriend them, firstly one had to have a family background, secondly was the character and intellect. Even common women would despise Qiu Yanfu's status.
Mama Luo had another worry, "Old Lady, I'm worried that this Qiu family girl's mind is too big and will bring down the reputation of our residence." She also said this was because she knew that business families had no scruples. If by any chance, this Qiu family girl took a fancy over a childe, she would use her tears, and even willing just to be a concubine for the childe. Qiu Yanfu was now living in the state residence. If she became a concubine, she would have a bad influence on several young misses of the residence.[+]
Old Lady Han nodded and said, "Your worry is not unreasonable. Please assign her a maid tomorrow and don't let her bring her own maid." If there was someone to watch over Qiu Yanfu, there would be no problem.
Yuxi knew within a sichen that the Old Lady had given her consent to let Qiu Yanfu go to Marquis Taining residence together with them. Yuxi suddenly smiled. For Qiu Yanfu to go along with them to Marquis Taining residence, was merely courting a disgrace to herself.
Suddenly, Yuxi had an inspiration. In her previous life, Qiu Yanfu often went out to socialise, but in the end, she still schemed against her Er Ge. Could she let her do it again? The more Qiu Yanfu went out to socialise, the more she knew that she couldn't be a proper wife to a noble family with just her status, so she implemented her scheme towards Er Ge instead. Qiu Yanfu was generous in her previous life, with her sweet mouth, plus, Wu Shi had a face at that time, so her popularity in the residence was very good, otherwise, she would not have been able to scheme against her Er Ge that easily.
Thinking till here, Yuxi remembered Han Jianye and felt somewhat helpless. Her Er Ge was good in everything, but he was too righteous. In his last life, he felt that he had damaged Qiu Yanfu's reputation, so he insisted on marrying her despite the oppositions from his mother and eldest brother. This time, Yuxi didn't have to guard against Qiu Yanfu's mischief only but also had to brainwash her Er Ge. She could not let him do such stupid things again.
Zisu smiled as she said, "Miss, First Lady had sent something over." Qiu Shi had been fond of adding jewellery to Yuxi's possession in the past two years. It was no wonder that the maids in the Rose Courtyard weren't that surprised with the jewellery that came to the yard today.
Inside the box, there was a set of jewellery, hairpins, earrings and bracelets, all of which were carved with rose patterns.
Yuxi looked at the jewellery and said with a smile, "Eldest Aunt has taken too much trouble." This jewellery, just match her current clothes!
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi