Yun Ye soaked in the wooden tub. The cypress leaves mixed in the water gave off a smell of turpentine oil, very uncomfortable. Only tractor belts needed turpentine oil added to increase friction. Had he lost his vitality so early? He couldn’t refuse. As soon as he said no, tears would well up in the old lady’s eyes, and the several young maids following beside her would prepare to burst into tears. The other relatives in the household were also trembling with fear of making Yun Ye unhappy. This was not a normal family atmosphere. To keep them from being so constrained, Yun Ye simply let things be and did whatever they asked. Never mind turning him into turpentine oil—even if they turned him into lubricating oil, it was up to them.
Throwing cypress leaves into the bathwater was one thing, and cooking him like eight-treasure porridge with dried fruits was bearable, but why did all forty-some people in the household have to watch him bathe? The old lady rubbed wood ash on his head to wash his hair, while young girls added basin after basin of hot water. Yun Ye felt he must say no, or he would really be boiled alive. Fortunately, the old lady stopped the young girls’ murderous behavior.
“Ye’er, how did you get through these years? I see you have no scars on your body, no calluses on your hands and feet. Thank heaven and earth you didn’t suffer too much.” The old lady began shedding tears again.
Yun Ye couldn’t understand. An old person raising two little girls under eight years old should be a very strong person. How could she cry at the drop of a hat?
“Grandmother, this child really can’t say he suffered. I heard you say that Mother risked her life to carry me out of the house just to win me a chance at life. I don’t know whether Mother is dead or alive, but this child was saved by my teacher. My teacher was a sage beyond this world—how could he let me suffer? Although I had no parents, my teacher treated me as his own, caring for me with great affection. Never mind suffering—I never even went hungry. You know, Duke Cheng said this child was spoiled by my teacher. I won’t eat what doesn’t taste good, won’t wear what’s uncomfortable, won’t use what’s inconvenient. I’m more difficult to serve than young masters of great families.”
This was not the time to bring up sad matters. He should discuss lighter topics to liven the atmosphere. Besides, it was all true. “Teacher” was just a general term for education, work, and life in the later era.
“You are blessed. The family suffered such a great calamity, and among the whole family, only you lived without worries and were raised plump and white. What great fortune that must be! I’ll go burn a few incense sticks for him right now and kowtow to thank him for taking such good care of my grandson.” After speaking, she was about to leave.
Yun Ye panicked. “Grandmother, where are my clothes? You can’t expect me to keep soaking in the water forever.” After these words, all the women in the room laughed.
His newly acquainted aunt stepped forward and took over the hair the old lady had been washing halfway, continuing to rub and scrub while chattering: “When you were just born, what haven’t I seen? Still shy now? This whole big family will depend on you from now on. Your aunt and sisters—when their husband’s families came to fetch them, they didn’t go back. They’re all counting on you to care for them in their old age and final days.”
“Care for old age and final days? That’s just the most basic thing. In the future, I’ll make sure you all live happily. What they robbed from me, I’ll take back. What they ate of mine, I’ll make them spit out. Back then, when they drove Aunt and my sisters out, where was even a trace of marital affection? Even several of my female cousins were implicated. This is simply bestial behavior. If I don’t make them pay a price, will they really think the Yun family is easy to bully?”
The authority cultivated over many days in the military unconsciously revealed itself. Only then did the relatives remember that the person in the wooden tub was the dignified Marquis of Lantian County.
Bathing, changing clothes, ancestral worship—by the time this whole sequence was completed, it was already midnight. The Yun residence still blazed with lights. Today was the first time the family head met with his family. Male servants and maids in the household all stood solemnly with bowed heads in the front hall. Yun Ye sat majestically in the doorway of the great hall. Zhuang Santing and Liu Jinbao, having changed into blue robes with sabers at their waists, stood beside him. Their cold, chilling killing intent made the servants in the front hall tremble with fear. There was no way to talk to them about human rights. Gentleness would instead invite disrespect. Yun Ye had long abandoned those later-era practices. Old Cheng was right—since entering this world, one must follow the crowd. Following the crowd was best.
“Look clearly. I am the family head, Marquis of Lantian County Yun Ye. I have the final say in this household. When I’m not here, the old lady has the final say. The Yun family now has forty-four people including me. The distinctions between high and low, senior and junior, must be clear. These forty-four people are the masters of this household. Don’t let me hear of anyone neglecting them. Once discovered, I will absolutely not be lenient. I don’t care if you came from the Imperial Palace or were sent from the Cheng residence. Since you’ve come to the Yun family, you are Yun family people. I will treat everyone equally. Those with merit will be rewarded, those with fault will be punished. This is the Yun family’s house rule. The Yun family members have all eaten bitterness and presumably won’t abuse servants without cause. As long as you serve conscientiously, the Yun family won’t treat you poorly. Every three years, the Yun family will remove the slave status of five people. If willing, they can still work in the Yun family. This is also a house rule. I generally won’t manage household matters. If there’s anything, find the old lady to make decisions. Conduct yourselves accordingly.”
Very good, very authoritative. Yun Ye was very satisfied. Although his voice mixed with some rooster crows from his voice-changing period, it was still perfect. Didn’t he see the servants were all beaming with joy? The old lady announced that with the family head’s return, everyone would receive three hundred wen as a reward, which won cheers throughout the place.
Banquet—a great banquet! The whole family celebrated. Except for Zhuang Santing and four others patrolling the residence, the rest opened twenty tables. Female cooks and maids served chicken, duck, and mutton in a continuous stream, jointly celebrating the family head’s return.
Yun Ye held Daya and Xiao Ya in his arms, with Xiao Nan climbing on his back. Xiao Dong and Xiao Bei hugged his legs. Xiao Xi pouted and cried. Two older girls, Yiniang and Runiang, comforted Xiao Xi beside them. Several sisters who had married but been divorced drank wine while shedding tears. The elders who had long since resigned themselves to fate chattered endlessly with the old lady, no one knew about what.
Halfway through the wine feast, Yun Ye pulled out a cloth bag from his bosom. Except for the old lady, everyone got two gemstones. They truly lived up to being Yun family people—just like his own two sisters in the later era when they saw diamonds. Those who had been crying forgot to cry. Those who had been chattering forgot to chatter. Daya and Xiao Ya quickly took their gemstones to show off to the old lady. Xiao Xi took advantage of the opportunity to burrow into Yun Ye’s embrace acting coy. Who knew how many Old Cheng had given? After giving two to each person, quite a few remained. Just as he was about to give another round to make them even happier, the old lady snatched them away and scolded him as a wastrel.
No one knew how much wine he drank. The sour and astringent wine of the Tang Dynasty tasted so agreeable at this moment. He only remembered lying on the soft couch playing tiger, stick, chicken with several sisters. Then he had no more memory.
Habit was powerful. The habit of waking at six in the morning, drilled into him by Old Niu in the military camp, still worked. His throat was terribly thirsty. Just as he was about to get up for water, a maid immediately poured a cup of warm water and handed it over. Yun Ye enjoyed the superiority of feudalism without the slightest hesitation, gulping it down in great swallows before burying his head back into the blankets.
“I generally won’t manage household matters. If there’s anything, find the old lady to make decisions.” According to Cheng Chumo, men didn’t manage the trivial household matters. Only when the family had dealings with officials did the family head need to step forward.
The windows were covered with thick mulberry paper, keeping light from penetrating. The rooster had already crowed three times. Yun Ye tossed and turned, unable to sleep, yet unwilling to get up. Just as he was in a dilemma, Xiao Ya, wearing thick fur and looking like a stuffed toy, slipped into the room. A pair of icy hands burrowed into Yun Ye’s bedding, but unexpectedly, she was dragged into the blankets by Yun Ye and tightly held. The siblings frolicked until they were driven out of the room by the old lady to wash up, only then stopping.
The old lady wanted to go to the Great Mercy and Grace Temple to burn incense and fulfill her vow. She said she had prayed to Buddha for a full ten years before there was the miracle of the Yun family’s revival from death. This vow must be fulfilled. Was Buddha’s merit the same as Yun Ye’s merit?