The Yu family began preparing gifts to add to Ma Xiuniang’s trousseau. Yu Tang also brought out the jewelry she had previously ordered at the silver shop.
Chen Pozi couldn’t help but exclaim upon seeing it: “You’re an unmarried young lady—isn’t sending such expensive things a bit excessive?”
Yu Tang didn’t think so. She very much wanted to repay Ma Xiuniang’s kindness toward her in her previous life.
Chen Shi usually doted on Yu Tang very much. Although she also felt the things Yu Tang was giving were somewhat expensive, she didn’t stop her. Instead, she smiled and explained on Yu Tang’s behalf: “Courtesy demands reciprocity. A’Tang hasn’t married yet. When she does marry, Xiuniang will give her similar things—it’s nothing much.”
Chen Pozi muttered: “You really spoil the young miss too much!”
Chen Shi smiled and patted Yu Tang’s head, saying: “She’s grown up. In the future, this household will be handed over to her. Who she’s close to, who she’s distant from—it will all be up to her to decide. She has good friends, and I’m happy to see it. How is that spoiling her too much!”
Chen Pozi still felt Chen Shi was too indulgent of Yu Tang. Shaking her head with a smile, she went to the storehouse according to Chen Shi’s instructions and fetched two bolts of excellent fabric to add to Ma Xiuniang’s trousseau.
Yu Tang also felt her gift was too expensive, but instead Chen Shi comforted her: “Each person expresses their friendship differently. As long as you feel it’s appropriate, that’s fine.”
Ever since learning that the entire Wei Xiaoshan matter was Yu Tang’s doing, Chen Shi felt her daughter had grown up and become sensible. She should gradually hand over part of the household affairs for her daughter to manage. Interpersonal relations were the first area Chen Shi was letting go.
Yu Tang went to the Ma residence with Chen Shi, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Because the wedding date was approaching, Ma Xiuniang had long stopped going out. Every day she either did embroidery at home or received female relatives who came to add to her trousseau. Seeing Yu Tang, she was very happy. After greeting Chen Shi, she joyfully pulled Yu Tang into her inner chamber, personally brewed her a cup of flower tea, and asked about Yu Tang’s recent situation.
Yu Tang didn’t hide anything from Ma Xiuniang and told her about the grievances with the Li family.
Ma Xiuniang listened in stunned silence. After a long while, she finally came to her senses, but rather than lamenting the Li family’s shamelessness, she asked about Pei Yan: “Is he really as handsome as they say? Is he very amiable toward people? Did you have a chance to speak with him?”
What kind of situation was this?
Yu Tang was astonished.
Ma Xiuniang covered her mouth and laughed, telling her quietly: “I heard my father say that both the Gu family and the Shen family in Hangzhou want to marry their daughters to Third Master Pei from the Pei family, and they’re asking people to inquire about Third Master Pei!”
In Yu Tang’s mind, Pei Yan had always existed as an elder figure. Apart from the first time when she’d thought Pei Yan was extremely handsome, the rest of the time she’d always felt he was very difficult to get along with and couldn’t be offended. She’d never paid any attention to his marriage prospects at all. Hearing Ma Xiuniang mention this now, she couldn’t help but recall matters concerning Pei Yan’s marriage in her previous life.
But no matter how many times she went through her memories, she couldn’t remember which family’s daughter he’d married. In fact, she had no recollection of any news about Pei Yan’s children at all.
He truly was like a shadow—ordinarily no one would notice him, and whenever this person came to attention, it was because something major had happened in Lin’an City.
So who had he married in his previous life?
How many children had he had?
Were they boys or girls?
The more Yu Tang thought about it, the more blurred her memories became.
She couldn’t help but say: “Third Master Pei is still in his mourning period now. Surely there won’t be any marriage discussions?”
“Of course not.” Ma Xiuniang laughed. “But if they wait until Third Master Pei finishes his mourning period to have someone come propose marriage, it will definitely be too late—both the Gu and Shen families want to marry their daughters to him, and there must be other families like the Gu and Shen who have designs on Third Master Pei too. They have to act early!”
Yu Tang couldn’t help but laugh: “The way you put it, Third Master Pei sounds like a piece of fatty meat that everyone wants to snatch.”
Ma Xiuniang said without concealment: “Third Master Pei is more than just a piece of fatty meat—I’d say he’s like Tang Monk’s flesh. It just depends on which family has the ability to snatch him. Speaking of which, I’d like to ask you—does your family have any plans for your marriage? Surely it can’t be delayed because of the Li family matter? That Madam Li is truly sick—doing so many things just to marry you. You just watch—once I’m married, I’ll help spread this matter around for her. Let’s see which family dares to form a marriage alliance with them then!”
Yu Tang gratefully squeezed Ma Xiuniang’s hand.
Whether in her previous life or this one, Ma Xiuniang had always been so warm toward her.
She instructed: “This matter is very complicated. My father and mother have already gotten involved. Let’s just wait and see what the elders will do. As for you, just happily be your new bride.”
Yu Tang didn’t want to drag Ma Xiuniang into this.
She should have a carefree married life and shouldn’t add many troubles because of her affairs. Moreover, she hadn’t told Ma Xiuniang the real reason why the Li family wanted to marry her.
Ma Xiuniang thought about it and felt what Yu Tang said made sense, but she still said to Yu Tang: “If you need me to help with anything, just say so. Don’t be polite with me at all.”
Yu Tang nodded repeatedly, saying: “I regard you like my own older sister. If something comes up, I’ll naturally ask you for help.”
“That’s more like it!” Ma Xiuniang smiled with satisfaction and grabbed some fortune cakes for her to eat.
Yu Tang brought out the jewelry she was giving to add to the trousseau.
Ma Xiuniang was very surprised. She hadn’t planned to accept it originally, but seeing Yu Tang’s sincerity in giving it, she thought she could just return an even bigger gift to Yu Tang later. So she didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted the items with a beaming smile.
Then more of Ma Xiuniang’s close girlfriends came with their respective mothers to add to Ma Xiuniang’s trousseau.
Ma Xiuniang introduced Yu Tang to them.
In her previous life, Yu Tang had been in mourning at this time and hadn’t personally seen Ma Xiuniang off when she married. In this life, she got to know several of Ma Xiuniang’s close friends.
Since these were girls who got along well with Ma Xiuniang, their temperaments and personalities all matched Ma Xiuniang’s. As expected, they hit it off with Yu Tang immediately upon meeting. Ma Xiuniang’s cousin even blamed Ma Xiuniang for not introducing Yu Tang to them earlier—they could have had another companion when releasing river lanterns on the fifteenth of the seventh month.
In her previous life, because her mother was ill, Yu Tang often stayed home to keep her company and didn’t go out much. In this life, due to being reborn, through a series of fortuitous circumstances she’d established connections with the Pei family, which greatly improved her mother’s condition. This had also changed her parents’ fate from the previous life. In excellent spirits, she was much more lively and sensible than in her previous life, which was why she could hit it off so well with these young ladies upon first meeting. Of course this couldn’t be blamed on Ma Xiuniang.
Ma Xiuniang was someone who liked to protect her friends. She didn’t mention how Yu Tang had been before, only saying she hadn’t thought of it herself. She apologized to her cousin and let the matter pass.
Yu Tang felt Ma Xiuniang was even better. When Ma Xiuniang married, she bustled about helping for four or five whole days. On the day Ma Xiuniang married out, she cried her heart out, even more sorrowfully than Madam Ma, to the point where Madam Ma couldn’t even cry anymore. On the spot, she teased Chen Shi: “Those who don’t know would think she’s our little daughter! I think she shouldn’t go back with you—just let her stay at our house to be my daughter.”
The people nearby roared with laughter.
Yu Tang felt very wronged and sobbed: “Once Sister Ma marries out, she’ll have to serve her parents-in-law and wait on her husband’s relatives. Aren’t you, aren’t you worried at all?”
“What do I have to worry about?” Madam Ma pointed to Young Master Zhang not far away and said, “If your brother-in-law dares to lay a finger on your sister, I’ll immediately bring people to fetch her back.”
The female relatives in the room laughed again.
Chen Shi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She held her daughter in her arms, wiping her face with a handkerchief while chiding: “You child, today is a joyous occasion. Don’t think your Aunt Ma is crying sadly—she’s just putting on a show. But you actually started crying for real.”
Yu Tang hid embarrassedly in her mother’s arms, prompting another round of laughter from everyone.
But because of this interlude, Ma Xiuniang’s wedding was entirely festive—she was one of the rare girls in Lin’an City sent out with laughter.
After Ma Xiuniang’s wedding, the Li family matter also reached a conclusion.
First, the Li family’s head steward and the two vagrants were all sentenced to exile three thousand li away. Then, according to what the Li family had previously agreed, the head steward’s wife and children, along with the in-laws serving in the Li residence, were all driven out of the Li family.
As for whether the Li family had looked after the escorting officers to care for the head steward during his exile, and how many of those servants driven out were truly the head steward’s in-laws, the Yu family had the desire but lacked the ability to know.
Old Master Wu also comforted Yu Wen: “The fact that the Li family was willing to submit in this matter is already quite good. It’s impossible to achieve complete thoroughness.”
Unless the Li family fell from power entirely.
Yu Wen also understood. He thanked Old Master Wu and didn’t quibble further with the Li family over this matter. He arranged a time with Old Master Wu to go to Zhaoming Temple to watch Li Duan wear mourning garments and hold a Buddhist ceremony for Wei Xiaoshan.
Only then did the people of Lin’an City learn that Wei Xiaoshan’s death was actually connected to Madam Li.
Everyone discussed it extensively, feeling that although Madam Li was a woman, her heart was far too cruel. The Li family’s children were children—weren’t other families’ children also children? And everyone privately felt it was fortunate the Yu family hadn’t agreed to this match. Otherwise, even if Miss Yu had married over, she would likely have been subjected daily to her mother-in-law’s strict discipline and tormented considerably.
Someone brought up Li Duan’s marriage: “I wonder if she’ll dare make things difficult for the Gu family’s eldest miss after she marries in?”
“That’s really hard to say!” Some felt Madam Li had just been too smooth sailing all her life and lacked a compassionate heart. “What use is Miss Gu’s good background? Once she marries into the Li family, she’s the Li family’s daughter-in-law. Won’t the Li family still have the final say?”
“The fear is that the Gu family’s eldest miss isn’t someone to be trifled with either.” Some others were gloating, waiting to see the Li family make fools of themselves.
As for Lin Shi, ever since learning that Li Duan would wear mourning garments and hold a Buddhist ceremony for Wei Xiaoshan, she’d fallen ill with anger.
With her head wrapped in a white headband, her face sallow and haggard, she leaned against the headboard. She knocked the medicine bowl out of Li Jun’s hands—the medicinal liquid nearly spilling on Li Jun. Lin Shi shouted at Li Jun: “Are you a dead person? What did I tell you? How could you just let your older brother go to Zhaoming Temple? He’s going to be a high official in the future, enter the cabinet as prime minister! How can you let your brother wear mourning garments for that nothing of a country bumpkin? Your father and I aren’t even dead yet! Where will your brother’s face be in the future? Have you been hoping for this day all along!”
Li Jun had grievances he couldn’t express.
He could only carefully hold the medicine up to his mother again, persuading in a low voice: “Mother, Elder Brother has already written a letter to Father. Father will naturally come up with a solution. You shouldn’t worry about it. Your health is important—please drink this bowl of medicine first.”