On New Year’s Eve, they performed ancestor worship. On the first day, Yu Wen and Yu Bo took Yu Yuan to pay New Year respects to the Pei family.
More than half the people in Lin’an City would go pay New Year respects to the Pei family. If the Pei family members had to meet everyone, they’d probably be exhausted to the point of foaming at the mouth. Therefore, so-called paying New Year respects to the Pei family simply meant writing a name card and depositing it in the large red book basket at the Pei family’s entrance. Afterward, naturally a steward would register and record it, reporting to the Pei family patriarch.
Yu Wen, Yu Bo, and Yu Yuan quickly squeezed out from the Pei family’s main gate surrounded by crowds, then went to pay New Year respects to other gentry families.
The Yu family’s main gate also had a book basket set up. Those who had connections with the Yu family and those scholars who came to pay New Year respects also passed the door without entering, only depositing a name card in the basket. Some didn’t even need to come themselves—they just sent young servants or stewards from their households.
Yu Tang, together with Chen Shi and Wang Shi, stayed home preparing gifts for Yu Yuan’s visit tomorrow to pay New Year respects to the Xiang family.
Because it was New Year, most passenger boats had stopped running. The Xiang family was in Fuyang, so Yu Yuan couldn’t make a same-day return trip and would need to stay at the Xiang family for one day.
Yu Tang packed the hair ornaments she had carefully made in her family’s carved red lacquer small box, placed them in Yu Yuan’s bundle, and reminded Wang Shi, “Eldest Aunt, please don’t forget to tell Elder Brother, lest he mistake these hair ornaments for something meant for the Xiang family.”
Wang Shi had always liked Yu Tang, and moreover, the current Yu Tang thought of Yu Yuan in everything. She liked her even more.
“I know,” she couldn’t help but pinch Yu Tang’s tender face and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. Once your sister-in-law enters the family, I’ll have her make shoes for you to wear.”
Yu Tang giggled and teased Wang Shi, “Don’t worry. Once my sister-in-law gives me a fat nephew, I’ll make clothes for my nephew to wear.”
“This little girl!” Wang Shi laughingly tapped Yu Tang’s palm, then turned to Chen Shi, who was busy packing malt sugar for Yu Yuan, and said, “I don’t know when she learned to be so sharp-tongued. Our family won’t be afraid of arguing with others in the future.”
Chen Shi glanced indulgently at Yu Tang with a smile and said, “Elder Sister-in-law, just keep spoiling her. She’s becoming increasingly unrestrained.”
“Being formidable is good!” Wang Shi released Yu Tang and, together with Chen Shi, gathered the prepared items into baskets, instructing Sanmu to go call Xia Pinggui.
Sanmu was a young servant Yu Bo had bought for Yu Yuan before New Year. Since this young servant had just arrived at the Yu family and there hadn’t been time to teach him the rules yet, for this trip to the Xiang family, Yu Bo had Xia Pinggui go along as well, so there would be someone to help if anything happened.
Sanmu was an honest but not very sharp boy who would only be twelve after New Year. Hearing this, he immediately gave a simple acknowledgment and ran off like the wind.
Watching him, Chen Shi couldn’t help but worry, “Will it be alright for this child to go along? A’Yuan is visiting his in-laws’ family for the first time. It would be bad if something was delayed because this child isn’t clever.”
Wang Shi sighed, “Choosing and choosing, this one was the best. At that time, we’ll just have to have A’Tiao look after him more.”
The Xiang family’s old matriarch and Old Master Xiang hadn’t said anything about this marriage, but the Xiang family’s various aunts and relatives all felt Miss Xiang had married beneath her station and didn’t think much of the Yu family.
The Yu family could disregard these in-laws but feared wronging Miss Xiang, feared that when Yu Yuan went, he wouldn’t even have someone close by to attend to him. Yu Wen made the decision to have A’Tiao also go along to Fuyang.
The sisters-in-law spoke a few more words and had the literate Yu Tang help check whether anything was written incorrectly or omitted on the gift list. Suddenly Sanmu came back, stammering, “First Madam, Second Madam, the Pei, the Pei Manor’s Third Steward has come to deliver a name card to our family.”
Wang Shi and Chen Shi looked at each other, then hurriedly led Yu Tang out to greet him.
Firstly, Hu Xing had often brought Imperial Physician Yang to take Chen Shi’s pulse these days. Having met many times, their relationship with Hu Xing was quite good. Secondly, Hu Xing was the Pei family’s Third Steward, representing the Pei family’s dignity. Him coming to pay New Year respects to the Yu family meant that no matter what, the Yu family had to invite him in for tea and be courteous.
The only question was whether Hu Xing represented the Pei Manor or only represented himself?
Yu Tang pondered this in her heart while also following her mother and eldest aunt to the main gate.
Hu Xing wore a dark red Lu silk robe with a gray squirrel fur collar, looking festive and joyful. Seeing Wang Shi and the others, he hurried forward to bow and said, “Third Master sent me over. First Madam, Second Madam, Happy New Year!” After speaking, he looked up and saw Yu Tang standing behind Wang Shi and Chen Shi, and also wished Yu Tang a Happy New Year.
To actually send the prominent Third Steward from the household to pay New Year respects to the Yu family was an extremely face-giving matter.
Wang Shi, leading Chen Shi and Yu Tang, hurriedly returned the courtesy to Hu Xing.
Hu Xing then said, “I still have several other families to visit for New Year greetings, so I won’t exchange pleasantries with you all. When I have free time, I’ll come visit Master Yu again.”
Chen Shi repeatedly said “I wouldn’t dare” and wanted to escort Hu Xing out of Green Bamboo Lane.
Hu Xing smiled and said, “We’re all neighbors from the same village. You don’t need to be so polite with me. The weather is so cold—you should go back inside to rest early! If you caught a chill and something went wrong, how could I face Master Yu?”
He insisted Chen Shi not escort him. Seeing his sincerity, Chen Shi didn’t stand on ceremony. She packed some homemade malt sugar and saw him to the main gate. After Hu Xing left, Wang Shi couldn’t help but say to Chen Shi, “When the shop opened last time, I saw Steward Hu looking dejected. Why does he now have such a cheerful appearance?”
“Perhaps he encountered something good?” Chen Shi guessed with a smile. “Steward Hu is quite a good person. Back then it was probably just a momentary displeasure!”
Although they were familiar with Hu Xing, those matters were ultimately Hu Xing’s family affairs. After discussing it for a few sentences, the two put this matter behind them and began worrying about Yu Yuan’s visit to the Xiang family.
As soon as Hu Xing left Green Bamboo Lane, his face fell.
After he acted on his own initiative last time, Pei Yan had set him aside, acting as if he didn’t have a Third Steward. The stewards in the household were all shrewd people and quickly isolated him. If it weren’t for Imperial Physician Yang not knowing about the Pei family matters and thinking that after checking the First Madam’s and Madam Yu’s pulses for peace before New Year, he wouldn’t come to Lin’an again until after the second day of the second month when the dragon raises its head, and if Yang hadn’t sent his personal young servant to contact him directly to tell the First Madam and Madam Yu about this—if he hadn’t boldly gone to report to Pei Yan and noticed Pei Man had been busy with something these days, racking his brains to find an opportunity to take on this task—he would probably have been put in cold storage by Pei Yan long ago, just waiting for the day he’d be kicked out of the Pei Manor to retire in some remote corner estate.
However, what exactly was the relationship between Third Master and the Yu family?
If they were just ordinary neighbors, Miss Yu could seek an audience with Third Master at any time. But if there was something unusual about it, Third Master didn’t seem to particularly care about the Yu family’s affairs. If someone mentioned them, he’d remember; if no one mentioned them, he’d forget all about it.
Like this New Year visit—if it weren’t for Imperial Physician Yang having something that needed to be communicated to Madam Yu in advance, and it just happened that Pei Man was especially busy, it wouldn’t have fallen to him to deliver the card to the Yu family.
Should he curry favor with the Yu family or not?
Hu Xing, who prided himself on being smooth and tactful, was uncertain for the first time.
On Yu Tang’s side, naturally she didn’t know that a single visiting card could give Hu Xing so many thoughts. On the second day, Yu Yuan went to Fuyang and returned on the fourth. The two families sat tensely around the table asking Yu Yuan about this visit to the Xiang family. Yu Yuan first winked at Yu Tang, then said, “Although Madam Xiang doesn’t like Miss Xiang, she won’t tolerate others laughing at her behind her back. When I arrived at the Xiang family this time, Madam Xiang was quite protective. She didn’t make any excessive demands, and no one slighted me.”
Yu Wen and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
But Yu Tang knew Yu Yuan had something to tell her. She found an opportunity to meet with Yu Yuan alone in the tea room.
Yu Yuan had Sanmu guard the tea room door and said quietly to Yu Tang, “It turns out Madam Xiang and Miss Gu’s aunt are close friends from their maiden days. I happened to overhear someone close to Madam Xiang say that during New Year, Miss Gu made a huge scene and even angered Old Master Gu into illness. On New Year’s Day, they actually closed their doors to guests. All the household’s social interactions were handled by the eldest master from the main branch. Tell me, will this marriage arrangement with the Li family fall through because of this?”
Yu Tang laughed gleefully and said, “Who cares whether it falls through or not? If the Gu family isn’t at peace, the Li family shouldn’t expect good days either.” Speaking of this, she asked Yu Yuan gleefully, “Elder Brother, should we send someone to keep an eye on the Li family? If something happens during New Year, it would be even more interesting!”
Yu Yuan nodded repeatedly and said, “I’ll have Sanmu go watch. It’s just right to let him practice.”
“Better to have A’Liu go!” Yu Tang said. “We can’t be so obvious about it!”
The siblings looked at each other and laughed heartily. Yu Yuan went to arrange this matter, which need not be mentioned.
When it came to the sixth day, their whole family went to pay New Year respects to the Wei family. On the fourteenth of the first month, Yu Tang made a special trip to see Ma Xiuniang and made plans to go see the lanterns together the next day. But unexpectedly, when she returned home, she discovered the main gate tightly closed without a trace of New Year festivity.
She was greatly alarmed and hurriedly had Shuang Tao knock on the door.
Sanmu’s timid voice came from inside the door: “Who, who is it?”
“The young miss has returned,” Shuang Tao called out loudly.
The door opened with a creak. Sanmu called out “Young Miss” with a dejected expression and stepped aside to let them in.
Shuang Tao asked, “What happened?”
Sanmu looked around. Seeing no outsiders, he pulled Shuang Tao inside and said to Yu Tang with lingering fear, “Miss, Second Master went to Shopkeeper Tong’s place and isn’t home. Just now Madam Li came to the house to make trouble and was shut outside the gate by Second Madam. She said many unpleasant things through the main gate. Seeing Second Madam was angry and was going to find the Li family’s clan branch to reason with them, only then did she leave.”
Yu Tang’s face darkened. While walking quickly toward Chen Shi’s inner chamber, she asked Sanmu, “Did you send word to my father?”
“We did!” Sanmu chased after Yu Tang with quick steps. “A’Tiao has already gone to find Second Master.”
“And my mother?” Yu Tang asked.
“Chen Pozi went to fetch First Madam,” Sanmu said. “First Madam is currently keeping Second Madam company and talking with her!”
Yu Tang’s heart eased slightly. She lifted the cotton curtain of Chen Shi’s inner chamber and walked in.
“Mother!” she called out. Seeing Chen Shi and Wang Shi sitting opposite each other, both with smiles on their faces, she couldn’t help but freeze in place.
“A’Tang is back!” Wang Shi smiled and beckoned to Yu Tang. “Come sit quickly!” She also asked with concern, “Are you hungry? Should Shuang Tao go make you a bowl of sesame paste?”
Yu Tang looked at Chen Shi, then at Wang Shi, and said in confusion, “Didn’t they say Madam Li came to the door to make trouble?”
Why were both her mother and eldest aunt all smiles?
What had happened that she didn’t know about?