But what use was understanding if she still couldn’t comprehend what she was reading? Yu Tang recalled what Pei Yan had said about asking her father when she didn’t understand the text. No, she decided she would slowly puzzle it out herself. For parts she didn’t understand, she would consult the family’s copy of “Character Explanations,” then write down her accumulated questions on a piece of paper. When the weather wasn’t so hot, she would return to the estate and ask those elderly people who knew how to farm.
Without Yu Tang’s opposition, Yu Wen’s investment in Jiang Chao’s business proceeded very smoothly.
Not only did he take Old Master Wu to meet Jiang Chao, but he also made another trip to Ningbo Prefecture with Old Master Wu. After returning, Old Master Wu, like Yu Wen, prepared to add an additional five hundred taels to his investment, but was prevented by Yu Yuan’s persistent persuasion.
Afterward, when Yu Yuan came to Yu Tang’s house for dinner, he couldn’t help but mention this matter: “Lord Jiang is truly formidable. Anyone who has dealings with him will be influenced by him. In this regard, I need to learn from him.”
Yu Tang felt this too.
She handed Yu Yuan the freshly picked michelia flowers in a small bamboo box: “These are for Eldest Aunt and Sister-in-law. I won’t go over myself—please help me give them to Eldest Aunt and Sister-in-law.”
The Yu Tang household didn’t grow michelia trees.
Yu Yuan said curiously, “Where did these flowers come from? What have you been doing these past few days? Why haven’t I seen you come over to the house?”
He had been at the shop during this time.
Summer was the season when the lacquerware shop produced goods. Carved lacquer had a process that involved repeatedly applying lacquer—the number of applications affected both the lifespan and the appearance of the finished product, so not a single detail could be neglected. Usually at this time, the Yu family members would personally supervise at the shop.
Yu Tang said, “The michelia flowers were a gift from Young Mistress Zhang. Isn’t she due to give birth these days? Mother and I made a special trip to see her.”
As for what she’d been doing shut up in her room these past few days, she was too embarrassed to tell Yu Yuan.
Mainly because she’d discovered that even with the “Character Explanations” book, reading the books Pei Yan had given her was still very difficult.
This was perhaps because she wasn’t as intelligent as Pei Yan.
Hearing Yu Tang say this, Yu Yuan’s face flushed red, and he seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Yu Tang found this very strange, but Chen Shi called her to help Chen Pozi go to the storeroom to fetch a jar of wine to send to Yu Wen and Old Master Wu who were drinking in the front hall. She didn’t have time to ask in detail, and by the time she remembered again, Yu Yuan had already left, supporting the slightly tipsy Old Master Wu.
She couldn’t help being curious and wanted to find an opportunity to ask Yu Yuan. But early the next morning, the Zhang family sent word to their house that Ma Xiuniang had given birth to a daughter at midnight the previous night.
Chen Shi was overjoyed. While organizing the small clothes and blankets prepared for Ma Xiuniang’s child, she chattered to Yu Tang: “Xiuniang is truly blessed—first a daughter, then a son will complete the character for ‘good.’ I wonder when your marriage will be settled? I have no idea in my heart, but your father keeps saying there’s no rush, no rush. You’re seventeen this year—after the New Year you’ll be eighteen.”
Yu Tang didn’t dare make a sound.
Several families had come to arrange matches for her after the New Year, but neither Chen Shi nor Yu Wen was satisfied. Yu Wen had always remembered Shen Shanyan’s words and felt that Yu Tang was capable and opinionated—it would be too much of a waste to casually marry her off to someone. He simply said, “Our family is recruiting a son-in-law, not marrying off a daughter. Are we worried that being older will delay things? Besides, someone like A’Tang will be more steady when she’s a bit older. If there’s no good match, we’ll take our time choosing—there’s no rush. Doesn’t the old saying go ‘A girl three years older holds a golden brick’? If that doesn’t work, we’ll look for someone younger.”
This made Chen Shi extremely anxious.
She was thinking of bringing this up with Mrs. Ma when she went to see Ma Xiuniang, asking Mrs. Ma to also help keep an eye out for suitable candidates to arrange a match for Yu Tang.
Yu Tang, however, thought her father’s words made sense.
Right now she had no desire whatsoever to start a family. Rather than finding just anyone for the sake of getting married, it was better to wait for the right person.
But she could also understand Chen Shi’s feelings, so whenever Chen Shi brought up these matters, she would smile apologetically at her side, afraid of making her mother sad.
The two of them hired two sedan chairs and went to the Zhang family.
Mrs. Ma and several sisters-in-law had arrived early and were sitting around Ma Xiuniang, who had a headband tied around her forehead, asking her all sorts of questions. Seeing Chen Shi and her daughter arrive, Mrs. Ma quickly stood up and instructed Magpie to bring in brown sugar water. Mrs. Ma’s sisters-in-law also hurriedly made space for Chen Shi and her daughter to sit.
Chen Shi took Ma Xiuniang’s hand and asked about the previous night’s delivery.
Yu Tang saw that Ma Xiuniang’s complexion was rosy and her spirits high. Thinking that even if she had suffered during childbirth, if she could recover to this state overnight, her health must be fine. So she didn’t pay much more attention and instead focused all her attention on the newborn child.
A pale green swaddling cloth wrapped a tiny person the length of an arm, with a red little face, tightly closed eyes, and a mouth smaller than a cherry that opened and closed slightly. That sweet appearance made warmth flow through Yu Tang’s heart.
In her previous life, she had stubbornly held Li Jun’s memorial tablet and entered the Li family as a widow, followed by those long, lonely days, which was when she truly experienced how difficult it was to remain a widow. When she reached the age of full bloom, watching Gu Xi surrounded by young children, thinking that she would never have children of her own in this lifetime, her heart would feel both sour and bitter. Seeing other people’s children would make her smile unconsciously. Especially Gu Xi’s two children—even during the most unpleasant times with Gu Xi, when she occasionally encountered the two children, she would still take out the best food for them.
Now seeing Ma Xiuniang’s daughter, who was also her good friend’s girl, her heart instantly melted like water, and she couldn’t help but bend down wanting to hold the child.
“Stop this nonsense!” Chen Shi grabbed Yu Tang and said with a laughing scold, “The child is still small—you can’t play around like this. Just look at her, but don’t casually pick her up. Be careful not to strain her little waist or little arms.”
However, Mrs. Ma just laughed and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. If she wants to hold her, let her hold her. Just tell her how to do it.” After finishing, she joked, “Who knows, maybe in the future our Xiuniang will be counting on A’Tang to come help her hold the baby!”
Chen Shi said politely, “How could it be her turn!”
But Yu Tang was eager to try, only to be slapped by Chen Shi.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Magpie came in to invite everyone to the main hall to eat sweet soup with eggs.
Everyone got up to go to the main hall.
Yu Tang volunteered to stay behind to keep Ma Xiuniang company and spent some effort finally learning how to hold a baby.
But as soon as she held the child, she couldn’t help gently bouncing her.
Ma Xiuniang was a first-time mother. Remembering that her mother had held her younger brother the same way when she was little, she didn’t mind and let Yu Tang hold the baby while chatting with her: “…We came up with so many pet names before. Things like A’Fu, A’Bao, A’Zhu—they’re terribly rustic. Tell me, your brother-in-law is a scholar after all, so why is naming a child so difficult for him? If you ask me, since the child came in the evening, she should be called Evening Glow or Evening Clear—those sound much better!”
Yu Tang was extremely envious. She smiled with pursed lips as she listened to Ma Xiuniang talk. When she returned home that evening, she suddenly discovered she couldn’t even lift her arms.
Chen Shi laughed and said, “Serves you right! I told you not to keep holding the child, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know how it feels!”
Yu Tang chuckled. The next day she couldn’t resist going to the Zhang family again to see the child, not even in the mood to read the books Pei Yan had given her. On the day of the third-day washing ceremony, she even urged her mother to toss in a piece of broken silver—unmarried young ladies who attended the third-day washing ceremony didn’t give gifts.
When Mrs. Ma learned of this, she affectionately hugged Yu Tang and said with a smile to the female guests attending the washing ceremony, “Look at how our A’Tang acts as a little aunt—when Qing’er grows up, she must remember to be filial to her little aunt!”
Ma Xiuniang’s child was named Zhang Qing, with the pet name Qing’er. For this, Ma Xiuniang complained to Yu Tang: “Your brother-in-law said he’s afraid that calling her by too many names will confuse the child, so he just has me call her this.”
Yu Tang laughed heartily.
Zhang Qing changed with each passing day, which amazed her.
After running to the Zhang family for half a fortnight like this, the consequences emerged.
Without someone holding and bouncing her, Zhang Qing wouldn’t sleep. Zhang Qing’s wet nurse, Magpie, and the Ma Xiuniang couple all took turns holding the child in shifts. Zhang Hui therefore spent every day with dark circles under his eyes making arrangements for the child’s full-month celebration, which infuriated Ma Xiuniang so much she ground her teeth. She summoned Yu Tang and said, “Starting today, you’ll sleep at our house and hold Qing’er for one shichen each day so we can get some rest.”
Yu Tang giggled, found an opportunity to run away, and when she got back, asked Chen Shi, “Is this really trouble that I caused?”
“If not you, then who?” After learning about it, Chen Shi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She firmly tapped her daughter’s forehead, then sighed, “Young Master Zhang is really wonderful—he even helps Xiuniang care for the child. If your future husband is half as good as Young Master Zhang, I’ll be completely satisfied.”
Yu Tang pouted and said, “Don’t worry, my future husband will definitely be a hundred times better than Young Master Zhang.”
“Keep bragging!” Chen Shi snorted lightly. “Look how your father spoils you.”
Yu Tang laughed and went to massage Chen Shi’s shoulders.
From outside the door came Yu Wen’s voice: “A’Tang, come out quickly. The sea buckthorn tree saplings I asked Mr. Shen to get for you have been delivered.”
Yu Tang was overjoyed and took off running outside.
Chen Shi chased after her from behind: “Slow down, watch your step.”
“I know, I know!” Yu Tang answered all the way as she laughed her way to the front courtyard.
Her silvery bell-like laughter echoed with the wind through the courtyard, making Chen Shi, who stood under the covered walkway watching her daughter’s retreating figure, smile with upturned lips.
From afar, Yu Tang saw a cart with tree saplings stopped in front of their house. Beside the door, in addition to Yu Wen, stood a man in his twenties with skin tanned dark, a sturdy build, and an honest-looking face.
She made a sound of surprise.
Yu Wen beckoned to her and said, “This is the tree planter Mr. Shen found for us, named Wang Si. I’ve already told A’Tiao to take Wang Si to find Fifth Great-uncle to plant the trees first. Tomorrow morning I’ll go back with you.”
Yu Tang made an acknowledging sound and examined the saplings on the cart.
The saplings were about three feet tall, their roots wrapped in thick soil and covered with cloth, piled high—there appeared to be about ten or so.
No wonder they were so expensive.
Transporting them like this from the northwest—never mind anything else, just the provisions for the person and the cart-pulling mule would cost quite a bit of silver.
She asked Wang Si, “Where are you from?”
Wang Si spoke with an accent that was half-intelligible. Yu Tang had to listen several times before she understood he said “Xi’an.”
Yu Tang said, “Didn’t they say you’d be coming from Gansu?”
Wang Si smiled and said nothing.
Yu Wen coughed lightly twice and explained, “The previous batch of saplings died on the road, so Mr. Shen asked someone from the Ministry of Revenue again. It just so happened that people from the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission went to the Ministry of Revenue on business, heard about this matter, and volunteered to take on this task…”
This wasn’t merely about a few trees anymore.
For these trees, they now owed a great favor.
If the candied fruit couldn’t be made, how would she ever explain this!