Practice choosing a cat before choosing a bride.
Though Qingyuan loved cats and dogs, she resented him for waiting until now to tell the truth, so she coldly replied, “I have no plans to choose a cat at present. Thank you for your kind offer, Commander.”
So the time for settling scores had come. Old Madam Chen’s words were very clear – everything depended on the young lady’s wishes. As long as the young lady didn’t agree, Commander Shen would have to prepare himself for difficulties. No matter how high your position or how much power you wielded, before the Chen family, you were just an ordinary man seeking to marry their granddaughter.
Shen Run grew anxious. “Young lady, we can discuss anything properly.”
Qingyuan smiled at him gracefully. “Commander, have you forgotten? I said the same thing to you yesterday. How did you respond then? Didn’t you say you had nothing to tell me?”
Shen Run was beginning to regret missing the opportunity to come clean earlier. Now trying to sweet talk was too late.
When the young lady was angry, besides jumping three feet high in frustration, she could also keep people at arm’s length. This was what he feared most – when she put on that cold face, rejecting everyone, he began a new round of self-doubt, thinking Qingyuan’s feelings for him weren’t deep enough.
If they weren’t deep enough, they needed to be deepened. The Commander who had never bent his back even in the hardest times now learned to humble himself. “Now I do. I have something to tell you, young lady.”
She looked at him leisurely. “You only tell me after I already know everything. I don’t want to hear it anymore.” Then she tugged at Old Madam Chen’s arm. “Grandmother, let’s not stay here anymore. Let’s go home.”
Before meeting Shen Run, Old Madam Chen had been very anxious. This Commander Shen had sent people thousands of li to Hengtang to fetch them, and his messenger had been very clear – the Commander wished to form a marriage alliance with the Chen family and asked the elders to come to Youzhou to arrange the young lady’s marriage.
Such an approach, though everything was for Yunya, was quite domineering when examined closely. A man who controlled the nation’s Imperial Guards, a high official of the second rank – wine and women must be no stranger to him. Perhaps he coveted Yunya’s beauty and wanted to possess her by force, in which case he must be impossible to look at in person. On the journey, Old Madam had extensively discussed with Old Master – if he turned out to be a rough, bandit-like figure, wouldn’t their child be wasted? Fortunately, upon seeing the real person, all those worries turned to ash. In all her years, Old Madam had never seen such a complete package. Old Master’s appearance had been considered excellent in his day, but compared to Shen Run, he still fell short – if asked by how much, probably about eighteen zhang.
Commander Shen had sincere feelings, and Yunya must like him too – a young lady’s emotions couldn’t fool anyone’s eyes. Old Madam’s suspended heart finally settled completely. However, seeing the young ones quarreling, her protective instinct inevitably arose. Many pieces of wood make a higher flame, after all, so she smiled and said, “Commander, though we dare not aspire to a noble family’s connection, we are certainly capable of matching a prosperous household. Since our young lady has nothing more to say to the Commander, we’ll take our leave for now. Should the Commander have any other instructions, please condescend to visit our residence on Qin’an Street – we will certainly welcome you with open doors.”
The Chen elders led their granddaughter out of the hall while chatting and smiling. Baoxian waited outside, raising a fan to shade the young lady from the sun. Shen Run took two steps after them. “Master Chen, Madam Chen, why not stay for a meal before leaving…” But they had already linked arms and were heading toward the gate.
Before stepping over the threshold, Qingyuan secretly glanced back at him. He stood under the eaves, still maintaining his composed appearance, but his gaze followed her, clearly reluctant to part.
“What is it?” Old Madam Chen noticed and smiled. “Are you blaming Grandmother for deliberately making things difficult for him?”
Qingyuan said no. “He kept things from me before, seriously arranging a marriage with the Mu family, making me think I would become his concubine. Grandmother speaking like this is good – it cuts down his pride, keeps him from getting too pleased with himself.”
Old Madam Chen nodded. “In this world, be it people or things, what’s obtained through effort is most precious. It’s not that we can’t agree with him now, but doing so would be undervaluing ourselves. Our good young lady shouldn’t give people cause for gossip.” As she spoke, she stroked Qingyuan’s hair. Though Qingyuan was safe and sound, Old Madam Chen still felt heartache. “The child I raised with such effort, to be treated so badly by the Xie family – I really can’t swallow this anger! Is Old Madam Xie’s heart made of stone? You’re her flesh and blood too, yet she just sent you to the Shen family like that. Thankfully the Commander is a good man – if he had been a dissolute person who used and discarded you, how could you go on living?”
Qingyuan nestled in her grandmother’s embrace as the carriage rocked gently, rocking tears from her eyes. She turned her face away and tightly hugged Old Madam Chen’s neck. “Grandmother, I feel heaven has been so good to me now. Even if others wrong me, I have you all. I’m not alone anymore – I have elders to support me… It’s wonderful.”
Having roots and origins in life, even if not blood relations, keeps the heart from panic. Before, in the Commander’s manor, even knowing Shen Run’s true feelings, she felt unequal to him in her solitude. Only with family and elders present, even though her grandparents were advanced in years, did she have support behind her – a young lady without a retreat could hardly expect good results.
Old Madam Chen couldn’t bear to see her Yunya cry and kept patting her back to comfort her. “Good child, sometimes things must break before they can be rebuilt – this is for the best. Since the Xie family has given you away, you have nothing to do with them anymore. You’ve returned to your grandfather and me, and our family will be just like before, living our peaceful days together. Of our Hengtang properties, we kept only the old house and divided some shops and fields among Quan’er and his brothers. The rest we converted to movable assets and brought to Youzhou. Your grandfather and I won’t return to Hengtang anymore – wherever you are, that’s where we’ll be. When the Commander sent people, he said you went to the temple to make offerings for your mother and nearly lost your life to bandits on the way back. Our hearts nearly broke with anxiety. We regretted not coming to Youzhou with you earlier, leaving you all alone with nowhere to turn in times of trouble.”
Qingyuan laughed through her tears. “Thank you, Grandmother. With you staying, I can be at ease.” Only with her grandparents could she be like a young girl, crying and laughing freely, not having to act mature and capable, not having to think everything through like an old person, dwelling on deep grudges.
Baoxian also wiped away tears. “With the Old Master and Old Madam here, our young lady has support now. Old Madam doesn’t know how pitiful our young lady was…”
Old Madam Chen nodded and patted Baoxian’s hand. “Miss, thank you for staying by her side in her time of need. As I often say, ten thousand taels of gold cannot compare to a loyal and righteous heart. You say the young lady is blessed, but aren’t you also her blessing?”
This was the difference between the Chen and Xie families. The Chen family’s rules might not be less strict, but one could still hear heartwarming words. Unlike the Xie family, where the masters looked down their noses at everyone, and even the servants below them held their heads higher than heaven.
The carriage arrived at Qin’an Street, not far from the Commander’s manor. It seemed Grandfather had given instructions earlier to find and purchase a suitable residence nearby.
When Qingyuan stepped down from the carriage, she saw that the servants from their former home in Hengtang had also come. They all stood outside the gate, bowing to her and greeting her with smiles: “Welcome home, First Young Lady.”
She was Chen First Young Lady again, no longer Xie Fourth Young Lady. Qingyuan heaved a long sigh – this was truly coming home. Though the residence wasn’t their old one, the people were all familiar faces.
Everyone enthusiastically welcomed her inside. The steward said, “This was formerly a Hanlin scholar’s residence, well-preserved. After we clean and prepare it, it will be comfortable to live in. First Young Lady, please have a look – is everything satisfactory?”
Qingyuan said it was fine, then quietly asked, “Has Grandfather’s wine cellar been prepared?”
Before the steward could answer, Old Madam heard and scolded, “I want him to drink less, yet you encourage him. Drinking leads to trouble. Last time, just because of one drinking session, he lent three thousand taels to drinking companions. They said they’d repay it in three to five days – go ask him if the money has been repaid, even now that we’ve moved.”
Old Master clicked his tongue. “You! No wonder you have no friends! Do you know what friendship means? It’s about mutual help. When friends are in need and they turn to you, that shows they respect you.”
Old Madam scoffed, “By your logic, borrowing money from you is showing respect?”
“Of course!” Old Master grumbled. “The loan’s already made, what’s the use of nagging about it!” He turned to instruct Qingyuan, “In the future, never learn from your grandmother’s ways, being sharp-tongued and stingy all day.”
Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh. They were always like this, bickering into old age, but it was precisely because of this that the house had life in it, truly feeling like a home.
So she busied herself mediating between them, then thought of Shen Run – that time when he used drunkenness as an excuse to give her the jade pendant, who knew if he was truly drunk or pretending? If he acted like this in the future, it would be terrible! She’d have to confiscate all valuable items from him before he went out.
Her grandparents had traveled thousands of li, and upon reaching Youzhou, without even resting, they’d gone straight to the Shen manor to fetch her. Qingyuan felt for them and urged them to get some sleep, and the elderly couple finally went off, still bickering. With some free time, Qingyuan took Baoxian to inspect everything. Indeed, the garden was perfect in every way – three courtyards deep with east and west wings, connected to a large flower garden. Grandfather must have spent quite a sum to purchase it.
Baoxian sighed endlessly, “The Old Master and Old Madam treat you so well, even their blood relations couldn’t compare.”
Qingyuan made a sound of agreement. “To me, they are my true family – others are not.”
Baoxian felt melancholy hearing this and murmured, “It’s just a pity that Chuntai and Matron Tao are still at the Xie house. How wonderful it would be if they could come too!”
Qingyuan said, “Nothing can be done. They are Xie family people – without the Xie family’s word, they must stay there.”
Things had settled down now, unlike the earlier upheaval. Her heart was at peace, and she didn’t wish for too much – maintaining things as they were now was already very good.
She had thought Commander Shen would be busy deploying Imperial Guards to reinforce Shi Bu City and wouldn’t have free time these two days, but unexpectedly, he called the next day, sending all the previously prepared items to the Chen family gate. Somewhat nervous but sincere, he said, “I had originally planned to request an imperial marriage decree, but once such a decree comes down, one must comply whether willing or not – that seemed unfair to the young lady. Old Madam said everything should be according to the young lady’s wishes, so I’ve brought all the gifts first, then await the young lady’s indication.”
In the Chen family’s front hall, Old Madam and Old Master received him. Naturally, Qingyuan didn’t appear. Old Madam looked at the mountain of gift boxes of various colors piled before her and smiled, “The Commander is thoughtful. I can see the Commander’s feelings for our Yunya are sincere. We two old ones never had children of our own, and when we got Yunya, we raised her preciously from childhood. Recently we were foolish and let the child suffer wrongly, but we hope her path will be smooth from now on. The Commander’s visit today – we have nothing much to say, we only hope for Yunya’s happiness. As long as she agrees, we’ll have no objections.”
Old Master tapped the jar rim beside him. “I don’t think Yunya will disagree. She’s always soft-hearted – if there are any misunderstandings, they’ll be resolved once discussed.” As he spoke, he looked toward the back courtyard. “Why don’t we… call the young lady out?”
But Old Madam said there was no hurry. “Forgive this old woman’s interference, but let me ask the Commander something. Given your high position and great power, do you plan to take concubines in the future?” She smiled. “I know it’s improper to ask this, but please understand our concerns. It’s common for men to take concubines, but how many and when matters greatly. Earlier, the young lady told me about the affair with the Marquis of Danyang’s young master. Our meaning is, that the Commander is a public figure – it would be difficult to say no concubines at all, but regarding timing, it would be better to set some rules.”
Shen Run said it wasn’t necessary. “Once I betroth the young lady, I will have only her for life.”
Old Master and Old Madam were somewhat surprised. After exchanging glances, Old Madam said, “The Commander’s household is sparse in numbers, and the family depends on you to continue the line. If our young lady should prove less than fertile, would the Commander still not take concubines?”
Shen Run smiled, bringing out the same response he’d given the Emperor: “If she has difficulty bearing children, it would be my fate to have a difficult succession, not her fault but mine.”
Old Madam greatly approved of these words and glanced at Old Master with her eyes cornered, sighing, “The more complete a man is, the more rock-solid his heart. Unlike those crooked melons and split dates who, despite their unremarkable appearances, make trouble all day long.”
Old Master heard the implied criticism – she was talking about him! He immediately bristled, his mustache quivering as his eyes bulged, but with a guest present, he couldn’t argue with her. However, since it concerned their granddaughter’s lifetime happiness, he had to add his piece, shaking his head: “This business of concubines is meaningless… completely meaningless. Many people love to say they regret not meeting before marriage, but even if they marry someone new today, they’ll say the same things to other women in the future, spending their whole lives sighing, their whole lives lying.”
Shen Run kept flattering them: “If I don’t marry, so be it, but having married, my heart will never waver. Even at eighty, an old wife is still precious.”
Old Master nodded repeatedly, “Exactly, exactly… well said.”
It seemed he had passed the test of Qingyuan’s grandparents without incident – what remained was Qingyuan herself, who was avoiding him, probably still angry.
Feeling unsettled, his hands on his knees fidgeted several times. A new son-in-law calling at the door was quite different from commanding troops, and after much hesitation, he said: “Might I request to see the young lady? Or if the elders permit, allow me to pay my respects to her?”
Old Master and Old Madam were quite pleased that Yunya had such good fortune to meet such a proper and considerate match, so naturally they didn’t obstruct. They called a matron, “Show the Commander the way, take him to see First Young Lady.”
The matron accepted the order, bowing and gesturing, “Please follow this servant, Commander.”
Qingyuan’s courtyard was an exquisite place, with small bridges over flowing water, and a wooden pavilion suspended above the stream. He crossed the covered corridor and climbed the wooden steps, finding her intently writing something at a table. He quickly gestured to the matron to keep quiet and dismissed her.
Walking closer to look, he saw a complete set of scholarly implements, with a copy of the “Comprehensive Book of Fortune-Telling” beside them. A sheet of white paper was laid out neatly, with four characters written formally at the top – “Cat Adoption Contract.” This was the necessary document for adopting a cat, just like the betrothal gifts for marrying a young lady. One had to prepare gifts to send to the cat’s natal home before forming a contract to bring the kitten back.
She sighed, “I heard people say before that we need to invite the Eastern King and Western Queen Mother as witnesses, but how did that couplet go? I can’t remember…”
He stood tall behind her and cleared his throat: “Upper line: Eastern King witnesses southern stay, Lower line: Western Queen Mother witnesses northern roam.”
His sudden voice startled Qingyuan. She stood up, hiding her face behind a fan, her beautiful eyes fixed on him. “What rogue is this, sneaking into my courtyard? Quick, someone come and throw him out!”