Ji Yingying knew nothing of the Yang family’s First Young Madam’s displeased departure.
Ling’er and Xiang’er came running to tell her the news they’d gathered, chattering excitedly.
“The Yang family’s First Young Madam has a round face, looks about the same age as Madam, and has a kind smile.”
“She wore a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with plum blossoms. Her cape was made of silver sable fur that gleamed like flowing water in the snow. Matron Ji says it’s worth at least three to four thousand strings of cash!”
“Miss, the young master brought a pair of live geese! Live ones!”
“There were twenty-four carriers of betrothal gifts! The Yang family is so wealthy!”
“Miss, Miss, we found out the wedding date is set for the twelfth of the fourth month!”
Ji Yingying’s head ached from their noise, so she simply pushed the two maids out and closed the door. She couldn’t help opening the window. Snow was still falling outside, and Yang Jingyuan seemed to stand before her, lifting his foot to show her his shoe: “My shoes are unwearable now. You still haven’t said you’ll make my shoes.”
The soles were worn thin and covered in mud. His eyes were tinged with red from rushing south to the warmer regions to catch live geese. Ji Yingying said softly: “Aren’t you silly!”
The deerskin boots she’d rushed to make overnight had already been sent with the return gifts. Thinking of him saying he could wear them today, Ji Yingying couldn’t help but smile. She had worked through the night with her two maids to make the shoes, and now as she leaned against the window, she unknowingly fell asleep.
She was only awakened when the maids knocked to say Madam Chen had left and Madam was asking to see her about the gift list. Only upon waking did she feel the cold, shivering with a heavy head. Realizing this wasn’t good, she quickly closed the window.
After reviewing the gift list and listening to her mother patiently explain matters of life in a grand household, Ji Yingying’s head kept nodding lower and lower. Madam Ji first thought she was blushing from shyness and paid it no mind. When dinner was served, Ji Yingying stood up with drooping eyelids and no appetite. Matron Li reached out to feel her forehead and cried out: “Madam, we must call for a physician. The young miss is running a fever!”
Ji Yingying forced a smile and said: “Mother, I was up last night making shoes, perhaps I’m just tired. I’ll go back and drink some ginger soup to sweat it out.”
The maids helped her back to her room. Madam Ji grew worried again.
The Ji family’s activities had been under Zhao Xiuyuan’s observation. Once again, he went up to the second floor of the Vine Garden, looking down at the commotion outside the Ji family gate across the street.
All his worries had become reality.
He knew well the pain in his heart when he heard his grandfather had arranged for Niu Wuniang. Throughout Yizhou Prefecture, who didn’t know that Vice Commander Niu’s daughter had spots on her face, as plain as salt.
For the Zhao family, for power. He chose the family.
He was so reluctant to let go of Ji Yingying. Because of his choice, he knew she would inevitably leave him. He hoped she would stay by his side regardless of status. It was just a wild dream.
On the day of the brocade competition, he hadn’t wanted to treat her that way. He just couldn’t stand seeing her let go so lightly. Yang Jingyuan’s appearance seemed to give him an excuse. Let him vent his bitterness and dissatisfaction.
How much better it would have been if she hadn’t given that brocade handkerchief to Yang Jingyuan. She had also given him an excuse. Made him feel justified in using schemes to keep her by his side.
Step by step. She grew more and more distant from him. The Yang family had come with betrothal gifts; she was going to marry Yang Jingyuan.
“Tell me, how can I believe you haven’t betrayed and sold me out?” Zhao Xiuyuan muttered.
He had always been cool-headed. Since marrying Niu Wuniang, he felt he too had become a monster. “She’s a monster!” Zhao Xiuyuan took a drink of wine, the burning liquid sliding down his throat as a fire ignited in his heart, “It’s not that her face is ugly. She’s like a black cat, a cat walking in the night, those eyes, they’re frightening. If I had power, I would lock up Biwater Garden and never set foot in it again for the rest of my life.”
“She’s mad. No matter how I provoke her, she does not have the slightest reaction. Yingying, I don’t want to touch other women. I don’t want to take concubines. I have no interest in them at all.”
“They’re not you. Not the Ji Yingying who handed me a bamboo basket and taught me how to catch river shrimp.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. In his childhood, because he was the Zhao family’s precious young master, the children from humble families in Sandaoyan wouldn’t include him in their wild play. They wore hemp cloth while he wore brocade. They could play with mud and river sand, while his hands had only touched gorgeous silk.
She was the one who played with him. He even learned to climb trees to pick wild mulberries. Her brilliant ideas brought vibrant colors into his world. His brocade came alive because of her.
“Yingying, if I regret and apologize to you, would you not marry Yang San?”
Zhao Xiuyuan hugged the wine bottle, burying his head in his arms.
He knew he had done wrong. He had lost his reason and only wanted to keep her by his side madly. Whether as wife concubine or servant. As long as she could stand before him, vivacious, belonging to him.
The wine went to his head, and he laughed softly: “Zhao Xiuyuan, you’re worthless. So what if it was wrong? Just crush the Yang family and take her back, wouldn’t that be fine?”
“Grandfather said. The one who leads the family must be decisive in killing. I don’t need conscience, don’t need to be good. I only need power… One Niu Wuniang, one ugly woman, relies on her father being the Commander to do as she pleases in the Zhao family. Once I have power, if I want you, you’ll just have to obediently come. How nice.”
He collapsed on the ground, the wine bottle rolling away.
“Brocade King. Can the Niu family still keep the Brocade King position for the Zhao family next year? I married Niu Wuniang just to get the Zhao family a Brocade King, hehe.” He closed his eyes, turned his head, and a tear slid down.
He liked lying here. This was a place that belonged to him alone. His and Ji Yingying’s home.
“Young Master. Young Master, something’s happened at Biwater Garden.”
Zhao Xiuyuan didn’t respond. What happened? “If something happened, go find the Madam!”
Hearing his slurred, impatient reply, Zhao Ping felt helpless: “The Second Young Madam has caught a cold and is running a fever. The Madam asked someone to call for a physician. Her servants are making a fuss, saying they want to go to the city to fetch a doctor. The Madam asks the Young Master to go to Biwater Garden to check.”
“Not going! Who cares if she lives or dies? Get out!”
Zhao Ping dared not say more and hurried away.
Niu Wuniang seemed to return to her childhood. Back then when she had smallpox, it was this kind of fever too. Falling into a fire pit, burning all over.
“My face! My face!”
She raved deliriously, her hands waving wildly, “Nanny, tie my hands, don’t let me scratch my face!”
The nanny held her hands and began to cry: “Miss’s face is fine. It’s fine, you haven’t scratched it.”
Niu Wuniang mumbled about not scratching and fell back into a deep sleep.
Yuyuan had fetched a physician from Renhe Hall in the city. When night fell, Niu Wuniang woke up, opened her eyes, and saw the pink gauze curtains. Her memories returned bit by bit. She was in the Zhao family and married into the Zhao family. Her cheeks bore spots, ugly spots that would never fade.
“Young Madam is awake?” Yuyuan was delighted and helped her drink half a cup of water, then suddenly remembered, “Let me tell you some good news. When I went to the city to fetch the physician, I happened to meet people from the Ji family calling for the Sandaoyan doctor. I heard Second Miss Ji caught a cold and is running a high fever. Buddha’s blessing, hopefully she’ll burn into an idiot.”
“Hehe.” Niu Wuniang indeed cheered up. She had caught a cold and fallen ill, and Ji Yingying was sick too. What a delightful thing.
Yuyuan hesitated then said: “Young Madam, by rights after the betrothal ceremony and setting the wedding date, they shouldn’t meet anymore, right?”
Niu Wuniang made a sound of agreement, her eyes suddenly changing: “What else did you see?”
Yuyuan lowered her head: “When I went to fetch the physician, I met Third Young Master Yang and Sang Shisi. Third Young Master Yang said, ‘In heavy snow keeping the carriage curtain open just to stop me and talk, serves her right to fall ill.’ This servant was indignant and said, ‘Today the Yang family came to the Ji family with betrothal gifts, and Second Miss Ji fell unconscious with illness, perhaps she doesn’t want to marry.'”
Niu Wuniang clutched the bedsheet, breathing heavily: “He rushed over then, didn’t he? Didn’t he?!”
“Young Madam, don’t be angry.” Yuyuan rubbed her chest to help her breathe, persuading, “This servant didn’t mean to tell you to upset you. I thought that since he ran to see Second Miss Ji, the marriage would surely be unlucky. This servant thought you would be happy to hear this.”
“Has the Young Master come?” Niu Wuniang closed her eyes. The room fell silent. How could Zhao Xiuyuan care whether she lived or died? Niu Wuniang’s chest heaved violently, the stark contrast making her hate Yang Jingyuan and Ji Yingying to the bone, “I won’t let you have a good life, I won’t!”