The autumn rains had ended, followed by six or seven consecutive sunny days. The muddy streets had dried up completely, but most of the leaves on the locust trees had fallen as well. Looking around, bare branches were visible everywhere, trembling in the wind and making one feel cold. This signaled the approach of winter.
These past couple of days, the He family had been dividing their household, or rather, separating their living arrangements but not their business. The eldest son’s wife, Xue Shi, would remain living with He Zhizhong and Madam Cen, while all the others were moving out. The first to leave was the second son’s family. Though Bai Shi didn’t say anything, she was in excellent spirits, efficiently directing the servants in moving their belongings. When sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces offered to help, she accepted without hesitation, arranging everything meticulously.
The children were the most excited about this kind of event, running in and out eagerly, asking what would be served for lunch and dinner, and who would be coming as guests. They were busy and delighted. Everyone else had gone out to help, leaving only the elderly Madam Cen and the special guest Mudan sitting, drinking tea, eating snacks, and chatting.
Madam Cen rested her chin on her hand, her gaze somewhat distant. “Before, we complained about the house being cramped and crowded. Now we’ll complain about it being too spacious and quiet.” When a large family of twenty or thirty people suddenly disperses to just a few, even at night one would feel much colder.
Knowing she was feeling unwell, Mudan smiled and said, “They’re not going far. They can often come back to keep you company. When He Hong and He Ru get married, it will naturally become lively again. You might even find it too noisy then.”
Madam Cen shook her head gently. No matter how filial a son is, once he has his own separate family, he won’t come home as often. If he visits once every ten days or half a month during festivals and holidays, that’s already quite good. Whether one admits it or not, one’s heart will always be more concerned with one’s own small family and children. Even she was like this.
This feeling of an elderly person is hard to understand without personal experience. No matter how one tries to comfort them, the words will seem pale and hollow. Mudan decided to change the subject: “I heard that Duke Zhu’s mansion sent you an invitation. Who delivered it?”
Madam Cen replied indifferently, “Yes. Their head steward brought it.”
Mudan felt very displeased. The He family and the Jiang family were theoretically in-laws, but Jiang Zhong and others had never personally visited. For such a big event as Jiang Changyi’s wedding, by rights, an official family member should have come to extend the invitation in person. Sending a steward showed they didn’t take the He family seriously. They might even think they were doing the He family a favor by sending an invitation at all. The more Mudan thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. “Since they’re so ignorant of proper etiquette, there’s no need to attend.”
“Nonsense!” He Zhizhong walked in from outside, irritated. He first gave Mudan a gentle glare, then snatched Madam Cen’s teacup and drained it in one gulp before sitting down to brood. Madam Cen lightly slapped his hand, chiding, “It’s not like we’re out of cups. Why steal mine?”
“I was parched,” He Zhizhong said, suppressing the sadness and difficulty in his heart caused by his children’s departure. “They may not understand etiquette, but we can’t let others laugh at us. We must maintain face for you and Chengfeng! We’ve decided to send a generous gift, but we won’t attend in person.” If they didn’t want to meet face-to-face, naturally there was no need to rush to see them. As long as the proper courtesies were observed, everyone could save face.
Mudan felt it wasn’t worth it. “There’s no need to send an overly lavish gift. Just follow the crowd and do what’s acceptable. Sending more won’t make them think better of us.” It would be no different from throwing meat buns to a dog. The Duke Zhu mansion’s treatment of the He family angered her even more than if they had treated her ten times worse.
“But if we send too little, they’ll think poorly of us!” He Zhizhong said calmly. “I’m not doing this to make them feel good. I’m doing it so outsiders won’t look down on Chengfeng or you.”
Mudan knew he was right, but she still felt uneasy.
Seeing this, Madam Cen smiled and gently stroked the back of Mudan’s hand, speaking softly, “Don’t get upset over such small matters. The most important thing for you now is to cultivate your character and nature. Feeling goodwill begets goodness; feeling malice begets evil.
Don’t sleep on your side, don’t sit crookedly, don’t stand with a limp, don’t eat improper flavors, don’t walk on the wrong path, don’t eat food that’s not cut properly, don’t sit on an improperly placed mat, don’t look at evil colors, don’t listen to seductive sounds, don’t speak arrogant words, don’t hold improper tools, recite scriptures at night, and discuss etiquette and music in the morning. This is how to give birth to a child with proper appearance and exceptional virtue and talent. Although we’re not that strict, you should still pay attention to these things. Don’t disbelieve me; I’ve been through this before. When I was pregnant with you and your siblings, I did all this.”
Zhang Shi had always placed great importance on prenatal education when she was pregnant. Whenever she heard the sixth son talk about gambling, she would quietly walk away without a word. At the time, Mudan thought Zhang Shi was being overly cautious. Now that it was her turn, she realized she should indeed be cautious. Mudan smiled, comforting herself, “I’m not angry I’m not.” It’s not worth it! Just consider it lost.
Seeing that mother and daughter had stopped talking, He Zhizhong said, “Has Chengfeng been very busy lately?” His tone carried a hint of affection. Ever since he heard that Jiang Changyang had chased after the sixth son and talked to him for a good while after he left home that day, he had felt closer to Jiang Changyang. It was rare to find a child who wasn’t arrogant, who was considerate, and who truly treated them as family.
Mudan nodded, “He’s still very busy. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be keeping Yingniáng and Rongniáng here. He can’t come today either, so he asked me to apologize to his Second Brother and Sister-in-law. They both said they don’t blame him.”
He Zhizhong sighed, “We can’t help him much, we can only tell him to take care of his health. By the way, I ran into Liu Chang yesterday. He was even more respectful to me than before.” He chuckled lightly, “Can people change so much? But no matter how much he changes, he’s still not as good as Chengfeng.”
Madam Cen looked at him reproachfully, “How foolish, why mention such a person? And comparing him to Chengfeng? How can they be compared?”
“You’re right, I was foolish,” He Zhizhong wiped his forehead. He knew he shouldn’t always compare these two, but he couldn’t help doing so unconsciously.
Suddenly, they heard Xue Shi laughing outside, “The auspicious time is almost here. The second Brother and Sister-in-law have already gone ahead. Let’s hurry and go too.” So everyone either got into carriages or mounted horses, carrying all the necessary items for moving, and set off in a grand procession towards the second son’s new home. When they arrived at the entrance, they saw that many relatives and friends were already waiting outside. Li Manniang enthusiastically greeted everyone, arranging how the young people and children should follow the customs.
Seeing her put Madam Cen in a very good mood. She smiled and said, “Your Aunt Li from the Li family has always been so enthusiastic. I told her that with so many people to take care of things, she and I only needed to wait and enjoy ourselves, but she wouldn’t listen, running in and out busy as can be. Well, how many more days can we old bones be busy anyway?” So she got out of the carriage and stood with Li Manniang and several other familiar relatives and friends, chatting and laughing.
Mudan came forward to pay her respects, then retreated to the side to watch the excitement. She couldn’t help but recall the scene when Li Manniang moved house. At that time, she had no idea what her life would be like now, nor did she imagine that the next year she would be carrying a child. She gently caressed her belly, a sweet smile appearing on her face. Suddenly, she heard someone laugh nearby, “Sister Dan.”
It was Wu Shijiuniang. She was wearing a tan-colored lined jacket paired with a light purple eight-panel gauze skirt. Her hair was piled high, her makeup exquisite, her demeanor natural and graceful. Although her belly was slightly swollen, she looked altogether pleasing to the eye.
“You came too?” Mudan happily took her hand. “You should be resting at home in your condition.”
Wu Shijiuniang grasped Mudan’s hand in return, affectionately saying, “This is a joyous occasion, I had to come. Xingzhi was originally going to come too, but he had urgent business at the last minute and couldn’t make it.” She didn’t mention Li Yuanhe or Madam Cui, so Mudan tactfully didn’t ask. Instead, she smiled and said, “I see your face has become rounder, with a rosy glow. Are you eating especially well?”
Wu Shijiuniang smiled and glanced at Mudan’s belly, which showed no signs yet. She leaned close to Mudan’s ear and whispered, “I’ve heard all about it… and you’re teasing me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll tease you back?” Thought of how she had heard from Li Manniang that Mudan was pregnant, and how her in-laws had been very surprised, wanting to say something but not daring to in front of her, while Li Xing had just kept his head down eating without a word, her feelings were somewhat complicated. But as she was about to become a mother herself, seeing Mudan encounter such good fortune still made her genuinely happy for her.
Mudan smiled, pressing her lips together, “I’m just concerned about you, sister-in-law. Why would you tease me?”
“I’m not teasing you, I’m congratulating you,” Wu Shijiuniang looked around Mudan and asked casually, “How come I don’t see Chengfeng?”
“He had something to attend to,” Mudan didn’t want to discuss it further, so she pulled Wu Shijiuniang to watch the excitement. “Look, the auspicious time has arrived. They’re bringing in the water and candles.”
Wu Shijiuniang said softly, “Do you remember when Aunt moved house last year? They invited us as guests then, and that’s when I first met you.”
“Of course I remember,” Mudan smiled slightly, teasing, “I was just reminiscing about that time too. If I had known you would become my sister-in-law, I should have been nicer to you.”
Wu Shijiuniang sighed lightly, seeming to want to say something but holding back.
Seeing her seemingly full of worries, possibly related to herself, Mudan didn’t dare to ask. She just stood there with her watching the excitement, not daring to say much.
Before long, the moving ceremony was completed, and the second son and his wife set out a feast to entertain everyone. Madam Cen and several other elders waved to Mudan, indicating she should come to sit with them. Mudan had just taken a few steps when Wu Shijiuniang held her back. “Sister Dan, can we talk? I have something I want to tell you.”
Seeing her brow slightly furrowed, looking very worried, Mudan didn’t dare to take it lightly. She quickly waved to Madam Cen, indicating she wouldn’t be coming over, and smiled, “Please speak, sister-in-law.”
Wu Shijiuniang bit her lip lightly, “I have a favor to ask of you. But before I say it, I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with your cousin. He knows nothing about it.”
Mudan sighed, “Go on.”