The moment Shuer heard that name, her hair stood on end. It felt as if the bitter cold of midwinter had invaded her clothes, chilling her to the bone. Her first instinct was to slam the door shut, but on second thought, she flung it open. With cold eyes, she scrutinized the beautiful woman cowering behind the plump matron.
The woman was voluptuous, with skin like snow. She wore fashionable layered gauze clothing, revealing a hint of her pomegranate-red undershirt. Her hair was styled in a foot-high bun. Shuer let out a scornful laugh and said sharply, “How rare for Sister Yutong to remember this door… Oh, I should call you Miss Yutong now. My apologies.”
The beauty raised her bowed head, revealing eyes brimming with tears beneath long, curved eyebrows. Her red lips trembling, she asked, “Shuer, why are you speaking to me like this?”
Shuer circled her, casting a contemptuous glance at her abdomen. “How else should I speak to you? Should I call you Concubine? You’re not even officially a concubine yet. I fear I’d be punished for addressing you as such.”
The beauty covered her face and began to sob quietly. “Shuer, they don’t know the truth. Don’t you know either? It wasn’t intentional. Has the Young Madam still not forgiven me?”
“Bah!” Shuer spat. “You think you’re worthy of the Young Madam’s attention? You ungrateful wretch! Why are you here? Don’t make yourself unwelcome. Get out!”
The beauty wiped her tears and said, “I’ve come to thank the Young Madam.”
She’s here to show off, Shuer thought coldly. “Stop making me sick. Leave quickly before Sister Yuhe and Mama Lin return. Otherwise, you’ll start complaining again about people being jealous and giving you a hard time.”
The plump matron smiled and said, “Miss Shuer, you all came from the same place. Miss Yutong’s success reflects well on all of you. Why oppose each other? People might say the Young Madam can’t tolerate others. With so many concubines already, one more won’t hurt. Miss Yutong could even be an asset to the Young Madam.”
“Say that again?” A thin, elderly woman in a blue-gold skirt suddenly appeared behind the plump matron, eyeing Yutong maliciously. She reached out to grab the matron. “The Young Madam can’t tolerate others? Did she hit or scold her? Come, let’s ask the Old Madam to judge!”
Yutong looked nervously at the old woman, protectively covering her belly as she stepped back. “Mama Lin! Please don’t!”
“Mama Lin, Shuer, the Young Madam wants to know why you’re arguing so loudly! You’re becoming quite unruly,” called Kuaner, another maid from the Mudan Courtyard, standing in the corridor.
Mama Lin thought for a moment, then smiled. “Indeed, we’re being unruly.” She released the matron and said, “Carefully escort your Miss Yutong back. It would be a shame if she fell.” Then she pulled Shuer into the courtyard and firmly closed the gate.
Shuer pressed her ear against the door, overhearing the plump matron urging Yutong: “Miss, you’d better return. Be careful not to catch heatstroke, or you’ll play right into others’ hands. Don’t cry anymore. Focus on nurturing the young master. Once you’ve won the master’s favor, what won’t you be able to get?”
Yutong sobbed, “I didn’t mean to.”
The matron replied impatiently, “Enough. The door’s closed, and no one can hear whether you meant it or not. Let’s go. If anything happens, the master will hold me responsible.”
“Sister Wei, how can you say that too!” Yutong choked, crying even more heartbrokenly. Her sobs gradually faded into the distance.
Shuer turned to Mama Lin and said, “Mama, this woman is truly shameless and malicious. Crying so loudly as she leaves – who knows what rumors this will spark?”
The parrot, Shuangshuang, heard this and squawked, “Rumors! Rumors!” flapping its wings and mimicking a strange voice.
“You little thing, what do you know about rumors?” Mudan emerged, playfully poking Shuangshuang with her fan handle. “That’s why we shouldn’t provoke her. Let her cry if she wants to. If anyone asks, it won’t reflect on us. Your temper is becoming like explosive charcoal. It’s not good. In the future, avoid her. Don’t let her drag you into trouble.”
“What’s there to fear? We already have plenty of gossip about us. Her crying won’t add much,” Mama Lin said, her face dark with anger as she looked disappointedly at Mudan.
Mudan closed her fan and sidled up to Mama Lin, smiling coyly. “What’s wrong, Mama? Who upset you? What gossip did you hear today? Tell me about it?”
Mama Lin was Mudan’s wet nurse. Childless herself, she had devoted her life to Mudan, following her here. She had hoped to protect Mudan on behalf of Madam He, to help her recover and live a better life. But Mudan was too pitiful, too weak, yet too stubborn. Despite being hurt so badly by Liu Chang, she couldn’t let go. No matter how Mama Lin schemed, she couldn’t improve Mudan’s situation.
Finally, after Mudan’s serious illness, she seemed to have gained some clarity. The Liu family’s attitude towards her improved, and her circumstances got better. But Mudan appeared to have become indifferent to everything, even seeming not to see Liu Chang. Today, Mama Lin met Yuhe midway, who told her that Mudan had refused Liu Chang. Then she encountered Yutong coming to show off. All this angered her, frustrated by Mudan’s lack of assertiveness.
Seeing Mama Lin’s sullen silence, Mudan nuzzled her shoulder like a puppy, calling “Mama” in a drawn-out voice several times.
Mama Lin couldn’t help but sigh, remembering how Mudan used to cling to her as a child, like a little tail, calling “Mama” so sweetly that she couldn’t refuse her anything. Now that Mudan had grown up, she still couldn’t bear to ignore her, but she knew she couldn’t let Mudan continue like this. Steeling her heart, she said coldly, “Danniang, if you still consider me your wet nurse, listen to what I have to say.”
Mudan smiled ingratiatingly, “Go ahead, I’m listening.” She was well-acquainted with Mama Lin’s stubbornness. When she first arrived here, recovering from her illness, confused and unwilling to accept her situation, it was Mama Lin who forcefully dragged her out of bed and made her face Madam Liu and Madam Qi, compelling her to please Madam Qi and confront Liu Chang’s concubines. There had been several similar incidents since, deeply impressing upon Mudan just how unyielding Mama Lin could be.
Mama Lin instructed Shuer to keep an eye out for eavesdroppers, then said sternly, “In the past, Mama advised you not to take things too seriously, not to make yourself miserable. You didn’t listen, torturing yourself daily until you fell gravely ill, scaring Mama and the master and mistress half to death. Just when we thought you’d understood after recovering, you’ve gone to the other extreme, pushing away opportunities that come to you. Aren’t you just benefiting others? I know you’ve come to terms with things, but to establish yourself here and protect those around you, to prevent lowly creatures like Yutong from daring to approach you, you need to show some backbone. What are you doing now? Don’t disgrace the He family!”
Mudan knew that Mama Lin, like Master He and Madam He, believed her illness had improved only after marrying Liu Chang. They saw this marriage contract as her lifeline and would never agree to a divorce, even if life was difficult. So she never dared to tell Mama Lin about her desire for divorce. She lowered her head submissively and said, “Mama, I understand everything you’re saying. I was just angry at how he disregarded me back then. I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Mama Lin sighed, embracing her. “My poor little Danniang. If it weren’t for your illness, the master and mistress wouldn’t have schemed to marry you into this family, making them feel we were marrying above our station and forcing their hand. If we had found a more suitable match, you wouldn’t have to endure such treatment! But what’s done is done, and life must go on. Even if you won’t think of yourself, think of the master and mistress who care for you so much.”
Mudan smiled, “I understand. That’s why I’ll dress up for tomorrow’s banquet, not letting them look down on me. Mama, help me decide which hairstyle would best complement my outfit?” With a few words, she diverted Mama Lin’s attention, and they enthusiastically began discussing hairstyles and accessories. Shortly after, Yuhe returned with silk thread, and they all gathered to seriously discuss the outfit.
By mid-afternoon, Mudan, calculating that her mother-in-law, Madam Qi, should be free, asked Yuhe to hand over their unfinished work to Mama Lin. After adjusting her dress and hair, the two of them set out towards Madam Qi’s courtyard, sheltered by silk umbrellas.
Madam Qi’s main courtyard was quite far from Mudan’s, at least a quarter-hour walk. Although it was early summer, the sun was intense. Heat waves rose in succession, and even the umbrellas couldn’t block all the heat. Before long, beads of sweat formed on Mudan and Yuhe’s foreheads and noses, and they felt dampness under their arms, creating an uncomfortable sensation.
Yuhe pointed to a nearby wisteria trellis and suggested, “Young Madam if you’re tired, why don’t we rest there for a moment? We can continue when you’ve cooled down. There’s no urgent matter with Madam Qi anyway.”
Mudan shook her head. “No need. A bit of sun and sweat is good for us.” What was a ten-minute walk in this weather? She remembered sprinting for buses in the height of summer, wearing 7cm heels, never losing to anyone. Now, after living comfortably for so long, she had become delicate. But delicacy was a state of mind – if you didn’t consider yourself delicate and steeled your heart, you wouldn’t be delicate anymore.
Yuhe smiled, “I remember you used to hate the sun and sweating the most.”
Mudan pointed to the bluestone path leading to another courtyard and smiled, “Look, we’re not the only ones braving the sun.”
A group of people emerged from the bluestone path. In the center was a plump young woman wearing a willow-green gauze shirt with a mandarin collar and a high-waisted, pleated yellow skirt embroidered with a pair of shimmering golden francolins. Her hair was styled in a half-rolled bun, her eyebrows painted in a misty style, and her full, diamond-shaped lips were painted a bright red. This was Biwu, Liu Chang’s favored concubine who had borne him his eldest son.