“That may be so, but look at how arrogant that Qin Shi has become.” Yao Shi sneered coldly. “What kind of well-bred young lady is she? She’s just a wild girl who wandered outside in her early years! She doesn’t know how to respect her elders and has no proper manners. If this were the old General’s mansion, the madam would have made her learn proper conduct until death. It’s only because she’s dealing with a soft mother-in-law like me.”
Yao Shi fired off this barrage of complaints like a string of firecrackers, feeling much better in her heart. After letting out a sigh of relief, she continued: “She doesn’t call me mother, which is just fine – I’m too lazy to listen to it anyway. It’s not like I raised her, so why would I expect dog meat to stick to mutton? If she wants to pay rent, she’d better do it quickly. I’m still worried that fool Dafu might be so bewitched that he’ll end up paying out his own silver.”
Only after his daughter had finished venting her grievances did Yao Chenggu speak: “You’re wrong about this. You must consider Dafu’s future in court. Minister Qin is no ordinary figure. Even if he’s no longer serving as an official, he’s still an outstanding strategist. His daughter has married into our family, so in the future, no matter what difficulties Dafu encounters, won’t he have to rack his brains to help our Dafu find solutions? You mustn’t speak like this in the future.”
“That’s also true.”
Yao Shi thought it over, then asked worriedly: “Father, do you think the child in Qin Shi’s belly is really our Dafu’s? There’s no mistake, is there?”
“Hah, Dafu is quite shrewd.”
Yao Chenggu said no more and continued puffing on his pipe.
Actually, being questioned by Yao Shi made him start having doubts again in his heart.
Looking at the attitudes of Qin Yining and Pang Xiao, he felt that child should be Pang Xiao’s.
But who could guarantee such a thing?
Besides, that girl was born with looks that could topple nations. What if Dafu was helping her cover up because he liked her and was bewitched by her? These young people are always acting on emotion, and it’s understandable that they’d do some helpless things when their heads get hot.
Moreover, even if this child was Pang Xiao’s, what if she had served others before? Such an impure woman serving his grandson made him feel somewhat disgusted.
Yao Chenggu put down his pipe and began cracking sunflower seeds again, his eyes vacant and unfocused as he continuously pondered their current situation.
Pang Xiao was still young, so acting impulsively was understandable, but as an elder, he couldn’t help but screen things for Pang Xiao, lest he be deceived without knowing it.
Just then, someone came to report from outside.
“Old Master, the in-law master requests an audience.”
Yao Chenggu and Yao Shi were startled and looked at each other. What a coincidence! Qin Huaiyuan’s timing was too convenient, wasn’t it? Could he have heard something?
“Please invite the in-law master in.” Yao Chenggu stood up and shook the sunflower seed shells off his body.
The maids quickly and efficiently cleaned up the table and floor.
Yao Shi thought it over but didn’t avoid the meeting, instead standing beside Yao Chenggu.
Before long, they saw a middle-aged man with a slender, upright figure and bearing like an exiled immortal lift the curtain and enter. Just from his appearance and demeanor, one could immediately think of his nickname “Wise Pan An,” because the wisdom and intelligence between his brows couldn’t be hidden, and his looks and bearing were truly outstanding.
Upon entering, Qin Huaiyuan bowed to Yao Chenggu: “Master Yao, in-law mother. I heard from my guards that they have safely escorted everyone back, so I hurried over to see. Was the journey arduous?”
Yao Chenggu’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing this.
If someone were straightforward, they probably wouldn’t analyze it much – Qin Huaiyuan’s words seemed perfectly fine.
But after the recent unpleasantness, Yao Chenggu couldn’t help but read deeper meaning into it: Indeed, he was someone who had navigated court politics for many years and earned the title “Wise Pan An.” When he spoke, it was understated yet every sentence hit the mark.
In just that short passage, he had made two key points clear:
First, “Master Yao” emphasized the surname “Yao,” while this prince’s mansion bore the surname Pang. Even the “in-law mother” was just a woman with no right to participate in men’s affairs.
Second, they could now safely return to the prince’s mansion thanks to Qin Huaiyuan’s secret protection during this time. Without his care, they would have been captured by Li Qitian after Pang Xiao left. How could they speak of their current reunion?
Yao Chenggu narrowed his eyes and warmly offered a seat: “Not arduous at all. The arrangements you made, in-law master, were extremely proper. We didn’t suffer any hardships along the way. Someone, quickly bring good tea.”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled and exchanged pleasantries, then sat in the lower position according to protocol, smiling as he said: “My daughter is clumsy and has married above her station into the prince’s mansion. She hasn’t been here long, so if there’s anything she does improperly, please, Master Yao and in-law mother, do instruct her well. As her father, I won’t have the slightest complaint.”
As he spoke, he pulled three thousand-tael bank notes from his sleeve, all bearing the large seal of Baotong Bank, allowing withdrawal of silver coins at any Baotong branch nationwide.
Qin Huaiyuan placed the bank notes on the table and pushed them toward Master Yao, smiling: “This is the rent for Xuemei Courtyard and Suxue Garden. The young couple has just married, and though Yining’s dowry is generous, my wife and I considered that we feared they might be young and inexperienced – what if they spend lavishly? Let her do as she pleases with the dowry silver. These three thousand taels of silver, I trouble Master Yao and the Grand Madam to help keep safe, lest they be young and squander it all. We elders all want nothing more than for our children to live well. Don’t you agree this is reasonable?”
As Qin Huaiyuan spoke, he smiled warmly, and whether his smile or his voice, both gave one the feeling of a spring breeze.
But Yao Chenggu’s heart was silently cursing Qin Huaiyuan for being too cunning.
What “wanting children to live well,” what “helping to keep safe” – the meaning was that this silver belonged to his daughter, that he as a father was giving it to his daughter, and they could only look but not use it!
Moreover, Qin Huaiyuan’s meaning also clearly indicated that the Qin family wasn’t living in the prince’s mansion for free, that they lived there with confidence and righteousness. Even without paying rent, wouldn’t it be natural to live in his daughter and son-in-law’s home?
There was another layer of meaning that made Yao Chenggu even more stifled.
–I’ve already paid money, shouldn’t you show some gesture in return?
Yao Chenggu very much wanted to wave his hand grandly and also “show a gesture,” but wouldn’t that just benefit others? Moreover, he originally ate, lived, and used everything from the prince’s mansion, and had no family wealth to display.
Thinking of this, looking at Qin Huaiyuan’s gentle smile, Yao Chenggu understood even better.
This fellow’s meaning should be “Since you can’t produce silver to show your gesture, then treat my daughter better,” right?
Had news of the earlier incident in the walkway really spread already?
Yao Chenggu felt somewhat embarrassed, as if he’d been harshly slapped by those three thousand-tael bank notes. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly – truly worthy of an old fox who had navigated court politics, indeed crafty and cunning.
His words were clear and straightforward on the surface. Even if someone recorded what he’d just said on paper, readers would find nothing wrong with it – they’d only think this was a very good father-in-law, a qualified father, even a very gentle and soft in-law.
But combined with his tone and demeanor while speaking, his words took on entirely different meanings. It was easy to understand the multiple layers of implication within. Yet it left him unable to find words to refute, and he couldn’t even repeat these words to Pang Xiao. Because once said, Pang Xiao might think he, the grandfather, was stirring up trouble.
Yao Chenggu considered himself quite clever and sufficiently dignified, but who would have thought that he’d just been scolded into extinguishing his pipe by a young slip of a girl, and now the girl’s father had come to his door to slap his face.
Several slaps had already been delivered, and he had no choice but to take them. If he accepted this silver as well, once word spread, he’d probably never be able to explain himself clearly. He’d have no way to account to Dafu either.
Yao Chenggu’s facial expression was becoming stiff, and he could only glumly push the bank notes back to Qin Huaiyuan, saying: “Yining is a good girl. That she could take a liking to Dafu is Dafu’s fortune. Since she entered our family, we’ve all been very fond of her, and her grandmother dotes on her like the apple of her eye.
“This time she suffered quite a bit following us out, and I feel guilty about it. I’ve always felt I’d wronged Yining and wronged you, in-law master. Such a good daughter from your family married into ours, yet the court situation is as it is.
“But rest assured, our family will never let Yining lack for food, clothing, or daily necessities. You should take back these three thousand taels. Isn’t it natural for family to live together? Speaking of rent would make us seem distant, wouldn’t it?”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled and shook his head, pushing the bank notes back again.
“I understand Master Yao’s intentions, but the rent must definitely be paid. I know that you, the Grand Madam, and in-law mother are all honest and generous people who would never accept my rent, but keeping clear accounts ultimately has no drawbacks. I had originally wanted to calculate the rent and give additional silver, but I figured the Prince wouldn’t accept the less than one hundred taels of annual rent, so I brought these directly to place with Master Yao.”
After speaking, Qin Huaiyuan stood up and smiled: “Master Yao has had an arduous journey today, so I won’t disturb you further. Yining is now with child, and as a young woman, she’s inexperienced. If there’s anything offensive she does that you instruct her about but she won’t listen, just come tell me, and I’ll properly discipline her later.”
The silver had been given, and the Qin family owed the prince’s mansion nothing. Moreover, the Qin family’s daughter was the princess consort, the mistress of the prince’s mansion. No matter what, it wasn’t the place of these lodgers to bully the mistress of the household.
The Qin family lodgers had paid their rent – had the Yao family lodgers paid theirs?
In the future, if there were any more complaints, they could come to him directly – don’t make things difficult for a pregnant woman!
Qin Huaiyuan cupped his hands in salute and, without waiting for Yao Chenggu and Yao Shi to respond, turned and left.
Yao Chenggu stared at the three thousand-tael bank notes on the table, his face alternating between red and white.
Yao Shi was red-faced and furious, grinding her teeth as she said: “Father, what does he mean by this! His daughter doesn’t observe proper wifely conduct, yet he still has the nerve to come demand an explanation so righteously!”
“He never demanded any explanation. He’s someone who’s navigated court politics for years – did he say a single excessive word?” Yao Chenggu sat back down, his expression dark as he picked up the bank notes and flicked them with his rough fingers. “This matter is difficult to handle. If we have any more open conflicts with the Qin family girl, I fear that if it escalates, Dafu will blame us. We need to think of a way to resolve the problem without making a scene.”