However, Pei Yan insisted on his arrangement.
He said to Second Madam: “After all, I’m a retired official who came to the capital only to visit my mentor. If Second Brother and I come and go together, it will inevitably make people wary, thinking I want to reenter office, which wouldn’t be good for Second Brother’s official career.”
The officialdom had a system of relative avoidance.
Pei Xuan thought about it and no longer forced Pei Yan.
The household matters were thus settled.
Yu Tang asked Pei Yan: “So we’ll eat separately in three places!”
Pei Yan nodded and said: “For now, we’ll eat separately in three places. If Second Sister-in-law needs your help there or if A’Tong is too busy to manage, we’ll discuss it then.”
In any case, his wife couldn’t rush forward to work for those people. Even if she had to work, they had to know to be grateful.
Yu Tang hadn’t thought that much about it. She just felt uncomfortable being asked to manage matters in Gu Xi’s quarters. This arrangement was just right—she could also properly take care of Pei Yan’s daily needs.
In Lin’an, he had always taken care of her, shielding her from wind and rain.
That evening she asked him what he would do tomorrow.
Pei Yan was leaning lazily against the headboard, holding some book or other in his hand. Hearing this, he languidly shifted his gaze from the book to Yu Tang and smiled: “What are you planning to do? Want to go out for a stroll?”
Yu Tang silently cursed to herself, thinking this fellow lost all propriety in his speech when he was in a good mood.
She simply dropped her previous question and said: “Why are you in such a good mood today?”
He couldn’t possibly be this happy just from dividing up rooms.
Pei Yan didn’t answer but asked her instead: “Why did you suddenly think to inquire about my whereabouts today?”
Upon returning to the capital, he had immediately gone to see Zhang Ying, going alone without bringing Yu Tang or meeting the Zhang family’s female relatives.
Yu Tang sat over beside him, applying hand cream while saying: “The capital’s weather is too dry. I’ve only been here a few days—look, I’ve already gotten blisters at the corners of my mouth. I was thinking I should also make you some soup to drink.”
Pei Yan leaned over, his mouth saying “Let me see how big the blisters are,” but his hand slid around Yu Tang’s waist, pulling her into his embrace and kissing her fiercely…
Yu Tang didn’t manage to learn Pei Yan’s preferences, but was tormented until the sun was high in the sky before getting up. When she rose, she was still cursing Pei Yan in her heart, thinking it wasn’t that she didn’t serve him but that he didn’t want her service. If he ever dared complain to her in the future, saying that since marrying him she hadn’t even given him a sip of water, she would smack a shoe sole right across Pei Yan’s face.
Imagining that scene, it would definitely be very interesting.
Yu Tang laughed to herself.
Qing Yuan and the others acted as if they saw nothing.
Since Pei Yan and Yu Tang had married, these two often inexplicably burst into laughter. They had long since grown accustomed to such strangeness.
After Yu Tang finished breakfast, she called over the steward nanny from this residence and brought up matters regarding Gu Xi’s side, having her relay a message: “Whatever she needs, just let her come to you. For firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea and such, provide one-fourth the silver that Second Master’s side receives.”
Although the three households lived separately, the silver from the inner courtyard’s public funds was controlled in Yu Tang’s hands.
When Gu Xi received the message, she was stunned for a long while and asked the message-relaying nanny: “Is this how households in the capital always operate?”
The steward nanny didn’t quite understand.
Gu Xi explained: “Isn’t the silver for each branch managed by the stewards?”
Hearing this, the steward nanny quickly explained: “The silver for each branch is indeed managed by the stewards. That was the rule when the Old Madam was in charge—the Old Madam didn’t like managing accounts, so she left the accounts to the stewards. Now that Third Master is managing the household, he’s taken the authority back. The outer courtyard’s steward is responsible for allocating silver, while the money is managed by Third Madam.” At this point, the steward nanny hesitated for a moment, then said to Gu Xi quite candidly, “I heard from the accounting office people that Third Master only instructed them to allocate the silver to Third Madam, without instructing the accounting office to reconcile accounts with Third Madam.”
In other words, the outer courtyard’s accounting office only needed to hand the money to Yu Tang. As for how Yu Tang used it, that was her business—she didn’t even need to inform the outer courtyard’s accounting office.
Gu Xi’s heart pounded wildly. She couldn’t help lowering her voice: “What do you mean, Nanny?”
The steward nanny didn’t beat around the bush and said directly: “The Elder Master has shown kindness to our household. What I can repay the Young Master with is just these few words. What I mean is, no matter how much silver Third Madam allocates for your use, don’t quibble over it.”
Because quibbling was useless.
This was a tangled mess.
Gu Xi immediately understood. She hadn’t expected there were still Elder Master’s people in the capital residence. She quickly offered respectful thanks.
That nanny waved her hand and left Gu Xi’s quarters with a bitter smile.
Gu Xi drank her tea, pondering this matter in her heart.
From every perspective, this nanny had good intentions, but she didn’t quite understand—Pei Yan was extremely capable. How could he have overlooked someone like this nanny? Was she a fish that slipped through the net? Or had this nanny hidden too deeply? Or did this nanny have some other purpose?
She was still thinking when He Xiang entered with her sleeves rolled up and said to her: “The cook in our kitchen is very mediocre. What do you think—should we hire our own cook?”
Gu Xi was very satisfied with where she was living now—it was practically a courtyard within a courtyard. She pondered and said: “Let’s use what we have for now. I’ll decide after I’ve familiarized myself with everything here. Better to stay still than to act.”
He Xiang nodded and smiled: “Everything is mostly packed up. Do you want to go take a look?”
Gu Xi was quite assured of her efficiency. She smiled: “What’s there to see? Come, let’s go pay respects to my third aunt. I’m planning to visit my sister-in-law. Since we’re living in the same courtyard, it’s better to inform her.”
And also to ask for this month’s allowance from the public funds, to see whether Yu Tang would shortchange her and how much silver she would give.
He Xiang agreed and served Gu Xi as she changed clothes and went to Yu Tang’s quarters.
They hadn’t expected to encounter Xu Xuan there.
She was leaning on a beauty couch under a tree with her large pregnant belly, eating an apple while telling Yu Tang about cooks in the capital: “I suggest you bring one from Jiangnan. The cooks here, no matter what they make, it all turns into Shandong cuisine. What’s worse, they think it tastes good. Whenever you ask for a good cook, they definitely recommend someone who makes Shandong cuisine, leaving you not knowing whether to laugh or cry.”
Yu Tang was still as attentive to Xu Xuan as before. Even though she was now the mistress managing the Pei household, she was still personally handing hot towels to Xu Xuan.
Gu Xi pursed her lips, noticing that sitting beside Xu Xuan was a girl with exceptionally outstanding bearing.
Sensing someone looking at her, the girl raised her head, smiled and nodded at Gu Xi, then said something to Xu Xuan in a low voice.
Xu Xuan looked over at her, her gaze sharp and cold.
Gu Xi was stunned.
She blinked and looked again—Xu Xuan’s gaze was gentle and clear, as if that moment’s chill had been an illusion.
Gu Xi steadied herself.
Perhaps she had seen wrong.
Thinking this, she saw Xu Xuan beckoning to her and calling out loudly: “I was planning to visit you later, but I didn’t expect you to come first. Have you been to the Yang family? When I went to the Li family’s full-month celebration a few days ago, I ran into Yang First Madam, but she didn’t mention anything to me. I thought you hadn’t come to the capital.”
Gu Xi knew that Xu Xuan had disliked her when they were in Lin’an. Whenever Xu Xuan encountered her, there was sure to be nothing good said. She just hadn’t expected to run into Xu Xuan when coming to find Yu Tang. In her heart she muttered “bad luck,” though her lips curved in a smile: “I’ve been busy these past few days tidying up the residence and haven’t had time to visit my uncle’s house. You ran into my aunt—how is she? Is her health good?”
Xu Xuan exchanged a few perfunctory words with her, then introduced the woman beside her: “This is Eldest Miss from the Zhang residence.”
Gu Xi exchanged greetings with Miss Zhang, and everyone sat down again.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Xuan became somewhat impatient and asked Gu Xi: “When are you going to your sister-in-law’s? Help me bring something to her then.”
They all lived in the capital—why would she need to bring things to Lady Yin for her?
Gu Xi smiled: “My sister-in-law arrived in the capital several days ago. What? You haven’t been to my sister-in-law’s yet? You want me to bring something to my sister-in-law? Sure! I’m planning to go tomorrow. I’ll send someone to your residence tonight to pick it up.”
Xu Xuan asked: “What time are you going tomorrow?”
When visiting others’ homes, one didn’t go too early—either around the si hour to have lunch, or around the wei hour to stay for dinner. Lady Yin was Gu Xi’s legitimate sister-in-law. When Gu Xi married out, Lady Yin had even taken part of her own dowry to supplement her. She would definitely want to exchange more words with her natal family’s sister-in-law, so she would go around the wei hour.
But Xu Xuan looked like she wanted to make things difficult for her, so Gu Xi didn’t mind pushing back.
“I’ll go at si hour tomorrow morning,” she said with a smile. “I plan to stay there all day.”
If you have something for someone to bring over, trouble yourself to send someone to deliver it.
Who knew that hearing this, Xu Xuan said with a beaming smile: “That’s wonderful. Then it’s settled. I’ll come over first thing tomorrow morning.”
Not only Gu Xi, but Yu Tang and Miss Zhang were also quite surprised.
A flash of triumph passed through Xu Xuan’s eyes as she said: “I’ve already discussed it with Yin Mingyuan. From now on, when he goes to the office, he’ll drop me off here. This way, I can tell you about interesting stories and oddities in the capital, and you can keep me company. Otherwise, when the Jiang family marries their bride, you’ll be completely in the dark, knowing nothing.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
But Gu Xi said: “The Jiang family is marrying a bride? Is this Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Minister of Works Lord Jiang’s family? Who in their family is getting married?”
She hadn’t received an invitation.
Xu Xuan said: “Their youngest son. He’s ten years old this year and is marrying the daughter of the Shanyin Prefect. Lord Jiang and his in-law were classmates, and their relationship is said to be very good.”
Otherwise they wouldn’t have formed this marriage alliance between their children.
Yu Tang was thinking about the Jiang family’s eldest daughter-in-law, that eldest miss from the Wu family.
Gu Xi was anxious about whether she could get an invitation.
As for Xu Xuan, having finished needling Gu Xi, she was in an excellent mood and said to Miss Zhang: “Speaking of which, Third Madam isn’t really an outsider to us. When you have time, come visit more often. She just arrived in the capital and isn’t familiar with many places here. Tomorrow they need to buy some tuberose flowers, and I’m the one who recommended the flower farmer.”
Miss Zhang had received instructions from her Zhang family elders and naturally needed to speak supportively of Yu Tang. She asked curiously: “Why did Third Madam think of wanting tuberose flowers? There are quite a lot of those flowers. Do you need any other flowers? Although our family also knows flower farmers in Fengtai, we’re not as good as the Yin family—cousin has loved raising flowers since childhood. The flower gardeners in the capital all know that as long as you say cousin’s family wants to buy flowers, they don’t dare be negligent, fearing he’ll criticize them in his ‘Comprehensive Treatise on Flowers.'”