“Mother, your daughter has something to say.” Shaoshang was rarely solemn and serious. Cheng Shao Gong’s heart jumped for no reason. His intuition told him that letting this twin sister speak would lead to major trouble.
Madam Xiao said: “Speak then.”
Shaoshang smiled inwardly, turned her body slightly, and said: “Lian Fang, come here. Do you know where you went wrong?”
Lian Fang crawled over, crying: “…Yes, it’s this slave acting on her own initiative…”
“Actually, I quite like acting on one’s own initiative.” Shaoshang smiled. Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. Madam Xiao felt disgusted—she most disliked this kind of glib talk her entire life.
“Acting on one’s own initiative depends on what initiative you take. Those who only do one thing when told one thing—wouldn’t they be wooden blocks?” Shaoshang continued leisurely. In the terminology of her era, this was called subjective initiative. But Lian Fang was already listening in a daze.
“For example, if I ask you to go to the Eastern Market to buy fermented black bean sauce…”
Cheng Shao Gong couldn’t help himself: “The Eastern Market doesn’t sell fermented black bean sauce.”
“Shao Gong!”
“Shao Gong, shut up!”
—Madam Xiao and Cheng Yong rebuked in unison! Sang Shi wanted to laugh and struggled to hold it in.
Shaoshang ignored them, smiled and continued: “For example, if I tell you to buy fermented black bean sauce, what things can you decide on your own initiative—which road to take, which shop to go to, buy the sauce you think is of good quality. Even as Third Young Master said, if you discover the Eastern Market has no fermented black bean sauce, should you just return with an empty jar? That won’t do—you must find another place to buy it. All these you can decide on your own. Then what can’t you decide on your own? If you can’t buy sauce, you can’t fob me off with vinegar, you can’t pour half my sauce to give to others, and you certainly can’t decide whether I need to buy fermented black bean sauce or not. Do you understand?” In the terminology of her era, this was called exercising subjective initiative.
Only after a long while did Lian Fang react. Eyes brimming with tears she said loudly: “This slave will definitely buy fermented black bean sauce well in the future… ah no, serve the young lady, serve the young lady well…!”
Sang Shi covered her face with both sleeves to hide her smile, quietly chuckling. Madam Xiao’s mouth twitched as she forcibly restrained her displeasure. Lady Qing Cong struggled to keep her mouth corners flat, kneeling behind Madam Xiao to help soothe her qi.
Cheng Yang was also dazed, her head full of “fermented black bean sauce” spinning around. She still hadn’t quite understood Shaoshang’s words. Calamus continued lowering her head pretending to be dumb. That Nanny Fu’s expression was already not looking good. Across from them, the three Cheng brothers had some smiles on their faces.
Lian Fang’s heart filled with gratitude. Her forehead knocked on the floor with “thunk thunk” sounds. Shaoshang quickly stopped her, patted her shoulder and smiled: “I like clever people. However, you need to learn when you should be clever and when you shouldn’t be. Later go to Aunt Qing to receive your punishment. I’ve never punished anyone before, so I don’t know what punishment would be appropriate.”
A young middle school dropout—her experience was still insufficient. Shaoshang waved her hand indicating she should withdraw. Lian Fang sobbed as she knelt by the doorway, kowtowed once more before withdrawing. Shaoshang turned around and beckoned toward Cheng Yang: “Calamus, you come here. I have something to ask you.”
Calamus seemed quite frightened, trembling as she shuffled over with a timid, fearful appearance.
The three brothers felt displeased. Though not very old, they had trained with their parents since childhood, seen cruel bandits, interrogated cunning spies, and even distantly held the battle line for their father among the reserve troops. How could a maidservant who stirred up such a great disturbance be simple? Why pretend? Together with that Nanny Fu—one bold-mouthed and sharp, one pretending stupidity—the Ge family had truly sent a fine pair of helpers.
—If they couldn’t even see through this pretense, they would have wasted Madam Xiao’s dozen-plus years of training!
“Calamus, let me ask you.” Shaoshang smiled sweetly. “When Lian Fang saw that cousin wasn’t there and wanted to carry the desk back, you stopped her. But Lian Fang brought several strong maidservants—you alone couldn’t stop them. So you called over a dozen little sisters to surround them completely. At that time, what did you say to those little sisters of yours? Did you say ‘Don’t let them carry away the desk the eldest young master gave to Fourth Miss,’ or ‘They want to snatch our young lady’s desk, quickly stop them’?”
Nanny Fu’s heart sank. She inwardly exclaimed “How formidable”—one sentence asking right to the crux of the matter.
“I, I…” This time Calamus didn’t pretend to be dumb—she truly didn’t know how to answer.
Shaoshang put away her smile and said coldly: “Such a trivial small matter alarmed the entire household. In the end, wasn’t it just because Mother thought I snatched cousin’s desk? If at that time even one person had come out and shouted ‘misunderstanding,’ wouldn’t everything have been fine? Calamus, you fainted and couldn’t tell the truth, but those dozen or so little sisters who surrounded and beat Lian Fang and the others didn’t faint. Were they deceived by you without knowing the details, or did they know but not report, letting the household misunderstand!”
Madam Xiao closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.
With her shrewdness, how could she not see that Nanny Fu and the maidservant beside Cheng Yang were greatly improper? It was just that now was not the time to act. Ge Shi had just been expelled, implicating her children and making them lose face. Cheng Yang had recently just started learning to manage affairs and had just established some authority. Thus the plan was that no matter what, she must preserve some face for Cheng Yang now and deal with these two troublesome slaves later.
“With one desk, carrying out the reality of sowing discord among flesh and blood relatives. This crime must either be borne by you or by those dozen or so maidservants. You choose one.” Shaoshang looked at her quietly.
Sweat poured down Calamus’s face. She couldn’t say a single word, knowing in her heart that this crime wasn’t something that could be vaguely glossed over with the four light words “acting on one’s own initiative.”
Cheng Yang’s face turned deathly pale. She cried out: “No, it’s not like that, it can’t be… How could this be…” She was completely confused, her heart like tangled hemp, not even knowing what she herself was saying.
Sang Shi lowered her head and smiled slightly. Lady Qing Cong listened in shock, unconsciously stopping her hand from soothing Madam Xiao’s qi. The three Cheng brothers looked at their youngest sister’s composed expression, then compared it to Cheng Yang’s flustered appearance, and inexplicably felt a surge of pride in their hearts.
Madam Xiao sighed inwardly. In terms of cleverness and quick thinking, a hundred Yangyangs couldn’t compare to Niaoniao. Today’s incident occurred suddenly—presumably Niaoniao didn’t know about it beforehand, yet in just these brief moments she had figured out the crux of the matter and reversed the situation.
“Stop being so aggressive.” She said in a low voice. “You’ve dealt with Lian Fang yourself. Let Yangyang deal with her own servants herself.”
“Fine, I’ll listen to Mother.” Shaoshang smiled indifferently either way.
What Madam Xiao couldn’t stand was precisely this casual manner. Displeased, she said: “The servants’ mistakes end here. The desk is just a small matter—it’s fine whoever gets it. You sisters must maintain harmonious relations in the future and not develop grievances.”
Shaoshang nodded with a smile, not taking it seriously at all. But Cheng Yong and Cheng Shao Gong felt quite uncomfortable. Even the usually carefree Cheng Song felt a dull tightness in his chest.
Originally the matter should have ended here, but who knew that Nanny Fu, hearing Madam Xiao’s words as if gaining backing, suddenly cried out loudly: “Thank you, lady, for speaking on behalf of our young lady. Our young lady doesn’t have Fourth Miss’s cleverness, doesn’t have Fourth Miss’s eloquent tongue—she’s an honest person, as you well know, lady. Those words Fourth Miss just said—oh my—forget asking our young lady to think them up herself, even writing them out for her to memorize wouldn’t work! Fourth Miss has three full brothers to back her up. Poor our young lady is weak in power—altogether just one young brother who can’t even speak smoothly! We servants can’t help but be anxious, worrying daily that someone will bully our young lady, everywhere trying to excel and be sharp. Whatever things Fourth Miss has, we feel we must also obtain a share for our young lady—that’s how we committed this mistake…!”
Shaoshang narrowed her eyes, feeling she had overestimated this old woman. She had thought she was clever, but turned out she didn’t know when to quit while ahead. Fine, if you won’t give up, then we won’t give up.
Sang Shi suddenly sat up straight and spoke coldly: “You old crone, where do you get these country bumpkin arguments, speaking such arrogant and rebellious words? Where has Yangyang been bullied? What are you criticizing! The Cheng family brothers are flesh and blood relatives—for decades they’ve been close as one body, never making distinctions. In saying these words, are you trying to sow discord among the Cheng family’s flesh and blood? Who taught you this—was it the Ge family? I must ask them properly!”
That Nanny Fu’s crying abruptly cut off. She immediately understood she had spoken greatly wrongly. She could say Cheng Yang was honest and dull, easily wronged, but she absolutely must not implicate the young masters. Her reaction was quick—she immediately kowtowed desperately, saying she had misspoken.
Madam Xiao also frowned, thinking to herself that this Nanny Fu absolutely could not be kept. She had managed household affairs since age six—what didn’t she know? These past days she had taken Yangyang everywhere to walk around. The servants only became more ingratiating to Yangyang—how could they look down on her? Clearly it was this Nanny Fu sowing discord.
Cheng Yong sat up straight and rebuked angrily: “Lowly crone! How dare you discuss the household’s rights and wrongs! Someone…”
“Enough!” Madam Xiao cut him off. “This matter ends here!”
Shaoshang had waited a long time, waiting for Madam Xiao to deal with this Nanny Fu. Who knew she’d waited for this sentence instead? She smiled self-mockingly inwardly. Well, she could still only rely on herself.
“Mother, do you think what this old crone just said was right?” She said flatly.
Madam Xiao wanted to quickly end this chaotic situation and rebuked: “Are you all going to go on and on without end!”
“Right is right, wrong is wrong. If what this old crone said was right, then wouldn’t my brothers and I truly fall under the reputation of bullying cousin? If it’s wrong, please Mother immediately deal with this old crone to set the record straight!” Shaoshang looked quietly at Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao had been repeatedly thwarted today and was already extremely angry. She said grimly: “You dare to be disobedient!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Lady Qing Cong was startled first. Sang Shi also looked at her sister-in-law in surprise.
“Mother!” Cheng Yong called out loudly. Disobedience and unfilial piety—what a heavy charge! Once confirmed, his youngest sister would be doomed forever.
Cheng Song looked at Madam Xiao in disbelief. Cheng Shao Gong was also full of disappointment, saying in a trembling voice: “Mother, isn’t Shaoshang your daughter? This old crone just spoke such rebellious words and you don’t punish her, but instead want to say such heavy words to Shaoshang?”
Madam Xiao knew she had misspoken in extreme anger. She turned her head away and sat in silence.
Shaoshang laughed coldly inwardly.
The hall here was tall and spacious. Outside the door stood martial maidservants with swords hanging at their waists. Today when she was writing, Madam Xiao had sent just such a cold martial maidservant to bring her here without explanation, not even allowing her to bring A’Zhu, and upon arrival immediately interrogated her with aggressive momentum. With such a three-court trial setup, an ordinary little girl would have been scared witless long ago. Fortunately she was half a person who’d been in the underworld. Back when Big Sister’s boyfriend had three pool cues broken on him in the pool hall, she hadn’t even blinked an eye—let alone today!
Now in the Cheng family, though she was the legitimate daughter of the family head, her situation was not optimistic. If she didn’t go all out today, she would be suppressed her entire life, forever cowering and never able to turn things around. She was not the type who could swallow grievances!
Shaoshang’s mind was made up. She turned to that Nanny Fu with a cold smile and said harshly: “If Father heard what you just said, even if he skinned you alive slice by slice it would be justified. Do you believe it or not?” Mentioning Cheng Shi, that Nanny Fu shook like a sieve.
“Mother won’t rebuke you—you know why. It’s not for you, this self-satisfied stupid crone, but for cousin’s face.” Shaoshang said word by word. “You think my brothers favor me—no need to be sad. After all, Mother favors cousin.”
“Niaoniao!” Lady Qing Cong called out loudly, her eyes full of panic.
Madam Xiao’s face was somber as water: “Let her speak.”
Cheng Yong sensed something bad. Wanting to stop it was already too late.
He only heard Shaoshang say: “Mother just said that servants’ mistakes shouldn’t be attributed to the young lady. Mm, well said. So when Lian Fang, who has only been by my side for a few dozen days, makes a mistake, Mother didn’t even ask clearly before having me brought here for a scolding—anyway firmly convinced it must be my fault. But when Calamus, who has been by cousin’s side for over ten years, makes a mistake, cousin has no problem at all. Tell me, why is this?”
That Nanny Fu’s mouth gaped open, unable to make a sound. She had only implicated the three young masters, stirring muddy water to escape, but who knew this Fourth Miss was even fiercer, directly dragging her birth mother into the water.
“This is because Mother loves cousin.” Shaoshang struck her left palm on her right palm, smiling coldly. “My mother is both civil and martial, wise and capable. Never mind three brothers—even thirty brothers added together wouldn’t be stronger. So you don’t need to worry about your young lady. With my mother protecting her, within the Cheng residence absolutely no one will dare overshadow her brilliance!”
“Outrageous!” Madam Xiao forcibly restrained her anger. “Are you resenting me now?”
Shaoshang turned her head back, smiling faintly: “Mother, separated for ten years, the first time you spoke deeply with me, you told me ‘speak directly—what’s the point of saying false or empty words.’ Your daughter remembered firmly, haven’t forgotten a bit. Now you think the truth doesn’t sound good and want your daughter to speak falsely?”
Madam Xiao’s anger surged. She rose solemnly, pointed and scolded: “You evildoer, someone…”
Cheng Yong knew his mother was about to erupt. He quickly rushed forward to tightly embrace both her legs, pleading: “Mother, it’s all your son’s fault. It’s your son’s thoughtlessness that brewed such an incident, provoking Mother’s great anger. It’s all your son’s mistake! Niaoniao is young and no one taught her from childhood. Don’t blame her!”
Hearing her son speak sentence after sentence on Shaoshang’s behalf, Madam Xiao’s fury burned even hotter. She displaced her anger: “You know well enough! If you had originally given out two desks, wouldn’t everyone be happy…”
“Three.” Who knew Cheng Shao Gong suddenly said coldly. “Three desks are needed. Weiwei is also learning to write. Mother only has cousin in your heart—you’ve even forgotten Weiwei.”
Madam Xiao was stunned. She stopped struggling with her legs, pointed at Cheng Shao Gong, and said: “You…” Meeting her third son’s dissatisfied eyes, her heart turned cold. For the first time in her life her sons opposed her together. She suddenly felt surrounded on all sides.
Sang Shi quickly came out to mediate, smiling: “Weiwei has only written a few characters—what does she need a desk for? It’s just a household matter—why draw swords and bows?”
Cheng Yong knelt at Madam Xiao’s feet, kowtowing repeatedly: “It’s all your son’s fault. Mother, punish me.”
Madam Xiao trembled all over with anger: “Fine, fine, I’ll punish you, I’ll punish you…”
“—Why should Mother punish eldest brother?” Shaoshang suddenly said.
Cheng Yong broke out in sweat and turned to roar: “Stop talking!”
“No, I must speak.”
Shaoshang knelt ramrod straight. Her thin shoulders seemed like butterfly wings that would shatter at a touch. Pale sunlight streamed through the doorway, illuminating her until her entire person seemed to disappear into the light. Her snow-white childish face had not a trace of blood. Her expression was cold, her voice even more as if tempered with icicles.
“Mother can punish me, but cannot punish eldest brother, because he did nothing wrong at all.”
“Why did eldest brother only give me a desk? It’s because I’m crude and uncultured. Eldest brother pitied me and gave me his beloved desk, hoping I wouldn’t be discouraged and would study well. It’s not that when he deliberately went out to have new desks made, he only made one and left out cousin. What wrong did eldest brother commit?”
The hall was utterly silent. No one spoke, only Cheng Yang’s soft crying remained.
“Mother, now I can write no more than a hundred characters, have read fewer than ten volumes of books, and they’re all children’s primers. What about cousin? What she should have learned she’s all learned. What she hasn’t learned yet you’re currently teaching. Mother, how old is your daughter this year? Do you still remember? I’ll reach the hairpin ceremony next year.”
Lady Qing Cong didn’t even know her eyes had moistened, yet the girl kneeling in the center didn’t have a single tear. So stubborn and proud, only keeping her thin back ramrod straight. In Qing Cong’s entire life, no matter what happened she had always stood on Madam Xiao’s side. But this time, she wanted to stand on the girl’s side.
“There is one wheat cake that cannot be divided. Before you are two people—one about to starve to death, one seven or eight-tenths full. Mother, who will you give the wheat cake to? Or will you say to the one about to starve: ‘For the sake of fairness, you endure for now. When I have two wheat cakes, I’ll give you each one—is that acceptable?'”
Cheng Yong turned his head to wipe tears. Looking back against the light at his youngest sister’s thin form, for a moment his heart ached like twisting.
Sang Shi stared fixedly at Shaoshang. Suddenly she remembered a small battle she had personally witnessed many years ago. At that time the opposing lord was already dead, fought down to only a few soldiers, yet they still firmly refused to surrender, struggling mightily to raise high the tattered old master’s banner. Later they were completely annihilated, all died in battle. Under the setting sun’s afterglow, only the broken pole and tattered flag remained, still diagonally planted on the earthen slope.
She felt Shaoshang was like those remnant soldiers—she had a kind of solitary courage, a kind of heart-stirring radiance.
“Mother, will you still punish eldest brother? He has no fault.”
Shaoshang slightly turned her face, quickly flicking away the moisture in her eyes, then turned back her head, still smiling brilliantly.
Before her eyes floated the damp cobblestone roads of her hometown. Southern winters were actually harder to endure than northern ones—damp and cold, just like her childhood. She had long since stopped caring, but it still hurt.