A marital quarrel, with an audience of one.
“That’s not so certain. After all, someone pampered a golden canary to the heavens, not even knowing someone had been planted at his side, then sent her to me, conveniently going with the flow to slip me some poison or something. Though this time it’s probably the fatal kind, lest I raise her back to good health only to be an eyesore.” Qiu Sanniang didn’t look at Xiao San, continuing from before as she worked the small gold abacus.
“I…” Nothing to say. Today’s ruthless and merciless Jin Si was indeed raised by him. “Without solid evidence, just hearing from a maid, even if I questioned her about her wrongdoing, she wouldn’t admit it. However, I’ve already had people keep watch. If she’s only foolish once and reforms, that would be for the best.”
“Don’t defend your concubine in front of me—I hate hearing such things most. It’s not like I’m the one trying to harm her, yet she’s made to look pitiful while I’m the shrew. Actually, it’s very simple. You divorce me, and I won’t care who you pamper or speak well of. You won’t have to look at my pettiness and merchant vulgarity either. I sincerely advise you—if you can’t give Jin Si the wife’s position, at least help her obtain the position of secondary wife. If you don’t marry anyone else in the future, she’ll be your only companion, and there won’t be so many dark and dirty affairs. If someone loses their life over this, how distressing.” Qiu Sanniang worked the small gold abacus with loud clacks, not calculating accounts at all but creating an imposing presence.
Mo Zi stole a glance—wow, Xiao Sanlang’s face was also dark and grim. Qiu Sanniang was now completely unmasking her true nature, daring to hurl any words at him.
“Want a divorce? Unless I—” Xiao San ground his teeth. “Die.”
Qiu Sanniang finally looked over, shock flashing briefly in her eyes. “Even if all three of us are miserable?”
“Why should I care about others?” Setting her free—he would be the most miserable.
Mo Zi’s internal monologue again: Xiao San has also revealed his true nature. This person who could divorce two wives—how could he possibly be a pushover? Normally he seemed like a bookworm, but thinking carefully, the one most capable of causing trouble in the Xiao family still enjoyed grandmother’s love and mother’s affection, and even held the title of great talent in the capital—he must have real skill. Things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—unlike Qiu Sanniang, these weren’t hobbies for cultivating character and temperament. His essential nature was probably quite unruly, right?
“Sanlang, if you won’t release me, I’ll turn Yonggu Studio upside down, drive away Jin Si, and ensure her pair of children never receive favor again. Would that work?” Force her to use ruthless methods?
“Mo Zi.” Xiao San called the third wheel.
The third wheel pretended to be out of power.
“Why are you calling Mo Zi?” Qiu Sanniang didn’t like others bossing around her people.
“Mo Zi.” Persisting.
Sigh—this couple must both find her unpleasant. Mo Zi raised her head with a smile, then worried Xiao San might think she was gloating and immediately became serious.
“Would your mistress really do such things? Or are you just making me back down?” Xiao San asked.
Qiu Sanniang sneered repeatedly. “Mo Zi, answer him.”
Mo Zi cleared her throat. “If unprovoked, it would be one thing, but once provoked, Madam isn’t the type to swallow her anger. Madam’s birth mother was angered to illness and early death by a concubine, causing Madam to have to travel and trade with her father from childhood to avoid her stepmother’s persecution. Naturally she most detests these household power struggles.”
Qiu Sanniang glared at her. “The first sentence was enough—why say all that after?”
Xiao San stammered, “I never heard of this.”
“No need for your concern.” Qiu Sanniang threw cold water. “I can coexist peacefully but absolutely don’t like being close. Small-minded—I also can’t treat your children with her as my own. She harms me, I must certainly repay her. Just now when you spoke well of her, I became impatient. Born unable to tolerate sand in my eyes—why do you insist on asking for trouble?”
“You… are jealous?” A faint light appeared in Xiao San’s eyes.
“Mo Zi, tell him who’s jealous.” Now it was Qiu Sanniang’s turn to use the third wheel. “I’m just this willful and selfish, never considering others’ difficulties.”
“Madam, what you’re saying, the young master can hear.” Still planning to check accounts with the abacus? Mo Zi rubbed her forehead.
“This girl Mo Zi—back then I forced her to sign an indenture contract on her deathbed by making her survival conditional on it. I can do such things—selling a concubine is just a matter of my mood, isn’t it?” Qiu Sanniang pointed at Mo Zi.
“Madam, there’s no need to drag me into this.” Even hiding it from Bai He and Lu Ju, yet telling Xiao San. Was Qiu Sanniang pushing Xiao San away or trying to win him over?
“Sanniang, you’re not that bad. I can hear it in your music.” Fiery temperament, yes. Wicked and unprincipled, no. “No one is perfect. You don’t need to deliberately exaggerate your faults. And I, Xiao Yong, am no gentleman either.”
These words were exactly right. Mo Zi secretly nodded.
“I’m not that bad?” Qiu Sanniang picked up the small gold abacus with one hand, clacking it loudly. “Sanlang, did you know Jin Si’s indenture contract is already in my hands?”
Xiao San froze.
Mo Zi also froze. She really had lost touch with the inner household world—she hadn’t expected Qiu Sanniang to move so quickly and actually obtain the legendary Jin Si’s indenture contract.
“You don’t believe it? Think that because I’ve confined you, I’m helpless? Though I can’t go out, can those people in front really block the Princess Consort and the Old Madam? I just need to cry a little, speak of some grievances, hint that this time wasn’t illness but poisoning. They’re mostly frightened by your divorcing two principal wives and want to keep the third one no matter what, so they simply gave me the indenture contract. Though Jin Si’s parents have some standing in the Xiao family, though you, Xiao Sanlang, made harsh threats. What were those words again? Mother-in-law wouldn’t say, so let me guess. Was it ‘dare to sell Jin Si and I’ll never marry again,’ or ‘I’ll shave my head and become a monk’? Such deep devotion—why not be more straightforward? Insist on making Jin Si the principal wife, and there wouldn’t be all these troubles.” As Qiu Sanniang spoke, she forgot about wearing him down, her fiery temperament rising again.
“When did I ever say such harsh words? I only asked Mother to consider the two children’s sake and not give the indenture contract casually to someone with ill intentions. For Jin Si, I never had the kind of…” The kind of feelings he had for her—tossing and turning, thinking day and night, heart filled with joy and heart filled with pain. “This affection is not that affection, this depth is not that depth—it’s the bond of growing up together. If I abandoned her, I’d have no conscience. If I abandoned my children, I’d have no character. Would you be at peace spending your life with such a conscienceless, characterless me?”
Qiu Sanniang looked at him for a long while without speaking, then lowered her eyes and sighed. “How could I not know?” Unable to have it both ways, so she could only flee.
Seeing Qiu Sanniang’s desolate expression, Xiao Sanlang felt terrible and couldn’t help stepping forward. “Sanniang, can’t it be like this? You and I, living well together. From now on, I’ll never take another concubine. If you want me to achieve something, I’ll do my utmost. You like going out—I can request a provincial posting, and we two can travel hand in hand across the great rivers and mountains.”
As the atmosphere between Qiu San and Xiao San grew warm and tender, Mo Zi felt brilliantly illuminated above, so bright it hurt her eyes. She quietly stood up to slip away but jolted the nearly softening Qiu Sanniang back to alertness.
“Mo Zi, finished checking the accounts?” Thoughts in turmoil, she could only avoid the topic again.
Mo Zi glanced at Xiao Sanlang and saw him dejected, quite pitiful.
Actually, Xiao Sanlang wasn’t entirely wrong. If to please Qiu Sanniang he destroyed Jin Si, such a him wouldn’t be worth entrusting one’s life to. Looking from Qiu Sanniang’s perspective, what she most minded was Xiao San pampering his concubine, not Xiao San having a concubine. After all, in this era, men having three or four concubines was extremely common, while monogamy was rare. How to break this deadlock depended on Jin Si as a person. If Jin Si could recognize her mistakes and reform, understand the situation clearly, and be content with her position, Qiu Sanniang wouldn’t feel like she had a thorn in her back and use ruthless methods. If Jin Si insisted on monopolizing Xiao San while Xiao San adamantly refused to release Qiu Sanniang, then these three might all be wounded beyond recovery, with none able to emerge unscathed.
And she—should she just observe from the sidelines?
“Young master, would you like to—” Under Qiu Sanniang’s eyes hinting she should pick up the thread, Mo Zi steeled herself. “Learn to use the abacus with me? It’s similar to playing the qin.” Develops the brain, beneficial for physical and mental health.
Xiao Sanlang looked at the abacus, blinked, blinked again, and said, “Alright.”
The small gold abacus in Qiu Sanniang’s hand clattered onto the table.
After dinner, this couple each did their own things in the study.
After serving tea, Lu Ju ran out and said to Mo Zi and the others who were preparing to discuss stocking goods, “Incredible, incredible—the young master is working an abacus. Usually he looks so refined, but facing the abacus he’s gritting his teeth, constantly asking Madam how to calculate. Out of five questions, Madam can be bothered to answer one, but it’s so much better than before when they both had stiff faces.”
Bai He had been praying to Buddha frequently for this couple lately. Hearing this, she seemed to see hope. Amitabha, she clasped her palms together and bowed.
Hong Mei grabbed Mo Zi. “It was you, wasn’t it? Quickly teach us—what method did you use to finally ease things between Third Master and Madam?”
Mo Zi laughed awkwardly. “Madam pressed me urgently and I just said it casually—who knew the young master would actually learn?” Was this cultivating common interests? The impressive one wasn’t her but Xiao San. Or perhaps Qiu Sanniang was deliberately being patient for Hongyu’s sake? “That said, I had no intention of helping the young master. Whether they separate or stay together, we can’t control it at all.”
“An unintentional act bears fruit.” Hong Mei giggled. “Who knows?”
“Oh right, Mo Zi, the young master wants you to go to Weifeng Residence—he said he’s inviting Second Master to dinner in five days.” Lu Ju relayed the message.
“Inviting him five days from now—why go today? It’s already dark.” Mo Zi thought Qiu Sanniang not only remembered but was using Xiao San’s name—she’d put thought into it.
“How could you invite someone the same day? Besides, Second Master is at the water encampment and won’t return for a few days. When he does, he’ll be busy with social engagements again—how would he have time for a family dinner? Madam said you should inform Lü Bi first so she can make early arrangements.” Lu Ju turned and took out a bundle from a box. “And take this to Sister Hong Luo. Last time she said I was skilled with my hands and asked me to embroider a set of ‘hundred years of harmony’ pillowcases and bedding.”
“She’s about to officially arrange her hair, right?” Hong Mei speculated. “Second Master has been so busy this year, barely staying in the mansion a few days. It’s been delayed long enough.”
“Mm, should be this month. Hong Luo said maybe the new mistress will enter by year’s end—can’t clash with the great celebration.” Lu Ju said this.
“Everyone keeps saying Second Master’s marriage will be settled by year’s end, but it’s already past the Double Ninth Festival and there’s still no sign.” Hong Mei shook her head. “I think it might not happen this year either.”
Mo Zi didn’t listen to their gossip, took the bundle, and went to deliver the message.
Xiao Er not being there was best.