Translator: 247reader

TLC: Tygris

Chapter 4: A Slap in the Face

The carriage shook and swayed, and the pearl hairpin on Lady Lin’s head shook with it.

The carriage window let in sunlight. Both sisters-in-law were dressed warmly, so they didn’t feel cold even though the opening was only covered with a layer of window paper.

Although Lady Lin was smiling, it was a bitter smile. She knew that it was her mother-in-law who had made the decision to send things to Chu Yi. The Duke’s Mansion had not yet been divided, ^[1]When the older generation heads of household passed away, the families of their children would divide into several smaller households and her mother-in-law managed the household.

Looking over the gift list for today’s first birthday celebration, she couldn’t find any fault with it, but…

Her mother-in-law had the heart to buy jewelry for her third younger sister, but she hadn’t put more effort into the gift list so as to save face for Lady Lin.

Chu Yi didn’t know if she was overthinking it, but she always felt that there was some resentment in Lady Lin’s words.

She said cautiously, “Mother gave it to me. Eldest Sister-in-law’s words suggest that it is an exquisite piece of jewelry, but I’m not very knowledgeable and don’t know how valuable it is.”

Lady Lin seemed to be stabbed by these words, and her lips twitched. “Mother is most partial to her daughters.”

When she said that Lady Yan was partial, she naturally didn’t mean partial to Chu Yi; she was talking about Chu Jin and Chu Ying.

Lady Lin had married over early on, and she still remembered that before Chu Jin had entered the Buddhist temple, everything good had been sent to Jinqiu Pavilion. ^[2]This was the name of Chu Jin’s former courtyard.

Chu Ying had been doted on as well. Even her marriage had been delayed until she was seventeen years old.

A girl came of age at fifteen.  ^[3]The Ji Li (笄禮) is the traditional ceremony in which a girl’s hair would be pinned up to signify that she had reached marriageable age. Her marriage talks had dragged on for two years.

Chu Yi knew that she was going out today as the face of the Duke Chu Mansion. If she erred, she would have to keep the two sets of jewelry with a guilty conscience, and Lady Yan would not look to her in the future.

She said calmly, “Eldest Sister-in-law, you’re joking. Father and Mother care about the younger generation. How could that be considered partiality?”

Lady Lin knew that, being too impatient, she had spoken out of turn. Fortunately, there were only the two of them in the carriage, and even if Chu Yi told others, no one would believe her.

Chu Yi reached out and touched a pearl hairpin. She was wearing the pearl headdress today. Once she was all dressed up, her maids and Nanny Li had been amazed.

She said, “If there’s any partiality, it’s towards you, Eldest Sister-in-law. Why else would Mother have specially asked me to accompany Sister-in-law to the Marquis’s son’s first birthday celebration?”

Lady Lin pursed her lips. It was unclear whether she had taken Chu Yi’s words to heart.

Chu Yi seldom left the mansion. If she hadn’t been afraid of ending up like Chu Ying, she would not have wanted to come out either.

The streets were bustling with noisy people and vendors hawking their wares, but the carriage moved smoothly without any interruptions. This was entirely because the carriage bore the word “Chu”, signifying the Duke of Chu’s Mansion.

Chu Yi glanced outside before quickly looking away. “Every family has its share of trouble. My Eldest Sister has gone to the family temple to pray for our grandmother. My Second Elder Sister is seriously ill and has returned to Lunan to recuperate. She won’t be able to return for a long time. As their younger sister, I have an even greater responsibility to be filial to our parents.”

Lady Lin nodded, “…Yes.”

This was what had been told to the outside world. It was not that Chu Jin was shameless and had seduced two princes, nor was it that Chu Ying had refused to discuss marriage – it was just that she was seriously ill and the beautiful scenery in Lunan was conducive to recuperation.

Chu Yi sighed softly. “My Eldest Sister is the most pitiful. His Royal Highness Prince Li knew that Prince Chen had feelings for Eldest Sister, yet he still asked His Majesty to grant them a marriage. The two brothers fought over her, and implicated Eldest Sister.”

Hearing this, Lady Lin was a little frightened. “Third Little Sister, be careful with your words. We have no right to discuss the affairs of the royal family.”

Chu Yi smiled and said, “It’s all right. Sister-in-law is not an outsider.”

Lady Lin smiled, too. “That’s true.”

She felt that this younger sister was not a simple person. Although her words seemed like innocent and romantic childish talk, every one was a reminder towards her.

Her mother-in-law must have instructed her. Otherwise, how could a thirteen-year-old girl know so much?

Chu Yi was right. Chu Jin was pitiful. She had been destined to be a prince’s wife, but had encountered twists and turns. Now, she was trapped in the family temple and unable to leave.

Lady Lin was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duke of Chu’s Mansion. If even she believed that her two younger sisters were guilty, how must outsiders view the Duke of Chu’s Mansion?

The two sisters-in-law said nothing more.

–

On the other side of the capital, the Yong’an Marquis Mansion was particularly lively today.

The Yong’an Marquis had inherited the title two years ago and had a very good relationship with his wife. Shortly after their wedding, they had a son. Overjoyed, the Marquis had immediately petitioned the Emperor to make him the official heir. ^[4](世子), Shìzǐ, was the title given to the official heir of a noble title.

Today was the seventh day of the second month. It was the young heir’s first birthday banquet, a very grand one. The Yong’an Marquis was quite prestigious at court, and many guests had come today.

The Yong’an Marquise, Lady Xu, had been busy entertaining guests since early in the morning, with maids and servants bustling in and out. The invitations had been sent out long ago, inviting all their close relatives and friends, as well as the Marquis’s colleagues at court.

The young heir was left in the care of a wet nurse, while Lady Xu, dressed in pearls and jade, welcomed and saw off guests.

Helping her was her sister-in-law from her maternal family, Lady Liu. She had arrived early in the morning and had finally gotten some free time. As soon as she sat down and drank a sip of tea, she whispered in Lady Xu’s ear, “Have you sent the invitation to Duke Chu’s Mansion?”

Lady Xu gave a faint smile. “It’s been sent.”

Lady Liu asked, “Haven’t they just sent their Second Miss away?”

Lady Xu answered, “Second Miss Chu has always been in poor health, so she was sent back to Lunan to recuperate.”

Lady Liu wanted to ask, How is this her going to recuperate? Clearly, the Duke Chu Mansion feels that she has made them lose face, and thus have tossed her back to their ancestral town.

But since Lady Xu had already given her an answer, she would seem like an annoying nag if she pressed on.

The two drank some tea and went to continue entertaining guests. Not long after, a servant came to report that the Eldest Aunt had returned.

Lady Lin was the biological younger sister of the Marquis, only one year younger than him.

Marrying into the Duke of Chu’s mansion had been a good match for her. However, Lady Xu thought she had bad luck. Just after Lady Lin was married over, Chu Jin had gotten into trouble. In the second year after her marriage, Chu Ying had also gotten into trouble.

In fact, even if something happened to a married woman’s husband’s family, the impact on her maternal family would be small.

Lady Xu wasn’t concerned. It was her son’s first birthday celebration, and there were so many people that one additional person wouldn’t make much of a difference. She had only issued the invitation so that Marquis Yong’an wouldn’t think too much.

Lady Xu said, “Sister-in-law, please rest for a while. I’ll go out and take a look.”

One side was walking in while one side was walking out. The two groups happened to meet each other near the moon gate ^[5]A moon gate, (月亮门) yuèliàngmén, is a round gate often found in historic or traditional Chinese gardens. beside Yong’an Marquis Mansion’s gardens.

With a smile, Lady Lin said, “Today is Elder Sister-in-law’s happy day. This is my family’s third younger sister, Yi’er. Third Younger Sister, just follow me and also call her Elder Sister-in-law.”

Chu Yi bowed politely and said, “Greetings, Elder Sister-in-law.”

Lady Xu took Chu Yi’s hand and said, “The last time I saw you was at Sister Rong’s full moon banquet. It’s been a few months since we last met, and you’ve become even more beautiful.”

The Chu family members were good-looking, so one couldn’t make a mistake praising them for it.

Chu Yi smiled innocently. “Elder Sister-in-law is pretty too. I always hear Mother and Eldest Sister-in-law speak of you. Seeing you today, I feel even closer to you.”

She said this to imply that Lady Yan attached importance to them, not for any other reason.

The smile on Lady Xu’s face deepened, and she said to Lady Lin, “I really envy you for having such a good younger sister at home. After you got married, it was hard for me to even find someone to talk to.”

Lady Lin quickly asked, “Eldest Sister-in-law, is there anything I can do to help here?”

There was no principle of asking guests to help. Although she was a married out daughter of the Marquis’ Mansion, she was also the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duke Chu Mansion.

Lady Xu smiled and said, “No need. Younger Sister, take the Third Miss for a walk around the mansion. I recall that the Third Miss hasn’t been here yet.”

Chu Yi had never set foot here, and neither had the original owner of her body.

During marriage discussions with the Lin family, the original owner hadn’t come along. The later wedding banquet had been held at the Duke Chu Mansion, so it was even less likely for her to visit the Yong’an Marquis Mansion.

Chu Yi, very well behaved, just followed behind Lady Lin. As Lady Xu went to entertain other guests, she still followed closely.

Lady Lin now felt that, compared to her other two younger sisters, Chu Yi was more sensible and less worrying.

It wasn’t as awkward as she’d imagined, and her Elder Sister-in-law hadn’t said anything to offend her. Chu Yi was poised and natural, not embarrassing herself. Everyone knew about Chu Ying’s situation, and if it wasn’t mentioned then it wasn’t mentioned.

Lady Lin felt relief in her heart. She smiled at Chu Yi and said, “Let me show you around the Yong’an Marquis Mansion.”

This was the place where Lady Lin had lived for more than ten years. When they saw her, everyone in the mansion would bow to her and call her “Eldest Aunt”.  ^[6]Dà gūnǎinai (大姑奶奶) would be used to respectfully refer to married-out daughters.

Chu Yi understood how to not speak when she shouldn’t, so she kept quiet and only praised the beautiful scenery of the mansion. Perhaps because she was happy at heart, Lady Lin smiled brightly at these superficial words.

When they’d left this morning, she had been smiling bitterly.

Lady Lin said, “The scenery here can’t compare to the Duke’s Mansion. At noon, you and I will sit at the same table. The kitchen at the Marquis’ Mansion has several specialties. One is Southern style pan-fried meatballs ^[7]Nán jiān wánzǐ (南煎丸子) are a type of traditional Chinese meatball, generally made with pork. Nowadays, they’re often mashed flat, reportedly dating back to the orders of Yuan Shikai, who felt that round “yuan” meatballs broke naming taboo with his own name. and the other is braised porkbelly. ^[8]Xián shāo bái (咸烧白) is a savory steamed porkbelly dish, often a centerpiece at banquets or holidays. They are served at every banquet, and their taste is different from the Duke’s Mansion. You should try these two dishes.”

Chu Yi said, “I’ll listen to Elder Sister-in-law.”

Lady Lin smiled. “It’s chilly. If you feel cold, go to the front hall.”

Chu Yi shook her head. She usually spent most of her time indoors. Moreover, spring was just beginning. She had stayed inside all winter, so it was nice to go out for a walk.

The two sisters-in-law walked together. Today was the first birthday banquet for the young heir of Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion, so there were not only residents of the mansion here, but also many guests.

When seeing one another, they nodded or curtsied, which can be considered a form of greeting. After meeting their fourth group of people, Chu Yi saw someone walking towards them. As she approached, she seemed to be speaking to them, but she called out her Second Elder Sister’s name.

“Chu Ying, didn’t you go back to your ancestral town? Why are you here?”

The Chu family was beautiful, and they had been so since the days of the old Duke. The Old Madam still had charm. Duke Chu was a handsome man, and even when he married a wife or a concubine, he would choose one with a beautiful appearance.

They had been born to the same father and had similar looks. Besides, good-looking people always had some similarities. With the addition of the distance between them, this girl had made a mistake.

Chu Yi didn’t go out often, so it wasn’t clear to her what household this girl came from. She wore a yellow dress and a white cloak, and wasn’t bad looking. On her head, a pearl hairpin shone brightly in the sunlight.

Lady Lin whispered, “This is the Third Young Lady of the Yongyi Marquis’ Mansion.”

Chu Yi frowned, and Xu Shuran also frowned. From a distance, she had thought this to be Chu Ying, but as she got closer, she found that this person was different from Chu Ying, and was at least half a head shorter.

She looked at Lady Lin, then heard Chu Yi say, “Miss Xu, are you speaking of my Second Elder Sister?”

Only then did she realize that this was the third daughter of the Duke Chu Mansion.

Xu Shuran asked, “Where’s Chu Ying?”

Chu Yi lowered her head with a smile. “Is Miss Xu Second Elder Sister’s close friend? Miss Xu is very concerned about Second Elder Sister.”

Logically speaking, as an elder, Lady Lin should not get involved in these things. Still, as people from the same mansion, if Chu Yi was losing an argument, she would definitely help. Now, though, it was obvious that Chu Yi had the upper hand.

Xu Shuran said, “Of course. Where’s Chu Ying?”

“Ah,” murmured Chu Yi in surprise. “But if you are good friends, how could you not know where Second Elder Sister has gone?”

Now, although the sun was shining, the wind remained cold. The tip of Chu Yi’s nose was a little red from the cold, which made the rest of her even fairer in appearance.

Xu Shuran didn’t have time for this chattering nonsense. She curled her lips and sneered, “You still have time to care about your Second Elder Sister? Don’t you know that your sister is an old maid who can’t get married, so even you won’t be able to find a match?”

Xu Shuran looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, the age of a high schooler in later times, but the words she spoke were extremely vicious.

Lady Lin frowned. “Miss Xu, please watch your words.”

Chu Yi said, “Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t bother with her. Second Elder Sister is not feeling well, so she returned to Lunan to recuperate. As her younger sister, I naturally hope that she will recover and return home soon. As for marriage, firstly, I am still young, and marriage is a matter for my parents to decide. Secondly, if someone doesn’t even value their own blood relatives, then how could anyone choose that person [as a potential daughter-in-law]?”

Slowly, Chu Yi continued, “Miss Xu isn’t Second Elder Sister’s friend, so there’s no need to worry about where she’s gone. People envy treasures and jade, but surely that isn’t the sort of person Miss Xu wants to be, right? Eldest Sister-in-law, this is the Yong’an Marquis’ Mansion. Can the people who come to find trouble be invited to leave?”

Xu Shuran and those with her flounced off in a huff.

The importance the aristocratic families put on face and reputation was not just idle talk, otherwise Chu Jin would not have been locked up in the family temple, and Chu Ying would not have been sent back to their ancestral hometown.

Lady Lin felt that her younger sister was someone who knew how to handle social situations. She couldn’t have thought of a better response. If Xu Shuran were really asked to leave today, then it was just perfect to bring up Chu Ying’s situation for everyone to discuss.

Chu Yi sniffled.

Lady Lin saw that the tip of her nose was red, but her eyes were beautiful and her skin fair. She looked very charming. Her eyes were a little red, too, and she didn’t know whether it was because Chu Yi missed her Second Elder Sister or because she was cold.

She said, “Let’s go to the front hall. The Marquis’ Mansion has some delicious dried fruits. There is still a good amount of time till the banquet begins, so you can eat some.”

Chu Yi nodded, her eyes as nervous as a rabbit’s. “I am still young, and I might have unintentionally said the wrong thing. I hope I didn’t upset Miss Xu.”

Quick, go and eat some dried fruits.

She didn’t even know what they might have.

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter