After a month of consideration, Mama Fang finally agreed to remarry. Lian Shan was overjoyed and set the wedding date for the third lunar month. Since this was her second marriage, Mama Fang didn't want to make a big deal of it and was prepared to invite people close to her for a meal.
Yuxi planned to give Mama Fang the baozi[1] shop as a dowry, but Mama Fang refused. When Yuxi thought about it, she found it a terrible idea; for one thing, it would displease the Old Lady, and for another, it would also be a source to ridicule Mama Fang.
Yuxi considered it repeatedly and finally decided to let Mama Fang continue working in the baozi[1] shop. Besides getting a monthly salary, Mama Fang would also get a bonus at the end of the year.
Mama Fang refused at first. But after Yuxi's insistence, she reluctantly agreed.
Hongshan was slightly stunned when she learned that Mama Fang would remarry. "Miss, are you saying that Mama Fang will remarry?" She could already have that subtle feeling as she recalled Miss' behaviour recently.
Yuxi nodded. "Well, it's true. Even the wedding date has already been set, which is two days away."
Hongshan was surprised as she asked anxiously, "Miss, Mama Fang is over thirty. Is it okay for her to remarry? And that man would not have any ulterior motive, would he?"
There was no joy nor dissatisfaction on Yuxi's face. She calmly explained, "Mama Fang is going to marry Patrol Guard Lian. Before he came to propose, I've asked your brother to dig out about this guard's ins and outs. According to the information, this person has a good character, and his family owns a small fortune. So, it won't be a loss for Mama Fang to marry him."
Hongshan became tongue-tied.
Yuxi was amused by the way Hongshan reacted to the information. How did the matter of Mama Fang's remarrying make her give such a big reaction? Yuxi didn't want to say anything more about this. She merely instructed, "When Mama Fang gets married, you will disclose this news."
Hongshan didn't know why Yuxi wanted to do this, but she was already used to Yuxi's instruction and would carry it out without any objection.
Before Mama Fang's big day, Zisu asked, "Miss, can you let me go to the wedding? I will tell you how it goes." Yuxi would not go since the Old Lady would not permit it.
Yuxi shook her head. "You can't go. You can't return here once you leave the main gate." If Zisu went to Mama Fang's wedding, the Old Lady would throw Zisu out. It had been hard for her to find a trusted maid she intended to cultivate into her confidant. She was unwilling to fail to make a mound for lack of the last basket of soil[2] over this matter.
Zisu had some regrets.
Yuxi, however, had no regrets. It didn't matter whether she attended the wedding as long as Mama Fang lived well in the future.
On the wedding day, Lian Shan rode on a big horse and brought a group of lively and enthusiastic people to the baozi[1] shop to escort Mama Fang to his house. Only then did the people in Shangyuan Street realise the baozi[1] shopkeeper's upcoming marriage.
Mama Fang listened to the loud sound of suona, gongs and drums outside, feeling ashamed and angered. It had clearly agreed beforehand that Lian Shan would only bring the palanquin carriers to pick her up. Since he had made such a huge show, everyone in Shangyuan Street probably knew she would remarry today.
This is a suona. She was playing one of my favourite songs, Senbonzakura.
Old Woman An anxiously asked, "Shopkeeper, what now?" As Mama Fang had not planned to hold her wedding grandly, she did not prepare more dowry. Now that Lian Shan had invited these many people to fetch her, she would be looked down upon if she came out of the door empty-handed.
Mama Fang immediately instructed, "Put all my four-seasons clothes into some chest, and put all the textiles Miss rewarded me into another chest." She had more than twenty sets of four-season clothes and several leather garments. She had also prepared fine outfits for Lian Shan and his two children. In addition, Yuxi had also honoured her with a few bolts of prime textiles. When these pieces added up, they amounted to six big chests.
Six chests, equivalent to six dowries, were not much, but they were not too little either.
After a flurry of activities, Xi Niang[3] helped Mama Fang into the palanquin, with Old Woman An following behind. When they arrived at Lian's family home, Lian Shan uncovered her head. The other women in the room looked at Mama Fang's jewellery, and their eyes turned green.
Mama Fang was wearing a red-gold ruby hairpin on her head. The ruby was the size of a small fingernail. Coupled with the gold earrings embedded with eastern beads and the gold bracelet she had deliberately exposed, all the jewellery added up to several hundred taels[4] of silver!
Mama Fang didn't want to reveal her wealth, but Lian Shan had upset her plan. This was her second marriage, and she was already old, without a good appearance, and unable to give birth. The only thing that could deter people's mouths was a generous dowry. As she expected, her actions had successfully intimidated several women inside the room. The marriage advanced smoothly, with no one saying anything sour nor let alone stirring up any troubles, as the wedding ceremony passed in a safe and sound atmosphere.
Lian Shan invited a restaurant cook to prepare the wedding banquet at noon. After the guests left, the cook also went back.
After lunch, Mama Fang changed her clothes and tidied the place with Old Woman An. As for Lian Shan, he was already drunk and sleeping on the bed!
The two children also come forward to lend their hands. Mama Fang was pleased with this scene as she said with a smile, "Dalang[*], you only need to keep your eyes on Erlang[*]. We have enough help here."
Dalang[*] took Erlang[*] 's hand and cleverly answered, "Okay." Due to Lian Shan's credit, the two children accepted Mama Fang readily and showed her affection. Lian Shan had told his two sons that after he married Mama Fang, someone would take care of them, make them new clothes, and cook delicious food. Children had simple minds. They naturally would not doubt it if their most trusted father said so. Even if the neighbours told them, their stepmother would make their father act like a stepfather and make him disdain them.
Lian Shan didn't get up until it was dusk. As soon as he left the room, he saw the yard had been cleaned. Mama Fang looked at him and smiled, "Are you finally up? You should wash up first. Dinner will be ready soon."
After washing his face, Lian Shan returned to the main hall and saw a table full of food, with his two clean sons sitting by the table. He could not help sighing in his heart that their family had become decent when there was a woman in their home, unlike before, where they lived a life like a clear pot on a cold stove[6] while his two sons were as dirty as monkeys covered in mud.
Two days later, the story of Mama Fang's remarriage was widely circulated in the residence. When Qiu Shi knew about this, her first reaction was disbelief. "This cannot be? If I remember correctly, Mama Fang should be in her early thirties. Has she remarried? Did she marry an old man?" With her current condition, Mama Fang did not need to settle for an old man!
Mama Li had inquired about the event's ins and outs before telling Qiu Shi, "The man is said to be only thirty, and he is two years younger than Mama Fang!" Not only did Mama Fang not marry an old man, but she married a man much younger than herself.
Qiu Shi asked with surprise, "Could it be that person married her for money? Speaking of which, Mama Fang should have saved a lot. Still, it's unreasonable to marry such a person with that kind of motive!"
Mama Li smiled. "My Lady, that man is the patrol guard of Dongcheng[7]. He has his own house and a shop. He also has fertile land in his hometown." This meant the other party's financial situation was pretty good, and he was not seeking someone else's wealth.
Qiu Shi still could not understand. "Then why did this man marry Mama Fang?" Didn't all men like young and beautiful ones with no money or power to their names? It became hard to understand when a man would marry an attractive middle-aged woman over a girl who had money and was still in her twenties.
Mama Li smiled and said, "I heard this man has two sons. He was reluctant to remarry before, fearing his new wife would mistreat his children. I guess this man is willing to marry Mama Fang because she is already advanced in age to give birth to another child and will be able to be good to his two children wholeheartedly in the future." As the saying went, the father would become a stepfather when there was a stepmother, but these words were not absolutely true. For example, when the stepmother had no children of her own, no matter how evil or bad a stepmother would be, the father would never become a stepfather[8].
Qiu Shi nodded her head. "If that's the case, that man is not bad either." For the sake of his two sons, he would not remarry. It was certainly not bad to have such a kind father.[T/C]
Mama Li also felt good. "I heard the two children, ages six and four, are very clever and sensible. Mama Fang picked up two sons for nothing." She, who had a son of her own, was not envious, but those lonely old women servants in residence were incredibly greedy.
Qiu Shi asked the critical question, "Does Yuxi know about this?"
Mama Li smiled and said, "Fourth Miss knows. She also had asked Yang-er to check this patrol guard's background. Yang-er said that the first time the patrol guard had come to ask for Mama Fang's hand in marriage, he was rejected by Mama Fang. Once Yang-er had checked all the details of this patrol guard, not long after, Mama Fang accepted the marriage. "
Qiu Shi was a little puzzled and asked, "Yuxi didn't stop this?" Mama Fang could not put her heart entirely into the baozi[1] shop once she was married, nor their plan to open another baozi[1] shop. This would be a pity since the baozi[1] shop had earned a profit of six to seven hundred taels[4] annually.
Mama Li thought briefly before saying, "Maybe in Miss' eyes, Mama Fang's happiness is more important than the baozi[1] shop!" If Yuxi did not want Mama Fang to remarry, Mama Fang would definitely not remarry.
The Old Lady's face was hideous when she heard the news, but Mama Fang was no longer a servant of the State Residence but a free man, and she could not stop her from doing it. However, she prohibited Mama Fang from entering the gate of the residence. Everybody knew that the Old Lady's words were meant for Yuxi to listen to.[T/C]
Yuxi didn't show any expression when she heard that the Old Lady had prohibited Mama Fang from entering the residence. She already guessed that this would happen. Fortunately, she kept it from the Old Lady before Mama Fang married. Otherwise, she couldn't guarantee the Old Lady wouldn't stir up trouble.[T/C]
When Mama Shen returned from the main room, her body was drooping. Upon seeing her, the residents of the Rose Courtyard avoided her to prevent receiving a scolding in response.
Yuxi called Mama Shen to her study and asked, "What did Grandmother say to you?"
Mama Shen evaded the serious matters and took up trifles[12] as she softly said, "The Old Lady was asking about Miss' recent schoolwork. This was also for fear that Miss had slackened off. "
Yuxi smiled lightly and said, "Mama Shen, I am not a fool, so you should not use such a bad excuse to prevaricate me. I know exactly what Grandmother told you to do."
Mama Shen's expression kept changing. "What does Miss actually want to say?"
Yuxi's face remained unchanged, "I don't want you to do anything. I just hope that in the future, mama will not have to report everything that happens in Rose Courtyard to my Grandmother."
"I will not betray the Old Lady," said Mama Shen.
Yuxi smiled and said, "You can rest assured. I'm not asking you to go against my Grandmother's wishes, but I just hope you don't have to tell my Grandmother everything." After a pause, she continued, "I am a young lady of the State Residence, so I will not do anything dishonourable and harmful to the State Residence." Unless her means were superb or her life was good, then there was no need for her to depend on the support of her maiden family, but that could only happen after her marriage. She asked herself whether she had a bad life or did she have any means. After thinking for a while, she decided that she couldn't afford to lose the backing from the residence.
Mama Shen's heart was moved, but she didn't dare to make the decision immediately. "Miss, let me think this over first."
Yuxi said, "As long as you can promise if you have any demands, I will not refuse." This was indirectly a guarantee for Mama Shen.
Footnotes Full List
- steamed stuffed bun
- Chinese idiom: fall short of success for lack of a final effort
- a woman employed to wait on the bride on her wedding day
- unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤 (old)
- Dalang means Da=eldest, lang=youth, and Erlang means er=second, lang=youth. These terms usually refer to male siblings' rank in a family.
- Chinese idiom: Didn't eat or drink. It is often used to describe the scene of poverty and desertedness
- East side of the city
- T/N: Erm. This is a saying about a widower with children who marries a new wife, who might treat his children nicely at the beginning, but slowly influenced her to mistreat his own children. Get it? I, myself, am confused. But that is the gist of those sentences.
- Yeah! Not like Yuxi’s father. Bad father!
- What is her problem? First, she was the one who kicked Mama Fang out of the residence, and now she was not happy that Mama Fang remarried? You should see a psychiatrist, old lady!
- Your Grandmother has gone mad, Yuxi!
- Chinese idiom: avoid what's important and dwell on the trivial
Noob Translator's Musing
I thought I was going to delay this chapter, but since I have time, I finally finished translating it.
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi