There hasn't been a drop of rain in ten days, and a milky white mist hangs heavy in the air. Many grey, hazy clouds drifted lazily across the azure sky. The birds seemed to have disappeared, and the grass and trees in the courtyard drooped listlessly. Only the cicadas persisted, their broken chirps echoing incessantly from the branches.
Yuxi, who was pregnant, could not use ice and was forbidden from eating some cold foods. She was already very uncomfortable in this sweltering heat. Now, the sound of the cicadas only added to her irritation. She called out, "Somebody go and drive away all those cicadas! They are making it impossible to rest." Fortunately, there were not many transplanted trees in the Yun residence; otherwise, catching all the cicadas would have been a daunting task.
Zijin entered cautiously and announced, "Madam, Madam Tan requests an audience." Madam Tan arrived in Xinping City at the end of the fourth month but fell ill as soon as she reached there and had only just recovered. Now that she was well, she had sent a visitation notice to Yuxi.
Yuxi replied, "Please invite Madam Tan in." She then went in to change her clothes. These days, Yuxi did not dare to move much; she only ventured out at night because any extra movement during the day only dampened her clothes.
By the time Yuxi had changed and emerged, her guest had already arrived in the main hall. Yuxi saw a woman sitting on a stool, dressed in a stone-blue brocade jacket embroidered with pumpkins and butterflies, a ginger-yellow skirt, her hair in a high bun adorned with a carved agate and a gold hairpin.
Yuxi was somewhat puzzled; Tan Tuo was only in his early forties, yet his wife seemed to be in her fifties. She was also skinny with a pale complexion. Suppressing her doubts, Yuxi smiled and urged, "Please, have a seat, Madam." Madam Tan was about the same age as Yuxi's mother, so the appropriate respect should still be shown.
Madam Tan had been observing Yuxi since she entered the room. Today, Yuxi wore a cherry-coloured summer blouse. Her complexion was fair and radiant, her features full and rounded. This appearance indicated not only good health but also fertility, making her very popular with older women.
Madam Tan also thought Yuxi was a fortunate person and immediately smiled and said, "I should have visited you earlier, but my health was not cooperative. I fell ill as soon as I arrived in the northwest, hence the delay in visiting you."
Yuxi was stunned momentarily, but then she smiled and replied, "There is no need for such formalities; health is the most important thing." Listening to Madam Tan speak, it was clear that her social skills were lacking. To say so casually about visiting a younger acquaintance would make the host feel awkward.
Shiliu and Gancao brought in tea, snacks, and fruits, filling the table next to Madam Tan. Yuxi smiled and said, "These are all fruits produced in the northwest, especially the grapes. They are very sweet. Try some."
Madam Tan picked up a deep red grape, didn't peel it and popped it straight into her mouth. After eating it, she complimented, "Mmm, very sweet indeed."
Yuxi had a moment of doubt; as far as she knew, Madam Tan was the daughter of a rural gentry, but her demeanour made her seem like someone from the countryside. Yuxi smiled and said, "If Madam likes them, bring a basket to eat on the road."
Madam Tan hurriedly said, "No need, no need, these grapes are also sold in Xinping City." If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have exaggerated so casually. How embarrassing it was for her to slip up after exaggerating about them.
Yuxi's expression remained unchanged; she still had a smile on her face, and she said, "It takes four or five days to travel from Yu City to Xinping City. In this scorching weather, eating some fruit can be refreshing." It was so hot that one didn't even want to look at meat, let alone eat it. Yuxi had been eating fruit these days.
Seeing that Madam Tan looked a little uncomfortable, Yuxi changed the subject. "I heard that Madam's hometown is just outside the capital. I used to stay at Red Jujube Manor for a while, but I am unsure how far it is from Madam's maternal home?"
Madam Tan smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "I followed my husband away from home for more than ten years. We only returned to the capital last year, so I'm unfamiliar with the area outside the city."
Yuxi was speechless and thought to herself, 'You haven't been in the capital since you got married, but you must have been there before you got married, right?' However, Yuxi didn't want to dwell on this point, so she changed the topic, "Are you used to the food here in the northwest? When I first arrived, I had no appetite for the dishes on the table." Yuxi had brought her own cook and couldn't eat Northwestern cuisine. She just wanted to find something to talk about.
This remark struck a chord with Madam Tan, who immediately replied, "Yes! The people here have very strong tastes, and I can't get used to it at all. During my illness, my daughter cooked for me." The cook at the Prefect yamen was from Xinping City and cooked authentic northwest cuisine, which Madam Tan found hard to get used to.
Yuxi breathed a sigh of relief, finally finding a topic to chat about; otherwise, she would have felt exasperated. "Your daughter is truly a filial child. Madam Tan and Tan Daren1 are truly blessed."
Madam Tan smiled bitterly, "Qin-er is indeed very filial, but this child's life has been delayed by me." She felt that her daughter had a tough life.
Yuxi asked in confusion, "What do you mean?" She only knew that Tan Qin was eighteen years old and still unmarried, not much else. The few guards who followed didn't care about other people's family affairs, so Yuxi didn't inquire much about how Madam Tan and her children were doing in their hometown. Besides, Yuxi felt Tan Tuo's decision to bring his wife and children to Xinping City had already shown his position, so she didn't pay much attention to other things.
Madam Tan's eyes welled up as she said, "I am not afraid of being laughed at. My daughter was originally betrothed to my nephew from my maternal family, but he fell ill last year. My Saozi2 wanted Qin-er to marry over for good luck, but I disagreed."
Yuxi was speechless again. Such things should be kept private, so why would she casually tell them to a stranger she had just met and even cry in front of her? Such behaviour would certainly be unwelcome in the capital. However, out of respect for Tan Tuo, Yuxi didn't want to embarrass Madam Tan. Suppressing her annoyance, Yuxi asked, "What happened next?"
Madam Tan's tears fell as she choked up and said, "Later, when my nephew recovered, my Saozi came to call off the engagement." If the groom's family wanted to cancel the engagement, and the bride's family disagreed, they could only accept it. As the saying goes, a melon twisted by force is not sweet3. If the girl didn't break off the engagement, she would only suffer if she married him.
Yuxi was momentarily stunned when she heard this. She initially thought Madam Tan's nephew had passed away and that her Saozi was pressuring Tan Qin to marry him so that she could become a grass widow4, causing a rift between the two families. Tan Qin would have been burdened with the reputation of being an ill-fated wife then. However, the reality was completely different from what she had imagined. Yuxi was confused. How could Tan Tuo marry such a woman?
"Why would you be upset if the engagement is broken off, Madam Tan? Isn't it a good thing?" she asked.
Madam Tan looked at Yuxi in disbelief. "What did you say? Breaking off the engagement is a good thing?" She wondered if she had misheard.
"Of course, it's a good thing. Although I haven't met your Saozi, judging by her behaviour, she doesn't seem pleasant to associate with. If your daughter had married into that family, she would have had difficulty dealing with such a difficult mother-in-law. Now that the engagement has been broken off, she won't have to face such a situation. Isn't that a good thing?" Yuxi thought Madam Tan's judgement was flawed. How could she agree to her daughter's marriage to a relative without considering her Saozi's character? Faced with such a mother-in-law, one could only consider oneself unlucky.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Realising this, Yuxi couldn't help but ask, "How was this engagement arranged? Was it done behind Tan Tuo's back, or was it a forced decision?"
Madam Tan, who was straightforward, replied, "This engagement was arranged by my father when Qin-er was only one year old." After a pause, she added, "At that time, my nephew was one year younger than Qin-er."
Tan Tuo was gifted in his studies, but his father had passed away early, leaving behind a widowed mother who struggled to make ends meet. Recognising his potential and hard work, a distant relative of his sought the help of Master Bao, Madam Tan, Bao Shi's father, to allow Tan Tuo to study at the Bao family's ancestral school.
Impressed by Tan Tuo's dedication to his studies, Master Bao agreed. When Tan Tuo achieved the title of Xiuchai5 at fifteen, Master Bao betrothed his daughter to him and supported his further education. After Tan Tuo became a Juren6 at twenty-one, he married Madam Tan. Later, when Master Bao fell ill, he wanted a third-generation marriage to keep the family ties strong. Tan Tuo resisted at first, but when Master Bao used his past favours to pressure him, Tan Tuo reluctantly agreed.
Master Bao arranged this marriage in the hope that Tan Tuo's gratitude would ensure that he would always look after the interests of the Bao family. Unfortunately, Master Bao's son and daughter-in-law did not understand his intentions. When they saw that Tan Tuo, a fourth-rank official, was not as wealthy as a local merchant, they became dissatisfied with the marriage arrangement. And when their son fell ill, and Tan Qin refused to marry into their family for the wedding, they were even more displeased. As a result, the engagement was broken off as soon as things settled down.
Yuxi truly believed that Tan Qin had found good fortune by breaking off this engagement. "Madam Tan, there are plenty of good young men in the northwest. You don't have to worry about finding a good match for your daughter."
Madam Tan replied, "I rarely go out and don't know many people. I have no idea which families have good young men."
Yuxi smiled and said, "Don't worry, take your time to find one. And I believe Tan Daren must have some ideas." Before, Tan Tuo had reluctantly accepted the family betrothal out of gratitude, but now he would surely choose a son-in-law carefully.
Madam Tan felt distressed at this thought and said, "My husband always says not to rush, but how can I not be anxious? Qin-er is already eighteen." If they couldn't find a husband for her soon, Qin-er would become an old maid.
Thinking about this, Madam Tan glanced at Yuxi. Madam Yun was only nineteen years old and already a mother of two children. Yet, her own daughter was still unmarried.
Yuxi smiled and reassured her, "There are more men than women in the Northwest, so Madam needn't worry about finding a good son-in-law." Yuxi had not met Tan Qin personally, but she had heard from others that she was hardworking, filial, and not bad-looking. Yuxi refrained from saying more until she met Tan Qin. Once she confirmed that Tan Qin was a good girl, she would recommend her to Xu Wu. Although Xu Wu was the chief guard of the Yun family, he held the rank of a sixth-rank officer, which made him more than suitable for Tan Qin.
Madam Tan said worriedly, "My husband at home also said the same thing, but Qin-er will soon be nineteen. And Hua-er is already seventeen, reaching the age for marriage." Madam Tan felt that both her son and daughter had been delayed in their marriages.
Yuxi chuckled and remarked, "Even when they're married, you'll still have worries. A mother's worries are never-ending." With Tan Tuo's current status in Xinping City, there was no need to be concerned about his children's marriages. Madam Tan's worries seemed unfounded. It was only due to the short-sightedness of Madam Tan's Saozi that they had come to withdraw from the marriage arrangement.
When Shiliu entered, she greeted Yuxi respectfully and announced, "Madam, the food is ready to be served."
The food had been prepared by Mama Bai, and was all capital cuisine, perfectly suited to Madam Tan's tastes. Therefore, Madam Tan had a good appetite that day, as she finished two bowls of rice and indulged in the dishes.
After the meal, Madam Tan hesitated and said, "The food was indeed too delicious." This was no mere flattery; the dishes were not much inferior to those at the Fuji Restaurant in Xinping City.🦊
Yuxi smiled and said, "Being able to eat well is a blessing. I now have six meals a day!" After regaining her health, Yuxi started eating six meals a day, only filling herself up to seventy per cent each time. Eating less but more often helped her avoid gaining weight. With her current figure just right, Yuxi did not want to put on any more weight.🦊
After lunch, Yuxi chatted with Madam Tan for a while. However, Yuxi couldn't keep up with Madam Tan's pace as she was talking all over the place. Sensing that something was wrong, Mama Qu deliberately raised her voice and said, "Madam, it's time for your nap."
Yuxi smiled and said, "My spirit is a little low right now; please forgive me, Madam."
Madam Tan, who had given birth to two children herself, knew that pregnant women were prone to drowsiness and immediately said, "Madam, go and rest! Don't worry about me."
After Mama Qu took Madam Tan to the neighbouring guest room, Yuxi returned to her bedroom. She had talked a lot today, and her mouth felt dry. She had to drink half a cup of water before lying down.
After settling Madam Tan, Mama Qu returned to the backyard. When she saw Mama Bai, she said, "It must have been hard for Madam. This Madam Tan, sigh..." Madam Tan was not only lacking in manners but also unfocused, saying whatever came into her mind. Mama Qu didn't know how this woman had gotten by in the past, but she was sure that this Madam would embarrass herself if she interacted with others in Xinping City.
Mama Bai comforted her, "It's only for one day; bear with it." She had already heard from Shiliu about what had happened in the living room.
Mama Qu shook her head as she replied, "She is also lucky." Tan Tuo was a person of upright character, clean and virtuous, not getting involved in any scandals or taking concubines. If he were to take a concubine, with Madam Tan's temperament, a concubine with a bit of brain could easily destroy her.
Mama Bai sighed and lamented, "Indeed! She's truly lucky." Some people didn't even need to be very smart, just lucky. Unlike her, luck had never been on her side.
PS (Author): O(∩_∩)O haha~, thank you all for your blessings, group hug (🦊: The author just got married.).
Footnotes Full List
- title of respect toward superiors
- elder brother's wife; sister-in-law
- A well-known Chinese phrase: if it's not meant to be, there's no point in forcing it
- one who stays at home while her husband is away
- a person who has passed the county-level Imperial Examination (historical)
- graduate / successful candidate in the imperial provincial examination
- Isn't the Fuji Restaurant belong to Yuxi?
- Does this diet tip work at all? Has anyone tried it?
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi