REM • CH008

# Chapter 8

The Young Master, realizing belatedly what he had said, thought: words like “maybe,” “probably,” “possibly” were not exactly reassuring things to say to one’s own wife!

He glanced guiltily at the woman beside him, and meeting her half-amused, half-composed expression, felt his guilt deepen further. Especially when he heard her let out a soft huff, he panicked at once and swore heaven and earth as his witness: “I only sat there a moment, drank just one cup, and left!”

“Just one cup?” Shen Xinyan huffed again, clearly not believing a word of it.

“Ju-, just, ye-, yes, o-, one cup.” Wei Junhang’s eyes darted everywhere, refusing to meet hers.

“Do you and that Prince Ning spend time together often?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no not often! Just the odd time we run into each other on the street and exchange a few polite words. Madam, truly, I only drank with him that one time, I’m not deceiving you! If you don’t like it, I’ll walk the other way whenever I see him from now on!” the Young Master hastily declared his loyalty.

Shen Xinyan was momentarily stumped by this, then cleared her throat and said helplessly: “I am not trying to restrict your associations with him. He is, after all, a prince of the blood, and there is nothing wrong with knowing him. I only worry that you… well, wine and women can easily harm one’s health.”

Wei Junhang blinked, seemingly not quite understanding her meaning at first, but after a moment’s thought, his mouth split into a grin.

“Alright, I’ll listen to whatever Madam says!” He nodded rapidly like a chick pecking at rice.

Shen Xinyan glanced at him and could not ignore that overly radiant smile on his face. For some reason she suddenly felt a flicker of guilt herself and quickly turned her face away, not daring to look at him further.

Seeing this, Wei Junhang’s smile only grew more brilliant.

“What are you smiling at? Your mouth is stretched clean back to your ears!” Shen Xinyan said, putting on a stern face.

“Hehe, heh heh…”

“…Stop laughing! You look like a fool!” she scolded, with a touch of embarrassed irritation.

“Mm, alright, I’ll stop, hehe…”

“…” Shen Xinyan decided to simply ignore this fool from now on.

Wei Junhang paid it no mind, watching his rarely-blushing wife with a delighted grin, his heart brimming with satisfaction.

Hehe, his wife must be jealous. The more he thought about it, the happier he grew, and his smile became impossible to suppress.

Shen Xinyan pressed her palm to her forehead.

She had never known this dissolute husband of hers could be so foolishly endearing at times.

***

When Qiutang returned with the others, bringing back Funing Hall’s entire monthly allowance for the coming month, Shen Xinyan felt no surprise. She glanced at the excited faces of the maids in the room and let a faint smile touch her lips.

Though this matter would not seriously wound Fang Shi, it would at least dull her edge somewhat. And of course, most important was that she herself had gained from it.

“Wonderful! Now whenever we need to purchase anything, we won’t have to go begging and watching people’s faces at the common treasury anymore!” Chunliu’s pretty face flushed with excitement.

“Exactly! It was our own courtyard’s allowance, yet whenever we needed to use it, we had to beg and plead like servants. Truly infuriating. We’ve finally come out on top!” Xiahe’s eyes shone brightly, so agitated that she twisted her handkerchief into a knot.

“Keep it in your hearts, but do not speak such things outside. Should someone accuse you of criticizing the masters, then see what becomes of you!” the ever-steady Qiutang cautioned quietly.

“I understand, don’t worry.”

“Good. Sort out everyone’s monthly allowance and distribute it,” Shen Xinyan instructed, handing an invitation card to Chunliu to put away.

Qiutang acknowledged and left.

“An invitation to Princess Kang’s Hundred Flowers Banquet? Will Madam attend?” Chunliu glanced at the card, curious.

“The Princess’s courtesy should be honored. Besides, I have little else to occupy me these days. I might as well go and enjoy myself a little,” Shen Xinyan said indifferently.

Princess Kang’s Hundred Flowers Banquet held considerable renown among the noblewomen of the capital, not only for the astonishing variety of rare flowers in the Princess Kang household’s garden, but chiefly because the banquet had, since its founding, brought about countless successful matches. As a result, any household with children of marriageable age was eager to attend.

Over time, Princess Kang’s Hundred Flowers Banquet had become synonymous with mothers scouting future daughters-in-law.

The Duke Ying household had no young men of marriageable age among its younger generation. Fang Shi’s second daughter was only twelve, still too young for betrothal talks, and any future match would have nothing to do with Shen Xinyan as her aunt by marriage. So she genuinely intended simply to go and admire the rare flowers of the Princess Kang household.

“Is Second Sister-in-law in?” Yang Shi’s voice suddenly called from outside. Shen Xinyan looked up to see Yang Shi entering the room with a broad smile.

“The weather is so lovely outside. Why does Second Sister-in-law not go out for a stroll and enjoy the beautiful scenery in our household!”

“Third Sister-in-law, please sit. Chunliu, tea!” Shen Xinyan rose to welcome her and offered a seat.

“Second Sister-in-law truly knows how to train her staff. This Chunliu girl looks sharp at a glance,” Yang Shi said, accepting the tea Chunliu offered and praising with a smile.

“Don’t praise her too much. This girl can’t handle compliments—her tail will shoot straight up to the sky,” Shen Xinyan said, covering her mouth as she laughed.

“Madam!” Chunliu stamped her foot in embarrassment, curtsied, and hurried out of the room.

“See how much temper she has!” Shen Xinyan chuckled, though there was no displeasure in her expression.

Yang Shi, being observant, naturally noticed this too and joined in the teasing for a while before saying with hidden meaning: “From now on, we can truly call ourselves masters of our own courtyards! And it’s all thanks to Second Sister-in-law.”

Shen Xinyan understood well enough what she meant, but only smiled without taking up the thread.

Yang Shi did not mind. She too had noticed that this Second Sister-in-law was skilled at deflecting, and she suspected that not just herself, but even the Great Princess and Fang Shi had underestimated her.

Indeed, with just one move, she had wrested a piece of meat right out of Fang Shi’s mouth.

“Why do I not see little Ying’er?” Yang Shi asked casually after some more idle chatter.

“She must be with her grandmother right now! Yesterday she kept chattering on about the osmanthus cake at her grandmother’s place. If she doesn’t get her fill today, I doubt she’ll want to come home—that greedy little thing!” Hearing mention of her daughter, Shen Xinyan couldn’t help but break into a full smile.

“What child isn’t a little greedy? Though the osmanthus cake at Mother’s place really is better than anywhere else. Not just little Ying’er—even I can’t resist it,” Yang Shi said with a smile.

The two chatted a while longer about the amusing antics of their children, before Yang Shi said, as if only just remembering: “On my way here, I saw from a distance Elder Sister-in-law bringing a young lady toward Mother’s quarters. That girl looked rather similar to her. Could it be her younger sister has returned to the capital?”

Shen Xinyan looked surprised and shook her head: “I hadn’t heard of this. If it is indeed her sister, it would be natural for her to visit an elder sister she hasn’t seen in years.”

“If I recall correctly, that girl must be nearly seventeen now. Could she be returning to the capital to prepare for marriage?” Yang Shi paused, then added with a hand over her mouth, laughing: “That must be it. Though the Marquis of Pingliang was expelled from the capital by the Emperor years ago, he remains a man of the capital at heart. His daughter would naturally need to return to prepare for marriage.”

As she spoke, perhaps recalling the decline of Fang Shi’s natal family, she could not help but titter, her laughter tinged unmistakably with glee at another’s misfortune.

Shen Xinyan smiled but did not tell her that this Miss Fang had not yet been betrothed to anyone, so there was in fact no preparation for marriage to speak of. At this point she also recalled that in her previous life, Fang Shi’s legitimate younger sister had come to stay at the household as well. During that period, it had been the time when Fang Shi treated her with the greatest warmth.

Simply because Fang Shi needed her help bringing her sister to various banquets throughout the capital, in hopes of securing her a good match.

It seemed this lifetime, Fang Shi would once again come asking the same favor of her.

Yang Shi sat for about a quarter of an hour more before taking her leave.

Meanwhile, in the side hall, Xiahe was distributing the monthly wages to the servants alongside two managing matrons.

“Miss Lianxiang, this is yours. Once you’ve pressed your thumbprint, you may take it,” Granny Wang said, setting aside one portion of the monthly wage and addressing Lianxiang before her.

Lianxiang thanked her quietly, pressed her thumbprint, and took her portion of the wage. Yet unlike the others, who took their pay and left, she lingered.

***

“Something else?” Xiahe, bent over the ledger, looked up to see Lianxiang’s hesitant expression and raised an eyebrow, asking directly.

“Sister, what about the Young Master’s?” Lianxiang bit her lip slightly and asked in a small voice.

“The Young Master’s?” Xiahe set down her writing brush, her expression turning ambiguous. “I don’t quite follow. What is your position exactly, Miss? Since when did the Young Master’s affairs become yours to manage?”

Lianxiang’s face flushed crimson instantly, but not daring to offend her, she said in a voice barely above a whisper: “I misspoke. Please don’t be angry, Sister.”

“I would not dare accept such an apology from you, Miss. You are quite the favorite at the Young Master’s side these days, perhaps soon to be half a mistress yourself. I am but a lowly servant, unworthy of such deference!” Xiahe said with a cold laugh.

Lianxiang apologized again in a low voice, her face flushed red as she lowered her head to leave. But the young maid who had been following behind her spoke up indignantly: “What does Sister Xiahe mean by this? Sister Lianxiang only asked a simple question. Besides, it’s always been Sister Lianxiang who collects the Young Master’s monthly wage. Why should this time be…”

“Slap!” A sharp crack against the table cut off the indignant girl’s words.

Xiahe fixed her with an icy stare, her voice cold as frost: “From the sound of it, your Sister Lianxiang here has done such meritorious service that even the Young Madam herself pales in comparison? Perhaps tomorrow we should hand over the title of Madam to your Sister Lianxiang as well?!”

“Forgive us, Sister. Dong’er did not mean it that way. Please, I beg you to spare her,” Lianxiang said, her face now completely drained of color, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She was nearly ready to drop to her knees before Xiahe on the spot.

“My, Miss Xiahe certainly has a lot of nerve. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were the mistress here yourself!” a woman’s voice, sharp with edge, called out from not far behind Lianxiang. Lianxiang turned around, both anxious and afraid, and seeing Xiahe’s anger flare even further, hurried forward and grabbed the woman’s sleeve, pleading: “Mother, please, I beg you, say no more! Do you want to ruin me completely?”

Only she knew the real reason she was allowed to remain at the Young Master’s side. If she offended anyone connected to the Young Madam, the Young Master himself would be the first to show her no mercy, without the Madam needing to say a word.

“You spineless girl, being bullied right to your face and you’re still afraid? So what if she’s one of the Madam’s people? You are the Great Princess’s own gift to the Young Master, a bedchamber attendant no less! Who does she think she… what are you doing? I haven’t even collected my wages yet! Hey, hey, don’t pull me like that! You wretched girl…” Lianxiang could not afford to let her mother say another word and dragged her away with all her strength, while the woman cursed loudly the entire way.

Among those present, some were secretly delighted at the spectacle, some sympathetic, some disdainful, but not a single one dared to speak up.

With her opponent gone, Xiahe, who had been ready to strike back, was left seething with unspent anger, much to the confusion of Qiutang, who had just walked in: “What happened here? Your face is red as anything—what could have made you this angry?”