CH 10

Chapter Ten:

Mother and Daughter

According to Cheng Shaoshang, this was a dinner of unity, a dinner of river crabs, and a dinner of victory.

Everyone slowly went about their business after the meal ended. Old Madam Cheng drank a few more glasses of wine, sang and laughed, and was just about to get up and dance around before Old Lady Hu helped her back to her inner room to rest. Second Uncle Cheng got up to leave. Only then did Cheng Shaoshang notice he had a slight limp as he walked. Cheng Shi grabbed him to prevent him from walking off, saying that he wanted to have a long talk between brothers, and pulled a reluctant Second Uncle Cheng away.

Cheng Ou, the chubby little boy, yawned and was taken away by his nanny. The big-eyed Cheng Yang followed behind her brother, head down. Cheng Shaoshang had been eyeing her since they started eating, and wanted to follow her to make friends. Unfortunately, Qing Cong intercepted her and dragged her over to Madam Xiao, saying that it was time to see off the guests.

The Dong family’s father and son left feeling disheartened, while Madam Dong Lu left in high spirits. Madam Xiao had always been extraordinary in her actions and directly sent her two guards with her. If the Dong family’s father and son wanted to beat her, they could immediately take action; after a few years, she held the Dong family in her hands, both inside, and out, and no longer feared anything.

Madam Xiao was very thoughtful, and before she left, she gave Madam Dong Lu a few words, “At this point, except for one thing, the Dong family’s father and son have nothing to control you. If your husband becomes insane one day and wants to go to the government to sue, using the children to blackmail you, what should you do?

“You might as well tell them that you have no children, you will remarry and remarry, and the matter of stealing and selling military equipment and occupying people’s land is not over. If they refuse to live an honest life, you can report it at any time to see if they survive.”

Standing on either side of Madam Xiao, Qing Cong and Cheng Shaoshang looked at each other. Qing Cong wasn’t surprised by what Madam Xiao said, but was surprised how such words could be heard by the Young Mistress. Cheng Shaoshang was thinking about her father’s report. Was it serious?

Madam Xiao turned and smiled, “My daughter, what do you think of Mother’s words?”

Cheng Shaoshang was caught off guard and a little dumbfounded. She turned to look at Qing Cong and then the servants around them who were sitting about seven or eight steps away from the corridor with heads bowed, as if they hadn’t heard these words at all, and the maids of the Ge family were not allowed to approach at all. Cheng Shaoshang looked up again at Madam Xiao, who was over a head and a half taller than herself, and saw the jade earrings shaking slightly, the snow color across the branches in the distance revealing a refreshing brilliance reflecting her fair face.

“That is… that is…” Cheng Shaoshang shook her head. “What Mother said is very true.”

“Oh. What did I say?”

Madam Xiao’s eyes were cold and wise, and Cheng Shaoshang couldn’t help feeling guilty at first, but if she knew the word ‘afraid,’ she would not have been such a delinquent in her previous life.

“Mother’s words are correct, good for the Dong family, good for the Cheng family…” Cheng Shaoshang said vaguely.

The corners of Madam Xiao’s beautiful mouth were slightly raised, with a hint of sarcasm. She fixedly looked at Cheng Shaoshang and, after a long time, said, “Go back to your room first.” Qing Cong nudged Cheng Shaoshang, who was standing still, and then raised her hand. The servants who were kneeling respectfully around her stood up and followed.

Despite being winter, Cheng Shaoshang was actually sweating on the way back to her room. Lian Fang and Qiao Guo had made the room warm. Seeing Madam Xiao and her party had arrived, they quickly bowed down to greet them.

Madam Xiao walked directly to the bed in the middle of the room and sat down. With a wave of her hand, Qing Cong held back the servants. Cheng Shaoshang quickly followed, and Lian Fang hurriedly handed Qing Cong the mouthwash juice that had just been prepared. She quickly pulled Qiao Guo out of the room.

Qing Cong poured the juice into two small cups, presented one to Madam Xiao first, and then to Cheng Shaoshang.

“We have not seen each other for ten years. It’s natural to feel unfamiliar.” Madam Xiao took a sip of her juice. “I don’t know what your aunt taught you but I have only one thing to say to you. What’s the point of telling lies and falsehoods?”

“Madam…” Qing Cong said nervously.

Madam Xiao raised her hand to stop her from speaking, looked directly at Cheng Shaoshang, and said, “I have been too busy these days to have a good conversation with you, but your father comes to see you every day and he says you are smart. Why pretend to be foolish?”

Cheng Shaoshang slowly lowered her cup, raised her head, and said calmly, “How can I live in front of Aunt if I don’t pretend to be foolish? The more stupid your daughter is, the more proud my aunt will be. If I was smart since childhood, Aunt would have to find other ways to deal with it.”

“So, you can’t even read words?” Madam Xiao asked with a smile.

Cheng Shaoshang considered herself to be thick-skinned, but she couldn’t help blushing when she heard this.

She originally thought that traditional Chinese characters were used here, and she confidently asked Qing Cong for some books to read to try and figure out where and when she was. But when Qing Cong held out a few scrolls of heavy bamboo slips from the tray, she felt that something was wrong. As expected, she couldn’t understand any characters inside. Words were somewhat familiar, as if she had seen them on TV dramas or signboards, all types of twists and turns, strange and similar. They were familiar, but she didn’t know them.

Qing Cong watched her and brought a few more rolls of bamboo slips that looked to be relatively new. Thank goodness, this time she was able to recognize three or four out of ten words, and she almost was moved to tears.

Since Qing Cong found out she couldn’t read, naturally Cheng Shi and his wife knew it too. Madam Xiao was fine, she had already prepared for the worse for her daughter who had been raised by Madam Ge for ten years, but Cheng Shi was furious and shouted several times, “I want that Ge woman out!”

Cheng Shaoshang hesitated and said, “I know a few words…”

Madam Xiao sneered. “Do you also know those few characters? Besides, the characters you know were originally created by petty officials, and although they are simple and easy to understand, they are also commonly used by the people of the time…” She frowned. “But the characters in the pre-Qin classics are not written like these.”

She knew that Madam Ge’s character didn’t have a lot of ink, not to mention that she didn’t want to teach. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t teach anything of substance.

Cheng Shaoshang felt like she had returned to her elementary and junior high school days. Every day she was criticized by her teachers and she said sullenly, “I told Aunt that I don’t like reading. She was so happy.”

Madam Ge was unlucky. The second day after Cheng Shi learned his daughter couldn’t read, he led her to see Old Madam Cheng. He happened to encounter Madam Ge who had also come to greet Old Madam Cheng (with eye medication) and immediately scolded her. Madam Ge quickly said that Cheng Shaoshang herself only wanted to have fun and not study. Even so, she was still scolded by Cheng Shi.

“Madam Ge is really…” Qing Cong said bitterly. “Madam is so knowledgeable, she actually made your daughter become, become…” illiterate! Cheng Shaoshang finished for her. She could imagine how happy Madam Ge felt every time she saw Cheng Shaoshang’s ignorant appearance.

“It’s okay,” Qing Cong said with a strong smile, “The future is long, and the Young Mistress will be able to make up for it in the future. Don’t you know, the knowledge of Madam back then was famous, not just in the town, but the entire county…”

Cheng Shaoshang felt slightly uneasy and smiled, “Actually, Aunt was not all wrong. I really don’t like to read, maybe I followed after Father…” That day, to comfort his illiterate little daughter, Cheng Shi kept saying that he had been illiterate as well.

Qing Cong was stunned, for the first time in her life she felt like she was ‘staggering while sitting,’ and looked at Madam Xiao at a loss.

Madam Xiao, who had seen many things, smiled in her heart and said to herself, ‘The rumors about this girl from the outside are completely wrong.’ However, she had already had enough of fools like Madam Ge, who didn’t know fear until they saw blood. It was better to be smart than stupid.

“Then learn slowly,” Madam Xiao said. “Your father has been busy with farming since he was a child, and then he has been fighting non-stop. He only started to study when he was thirty years old. Now he can read government memorials and reports from all over the country without hindrance.”

Cheng Shaoshang felt bitter in her heart, so she had no reason to decline.

Madam Xiao said again, “You have also seen the family affairs of the past few days. Do you think your father and I are too aggressive?”

“How could I think so?” Having said that, Cheng Shaoshang dared to answer. “The Dong family relied on the protection of Grandmother, and they attached themselves to Father like a blood-sucking leech. Helping one or two is a trivial matter. Father told me they are still bullying people outside. What should we do in the future if they cause a big disaster?” The past few days, she tried hard to learn the tone of how people spoke around her and consciously tried to mimic it.

If it were other madams, even if they wanted to teach their daughters, they wouldn’t be so blunt and public about the ugliness of their elders, and be frank about their private affairs. However, Madam Xiao suffered great difficulties when she was young and hated raising her children without realizing the dangers of the world.

In her previous life, Cheng Shaoshang almost never had a mother and, in this life, her mother was cold and distant… She didn’t know how to do a mother daughter relationship, so she discussed things calmly. The correct answer at the time should be, “It’s the business of the elders, how can us younger generation speak recklessly?”

However, Madam Xiao had obviously pinned the blame on Madam Ge’s ‘indulge and not teach.’

“However…” Cheng Shaoshang hesitated slightly and glanced at Madam Xiao. She always felt that Madam Xiao could see through her temperament, and pretending to be foolish would only annoy her, and she felt that her character was not good. It was better to speak the truth.

“Speak,” Madam Xiao said. “It’s okay.”

“Since they made a mistake and asked Father to arrest them, why didn’t they ask the government to deal with them? It’s their own flesh and blood and beheading would not be acceptable,” Cheng Shaoshang said. “But I heard Father say they can be sentenced to exile. Wouldn’t sending them to a foreign country be easier?”

“You’re a little girl and know what exile is,” Madam Xiao frowned. “With how much the father and son enjoy eating, drinking, and having fun, how could exile be an option for them? It would be against harmony.” She sneered. “I have also thought about this method. Do you know why I didn’t use it?”

“Why… what?” Wasn’t it because it was against human harmony? She had just said that.

Madam Xiao lowered her body and whispered to Cheng Shaoshang, who was kneeling on the floor, “Think carefully about it yourself.”

After finishing this sentence, Madam Xiao stood up and left the room, leaving Cheng Shaoshang alone to think.

Lian Fang and Qiao Guo came back in, served Cheng Shaoshang and changed her into fresh clothes, wiped her face, rinsed her mouth, then stuffed her into the hot quilt, pulled up the thick curtain and whispered to ‘please’ take a nap.

Cheng Shaoshang wanted to laugh, she was already put into bed, what else could she do besides sleep? Lying on the bed, she suddenly remembered a mother and daughter-in law pair in the town in her previous life. The mother-in-law had scolded the daughter-in-law for being a thief and had been supporting her family for many years. Now, even her grandson’s school district housing money had been stolen from her family, and she insisted on her son’s divorce. In the end, Cheng Shaoshang wasn’t sure what happened, but the man from that family was so angry that he went out to work and refused to pay his wife anymore. His son also followed his grandmother and refused to listen to talk to his mother. The daughter-in-law yelled at the man on the street all day for being heartless.

In essence, the old lady from the Cheng family was not completely a fú dì mó [woman who devotes herself to supporting her little brother (assisting with studies, giving money, etc.)], unlike the daughter-in-law who would rather eat rice husks and vegetables with her husband and children than let her family live a moderately prosperous life. Otherwise… well, Madam Xiao probably would only hurt others. In fact, the Dong family should thank Old Madam Cheng, otherwise Madam Xiao would not know what methods she would use to deal with them.

…

Fortunately, Madam Xiao, who had not hurt anyone, returned to her temporary room and saw Cheng Shi half lying on the bed, full of alcohol, and the face that was not covered by a beard was very red.

Madam Xiao was not surprised at all. She slowly removed her hairpin and bracelet, then asked Qing Cong to tie her sleeves up. She skillfully released Cheng Shi’s collar, revealing his sweaty and hot chest. She waited for the servant to bring a large basin of hot water in and began to wipe down her husband. Cheng Shi woke up, took the sobering soup offered and drank it in one gulp. He giggled at his wife and said, “Yuan Yi.”

Qing Cong and several accustomed servants were all hiding their faces and giggling. Madam Xiao glared at Cheng Shi, untied her sleeves, dismissed the crowd and sat down next to her husband. “I told you to talk to Second Younger Brother, not drink like this!”

Cheng Shi wiped his face with a hot towel. “Second Younger Brother has been quiet for so many years and I don’t know how to open up with him. These days, I’ve been talking to him about him moving to the new house, but he’s always so quiet. When he’s in a hurry, he says he doesn’t need to move and will stay here to study. I’m so angry!” He coughed. “Isn’t it a bit inconvenient for his legs? If I don’t take advantage of the time when he is already a bit drunk and feed him more drinks, how can I get him to speak his mind?”

Cheng Shi draped the towel over his face and said in a muffled voice, “He just kept saying to me, ‘Brother, you didn’t forgive me, it’s because I’m worthless,’ and his tears were all over my sleeves.”

Madam Xiao was also stunned. Remembering the past, she sighed. “In our family, the most wronged is indeed Second Younger Brother.”

Cheng Shi pulled the towel off and whispered, “When we were young, we were poor and had no money to let Second Younger Brother go to school. Later, during the war, we met a few Confucian students. Some people introduced him to the Bailu Mountain to study with Teacher Sang but…” he had tears in his eyes, “we are fighting outside, someone has to take care of the family. He asked to stay and let Third Younger Brother go.”

Madam Xiao wept and said, “Later on, Third Younger Brother achieved success in his studies and was awarded an official position by His Majesty. Second Younger Brother was happier than anyone else. It’s just… it’s a pity for himself…”

Cheng Shi wiped away his tears and said, “He is different from Third Younger Brother. He studies and does not make a fortune for officials because he enjoys studying the classics. This time, I must fulfill his wish!”

“Did Second Younger Brother agree?” Madam Xiao joyfully asked.

“He finally agreed!” Cheng Shi breathed a sigh of relief, thought for a while, and said narrowly, “Back then, it would have been better to ask Third Younger Brother to study at Bailu Mountain. He was born the most like Father and he won the pearl of Old Master Sang’s palm.  Now our family has already stepped on the threshold with one foot. If someone recommends him, he can go to any great scholar’s house.”

Madam Xiao patted the bed decisively and said, “Okay, I’ll take Second Younger Brother out after New Year’s Day. Just in time, I want to deal with that despicable woman!”

Mentioning Madam Ge, Cheng Shi became furious. “Second Younger Brother is so depressed when there is such a woman by his side every day, accusing him of being worthless and useless! This bitch, if she just gossips in the inner house, fine, but she took advantage of our absence and decided to sell A’Ding’s family! If the war wasn’t so urgent, I would immediately come back and whipped her!” He coughed again. “How much does Old Master Ge love her? She doesn’t look up to Second Younger Brother, let her remarry then. The Ge family won’t refuse, either! Why bother to look at each other so disgustingly?”

Madam Xiao sneered. “Do you think she hasn’t taken to the idea of remarriage? She thought of it more than ten years ago!”

“Why didn’t she?” Cheng Shi felt regretful.

Madam Xiao gave him a blank look and said, “Don’t worry about this matter.” She began to tidy herself up, looking like she was going out.

“Where are you going?” Cheng Shi asked.

Madam Xiao turned around and coldly said, “That bitch just received a scolding from us at the banquet. Just now, you were at Second Younger Brother’s place, and she couldn’t handle it. Now that you are back, she is not going to cry to him. We are all back, I will not watch Second Younger Brother be bullied by that bitch!”

…

This is probably my favorite chapter so far. I love the interaction between CSS and Mama Xiao and how everything is slowly being introduced to us.

: Rolling