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Chapter Seven:
Struggle
Old Madam Cheng raised her head in a daze and watched her daughter-in-law leave the room, closing the door behind her. There was only mother and son left in the room, and the charcoal in the gilded copper basin with the head of a chicken and body of a snake made a gentle cracking sound.
Cheng Shi relaxed his stance and helped Old Madam Cheng to sit on her bed. He softened after a moment and said softly, “Mother, you haven’t seen your son for ten years. Look at your child, has he changed?”
The gentle tone of this opening line had been taught to him by Madam Xiao seven or eight times, and he felt that he was quite good at it.
When she heard this, Old Madam Cheng burst into tears, and touched her son’s rough and weathered face with trembling hands, feeling heartbroken and resentful, saying, “You
 you
 heartless man!”
Her son’s temples were stained with frost, he was still a cheerful young man in his twenties when he left, and he came back a dignified and unfamiliar middle-aged general. She asked how the days were going, and whether he suffered from any pain, and for a while the mother and son said a lot of personal words, without comforting them. Old Madam Cheng couldn’t help but complain again.
“You are Mother’s firstborn son, the flesh that fell from your mother’s body. Why wouldn’t I miss you anymore! But your heart and soul has been given to your wife, and no more is left for me, this old woman!” Old Madam Cheng became sadder as she thought about it. “In the past decade, you brought back several bamboo slips. You either talk about the Fourth Young Lady or say something about the clouds that I don’t understand. You
 you know how I live
”
Cheng Shi grinned, “I would have liked to write a few words for Mother, but Mother doesn’t know how to read.” As he spoke, his face darkened. “I’m not willing to ask Madam Ge to read what I write to you.”
Old Madam Cheng wiped her tears and asked, “Is that why you look down on her so much? Isn’t it
that name?”
Cheng Shi said in a deep voice, “Chuo’er died before she was two years old. Madam Ge was lucky, she gave birth and named the child Chuo. Eventually she would call her, ‘Chuo’er, Chuo’er.’ Where can I have peace of mind?” *
Old Madam Cheng knew about this matter. The two names had the same pronunciation and Madam Ge was foolish and thought that a man must have a son (Old Madam Cheng also thought so). Originally, this was done to poke at Madam Xiao’s heart, but who knew the one hurting the most was actually Cheng Shi.
[*Here is another tricky thing that I’m only 95% sure I get. Cheng Shi and Madam Xiao have had six children in total. The oldest was this girl Chuo 湖, who unfortunately passed away early due to the family being poor. When Cheng Yang was born however, Madam Ge, in the ultimate bitch move that has ever bitch moved, decided to call her Chuo ć©„ to spite Madam Xiao. However, it was Cheng Shi who ended up hurting the most, and that is the reason why he dislikes her so much. It’s a bit confusing because when Cheng Yang arrives in the next chapter, the character used for her name is 湖. Since it’s confusing to me (and will probably be to the general audience), I’ve decided to take the liberty to continue calling her Cheng Yang and Yang Yang like in the drama. Either way, Madam Ge is a cold-hearted bitch. Like damn.]
The little girl looked like a doll when she was born, with Madam Xiao’s bright eyes and Cheng Shi’s thick eyebrows and wide forehead. Cheng Shi was a first-time father then, and he loved her so much that he didn’t know what to do. After giving birth, Madam Xiao was weak and they had no extra servants at home. As soon as he was able to, Cheng Shi swaddled the child around him as he went about his day. But at the time, it was the most difficult time for the Cheng family, there was only enough food and clothing for daily life, not to mention the various supplements and many other things not taken into consideration. So, sadly

Old Madam Cheng had a rough temper and it took many years for her to gradually see the hidden pain in her son’s heart. However, Madam Xiao, who was very smart, didn’t say anything about it and deliberately made Madam Ge cause great trouble. It wasn’t known yet, which showed how powerful and tolerant Madam Xiao was.
“I told Second Daughter-in-law, but she said that the name was given by Old Master Ge, and would go  against her elders.” Old Madam Cheng couldn’t help but say something for Madam Ge. Although she didn’t like this daughter-in-law, she was in charge of the marriage.
Cheng Shi snorted coldly. “She only used her father to block you. If it weren’t for Old Master Ge’s loyalty and honesty, and how helpful he was to me back then, I would have ordered Second Younger Brother to divorce her!”
“Hmph! This kind of woman, who makes trouble out of nothing every day, instigates and gossips, and wishes the whole family could not be peaceful, only then feels happy in her heart. If she manages to maintain a good family, she will be disturbed by such people!” Cheng Shi became angrier as he thought about it. “A few days ago, I went to see Second Younger Brother, and he was depressed. Didn’t care about anything, as if he was old
”
Old Madam Cheng interrupted and said, “Second Son was never talkative, when he was young
”
Cheng Shi interrupted, “Not being talkative does not mean being lifeless! Although he was quiet when he was young, he also came with me to climb trees and shoot birds. When I got in trouble, he also made friends everywhere. How is he inferior to others?!” The older brother was just like a father, his Cheng siblings were like his children. They can scold themselves, but they can’t be looked down upon.
“Begging a frustrated and tongue-in-cheek woman, who points her nose every day and tells him he can’t do this or that. What else can Second Younger Brother do?!” Cheng Shi slapped the small table next to the bed, which creaked softly. “I shouldn’t have been greedy for the wealth of the Ge family and harmed Second Younger Brother!”
Old Madam Cheng looked at the slightly swaying black crane patterned lacquer wooden table. It was exactly the same as the one in Old Madam Wan’s house next door. Every time she slapped the table, a burly man like General Wan shrank in on himself and bowed to the ground, kowtowing and begging his mother. She had seen Old Madam Wan lose her temper several times and was envious. She thought she could use her own table to handle her son like that. Unfortunately, she never had the chance, and now her son was using it instead.
“This is all Mother’s fault. I was still hesitant at the beginning, saying that I wanted to see the character of the Ge family before accepting the proposal, but Mother hurriedly agreed!” Cheng Shi became angrier the more he thought about it. It was around the time when he had offended Old Madam Cheng with his marriage to Madam Xiao and he didn’t dare insist too much on the Ge family’s marriage.
Old Madam Cheng felt guilty and sighed in her heart – her eldest son was young and mature, caring for his family at a young age. He was the head of the family, but if he had any doubts, he would go to his mother for advice. This taught her how to make a case for herself and show off her authority.
“I know Mother is interested in Second Sister’s dowry to supplement my uncle! That woman thought it was for Yuan Yi – hmph – I, Cheng Shi, have an indomitable spirit. No matter how bad it gets, I would never use Second Sister’s dowry to support my wife!” Cheng Shi scolded one after another. “For the face of the Dong family, I never said it out loud, but Uncle is quite prideful!”
As soon as her younger brother was mentioned, Old Madam Cheng also raised her voice and said, “You can watch your uncle’s family starve to death?!”
Mother and son both had the same temperament and when they roared, they were also more powerful than the other.
Cheng Shi immediately replied bluntly, “In the same field, people can harvest ten bushels of millet while my uncle only has three or four bushels. Farming requires hard work to achieve a good harvest. Uncle is picky and fears heavy things, and wants to eat refined foods for every meal. After eating a meal of wild vegetables and coarse grains, he comes to find Mother and cry, and he still has the audacity to blame others!”
Old Madam Cheng struggled to explain, “Your uncle has not worked since he was a child, and he is weak now. How about –”
“The world is in chaos, and all the states and counties outside have all changed their food, and my uncle is still wealthy!” Cheng Shi said coldly, “A’Xu was only four or five years old when she went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables. Once, she was almost taken away by a wild wolf and none of her ten fingers healed properly. At night, she had to learn how to hold a needle and it was so painful she couldn’t sleep, but she didn’t see her mother distressed!”
Since the family was in a difficult situation, the oldest son and daughter suffered the most. Old Madam Cheng couldn’t argue with that
 but, she caught hold of one thing her son said, “What about Xiao Feng! He only eats and doesn’t work, and while you haven’t supported him all the way, he still will study and get married!”
Cheng Shi’s voice also raised, “How old was A’Feng when the incident happened in the Xiao family? He was younger than Third Younger Brother! At least our family had food at the time. I couldn’t bear to order Third Younger Brother to work, how could I ask A’Feng?! But how old is Uncle Dong and how old is Cousin A’Yong? They are lazy and don’t even know about seedlings!”
Old Madam Cheng swallowed bitterly and said, “Fine, that’s okay. Why don’t you help establish the Xiao family? What has become of them? The mansion was burned down by thieves and you needed to rebuild it
”
“Mother, don’t say anything!” Cheng Shi interrupted sharply. “It must have been Madam Ge who told you again, that loose tongued woman!”
Old Madam Cheng turned her head, not looking into her son’s eyes. Cheng Shi said with disdain, “I’m not afraid to tell Mother that not only did I help A’Feng rebuild the Xiao mansion, but also bought back a lot of the fields that had been sold, and all the old servants that could be found were rehired!”
Old Madam Cheng was furious and pointed at her son. “You, you
!”
Cheng Shi said proudly, “At the beginning, Yuan Yi said that she wanted to marry a man who could help her revitalize the Xiao family. If I couldn’t she would find someone else to marry. I agreed.” Thinking of his wife’s difficulties back then, Cheng Shi couldn’t bear it and his voice softened, “Yuan Yi was pitiful, the dignified daughter of the Xiao family, but she was persecuted for that.”
Old Madam Cheng hated iron for not becoming steel, so she raised her fist and forcefully pounded her son’s shoulder, saying, “You good-for-nothing son, marrying a second-married woman. Her family was ruined and her wealth was sold off. You are so rare! If she didn’t marry you, who else could she marry?”
“I am a rarity!” Cheng Shi covered his slightly sore shoulder and spoke nonchalantly, “When I saw her for the first time in the Xiao mansion when I was young, I was a rarity. Besides her, I didn’t want to marry anyone else. It’s a good thing the world was in such chaos, otherwise how could I have such luck?”
As soon as the conversation turned, he said, “Mother, don’t say such cheap words. Although the Xiao family was in a state of decline, there were people who wanted to marry Yuan Yi. Do you think she is A’Xi, only after posting so much dowry once or twice can she be allowed to go out?”
When it came to the youngest Cheng daughter, Old Madam Cheng was also discouraged and could only sigh.
Cheng Shi continued, “Yuan Yi is a hero among women and she keeps her word. All these years, she has followed your son through wind, rain, mountains and seas of fire with your son. How many times has my life been on the line? Thanks to Yuan Yi, I lived.”
“Yes, yes, yes, only your bride is the best.” Old Madam Cheng grumbled. Even if she knew this was the truth, she refused to accept it.
“Yuan Yi is good!” Cheng Shi said loudly. “Mother, look around. Those generals and marquises who have made great achievements, seven out of ten of them are powerful and from powerful households from the original village, either merchants or aristocratic families. The remaining three, although from poor backgrounds, have already joined His Majesty and made great contributions for the dragon. But what about our family?”
Old Madam Cheng knew this was true. The Wan family next door was originally one of the wealthy families in the local state and county. General Wan’s deceased father left behind a large amount of wealth, land, and other tributes, which was the capital of General Wan’s fortune.
“What do you rely on to start an incident? If you want people to ask for money, even if you can raise arms and call for some men, what about the military pay, food and supplies, the wounded and disabled soldiers have to be compensated. Isn’t watching their orphans and widows starve to death chilling the hearts of others? Our family was originally farmers with a small surplus of grain, how could we take it out?” Cheng Shi remembered the difficulties at the beginning and his voice caught. “Although the walled city has been captured and the contributions of the rich people distributed, it can’t be searched exhaustively. Once you lose your reputation, how is it different from bandits and robbers?!”
“Unfortunately, our hometown lacks dragon spirit. Whether it’s His Majesty or a few heroes who have galloped around the world, none of them are in the vicinity.” Cheng Shi was also very frustrated about the geological location of his hometown. He was not an ambitious person, and just wanted to quickly find a reliable leader to serve under, work hard, and seek a future. Obviously, there are also mountains and rivers in his hometown, so why couldn’t he be the leading elder brother?
“From Emperor Li’s usurpation of the throne to all the heroes in the world, until I made acquaintances with General Wan, in just over ten years how many people who raised flags and rebelled were wiped out without a sound? Yesterday, they were drinking and eating, surrounded by beautiful women. Today, just hang the head under the city gate or on top of the flagpole. Wives, children, and the elderly were thrown away in the war or died in an untimely way. Yuan Yi told our sons we cannot follow bandit’s behavior. We just want to be happy and it comes down to the art of preservation.”
Cheng Shi got up and paced back and forth in the room, his voice getting louder and louder, “At that time, you must carefully calculate the cost of every yuan you get. You must repair the ordnance walls, recuperate from injuries and illnesses, and recruit capable people everywhere! Our family didn’t have a big reputation. Why should other heroes serve others? Isn’t it because of their good reputation, benevolence, righteousness, compassion for the people and love for the soldiers? Yuan Yi herself was reluctant to eat or wear anything extravagant, and even the silk and brocade were exchanged for food and supplies. If it weren’t for this, Chuo’er 
 Chuo’er wouldn’t
”
At the thought of his oldest daughter, Cheng Shi couldn’t help but exclaim, “So, while resisting bandits and scattered soldiers of foreign plunder, while appeasing the villagers, the wealthy families and people in several counties around the country also recognized your son’s name, and gradually your son established a foundation, so as to not end up with the bandits. Mother always felt that her son was rich and didn’t want to give her any money, but you don’t know how difficult it is!”
Old Madam Cheng wasn’t really fond of wealth, but after Madam Xiao entered the family, she saw her son entrust everything to Madam Xiao’s management, making her jealous. She had heard these words before, but she always felt that her son was evading, giving money to the bride as freely as possible, while giving money to the old woman was obstructing her, which made her increasingly angry. This time, she saw her son’s eyes glistening with tears and was completely convinced. Old Madam Cheng hesitated and said, “Didn’t some famous generals come to recruit you later?”
“Recruitment?! Ha, I was just a scapegoat!” Cheng Shi said coldly, “Before I met General Wan, how many times did I suffer losses? Those general who sounded so famous knew that I came from a humble background, so they didn’t care. Those who have a good reputation will even use gold, silver, and jewelry as ‘inviting you to discuss big matters together.’ Those who entrusted me with more will only speak empty words and if there are no military rations, you will be told to go over and listen to their orders!”
Cheng Shi glared at Old Madam Cheng and said, “Thanks to Yuan Yi’s vigilance, she has always been on guard. She told your son that ‘it’s easy to charge into battle, but it’s difficult for a good minister to choose the master,’ so she must not entrust her family easily. That’s why I have kept Mother and brothers in the village all the time. If something went wrong, your son and Yuan Yi could immediately get out of the cavalry and leave. In this way, Mother complained all day long that ‘only Yuan Yi is with me to enjoy the blessings, but I make my parents and brothers suffer in the countryside!’ Didn’t I bring you from the countryside after I made friends with General Wan?”
Old Madam Cheng’s thick skin finally blushed a little, and she said embarrassingly, “It’s no wonder why you always put our family next to the Wan family all these years.”
“Yuan Yi has good foresight. She could tell who the ‘thief-seeking generals’ were after a few days. He was either big-eyed and empty-hearted, or cruel and didn’t treat his subordinates as human beings. Only General Wan, although talented and not necessarily first-class in the world, was generous and magnanimous, kind and benevolent, and had a good helping hand. With our efforts put together, we could always find a way out in this chaotic world. If it weren’t for this, how could we have lasted until the day of surrendering to His Majesty?”
Speaking of the benefits, Cheng Shi was strong and reasonable, “The Wan family is the number one noble family in Sui County, not counting the clan of General Wan. Old Madam Wan herself has more than one-hundred family guards. Ordinary bandits and thieves cannot get close, and it’s close enough to guard the female family. Yuan Yi persuaded her that since I had formed a brotherly alliance with General Wan, she might as well entrust her family to ensure peace and sincerity, and have the best of both worlds.”
Cheng Shi paused and looked at his mother with determination, saying, “The Cheng family is how it is today because of Yuan Yi’s great contributions. I made a solemn oath in the tent that day, if I owe Yuan Yi in this life, I will not have a good death.”
He realized that he had already made his position clear. Who knew that Old Madam Cheng had been patient listening to her son’s praise of his bride for such a long time? She was naturally a clamshell and hated someone using big principles to oppress her. Even if she was convinced in her heart, she wouldn’t give in on her lips.
Old Madam Cheng’s jealousy surged and, Uncle Dong momentarily forgotten, hatefully said, “You start your sentence with Yuan Yi and end your sentence with Yuan Yi. What about your mother? Have you ever thought about how well your mother is doing?”
“Eating and dressing well, being wealthy and prosperous
 what’s wrong with Mother?” Unfortunately, all the tenderness and contemplation of Cheng Shi’s life was spent on Xiao Yuan Yi alone, and he was unable to understand what his mother was so dissatisfied with.
Tears welled up in Old Madam Cheng’s eyes. “Among the five children, I love Third Son and you the most. But after you two got married, you only care about your brides and only talk to them. If you don’t care about your mother, your mother’s knees are empty, and your heart is empty. How can you feel better?!”
Since she came from a rural background, she wasn’t afraid of suffering. However, no matter what her son did after the incident, she was always in a daze. On the contrary, Madam Xiao was always with him and there was nothing she didn’t know. It made Old Madam Cheng feel like an outsider.
Cheng Shi felt that his mother’s complaint was unreasonable. “It’s just like this for a man to start and set up a family. In a hundred years, the mother will be buried with the father and the sons will be buried with the wives.”
After talking for a while, Cheng Shi looked at his mother’s resentful look, and ‘very cleverly’ understood that her mind had gone to other places, “Since Father passed away, Mother has been lonely. I don’t know if Mother has someone who can be trusted. If so, why not remarry?” He thought to himself that as long as his mother likes it, even if he has to add more to the dowry, it’s okay. He should always make his mother happy in her old age.
Old Madam Cheng’s eyes, which were originally as wet as a rainforest, immediately became a desert and she looked at her son angrily.
Cheng Shi realized that he was very generous, and said, “Mother, don’t be shy. Mother works hard for the family, the children all see it with their eyes. If Mother wants to remarry, her son and two younger brothers will have nothing to say. What’s more, the Cheng family has a thin population. If the gods protect them, it would be a good thing for Mother to give birth to new siblings in the future. Your son will be treated as brothers and sisters with his father!”
Old Madam Cheng finally couldn’t bear it any longer, picked up the black lacquered table and smashed it on Cheng Shi several times. “You stand up, get out of here! If you die first in the future, I will definitely find a good man for your bride to remarry and give birth to a bunch of new babies!”

 This was the last sentence of the heart-to-heart conversation between the mother and son who hadn’t seen each other for ten years.


In the next wing of the house, Qing Cong was gently massaging the shoulders of Madam Xiao. She vaguely heard shouts from not too far away and smiled, “Master and Old Madam both have loud voices and I don’t know what to say. I just hope the Old Madam changes her mind. When people change their minds, the family must always be harmonious.”
Madam Xiao slightly curved her lips and said, “There are only some rotten grains and sesame seeds left. They were hard in the beginning and now it’s time to soften. I told him to praise Mother’s hard work, and to talk more about how a mother and child has to rely on each other to live. Don’t mention me or my Xiao family, focus only on mother and son.”
Qing Cong smiled and said, “Madam is wise. Master will definitely succeed this time.”


I was not ready for the bombshell that was Ge naming Yang Yang after Cheng Shi and Xiao’s DECEASED CHILD. Also, please forgive any clunky sentences/typos in this chapter. I moved this weekend and that, plus being chronically ill, suuuuuucks . I’ll go back and edit this chapter once I’m feeling better.
Also, I’m starting to put the title of the next chapter at the end of these; gives everyone something to look forward to!
: The First Family Banquet (Part 1)