Chapter 31: An Unforeseen Event in the City Center
Chu Jinyao was considered late in arriving. She lived far away, and it was not as convenient as the other young ladies. When she reached, Rong Ning Tang Hall was already filled with people.
Old Madam Chu was wearing a dark red with gold-woven outerwear, sitting upright on the bed. When she saw that almost everyone was here, she cleared her throat and gave a rare, kind smile. “Your paternal aunt spoke to the Princess Consort upon returning home about our family’s matter. The old ancestor at the Prince residence liked it, and the Princess Consort also liked our family’s young ladies. Your paternal aunt has passed the message back that after a few days the Princess Consort would officially send an invitation to invite our residence of Marquis Changxing for a visit. The messenger has already been sent back by her, so it is estimated that in a few days’ time, the Princess Consort’s invitation would be delivered.”
The young ladies immediately let out soft cheers. Seventh Young Lady threw herself into Old Madam Chu’s arms and said, “That is great. I haven’t been to the Prince residence!”
Seventh Young Lady was young, not old enough to be taken out by her mother; thus, she was very keen on going out. The other young ladies were older than Seventh Young Lady but seldom went out. Upon hearing that they would be going out after a period of time and would be even heading to the residence of Prince Huailing, the few young ladies were so excited that they squeezed their handkerchiefs as they could not wait to discuss it with their close sisters.
Old Madam Chu smiled as she watched them clamor and did not reprimand them for not paying attention to the rules. The world during this period was particularly harsh on females; thus, a large number of ladies would be locked in the inner courtyard from when they were born. The further they could go was the second door. Other than the lantern festival, the third day of the third lunar month, they would not be able to go out easily. Now that they suddenly learned that they could go out to attend a banquet, moreover at Taiyuan’s noble residence of Prince Huailing, no matter how prudent a young lady was, it would be difficult for her not to be excited.
Old Madam Chu waited until their excitement passed before continuing, “This visit to the Prince residence is of no trivial matter. You all seldom go out, so you must look well in public. Madam Zhao…”
Madam Zhao took a step forward and replied, “This daughter-in-law is here.”
“Have the clothes for this season been made for the young ladies?”
“The four sets of clothes per season for our family’s young ladies have been distributed.”
“It has been distributed…” Old Madam Chu pondered for a while. “It is rare for them to go out, so let’s make a set of new clothes for them. I will call the daughter-in-law of the Li family over later, so you all can select whatever material you like. The cost would be paid at my end. And for the head ornaments, I remember that the last time new head ornaments were made was during the New Year’s. Do you all have enough jewelry at the moment?”
The younger generation were all exceptionally bright; naturally, they spoke in unison upon hearing the question, “Grandmother, we have worn the head ornaments for a few times; may Old Ancestor feel sorry for us!”
The young ladies acted coquettishly, and the more favored maids also spoke, “Old Madam Chu is the most generous; there isn’t anything that the young ladies want that they do not have.”
Old Madam Chu was coaxed into laughter. “You monkeys! Then fine, go call Zhen Bao Ge’s people in. You can select what you like. I am already old, and there is no need to dress up. It is you few young ladies that are still vibrant and young; there must not be any neglect.”
Madam Yan flattered Old Madam Chu, “Mother, I cannot agree with your words. You are still very young. That time when my maiden family came over, they even told me secretly that if they did not know that you are the older family matriarch, they would have thought that you and I were of the same generation!”
These words were so blatant. Even if this was to please Old Madam Chu, Madam Zhao was unable to say such words. However, Madam Yan could do so, so it was not surprising that Madam Yan had the most face among the three daughters-in-law. Old Madam Chu waved her finger at Madam Yan. “You are cheeky. How can you say such words? Not afraid that the younger generation would laugh?”
Madam Yan replied, “Mother, I am wronged! I am obviously telling the truth!”
Seventh Young Lady hugged Old Madam Chu and agreed, “Mother is not wrong. Old Ancestor is still young and healthy!”
While Gu Momo and the others laughed in agreement, Chu Jinxian sat by Old Madam Chu’s side, smiling faintly. Chu Jinyao stood in the hall and did not speak wittily like the other sisters and instead smiled at the scene.
Old Madam Chu was coaxed so well that she was unable to close her lips. “All of you have better lips than the oriole! You think I do not know what you all are doing? You are eyeing my personal funds! Fine, it is difficult for our family to be this lively, so there is no need to call Zhen Bao Ge to come over; instead, you three daughters-in-law shall bring your own young ladies out to select suitable headwear. No matter how much you spend, it would all be on me.”
When Madam Yan heard that, she smiled so much that her eyes almost disappeared. Chu Jinyao also felt happy when watching this scene.
Rong Ning Tang Hall was filled with peace and happiness, but Chu Jinmiao smiled forcefully. After watching for a while, she quietly withdrew.
She was still confined in name, but upon encountering such a big event, she too had to go over to Old Madam Chu. If no one mentioned it and everybody would turn a blind eye, then her confinement would be lifted.
If it were before, Chu Jinmiao would be the liveliest of the sisters. She was the Di-daughter of the eldest household, so she was far nobler than the daughters of the second and third households. There were only two Di-daughters in the Eldest household; Chu Jinxian was dignified and composed, so she would not speak such flattering words, whereas Chu Jinmiao was the younger Di-daughter, so she was the most qualified person to act like a spoilt child and attract everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, with the arrival of Chu Jinyao, all of this had ended abruptly.
In addition, after the last incident, Chu Jinmiao felt somewhat uncomfortable upon seeing Old Madam Chu. When she saw Old Madam Chu, she would be reminded of the fact that she had failed in scheming. She could not tell if it was fear or deliberate avoidance, but she did not want to face Old Madam Chu. Even when all the sisters were acting coquettishly on such an occasion, she spoke very little.
Chu Jinmiao avoided the crowd and walked out by herself. As she stood in the veranda of the Marquis residence, she looked up at the tiled-blue skies. The laughter of Chu family young ladies continued to ring behind, but as Chu Jinmiao heard it, she could not help but stretch her hand out to tighten the cloak around her.
She too had once been a part of these laughters, but now the grandmother instead was not her grandmother, and the sisters were no longer her sisters. She could no longer stand straight and argue with the young ladies of the residence of Marquis Changxing and instruct the servants in the residence. Furthermore, there was a gap between her and Grandmother. All of this was due to Chu Jinyao.
Chu Jinmiao thoughts churned uncontrollably. Why did Chu Jinyao have to come back? She was the one that grew up here. The title of the Young Lady of the Marquis residence and the sisters of the Chu family were originally hers! Now with Chu Jinyao suddenly appearing, saying her thirteen years were erroneous, how could Chu Jinmiao accept it willingly?
Chu Jinmiao stood in place for a while, and when she was finally unable to withstand the continuous laughter from the room, she left looking glum. Never mind. Since the Chu family no longer accepted her, then she would not value them! She was already thirteen, and soon there would be talks of marriage. She will find a noble family and marry out with honor, living her life well while making the people of the Chu family regret it!
In Rong Ning Tang Hall, the grandparent and grandchildren had been laughing for a long time when a maid looked around and said, “Where is the Fourth Young Lady? She was here just now.”
The atmosphere in the room stagnated for a while, and Old Madam Chu’s smile gradually diminished as she counted the Buddhist beads in her hands without speaking. Chu Jinxian sat by Old Madam Chu’s side as if she did not hear anything. Second Young Lady, as usual, stood on the spot, as if she were an invisible person, whereas Third Young Lady rolled her eyes and snorted. Chu Jinyao had a susceptible position. She had long discovered that Chu Jinmiao was gone but did not say anything. Now that the question was asked publicly, she would not answer it. In the end, it was the Sixth Young Lady of the Third Household that spoke, “The room is somewhat warm. The Fourth Young Lady perhaps went out for a breather.”
Madam Zhao anxiously said, “She is not in good health, and it is difficult for her to breathe when there are too many people. Mother, why not I go out to look for her?”
Old Madam Chu replied lightly, “Since she went out for a breather, then let her take it easy. She will come back herself after some time.”
Unexpectedly, she could not even look. Madam Zhao was very anxious but dared not disobey Old Madam Chu and could only bow her head reluctantly, “Yes.”
Madam Yan squinted her eyes at Madam Zhao and smiled secretly.
Sure enough, three to four days later, Prince Huailing Consort’s invitation arrived at the residence of the of the Marquis of Changxing. The Prince residence invitation was grand and elegant, with gold foil embossed patterns at the four corners. Madam Yan sighed as she held the invitation. “As expected of the Prince residence, it is sure large-scaled. It is just an invitation that is thrown away after one use, but they actually decorate it with real gold! This is truly…”
Madam Zhao felt ashamed of Madam Yan and turned her face away. The few of them were dressed in new clothes as they gathered at Old Madam Chu’s before heading out when everybody else arrived. The other young ladies heard Madam Yan’s words, and although they felt that Madam Yan was somewhat small-minded, they all understood in their hearts that the difference between the residence of Prince Huailing and the Marquis of Changxing could be seen in these insignificant details. How would the residence of the Marquis of Changxing be willing to use gold to emboss the invitations? But the residence of Prince Huailing did not care at all. Even if the Marquis of Changxing splurged, it would not be of such a level. These gold and silver decorations could only be used by the Imperial family.
When everybody had arrived, Chu Jinyao was led by her mother to greet Old Madam Chu, and upon getting Old Madam Chu’s permission, she then boarded the carriage accompanied by her brothers and slowly headed down towards the main streets.
This was Chu Jinyao’s first time in the market. When she was living with the Su family, she was not qualified to go to the county market with her father and afterwards left with Marquis Changxing, taking the carriage all the way back to the residence of Marquis Changxing. She had never had the chance to see what Taiyuan looked like. Now that she was finally out, she was very excited the entire journey and could barely hold back pulling the curtain apart to look.
However, Chu Jinyao wouldn’t dare. She was sitting in the same carriage as Chu Jinxian, while Madam Zhao was in the same carriage as Chu Jinmiao. Chu Jinxian was sitting in a dignified manner in the rickety carriage, and even if she did not look in her direction, Chu Jinyao knew that she would not allow her to do something improper like lifting the curtain up.
Perhaps Chu Jinxian could see that Chu Jinyao could not sit still due to her excitement. Actually, there was no need to look, as Chu Jinyao had already expressed it. Chu Jinxian was helpless and felt heartache as she spoke softly to her, “There are a lot of people on the streets, so it is inappropriate to be seen by others. When we reach Zhen Bao Ge, you can look around openly.”
Chu Jinyao was stunned for a while before realizing that Chu Jinxian was comforting her. She said, overwhelmed, “I understand. Thanking Eldest Sister.”
Chu Jinxian’s words were not false. After the Marquis residence’s carriage traveled a little, it turned into a corner, keeping the noise outside the curtain further away. Now, the roads were much more even, and the carriage no longer bumped up and down. Chu Jinyao waited patiently for a while and heard a knock on the carriage and a maid’s voice from outside the carriage: “Eldest Young Lady, Fifth Young Lady. We have arrived at Zhen Bao Ge. This servant will help you down.”
Chu Jinxian left first, while Chu Jinyao was supported by the maid as she slowly stepped off the carriage. Actually, Chu Jinyao was used to being active since childhood, so the distance between the carriage and the ground she could manage with a single jump. However, in front of so many people, she dared not do such a thing.
After Chu Jinyao stepped on the ground, she immediately turned her head to look at the streets. The entire street was selling jewelry, gold, jade, and more. The wealthy and nobles were all around, and the carriages of the officials and big clans were everywhere. Chu Jinyao’s eyes were wide as she toook in this scene. She had never seen such a broad and magnificent shopping street! This was many more times more imposing than the county Mr. Su, Su Sheng, spoke of.
When Qin Yi saw Chu Jinyao’s expression, he could not help but whisper, “It is just an ordinary street; is it needed to the extent? If you really like it, then you should go to the commerce street in the capital.”
Chu Jinyao’s eyes were sparkling as she asked Qin Yi quietly, “Is the capital bigger than Taiyuan?”
Qin Yi laughed softly, “It is just Taiyuan. Naturally, it cannot compare to the capital.”
Chu Jinyao let out a soft sigh of admiration. Taiyuan had already opened her eyes to the world, but the capital was more vast and magnificent than Taiyuan, so what kind of scene would it be? Chu Jinyao pondered over it for a while before speaking in frustration, “It is a pity that I do not have a chance to see the capital and can only dream about it.”
“How can it be?” Qin Yi said, “If you want to visit, isn’t it easy?”
Chu Jinyao shook her head. “I am a young lady who would not even go out normally; what’s more going to the faraway capital? Even if one is to be married, one would not want to go to such a faraway place. No matter how good the capital is, it has nothing to do with me. My home is in Taiyuan; I do not want to be too far from my parents.”
This time Qin Yi was silent. He once again realized that he was vastly different from Chu Jinyao.
“Young Lady!” Shan Cha’s voice sounded from behind. She lifted her skirt and hurried down the steps before walking over to Chu Jinyao’s side and complaining repeatedly, “Why does Young Lady hide here alone? I thought that you went in with Fourth Young Lady and the rest. I had a hard time searching and was even scolded by Eldest Young Lady! Why are you always running around alone?”
When the words were said, Qin Yi’s face turned grim and he almost scolded this maid for being rude. Who gave her the courage to talk to Chu Jinyao like this? Chu Jinyao vaguely felt that Qin Yi was somewhat irritated, so she placed her hand gently on the jade pendant and said to Shan Cha, “I understand. Is Eldest Sister waiting for me inside?”
“Yes.” Shan Cha was scolded by Chu Jinxian; thus, she felt angry and wanted to say more. However, she saw Chu Jinyao walking past her, straight into the shop.
Shan Cha was totally ignored by Chu Jinyao. She was even more annoyed, but fortunately, she was aware of her identity. There were so many masters in the store, and any one of them would be able to crush her to death single-handedly; thus, she would not dare to kick up a fuss with Fifth Young Lady at such a place. As such, she could only hold back her anger and pout as she followed Chu Jinyao into the store in despair.
Chu Jinxian was waiting at the doors and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Chu Jinyao crossing the threshold. She spoke with a frown, “What is wrong with the maids by your side? There are so many of them following you, but they can actually lose you.”
“Eldest Sister, say no more.” Chu Jinyao tugged Chu Jinxian’s hands lightly. “It is rare for us sisters to go out together, so don’t be angry with this kind of thing.” When I return, I will discipline them.”
Chu Jinxian looked at Shan Cha’s floating eyes and then at Momo Sun, who was following Madam Zhao’s and Chu Jinmiao; how could she not understand Chu Jinyao’s predicament? However, she could not settle everything for Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao herself had to understand the ways to survive in the inner courtyard.
Chu Jinxian sighed and said no more. Upon seeing that, Chu Jinyao sighed in her heart. This was how a family was. Chu Jinxian could not find her, and the first words upon seeing her were to ask if she was doing fine, and the next was to reprimand her maid’s dereliction of duty. If it were Madam Zhao, she would only say with a frown, “Why do you run around? What kind of propriety is this?”
Madam Zhao seemed to always have a strong prejudice against her whenever she saw her. Madam Zhao wanted her daughter to be a decent young lady as soon as she appeared, no matter what she had encountered. Chu Jinyao sighed. Perhaps what Madam Zhao needed was Chu Jinmiao, a young lady who was frail, articulate with her words, and relied on Madam Zhao heavily and not her, the biological daughter who came back midway.
Chu Jinxian was already engaged and not supposed to go out anymore, but she had strongly pleaded that she be allowed to go along. Looking at Madam Zhao’s and Chu Jinmiao’s affectionate figures, Chu Jinxian thought to herself that she had guessed correctly. Madam Zhao only had Chu Jinmiao in her eyes and had totally forgotten that she still had another daughter to look after. Chu Jinyao had returned after such a long time, but Madam Zhao was not willing to adapt to the new situation. If Chu Jinxian had not come today, the rest of the young ladies would have had a mother to bring along to look at jewelry, and only Chu Jinyao would be left behind. And that would be very awkward.
Even Chu Jinxian had developed a sense of resentment towards Madam Zhao for failing to meet expectations.
When the young attendant of Zhen Bao Ge saw the two beautiful young ladies standing arm in arm in the hall, one as gentle as the moon, the other as bright as the morning sun, he quickly ran over to greet, “Young ladies, what do you want to see?”
The attendant, of course, knew that these were the distinguished guests from the residence of Marquis Changxing, and going by the appearance and clothes of the two, they were most likely the Di-Young Ladies of the Marquis residence. He did not know why they were standing by themselves, but this was not important as it was enough for him to know that these were two big customers!
Chu Jinxian put her thoughts away and no longer looked at those troublesome things as she pulled Chu Jinyao inside. “You do not have much jewelry, so take this opportunity to buy everything.” She then turned her head to instruct the attendant, “Go bring out all the head ornaments of your shop. Whether it is hairpins, double pins, or buyaos, take everything out for us to see.”
When the attendant heard this, his heart blossomed as he replied immediately, “Yes. Will comply.”
The attendant had the intention to please this pair of big customers, so he brought some exquisite jewelry over and, one by one, described them. Chu Jinxian was very clam as she picked the head ornaments from the boxes to look at and, after asking a few questions, said, “Wrap these few up.”
Chu Jinyao broke out in a cold sweat when she heard that. “Eldest Sister, how can I use so many? This is not right for us.”
Their actions here had startled Madam Yan. She saw at a glance that there were many boxes piled up in front of them, and Chu Jinxian had just been instructed to wrap up a number of boxes. Madam Yan immediately objected, “On what rationale can you two pick so many?”
Although Old Madam Chu had told them to choose as much as they liked, they could not take it seriously. The womenfolk tacitly understood that they could only select one larger hairpin and two small ones, and the cost would approximately be as such. If it exceeded by a lot or if one wanted to take the opportunity to purchase a few more pieces, then it would be out of their own pockets.
Madam Yan could not be angrier when she looked at Chu Jinxian and Chu Jinyao. Both of them were going too overboard. They were all spending Old Madam Chu’s money, so for what reason could these two be able to spend so much?
Chu Jinyao secretly tugged Chu Jinxian’s sleeves, and Chu Jinxian then pressed her hand as she swept a glance at Madam Yan, “Do not worry, Second Aunt, these are my gifts to Fifth Younger Sister; it would be charged to my tab.”
Madam Yan was rendered speechless. She looked at the pair of golden hairpins, a pair of golden hair clips, and a pair of silver pearled buyaos in front of Chu Jinyao and spoke in a strange tone, “Eldest Young Lady is sure in Old Madam Chu’s heart and thoughts. One’s wealth is sure enviable.”
Chu Jinxian ignored Madam Yan and instead spoke to Chu Jinyao, “Pick whatever you like; there is no need to worry about anything else.
Chu Jinyao held back for a while before speaking softly, “Thanking Eldest Sister.” She was grateful for Chu Jinxian’s kindness and was also saddened at how strapped for money she was.
The actions here inevitably alarmed the others, and naturally,Chu Jinxian’s words had made it to many ears. They were envious and jealous, but there was nothing they could do. Chu Jinxian was the recipient of Old Madam Chu’s good graces, and the food and clothes she wore had always been the best. On the surface, her dowry was six thousand taels, but one did not know how much Old Madam Chu had privately given her. Chu Jinxian was filled with confidence; thus, if she wanted to spend on Chu Jinyao, she really did not care about this paltry amount.
Chu Jinxian’s words had also made their way to Madam Zhao, and she was somewhat embarrassed. She brought Chu Jinmiao closer and said, “I had forgotten that Jinyao still lacks jewelry. Since we are out today, then let’s resolve it too.”
Madam Zhao planned to pay for it. Since she, the mother, was here, how could she let her eldest daughter pay for it? She swept a look at the things on the table and frowned. “Buy all of these? One needs to change clothes as a guest, but it cannot be done for head ornaments. If the jewelry is all new, it would make others laugh.”
“Anyway, the future is still long, so it does not matter if one prepares earlier for her.” Chu Jinxian said lightly before speaking to the attendant, “Put all these away.”
Madam Zhao could not say anything more in the presence of so many people, so she only said, “You are still a young lady. Keep the dowry by your side and let me settle this.”
Chu Jinxian pushed aside Madam Zhao’s hands, “Mother, I will be marrying soon, and Jinyao has just returned. I, as an older sister, am unable to accompany her for much time and can only make it up with these things. This is my sincerity. If Mother wants to make amends, then that would be another story.”
Chu Jinyao raised her brows secretly upon hearing these words. She suddenly felt that Eldest Sister was also a powerful person. Sure enough, upon hearing it, Madam Zhao could not get over it and only said, “Alright, I will not fight with you. I just saw a set of gemstone head ornaments that were not bad. It is fortunate that Jinyao does not have any gemstone jewelry, so I will get that set for her.”
Chu Jinxian had already said that, so it was not possible for Madam Zhao to stop her, but it was not ideal not to express anything. She was a Marquis Madam, so how could she pale in comparison to her eldest daughter? She could only buy another more expensive set of jewelry to maintain the scene.
When Chu Jinmiao heard that it was a gemstone, she was in shock. She only had a few pieces of gemstone jewelry, and they were all accumulated by her over the years. It was not even enough to make a set! For what reason could Chu Jinyao gain an entire set of gemstone head ornaments?
Chu Jinmiao looked at Chu Jinyao with contempt. Chu Jinyao felt that she would be a fool for not taking advantage when it was offered, so she lowered her head and did not speak, letting Chu Jinxian and Madam Zhao make arrangements. As Chu Jinmiao’s stares were to no avail, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She then reached out to tug on Madam Zhao’s sleeves and said, “Mother…”
Even though Madam Zhao was a Marquis Madam, she was unable to buy two sets of gemstone jewelry at a time. Everyone understood what Chu Jinmiao meant when she behaved as such, so Madam Zhao was somewhat embarrassed, and for the first time, she felt that Chu Jinmiao only cared about herself and was not well behaved at all. That thought was fleeting as Madam Zhao saw Chu Jinmiao’s pitiful eyes and couldn’t bear it. “I just saw a set of gold butterfly combs. If you like it, then take it along too.”
Chu Jinmiao was not happy in her heart. A gold comb and a set of gemstone head ornaments. The difference was just too huge! However, Chu Jinmiao could only say reluctantly in front of so many people, “Thanking Mother.”
In the end, Chu Jinyao watched emotionally as the big and small packages were loaded into her carriage. It felt good to have money, but these were all Eldest Sister’s and Mother’s money. When would she be able to have her own income?
As Chu Jinyao pondered, she decided not to make trouble for herself. Her entire net worth was only half a bolt of brocade and thirty taels. She had had plans for her two-month allowance but had been unable to save any.
She was filled with an indescribable sadness.
Although there were some small incidents in this trip, the womenfolk all bought the jewelry that they liked, thus everyone was happy. Chu Jinyao went along with the flow of people. Madam Zhao and Madam Yan encountered wives of other officials and started talking intimately while holding hands. Chu Jinyao stood among the sisters in boredom as she listened to the conversation of the adults. Her eyes moved casually, and she discovered that there was a beautiful clothing shop that was open beside Zhan Bao Ge.
Chu Jinyao’s mind immediately became active.
She was quite good at needlework, so if she had the opportunity to open a shop, the most suitable should be a clothing shop. Chu Jinyao did not know if she would have a chance in the future to own a clothing shop, but she really wanted to inquire about it in advance so as to understand the market situation.
As she thought about it, Chu Jinyao left the group quietly and walked over. Just as she walked down the steps, she heard Qin Yi ask, “Where are you going?”
“I am going to talk to the attendant of that shop.” Before she could finish speaking, she saw a fleet of majestic cavalry galloping at the end of the long street. Perched on tall horses with grim faces, they galloped over at a rapid pace. A red-robed little boy was playing with stone beads by the side of the road when suddenly his stone beads quivered and rolled out. The boy did not even lift his head as he reflexively ran after the beads.
Screams were suddenly heard in the streets, and Chu Jinyao could not help but shout, “Be careful!”
