Chapter 127: Chapter 113, Changed_1
“Master!”
Madam Li had anticipated that Yan Zhigao would come to the main courtyard tonight and, with a calm demeanor, stepped forward to change his outer clothing for him, then smilingly brought him some tea.
“Don’t be in a hurry; I have something to say.”
Madam Li sat down opposite Yan Zhigao, smiling, “Master, please speak.”
Yan Zhigao glanced at Madam Li, took a sip of the tea in his hand, put it down, and said, “Take Yishuang with you on the day of the Double Ninth Festival.”
Madam Li’s expression remained unchanged, “Master, have you considered why I didn’t take Yishuang and Yile together?”
Yan Zhigao looked at Madam Li and said nothing.
“Does Master think that I am taking this opportunity to suppress the Lin Family?” Madam Li bitterly smiled, “So this is how you see me in your heart.”
Yan Zhigao’s expression shifted slightly, “I didn’t think so, don’t be oversensitive.”
Madam Li, not one to rush into acting, plainly said, “Very well, since Master doesn’t think so, I’ll share my thoughts with you.”
“At any women’s gathering, apart from those with especially strict rules or of particularly noble status, there are bound to be some incidents during the banquet.”
“This time, the Zhou Family has invited the ladies of various families to a boat ride and mountain climb, both of which require only a slight lapse of attention to lead to mishaps.”
“To be frank, our daughters are somewhat inexperienced, having never interacted with the daughters of aristocratic families, unaware that these people harbor all manner of schemes, and without caution, could fall into their traps, be it lightly mocked or, worse, caught in disputes.”
“Master, do you think that with the temperaments of Yishuang and Yile, they will be able to handle that?”
Yan Zhigao pondered for a moment, then said, “Isn’t Daohua with them? I see she gets along quite well with the other young ladies.”
Madam Li nearly rolled her eyes, “Master, don’t forget that Daohua has just celebrated her tenth birthday. Do you really expect a ten-year-old girl to look after three younger sisters at the same time?”
“The last time our family hosted a banquet, that child had to consider every aspect in advance to avoid trouble, and even then, Yishuang still made a fool of herself in front of the ladies and misses of other families, as you are aware.”
“Besides, not to speak ill behind someone’s back, but it’s uncertain whether the three of them regard Daohua as an elder sister. Remember, when Teacher Zhu’s daughter injured her foot at our house, did any of them speak up for Daohua?”
Matters concerning her daughters made Madam Li slightly agitated, her words a bit more charged.
Yan Zhigao’s face showed an awkward expression, “Why are you bringing up old matters again?”
Madam Li calmed her emotions, “Isn’t that what Master asked?” Daohua had been slapped back then, and she is still distressed about it to this day.
Yan Zhigao picked up the teacup, no longer looking at Madam Li’s face.
Madam Li did not dwell on the matter, continuing, “Furthermore, compared with other families, our foundation is somewhat weaker, and in Xingzhou City, we do not have any close allies. If we don’t encounter any problems, that’s fine, but once an accident occurs, we are very likely to be pushed out by others, made to be the scapegoat.”
“Do you think under such circumstances, I would rashly take all the girls out?”
Yan Zhigao thought for a while, then nodded his head.
“Master, I may offend you with my words, but I must say them. Otherwise, you might still think I can’t tolerate others,” said Madam Li.
“You should know of Yishuang’s tendency to cry when confronted with a situation. The Yan daughters represent the face of the Yan Residence when they visit guests. Do you think she can be taken out to meet people as she is?”
“And as for Yile, I’ve already spoken with Second Sister-in-law, asking her to manage her problem of speaking without thinking, lest the children’s conflicts escalate to the adults.”
“As for Daohua and Yihuan, without boasting, Master, you shouldn’t find fault with Daohua’s conduct as host when she goes out, right?”
Yan Zhigao nodded, “Daohua is a good one.”
Seeing Yan Zhigao agree with her, Madam Li’s face brightened with a smile, her tone softening, “It’s not that I refuse to take the other two; it’s just that this time it is really inconvenient. If something were to happen, I couldn’t explain it to you.”
Yan Zhigao was silent for a moment, then said, “I truly don’t understand the affairs of the inner courtyard, and I’ve overlooked many aspects. I was impulsive. Let’s go with the arrangement of Madam.”
Madam Li smiled, “As long as our family successfully settles down in Xingzhou City, why worry about lacking invitations to banquets? Second Sister-in-law and the Lin Family are just a bit too anxious.”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Yan Zhigao’s face. He too had been anxious, having come to find his wife soon after listening to the complaints of Mrs. Lin and her daughter.
Thanks to Madam, who was a virtuous woman, Yiyi had explained everything to him clearly.
That night, Yan Zhigao rested in the main courtyard, and early the next morning, he went to the Prefectural Governor’s Office.
Auntie Lin waited most of the night, sleeping only a short while before dawn, eagerly waiting for Yan Zhigao to reply to her.
Unfortunately, even by noon, Yan Zhigao had sent no one to look for her.
“Mother, can I go out with elder sister and the others on Double Ninth Festival?” Yan Yishuang looked at Auntie Lin with hopeful eyes.
Auntie Lin, with a pained expression, looked at her daughter, unable to utter the word ‘no’.
The Master had changed; ever since he was promoted to Prefectural Governor, he had not been the same towards her as before.
If this had happened a few years ago, just a slight hint from her would have satisfied her requests, even if Madam might have felt uncomfortable about it.
But now, not only were his visits to her courtyard less frequent, but he also did not entirely comply with her wishes anymore.
…
In the blink of an eye, Double Ninth Festival arrived.
Early in the morning, Daohua went first to the Old Madam’s courtyard to deliver the cakes she had made in advance: “Grandmother, if the scenery at Xiangxia Mountain is nice, we should go separately sometime.”
She knew that the Old Madam’s legs were still strong, and climbing a mountain was no issue for her, but it was not appropriate to bring her when the Zhou Family had invited them.
The Old Madam smiled and patted Daohua’s head: “You needn’t worry about me; I’m not going to be cooped up,” she said, even though inwardly, she greatly appreciated the gesture.
Not to speak out of turn, but out of the entire family, it was only Daohua who would frequently make sure she wasn’t feeling bored. She doubted any of her sons or daughters-in-law had ever thought of taking her out by herself.
Daohua nodded with a smile: “Grandmother’s flowers are now even better than mine.”
They couldn’t grow crops in the courtyard, but ever since she opened the flower shop, the Old Madam had taken up flower gardening. Now, the flowers and plants in the Old Madam’s courtyard were as plentiful as hers.
The Old Madam glanced at her with a hint of pride: “This old woman has eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, how could I lose to a young girl in flower growing? Alright, enough loitering around me, go find your mother quickly, and don’t be late.”
Daohua, looking back every three steps, teased: “Grandmother, make sure you don’t miss me too much!”
The Old Madam waved her hand impatiently: “Go on, who’s going to miss you, you crazy girl!”
Only then did Daohua skip away cheerfully.
Once out of sight, the Old Madam turned to Grandma Sun with a smile: “That girl is truly considerate.”
Grandma Sun laughed and replied: “After all, she was raised by you since she was little, who would she be close to if not you?”
…
At the rear yard’s gate, when Daohua arrived, Wang Manman was still moving things into the carriage.
Madam Li glared at Daohua: “What have you brought with you? I see that Manman has carried a lot of things onto the carriage already.”
Daohua: “Aren’t we supposed to climb the mountain to enjoy the distant view? Once we reach the mountaintop, we’ll surely need to rest, so I brought some snacks, which will be good to have at that time.”
Madam Li scolded with a laugh: “You always remember to eat wherever you go.”
Daohua shook her head: “Eating is the most important thing in life, how could I forget it?” After speaking, she beckoned Yan Yihuan, who was waiting by the side, to board the carriage.
Madam Li prepared two carriages, with her accompanied by Daohua and Yan Yihuan in one, and the maids and grannies in another. Soon, the carriages were on their way.
“The Zhou Family’s carriages are at the city gate, let’s meet up with them first.”
When the Yan Family arrived, there were already many carriages waiting at the city gate.
Madam Li drew back the carriage curtain to look and scanned over the crest on each family’s carriage, then turned to the two girls from her family and said, “In Xingzhou City, only the Zhou Family can gather so many people.”