MYSIOAMEWTMMAlTWOAM: Chapter 11

Glossary

· Qin Yuan: The female protagonist, reborn. Wife of the Marquis.

· Marquis of Dingbei: Gu Jinghui, Qin Yuan's husband.

· Hongye: Qin Yuan's maidservant.

· Cuiming: Qin Yuan's other maidservant.

· Zhao Niangzi: The woman brought back by the Marquis from the battlefield.

· Old Madame Gu: Gu Jinghui's mother.

· Sixth Madame Gu: The wife of the sixth son, currently managing the household.

· Rong Mama: A senior maidservant attending Old Madame Gu.

---

Chapter 11: We Should Be Closer

Qin Yuan had no choice but to glance at Hongye and say, "You go and have the meal served."

Hongye withdrew.

Gu Jinghui had already stood up, presenting an image that brooked no refusal.

Qin Yuan only reached Gu Jinghui's chest in height, so she stepped onto the low daybed by the window and asked Gu Jinghui to move over. "Please come here, Marquis."

Gu Jinghui was surprisingly obedient and walked over in a few steps.

With Cuiming's help, Qin Yuan managed, after some effort, to get the clothes on him. After getting off the daybed, she bent down to fasten his belt, scented pouch, perfume sachet, and the small seal and jade pendant he had just changed out of.

After all that busywork, a light sweat gleamed on the tip of her nose.

It was truly more exhausting than dressing herself.

Gu Jinghui, meanwhile, had been leisurely squinting his eyes, letting her dress him. He raised his arm when told, turned when asked, showing not a hint of impatience or rush.

Seeing they were almost done, Hongye came in and said, "Marquis, Madame, the morning meal is served."

The two moved to the outer room to eat.

Compared to the Qin family's morning meal, the Marquis's residence offered more variety: bird's nest, red date and japonica rice congee, shrimp dumplings, three kinds of pickles, small steamed buns, duck meat paste, fish with vermicelli, stuffed tofu... the table was laden full.

Qin Yuan was very satisfied seeing this.

Her meals over the last two months in the Qin residence had been terribly trying.

This was indeed the hereditary Dingbei Marquis's residence, a family of high officials, its wealth blazing and booming—even better than what she had eaten in the Zaixiang's residence.

Qin Yuan offered the first bite to Gu Jinghui, then hurriedly began to eat. She hadn't eaten much yesterday and was already very hungry.

She ate quickly but maintained excellent etiquette, faultless in her manners.

By the time Gu Jinghui put down his chopsticks, she had also finished.

After rinsing their mouths, they set off, one after the other, to the main quarters to serve tea.

The Marquis's residence was vast, with numerous garden landscapes between courtyards. They passed through multiple moon gates and small doors before reaching the main quarters.

Looking at the sun, Qin Yuan estimated it was already the second quarter of the Chen hour.

She couldn't help but secretly shoot a glare at Gu Jinghui.

If he hadn't dawdled and made trouble, they would have been here long ago.

Qin Yuan quickened her pace, while Gu Jinghui maintained a leisurely stride, always keeping a body's length between them.

Before they even entered the main hall, they could hear the lively noise inside.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Gu Jinghui said quietly, "There are many children in the family. Sixth Brother alone has four or five. And Zhao Niangzi's two children often keep Mother company. They are my adopted children in name and were supposed to come today, but the child just fell ill, and Zhao Niangzi's status makes it inconvenient for her to come. Mother likes a bustling atmosphere. My younger sister is a few years younger than you, spoiled and willful. Usually, just humor her a little for my sake."

Qin Yuan agreed to everything. What Gu Jinghui said didn't differ much from what she had previously found out. Cuiming had also prepared the greeting gifts accordingly.

If she had waited for him to tell her now, it would have been far too late.

But she still smiled and said, "Thank you for the advice, husband. I will be careful with my words later."

Gu Jinghui stopped, took her hand, and said, "We should be closer; Mother will be happy to see it."

Qin Yuan lowered her head, putting on the shy demeanor of a new bride, and let him lead her into the hall. The children immediately fell silent.

Then, Sixth Madame Gu came forward, smiling, and said, "Third Brother and Third Sister-in-Law are here. I'll have someone fetch Mother immediately."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over their faces and bodies, finally settling on their joined hands.

Gu Jinghui said, "Thank you for your trouble, Sixth Sister-in-Law."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Shortly after, Old Madame Gu was invited out and seated at the head. A matron hurriedly placed a cushion before the Old Madame for the two to kneel on and serve tea.

Qin Yuan secretly looked up and saw that Old Madame Gu wore a lilac-colored wide-sleeved robe, her hair arranged in a complex floral bun, adorned diagonally with the three-winged golden phoenix hairpin symbolizing the status of a Marquise, and a cape with golden embroidery of clouds, mist, and pheasant patterns over her shoulders. From this, she knew the other party was very particular about propriety and also valued this marriage. Her anxious heart settled by half.

Sure enough, Old Madame Gu did not make things difficult for her. After accepting her daughter-in-law's tea, she ordered the elderly matron serving her to hand Qin Yuan a set of jewelry. It was a filigree golden phoenix headdress with kingfisher feathers and inlaid rubies, exquisitely crafted and undoubtedly valuable.

Qin Yuan thanked her repeatedly.

The greeting gift she prepared for the Old Madame was a forehead band she had embroidered herself. For the other female relatives, it was scented pouches and perfume sachets, and for the men, items like inksticks, inkstones, and such.

It suited her status as a daughter of a civil official very well.

The return gifts from the others were also not overly extravagant.

After serving tea, Old Madame Gu asked them to stay and talk. Qin Yuan braced herself, guessing what the Old Madame might want to convey.

In her previous life, after Lin Ziqi's mother drank the daughter-in-law's tea, she first spoke about the difficulties of being a widow, then admonished her to carefully attend to her husband's daily needs, forbade her from using her charms to distract Lin Ziqi from his studies, and finally made her memorize the Lin family rules meticulously.

She had to stand for a full two hours.

She had been kept up all night by Lin Ziqi, and after standing for two hours, she still had to support her sore body to cook for her mother-in-law and husband.

Being the Lin family's daughter-in-law was truly bitter.

What surprised Qin Yuan was that Old Madame Gu first spoke to her son: "I heard you went to Fengxuan Pavilion again last night?"

Gu Jinghui nodded. "Last night, Cheng Ge'er had a fever and was very restless. Zhao Niangzi is just a woman, without much recourse, so she sent someone to ask me to go take a look."

Old Madame Gu sighed. "You neglected your newly-wedded wife. How is she to establish herself in the residence from now on? A woman's dignity rests entirely on her husband. How you treat Yuan'er is seen by everyone."

Gu Jinghui looked at Qin Yuan, seeming apologetic in his eyes.

Qin Yuan immediately said, "Mother-in-law, your daughter-in-law does not blame the Marquis. I know the Marquis is a man who values loyalty and righteousness. Zhao Niangzi's husband saved the Marquis's life. It's only human nature for the Marquis to worry about his adopted son. The Marquis and I are husband and wife, one entity, sharing glory and shame. If the Marquis gives me face in the future, I will naturally have dignity. It doesn't have to be right now."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Upon hearing this, Old Madame Gu was delighted. She stroked Qin Yuan's small hand, the laugh lines on her face smoothing out.

No mother-in-law is unbiased towards her own son. She had chided her son first to placate Qin Yuan.

She never expected Qin Yuan to say something so reasonable.

Old Madame Gu said to the Mama Rong serving her, "Quickly, bring the jade plaque I keep at the bottom of my chest. That one is just right for the new bride. She's so young and lovely, it will look even better on her."

Mama Rong went off with a smile.

Qin Yuan declined shyly, "The headdress just now is already very valuable."

"Silly child," Old Madame Gu found her even more endearing and said with a laugh, "You won't even accept fine things when given? Our family has been fighting wars for generations; we have plenty of good things. As long as you and Hui Ge'er are well and have many children, everything of this old woman's will be yours."

Fearing Qin Yuan might not dare accept, she added, "I gave one to your Sixth Sister-in-law when she married in too. This is what I give to my own daughter-in-law. Your Sixth Sister-in-law also received private possessions from Concubine Wen. Concubine Wen has many fine things too."

Qin Yuan stopped refusing, thanked her generously and cheerfully, and accepted the jade plaque.

The plaque, clear throughout, was carved with a peony design using micro-carving techniques. Even the finest details, viewed under a magnifying glass, showed deliberate, orderly strokes, not a single line out of place.

It was truly a rare, fine object.

From today's tea-serving ceremony, she had gained items worth at least six hundred gold.

She should come here often.

(End of Chapter)

← prev next →