Chapter 003: Difficult Road

Yuqian pouted and picked up a handkerchief to wipe Ji Cheng's hands, "I understand, did I cause trouble for the young lady today?"

The maid Lingzhen, who followed Jilan in, said: "This screen was given by the old lady when the third master had his fifth daughter, and it is said to have been bestowed by the late empress."

The two old women expressed their gratitude and withdrew.

Ji Cheng smiled and had Liu Ye'er grab two handfuls of the candies they had brought from Jin to give to the old woman, to take back for her little grandson to eat

The two matrons were very enthusiastic, saying, "If the young lady needs hot water in the future, just let us know, as we keep the water warm in the kitchen every day"

"Oh dear, I just happened to overhear a bit of it," Yu Qian said, pouting. The servants in the household were most fond of gossiping about their master's private affairs. They knew that the master favored that concubine, and it was beneficial to curry favor with her. Even if they did not seek to ingratiate themselves, it was wise to keep a distance, as it could only bring advantages.

Ji Lan originally planned to observe Ji Cheng for two days before deciding whether to send her to the school. However, now that Shen Ying has said this, she cannot disregard Shen Ying's feelings, so she smiled and said: "Ah Cheng will probably have to stay in the capital for a while. I also intended to send her to the school to keep company with Sister Cui and a few other young ladies, but the master spoke first, so this favor has fallen to the master."

Shen Ying smiled and said, "Oh dear, had I known earlier, I would not have spoken so much. As the lady's niece, you naturally care more than I do and will surely arrange everything properly."

Shen Ying nodded, but in a large family, it is customary to refrain from speaking while eating and to remain silent while resting, thus this meal was not lively. After dinner, Ji Cheng and Ji Yuan each returned to their respective rooms

Do you know how much their monthly allowance is?" Ji Cheng asked in a deep voice

After taking a bath, Liu Ye'er had already prepared the floral water and scented balm that Ji Cheng often used. While Ji Cheng applied the balm to her face, Liu Ye'er applied the scented balm to her feet, then helped her put on cotton gloves and socks, assisting her in getting into bed and lying down

During dinner, Ji Cheng's uncle, also known as Lord Shen San, returned home from the yamen. Ji Cheng and Ji Yuan went to the main room to pay their respects.

What does the master say? Ji Lan retorted

Ji Cheng listened and looked up at Ji Lan, as whether she could stay in the capital depended on her aunt's intentions.

Ji Yuan was naturally extremely grateful, and Shen Ying also mentioned that he would personally take him to visit the headmaster on his day off.

Later, Linglong received Ji Lan's instructions to open the storeroom, and she brought over a group of maids and matrons. Some carried the folding screens, while others lifted the kang tables. There were also those who held the Han jade Mingfeng in the round bamboo waist flower vase, as well as those who carried the official kiln double-ring sunflower vases

Willow is one year older than Ji Cheng, and has been serving by her side for a longer time. She knows that although this young lady is meticulous in her thoughts at such a young age, she must feel anxious and unsettled being alone in this residence. Even though the eldest young master is also here, it is still quite inconvenient for him to care for his sister who is in the inner courtyard.

Ji Cheng sighed and said, "It's nothing, at most I will be scolded by my aunt for a couple of sentences tomorrow"

In the evening, Ji Cheng walked back and forth in the room to aid digestion, while Yu Qian'er returned after a round outside, having generally grasped the situation of the Shen family's third branch. "After dinner, the uncle went to Aunt Fang's room."

Ji Cheng replied that her father had once engaged a female teacher for her at home, to teach her reading and writing.

"I asked you to inquire about matters in the residence, why are you only probing into the private affairs of the master?" Liu Ye'er poked Yu Qian'er on the forehead with her index finger

Shen Ying was very pleased, not expecting her brother-in-law to have such a broad mind. "Well, this daughter is literate; first, she can understand many principles from books, which is beneficial for her descendants; second, she can enhance the relationship with her future husband, which is advantageous for both spouses"

Well, I really don't know about that. Since Yuqian followed Ji Cheng, she has never been short of money and has not even thought about inquiring about the monthly wages of the servants in the Shen residence

After taking a break, Yuqian couldn't help but say: "When I first entered, I thought that the aunt was not fond of the young lady, but now it seems otherwise. What could be the reason for this?"

The elm catkins smiled proudly at the willow leaves, "The master particularly favors the newly arrived concubine Mei. Concubine Mei and concubine Fang both reside in the small courtyard behind the main house. Concubine Fang has given birth to a daughter, who is now the eighth young lady."

"Will you sleep in my room today, Liu Ye'er?" Ji Cheng asked

Ji Cheng was not surprised. Although her aunt was beautiful, she was already in her thirties, and naturally could not compare to the freshness of those concubines. Even her father had not been visiting her mother's room much in recent years, and her mother's appearance surpassed that of her aunt by a considerable margin

Yuqian is fourteen years old this year, with a small frame, appearing to be only twelve or thirteen years old. She is also exceptionally lovely and charming, which makes it rare for anyone to harbor any suspicion towards her. As a result, she is usually able to gather information that others cannot.

Is it to scare herself into retreating, or to stimulate her ambition? Ji Cheng has yet to grasp the intentions of this aunt, but the future is long, and if she truly has any schemes, they cannot be hidden.

Yuqianer was so angry that she didn't even bother to dry herself after the bath. However, when the young lady was at home, she would bathe every day. The circumstances on the way here were special, so that is not to be mentioned. Could it be that on the very first day of her arrival, she would not take a bath? If she doesn't bathe, the young lady will surely have trouble sleeping. If I don't spend any money, where would I go to get this bucket of hot water?

Yuqianer chattered on and on, noticing that her own daughter was merely strolling around the room in silence, realizing that she was not interested. She blamed herself for not having gathered any useful information. However, it was not entirely Yuqianer's fault, after all, she had only been there for a day

There wasn't much, each person gave two taels of silver. After Yu Qian'er finished speaking, she clearly noticed that her young lady straightened her back, and the flesh on her shoulder blades tightened. She quickly added, "Young lady, you didn't see their expressions when I just mentioned wanting hot water. They said that the proper master of the house hadn't asked for hot water yet, and that it should be reserved for them. After I gave them the silver, their expressions changed immediately, as if they had never seen money in their lives."

So there is such an extraordinary background, Ji Cheng nodded

Shen Ying is a very gentle person. Upon seeing Ji Yuan and Ji Cheng, he inquired with great concern about various matters. He also mentioned that Ji Yuan's desire to attend Dongshan Academy has been mostly arranged, but the head of the academy still needs to personally assess Ji Yuan before deciding whether to admit him.

Ji Cheng's ears were filled with the sound of flying red, as she merely hung her head in silence

After talking for a while, the maid from the gate informed that the Fifth Young Lady and her two brothers were staying for dinner at the Old Lady's Ruiying Hall. Ji Lan then said, "In that case, let us set the table here. We are all close relatives, so there is no need to avoid each other. It is much livelier to have a meal together."

What is the reason for the initial arrogance followed by later humility? It is indeed difficult to decipher. It seems as if they wish to dazzle her with wealth that cannot be bought with all the gold and silver in the room. Otherwise, why would so many ancient artifacts and treasures be suddenly brought into a house that should have been well arranged long ago?

As for Ji Cheng, Shen Ying, being her uncle by marriage, needed to avoid any suspicion, and thus only simply asked her whether she had studied at home

In order to cover up the earlier mistake, Shen Ying then said: "Our Shen family has a school specifically established for girls, where several of your female cousins are studying and practicing calligraphy, learning principles from the teacher. If A Cheng stays in the capital for a longer period, she could accompany them. After all, teaching one is the same as teaching several."

While Yu Qian'er was rubbing Ji Cheng's back, Ji Cheng asked, "How much silver did you spend to make those two women so eager to bring us hot water?"

Yuqian said somewhat aggrieved: "But we are newcomers, and the people in the mansion look down on us for coming from the west. The master does not hold an official position, and without money, it is almost impossible to get by."

The antique items seen in this room are precious objects that cannot be purchased even with wealth; only families of nobility spanning several generations can accumulate such treasures

Ji Cheng was both angry and amused, "Oh dear, my little aunt, your temper is quite fierce, isn't it? I was merely trying to reason with you. However, I also understand that our Yuqian is doing this for my own good. Spending these few taels of silver is worth it, but we cannot continue to do this in the future. Although money can make the devil push the mill, it cannot buy the respect of others. From now on, instead of thinking of throwing money at every problem when one path is blocked, could you please use your brain to think of other solutions?"

The entire room is furnished with half new and half old rosewood furniture, which is both grand and devoid of a nouveau riche aura. The arrangement is also quite elegant, especially the three-panel screen made of rosewood depicting beautiful women, which is meticulously crafted in both its carving and style

Ji Chengdao: "I am aware of all this. However, since we are guests in someone else's home and my aunt is busy with her own matters, it is impossible for her to attend to every detail. Even if we have suffered some grievances, if we mention it to my aunt, she will naturally be able to arrange things properly. But your casual spending of silver is akin to slapping my aunt in the face with money"

I went to fetch water for the young lady to bathe. The girl quickly ran out, and after a while, she indeed brought back two sturdy women carrying hot water buckets.

Let her speak; it won't hurt for us to listen.

The maid went to wash her face and feet before coming back. Liu Ye'er turned around and placed her bedding at the foot of Ji Cheng's bed, quickly finished her washing and entered the room

"Then do you know what the aunt usually uses to reward the servants?" Ji Cheng sighed and said, "What you are doing might ruin the aunt's rules. It is difficult to manage a household full of servants, but it is all too easy to let them run wild."

Ji Cheng tossed and turned in bed, finding it difficult to sleep. Her sleep had always been poor, and it was even harder to fall asleep in a new place. Her thoughts were chaotic, suddenly jumping back to Jin, recalling Ling Ziyun. It seemed that she would never be able to marry him in this lifetime. Although their families were well-matched, once faced with external humiliation, it was likely that they would fall apart. It would be better to part ways and seek their own paths in life.

Shen Ying suddenly realized how inappropriate it was to make such a joke with his niece. He was usually a very charming and dashing person; otherwise, he would not have had a romantic story with Ji Lan. Therefore, his words tended to be somewhat casual, but upon reflection, he recognized his mistake and felt a bit awkward.

As Ji Cheng led Yu Qian'er and Liu Ye'er into the room prepared for her by her aunt in the west courtyard of the main house, she was slightly taken aback; this room was much more splendid and luxurious than the main house.