Chapter 5: First Attempt at Displaying Skill

After hearing Lu Chenghuan’s assurance, Gu Xiyan felt much more at ease. She knew that even if the old lady agreed, the task would still be assigned to her sons and grandsons below. There would inevitably be layers of distance, and it was uncertain how things would turn out.

Now that Lu Chenglian had directly agreed, she could continue to press him with questions; if he failed to keep his promise, she would naturally cry in front of him.

Since the matter has already begun, she could afford to thicken her skin. First time awkward, second time familiar—she could just cry right in front of this elder brother-in-law. Let’s see if he’d be embarrassed. After all, she was a widow—if push came to shove, she could cry about how Cheng Yuan died too soon, how her heart ached. Could he really keep his composure?

With this thought, her mind eased considerably. She immediately lifted her skirts and walked briskly outside, only to meet Ping’er head-on—her hands empty—hurrying in her direction.

Gu Xiyan: “Didn’t I ask you to pick some flowers?”

Ping’er quickly replied: “I just went to ask at the flower room, but they wouldn’t give any. They said the flowers are reserved for the holidays, and they would need orders from the upper management before daring to hand them over. Otherwise, if those above were to ask for them later and they came up short, they’d be worried about getting into trouble again.”

Gu Xiyan hadn’t really expected her to get any in the first place, so she said, “Since it’s like that, forget it. Let’s head back early.”

Ping’er nodded repeatedly. With no one around, the master and servant quickly made their way from the flower garden to the adjacent corridor. Once on the corridor, Gu Xiyan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This path was the only way from her own courtyard to Shou’antang, and everything was now aboveboard. Aside from Lu Chenglian and his personal guard, no one would know she had gone to seek Lu Chenglian.

As she walked along, she happened to run into Zhou Da Saozi, who was hurrying along with something bundled in her arms.

Seeing her, Zhou Da Saozi instinctively tucked the bundle further under her arm, then smiled and said, “I was just about to look for you, Sixth Young Mistress—what a coincidence to run into you. Your maternal grandmother came to visit today, and I just reported it to Fourth Young Mistress. She said we should entertain the relative properly. I thought, since your maternal grandmother has come, she ought to stay for lunch, right? I’ll go to the kitchen now and have them prepare two extra dishes for you at noon?”

Gu Xiyan listened to this, and although she saw right through it, she did not say a word.

Her own sister-in-law had come seeking refuge, and the ducal manor didn’t even want to keep this shabby relative for a night. Merely serving a midday meal was considered the extent of their familial duty.

As for how the Fourth Mistress had known the news in advance, it must have been that this Sister-in-law Zhou had already informed her side.

But one shouldn’t strike a smiling face, and she had no desire to offend the other party. She simply smiled faintly and said, “I must thank you, Sister-in-law Zhou, for your trouble. You’ve gone to such lengths on my behalf.”

Sister-in-law Zhou added, “Will you need a carriage when you leave later? If you do, it’s best to arrange it ahead of time to avoid any last-minute rush. We wouldn’t want to run into the trouble of not having a carriage ready.”

Gu Xiyan was somewhat annoyed, thinking, “In such a hurry to drive her out?”

She was furious inside, but still maintained a smile on her face. “Aunt Zhou, was it the Old Madame’s order that my sister-in-law must leave today? If she truly has nowhere else to go, would it really not be allowed for her to stay at the manor for one night?”

Zhou Da Sao looked embarrassed. “That’s not exactly—”

Gu Xiyan cut her off directly. “Since it wasn’t the Old Madame’s order, and I suppose my Third Mistress isn’t that unkind either, then it must have been your decision, Aunt Zhou?”

She smiled as she looked at Mrs. Zhou: “Then I really don’t understand. What kind of etiquette or propriety is this that says the grandmother from the in-laws’ side should be hurriedly driven away as soon as she arrives? If word gets out, wouldn’t it be laughable?”

Mrs. Zhou was greatly taken aback. In fact, she had heard earlier about how the Sixth Young Mistress had berated the maids and servants attending the Old Madam, leaving everyone embarrassed and speechless. At the time, she had found it puzzling, thinking it unlikely, since the Sixth Young Mistress was usually quiet and reserved, seeming rather dull.

But now, to her surprise, she had personally encountered the situation, and the Sixth Young Mistress had suddenly become so sharp-tongued.

The key point was, judging by her demeanor, she didn’t seem at all dejected or upset. What was going on?

She was inwardly startled and for the moment did not dare to offend Gu Xiyan, for after all Gu Xiyan was the mistress of the house, the one in charge. If the matter were truly examined, her own handling of it had been improper, and in the end she would come across as lacking propriety before the Fourth Madam.

So she smiled and said, “Sixth Madam, I originally meant no harm—just asking, out of good intentions—”

In the past, Gu Xiyan would naturally have accepted it. She knew she had little standing and didn’t have to fight for that bit of pride.

But now, she couldn’t hold back that breath of indignation.

Perhaps from the moment she lost face in front of the old lady, something that had always enveloped her shattered, and she finally discovered she had a side of herself that could “risk everything.”

By the time she stopped Lu Chenglian, bowing her head to plead, she had already cast aside all sense of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame.

She looked straight into Madam Zhou Qing’s eyes and said, word by word, “Sister-in-law Zhou, if there is no ulterior motive, then that is naturally for the best. I know you are an open and honest person, efficient and thorough in your work, always the most kind-hearted. You have taken good care of me all along, and I have always been grateful. Unlike some servants who flatter the powerful and bully the weak, who think that because I’m a widow with little hope, they don’t treat me, a proper young mistress, as a human being. They see me as a soft persimmon to pinch, and that truly shows they have lost all conscience. Servants who behave without the dignity of servants—this is what corrupts the family traditions of the Duke’s mansion!”

Her words were not ambiguous; they were laced with insinuations and thinly veiled accusations, which left Madam Zhou Qing thoroughly embarrassed. She had no choice but to respond with an apologetic smile, saying, “How could that be? If anyone harbors ill intentions, tell me, young mistress, and I will tear their mouths open for you.”

However, Gu Xiyan’s tone softened as he said with a smile, “I was just joking. There’s no need for Sister-in-law Zhou to take it seriously. We’ll stay for two days. Once the outer residence is cleaned up and settled, we’ll move out. After all, it’s still within our Yanjing City, so there’s no need for a carriage. Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law. As for today’s dishes, just follow the usual rules—add what needs to be added. I appreciate your care.”

She spoke so much in one breath that Madam Zhouqing could only nod in agreement.

Once they parted, Madam Zhouqing turned back to look at Gu Xiyan, puzzled. How had the well-behaved widow changed her temperament, suddenly sharp-tongued and quick-witted? What had happened?

Gu Xiyan naturally understood what Zhou Qing’s wife was thinking, and she felt quite pleased with herself.

She had taken a bold step with Lu Chenglian, speaking many words—regardless of how well she said them—and ultimately persuaded him to support her.

Now, she had tried her hand at handling Zhou Qing’s wife, discovering that compared to a man like Lu Chenglian, a household servant steward was much easier to deal with and even simpler to read.

Perhaps in the future, she could follow today’s approach?

When you think about it, she used to be so cautious and careful, afraid of offending anyone. But now, her family has fallen to such a state, and even after her sister-in-law pleaded for help, they were turned away by the old lady. What good does her caution bring her?

So, why not just follow her own whims? As long as she doesn’t act recklessly in front of the old lady, if any of the servants below try to bully her, she’ll bully them right back.

After all, she is the widow of the third young master of the house, properly part of the family. As long as she stays here and holds her position, she represents the dignity of the Duke’s estate. For the rest of her life, the Duke’s estate won’t let her leave. So, why shouldn’t she indulge herself a little?

After coming to this realization, her mood brightened considerably. She immediately quickened her pace and headed back to her own courtyard.

By now, the sun had already risen, casting its light on the courtyard steps. Meng Shuhui stood in front of the steps, eagerly looking forward, and as soon as she saw her coming, she quickly asked, “How did it go?”

Gu Xiyan could sense that Meng Shuhui was anxious to know the outcome.

It was clear that while she was away, Meng Shuhui had been restless and uneasy.

At this moment, Gu Xiyan felt her nose sting with emotion, but also a sense of relief.

Fortunately, she had thirty taels of silver in her pocket, and fortunately, she had pleaded with Lu Chenglian.

She then smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, let’s go inside to talk.”

Meng Shuhui quickly nodded and followed her inside. In the room, two children were sitting on stools eating pastries, their little cheeks puffed up. When they saw Gu Xiyan come in, they hurriedly stood up, swallowed what they were eating, and respectfully called out, “Auntie.”

Gu Xiyan remarked, “What well-behaved children.”

Her sister-in-law raised them well—such sensible children both of them.

Meng Shuhui, however, could hardly contain herself. Her eyes lingered on Gu Xiyan, eager to hear what she had to say about the old lady’s thoughts.

Gu Xiyan had the two children take their seats before leading Meng Shuhui into the nearby warm chamber. Only then did she begin to explain, “Sister-in-law, you know as well as I do that it hasn’t been long since I married into this household, and not long after that, Chengyuan passed away. I have no children to rely on, and in a place like this estate, people are quick to treat others differently based on their status—”

She had hardly finished half her sentence when Meng Shuhui’s expression turned somber.

She comforted Gu Xiyan in return, “That’s just human nature. After all, our family has gotten into such a mess, we couldn’t back you up and even dragged you down. I’m afraid others would look down on us too. Besides, after all, there’s still a layer of distance—it doesn’t really matter in the end…”

Gu Xiyan said, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry just yet, listen to me. There’s no need for me to put on a facade and hide the truth from you, since I have no say in this household either, and no one really takes me seriously. But after all, it’s a prominent family like this—they still care about their reputation. So this time, the old lady gave me a pouch of silver, saying to help settle things for now.”

As she spoke, she took out the silver from her sleeve and handed it to Meng Shuhui.

Meng Shuhui stiffly accepted the pouch of silver, looking at Gu Xiyan, “Can we really take this silver?”

Gu Xiyan: “Sister-in-law, since they’ve offered it, we should accept it. Pushing away silver that’s already in our hands and keeping up a tough front on an empty stomach—we might manage it, but the children might not be able to.”

These words struck a chord in Meng Shuhui’s heart. She was silent for a moment, then chuckled, “Alright, since Xiyan is willing to accept this silver, I’ll take it today. I understand your thoughts for me. Between us sisters-in-law, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Gu Xiyan: “On my way out from the old lady’s room, I also ran into the third young master of the estate. That third young master of our household is the emperor’s own nephew, the current empress dowager’s own grandson. He’s a favorite in front of the emperor and well-connected everywhere. I specifically asked about the matters in Ningzhou Prefecture, and as soon as he heard, he knew which official is currently in charge of inspecting Ningzhou Prefecture.”

Meng Shuhui hadn’t held out much hope originally, but upon hearing this, her eyes lit up, and she asked eagerly, “What did he say then?”

Gu Xiyan: “He has agreed to help put in a word. However, since local officials are not as effective as current administrators, I can’t predict the outcome just yet. In any case, he promised to help gather information.”

—After all, things were still far from certain. She was afraid of giving Meng Shuhui too much hope, only for it to fall through and cause unnecessary disappointment, so she deliberately kept her expectations in check.

If, by any chance, something good came of it, it would be a pleasant surprise. If not, at least they wouldn’t be too upset.

Upon hearing this, Meng Shuhui simply couldn’t believe it: “Really? Really? This is just wonderful!”

Gu Xiyan declared: “Of course it’s real! We have the warm silver right in our hands, how could it not be real?”

Meng Shuhui hurriedly lowered her head to look at the silver, which was wrapped in white silk cloth.

She opened it and saw three large silver ingots inside, a full thirty taels.

This would have been nothing in the past when the family’s circumstances were better, but now it’s different—these thirty taels are a significant sum of silver!

Besides, she also knew that her sister-in-law had discreetly covered previous family expenses and likely had little left in The private savings.

She actually felt guilty in her heart.

Gu Xiyan said, “This silver isn’t much, but please take it for now, sister-in-law. Let’s rent a house first so we can settle down. Later, I’ll try to gather more funds to send the two children to school. No matter how poor we are, we must ensure the children receive an education. After all, only through learning can they find a way out in life.”

If this family doesn’t pursue education, it will never have any chance of rising again.

Meng Shuhui was so moved that tears streamed down her face. Biting her lip, she said, “Survival is already hard enough now, how could I dare to think about schooling? We came this time hoping to rely on you, but I knew you couldn’t make all the decisions on your own, so I didn’t have much hope. I never thought things would turn out like this in the end, I—”

She choked up at this point, covering her mouth with her hand to suppress her sobs.

Gu Xiyan also felt like crying but managed to hold back. “Don’t worry too much, sister-in-law. We’ll take things one step at a time. Since you’ve come here to rely on me, I’ll do my best to help you raise these two children. When we’re older, they’ll be our support too, right?”

Meng Shuhui wiped her tears. “That’s true, from now on we’ll rely on these two children.”

As she spoke, she went out and had the two children bow to Gu Xiyan, who promptly asked them to rise.

It was now time for lunch. The manor had set menus for all meals, and if one wanted additional dishes, they had to give extra tips to the kitchen servants. In front of those snobbish old women, one couldn’t be too stingy. Even adding a simple stir-fried egg dish would cost at least two hundred copper coins.

Gu Xiyan was reluctant to spend extra, so she had been sticking to the set menus all along. However, today’s lunch that was served actually looked quite abundant.

A large serving of spring pancake boxes, along with some fresh seasonal vegetables and several types of soup dishes.

Gu Xiyan seized the opportunity while washing her hands to quietly ask the maid, “With today’s extra dishes, do we need to give tips or pay extra?”

She had been so preoccupied with being angry at Aunt Zhouqing earlier that she forgot to ask. If extra payment was required, it would really hurt her!

—Perhaps she couldn’t afford to act too upright just yet. What if those lowly servants decided to cause trouble for her?

The maid hurriedly said, “No need. It’s said that the mistress’s mother-in-law came, and these dishes were specially added for her.”

Gu Xiyan finally let out a sigh of relief. In the past, she hadn’t entertained many guests and didn’t know there was such a custom. Thinking about it, it seemed quite nice.

At this moment, Qiusang happened to walk over. She was Gu Xiyan’s most trusted and capable attendant, and their relationship was close enough that she spoke frankly. Without hesitation, she said, “Madam, you don’t know, but a few days ago, when Fourth Madam’s family sent someone over, they properly set up a large table of dishes. I heard the kitchen added them too, and the expenses were covered by the household. What we have here must look shabby in comparison.”

Listening to this, Gu Xiyan felt a pang of discomfort. She glanced at Qiusang and said, “Keep your words to yourself. Can people even be compared to one another? The maids in Fourth Young Madam’s room are skilled in needlework, so much so that even the old lady praised them. Can you compare yourself to them?”

Autumn Mulberry felt choked up for a moment, unable to say anything else.

Indeed, she was no match for him.

Gu Xiyan entered the room for a while and joined them for the meal. The spring pancake set was prepared uniformly by the kitchen, one for each household. Inside were various cooked meats and stewed delicacies, sliced into fine strips, along with some Southern-style mixed dishes, such as small tripe strips, ham strips, and others mixed with white sugar, honey, peppercorn salt, soy sauce, and so on.

The children hadn’t seen such a variety before. Gu Xiyan patiently explained in a gentle tone, telling them what each item was and encouraging them to taste everything.

The two children, however, seemed to have a special liking for the shredded pork with spinach and vermicelli, taking bite after bite.

Meng Shuhui felt somewhat helpless. “Don’t be greedy.”

Gu Xiyan hurriedly added, “Since the children enjoy it, let them eat their fill. This dish is only fresh now. By the time spring arrives, it won’t be anything special.”

Only then did Meng Shuhui stop objecting and asked Gu Xiyan, “How is it that there’s spinach available at this time of year? That’s rather unusual.”

Gu Xiyan said, “These weren’t purchased from outside. The Guogong Mansion has its own heated greenhouses to grow vegetables and melons so they can supply themselves even in winter.”

Of course, these dishes usually wouldn’t make it to her table; she just happened to catch it today.

As they ate, they brought up the topic of renting a residence. Meng Shuhui naturally didn’t ask for anything else, just hoping for a roof over her head to keep out the rain. However, in this imperial capital, there were far too many high-ranking officials and nobles, as well as officials arriving from various regions. Securing even a foothold here was not easy and would require some time to find the right place.

But Gu Xiyan was in no hurry. If he didn’t leave, shamelessly clinging on, what could they do about it?

Gu Xiyan recalled the servants and maids in the old lady’s room earlier that day, as well as the expression on Zhou Qing’s wife’s face when she had confronted her.

She had come to understand that those with nothing to lose have no fear. In this mansion, she, as the young mistress, was actually the one with nothing to lose.

If that was the case, what was there to fear?

As she was thinking this, she noticed an extra neatly wrapped spring roll on the plate before her, petite and perfectly shaped.

Meng Shuhui said, “You should eat more too. I remember when you used to love eating these back at our home.”

Gu Xiyan paused briefly at these words, then picked up the spring pancake and took a bite.

The spring pancakes at the Duke’s manor were made by skilled artisans—thin as paper yet supple as silk, wrapped with finely sliced fresh vegetables and braised meat, perfectly seasoned. With a single gentle bite, the rich aroma filled the mouth.

Back in her maiden days, she truly did love spring pancakes…

Now that time has passed and circumstances have changed, those bygone days had long been forgotten, only to be unexpectedly brought up.

Her nose suddenly felt a little sore. Though in everyone’s eyes, she was merely a widow living in seclusion, at least in this moment, there was still someone who remembered the preferences of her youth and could talk with her at length about days gone by.