Higher Level Wife

by Usui Takumii

not mine, Kitchennovel. Waiting for the translater to update.

5. 41 to 50

No matter how annoyed she was, they still had to brave this coming Dragon Boat Festival. Moreover, neither Jin Changfeng nor Jin Changjiao knew the helplessness and anxiety in Fu Qiuning's heart. Thus, the very next day, the little household cheered up as they soaked glutinous rice, prepared various fillings and began to wrap the dumplings amidst the cheers and clamour of the twins.

Seeing no evidence of worry on Fu Qiuning's face, Aunt Yu dared to cautiously ask, "Madam, for this Dragon Boat Festival, as it is our first meeting with the Old Madam… we ought to prepare some gifts. What does Madam have in mind?"

She barely finished speaking when Yu Jie nudged her. The younger maid's eyes flashed in warning, telling her not to cause trouble for their Madam. She sighed, thinking: The Dragon Boat Festival is only three days away, ah. If not for the burning between my eyebrows, would I risk annoying Madam?

Fu Qiuning sneered, "What can we bring? Even if I were to dig up the money from the bottom of my box, do you think we could get anything worth giving the Old Madam? The one thing she does not lack in life is wealth. Since I've been asked to go, I can only bring some courtesy gifts. The best thing we can bring over is a gift of Rice Dumplings with various fillings just to show our filial piety."

At this, Yu Jie's eyes brightened and she nodded, "That's right. Before meeting Madam, this maid only knew about Rice Dumplings stuffed with jujube or meat fillings. This maid never heard about dumplings stuffed with egg yolk, bean paste, jujube paste [2] and other such things. I don't believe that anyone in the marquisate had ever tasted such novel Rice Dumplings. It's a wonderful idea to bring dumplings."

Aunt Yu also nodded in agreement, her lips curling into a smile as she said, "When I saw how angry Madam was yesterday, I was afraid Madam would declare yourself ill on the day of the banquet, offending both the Young Marquis and the Old Madam. Hearing that Madam already has ideas on what gifts to bring puts this maid's mind at ease. Madam is certainly more broadminded than this maid. If this task had fallen onto this maid, this maid would have most likely worried herself to death."

Fu Qiuning sighed, then sneered, "I just don't wish to fight, so what? When it is impossible to avoid a fight, it's best to go for a head-on confrontation. If those wives and concubines are sensible, we shall live like Well Water and River Water, never crossing each other's paths. If they dare to develop any unscrupulous thoughts against me, they had better not blame me for retaliating. Within an aristocratic family like this, there's no such thing as taking a step back and attempting in a broadminded discussion. If I take one step back, others will rush ten steps forward.

As the official wife who had been neglected and abandoned, what kind of face do I need to maintain? As for those fancy noblewomen, anyone who is not afraid to make a fuss and dirty their faces in a struggle, all are welcome to come at me."

As she spoke, she tossed one of the freshly wrapped Rice Dumplings into the pot of water. Clearly, she expected no peace on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.

Yu Jie and Aunt Yu fell silent. A long while later, Yu Jie cheered up and smiled, "Until the day comes, who knows what will happen? No need to think too much, Madam. Let us quickly wrap up all these Rice Dumplings and steam them this afternoon. Oh, but the Rice Dumplings for Old Madam should be made fresh, what does Madam think?"

Fu Qiuning nodded, "As you say, let's do that."

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By the time they were done steaming the dumplings and boiling the chicken, duck and goose eggs, it was late afternoon.

Thanks to Fu Qiuning's strict discipline, no matter how much Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao drooled over the dumplings and boiled eggs, they dared not sneak one for themselves. It wasn't until evening had fallen that Yu Jie and Aunt Yu moved a table outside and the family ate happily together.

"Slow down, don't choke yourself. Feng'er, take a smaller bite, don't overstuff yourself just because you like it," as Fu Qiuning ate, she kept an eye on the children. Seeing the glutinous rice grains sticking all over their cheeks, she could not help feeling amused yet a little cross. Above all, a sense of contentment bloomed from the bottom of her heart.

Aunt Yu smiled and said, "Madam, surely there's no need to be so strict with them? We are usually so frugal with our food and can only take a second helping during festival days. Do let the children enjoy themselves."

So saying, she peeled another Rice Dumpling for Jin Changfeng.

Fu Qiuning said, "Very well, let them have half a dumpling each. Once that's gone, no more. Overeating is not a small problem. Remember what happened last year? Was I the only one frightened? Who was it that cried until they could barely keep their face clear of tears?"

Aunt Yu and Yu Jie laughed, however, when they thought back to how Jin Changjiao had given herself terrible indigestion after eating too much, they quickly coaxed the children out to play after eating that last Rice Dumpling.

Here, Yu Jie whispered to Aunt Yu, "No matter how clever the Young Master is, he still lacks common sense. If he had stayed back for dinner, he could have tasted Madam's craftsmanship. To think he actually decided not to stay."

Aunt Yu gave her a look, then glanced over at the kang where Fu Qiuning was still eating and shook her head slightly. She thought: Just where did you get your daring from? Don't you know just how annoyed the Madam is by the Young Marquis? Still dare to say what a pity that he missed out on our mistress' dumplings? You should be grateful for the opportunity to eat dumplings made by our mistress instead.

After dinner, Fu Qiuning opened the cabinet and rummaged through the children's clothing. From the back, she took out two sets of satin summer outfits [1] and said, "I believe these were made close to the end of last summer and the children only wore them once. From what I can see, the colour is almost new. I think it is fine to just wear these to the banquet."

Aunt Yu and Yu Jie laughed and said, "Yes, that was a particularly good set. It also matches the dragon and phoenix pendants that Young Master gifted the children." Thus, the question of what to wear was solved.

The children had no idea they would be attending a family banquet with their mother until one day before the event. When they heard the news, they were ecstatic. However, Fu Qiuning said sternly, "At the banquet, you must never leave my side, don't quarrel with other people, don't cause trouble, greet the Old Madam according to the rules. Be respectful, but not meek. It's time for the two of you to learn how to strike a balance between respectful and reserved. Remember that you are your father's eldest son and daughter. Though your names have not yet entered the family registry, everyone knows you are the Young Marquis' children. Therefore, any unruly actions will dishonour your father's face, understand?"

The two children chimed their agreement. [1] A trace of worry appeared on their faces at the number of rules that Fu Qiuning had suddenly listed. Aunt Yu quickly said, "Madam, surely there's no need to be so harsh? Both children have always been sensible, so what could happen? Rather than keep frightening them, why not Madam come and take a look at the gift box I just made. See if there's anything you wish to change?"

After Fu Qiuning was led away, the brother and sister were left to their own devices. They sat together at the steps, a little disillusioned. "Before coming to mother's place, even the servants' children dared to bully us. Now that we have to go to a family banquet and with Father having never officially recognised us, will those young masters and young misses treat us like brother and sister? If they bully us too much, what should we do? Mother said to 'Bear it until it's no longer bearable' but with so many people there, if we caused a big stir, wouldn't we implicate mother too?"

The two children wrinkled their noses in thought.

Suddenly, Jin Changjiao's eyes lit up and she grabbed her brother's arm. "Brother, didn't Aunt Yu ask mother to inspect the gift box she had just made? Our family is poor and we can't give precious things like those fancy people. Mother's dumplings might be good, but it's only a small novelty. Also, since it's our first meeting with Great-Grandmother, what if we make some small gifts for her too? First, we could add to Mother's gifts, and second, if we could please Great-Grandmother, those young masters and young misses would not dare to bully us. What do you think?"

Jin Changfeng nodded, "That's all well and good, but what should we bring? Even the best that mother could give is a few Rice Dumplings. The most valuable things you or I have are the jade pendants from Father. Are we to gift those to Grandmother?"

Jin Changjiao pouted and said, "Mother said that our marquisate is rich and powerful, so what precious things has Grandmother not seen before? She must have seen even better jade pendants than ours. If we gift her our jades it would make us look tacky and ungrateful. How about this? Though something is of little value and could be found everywhere, it could still be made into something unique and special as long as you and I put some effort into it. What do you think?"

At this, she leaned in closer and whispered into Jin Changfeng's ear.

Jin Changfeng fell silent for a long time before answering. "Isn't this thing of too little value? It can be found everywhere and neither your skills nor mine could be compared to Yu Jie, don't you think we should…"

Before he could finish speaking, Jin Changjiao interrupted and said, "Why can't you understand? It must be made with our own two hands. Whether Grandmother likes it or not, it's a measure of our filial piety for her. If Grandmother laughs at our efforts, she is not worthy of our respect or filial piety. As Mother said, we should cut ties with those who do not recognise us or our efforts and avoid her from then on. Right?"

Jin Changfeng thought for a moment and nodded. "Right, let's do as you suggested. In fact, let's go do it now!"

With that, the brother and sister ran off, hand in hand to get started on their secret project.

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The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival.

Early that morning, a maid from the Old Madam came to remind them of the banquet once again. Fu Qiuning noticed that the maid's attitude was very respectful with no attempt to bully or intimidate them. The maid's overall attitude was very dignified and proper.

A heavy burden lifted from her heart. She thought: It looks like this Old Madam might really be a charitable and calm elder that would not simply scold people out of hand. If that's the case, there's no need to worry about Feng'er or Jiao'er being mistreated in the old lady's presence.

Because it was a family banquet, after changing her clothes she did not put her hair up in its typical handkerchief wrap. Instead, she styled her hair into a simple bun, inserted two beaded flowers into her temple and wore only a silver buyao hairpin [1]. As for those dazzling accessories and flowery hairpins that Jin Fengju had sent via Jin Ming the day before yesterday, they were all left untouched in her drawer.

Her outfit consisted of a many-layered goose yellow blouse, secured with only a satin belt that accentuated her slim waist and slender shape. Her skirt was a plain green one that rippled along as she walked. Although she wore no necklace, jade pendants or other accessories, the multiple layers of gauze floating elegantly in the wind gave off a very refreshing impression.

Yu Jie and Aunt Yu also dressed up. They then helped Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao into their clothes. As for the jade pendants, the children were allowed to wear them, but they were instructed to keep them under their shirts. Fu Qiuning thought that it was better to not show those pendants off. What if those madams, young masters and misses grew jealous at the sight of these pendants?

That's authentic Hetian jade, ah. Such valuable things! Rather than risk having them broken via a jealous fit, it would be better to just pawn them off and keep the money for Feng'er and Jiao'er. Fu Qiuning continued to harbour such petty and money-grubbing thoughts as they made their way across the courtyard.

Finally, they stepped out of the courtyard door. A few hundred meters later, they entered Yong Cui Garden and the group paused to look backwards and saw only the corner of Night Breeze Pavilion's flying eave through the cover of green trees. They all could not help but felt a little emotional for the moment.

From the moment she transmigrated, Fu Qiuning had never gone further than a few hundred meters from that courtyard. She had always been the quiet and persistent type. Otherwise, she would have never had the patience to engage in opera singing. Therefore, although the number of activities within the courtyard was limited, she never felt suffocated by the isolation. Compared to the life of living in a modern concrete jungle where one hardly knew their neighbours and surviving on various kinds of junk food, the ancient idyllic life of a shut-in with a few close intimate relationships was good enough for her to feel gratitude towards life. She had no complaints. Moreover, such an isolated life was something that she had consciously chosen to undertake.

As they were walking through Yong Cui Garden, there was nothing but gorgeous red flowers, beautiful greeneries and little pavilions everywhere. It was as though the very garden sought to flaunt itself to their eyes at every step. Every once in a while, they could not help but stop and be dazzled by some sight or other.

Even Aunt Yu and the siblings could not help but stare at everything. Though they had walked through this garden before, it had already been five years and back then they had been anxious about their future at Night Breeze Pavilion. Who would have the mind to enjoy the scenery?

Moreover, a lot could change in five years. Trees could have been transplanted, shrubberies changed and who knew what else? The children were so excited by this wonderful view and seeing that no one else around, not even a servant, to reprimand them, they chased each other through the garden paths, calling out joyfully to each other as they raced around the trees and shrubberies. As they neared the garden gate that led to the main courtyard, the children's steps slowed and they grew withdrawn. Suddenly, they were a pair of reserved and well-behaved dolls again as they held Fu Qiuning's hand and exited Yong Cui Garden.

That morning, the maid had already given them directions to the location of the banquet, but now, looking at the neat pathways and nearly identical blue-tiled flying eaves, Fu Qiuning blinked a few times before turning to her maids. "This… you were both there when the maid gave us directions to the place, right? Well? How do we get there?"

Yu Jie and Aunt Yu looked at each other. One pulled a face and said, "I can't tell north from south, east from west, so how do you expect me to understand directions, ah?"

The other beamed stupidly, "I can barely understand front, back, left, right, but the directions given to us were 'north of this', 'west of that', it is beyond my understanding."

Finally, the two turned to Fu Qiuning and said in unison, "We're ready to follow Madam to the end, we'll follow you wherever you go."

"I am directionally challenged," Fu Qiuning gritted out each bitter word through clenched teeth.

She thought: It's over. With three directionally challenged people, how are we supposed to get to Health & Longevity Court? Should they ask a passerby? What would they even say? 'Excuse me, could you give me directions to the Health & Longevity Court? Also, please use front, back, left, right instead of north, south, west, east when you give us directions.'

If asked, 'Who are you people', could I bear to tell them 'I am the wife of the Young Marquis'!?

"My Heavens…" Fu Qiuning slapped her forehead. "Just getting to Health & Longevity Court alone would be so shameful. Wh-where am I going to put my face, ah…"

As the final echo of her lamentation fell, she heard a light laugh followed by an overly familiar voice, "What is the whole family standing around here for? Were the maid's directions not clear enough?"

Fu Qiuning lowered her hand and turned around just in time to see a man step out from behind a clump of emerald green bamboo. With hair mostly loose and just barely held back with a ribbon, dressed in silver-white floor-length changpao edged with ink-black patterns, and an open folding fan painted with a landscape of flowers and birds waving gently to complete the aura of the dashing scholar, who else could it be if not Jin Fengju?

"Father." As soon as Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao saw him, they pounced on him with a cheerful cry. Jin Fengju hastily put away the folding fan, squatting down to pick up a sibling on each side, listening to Jin Changjiao chattering while laughing and saying, "We came from the garden, there are so many flowers and trees in the garden, it is so beautiful, but when we are out of the garden, mother and Aunt Yu and Yu Jie do not know the way, Yu Jie said she does not even know north south east or west, Aunt Yu said she barely knows front back left and right, mother said she is directionally challenged and was still lamenting at the heavens…"

"Jiao'er." Fu Qiuning's face had reddened all the way to her neck. She thought: This traitorous f***king child of the devil actually sold us three out without hesitation…

As for Jin Fengju, the devil himself, he was laughing so hard that he could not straighten up. Fu Qiuning was so angry that she wanted to forget all about status, identity and all that nonsense to slam her foot into that protruding backside and leave a nice footprint on that silver-white changpao.

It had been a long time since Jin Fengju had laughed out loud so. Even the comic lines of folk songs and professional storytellers usually only elicited small smiles from him. This time, he laughed so hard that all traces of the calm and indifferent noble aristocrat had disappeared. He clutched the children close to him, sputtering between laughter to say, "Aiyo, one can't tell north, south, west, east, another could barely tell left from right and the last is directionally challenged.

Many a verse has been written about such a gathering of people, to think that God himself had assembled all three of you to one place. Fortunately, I came here to pick you up out of concern that something might happen, otherwise, you would still be wandering around the marquisate even after the banquet is over."

Finally, he released the children and came to smile down at Fu Qiuning, still chuckling now and then.

"Still dare to make jokes, why don't you have a think and recall just who was the one who got us into this situation?" Fu Qiuning was so angry that she had forgotten to put on her 'gentle noblewoman' disguise and lashed out fiercely, eyes flaring with anger as she turned her head away with a 'humph!'.

For a moment, Jin Fengju was too stunned to react. Then, he laughed again, his folding fan waving slowly as he considered Fu Qiuning's face. He thought: Although this woman's face is a little ordinary, it has certain interesting notes whenever she smiled or glared at me. I do believe my heart actually skipped a beat just now.

Naturally, none of his thoughts showed on his face. Instead, he smiled and said, "If you wish to vent your fury, [1] I suggest you go after the one who took your aromatic plants and stole credit for your efforts with the Old Madam. It has absolutely nothing to do with me. Come, I shall lead you to the Health & Longevity Court."

Jin Fengju looked down to study the twins' clothes and frowned, "Why aren't they wearing the dragon phoenix jade pendants? If there ever is a reason to wear them, surely it's during the Dragon Boat Festival Banquet?"

Fu Qiuning's voice was mild, "Of course, they are wearing them. Can't you see the pendants on their necks? However, the jade pendants are too eye-catching and should not be openly worn. Therefore, this humble woman instructed them to tuck them into their shirts."

"You call these things eye-catching?" Jin Fengju sneered. He squatted down and took the pendants off the twins' necks and tied them to their waist. He stood and turned to Jin Ming, "A few days ago I had specially ordered two longevity locks for Feng'er and Jiao'er. They had arrived yesterday and are in my study now, go fetch them." He turned to Fu Qiuning again and said with some displeasure as he studied her head, "Why haven't you used any of the accessories from the box of jewellery I sent you? These accessories have long since become outdated. Are you not afraid of being made fun of?"

"This humble woman does not wish to show off," said Fu Qiuning mildly. She thought: It's better if I could use even older ones. If I dressed up too well, who knows how much hatred and jealousy I'd attract from your wives and concubines.

Jin Fengju also understood her reason. Therefore, he merely smiled and said nothing else. Not long after that, Jin Ming returned with the longevity locks. The heavy pendants were made with solid yellow gold, engraved with delicate floral patterns and auspicious words. Instead of a gold chain, the locket was set in a gold collar. Jin Fengju personally put these longevity locks on the twins before getting up and looking over them with a smile. "This is much better. At the very least, they don't look as plain as before."

With that final remark, he grasped each twin by the hand and led them to the Health & Longevity Court.

When they arrived, only Second Master Jin Shi's wife, Fang'shi with her daughter-in-law, He'shi were there with three children. Most of the others had not arrived yet. They must have been surprised to see her and the children, but not a trace of it showed on their faces.

Fu Qiuning escorted the children to greet each person. Fang'shi and He'shi quickly stood up and returned their greetings. A maid laid out cushions in front of the Old Madam and Fu Qiuning led the children over to perform the full ceremonial salute, the infamous feudal system kowtow. As her head touched the floor, Fu Qiuning did not forget to curse this evil feudal system that forced people to prostrate themselves before others.

"Do get up," said Old Madam Jin courteously. When the three got up, she studied them carefully, noting Fu Qiuning's dress which was probably only 80% new and made from ordinary gauze and cotton fabric. Though the material was ordinary, the design was novel and unique. Fortunately, thanks to the light colour and lack of accessories, the clothes did not particularly stand out. Her looks were averagely pretty with a gentle and quiet air. The downcast eyes contrasted with straight shoulders, giving an impression that was neither humble nor arrogant.

The Old Madam quietly raised her perception of this person by three points. She waved her hand and said, "As I rarely see you in the past, do come and sit next to me. Bring the children too. I am old and my eyes can no longer see as well as before. If the two little ones don't come over, I can't see them clearly."

Privately, Fu Qiuning wondered: Reading glasses have not been invented yet? From what I have seen in the [3] Yongzheng Dynasty historical television series, reading glasses should have already been around during the Qing Dynasty. At least, the glasses bestowed to [4] Tong Guowei by Emperor Kangxi were beautifully perfect circles of clear glass. Back then, reading glasses were still a rare thing even among the royalties. She had no idea what era they were in right now, however, she had not heard anyone mention trading with foreign countries. Therefore, it was probably normal even for nobles to not have something like reading glasses yet.

All sorts of random thoughts fleeted through her mind as she brought the twins forward to the Old Madam. She did not sit directly on the kang seat but shuffled off to the side as the twins performed their greetings.

"This great-grandchild greets Great-Grandmother," echoed the twins as they got down on one knee before her.

However, the old lady quickly pulled them up by their little hands and after a good look at their faces, she exclaimed, "Goodness, the two of you really do look like a young Fengju. There is very little difference." She turned to Jin Fengju, "When your mother sees them, won't she be shocked by their faces? Look, look, it is as though they were cast from the same mould as yourself. There's barely any difference."

Jin Fengju smiled, "This grandson plans to invite Elder Madam, therefore, I shall take my leave first." Before he left, he stopped before Fu Qiuning and said in a low voice, "You remain here. I shall be back soon. Don't worry, no one will make things difficult for you. No need to shrink away."

Fu Qiuning though: Which of your eye saw me shrinking away? This is modesty, okay? Modesty. What nonsense, who plans to shrink away? You can't even use your adjectives properly and you call yourself a scholar?

Still, she managed to maintain a gentle and submissive face as she said, "Yes, this humble woman understands. Would the Young Marquis please go ahead?"

From the side, Fang'shi and her daughter-in-law kept their eyes on the exchange and nodded to themselves. They thought: Not bad, even though this wife was not that good looking, her tone and speech are much gentler than that noble-born Second Madam. Her calm and steady nature has the air of a di born daughter that is rather inconsistent with that of a shu born girl.

On the other side of the room, Old Madam Jin had already pulled the children up to the kang seat and asked them questions like: What books did they usually read? Who made their clothes? Who took care of their daily living?

Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao had none of the liveliness displayed at Night Breeze Pavilion on them. Instead, they behaved like a pair of little adults, answering the Old Madam's questions methodically and smoothly. Now and then, their sweet voices coaxed a laugh from the old lady. As she continued to chat with the two children, Old Madam Jin thought: No wonder even Fengju thought so highly of them. The twins are indeed well-behaved and sensible. It's rare to have such a calm and good-tempered disposition at such a young age. Moreover, their reading comprehension appears to be very good. It looked like it was to Fu'shi's credit that the children were so well taught. Fengju certainly had not wasted his effort on her [5].

They were still chatting when a faint sound of laughter came in from outside.

Fu Qiuning thought the sound resembled descriptions from [6] Dream of the Red Chamber. Sure enough, one inner court life was pretty much the same as other inner courts, filled with the tittering of female laughter and the tinkling chime of charming jewellery. She thought of the young ladies in the book, the energetic and sincere Baochai, the slender but gloomy beauty Daiyu and the clever worldly Xifeng.

Right now, which character am I?

Haizz, who else can I be?

I can only be Fang Chuyu in my past life and Fu Qiuning in this life.

She was still preoccupied with her thoughts when the gentle tinkling of waist pendants shimmered through the air like raindrops falling on icicles. In sailed Madam Jiang, followed by Jiang Wanying, Xu'shi, Huo'shi and the rest of the gorgeous women in a single file. This delicate march was momentarily halted when they spotted the two children sitting by the Old Madam. While Madam Jiang was still wondering just whose children had the audacity to sit by the Old Madam, Jiang Wanying had already stiffened with shock. She whipped her gaze around and the moment her gaze fell upon Fu Qiuning, her expression changed.

"Grandmother wanted to meet Changfeng and Changjiao, so I asked someone to invite them over. Mother hasn't met these two grandchildren of yours yet, right?" When Jin Fengju walked up, Old Madam Jin released the two children's hands and he took them, bringing them over to Fu Qiuning's side. The three of them then made their greetings to Madam Jiang.

It was clear that this middle-aged woman had no good feelings towards the two children despite their obedient nature and adorable looks. Compared to Old Madam Jin, Fu Qiuning could even feel a cold aura emanating from Madam Jiang's body. However, she maintained her peace, properly saluted according to custom and pulled the two children to the side with her.

As for Jin Zhenxuan, Jin Zhenyi, Jin Xiuzhen and the other children, they already knew their roles in this little power play and swarmed over to Old Madam's side, grasping at her clothes and hands, their voices chirping affectionately for great-grandma and instantly monopolizing the spaces around the old lady.

[a] With the voices of the children filling the air, the room suddenly became very lively. Jin Fengju glanced over at Fu Qiuning, Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao. Fu Qiuning was standing with her head bowed, obviously thinking about something while the twins were whispering something to each other. Not a single one of them appeared to be distressed by the obvious hostility from Madam Jiang and the others.

When he looked towards Jiang Wanying, Xu'shi, Huo'shi and Madam Jiang, all four were laughing and chatting with each other, but the corners of their eyes kept flitting over the trio on the side. The sparks in their gaze were so strong that it looked as though the room might actually catch fire. He gave a little smile and turned to Madam Fang, "Is Second Uncle still at the government office? Why isn't he here yet?"

Madam Fang pulled him down beside her and said with a laugh, "Your second uncle is just that kind of person. When he came back from the government office, he bade someone to give his greetings to the Old Madam but refused to enter the inner courtyard himself. What about your father and brother? How are they faring outside? When will they return to the city? Do you have any news? In my opinion, life outside is harsh, as the son and younger brother who often appear before the emperor, you should speak some words for them."

Jin Fengju gave a bitter smile, "Is there anything that Second Aunt doesn't know? It s precisely because I often appear before the emperor that such words could not be easily said. I believe Second Uncle should be outside greeting the guests now. I cannot stay here too long as Elder Brother is not around and there's only me and Second Uncle as the male hosts. I must not let him tire himself too much." The 'Elder Brother' here was Jin Luanfeng, Jin Shi's son, who was always away looking after the various Jin family businesses and industries. Only his wife and children were at the marquisate; the man himself was about as easily found as a ghost.

"That makes sense too, go quickly now, your second uncle is a stickler for formalities. I have a feeling those noble young men are looking for you everywhere now," said Fang'shi with a smile. Jin Fengju was about to stand up from his chair when someone called from outside to say, "Old Madam, Princess Consort Rong has sent a steward over with Dragon Boat Festival gifts."

Old Madam Jin said, "Quickly let them in."

At this, the children also stood up eagerly, their necks stretching out to catch sight of the gifts. Princess Consort Jin Yanqiu had always been a meticulous and proper person. Each time she send gifts, she made sure to include everyone. Not even the little children would be left out. Therefore, everyone always looked forward to her gifts.

The steward entered. He first greeted Old Madam Jin, followed by Madam Jiang and Jin Fengju before unfolding the long list of gifts and reading out loud, "Princess Consort Rong presents Old Madam with two pairs of jade ruyi [1], one pair of jadeite cabbages [2], five pairs of fine jade bracelets…"

It went on and on like that for a little over an hour straight. The list was indeed very meticulous leaving no one out aside from Fu'shi, Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao, who were not on the list at all.

Jin Fengju listened dispassionately, feeling a little regretful, thinking: I might have been wrong to make the children and Fu'shi come to this banquet. The children are still young; hearing that everyone, including the other children, all received a gift except for them… what would they think? If they suffer from this, is it not my fault?

He quickly glanced over at the twins and saw them still chattering together in their mysterious twin language, smiling and lost in their own world, not in the least bothered by what was happening outside. When Jin Fengju saw this, he was in awe. He thought: Can they really be indifferent to insults and slights even at that age? Impossible, when I was seven or eight, I was still fighting with my elder brother over toys.

At that thought, he could not help but look towards Fu Qiuning and saw her smiling gently down at the twins. There was quiet pride in that smile. Looking at that smile, his heart warmed and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to leave when Jiang Wanying suddenly laughed and said, "Now that Princess Consort's gifts have arrived, everyone should announce their gifts, right? Although it is the Dragon Boat Festival and not Old Madam's birthday, I have prepared this gift most carefully. Naturally, I am not worthy to compete with the Princess Consort but I dare hope that Old Madam would view this as your granddaughter-in-law sincere regard."

At that, she gave an order to her maids and the servants brought in an embroidered screen into the room. Jiang Wanying smiled, "It took two months to embroider this lotus flower screen. Since the Dragon Boat Festival also marks the beginning of the lotus flower season, this is the best time to display the screen in Old Madam's room."

Old Madam Jin smiled and said, "I've really troubled you. Your thoughtfulness is much appreciated. I am already happy to have received these potted plants and flowers from you just the other day. Surely there's no need for you to prepare this too?"

[a] Then, she turned her head pointedly towards Fu Qiuning.

[a] Jiang Wanying's face flushed as she was suddenly reminded of how she had practically forced the destitute Fu Qiuning into giving up the potted plants in her room. She coughed awkwardly and laughed, "What are a few potted aromatic plants? They are sold everywhere. If Old Madam likes potted plants so much, I can purchase better ones for you in the future. How about placing some flowering azaleas, moutan peonies and Chinese peonies in this room instead? What is more beautiful than the splash of red in a sea of mundane green?"

Old Madam laughed too, she said, "Really? That sounds good. However, I prefer these green fragrant plants myself. Although they are not as beautiful as moutan peonies or Chinese peonies, they are easy to care for, good for supporting one's health and soothe the heart."

The hearts of Madam Jiang and Jiang Wanying suddenly went 'thud'. They thought: Why does it sound like the Old Madam was implying something? Is she trying to hint at something?

The two quietly turned to look at Jin Fengju who only stood up to smile and say, "Since it is time for gifts, how could this grandson fall behind? I happen to have one of Wu Changchun's paintings of Guanyin. This grandson knows that Grandmother likes Wu Changchun's art and naturally should demonstrate my filial piety." Then, he turned to Madam Jiang and said, "However, I do wonder what Mother and Second Aunt have gifted Grandmother?"

Madam Jiang laughed and scolded, "Our gifts were sent a long time ago. Today is a day for you juniors to do your part, I'd like to see what you have for me later."

After saying that, Xu'shi, Huo'shi, Jin Luan Feng's wife and concubines also came forward to present their gifts one after another.

Old Madam Jin was so happy that she could barely keep the smile off her face. By then, most of the women in the family had given or announced their gifts, leaving only Fu Qiuning. Theoretically, as Jin Fengju's main wife in name, she should have been the first to announce her gift to the Old Madam but Jiang Wanying was determined to humiliate her and rushed forward to snatch that opportunity away. On Fu Qiuning's side, she had no wish to stand out or make a scene, moreover, her gifts were not as valuable as the others and thus felt she was not qualified to be in the limelight anyway.

Once it was her turn, she came forward with the two children, saluted the Old Madam properly and said, "This humble woman lacks filial piety. Seeing that it is the Dragon Boat Festival, this humble woman thought the best thing to brighten up the atmosphere should be Rice Dumplings. Therefore, this humble woman personally wrapped a few boxes of it, hoping that Old Madam would not disdain this gift."

Tittering laughter burst out from all around. However, Jin Fengju remained silent, neither smiling nor saying anything as he stared at her dignified figure. He knew that this Fu Qiuning was no simple woman. From the way she withstood the sneering of others, he could not help but sigh to himself and thought: This is true dignity, ah. If it were me, would I be able to stand such sneers?

Even after some thought, he could not be sure.

"And here I was thinking what curious things these grass boxes contained. To think it was just Rice Dumplings. Even the servants have eaten these, just what kind of cheek does one have to send these as gifts?" these words, accompanied by a sneer, came from Xu'shi who clearly could not resist the urge to take a jab at this so-called main wife. Jin Fengju flashed her a look. However, he still said nothing, turning his eyes back to Fu Qiuning, waiting to see how she would retaliate.

However, without waiting for Fu Qiuning's prompting, Jin Changfeng stepped forward, raised his cupped fists up and respectfully said, "Old Madam, my mother's craftsmanship is excellent. Moreover, these are no ordinary jujube or meat-stuffed Rice Dumplings but special kinds made with egg yolks, red bean paste and jujube paste. They are very delicious. We all look forward to them each year. I'm sure Old Madam would like them too."

If this had been said by Fu Qiuning, it would have sounded as though she was trying to defend her cheap presents. However, when spoken by an eight-year-old child, it sounded especially sincere. Without waiting for Madam Jiang and the rest to put in their two coins, Old Madam Jin smiled and said, "Good, good, good, I never had Rice Dumplings stuffed with egg yolk or bean paste. Though I did hear that people in the south stuffed their dumplings with more interesting things but I had never believed them. How does one stuff such soft things into Rice Dumplings anyway? Now that your mother has brought them forward to show her filial piety, I can finally taste these unique delicacies and satisfy my curiosity. Goodness, after chatting all day, I happen to be a little peckish."

By saying this, Old Madam Jin was granting Fu Qiuning a lot of face. So many precious and valuable gifts had been presented and yet none of them attracted a second glance or nod. For her to openly declare her wish to taste these Rice Dumplings right in front of everyone, wasn't that very rare?

For a time, all eyes were on Fu Qiuning, bombarding her with feelings of envy and endless contempt. While she silently lamented in her heart, Fu Qiuning continued to pretend to notice nothing. Instead, she politely peeled a Rice Dumpling for the Old Madam. A quick-witted maid already had a bowl ready [1] and after Fu Qiuning place the peeled Rice Dumpling in the bowl, the maid presented it to the Old Madam.

"En, this should be the one stuffed with egg yolk, right?" said Old Madam Jin as she split the Rice Dumpling with her chopsticks. "How interesting, the flavour is quite unique." In fact, the Old Madam had started this charade as a way to stop the people from putting Fu Qiuning in an awkward position.

[1] She had intended to eat a couple of bites, say some complimentary words to help Fu Qiuning save face and move on. Unexpectedly, after a bite, she found that the savoury flavour of the egg yolk merged very well with the fragrant sticky rice and the faint scent of Reed Leaves. Her praises unexpectedly became sincere.

Fu Qiuning breathed a sigh of relief. She had not expected to find out that there were no Egg Yolk Rice Dumplings in the northern part of China during that era. However, when she thought about it, she vaguely remember an aunt from the north mentioning this little bit of information. [2] That's right, let alone trading with foreigners, even the northern and southern parts of China rarely interacted with each other. Therefore it was possible that in that era where reading glasses were not available to the most respected person in the family, they would not interact enough with their southern brethren enough to have a food culture exchange.

While she had been mulling over her thoughts, the Old Madam had ordered her maids to share out the Rice Dumplings so that everyone could have a taste. However, for Madam Jiang, Jiang Wanying and others of their ilk, how could they happily admire these dumplings? They thought: Weren't these just some cheap, cunning ideas that just happened to appeal to the Old Madam? What of it?

On Fang'shi and He'shi's side, they ate the dumplings and provided a few sincere words of compliment.

Finally, Old Madam said, "Alright, there aren't that many Rice Dumplings. After letting all of you taste them, there's only half a plate left. You stop right there, Fengju. If you want to eat more, you can get them from your wife. Humph, not only did you not honour me with dumplings, but you even dare to steal mine. I had just complimented you for being filial, but I see I have to take those words back."

This elicited another round of laughter from everyone. Right then, Jin Changfeng took something out of his shirt. At first, the item looked flat, but then, after some fiddling about, it suddenly expanded into a boat. An actual dragon boat, woven from jade green willow branches and decorated with motifs made from pieces of lotus leaves. There were even little people inside the boat, woven from grass.

That was something that even Fu Qiuning did not know about. Her mouth dropped open in shock and she quickly flashed a glance at Yu Jie and Aunt Yu. Seeing their dumbfound faces, she knew they had been in the dark too. Before she could do or say anything, Jin Changfeng stepped forward with the boat and said, "This is great-grandson's first meeting with Great-Grandmother. This great-grandson did not have any good things to gift Great-Grandmother, moreover, what manner of precious or valuable things have Great-Grandmother not seen? Surely you would not miss whatever we have in our courtyard?

Therefore, my sister and I wove this dragon boat out of straw, willow branches and lotus leaves and boldly present it to Great-Grandmother. This grandson begs Great-Grandmother to see it as our filial piety and hope that you would not disdain it for being crudely made." Then, as though attacked by sudden shyness, he lowered his head and said, "This is just a little toy we made with skills taught to us by Yu Jie. It's been two or three years hence and our hands may have forgotten their skills. We beg Great-Grandmother to not laugh at our poor effort."

"Aiyo, this dragon boat is so ingeniously made. If this is bad, where would we find a good one?" Madam Fang pressed her hands together admiringly as though she had not seen Madam Jiang's Very Significant glance. She smiled at Old Madam Jin, "Old Madam, look how fortunate you are. These two children are so sensible, I believe that in the whole of the marquisate, even the ones from our side of the family, not a single child is as sensible or understanding as them. Just one look at this dragon boat is enough for everyone to know just how much effort has been put into it."

Old Madam Jin was grinning ear to ear as she beckoned the twins, "Quick, come over here. Let me have a look. Aiya, although it's made from straw and wood, I can tell just how much time and effort has been put into it." She turned to the children seated beside her, "Zhenyi, Xiuru, come, make a little room for your elder brother and sister."

Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiuru flushed and moved away. Their eyes, when looking at Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao, seemed to spew fire. However, neither of the twins seemed to notice. They solemnly thanked the old lady and sat down next to her.

Old Madam smiled and asked, "I noticed that when you brought it out just now, it was completely flat. Just how did you suddenly turn it into a big ship?

Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao quickly explained the method to her, and even Jin Fengju could not help but prick up his ears. He too was a little curious and after seeing the children demonstrate how they folded and unfolded the boat, he realised that the entire structure was woven to interconnect like a parallelogram in such a way that with just a light squeeze, it could be flattened and tucked away. If anyone wished to expand it, it could be done so quickly.

This little trick was nothing among the common folk. However, such a skill was rather astonishing within a noble household, especially since it was made by children. Others could not help but recognise the ingenuity behind this little structure. From the side, Fu Qiuning could not help but anxiously hiss at Aunt Yu and Yu Jie, "Who told them to do this? This is just great, now we shall attract arrows from all sides."

Aunt Yu and Yu Jie both blankly shook their heads. Fu Qiuning's heart skipped a beat, thinking: If this was not taught by adults, then… did the children think up this scheme themselves? Could inborn talent manifest itself like this? Surely they have never seen this Old Madam? So where did this filial piety come from? Did it spring naturally from their desire to please a blood relative? Or were the children trying to curry favour with the Old Madam on purpose?

If it was the former, it is still understandable, but if it was the latter… she could not help but shiver, thinking: Isn't it too scary? The children are still so young yet already know how to impress someone they never met. Don't tell me that children born in noble households are equipped with the skills for harem battles? No, no, no, impossible. Feng'er and Jiao'er could not have done this on purpose. They had never even stepped outside the door of Night Breeze Pavilion before, so how could they know what the Old Madam likes? It must all be from a young child's sincere heart.

Yes, that must be it. [a]

She already knew that gifting Rice Dumplings would invite ridicule. Even so, she was prepared to endure their sneers and taunts. Better to be looked down on rather than incite jealousy from those wives and concubines. Even though Madam Jiang was the official mother-in-law, she shared a surname with Jiang Wanying. Clearly, this Aunt Jiang would side with that Niece Jiang, so there was no help coming from that quarter. If she sticks her head out, isn't she just inviting someone to shoot her in the face?

Who would have thought that Old Madam could not bear to see her being ridiculed and actually lent a helping hand? This was enough to give Fu Qiuning a headache, but then the children suddenly had to show their ingenuity like this.

For Yu Jie whose strong point was weaving these little straw toys, she would not think much of this little boat. After all, she could make even more elaborate structures in less time. However, for these sheltered aristocrats who had 'never seen the sky', such a structure would appear quite clever.

Fu Qiuning could see the hidden knives in those smiling eyes and wanted to raise a complaint to the Heavens: You two broken brats! What are you planning with this stupid show, ah? Did you learn this from your plague bringing dad?!

Jin Fengju had been looking at Fu Qiuning warily for a while now. Even after he turned his head away, he did not realise that the corners of his mouth had pulled up beyond the perfunctory smile he usually wore to these functions. He sneered to himself: That woman probably has not expected Feng'er and Jiao'er to pull this little trick, right? Just look at that angry and frustrated face when she hissed at Aunt Yu and Yu Jie. Hahaha, how interesting.

While dark currents were stirring around the adults, the children seated next to Old Madam Jin were already buzzing with activity. Everyone was talking about the big dragon boat. Suddenly, Jin Zhenyi snorted, "Just what broken boat is this? Here I was, wondering what good thing everyone is talking about. Turns out it was just some bits of grass and branches. Great-Grandmother, if you like boats, I would have brought that big golden boat that uncle gave me two days ago. Why don't I get the maids to bring that golden boat to you later?"

The Old Madam nodded with a little smile, "Good, you have a good heart. However, I don't have a lot of space here. You should keep it to yourself if you like it that much."

Jin Xiuzhen of Jiang'shi's house suddenly covered her mouth and giggled, "Brother Zhenyi, aren't you too used to 'firing after the horse has run'? [2] You should have said something earlier, but look, you only mention your boat after someone else had already made a boat. If not for elder brother and sister, we would never have heard even a rumour about this. To think you'd personally mention it yourself just now?"

Cui'shi's daughter, Jin Xiunan, also laughed, "Don't say that, brother Zhenyi has always been generous. However, he's too straightforward for hidden motives. Unfortunately, he did not manage to consider everything. In the end, we must give credit to our much smarter brother and sister. We grandchildren are just too straight-laced and cannot match them in wits. Although the boat is woven with grass, it touches the people's hearts, ah.

What could we, who turned up with empty hands, say? Mother is too useless, only thinking of pleasing the Old Madam when sending gifts and forgetting to let us know. If she had given us a bit of time to think, surely we could have also shown a better face to our ancestor now?"

The children, aside from Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao who had frozen in place, all laughed heartily. The Old Madam laughed too and said, "Out of all my grandchildren here, you are the most eloquent. You're usually so quiet, but once you speak, your words are fatal. Come, come, this is your brother and sister's first visit, so don't scare them."

After saying that, she handed the boat to the maid beside her and said, "Take this and put it in the cabinet. I'd like to have a look at it from time to time whenever I'm bored."

She was actually very fond of this gift. Although it was not an exquisitely made piece of art, it was valuable as it was handmade. However, seeing how Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao had already made these other grandchildren unhappy, how could she not understand? Not a single one of these grandchildren were [1] 'fuel-efficient lamps', therefore, in order to avert trouble, she had the maid set the boat aside on the cabinet.

Although Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao had received Fu Qiuning's love and care in the past five years and were raised like hothouse flowers inside [a] their closed gate courtyard, they had never forgotten the bullying they had suffered in the past. How could they not understand the secret taunting under the superficial praises?

With saddened hearts, they thought: You call us brother and sister, yet still say such humiliating words to us? No matter what, we all share the same father. Moreover, the grass boat was meant to express our feelings and has nothing to do with you. Just because you can't think for yourself, you want to make fun of us. Does the word 'justice' or 'fairness' even exist in this marquisate?

Because of this abuse, the twins' initial excitement at meeting their other relatives disappeared. They lowered their heads, nothing but chagrin in their minds. Suddenly, Old Madam Jin said, "Right, return to your mothers. After sitting for so long, my legs are numb. Let me stretch my legs a little."

The twins could hardly wait to hop off the kang bed. They bowed once more to Old Madam before rushing towards Fu Qiuning, clutching her hands tightly as other children also returned to their respective mothers.

Only then did Jin Fengju come to the Old Madam and say with a smile, "Old Ancestor, this grandson also has to leave, I'm afraid the gentlemen outside have already arrived, I have to entertain the guests with Second Uncle."

The Old Madam replied, "Why are you still here after half this day? You even left your Second Uncle out there to struggle with his old bones. Go and take his place for a while. After all, aren't those noble young men out there looking for you?"

Jin Fengju smiled and made to leave. Just as he was leaving, he cast a glance at Fu Qiuning and caught the hint of anger hidden in her eyes. He smiled back, thinking: You should cultivate well. One day, you will have to involve yourself in these little battles too. Do you really think I'll let you stay hidden within Night Breeze Pavilion for life?

The more he thought about it, the prouder he became. With his chest puffed out, he left through the main doors.

In the wake of the Young Marquis' departure, a group of maids whispered and giggled to each other about his gorgeous outfit and dazzling smiles. In contrast, Jin Fengju's wives and concubines were very sedate and calm as they drank tea together on the side. As for Madam Jiang, it was unclear what was going on in her mind, but her expression was very cold. Now and then, she would flash a look at Fu Qiuning's general direction, her expression becoming gloomier the more she looked at that woman and those two children.

Fu Qiuning was seated in a chair with Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao [1] in a quiet corner. She whispered, "Who told you to do this reckless thing? Well, now you've just seen for yourself the kind of backlash that comes from a reckless action-. I've told you before, haven't I? '[2] A tall tree attracts wind', the most important thing we should do in this mansion is to hide our talents and restrain our feelings. But you two did the exact opposite and stuck your head out like birds waiting for a hunter's arrow."

The twins whispered back, "We didn't think it would be like this. We just thought, since it's our first time meeting Great-Grandmother, we should make her happy by gifting something to her. We know that mother has no money for expensive gifts and thought… thought that we could make something… It's just a small token. Since it's the Dragon Boat Festival, we thought… making a boat is…" the twins stopped. Their lips flattened as they tried to restrain their tears.

Fu Qiuning sighed. She thought: It was just a child's desire to please a senior family member. How could she scold them for their filial thoughts?

She was about to comfort the two when Jiang Wanying's voice interrupted, "Yi? Why are the pendants on these children's waists so familiar? I wonder, just where did elder sister buy these gorgeous jades? I must say, the colour of these jades is very good. My, they are actually rare Hetian mutton fat jades."

Fu Qiuning privately sighed. She thought: Here it comes again. I knew that today's banquet will be difficult to swallow.

Already fed up with all the fakeness around her, she nevertheless dredged up a soft smile and said, "The Young Marquis gifted these jades to the children. I have little understanding of such things. I just thought they look good. The children usually keep the jades on a string around their necks and under their clothes for fear of breaking them accidentally. How unfortunate it would be to ruin a token from Lord Husband? However, when Lord Husband personally tied the tokens to their belts, saying that it looks better than having the jades hidden away."

There, thought Fu Qiuning: I am telling you now that I have no interest in expensive trinkets but that your master is the one who gifted them to the twins. So, if you want to be angry at anyone, please direct your anger to the proper channel. Also, the children's pendants are personally tied to their waists by their father. So if you want to damage them, do so with the full knowledge that you are damaging something personally gifted by your hubby.

"So, it is like this. Here I was wondering why two of Lord Husband's jade pendants have gone missing. Speaking of which, these pendants were bestowed to Lord Husband by Prince Rong. Zhenxuan and the rest have begged him to lend the pendants to them, but never even get to touch them. Mother, look, look how much Lord Husband adore these pair of twins. No wonder Zhenxuan could never get his hands on the jades. Looks like they have already been prepared for the twins." Jiang Wanying never dropped the smile on her face, but her every word dripped with vinegar.

Suddenly, Old Madam Jin laughed and said, "Wan girl is still so wonderfully articulated. No wonder Fengju favours you best. With his every visit, something always goes missing from my place and ends up in your room. In my eyes, the jades on Feng'er and Jiao'er are quite ordinary. It is only significant because it had been bestowed by Prince Rong. If you like jade pendants so much, why don't I gift one to you too? What is so amazing about a piece of jade? Even I am starting to feel distressed by how pitiful you sound."

Jiang Wanying nearly choked. How could she not understand that the Old Madam was protecting Fu'shi and those twins by ridiculing her? Though she felt even more annoyed, the smile on her face bloomed even brighter. Nevertheless, she decided not to speak anymore.

Xu'shi, who had been observing the situation on the side, saw everything clearly. She smiled and said, "Elder sister, just what have you been saying to the brother and sister? They looked like they are about to cry. Good children, don't cry, come and let Concubine Mother have a look at you. Aiyo, now that I have a better look, I must say, your faces are really similar to Lord Husband's. Come over and let me have a better look."

She beckoned Changfeng and Changjiao to come over, but the twins were still a little frightened. Fu Qiuning shook their hands gently and laughed, "Since Concubine Mother wants to have a look at you, do go over. Go on now, be generous and don't act like a petty child."

Helpless [1] now that their mother was personally sending them to the wolves, the twins could only trot over to Xu'shi's side and let her pull them over to be looked at. A few more insincere words of praises later, they suddenly heard Yue Lan say, "Oh, so the gold collars were made for the twins! Yesterday, I saw Steward Jin bringing these collars in and was wondering what on earth was happening."

At this, all eyes went to the gold collars around the twins' necks. Being new, they looked very beautiful and so polished that they dazzled under the merest hint of sunlight.

Suddenly, Jin Xiuzhen said, "Since mothers are chatting together, this daughter dare not disturb too much. It just so happens that the sun is shining so brightly, when don't we all play outside with elder brother and sister? We can all return for lunch, is that alright?"

Jiang Wanying frowned. She knew that her daughter was scheming something. After some time, the crease disappeared from between her brows and she smiled, "In that case, go and play. Be sure not to go too far, it will be lunch soon. All of you eat very well and won't miss a banquet or two. However, it is probably rare for your brother and sister to experience such a wonderful meal even a few times a year. Be sure not to make them miss the feast."

Fu Qiuning's eye twitched but her expression remained calm. She thought: Such a low blow from this Second Madam. She already knew that we are poor, but she still wants to press us like this? It's just a meal. Since I will return to Night Breeze Pavilion after this meal, I won't quarrel with you. Why can't you just endure a bit? [3] Have you been scheming and fighting all your lives that you had forgotten how else to live?

While she was pondering over this, she noticed the twins still standing in place, waiting for her instructions. She took a slow sip of her tea and smiled, "Go ahead. Come back in time for lunch. There are rules for people like us and we must abide by them. The rest is up to your discretion."

At this, Jiang Wanying's face changed again.

Fu Qiuning privately sneered: If others don't offend me, I won't bother them. However, if you insist on pressing me into a corner with your words, allow me to apologise first. Though I do not wish to become a thorny durian, I am not a soft persimmon.

The twins were obviously reluctant to leave, but they made their way outside nevertheless. The other children exchanged glances with each other. Suddenly, they all rushed outside shrieking and shouting in a lively manner. Aunt Yu looked worried and was about to follow them out but was stopped by Fu Qiuning's sharp hand wave.

Fu Qiuning understood that the twins' positions were different from hers. Though she could protect them for a few years, she could not shelter them forever. Unless they leave this wretched marquisate, they would one day have to deal with the underhanded schemes and hidden battles of a noble house.

The sooner they learn to recognise these dangers, the better. Although it was a little cruel to the twins, [1] it was the best thing she could do for them so that they could survive better in the future.

"You entered the marquisate in the same year as Wanying, didn't you?"

[1] Fu Qiuning's musings were interrupted by Madam Jiang. She thought: Here it comes. Since the niece failed to take advantage of me, the aunt rides out into the battlefield. Whatever, for future peace, so long as she doesn't act too excessively, I shall endure.

With this thought in mind, Fu Qiuning lowered her head and replied with a gentle, "Yes."

"It has already been so many years, why have I never heard your request to return to your maternal home? I heard your parents are still around. As daughter, you should return and pay a visit to them. If you lack even this basic filial piety, how do you intend to serve the Old Madam and myself in the future? Why don't you find a time and pay a call to your maternal home?" Madam Jiang's voice was mild. However, her meaning was very clear: Once you return to that place, you had better not come back.

Fu Qiuning paused. She had never expected Madam Jiang's opening move to be so vicious as to force her onto the road of death right away. Why had she not returned to her maternal home? Who in this marquisate did not know the reason for this? Now, she had been charged with the crime of failing to fulfil her filial obligations. In this feudal society, such a crime was not easy to defend against, even for men. As a woman, she would suffer even more.

Thus, a fire surged in her heart and she had to force it down a few times before she was able to suppress it enough to properly consider her next move. After a long while, she left her seat and bowed deeply to Madam Jiang.

"This humble woman is ashamed. From the moment this humble woman married into the marquisate, though this humble woman is the official wife in name, this humble woman is humble in talent and shallow in learning, and could only provoke mother-in-law's spurning due to this humble woman's inability to properly serve mother-in-law for even a day. How could this humble woman not desire to return to her maternal home? However, this humble woman had yet to make even the slightest of contributions to my husband's family and therefore did not have the face to return to her parents.

Such was this humble woman's secret hardships that could never be shared with outsiders. Now that Elder Madam has so kindly bestowed such kindness to this humble woman, this humble woman cannot thank Elder Madam enough. Many thanks for thinking so kindly of this humble woman. It has been so many years that this humble woman had thought that Elder Madam has deserted this humble woman. Now that this humble woman knows that it is all this humble woman's mistake. Elder Madam had treated this humble woman with utmost care and had shown every possible consideration. It is all this humble woman's petty thoughts that had mistaken the gracious intentions of great and noble person. This humble woman stands ready to accept Elder Madam's punishment." [a]

On the surface, the words were filled with self-blame, regret and embarrassment, and perhaps even a bit of spineless apology. However, under the thin surface, one could tell that each regretful speech hid knives of recrimination against the injustice she had suffered within the marquisate. However, when taken apart, the words contained not a trace of accusation or interrogation.

Then again.

Who were these people in the room? Who in this marquisate was not practised in double meaning words? Who was not a schemer of some kind? How could they miss the edge of accusation in every word?

For a moment, Madam Jiang's expression grew a little unsightly.

Suddenly, Old Madam Jin said, "Alright, enough about that. No need to talk about that now. Fengju's wife is sickly and weak, that is why she had been staying at the marquisate all this while. Since there's nothing much going on and we did not receive a letter from her parents requesting her return, why should she go to her maternal house for no reason? Better to stay here to rest and recover properly before considering anything else."

Old Madam's timely interference had helped Fu Qiuning escape the sudden order to return to her maternal house. Incidentally, it had also helped the marquisate save face and maintain its dignity. Naturally, everyone knew why Fu Qiuning had been neglected all this while. In fact, one could say that these little placating words meant nothing except as a thin veneer of excuse over their abominable actions. However, that was exactly what an aristocratic house was like. Though reality was ugly, they would still try to dress it up with some nicely worded excuse. Never mind that nobody would actually believe a word of it. This was also an interesting part of inner courtyard fights.

Thus, having played her part in this little drama, Fu Qiuning bowed her thanks to the Old Madam. The people around them began chatting to each other, pulling a veneer of normalcy to cover up the earlier faux pas. Old Madam Jin turned to Jiang Wanying and said, "Send someone to the kitchen and find out if the banquet is ready. The sun is getting high in the sky and will be noon in a bit. I'm sure everyone should be hungry now."

Jiang Wanying accepted the order and stood up to summon a maid to check the kitchen when a sudden burst of laughter came in from outside and several children thundered into the room. Fu Qiuning, Yu Jie and Aunt Yu quickly scanned the crowd to make sure that the twins were alright. However, one look at their gloomy faces was enough to know that the two children had probably suffered a lot of ridicule from the other children.

"Yi? Feng'er and Jiao'er, where are your jade pendants?" [b] Madam Fang suddenly commented. The three ladies quickly glanced at the twins' waist, and sure enough, the pendants were no longer there.

Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao pressed their lips together and said nothing. They headed straight for Fu Qiuning's side, tears falling like beads as they extended their hands to their mother. Within their little hands were the broken pieces of the jade pendant. The sharp edges had pierced into the children's palms, leaving little cuts that bloodied up their soft hands.

Fu Qiuning felt the anger in her stomach rush to the top of her head and her face turned cold. She clenched her fist, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths to calm down before smiling at the children, "Why are you so careless? What an odd chance. You've worn them for so many days at Night Breeze Pavilion, but they shattered when we were at the banquet. Don't tell me you got so excited by Old Madam's wonderful garden and had an accident while playing?"

Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao looked at her dubiously. When she shook her head minutely, they lowered their heads and murmured, "It's our fault for not being careful. Mother, please punish us for our negligence."

Still maintaining her smile, Fu Qiuning handed the broken pieces of jade to Aunt Yu, saying, "No matter what, these are bestowed to them by the Young Marquis. Even though they are broken, we should still keep them for the children." She turned to the twins and said, "Well, enough about that, just look at your little hands. They're all injured now. How can mother punish you when you're all hurt? It's just a couple of jade pendants. I'm sure your father will think so too." She stroked their heads and said warmly, "Well now, go wash your hands. Yu Jie, you go with them. If blood still flows, make sure to wrap up their hands."

Suddenly, the Old Madam said, "What happened to their hands? Come and let me have a look."

Fu Qiuning quickly stood up and said, "Replying to Old Madam, it's nothing much. The children were just playful and were afraid their father would scold them for losing the jade pendants and clutched them too hard in their hands. It's just a little skin injury, nothing serious enough to warrant Old Madam's attention. Their hands would be fine after washing."

How could the Old Madam ignore the matter after this? She immediately insisted that the children show her their hands to her. After looking over the injuries for a while, she smiled, "What a pair of sensible children. Go and wash your hands. Luo Cui, go with the children and apply a little of the best ointment in my house on their hands." Then, she turned to Fu Qiuning and said, "You young people have no understanding of how serious a small injury could become. Sometimes, it could lead to major illnesses, therefore, it's better to be cautious."

Fu Qiuning quickly saluted the Old Madam, showing gratefulness for her benevolence. She knew that this was the old lady's way of compensating the children and felt a little more at peace. However, she also knew that Old Madam being partial to them would definitely make Madam Jiang and Jin Fengju's other wives and concubines unhappy, to say the least. However, at this point, she really did not care anymore. These spoilt women had nothing better to do with their time than making trouble for each other over petty jealousies or imagined faults.

Their thinking had long been twisted up by their crooked upbringing. [1] Children were a reflection of their parents and these little brats' petty jealous nature could not let them bear to see others being a little well off. No wonder Jin Fengju favoured Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao so much when he first saw them and liked to get close to the twins. If his other children had been just as sensible, how could a pair of low born children be compared to these young masters and young misses?

Even though Fu Qiuning had always known the saying 'Wealth will never last three generations', She had always thought that this saying was too exaggerated. After all, if a rich family has many children, surely there would be at least one good shoot among the many weeds to take over the family business?

It was only now that she understood that children raised in the laps of luxury by parents who themselves grew up knowing nothing but luxury could not escape being spoilt to ruination. If the children observed their parents and only learned how to scheme and undermine others to get ahead, how could they grow up to be good and moral people?

While the banquet was happening around her, Fu Qiuning kept herself distracted by turning over various philosophical thoughts in her head. As for the many [2] mermaids and orioles crowding the table, no matter how much they looked down on Fu Qiuning, she still held the title of Jin Fengju's official wife and was given the seat next to Madam Jiang. Naturally, this position attracted a lot of eye rolls and scorn, but she pretended to be blind to everything.

After all, she had zero expectations from these people. Moreover, if she were to cower before these [1] spoilt brats, not only would she lose her dignity, Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao would not be able to lift their heads in this family either.

Naturally, there were a lot of cold remarks being thrown around but Fu Qiuning was quite capable of pretending to be deaf too. Whenever a pointed question was posed to her, she would answer with a calm smile without a hint of aggression. However, she refused to show weakness either and kept her tone quiet, but firm.

Once the banquet was over, Fu Qiuning only sat for a little while longer before taking the children's hands and bowing before the Old Madam for permission to leave. She had no intention to stay any longer. If etiquette had not prevented it, she would have left immediately after the last dish was served. Why should she sit around and let those spoilt, bratty women take potshots at her?

The Old Madam seemed to understand her situation, nodded and smiled, "Well, since your health is not good, it's better to return and rest. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, send someone over to let me know. You live so far away. If you don't say something to anyone, things might be omitted as your mother-in-law and Wanying have such a large family to look after."

Fu Qiuning [1] was too happy with the permission to leave to add anything else. She quickly said some agreeable words, heaved a sigh of relief and gracefully fled the place with Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao in hand. Old Madam Jin kept her eyes on Fu Qiuning until she disappeared around a screen before looking away. She turned to a few old ladies about the same age as herself and said, "I dare not take afternoon naps these days, otherwise I cannot sleep at night. Why don't we play a few rounds?"

Hearing that the Old Madam wished to play mahjong, Madam Jiang, Jiang Wanying and the other younger ladies retired first. Jin Fengju accompanied Jin Shi and the other sons to watch the dragon boat race outside the marquisate and did not return until late. Even then, he stood at the gate of Clear Soft Pavilion for some time before entering the gates.

The moment she saw Jin Fengju, Jiang Wanying could not help but started to complain. Jin Fengju had no choice but to soothe her with gentle words even as he privately sighed: The abandoned official wife is able to maintain her poise and dignity in the face of great adversity and poverty. Why are the rest of you so hostile against her? Furthermore, the cousin in my memory was so docile and gentle, why did she transform into a mean and calculating shrew after marrying in? She cannot even educate her children well. Could it really be my fault? But, I have already given her everything that could be given. If this much is considered shaming her, won't I have to die to apologise for my offences against Fu'shi?

When he thought of this, Jin Fengju suddenly felt very irritated. The entire Clear Soft Pavilion suddenly felt hostile, not the least bit peaceful. As a man, he felt helpless against the demands of a woman. Thus, after a restless night, he got up early, tidied himself up and set out for court as soon as possible. After morning court, he put in some hours at the Hanlin Academy before finally returning to the marquisate.

However, he did not go to Clear Soft Pavilion, but headed straight for Health & Longevity Court instead.

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The Old Madam did not have much to do at the moment and was feeling a little bored. She was currently chatting with an elderly maid of hers, pointing out the pots of lush aromatic plants at the window sill, "Just look at them. Look how cheerful they are. After they entered the house, the air is so refreshing that I wanted to breathe more just to enjoy their scent."

The elderly maid was called Ming Yu. She came into the marquisate with Old Madam Jin as a dowry maid. After the death of her husband, and with her son all grown up and working as a steward in the marquisate, she returned to the marquisate to accompany Old Madam Jin. She did not have any fixed jobs to do; her main responsibility was to accompany the Old Madam and play cards or gossip with her. Because of her seniority, all the servants respected her. Even Madam Jiang had to pay her 3 points of respect.

When she heard Old Madam Jin comment about the plants, she smiled and said, "Isn't that right? The fragrance from these aromatic plants is very good. It's one thing for Fu'shi to offer such things when she must be hard up, but a person's heart is revealed by

the care she must have lavished on these plants. Speaking of which, after this old servant saw Fu'shi yesterday, I found that she has a very pleasant countenance.

I used to think that the people from the Zhenjiang Palace would all be proud to the point that their noses touch the sky. Her plain and simple clothes, along with her clear eyes and the lack of black eyebrow paint gave off a very refreshing feel. Her demeanour was very dignified and steady. If anyone were to meet her without knowing her background, wouldn't they think that they were looking at a well-bred girl from a great noble house?"

Old Madam Jin nodded slowly. She smiled, "Both her manners and dress sense are good. Right now, the current trend is to dress as extravagantly as possible, the more accessories, the better. No one leaves their house without a pile of gold sticking out of their heads. Seeing her yesterday reminded me of the time when the Old Marquis had just been bestowed with the marquis rank. We all dressed very carefully lest we attract the attention of others, unlike the juniors now who spend money like water.

These young people barely blink when they spend money on a single hairpin. Last time, I heard that Fengju spent a few hundred silver just to celebrate a concubine's birthday. Aih! I'm old and don't wish to quarrel with them. Let them do as they like. I believe that Fengju should have a good grasp of what's going on. Moreover, our marquisate is rich now.

Unlike back then when we have to be frugal, why should we stop them from spending?

When I look at Fu'shi, I can see that though her clothes and accessories were secondary, she has everything that a good woman should have: her dignity, manners and forbearance are top-notch. More importantly, she was not weak against bullying. You could feel the edges around her words when the others tried to look down on her.

She had married in for six years, but though she is the official wife in name, how is she different from an abandoned wife? Moreover, she is a shu born girl. If it had been any other girl, who knows what would have happened to them? To suddenly be called to attend a family banquet, I thought she would be extremely aggrieved or put on a domineering act, or perhaps be a weak little mouse who dare not say anything.

Who would have thought that she would be so composed, displaying no hint of grievance? Every action, every word was calm, dignified, and unruffled with a ring of benevolent energy about her. This is something very few women could do."

Luo Cui, who had been listening from the side, smiled and said, "[3] Granny, just listen. I've served Old Madam for so long but have never heard her praise anyone so much. Who would have thought that Second Madam would be left out in the cold by the Old Madam? Personally, I find her a little gloomy, not at all like our cheerful Second Madam."

Granny Ming Yu laughed, "What do you know? Our Second Madam is certainly not bad but each lady has their own merits."

She had just finished speaking when a maid from the outside called, "The Young Marquis has arrived."

"How should I say it? What makes you come here again?" Old Madam Jin was overjoyed to see this beloved grandson here despite the [a] contradictory words pouring from her mouth. She quickly sat up as Jin Fengju came around the screen and greeted her before sitting down to say, "There's nothing much to do at the Hanlin Academy today, so this grandson came home early. If I visit Mother, she would nag me about divorcing Fu'shi again. I don't wish to talk about it and be accused of being unfilial. That's why I'm here to freeload a meal at Grandmother's. Do you still have any of those Rice Dumplings from Fu'shi? Let's peel one now. I want the one with the red bean paste filling."

Old Madam Jin smiled and turned to Granny Ming Yu, "Did you hear this? He has designs on my Rice Dumplings. I haven't even offered him any and yet here he is, trying to get his hands on them. You may eat them if you wish. However, as punishment, you shall go to Fu'shi's place and ask for a few boxes more for me. I had two last night and don't have many left. It must have been quite difficult for her to come up with all these different kinds of fillings."

Jin Fengju laughed and replied, "Grandmother, surely she's not the only one who could make these Rice Dumplings? Now that we know that things like egg yolk and bean paste could be used as fillings, why not have the cooks make them?"

Old Madam Jin spat and said, "It sounds like you're thinking of me, but you're actually worried for your wife, right? As well you should, after leaving her to suffer out in the cold for six years, her situation is quite pitiable. It's rare for someone like that to maintain their poise and dignity. Well? Do you plan to have her return to the inner court?"

Just then, Luo Cui appeared with the peeled Rice Dumplings. Jin Fengju took one piece and bit down. After swallowing, he shook his head, "She is not willing to return to the inner court. She said the children's minds are still immature and she was afraid that if they enter the inner court now, they would be affected by the luxurious lifestyle there. I thought it made sense and agreed to postpone it for now. Since she likes Night Breeze Pavilion so much, let her stay a little longer."

Old madam Jin was surprised, "She refused to go to the inner court? How unexpected. Looks like this Fu'shi is a very sharp one. No wonder the two children are so sensible and well educated."

Then, she proceeded to relay the incident regarding the dragon and phoenix jade pendants from the day before to Jin Fengju. By the time he had finished the Rice dumplings, a cold smile stretched across his lips, "There's no need to wonder who the culprit was behind this. Those little brats only knew how to follow their mother's footsteps and [a] learn cunning schemes instead of devoting their time to proper studies and character improvement. Looks like these youngsters with their jealous eyes and grasping hands have surpassed their teachers in the art of battling for favour.

How I hate that I had been too busy with political affairs and lacked the time to discipline them. Old Madam and Elder Madam have also coddled them too much. If this continues, I'd have [a] nothing but a bunch of useless fops under my knees."

Old Madam Jin also knew in her heart that she was indeed guilty of spoiling those grandchildren and had nothing to say in her defence. She could only demur and say, "It is the grandparents' job to spoil their grandchildren. It had always been like this since ancient times. If you as parents do not care to discipline them, how could we the elderly be strict with them? When your father wanted to beat you, I did not stop him either."

Jin Fengju laughed and said, "Grandmother is right. However, I was never as lawless, wild or short-sighted, was I?" He stood up with a sigh and said. "It is close to noon. I had come here freeload a meal from Old Madam, but who would have imagined that I would gain a great debt from a single Rice Dumpling? Very well, I shall go forth and request for more Rice Dumplings to compensate Grandmother. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a light debt."

His words caused the Old Madam and everyone around her to laugh. The Old Madam shouted at him, "Someone come, ah! Someone throw this rascal out…" Before she could finish speaking, Jin Fengju had already run outside, laughing on the way.

After leaving Health & Longevity Court, Jin Fengju said to Jin Ming, "Go to the study and fetch the two white jade lion paperweights that the emperor had bestowed to me."

At Jin Ming's blank stare, he sneered and said, "What? Do you need this master to explain what I intend to do with those things in detail before you obey me? Just how much money have you received from Second Madam? Are you her spy now?"

Cold sweat broke out on Jin Ming's body. He knew that his master's mood was very bad right now and was just spitting curses at him without real suspicion. Therefore, [a] instead of falling to his knees and begging for forgiveness, he turned around and swiftly ran away in a cloud of dust, only returning when he had two exquisite sandalwood boxes in his arms. When Jin Fengju saw that his servant had returned, the folding fan closed with a snap and he said, "Go, onwards to Night Breeze Pavilion."

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Today was the liveliest of days for the whole year at Night Breeze Pavilion. The food was ready and the Jin Twins were watching Fu Qiuning and Yu Jie move the dining table to the sunning deck outside. After setting out the bowls of dishes, Fu Qiuning said, "Go wash your hands quickly, we'll have a good meal when you come back."

"We've washed up," the twins were holding up their hands for inspection when they heard soft laughter from the courtyard door and a voice saying, "Rather than being early, it's better to be on time. If I had been a little later, I would not be able to freeload today's meal."

They all turned and saw Jin Fengju and Jin Ming stepping through the courtyard doors one after another. The children gave a joyful shout and rushed over to pounce on their father.

Jin Fengju did not hesitate to hug and kiss them on the cheeks, but he was privately surprised. He wondered: Just what is going on, ah? Were they afraid that I would blame them for the broken jades and welcomed me more warmly than usual? What silly children.

When he stepped onto the sun deck, he was taken aback by the number of sumptuous dishes on the table. Even more curious now, he gave a slight smile and asked, "For you to put out such a spread, what happened? Is today some kind of special day?"

The smile on Fu Qiuning's face was warm and sincere. Seeing Jin Fengju's increasingly baffled expression, she said, "This morning I hesitated over whether to invite you over. After thinking thrice, I worried about disturbing your work and decided not to say anything after all. I did not expect you to suddenly come this afternoon. It was really a great coincidence, ah." She pulled him aside and said softly, "Today is Feng'er's and Jiao'er's birthday. After today, they will be fully eight years old."

This could not be said to be an earth-shattering statement, but when Jin Fengju heard it, it felt like a lightning had struck him, and he froze on the spot.

It took him an embarrassingly long time to return to himself and look at the children's excited faces and bright eyes. Even a self-proclaimed ruthless and prideful heroic man like him could not help but feel a sharp stab of pain in his heart and a lump in his throat. After a while, he suddenly came forward and hugged the children tightly to himself, unable to say anything for a long time.

When Yu Jie and Aunt Yu saw this, they had to turn away and wipe their eyes: It had been eight years, ah. The children are already eight years old. Finally, they managed to reach this long yearned-for day when their father came to celebrate their birthday with them. Even Fu Qiuning, the woman with a heart as calm as still water, could not help feeling some warmth in her eyes.

"Alright, enough hugging. You're going to crush the children if you keep this up. Come, eat." Fu Qiuning said with a business-like voice after wiping her eyes.

After all, the children were still young, how would they understand so many things? They only thought that having their father accompanying them for their birthday was already a very happy occasion. Thoughts such as the sadness and misery of all past birthdays without their father did not occur to them at all. When they heard Fu Qiuning's reminder, they both jumped up cheerfully and each pulled one of Jin Fengju's hands towards the table laden with delicious food.