"Madam, this is the gift list from Chen Guanlou. Please take a look."
The butler presented the gift list.
Liu Wanshi took the list and glanced at it, letting out a soft laugh. "He's certainly generous."
A mere ten taels of silver was, of course, nothing to Liu Wanshi. But considering Chen Guanlou's current circumstances, to part with such a gift must have taken everything he had. It was a gesture full of sincerity.
"Will you help him, Madam?" the young maid, Xiujuan, asked cautiously.
Liu Wanshi glanced at Xiujuan, a half-smile on her face. "What's this? Have you taken a liking to him?"
Xiujuan admitted openly, "Listen to you, Madam. Who wouldn't like such a handsome young man? But it's not his looks that I admire. It's that he's a rare member of the Chen clan who is still willing to strive for a better future, and doesn't look down on a menial post at the Tian Prison. Could it be that Madam finds him tactless?"
Liu Wanshi chuckled dryly, a cold smile on her face. "Xiujuan, has anyone ever resisted this madam's... advances before?"
"Never. They were all like starving ghouls of lust, utterly shameless. Chen Guanlou is the only exception."
"And yet, he alone remained unmoved in the face of my advances. This young man will not remain a small fish in a pond for long. Tell me, should I help him or not?"
Xiujuan immediately grew cautious.
She couldn't just say 'yes,' but saying 'no' would go against her conscience. She could see that Chen Guanlou truly cared about this post at the Tian Prison.
She chose her words carefully. "Since we've accepted his gift, we should at least let the Master know about it."
Liu Wanshi nodded. "That makes sense. Taking money to get things done is the Master's rule. It's just that ten taels is a bit on the low side. This matter..." She smiled. "Let's wait until the Master returns to discuss it."
...
In the evening, Liu Steward returned home after a long day. Liu Wanshi greeted him warmly, personally wringing out a hot towel for him to wash his face and hands, then massaging his shoulders.
Once he was comfortable, an exquisite meal was laid out on the table. The couple sat close together, eating and drinking.
"You're back late today, my lord."
"Those gossiping, rotten-hearted old women in the mansion have been slacking off and spouting nonsense all day. Word got to the Young Master, and then the Old Master found out and flew into a rage. I was busy placating the Old Master and had to sell off that bunch of gossips, so I was delayed."
Liu Wanshi was surprised to hear this. "But the Hou Mansion is known for its benevolence. How could they bear to sell off servants? Aren't they afraid of damaging their reputation?"
"The Old Master was truly furious; no one could dissuade him. A 'benevolent family' is just something they say." Liu Steward scoffed and downed his cup of wine in one gulp.
Liu Wanshi quickly refilled his cup. "Something happened on my end today as well. Guess who came to visit."
"Who?" Liu Steward asked, not particularly interested.
"Chen Chengzong, do you remember him, my lord? The one who worked at the Tian Prison, a bit slow-witted."
"He's been dead for years, hasn't he?" Liu Steward recalled.
"He has a son who's grown up in the blink of an eye, named Chen Guanlou. He came to our door today with cured duck, cured chicken, and preserved meats, and even included a packet of silver. Quite sincere, I'd say. He wants a post at the Tian Prison to take over his father's position. Unfortunately, his father's spot was filled long ago. My lord, what do you think? Should we help him?"
Liu Wanshi brought this up as if it were a casual matter, her chopsticks never ceasing to place food on Liu Steward's plate. It seemed as though serving him was the main task, and Chen Guanlou's affair was just a minor thing mentioned in passing.
Sipping his wine, Liu Steward asked, "What's this Chen Guanlou like?"
"He's one of the rare ambitious ones in the Chen family. But his branch of the family is long past the five generations of mourning with the Hou Mansion. If you ask me, we shouldn't help him at all. There's no benefit in it for you, my lord," Liu Wanshi said with conviction.
Liu Steward hadn't intended to help, but after hearing his wife's words, he changed his mind.
"It wouldn't be impossible to help him. It's just a matter of a few words."
"But we'd have to notify the Hou Mansion, wouldn't we?" Liu Wanshi grumbled. "I don't feel like going to flatter the Second Young Mistress. For a paltry gift of ten taels of silver, I have to make a trip myself. It's a huge loss."
Liu Wanshi looked disgusted and impatient, annoyed that Liu Steward was creating work for her. She put on a long face, clearly displeased. But Liu Steward just chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "You yourself said Chen Guanlou is one of the rare ambitious ones in the Chen family. Since it's just a matter of a few words, we might as well help."
"What kind of future can he have working at the Tian Prison?"
"That's hard to say. What if, one day, someone falls on hard times and ends up in the Tian Prison? With him on the inside, we'd at least have someone to look out for them."
"Pah, pah, pah! The Hou Mansion has been prosperous for a century. Don't you dare spout such nonsense."
"You're right, my dear wife. I'll have to trouble you to make a trip to the Second Young Mistress and inform her of this matter. Since we're helping a Chen clansman, we should at least let the Hou Mansion remember our good deed."
Liu Wanshi shot him a sideways glance and huffed. "Fine, have it your way. I saw a set of head ornaments and jewelry..."
"Buy it, buy it, buy it all!"
...
Several days later, Chen Guanlou learned that the post at the Tian Prison was secured. A great weight was finally lifted from his shoulders. He made a special trip to the Liu residence to express his gratitude, but this time he saw neither Liu Steward nor Liu Wanshi, only the young maid, Xiujuan.
Xiujuan refused to accept his gift, saying only, "When you have more money, you can prepare a more respectable gift to show your thanks. That would be even more sincere."
Hearing this, Chen Guanlou thought it made a lot of sense. But he didn't take the gift back; there was no sense in presenting a gift only to take it away again.
Xiujuan couldn't win against his persistence and had no choice but to accept the gift.
When his elder sister learned he had secured the post at the Tian Prison, she exclaimed that the Bodhisattvas had blessed them. That very day, she brought meat and vegetables back to the Chen home.
When Chen Chengzong passed away, he left behind little silver, only a small, single-courtyard house. It was just two alleys away from the Hou Mansion and a few streets from the major government offices. It was comparable to a prime location within the Third Ring Road of a modern capital city.
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Even when the family was at its most destitute, they couldn't bear to sell this little house. This had been a wise decision. Otherwise, Chen Guanlou would have had to rent a place to live.
The elder sister's name was Chen Xiaolan. She was in her late twenties, a classic girl-next-door type, the very picture of a good wife and homemaker. She had married the younger son of Su Dacheng, a minor official at the city gate. Her life was decent enough—they could afford to eat meat every few days—but she had very little money to her name.
When Chen Xiaolan took out a packet of silver and gave it to Chen Guanlou, he refused to take it no matter what.
Others might not know what kind of life Chen Xiaolan led in the Su family, but he knew perfectly well. When she had just gotten married, he was still a little kid and had lived with his sister at the Su residence for two years. He had seen with his own eyes and etched into his memory how his sister had to be subservient and humble, how she endured the temper of her mother-in-law and the scorn of her sisters-in-law.
The two Su brothers had not split the household, so all the money they earned had to be handed over to Su Dacheng's wife to be allocated. As the younger daughter-in-law, Chen Xiaolan barely got to touch any silver. It was only because her husband was the favored youngest son and was relatively well-off that she had any spending money at all.
This silver was something his sister had managed to get from her husband with great difficulty. How thick-skinned would he have to be to accept it?
"Sister, don't you worry about me. I'll be working at the yamen. I'll get three meals a day there and seasonal uniforms to wear. There's nowhere for me to spend money."
"Nonsense! Even if you don't spend on food and clothes, you'll have to spend on social obligations. Once you're working at the yamen, you can't be a loner. Back then, Father was too much of a loner, and when trouble came, there was no one to help him."
"You don't need to worry about my social obligations either, Sister. Once I get my wages, I'll treat my colleagues at the yamen to a meal. I definitely won't be stingy. Besides, our family's situation is no secret. The people at the yamen must have already looked into it and know I have no money right now. They won't expect me to treat them at a time like this. Sister, hurry up and take the money back. If your old mother-in-law finds out, she'll cause a scene again."
Chen Xiaolan hesitated for a moment. "You really don't want it?"
Chen Guanlou shook his head repeatedly, resolute in his refusal. He had already made up his mind: until he received his wages, he would stick to the Tian Prison and not spend a single coin.
Proofreader: Peter Pan