After everyone had dispersed, Old Madam Nian kept only her eldest daughter-in-law, Yin Ying, behind.
A maidservant brought in a copper basin of hot water. After helping the mistress wash up and change into a soft sleeping robe, she quietly withdrew.
Once the maid left, Yin Ying sat on an embroidered stool beside the footrest and gently began massaging her mother-in-law’s slightly swollen calves. “Mother, you’ve been sitting far too long today. Your circulation is all pooling here.”
Her touch was neither too heavy nor too light, her fingertips warm as she spoke softly. “You mustn’t sit for half the day again tomorrow. You should take more walks in the courtyard and get the blood flowing.”
“I’m old and no longer useful. Every part of me is falling apart.” Old Madam Nian half-closed her eyes, a thin silk blanket draped over her, allowing her daughter-in-law to attend to her.
The summer night’s muggy heat seeped through the window screens.
As she spoke, she grew uncomfortable and lifted the blanket away. “The weather in the capital is so suffocating. Move a little, and you’re drenched in sweat. It’s nothing like the dry, comfortable climate of Ding’an.”
Yin Ying immediately stopped massaging, leaned forward, and carefully pulled the blanket back over her mother-in-law, covering only her waist and abdomen. “The nights are still cool. You have to protect your stomach.”
Then she resumed massaging. “That’s true. The capital is much more humid than Ding’an. But the capital has its advantages too. The climate may be damper, but after living here for a while, a person’s complexion becomes naturally delicate and well-moisturized without needing expensive creams. Mother, your complexion already looks brighter than it did in Ding’an.”
Old Madam Nian snorted. “Hmph. Your precious daughter says the capital is wonderful, and immediately you start praising how moisturizing the weather is.”
Having been exposed, Yin Ying merely raised an eyebrow and smiled sheepishly without replying.
Old Madam Nian’s eyelids twitched before she opened them slightly. Her gaze settled on her daughter-in-law’s lowered profile. “Do you really believe that dream Jiaojiao spoke about?”
Yin Ying’s fingers paused for a moment before continuing. “Mother, do you?”
Old Madam Nian closed her eyes again. Only after a long silence did she speak. “Think about it. Since she was little, whenever that girl became determined to accomplish something, hasn’t she always come up with the strangest excuses and reasons, wearing everyone down until they agreed?”
Yin Ying couldn’t help laughing. “That’s true. That clever little rascal!”
But this time was different. This wasn’t the kind of matter that could be resolved through persistence alone.
Thinking back on old memories, Old Madam Nian opened her eyes again. “When she was little, we wouldn’t let her run wild outside, so she’d pretend to have headaches and say the city air was too impure. She insisted she could only recover by visiting the Taoist temple in the mountains outside the city and absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.”
“And what happened? She ran off to learn astronomy from a little Taoist priest. When she came back, she talked about constellations so convincingly that she fooled all of us.”
“But to be fair,” Yin Ying replied, her smile fading somewhat, “she did correctly predict the fate of the Great Yan Dynasty.”
After a pause, she added: “If there’s one thing Jiaojiao truly made a mistake about, it’s the Gu family boy.”
Back then, the entire family had opposed the engagement. It wasn’t that Yin Ying looked down on Gu Jiangzhi. She simply couldn’t stand his mother. The woman was so greedy it seemed she wanted her entire family to move into the Nian estate and freeload forever. Now, it turned out the Gu family’s son wasn’t much better. What a disgrace.
“People all go through this eventually. Once feelings become involved, even the most clear-headed person can stumble.” Old Madam Nian seemed to be recalling old memories, her tone tinged with self-mockery.
Yin Ying immediately became annoyed. “Feelings? Gu Jiangzhi isn’t worthy of that! The two of them only met a handful of times!”
“But the Gu boy is handsome,” her mother-in-law reminded her.
“Can good looks be eaten as food?” Yin Ying shot back.
Old Madam Nian chuckled teasingly. “If my wonderful son hadn’t been handsome, would you have fallen for him? Would you have brought such a large dowry when you married him?”
“Mother!” Yin Ying blushed furiously. “How can that be the same? Husband was personally raised and educated by you. His character and abilities are outstanding. The fact that I chose him only proves I have good taste!”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Old Madam Nian laughed warmly and patted her daughter-in-law’s hand. “Why are you getting so worked up? My fine son fell for you at first sight too. You’re wonderful, you’re wonderful.”
Embarrassed beyond words, Yin Ying lowered her head. Yet privately she thought that if her family had opposed her marriage back then, she would certainly have fought with everything she had to win approval. Her mother-in-law was right. Even the clearest-minded person could lose their footing when it came to matters of the heart.
Old Madam Nian sighed softly. “This is Jiaojiao’s tribulation. If her dream is real, then it is the Nian family’s tribulation as well.”
Yin Ying shot her a look. “See? You’ve already been influenced by that absurd dream of hers.”
Old Madam Nian laughed despite herself. “That daughter of yours chats nonstop and can produce endless crooked arguments. What’s so strange about this old woman getting talked into circles?”
After a pause, she added helplessly: “What’s worse is that I think some of what she said actually makes sense.”
Hearing her mother-in-law’s words, which sounded like complaints but were really overflowing with affection, only made Yin Ying more nervous. Her hands unconsciously softened their pressure. Lowering her voice, she asked carefully: “Then… you’ve agreed?”
This was about breaking ancestral rules. The responsibility was enormous. It wasn’t like buying another piece of land or opening another shop. This meant altering ancestral law and overturning family customs that had endured for generations.
Old Madam Nian shifted as though preparing to sit upright. Yin Ying immediately rose to help her, placing a soft cushion behind her back.
Once settled, Old Madam Nian’s expression grew serious. “Our ancestors established the rule of ‘staying distant from officialdom’ so that their descendants could live safely and prosper. What I’m responding to now isn’t Jiaojiao. It’s the life-and-death situation facing us.”
Yin Ying’s heart tightened. Her eyes grew warm. Holding her mother-in-law’s hand, she whispered: “Mother…”
“Don’t start feeling sentimental yet.” Old Madam Nian squeezed her hand in return. “Jiaojiao was right about one thing. Old rules are like mountains. They can keep out gentlemen, but not wolves. Our Nian family is a piece of fat meat. Everyone wants a bite.”
“Yes.” Yin Ying continued holding her hand. “But this path is extremely dangerous. What we’re staking isn’t only our salt and iron interests. It’s the lives of our entire clan.”
Old Madam Nian’s eyes sharpened and grew decisive. This was the resolve of a woman who had led her family for decades and finally made a difficult decision. “Starting tomorrow, privately prepare a complete inventory of our most important assets. Not just the salt and iron businesses. Anything that could become a ‘treasure that invites disaster’ must be listed clearly.”
Yin Ying quietly agreed. Her chest felt hot. An unfamiliar current surged through her heart. She had a feeling. After this, the Nian family would be transformed. They would no longer be ordinary merchants merely struggling to survive in troubled times.
Because she heard Old Madam Nian continue: “How this pledge of loyalty is offered, to whom it’s offered, when it’s offered, and how much is offered… all of it must be carefully planned. Jiaojiao has courage and quick wits, but she’s still too young. She lacks experience and refinement. Where she needs guidance, we’ll guide her. Where there are pitfalls, we’ll help fill them in.”
Only if this first step was taken steadily and wisely could everything afterward proceed smoothly.
And Old Madam Nian had a strong intuition. “I’m afraid Jiaojiao intends to take a dangerous and unconventional path. She may be planning to use her own marriage to pave a smooth road for the Nian family.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Li Zhe stood quietly beneath the covered corridor leading to the inner courtyard. A lantern cast a ring of dim golden light, stretching his tall shadow across the ground. It happened to block the only path Nian Chujiu could take back to her residence.