Chapter 14 Huining Study was aptly named for finding tranquility amidst flowers—the area was surrounded by lush forests and bamboo groves, with a gently flowing stream carved by human hands, like a paradise removed from the world.Mrs. Fan sewed a book satchel for each of her two young sisters-in-law. Her craftsmanship was excellent; though made in haste, the stitches were fine and dense, and the embroidered patterns were bright and lovely."Thank you, sister-in-law," Yaoniang said to Mrs. Fan.Mrs. Fan waved her hand. "Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister should study hard—that's the least I can do as their sister-in-law."All in all, Mrs. Fan's life was relatively comfortable. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Yu, was very lenient, and though her husband was somewhat flirtatious, he still gave her the proper respect due to a lawful wife. As for her young sisters-in-law, though they were young, they were sensible and reasonable—life was easy this way.Mrs. Yu then said to Mrs. Fan, "Send someone to tidy up that small courtyard in the second corridor. The young master of the Shan family has formally become Father's disciple and will be staying with us."Mrs. Fan nodded immediately, and the two began discussing household matters.When they finished, Mrs. Yu smiled at Yaoniang and Shiyu. "It's your first day of school—don't be late. Off you go."Mr. Shen was not a stern man, but even the gentlest of teachers preferred diligent, well-behaved students. Yaoniang, with the heart of an adult and living a second life, was not arrogant but instead applied herself with great care. Shiyu, following Concubine Qin's instructions, also studied earnestly. Only Shifang kept dozing off.Falling asleep on the very first day—that was truly something remarkable.Mr. Shen had high standards. Other elementary schools started with the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Thousand Character Classic, but he began with exegesis—the study of phonology and philology. Starting with such subjects from the very beginning showed he was no ordinary teacher, with his own unique methods.Yaoniang listened attentively. From the very first day of exegesis lessons, Mr. Shen taught them to grind ink and practice calligraphy."Fifth Sister, shall we go play by the stream later? I heard the water's frozen over, and there are lots of fish underneath," Shifang said, grinding ink listlessly and unable to resist striking up conversation.Yaoniang smiled and shook her head. "Fourth Sister, no—it's cold out. When it snows, we should just head home and stay warm."Shifang pouted and let out a sigh.She looked rather pitiful like that, and Yaoniang understood. Shifang was like an untamed spirit trapped in a cage, unable to adapt—she wasn't suited to being bound by rules.But Second Aunt, Mrs. Ren, was not one to yield to others, which made things difficult.Shiyu quietly said to Yaoniang, "Fifth Sister, don't mind her. Let's just study on our own—as long as we do well."Yaoniang hadn't expected Shiyu to say such a thing, but she could tell it came from the heart, and she nodded with a smile. Perhaps it was because she and Shiyu had spent so much time together in this life—her mother had been bringing Shiyu along to learn household management these past days, and the six ceremonial gifts for the apprenticeship had also been arranged by her mother—that Shiyu had gradually grown close to her.Besides, they were similar in age. In their daily interactions, Yaoniang appreciated Shiyu's obedience, and Shiyu enjoyed Yaoniang's liveliness.After school that day, Yaoniang and Shiyu headed east toward home, while Shifang went west. On the way, they happened to run into their cousin Yu Yan, who lived nearby in Apricot Blossom Court. Yu Yan had been personally taught to read by her father as a child and had studied for several years. She looked at Yaoniang and Shiyu carrying their book satchels with envy."Cousin Yu," Yaoniang said with a smile and a bow.Yu Yan quickly replied, "Cousin, are you heading home?""Yes, and you, cousin?" Yaoniang asked curiously, eyeing the food box she was carrying.Yu Yan replied, "My grandmother fried some quails and asked me to deliver them to my aunt. Perfect—I'll walk with you both."The three continued on together. Yu Yan noticed that the two Luo girls had brought four maidservants with them, and their padded jackets and skirts were made of fine Jiangnan soft satin. Even the handkerchiefs in their hands were made of expensive Goryeo silk—each one costing five taels of silver. Looking at herself, she felt quite plain by comparison and somewhat ashamed of her own appearance.What she didn't know was that Yaoniang and the others only dressed well when going out; at home, they wore half-worn, older clothes. Mrs. Yu did not approve of extravagance.Moreover, Yu Yan's own fabric was not inferior—it was simply her own overthinking.When the three reached the entrance of Wenhua Hall, the young maid holding the curtain said, "First Mrs. Shan and the young Master Shan are speaking in the inner room."They entered the inner chamber and saw Mrs. Yu seated beside First Mrs. Shan, with a young man sitting below them. He had long, slanted brows and thin lips pressed firmly together—one could tell at a glance he was a man of strong will.Yaoniang thought to herself, this must be the Master Shan her mother had mentioned this morning—Shan Yujing, the son of First Mrs. Shan. He was also the first husband of her second sister, Shizhen.At that moment, First Mrs. Shan was holding Jingrou's hand and chatting with her, looking very pleased, though Luo Jingrou remained polite but distant. This was easy to guess—Luo Jingrou was a person of great ambition and had no interest in the declining Shan family."Come, this is your cousin Shan," Mrs. Yu introduced them.Yu Yan froze for a moment. Seeing an unfamiliar man, she quickly lowered her head in embarrassment and clumsily bowed along with Yaoniang and the others. When she looked up again, she noticed a hint of amusement in Shan Yujing's eyes.Mrs. Yu then introduced them to Shan Yujing: "This is my niece, First Miss Yu, and these are my fifth daughter and sixth daughter."Shan Yujing quickly rose to return the greeting. Coming from an official family, his gifts were perfectly appropriate—Yaoniang and Shiyu each received a new book, along with bookmarks made of gold leaf, quite elegant.At this point, Shan Yujing saw that the number of female guests in the room had grown and took his leave, with First Mrs. Shan following suit. Before walking out the door, she cast a seemingly casual glance at the Luo girls. Based on age and relation, she would of course have preferred Luo Jingrou, but she knew that was unlikely—so it would have to be the fifth Miss Luo.She was a bit younger, but as the daughter of the second wife, she still counted as legitimate. The Yu family was in decline, and Mrs. Yu deferred entirely to Luo Zhizheng, so it wouldn't be too difficult.She had also noticed Jingrou's coldness earlier. First Mrs. Shan knew well that her maternal grandfather's family was the Yanping Marquis Household, so Luo Zhizheng would certainly consult them regarding his eldest daughter's marriage. If that were the case, she might as well settle for the next legitimate daughter.On the carriage ride home, Shan Yujing was quite surprised to hear his mother's words: "Mother, weren't you just being very friendly with their third miss?"First Mrs. Shan did not hide such matters from Shan Yujing and simply said, "The third Miss Luo is, after all, the granddaughter of a marquis household. Her family has an excellent relationship with Old Madame Dou. That girl's ambitions are too high—that may not be a good thing. I think their fifth miss is quite suitable. You also saw this Mrs. Yu—she is gentle and amiable, far more virtuous than the third miss's mother, and she is well liked by your grand-aunt."From other perspectives, First Mrs. Shan did not care for Mrs. Yu, feeling that as a second wife, she was even more honored than they were. But from the standpoint of choosing a daughter-in-law, a gentler and more compliant temperament was clearly the best.As for her being a bit younger, that was hardly a concern—her son would still be studying for several years anyway, and marrying too early would only distract him.

The Second Wife’s Daughter