Chapter 16 As dusk fell, Yaoniang and Shiyu returned together, and halfway back, snow began to fall. The wind howled fiercely, and even with hand warmers clutched in their hands, their fingers were stiff with cold. The gale even blew their hoods clean off their heads. Yaoniang let out a sharp "hiss"—it was truly freezing.Fortunately, that evening they each had a large bowl of mutton soup, which finally warmed their bodies.The underfloor heating system in Wenhua Hall burned the hottest, so Mrs. Yu had the children do their lessons in her quarters. Today, Mr. Shen had assigned the task of expanding couplets, as the past few days had been spent on exegesis, proper pronunciation, extended meanings, tones, and level and oblique tones.In her previous life, Yaoniang had possessed a rich and vivid imagination when it came to poetry and prose, so expanding couplets was not particularly difficult for her.Shiyu still asked her for help, and she patiently taught her. After the two sisters finished their assignments, they each returned to their own rooms. No sooner had she stepped back into her room than she saw Shifang's maid, Yunxiang, arrive.Yunxiang first gave a respectful bow, then said, "Fifth Miss, our young lady says there are parts of today's assignment she doesn't quite understand, and she'd like to borrow yours to take a look."This was clearly a pretext to copy it, but Yaoniang was unwilling to let others copy her hard work. She smiled and said, "If there's anything she doesn't understand, she can ask me at the academy tomorrow. I still have some parts of today's assignment to review."The implication was that she wouldn't lend it. If it were her usual annotations, she wouldn't mind showing them, but her assignment she was unwilling to share.Yunxiang had no choice but to go borrow from Shiyu instead. Shiyu couldn't bring herself to refuse, so she lent hers. The next day, Mr. Shen discovered two identical assignments and knew exactly what had happened.He admonished Shiyu and Shifang: "The pursuit of learning is about sincerity. You must not deceive your teacher, nor deceive yourselves."Thereupon, he quizzed them on the spot.Shifang stammered and couldn't answer a single one, while Yaoniang could think of answers in the span of a few breaths."Forest.""Forest path.""Early spring forest path.""Early spring forest path sprouts new buds."…From easy to difficult, Yaoniang answered perfectly. As for Shiyu, though she was slower, she could answer most of them. Although Mr. Shen did not harshly criticize Shifang, the usually carefree girl's face flushed crimson with shame.She was older than both of her younger cousins, yet her work was so inferior to theirs—she was mortified.The problem was that whenever she sat at her desk, she would soon drift off to other things, and she couldn't stop herself from dozing off. When she returned home, she didn't dare tell Mrs. Ren about what had happened at the academy, but Mrs. Ren had already learned everything through her daughter's maid.Although Mrs. Ren knew her daughter had little chance of being selected as a companion, she still secretly hoped for a miracle—perhaps her daughter, like her eldest sister, would be favored by someone important and soar to great heights. Thus, she was extremely dissatisfied with her daughter's academic performance."How is it that you all study the same material? Yaoniang came from a village in Fujian and could barely speak properly at first. Shiyu is also the child of a concubine. You've been clever since you were little, deeply favored by your grandmother, and usually sharp-witted. How is it that these two have gotten ahead of you?" Mrs. Ren suspected that the two sisters from the main branch had secretly studied beforehand.Besides, Mr. Shen had been hired by the main branch, so perhaps he favored them more.Shifang just sighed heavily. She went back to her room, wrote a few characters, then couldn't help but fall asleep again. The maids didn't dare wake her, so the next day she hadn't done her assignment again.Early the next morning, Yaoniang was reciting her lessons from memory for Mrs. Yu. When she finished, Mrs. Yu nodded and said, "Correct, not a single word wrong."Yaoniang was immediately delighted, telling her maid to carry her book bag and heading off to the schoolhouse without even eating breakfast. This irritated Mrs. Yu, who said, "This girl—she won't even eat, running off that fast."She sat down and said to Luo Zhizheng, "Husband, there's something I'd like to ask. What do you make of the Shan family's intentions?"Luo Zhizheng glanced at her before replying, "The Shan family? What about them?""It's about the bracelets they sent yesterday. The other girls each got two, but our Yaoniang received an entire box. Favoring her so openly over the others—I don't think it's quite right." Mrs. Yu looked troubled.Luo Zhizheng understood immediately what was going on. He said, "That's what's on your mind? Haven't you considered that they might be interested in a marriage alliance?"Mrs. Yu was startled. "How could that be? Previously, when First Mrs. Shan came over, she always showed special favor to Sanniangzi. Our Yaoniang is still just a little girl."Had Mrs. Yu not mentioned it, Luo Zhizheng would have known nothing of these inner-court matters. Now, hearing her words, he frowned. After pacing to his study, he summoned a few people to inquire, and indeed found that things were as Mrs. Yu had said—the Shan family had always shown great care and affection toward Sanniangzi, and now they had sent such generous gifts to Yaoniang.What? Was First Mrs. Shan coming to the Luo family to pick a bride?The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.Therefore, when Master Shan finally found the right opportunity to drink with Luo Zhizheng and, emboldened by wine, proposed a marriage alliance, Luo Zhizheng refused outright: "Elder brother, our two families are already close enough. There's no need for this extra step. Yujing is like a son to me in my household."Seeing that Luo Zhizheng was not joking, Master Shan laughed it off. After returning home, he told his wife, First Mrs. Shan, "Zhizheng doesn't agree. You know what he's like—he's always been one who rewards those who follow him and punishes those who defy him. If I press the matter further, I'll only invite his resentment."First Mrs. Shan had deliberately bypassed Mrs. Yu and had her husband approach Luo Zhizheng directly because she was confident about this match.The Shan family had once been distinguished, and even now they were quite wealthy. Yujing was a handsome young man with excellent scholarship—such a talent was more than a match for a Luo girl, far better than outsiders of unknown background.Moreover, she had chosen the daughter born of the second wife; they hadn't dared to covet the eldest legitimate daughter.But she hadn't expected that her very pickiness would anger Luo Zhizheng and the others. In his heart, Luo Zhizheng had never looked down on Mrs. Yu, nor did he consider Yaoniang inferior to Jingrou.When Mrs. Yu saw that Luo Zhizheng had refused, she breathed a sigh of relief, but still said to him, "I'm not actually angry. I've never been able to compare to the late wife—my natal family is ruined, while she was the daughter of a marquis. We're as different as clouds and mud. So when others treat me this way, I've grown accustomed to it.""Are you deliberately trying to win my pity, to make me raise your standing?" Luo Zhizheng said coolly.Mrs. Yu knew well that this man was nearly demonic in his shrewdness, so she dared not deceive him. She only sighed softly: "You've been very good to me, I know that. Why would I need to win your pity? But for our daughter—Yaoniang being picked over and scrutinized like this truly makes me feel somewhat guilty toward her. Because they look down on me, they look down on my daughter…"With that, Mrs. Yu shifted from her usual gentle demeanor and instead tapped Luo Zhizheng's chest with her slender, jade-like finger: "When it comes down to it, it's because you don't treat me well enough.""Cough, cough." Luo Zhizheng hadn't expected her to change so quickly; he was somewhat at a loss to handle it.At the same time, he also reflected that he truly hadn't treated her well in the past—otherwise, why would others look down on her and think even Yaoniang was beneath them?Of course, the one most pleased by this matter's collapse was Shan Yujing. He had happened to see Yaoniang a few times when paying his respects to Mrs. Yu—she was always kicking a shuttlecock or playing with a rope, clearly just a little girl. Though she was exceptionally pretty, the age gap was simply too great. He was already a young man with romantic thoughts toward girls of similar age, but toward Luo Yaoniang, she was truly just a little girl.Yaoniang, of course, knew nothing of this. In winter, the sky darkened early, and her stomach was beginning to growl. She tugged at Shiyu and hurried back to Wenhua Hall. Since the next day was a rest day and she still had to pay her respects to Old Madame Dou, Yaoniang went to bed early.As for Shiyu, she came straight over to sleep with Yaoniang that night. The two sisters shared one quilt, giggling and chattering, and only settled down after the maids reminded them several times.Before falling asleep, Shiyu said to Yaoniang, "Fifth Sister, let me tell you something. When we ran out today, I saw Fourth Sister dozing off, but I didn't call her.""That's not a big deal. She had several maids with her, so nothing serious could happen." Yaoniang didn't think much of it.Shiyu nodded and hugged Yaoniang's waist. "Anyway, I'm not showing her my homework anymore. If I do, she copies it all, and I end up getting scolded by the teacher.""Sleep now, sleep now. Tomorrow we still have to go to Ganquan Residence to pay our respects."While the sisters slept soundly, Mrs. Ren from the second branch was searching near Huining Study and the garden with her people for Shifang. She said anxiously, "How is it that she hasn't come back? I heard those two from the eldest branch disappeared the moment classes ended."Little Mrs. Jiang, who managed the household, had no choice but to accompany her in the search. She was truly exasperated with Shifang, this little girl.She was studying properly—how could she just vanish? The maids had searched several times without finding her.It was only when Mrs. Ren had a sudden flash of inspiration and walked through the plum grove for a while that she discovered Shifang crying there. The moment Mrs. Ren saw her, she slapped her. "You child, you've scared us half to death!"In the freezing snow, having been cold for so long—Shifang had originally been dozing, but when she saw Yaoniang and Shiyu run out, she wanted to chase after them to the eldest branch to play, so she dashed out. But somehow, after running behind a rockery, she wandered farther and farther, and couldn't find her way out of the plum grove.Little Mrs. Jiang asked curiously, "Fourth Sister, how did you end up here? No wonder you couldn't get out. This plum grove was arranged by the master of the eldest branch using Qimen Dunjia mystical arts—ordinary people can't find their way out."Because the plum grove was tucked in a corner, no one usually came here.After Mrs. Ren had warmed her up for a while and she drank some ginger soup, she finally said, "I came out chasing after Yaoniang and Shiyu. I heard Yaoniang say the plum grove here was fun, and I unconsciously wandered over here."Little Mrs. Jiang glanced at Mrs. Ren, and sure enough, Mrs. Ren was already getting angry. Little Mrs. Jiang knew well that this aunt was by nature a jealous and petty woman who stirred up trouble out of nothing and loved shifting blame. She had nothing to fear anyway—when Mrs. Ren threw tantrums at home, everyone just gave way.After all, those with nothing to lose fear nothing.Early in the morning, Yaoniang and Shiyu rose together and headed to Wenhua Hall. It happened that Luo Zhizheng was off duty that day, and seeing his lovely daughters brought him great joy.Mrs. Yu smiled and said, "Wait a moment, and we'll have our meal."Concubine Qin was holding up the curtain nearby, and seeing her daughter chatting intimately with the fifth young lady, she felt somewhat pleased. After all, Wuniangzi had a very agreeable disposition—she had her little quirks, but she was a sensible child.Unfortunately, at that moment, Mrs. Ren stormed in furiously, pointing at Yaoniang and shouting, "Well, well, you! You, Wuniangzi, tricked our Shifang into going to the plum grove, and she nearly froze half to death there. You little slut—"Before she could finish her words, someone struck her twice across the face with open palms, left and right.Mrs. Ren looked at her attacker in shock and terror—it was none other than that pushover, Mrs. Yu. Meanwhile, Luo Zhizheng realized his opportunity had arrived. Wasn't everyone saying he didn't value Mrs. Yu? Perfect—now he wouldn't have to find a way to prove himself to Lianlian.

The Second Wife’s Daughter