Chapter 5 Having secured an official post, he naturally could not delay at home. Gaoping was located in Anzhou, and the journey to the capital required traveling by land and then by water. As the head of the household, Mrs. Yu was very busy, having to pack the luggage. Fortunately, she managed everything in an orderly manner.Before that, Mrs. Yu brought Yaoniang to visit the second branch of the family. The two branches of the Luo family had long since divided their property and lived separately, with a small door between the two residences serving as a passage, which they often used to go back and forth.Mrs. Yu held Yaoniang's hand and carefully instructed her, "Your grand-aunt is now the most senior member of the Luo family. You should address her as 'Old Madame.' Then there are your two aunts…"Old Madame Dou was already in her sixties, yet her skin was rosy and her face smooth without wrinkles—clearly a well-preserved old lady. When she saw Yaoniang, she embraced her and said earnestly, "This child is blessed with future fortune; she must be well cared for in the days to come."Such a kind grand-aunt stroking her face moved Yaoniang somewhat, but she also knew that the two branches of the Luo family had a good relationship, and Old Madame Dou was very affectionate toward the younger generation, especially toward Luo Jingrou.She had heard that her father's first wife, Mrs. Wang, had been introduced through Old Madame Dou's matchmaking, and Mrs. Wang had been closer to her aunt-in-law than to her own mother-in-law.Below Old Madame Dou sat two ladies. The one in the first seat stood up and said, "Child, I am your eldest aunt. Come over and let me have a look at you."Yaoniang quickly called out, "Eldest Aunt."The eldest aunt, Mrs. Ren, wore a purple half-sleeve garment. She was in her forties, with hollow cheeks and a deep vertical frown line between her brows. When she had married into the family, the eldest uncle, Luo Zhixiao, had been a handsome and elegant man. But now, at over forty, he was still only a student at the Imperial Academy. In contrast, both the cousin from the other branch, Luo Zhizheng, and Luo Zhixiao's own younger brother had passed the imperial examinations, so Mrs. Ren was very dissatisfied with her husband.According to Yinrong, this eldest madam was sharp-tongued and stingy, treating her daughter-in-law and grandchildren poorly. The eldest uncle was weak-willed; he would often agree to things in front of Old Madame Dou, but as soon as Mrs. Ren spoke up, he would immediately change his attitude.At this moment, Mrs. Ren reached out and touched her forehead, then said to Mrs. Yu, "The child doesn't have a fever, just a bit thin. I think she should eat more liquid food to avoid harming her spleen and stomach." Though she said this, seeing this thin, dark-skinned young lady wearing a crimson rose-patterned brocade jacket with a white jade necklace and even Shu brocade for her hair buns, she thought to herself, what a waste of good things.However, since the eldest branch and their second branch had no conflicts of interest, Mrs. Ren did not mind offering a few extra words of concern.Mrs. Yu smiled and said, "What the eldest sister-in-law says is right. For now, we only give her longevity porridge, fish porridge, and bird's nest porridge, precisely to avoid harming her spleen and stomach."Then the woman seated below Mrs. Ren stood up. She had an elegant appearance, with a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but they did not diminish her grace in the slightest. This was the second madam, Mrs. Jiang.Mrs. Jiang came from a distinguished family and had been very virtuous since entering the household. She was completely different from Mrs. Ren; she had even arranged for a concubine for her husband. She had given birth to one son and one daughter. Her eldest son was already married, having wed her niece, Little Mrs. Jiang. Her daughter was the previously mentioned Luo Shilan, who had married high into the family of the second son of Prince Fenyang, the Duke of Chengguo.In addition, there were the wives of the younger generation—Mrs. Zhou, the wife of Mrs. Ren's son, who was the daughter of the prefectural instructor; and Little Mrs. Jiang, the wife of Mrs. Jiang's son. The second branch of the household was now managed by Little Mrs. Jiang. Though young, she commanded considerable authority, and with her distinguished family background, she outshone not only her peers like Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Fan but even carried herself with an air of superiority around Mrs. Yu, exuding a faint sense of overbearing arrogance.In truth, in her previous life, Little Mrs. Jiang had indeed bullied Mrs. Yu, though Yaoniang could not recall the specifics at the time. She had been quite young then, and because Mrs. Yu would not let her have snacks, she had spent her days pounding on the door in frustration, her stomach burning with hunger at night, and by day too ashamed of her figure to go out. Thus, she had never inquired further, only knowing that such a thing had happened.Now, looking back, while Luo Jingrou had indeed played a part in sowing discord and inflating her ego to ruin her, Yaoniang herself had also been greatly at fault. If she had not let others sway her, who could have done anything to her?Little Mrs. Jiang, however, was all warmth and enthusiasm now. Taking Yaoniang's hand, she said, "Since Fifth Sister has fully recovered, do come over often to chat with us." She then slipped a pair of jade bracelets from her own wrists and graciously helped Yaoniang put them on.Yaoniang hurriedly tried to decline, but Little Mrs. Jiang insisted, "Why make such a fuss? We are all one family."Mrs. Jiang also smiled and said, "Fifth Girl, just accept them."Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhou, who was also a granddaughter-in-law, watched Little Mrs. Jiang's generous gesture in silence, lowering her eyes. Mrs. Ren cast a quiet, wordless glance at her own daughter-in-law.Compared to Little Mrs. Jiang, who came from a wealthy and prominent family, Mrs. Zhou's father, though a jinshi graduate and a renowned Confucian scholar of Gaoping, had little family wealth. Her dowry had therefore been modest, and she had been overshadowed by Little Mrs. Jiang, who had married into the family around the same time. Though she had later outdone Little Mrs. Jiang by bearing a son, ever since Little Mrs. Jiang's husband, Luo Jingfa, had passed the provincial examination while her own husband remained only a xiucai, she no longer dared to compare herself with Little Mrs. Jiang.Though Mrs. Zhou believed that Luo Jingfa, having failed to obtain the xiucai degree, had used money to curry favor with yamen officials and taken the provincial exam through the expedient of posing as a scholar—a form of backdoor entry—the fact remained that he had passed, and that was that.A xiucai and a juren were entirely different things.A juren who repeatedly failed the metropolitan examination could report to the Ministry of Personnel and be considered for official appointment; a xiucai could not.Yaoniang naturally paid little attention to the silent battle of glances between Mrs. Zhou and Little Mrs. Jiang, for her current identity was that of a six-year-old girl, and she needed to maintain the artless demeanor of a young child.After greeting the adults, Old Madame Dou called out, "Have Shizhen and Shifang come over."Before long, two young ladies entered from the doorway. Yaoniang recognized the one in front—she was Mrs. Jiang's daughter by a concubine, Shizhen, thirteen years old and ranked second among the clan's girls.Having received Mrs. Jiang's instructions, Shizhen quickly stepped forward and took Yaoniang's hand, saying, "We have been longing for you to come for so long. Now that you're here, we sisters can play together every day.""Thank you, Second Sister." Yaoniang smiled with her lips pressed together.This Second Sister, however, was one who appeared gentle on the outside but was firm within. She seemed serene as still water at the moment, yet in truth she was highly opinionated and extremely self-serving. She had married three times, each time draining her husband's family of their wealth, until she went too far and the three families joined forces, leaving her entangled in lawsuits.Yaoniang recalled that in her previous life, when she had traveled to the capital to celebrate the emperor's birthday, she had passed through the place where this Second Sister had married for the third time and heard that she was still using her son's name to extort money from people. Only after Yaoniang warned her did she stop.Looking at Shifang, who stood behind Shizhen, the girl was in the middle of losing her baby teeth. She giggled twice, then, realizing her gap-toothed gums were showing, quickly covered her mouth with her hand.Shifang was a year older than Yaoniang, and she was as adorable as a little dumpling, with eyes that curved into crescents when she smiled. She was Mrs. Ren's late-born daughter. Mrs. Ren was harsh toward her sons and daughters-in-law, but she doted on her daughter as if she were a precious pearl.Shifang pulled a piece of maltose candy from her pouch and handed it to Yaoniang. "Here, this is for you, Fifth Sister," she said in a soft, babyish voice. Everyone who heard her couldn't resist pulling her into their arms and giving her a good squeeze.In truth, Shifang was indeed blessed with good fortune. Among all the sisters, she was the most beloved in the inner chambers. Though she had no interest in needlework, she happened to be taken as a disciple by a master embroiderer. There was even the famous tale of two men vying for her hand. After marriage, she gave birth to twin sons and lived a life of soft indulgence, never having to worry about a thing at home.Yaoniang took the maltose candy and tilted her head in thanks.Everyone's attitude toward Yaoniang was still quite warm, but Yaoniang knew very well that this was all for Luo Zhizheng's sake.Old Madame Dou was delighted to see the sisters getting along so harmoniously. She said to Mrs. Yu, "Let the sisters stay together when we go to the capital. There will be plenty of lively fun then."Mrs. Yu quickly agreed. Mrs. Ren, looking at the dark-skinned girl standing beside her own Shifang, couldn't help feeling smug. This girl was nowhere near a match for her daughter. The corner of her mouth curled up, and Little Mrs. Jiang happened to catch the expression.Little Mrs. Jiang thought to herself that Mrs. Ren was truly shallow. The third uncle of the main branch was already a Director of the Ministry of Personnel, holding the highest official rank in the Luo family. Though Yaoniang was plain-looking now and couldn't compare to Shifang, in great households, marriages had always been arranged based on the status of one's father and brothers.After meeting everyone, the head stewardess of the main branch came to fetch her. Old Madame Dou knew Mrs. Yu was busy and didn't keep her.It wasn't until two days later, when they were about to depart, that all the carriages and horses gathered. After bidding farewell to the clan members, they set off for the capital.It was only then that Yaoniang saw Luo Jingrou again, as well as her half-sister Luo Shiyu.Luo Jingrou was no longer dressed in the plain mourning clothes she had worn during the period of mourning. This time, she wore a pomegranate-red brocade skirt with intricate patterns, draped in a milky-white light gauze. She looked like a peony shrouded in mist, ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful. Her speech and mannerisms carried the refined bearing of a proper young lady from a great household.Luo Shiyu, on the other hand, was dressed quite differently. Though she was born of a concubine, Mrs. Yu gave all the young ladies the same allowance, so Luo Shiyu wore a lake-blue dress embroidered with bamboo leaves and silver-threaded seed pearls. The colors were not striking, but the craftsmanship was costly. Moreover, Luo Shiyu was exceptionally beautiful. Even at her young age, her hair was jet-black and her eyes sparkled like rippling water. Yaoniang knew that when she grew up, she would not only be known as the greatest beauty in the Luo family and in Gaoping, but she would even be famous as a great beauty in the capital.If Luo Jingrou was as graceful and magnificent as a peony, then Luo Shiyu was as elegant and refined as an orchid in a secluded valley.However, these were all just appearances. Neither of these two was an easy person to deal with. Take Luo Jingrou, for instance—before she passed away, Yaoniang had already begun to reduce her food intake in preparation to become slimmer. She had even mentioned to Mrs. Yu that once she lost weight, she would find someone to marry.Mrs. Yu had secretly hinted to her that once she slimmed down, her father would agree to choose a virtuous and talented young man from among the nephews of the same generation. Yaoniang had secretly looked forward to it.Who would have known that when Luo Jingrou lay on her sickbed at the end, she suddenly placed Yaoniang's hand into Lin Weinan's. Even though Yaoniang pulled her hand away, with everyone watching, she had no choice but to marry into the Marquis of Zhongjing's household.Lin Weinan had been longing for his deceased wife and treated her indifferently. But she was no ordinary person. She gradually learned to manage the marquis's household, and even planned to slowly lose weight so she could live a good life in the future.But when word came from the battlefield that Lin Weinan was gone, since he was no longer alive, and she had been forced into this marriage in the first place, she naturally wanted to return home and remarry. However, the old Madam Lin refused to allow it, insisting that she remain chaste and raise Lin Chaoxu to adulthood.Yet Yaoniang's mother had herself been a second wife, and she knew full well that her eldest brother, Luo Jingxi, was born of the first wife. He only paid lip service to her mother, the second wife, and privately held the Yu family in contempt—he had even nearly defiled her cousin from the Yu household. Yaoniang absolutely refused, and little did she know she had fallen into Lin Chaoyan's trap. Such a young child already knew how to scheme against others, killing without drawing blood.When she saw Lin Chaoyan bring over some pastries, she suspected nothing, for the girl was her own niece. But after eating the cakes, she lost consciousness.When she woke again, she was lying in bed beside a strange man.As for Luo Shiyu, in her previous life their relationship had been lukewarm, but Yaoniang had to admit that she was someone who planned meticulously for her own benefit. While her other sisters were still naive and ignorant, Luo Shiyu already knew how to find opportunities to accompany Mrs. Yu out to receive guests, and she even secured a position as a companion to the commandery princess. Though that position later ended when the princess died young, there was no doubt that she had advanced step by step with careful calculation.As for Yaoniang, because of her perpetual obesity, she never once stepped out of the inner chambers, and she rarely interacted with Luo Shiyu. Luo Shiyu, who prided herself on being ambitious, looked down on her as well. The two were as different as fire and water.Later, when Yaoniang followed to the Prince of Zhou's fief, Mrs. Yu, after she had gone far away, died of grief a year later. After that, Yaoniang never inquired about the news of many people in the family again.Except for those she happened to encounter by chance, like her second sister Shizhen, she never actively sought news of anyone else.At this moment, however, the three of them were getting along quite well. Mrs. Fan had specially come to the carriage to look after the three sisters, and fearing they might be hungry, she had brought out several kinds of small pastries. Yaoniang, not being hungry, refused to eat a single bite.She suddenly no longer resented anyone. Luo Jingrou, who had schemed with every ounce of her cunning, had also been short-lived in her previous life. Her daughter had framed her so viciously, but she had avenged herself thoroughly and instead lived even more comfortably—she had even obtained the secrets of heaven and been reborn.If someone offers you food, you can refuse it, can't you? If you let your guard down just because someone urges you, that means you lack self-discipline. Lacking the willpower to control yourself is also because of your own laziness.Though all things are said to be decreed by heaven, are they not also a matter of human effort?Mrs. Fan observed this fifth sister from the side—young in years, yet very much her own person.Just now, Luo Jingrou had eaten two pastries, and seeing that four remained in the dish, she said softly to Yaoniang, "Fifth sister, it's very hot today. The white jade milk cakes probably won't keep well. Eldest sister-in-law went to the trouble of setting aside a plate for us. If you don't eat them, they'll all have to be thrown away—what a waste! And then eldest sister-in-law might think you don't like them."After speaking, she even wore a look of deep distress.Urged in this way, most people would give in, for children are simple and fear being judged by others. But Yaoniang was not truly a six-year-old girl. She grinned, and against the backdrop of her dark face, her teeth appeared especially white.Just as Luo Jingrou expected her to happily eat the pastries, she said instead, "I'm sorry, third sister. If you're afraid of wasting them, then you go ahead and eat them all. I won't fight you for them."

The Second Wife’s Daughter