Chapter 20On the first day of the tenth month, it was the folk festival of the year's end, when every household would prepare paper money, winter clothes, and offerings for visiting graves. This year, with the happy news of Mrs. Jiang's pregnancy, the elder Mr. and Mrs. Feng prepared even more generously for the ancestral rites, to give thanks that the ancestors had shown their blessing and granted Feng Li an heir.Yingniang rose early in the morning, wearing a blue-flowered cotton padded jacket and padded trousers beneath, both made from their own cotton by hired hands, thick and sturdy.Mama Yu had made large meat buns that day, and Yingniang ate one whole. Mrs. Jiang also picked out a few mouthfuls of noodles for her, admonishing, "Mother can't go today. You go with your father and your uncle. Wear your hat properly, understand?""I understand." Yingniang nodded as she ate.Since her mother had become pregnant, aside from her maternal grandmother coming by once, hardly anyone else had even come to visit. Those who had seemed so concerned about her mother's health before now appeared unwilling to mention it—a strange business indeed.After the meal, Feng Li brought Yingniang onto the carriage and had Huzi drive. The other mule cart was driven by Old Man Feng, with young Uncle Feng He and Old Mother Feng riding together. Just as they were about to set off, Second Uncle Feng and his wife arrived at just the right moment, asking for a ride.Feng Li's eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head, but he could only make room for Second Uncle Feng to climb aboard.Fortunately, Xue Family Village wasn't too far—only five li away. On the road, Second Uncle Feng asked Feng Li, "Dalang, your younger brother isn't young anymore. Why hasn't his marriage been settled yet?"Feng Li smiled. "That's not something for me to worry about—it's my parents' concern. As the elder brother, how could I meddle in such matters?"But Yingniang knew that the elder Mr. and Mrs. Feng were looking at houses for their younger son. A house in Yunsui Town wasn't too expensive to buy, but adding a wedding on top would cost a great deal. The betrothal gifts, furnishings for the new house, and the carriage and mule cart for travel—everything required money.Her grandparents earned about six taels a month, and half of that had to go toward her young uncle's expenses. That meant they saved roughly forty taels a year, and that was only because the fish came from their own pond and the lotus roots from their own lotus pond—otherwise, the expenses would be even greater. Over these years, the elder couple had accumulated only a little over a hundred taels.But a medium-sized house cost about a hundred taels, so that was barely enough.Feng Li's stance, however, was firm. As long as Feng He wasn't married, living in the family home was fine, but once he started his own family, the two brothers should separate—after all, even brothers must keep clear accounts.On the other mule cart, Mrs. Lai was also speaking with Old Mother Feng: "If you ask me, your house is already there, you have servants to wait on you, and your parents-in-law still have income. I really don't see why you don't hurry up and settle a match for him."Old Mother Feng thought in her heart that the eldest son was drawing too clear a line, but on the surface she had to defend him: "What are you saying? That house was bought by Dalang. If our younger son is to marry, it's only right that we, his parents, help him set things up."After saying this, Old Mother Feng also reflected that the two daughters-in-law of the second branch, Mrs. Jian and Mrs. Lian, were both quite fertile. Mrs. Jian had borne two sons and a daughter, and Mrs. Lian had borne one daughter and was said to be with child again. For now things were peaceful, but in the future, with more people and more voices, who knew what might happen?Thinking this way, she began to feel that Feng Li was right. Though the old couple doted on their younger son, they didn't rely on him for their old age. Since the eldest son could take charge, the younger son might well cause them grief. So in family decisions, they still had to listen to Dalang.Mrs. Lai only felt that the eldest branch of the Feng family loved to show off their wealth. Her family actually had no small amount of money, but it was all kept for emergencies—unlike the eldest branch, which cared only for face.Harboring this secret disdain, Mrs. Lai felt somewhat contemptuous, while Old Mother Feng was thinking that they should hurry up and buy a house before the new year.With everyone's thoughts at odds, they soon arrived at Xue Family Village. Feng Li left Fang Hu to watch the carriage. The group took a country path on foot and encountered Feng Qushui along the way. This grand-uncle was very fond of her father, and the two chatted pleasantly when they met by the roadside.During the conversation, a certain person came up: "Yuehuan has had a hard fate too. She's a widow now, and her house was taken over by her husband's clan. Truly pitiful. Back then, if she'd set her sights on you, she wouldn't be in such straits today."Yingniang glanced at Feng Li when she heard this, but Feng Li showed no desire to dwell on the topic. Yingniang was clever enough to read between the lines—she naturally guessed what sort of person this Yuehuan was. Perhaps she had looked down on Feng Li back then, and now that she was married and living poorly, she likely regretted it.This was, of course, only a minor episode. Visiting the graves was the main business. Old Mother Feng led Yingniang in kowtowing three times before the graves, murmuring incantations under her breath. After the paper money had burned, the group prepared to head back.Mid-October was also usually the busiest time for the Feng family. This year, following Yingniang's advice, Feng Li had kept a full granary of grain—enough to feed the entire family for nearly two years. The rest of the grain was sold to grain merchants. The lotus seeds stored since the sixth month, from their two mu of lotus pond, came to over 160 jin and sold for seven taels of silver. The lotus roots brought in another ten taels. As for the fish from the pond and the chickens and ducks they raised, they kept some for their own table and sold the rest.The affairs outside were managed solely by Feng Li, while at home Mrs. Jiang led the women in needlework. Yingniang had always been skilled with a needle, and at the academy, one day each week was set aside for teaching embroidery patterns and women's handicrafts. Yingniang naturally embroidered simple flowers on the handkerchiefs she had woven herself.Feng Li gave the silver from his sales to Mrs. Jiang to keep, and personally selected two bolts of fine red and yellow Hangzhou silk for Old Mother Feng, Mrs. Jiang, and Yingniang to have clothes made. The tailor was quick and soon delivered the finished garments.Yingniang wore her new clothes to the academy, where everyone else was also dressed in brand-new attire, for the weather had turned cold and they could no longer wear their previous padded jackets. Among them, Zhuang Yumian dressed the best, wearing a set of gold-threaded garments with a crimson brocade cloak patterned with the character for longevity over her shoulders.In the morning, the academy served a bowl of plain noodle soup, a fried egg, and a tooth-shaped flatbread. After eating their fill, they began their studies. The teacher lectured with spittle flying, while the students below sat drowsy and half-asleep.When the break finally came, many people went to Li Yuanshu to borrow her notes for copying. Li Yuanshu was an excellent student and generous enough not to mind, though due to Zhuang Yumian's status, Teacher Shu was noticeably more courteous toward her.The entire day was spent reading, which inevitably left one feeling groggy. When Yingniang returned home, she was still yawning. Mrs. Jiang was sewing small quilts and baby clothes with the maid Caixia, and seeing her like this, said, "Your tears are about to come out.""The teacher started with the Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames very slowly, but now he's picked up the pace. My hand is nearly numb from writing. Today I also have five pages of tracing practice and large-character calligraphy." Even students have their hardships.Mrs. Jiang hurriedly had the meal served, and Yingniang slipped into her study to do her homework, when Suxin said, "Miss, something important happened at home today.""What is it?" Yingniang asked.Suxin smiled. "Your uncle has reportedly bought a house.""Really?" Yingniang said.Suxin nodded. "I think it's true."Grandmother was an impatient sort—whenever her mind got heated, she would decide things quickly. But they would surely have Father go look at it, since they were afraid of being cheated.After the house was purchased, Feng He's marriage arrangements were put on the fast track. He was already a licentiate scholar, his family was reasonably well-off, and he now had a house. Matchmakers swarmed in, afraid of missing out on such a prime catch.Relatives and friends each made their own introductions. Mrs. Lai and the Zuo family both recommended candidates, and Mrs. Jiang wanted to as well, but Feng Li stopped her: "Do you think being a matchmaker is so easy? If the couple gets along well, fine, but if they don't, you'll be the first one blamed."The one Mrs. Lai recommended was naturally out of the question—she was the daughter of an apothecary shop owner. Old Mother Feng met her and found her far too short. Another girl had a decent face but came from a family too poor. As for the one the Zuo family recommended, she was pretty enough and her family was in business, but she could barely read a few characters.Old Mother Feng had no heart left for business—finding a daughter-in-law was simply too difficult.As the saying goes, "You plant flowers with care and they don't bloom; a willow branch stuck in the ground by chance grows into shade." Old Madam Chang often chatted with Old Mother Feng about old times, and Old Mother Feng brought up her family troubles, fretting endlessly. Old Madam Chang laughed and said, "If you'd told me this some days ago, I wouldn't have been able to help. But today, it truly is 'a thousand miles of marriage bound by a single thread.' I have a grandniece named Xianglan. She is eighteen this year, well-mannered and educated, and her father is also a licentiate scholar."Old Mother Feng thought that since Old Madam Chang had been the wife of a high official and was a woman of experience, the Chang family's girl must surely be excellent. So they arranged to meet. Chang Xianglan wore a blue silk jacket, an onion-white skirt, and two silk flowers in her hair. Her features were lovely, and she had copied a sutra for Old Madam Chang, writing a fine hand.Old Mother Feng quickly settled the engagement, and before the new year, this aunt came over the threshold as a bride, since both parties were no longer young.At the new house, they simply whitewashed the walls and furnished it with a few pieces of furniture. Chang Xianglan was not from a wealthy family either, arriving with eight trunks of dowry.This disappointed Old Mother Feng somewhat—she had expected that someone introduced by Old Madam Chang would be better off, but the girl's family turned out to be quite ordinary, perhaps even less prosperous than her eldest son's household.Feng Li noticed this and said privately to Mrs. Jiang, "Mother was talked into it."Mrs. Jiang frowned. "What do you mean?""This Miss Chang was born into a poor scholarly family. They're only distantly related to Lord Chang and have some occasional contact. Old Madam Chang saw that she could read a few characters and wasn't the grasping sort, so she brought it up on her own initiative." Feng Li had only discovered that the Chang family was actually quite ordinary when he went to receive the bride.Yingniang, who had been resting on the couch, sat up and said, "Father, but Old Madam Chang did let Grandmother meet Aunt before, and Grandmother agreed.""Alas, if it had been through a matchmaker, your grandmother would have given it more careful consideration. It's only because she usually finds Old Madam Chang to be kind and benevolent that she agreed to it." Feng Li knew his daughter was tight-lipped, so he went ahead and said to Mrs. Jiang, "Someone like Hedi, who isn't well-versed in the ways of the world, should find a wife who is shrewd and capable, from a family of some means. That way, at least in the future, she can manage the household in an orderly manner and they won't have to worry about money. I've mentioned this to Mother, but I don't feel it's my place to interfere too much." Feng Li hadn't expected it to turn out this way either. It wasn't that Chang Xianglan was a bad person; he simply felt that, given their personalities, the two were just not well-suited. Neither of them was a good fit for the other.Someone like Chang Xianglan should marry into a merchant family, where she could enjoy a life of refinement and never worry about food or clothing. As for Feng He, he needed a wife who knew how to manage finances carefully for their life to prosper.Yingniang felt that Feng Li had seen things very clearly, but she also said, "Father, life is always full of surprises and unexpected turns—that's what makes it life. You needn't trouble yourself over these matters."These words made Feng Li take a second look at his daughter. He couldn't help but think that with only half a year of schooling, she already had such insight—it truly was refreshing to hear.Yingniang, however, was thinking that by the normal course of life, with her parents' doting and the family's comfortable means, she should have lived quite well. But who would have known that in her previous life, she was abducted and spent half a lifetime in hardship!

Yingniang