Chapter 16: Selective Treatment

The Fifth Branch somehow regained its calm, and the Pei family let out a collective sigh of relief. Old Madam Pei remarked to Nanny Xiang, "This Cao Shi is now raising hell everywhere and has completely lost all sense of decorum. She’s even worse than those from lesser families."

Nanny Xiang replied, "Actually, it might be for the best that she’s making such a scene."

"What do you mean by that?" Old Madam Pei asked, puzzled.

Nanny Xiang smiled and said, "Fifth Madame Cao has always been the most outspoken and daring to make a fuss. If she were to demand the division of the household and make a public fuss about it without regard for propriety, you’d likely have no choice but to agree, even if you didn’t want to. Now that she has already gotten on everyone's nerves with her behavior, if she continues to clamor for dividing the family, people will only say she’s in the wrong."

Old Madam Pei nodded slowly. "That makes sense."

After such a long and exhausting journey, Old Madam Pei’s health had also taken a turn. Moreover, with Old Master Pei’s passing, she felt quite grief-stricken, having shared many years of marriage with Pei Shuo.

However, Old Madam Pei did not broadcast her poor health. She was not the type to make a fuss. Her primary concern was the fate of the Pei family, leaving no room for other distractions.

Though she said nothing, Meng Shi came to care for her. Meng Shi’s own health was not particularly robust; she had suffered greatly in her efforts to conceive, and her body always felt prone to chills.

Old Madam Pei thought Meng Shi was quite alright. Though not as eloquent as Lu Shi, she had been raised according to women's teachings. She had her selfish tendencies but was ultimately a virtuous woman.

"Mother, should we call for a doctor to examine you?" Meng Shi asked with concern.

Old Madam Pei shook her head. "This is an old ailment. I have some medicinal pills with me; I just need more rest."

"Should we add another layer of cushion under the carriage seat? It would make it softer and more comfortable," Meng Shi suggested.

Old Madam Pei smiled. "I'll be alright, no need to trouble yourself."

Seeing that Old Madam Pei’s complexion was not too bad, Meng Shi felt somewhat reassured but stayed to keep her company. She also sent word to the other daughters-in-law that she would handle things here and that they should focus on taking care of their own children.

Though she said this, as daughters-in-law, they could not remain unaware. When they reached the post station, Huo Shi sought out Yu Shi, and together they went to visit, bringing the children along to check on her.

She Niang and Li Niang followed along. Unexpectedly, Yi Niang was there preparing medicine. Everyone knew she did not get along with Cao Shi. Given Cao Shi’s temperament, it was understandable that Yi Niang would prefer to serve the old madam rather than endure mistreatment. Thus, they all sympathized with her and understood her choice.

Compared to Meng Shi, Yi Niang was more meticulous and articulate. She knew by heart the illness, the medication, and how many times Old Madam Pei woke during the night.

Yu Shi said to her, "Good child, you’ve taken on this filial duty on our behalf. We couldn't get away during the journey. If anything happens to the old madam in the future, just let me know."

"Aunt Sixth, don’t worry. If anything comes up, I’ll discuss it with you," He Biyun replied, looking at Yu Shi and feeling increasingly that life was unfair. Both had sought children at Xuandu Temple, yet Yu Shi was living well—respected, with both sons and daughters, and a loving husband—while Yi Niang’s birth mother had to die to silence the rumors.

Unaware of her thoughts, Yu Shi simply nodded. As for She Niang and Li Niang, they only glanced from outside. Noticing Yue Niang’s swollen eyes and sour odor, they realized she was carriage-sick and out of sorts, so they offered suggestions.

She Niang said, "I wonder if this post station has any oranges. I’ve heard orange peel can help prevent motion sickness."

"I’ve lost hope in those remedies. Honestly, I’m usually fine in carriages. I don’t know why this journey has been so hard on me—I’ve been vomiting and had diarrhea," Yue Niang replied, her heart aching at the thought.

She Niang didn’t know why either; many people’s illnesses seemed to come without explanation.

This was why she enjoyed skipping rope, doing flips, and walking—it kept her body healthier.

Finally, just as everyone was at their wits' end, they arrived at Wenxi County. The county magistrate came out personally to welcome them, putting on quite the spectacle. This was She Niang’s first time returning to her ancestral home since her rebirth. The Pei family was a prominent clan in Hedong Prefecture, with sprawling residences and numerous commemorative arches that inspired awe.

The Pei family’s grandfather's generation originally consisted of three brothers. The grandfather and his younger brother were born to the first wife but were driven out by their stepmother in their youth, so the relationship among the three brothers was not particularly close. The second uncle, who had never held an official post, managed the family’s farmlands and shops. Relying on his elder brother, who served as a vice minister, he lived comfortably as a rich man. His two sons: one served as a county clerk locally, while the other, recommended by Old Master Pei, worked under the Fujian Provincial Governor.

The ancestral home was even larger than the residence in the capital. The Sixth Branch was assigned to the western courtyard of the third compound. The second uncle’s family had already cleaned the rooms.

Yu Shi had lived in the old residence for several years. Her elder brother, Pei Ji, and Li Niang were both born there, though neither had strong memories of the place.

That night, they were too exhausted for pleasantries. All they wanted was to set up their beds, eat, and sleep.

Lu Shi, however, still had work to do. She tasked her younger brothers-in-law with setting up the mourning hall and assigned people to keep watch over the incense, which must not be extinguished. Additionally, she had to arrange for Taoist priests and Buddhist monks to perform rituals and decide where the burial site would be. She had already made preparations to delegate tasks.

Her daughter, Yue Niang, could have helped, but Yue Niang was suffering from carriage-sickness, so Lu Shi had to manage everything alone.

Returning to her room, her back and waist aching, only her servants could massage her briefly to alleviate the discomfort.

"Madame, the burden of the entire family rests on your shoulders. As the saying goes, the capable bear more responsibilities," a servant flattered.

Others thought she and her husband worked together to earn money, but in reality, household expenses were considerable. The proceeds from selling farmland had almost all been used to cover daily costs. There was no other way—with so many people, they had to keep going.

Yet she did not want the family to divide. As long as they remained united, they could support each other. Once divided, it would be hard to say what might happen.

Especially since her husband was only a *Jiansheng*, and their daughter’s marriage arrangement was still pending—she feared unexpected changes.

Someone else entered, and Lu Shi forced herself up to give instructions. She managed to sleep for less than two hours before having to rise again.

On the other side, Yu Shi also rustled about getting dressed. She stuffed a piece of walnut pastry into Pei Yiqing’s mouth, knowing that her husband became completely useless when hungry.

Pei Yiqing grabbed her hand. "Darling, won’t you sleep a bit longer?"

"It’s our first day back. I need to go early to pay respects to the old madam and see how she’s doing. Then I’ll check if Second Sister-in-law needs any help," Yu Shi replied, not wanting to be seen as lazy.

But Pei Yiqing, always clever, took a bite of the walnut pastry, set it aside, and said, "Just follow what others do. Do what they do; don’t let yourself be ordered around arbitrarily."

Yu Shi couldn’t help but laugh. "Why say such childish things? Besides, I’m not a three-year-old."

"Then lean closer," Pei Yiqing said, as if he had a secret to share.

When Yu Shi leaned in, he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Yu Shi gave him a playful look and, reaching the door, instructed the servants, "I’ll go ahead. Let the two young ladies stay in their rooms when they wake."

Meanwhile, the maids and older servants in She Niang’s room were exhausted from the journey. Everyone was sleeping soundly, unable to move.

She Niang was the first to wake. For the past few months, she had been squeezing into bed with Li Niang, which made it hard to sleep well. She preferred sleeping alone.

Soon after, Qiu Ju sent the maids Lan Re and Gui Fang to the kitchen to fetch meals.

Unexpectedly, it took them half an hour to return.

She Niang couldn’t help but ask, "Why did it take so long? Was the kitchen not prepared?"

"When we arrived, they were busy cooking for the old madam and Sixth Young Lady. The old madam was one thing, but they also had to prepare a special sour bamboo shoot soup for Second Branch’s Yue Young Lady. Even Third Young Lady demanded a special dish—braised duck. When we asked for meatball soup, they kept making excuses and putting us off," Lan Re said, on the verge of tears.

She Niang replied, "The kitchen staff are Second Aunt’s people; that’s just how they are. Since they always prioritize others, tomorrow you don’t need to go so early."

Xia Mama suggested, "Perhaps we should inform Madame."

"What good would telling my mother do? Would she be able to get Second Aunt to prioritize us? More likely, we’d just get scolded. Besides, how can a biased person judge fairly?" She Niang didn’t seem bothered by it.

Meanwhile, Li Niang enjoyed a lavish meal with cherry pork and stewed cuttlefish eggs, said to be a personal gift from Old Madam Pei.

Xia Mama glanced awkwardly at She Niang, worried she might be upset. After all, between the two sisters, one was the old madam’s favorite, while the other had to wait for ordinary dishes and was kept waiting.

Hearing this, She Niang didn’t even bat an eye, though she found it strange.

Old Madam Pei was not the type to show blatant favoritism. By elevating Li Niang like this, she likely had ulterior motives. She Niang wondered what they could be.

Perhaps it would be one thing if she genuinely liked Li Niang, but I’m worried there’s some other motive.

Over there, Nanny Chen was serving dishes for Li Niang: "This cherry pork stimulates the appetite, and the cuttlefish roe helps with digestion, diuresis, spleen health, and reducing swelling. You should eat more to build up your strength, miss."

"I almost got sick of eating on the road, but the food cooked at home tastes so much better," Li Niang said with a laugh.

Nanny Chen replied, "It’s not that the kitchen cooks well—it’s the Old Lady’s doing. Only you and Sixth Miss receive this kind of treatment. No one else gets it."

Li Niang put down her chopsticks: "What about my younger sister?"

"Certainly not. Fifth Miss doesn’t seem to be in the Old Lady’s good graces. It’s different for you—you have a naturally good temperament that makes people fond of you," Nanny Chen said with a smile.

Over the past few months, Nanny Chen had noticed that the sisters had grown much closer, so she deliberately tried to drive a wedge between them, fearing that if Li Niang became less controllable, she herself would become useless.

While Li Niang felt secretly pleased about being favored by the Old Lady, she also felt somewhat guilty toward She Niang. She said to Nanny Chen, "My younger sister loves cherry pork. Since I can’t finish all of this anyway, I’ll take some over for her to eat later."

Nanny Chen couldn’t outright object too bluntly, so she could only hope that Fifth Miss would reject it. That way, Fourth Miss would realize she was going out of her way for nothing.

When Li Niang brought the cherry pork over, she found that her older brother Pei Ji had also sent over a bowl of chicken wonton soup. Pei Ji explained, "When I ran into Lan Re on the way, she told me they had to wait a long time for the food to be ready. Since I know she loves wontons, I had someone bring a bowl over."

She Niang wasn’t about to refuse. She chuckled and said, "Anytime you’ve got something good to eat from now on, bring it right over. I certainly won’t turn it down."

Nanny Chen stood in the adjoining room, listening to the cheerful laughter of the three siblings, and could only resign herself to it.