Chapter 74: Free from Longing, Free from Fame (3)

In the eleventh month, the fifth young master of the Li family was to be married. This was a significant event, especially since it was the last son to wed, so Duke of England also paid some attention and mentioned to Madam Zhao that he wished to celebrate the marriage with great fanfare.

Madam Zhao initially hesitated, but Duke of England, knowing her temperament well, straightforwardly said, "There have been too many unfortunate events in the family lately; a joyful occasion like this would be perfect to dispel the gloom."

Upon recalling the recent troubles, Madam Zhao immediately agreed.

Yes, they would do it—on a grand scale.

She also felt that her household was now shrouded in bad luck.

Of course, such an important matter would naturally be entrusted to Song Yueniang. She declared, "I'm the only one you can rely on for this."

Song Yueniang confidently patted her chest, "It'll be done with grace and dignity. It's not my first time managing a wedding, after all."

She had even played a role in Zhe Wan's grand wedding.

She viewed this as a delightful assignment. Moreover, she felt that recently Zhe Wan had presented tea to the Empress Dowager, receiving praise from His Majesty, and thus stealing the spotlight with the matter of Minnan's tribute of Dragon Phoenix Ball Tea next year. This fueled a sense of resentment within her, motivating her to compete fiercely with Zhe Wan.

Thus, Fifth Young Master's wedding preparations were entirely out of Zhe Wan's hands. She toiled tirelessly from start to finish, and by the day before the wedding, she had visibly lost weight from exhaustion.

Aunt Zhao cooed, "You've really worked hard."

Song Yueniang instantly beamed with pride. "Just a small matter."

Yuxiu brought Little Ping over to play and couldn't help but feel frustrated by Zhe Wan's triumphant attitude. "She thinks she won a battle!"

How did they raise such a personality?

And to match her, she was paired with a mother-in-law like Aunt Zhao. Truly, they were birds of a feather.

Zhe Wan chuckled. "Who's the snake, and who's the rat?"

Yuxiu replied, "Your mother-in-law is the snake, a plump one at that, while my idiot husband is the rat, with a shortsighted view."

Zhe Wan chuckled softly. Lately, Aunt Zhao's face had become even rounder—since everything was taken care of by Song Yueniang, all she had left to do was eat and drink, so she gained weight quickly.

Little Ping nestled in his godmother's arms and echoed, "Snake! Rat!"

Zhe Wan covered his ears, saying, "You mustn't listen to that."

Before long, the children arrived. Yingjie playfully stroked Pingge's face and said with a smile, "He's grown a little more."

She then looked at Yuxiu, "Auntie, my mother said she'll come and visit you later."

Yuxiu replied, "In that case, I'll go look for a feather duster."

Yingjie covered her mouth and giggled. She knew that last time, her mother had been chased by Auntie with a feather duster.

Shengge and Chuange greeted the adults before discussing their plan to ask for firecrackers. Pingge wanted to join them, but they refused to take him along.

They were big kids now; how could they be burdened with a young brat?

They insisted on Yingjie coming along. Yingjie was capable and brave enough to light the firecrackers. Besides, when they were scolded by the adults, she would often share their punishment, reducing it for all of them.

Yingjie was unwilling. After the two boys left hand in hand to search for firecrackers, she pouted, "What's the point? Tomorrow, I'm going to see the bride, so I won't set off any firecrackers."

Tonight, she needed to bathe and burn incense in preparation to meet the bride.

She was very serious about it.

Moreover, she no longer wanted to play with them now.

She said, "They two were secretly urinating in the pond! Competing to see who could pee further."

Zhe Wan laughed upon hearing this, "Then you can play with Yan Yan tomorrow when she comes over."

Ying Jiejie nodded, "I made many small bells to give to her."

Yuxiu then whispered, "Your family's celebration is quite extravagant."

Zhe Wan replied, "It's a good thing for the bride."

This was the truth. As Fifth Young Master was a concubine-born son, Madam Zhao had arranged his marriage with a girl from a humble family. Zhe Wan remembered that the girl had a round face and was quiet, not saying much.

She was close to Second Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady, so whenever they met, she would only greet Zhe Wan softly. There wasn't much of a relationship between the two of them.

But her marriage in her previous life had been a simple affair, nothing like the grand spectacle of today.

For a young lady, a wedding was often a once-in-a-lifetime event, and it was always better to have a grand celebration than a humble one.

When the new bride entered the house the next day, paid respects to heaven and earth, and had her veil lifted, Zhe Wan and the others sat in the room, chatting with her cheerfully. Indeed, they saw that she smiled without showing her teeth, spoke little, and was rather bashful.

Zhe Wan vaguely recalled that at this time in her previous life, she had been busy entertaining guests outside and had not met this younger sister-in-law on the first day.

Now, as the head of the household, Song Yueniang was also very busy and did not come over. She had deliberately asked the second and fourth young madams for assistance, leaving Zhe Wan out, hoping to make her feel left out and show her who was in charge. However, the other ladies soon came to visit the bride, and Zhe Wan had to attend to them, which only angered Song Yueniang enough to snap, "Truly two-faced!"

Zhe Wan was unaware of these machinations, and even if she knew, she would not understand the logic behind them. Instead, she waited until the wedding revelers had left before speaking softly to the bride, trying to alleviate her first-day jitters. She smiled and said, "In a few days, when it gets colder, we'll have a hot pot meal."

The fifth young madam, hearing this, gradually relaxed in response and thanked Zhe Wan warmly, "Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law."

Only then did Zhe Wan lead Yingjie away.

As they walked, Yingjie asked, "Eldest Aunt, were you dressed like this when you got married? Did Father also lift your veil, and did everyone chat with you?"

Mo Yue, carrying a lantern beside them, paused in her steps but caught sight of her own young madam smiling and saying, "No. Back then... your father went to the imperial palace, so I lifted my veil myself."

No one was there to accompany her in conversation, all engrossed in discussing He Chun's sudden appearance at the palace.

She had spent the entire night in trepidation. If someone had been there to console her then, she might have felt more reassured.

Jing Ying, not grasping the implications, exclaimed, "Wow! Then you're really amazing!"

Zhe Wan replied with a bright smile, "Yes, very much so."

She took Jing Ying back to Another World, instructing an elderly servant to inform the third branch of their return. Jing Ying pouted, "Mother is so busy, how could she possibly spare any attention for me?"

Zhe Wan responded, "Still, it's proper to let her know."

Not long after, He Chun returned, thoroughly drunk. It was said that he had been playing a drinking game with a young General Mo, but his skills were lacking. He had consumed several vats of alcohol, leaving him dazed and disoriented. Upon returning home, he promptly fell asleep.

Jing Ying sighed in relief as she saw the lights extinguished in the neighboring room—she had been afraid that her uncle might come to visit her aunt and thus hadn't dared to sleep.

Zhe Wan, oblivious to Jing Ying's concerns, continued to focus on reconciling the accounts. The sales of Spring of the Champions and cinnamon tea had been excellent, bringing in a substantial amount of silver. She felt that she could use this money to try her hand at other business ventures.

However, she was still unsure what kind of business to pursue.

Yingjie waited until Zhe Wan put down the ledger before approaching her. Zhe Wan stroked her head and asked, "Are you going to sleep?"

Yingjie shook her head and eagerly recounted the events of the day. "Chuan-ge didn't dare to light firecrackers. He stood far away, while Sheng-ge went to light them. But he was spotted by Uncle, who gave him a good scolding."

However, Uncle couldn't bring himself to reprimand Sheng-ge, so he criticized Chuan-ge instead, leaving the younger boy with a dejected look on his face, full of grievance.

Yan Yan seemed particularly happy today, dressed in a new outfit. She mentioned that she had designed the pattern herself, which was similar to the one on Aunt Sun's dress.

Apologizing, Yan Yan added, "I wanted to wear the same as you, but more than anything, I wanted to match with Aunt."

Yingjie understood. Nowadays, whenever she received something new, like Little Bell, she would first give it to Aunt rather than Yan Yan.

The two friends embraced and whispered apologies to each other. Yan Yan softly said, "Uncle is still taking medicine recently."

The house was filled with the smell of medicine, making Aunt unhappy enough to not let him inside.

Yingjie drew a sharp breath. "I know! It smells terrible. My own uncle is also taking medicine."

Why do men need to take medicine?

The young girls didn't understand and finally concluded, "Perhaps all men become ill when they grow older."

This was because Chuan-ge and Sheng-ge didn't need to take medicine yet—they were still young.

"Poor things, they'll have to take medicine when they grow up," Ying-jie sighed. She looked around before crawling under the covers and whispering to Zhe Wan, "Aunt, I have something else to tell you about Chuan-ge."

Zhe Wan nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Ying-jie trusted her. She had shared many things with her aunt, and no one else seemed to know. Her aunt must have kept her secrets well.

She confided in a mysterious tone, "Chuan-ge... doesn't like Uncle."

Zhe Wan was taken aback. "What? How did you know?"

Ying-jie replied, "Chuan-ge told me himself."

In fact, if she were Uncle's daughter, she wouldn't like him either. Uncle was not a good person at all. He always scolded people and liked to put on a stern face to scare them.

At that moment, Brother Chuan pulled her aside and said, "Brother Sheng has a big mouth. I'll only tell you this, but you mustn't tell anyone else."

Jiejie Ying agreed but couldn't resist sharing with her aunt, "I feel so sorry for him. Aunt, can we help him?"

Zhe Wan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can't help him. He needs to stand up on his own."

Jiejie Ying sighed, "Yes, he has to rely on himself."

Mother and Grandmother favored Brother Sheng more, so Jiejie Ying could only enjoy her own company or play with her favorite aunt.

Brother Chuan should also start planning for his own future.

If his uncle didn't like him, he could always come to his aunt, but he didn't.

With a hint of embarrassment, she said, "Please don't tell anyone, or I'll lose credibility."

Zhe Wan hooked pinkies with her, "I promise you."

Jiejie Ying fell into a deep sleep, and Zhe Wan, after a moment of stunned silence, soon followed suit.

When she opened her eyes the next morning, she was still a little dazed. She had thought that she would be unable to sleep after hearing about Quan Ge's dislike for He Chun.

To her surprise, she had slept soundly, without any dreams, and woke up feeling refreshed.

Zhe Wan let out a sigh of relief. Together with Ying Jie, they adorned each other's hair with floral hairpins before heading to Madam Zhao to pay their respects.

These days, Zhe Wan rarely visited Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao did not wish to see her, and Zhe Wan was content with this, so she avoided the Mountain Sea Courtyard even more.

But today, she couldn't abstain from going. As the eldest sister-in-law, it was customary for her to present gifts to her fifth sister-in-law.

In the Capital City, the customary gift is sixty taels of silver. This was an inerrant tradition, and Zhe Wan tenderly smiled as she presented the red envelope, saying, "I sincerely wish for your continued good health and freedom from illness and misfortune in the days to come."

What Lady Zhao was suggesting was, "Have more children."

Song Yueniang: "Be content and find joy in simplicity."

Miss Fifth stumbled dizzily, and Young Master Fifth watched her with a charming smile, noticing the flush on her cheeks.

Amid the newlyweds' affectionate display, Zhe Wan couldn't help but feel delighted, and she stayed to accompany them for a while. The Fifth Young Master then took his leave, leaving his young wife to spend time alone with her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.

She was not skilled in conversation, so she listened quietly, but when it came time to respond, she did so thoughtfully and earnestly, albeit with fewer words.

Yet, Lady Zhao found her lacking, subtly implying as much through her words, "Is this how you behaved in your natal home?"

Miss Fifth's face flushed instantly, and she became flustered with a surge of indignation.

She hurriedly rose to her feet, intending to clarify the situation, only to find that her eldest sister-in-law had already come to her rescue. "Fifth Sister-in-law has always been of such a disposition, unlike Third Sister-in-law who is so adept at pleasing others – I've heard she's been entertaining Mother lately?"

Lady Zhao opened her mouth but ultimately held her tongue. Indeed, Yueniang had been pestering her lately for information about the Zhe family. How could she dare to divulge anything? With Yueniang's loose lips, what was known today would be the gossip of the entire Capital City by tomorrow!

She dared not elaborate further, for fear that Yueniang might question her later.

Thus, Fifth Young Madam was spared any further harassment until they parted ways.

Fifth Young Madam was deeply grateful to Zhe Wan and affectionately addressed her as Elder Sister-in-law.

However, Zhe Wan could no longer recall whether, on her first day, Fifth Sister-in-law had been subjected to Lady Zhao's cold demeanor or had stood up in such anxiety to defend herself, just as she had today.

Regardless of whether such incidents had occurred, Zhe Wan knew that in her previous life, she had never come to the young woman's aid.

Perhaps it was because she couldn't protect herself, or perhaps because she was there that day, so Lady Zhao's scolding was directed at her instead, leaving Fifth Sister-in-law unscathed?

She smiled and comforted Fifth Young Lady, "Don't be afraid. I wasn't talkative at first either. But as we got to know each other better, I started to open up."

"It's fine even if you don't speak much. In fact, those who love to talk are in the minority. People like us are more common."

Fifth Young Lady felt warm inside. She turned to Fifth Young Master and said, "I was quite uneasy, but after talking with Eldest Sister-in-law, I feel much better."

Fifth Young Master had always been an unknown figure in the family. He failed the imperial examination last year and thus had no official title, which made him even more overlooked.

He was closer to Second Brother and Fourth Brother, but not too close, given their age difference.

His concubine had also passed away early, leaving him with no one to talk to on a daily basis. Now that he had a wife, he felt reassured and said, "From my observations, Eldest Sister-in-law is a wise woman. If you like her, spend more time with her."

Fifth Young Lady hesitated, "Is that alright? It seems that Second Sister-in-law and Fourth Sister-in-law aren't very close to her."

Fifth Young Master believed it was acceptable, "We're not trying to curry favor with the eldest branch, we just want to find someone for you to talk to. If you don't want to go, then don't. Our friendship is as pure as water, we don't need to force anything."

He spoke earnestly, "While I'm out working, you manage the household affairs for me. Nothing is more important than us living our lives together happily."

The Fifth Young Lady gasped in excitement, feeling that her mother had made the right choice for her.

But living a good life was no easy task. Her mother-in-law had an odd habit of speaking in veiled barbs. Her second sister-in-law consoled her, "That's just how Mother is. You have to cater to her, and things will improve eventually."

All of them, except for Song Yueniang, had gone through similar experiences.

The Fifth Young Lady asked, "Was it the same with Eldest Sister-in-law?"

The Second and Fourth Young Ladies exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

They both remembered their mother-in-law's scathing remark about Zhe Wan: A pig demon disguised as cotton.

But they couldn't share this with their youngest sister-in-law.

With a new addition to the family, they had many old stories to reminisce.

The Fourth Young Lady began, "Did you purchase any shops on Guiyuan Street?"

The Fifth Young Lady shook her head. "No. At first, I thought the area was too remote and didn't want to invest in property there. By the time prices rose, it was already too late to buy."

It was a situation where one could not even spend silver to buy it. Proudly, Fourth Young Lady said, "I've already purchased some."

She then mentioned the matter of Zhe Wan helping her buy shops. "Last year, they didn't rise much in price, but this year, they've skyrocketed. Who knows how many times their value has multiplied since?"

Second Young Lady debunked her claim. "Then where are your current shops?"

Fourth Young Lady fell silent, and Fifth Young Lady dared not ask. When Fourth Miss was married in December, Zhe Wan personally took charge of the preparations, and Fifth Young Lady joined in to help. After they grew more acquainted, she ventured to inquire, "What did Second Sister-in-law mean? I've been keeping it in my heart, afraid to ask but also worried I might say something wrong. I'm quite anxious about it."

Zhe Wan had once suffered from the same issue! So, she reassured her, "There's nothing much to it. She just helped her brother from her natal family purchase a shop, but she didn't get one for herself."

In the end, she didn't win any favor with her family. The brother who received her shop wasn't very grateful either. He complained, "Since Sister bought me a shop, she should buy one for Big Brother too. Besides, Sister should also interact more with your Eldest Lady. The shops that slip through her fingers would be enough for us to live on for three to five years."

Fourth Young Lady cried several times from frustration and came to Zhe Wan, begging to buy a shop. "Just give me another shop, please."

Her "give" wasn't a request for Zhe Wan to sell it normally but rather to sell it at the price from a few years ago, considering their familial ties.

Zhe Wan found the situation utterly absurd. She tried to reason with her, "Even blood relatives need to keep accounts clear. You're giving it away for free; why do you end up being blamed? In my opinion, you should ask him to return the shop."

But Fourth Young Lady, despite her grievances, refused. "I only have this one younger brother, so I have to protect him."

Zhe Wan felt helpless. Apart from reflecting on herself to see if she had acted similarly, she chose not to engage in further discussion about it. "My shops all serve specific purposes, and I'm not willing to sell them."

For almost half a year, Fourth Young Lady avoided visiting Cangyun Pavilion, either out of resentment or due to a loss of face in front of Zhe Wan.

Zhe Wan then spoke to Fifth Young Lady, "It's not too late to purchase a shop on Guiyuan Street now; its value will surely rise in the future."

There were still ten years for it to appreciate. Even until her death, the value never declined.

Although Fifth Young Lady came from a humble background, her parents doted on her, and they provided her with a dowry when she married. She said, "I hope Eldest Sister-in-Law can give me some guidance."

She had heard during her time at home about Elder Sister-in-Law's ventures in purchasing shops in the Capital City and acquiring land in Minnan.

Zhe Wan smiled and said, "Then I'll keep an eye out for something suitable for you."

Upon hearing this, Fourth Lady also became intrigued. However, she felt that it was not worthwhile to purchase at the moment and was unwilling to spend a large sum on acquiring a shop. She said with a tinge of envy, "It seems Fifth Sister-in-law has quite the substantial foundation."

Second Young Madam shot her a withering glance. "Don't always speak in such unbecoming manner!"

Lady Fourth sighs, "Isn't it because we lack silver? If we had the means, I'd be more than willing to endure others' envy."

She inquired, "How much are you planning to give for Fourth Sister's marriage?"

Second Young Lady replied, "Let's stick to the old custom and give two hundred taels. That should be decent enough."

When Fourth Young Lady reviewed her accounts, she realized that after giving two hundred taels, her finances would be stretched thin. So, she approached Second Young Lady and suggested, "Second Sister, how about we just give one hundred and ten taels? It's a good omen, representing choosing the best from a hundred."

Second Young Lady was displeased. "Don't do something so unbecoming!"

Upon learning that they were to give two hundred taels, Fifth Young Lady was deeply troubled. Fifth Young Master then offered his own private savings. "Here, take it."

Fifth Young Lady opened her mouth, then shared with Zhe Wan the next day, "He only told me now that he has private savings."

Zhe Wan chuckled. "Then you should secretly save some for yourself too."

After the others had left, Ying-ge curiously asked, "Aunt, have you ever secretly stashed away silver?"

Zhe Wan nodded. "I have."

Not only did she hide silver, but also shops and mansions, all under Su Shan's name.

Ying Jie said, "Then I should save some for the future too."

Zhe Wan stroked her head and replied, "I hope you won't have to resort to this one day."

He Chun returned late at night to find Ying Jie still here. He clicked his tongue, "She's practically becoming the first wife's daughter."

Nonetheless, he was quite pleased with himself. Previously, he even wrote a letter to He Min about it, stating, "It's my duty to look after our children while you're away. But you should also pay more attention."

Feeling rather pleased with himself after writing the letter, he shared with Zhe Wan, "Once he's always away, Sheng Ge might not be close to him."

That would be interesting. If their daughter doesn't get along with Third Sister-in-law, and their son doesn't get along with Third Brother, then what's the point?

Amused by the thought, he said, "Open the storehouse, let's take the kids to pick out some things."

Zhe Wan glanced at him sideways, "By your logic, you're the one who gave birth to Mister Wu's son."

He Chun disapproved, "I'm not as reckless as Third Brother."

Zhe Wan chuckled. "Is that so?"

For a moment, He Chun hesitated before saying, "I've been very busy lately."

There was surely something going on between His Majesty and the Crown Prince. As a close advisor to the emperor and with some acquaintance with the prince, he was already exhausted from maneuvering between them. How could he spare any energy to concern himself with Chuan Ge'er?

Thinking about the matters in court made him irritable, but Zhe Wan urged him to take his medicine. "Doctor Zheng is waiting for you."

He Chun's headache reached its peak; Doctor Zheng had become the person he least wanted to see.

Lately, he spent more time in his study, while Zhe Wan no longer returned to Cangyun Pavilion. They didn't dine together at night, and when he was ready to rest, he noticed her room still lit up.

He clicked his tongue. "Truly—such diligence."

One might mistake her for someone who'd earned a fortune or accomplished great deeds.

But he knew how to put on a good front in public. At Fourth Miss's wedding, he warned the groom, "If you dare mistreat her, I'll risk both families' reputations to make you pay."

Zhe Wan felt that he had finally said something sensible. She stuffed a thousand taels of silver into the Fourth Miss's hands and said, "It's better to be rich when traveling, so always carry more silver on you."

She continued, "You're an intelligent young lady, but you don't like to trouble others."

Such was the nature of kind-hearted people. But in this world, one should still learn to rely on others when necessary.

She said, "Your third brother is the Prefect of Province Yue. If you reach a point where you can no longer endure, go find him. If you're still unwilling to seek his help, then look for my people. I have porcelain and tea shops in Province Yue."

Fourth Miss knew how sincere Zhe Wan's words were and cried, "Big Sister-in-law, please don't hesitate to ask me for help if there's anything I can do."

After all, kindness was a two-way street.

Zhe Wan sighed softly.

She didn't know if she would ever see Fourth Miss again in this lifetime. In her previous life, they had never crossed paths.

She spent some time feeling melancholic.

When the beginning of the year arrived, the emperor had some officials brew and drink Long Feng Tangcha, and after savoring its taste, he exclaimed with a smile, "This is excellent tea! The Governor of Minnan has also submitted another report, stating that many people have returned to cultivate tea on the barren lands."

The officials finally turned their attention to the barren lands of Minnan.

When Lihua Chun returned, he said, "You truly have unparalleled luck. You have no idea; several officials tried to discuss this matter with me before I left today."

Serving the monarch is like treading on thin ice; everyone was trying to gauge the Emperor's intentions. Nonetheless, this was indeed a good thing for both the country and its people.

One official even commented, "I had heard whispers of this matter but assumed it was mere triviality—Lord Lihua kept it well hidden."

However, Lihua Chun could not find any joy in this. Back then, he attempted to offer silver to both Prince Yue and Zhe Wan, but they both declined.

In a fit of anger, he dismissed the matter entirely. Little did he expect the Emperor to bring it up suddenly.

Lately, the Emperor's actions and words had become somewhat perplexing to him.

But now that this was settled, Zhe Wan's land would be worth a fortune. Undoubtedly, she was fortunate.

Zhe Wan simply smiled and replied, "Not too bad—I wasn't expecting to make a large profit anyway."