Chapter 3: The Hero Who Chases Moths

The servants at the Crimson Snow Pavilion had already begun to lay down new mats and boil hot water. Yao Niang, who usually slept with her mother, was moved to the secondary room.

After her bath, Yao Niang came out, and her wet nurse, Aunt Gu, helped her put on her underclothes and a cool shirt. The room had been refreshed with new ice. The Yan family had their own ice cellar, so after she was moved to the secondary room, the servants brought over several basins of ice, making the room pleasantly cool.

"At this time, my mother would usually be with me, helping me study." Yao Niang was somewhat dissatisfied.

Aunt Gu smiled and said, "My dear girl, it's good that Master Yan is here more often. This is how a proper family should be!" For servants like Aunt Gu, although Lady Jie was the mistress of the third branch, Yan Yingqi used to be in the capital frequently, leaving her alone in Jin Ling. The servants often gossiped about her situation.

After all, these servants loved seeing their high-and-mighty masters suffer.

Yao Niang was eight years old this year. Living in such a complex environment, unlike ordinary children who were still naive, she had long understood the rules of survival in this household. Grandmother Quan, the matriarch, was very strong-willed and always had the final say. Now, although her mother managed the third branch, since Grandmother's return, most matters, big or small, required her approval.

In the future, when her new sister-in-law enters the house in a couple of years, her brother has always been close to Grandmother. This sister-in-law was personally chosen by Grandfather, whom Grandmother likes very much, and does not get along with her mother at all. When they form an alliance, her mother will be caught between two fronts.

"Good girl, go to sleep now. You have to get up early tomorrow to climb the mountain. I've ironed your riding outfit for you, so you can just relax and play." Aunt Gu looked at Yao Niang, whose dark hair hung down, and marveled inwardly. Second Lady Jie was once renowned for her beauty in Wu, and looking at Third Miss now, she would surely captivate many hearts in the future.

Yao Niang yawned. "Then I'll sleep."

Children go to bed early, while adults are preoccupied with their thoughts. Yan Yingqi, having been away for a long time, was eager to please Jie Shi.

They called for water twice, but Yan Yingqi was still not satisfied. Jie Shi pushed him away gently. "Since we're climbing the mountain tomorrow, let's rest now."

Seeing Jie Shi's flushed cheeks, Yan Yingqi felt a sense of satisfaction. He remembered marrying Jie Shi after passing the imperial exams, feeling triumphant and even writing a poem for his bride.

"Alright, as you wish." He caressed her smooth shoulders.

However, Jie Shi had no interest in talking further. She knew well that Yan Yingqi was only being fresh for the moment. She had given birth to a son and a caring daughter for the third branch, which was far more important than anything else.

If not for Yao Niang mentioning that the eldest lady had neglected to give her jewelry, she wouldn't have been so cordial to Yan Yingqi today. Clearly, the eldest lady treated her son and the eldest branch equally, yet singled out her granddaughter.

She did this simply because she knew Jie Shi was not favored and looked down upon her.

Yan Yingqi and Jie Shi had been married for sixteen years, and he understood her quite well. If he didn't make amends, there would be no turning back for them.

Now that he was back, and his daughter had returned too, it was a good opportunity to mend things, especially with his son's engagement.

Jie Shi did not believe Yan Yingqi had any real feelings for her. At thirty-one, her appearance and figure were not what they used to be, and Yan Yingqi was not short of concubines. It was rumored that Lady Zhen was very virtuous and had promoted her maidservant shortly after entering the household, so Jie Shi never considered herself special.

In reality, Lady Zhen was not overly concerned either. She told her wet nurse, Aunt Wei, "Tomorrow, have the kitchen prepare some perilla drink for Fourth Miss. She's still a child, and it's not good for her to worry about such trivial matters."

She was now the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yan family, and only her children were legitimate heirs. As for Jie Shi, no matter how beautiful she was, she was getting older, and men of all ages preferred young girls.

At worst, she could find another beautiful concubine for Yan Yingqi, and then Jie Shi would be nothing.

Aunt Wei sighed. "It's not our girl's fault; blame the Yan family for trying to mimic merchants with this equal wife nonsense, leading to a lack of proper hierarchy."

"Hmph, the wife of a Minister of Rites, many would want that position regardless of propriety. What I'm concerned about is that although the eldest son is from the third branch, he is the firstborn of Master Yan. He is five years older than our Jingwen and already has the title of scholar. If he passes the imperial exams in the future, Master Yan's connections will naturally benefit him first."

Even more worrying was that once the patriarch and matriarch of the third branch passed away, there would be no more dual inheritance. To some extent, he could inherit both branches, making Yan Jingzhao his eldest son, and Jie Shi would not be a mere concubine, seriously threatening her son's position.

Aunt Wei slapped her head. "I hadn't thought that far ahead! What should we do?"

Lady Zhen said, "I don't interfere with external affairs. Just keep a close eye on Jingwen. If anyone around him is troublesome, report it to me and I'll deal with them. Nothing should affect his studies."

Aunt Wei quickly agreed.

**

The next morning, before dawn, Yao Niang was still yawning as she prepared to leave with the adults. Many people had gathered at the third branch, and Yan Jingzhao was speaking to Yan Yingqi with admiration.

Grandmother Quan was a bit worried and reminded Jie Shi, "Don't go too deep into the mountains, and don't tire yourselves out. You need to take care of them."

These words made Yao Niang uncomfortable. Her grandmother did not treat her mother as her brother's mother but rather as a servant.

Yao Niang stepped forward and smiled. "Grandmother, don't worry. My brother is grown up now, and Father is here too. How could they get tired? I heard that Qixia Market is very fun. Why don't you come with us? With you there, my brother won't dare run off."

Grandmother Quan waved her hand hurriedly. "I'm too old and frail to go."

Yao Niang gave Jie Shi a meaningful look, and Jie Shi felt warmth in her heart. Others envied her for having a good son, but she was most fortunate to have Yao Niang, who always supported her.

Yan Yingqi smiled and said, "Third Aunt, don't worry. I'll take good care of them. Besides, climbing high and looking far is very meaningful. Walking more is good for health."

"Yes, Grandmother, don't worry," Yan Jingzhao added.

With that, the four of them set off. Yan Yingqi and Jie Shi shared one carriage, while Yao Niang and her brother shared another. They were of different ages, and one grew up with their grandparents while the other with their mother, so they rarely interacted. The journey was silent.

When the carriages arrived at the foot of Qixia Mountain, the air was fresh, and Yao Niang felt energized. Jie Shi reminded her, "Don't walk too fast. You'll tire yourself out halfway up."

Yao Niang noticed that Jie Shi was carrying an empty gourd and asked curiously, "Mother, what's this for?"

"I heard there's spring water on the mountain. We'll use this little gourd to collect some water for tea later. The spring water is very sweet," Jie Shi said, feeling cheerful.

Yao Niang giggled. "I want to eat the soft ice you make for me, using this water."

Jie Shi wiped her daughter's forehead with a handkerchief. "I understand."

Suddenly, Yan Yingqi turned around and asked, "What's soft ice?"

Jie Shi explained, "It's finely crushed ice with a smooth texture, topped with fresh fruit syrup. This child loves it very much."

"I'd like to try it next time," Yan Yingqi smiled.

Jie Shi nodded slightly but did not promise. She then asked Yan Jingzhao, "How are you feeling? Does your leg hurt?"

Yan Jingzhao shook his head. "No pain." Having grown up with his grandmother, he found his mother too weak and was not used to such concern, but he felt guilty for hurting her.

Jie Shi understood and did not ask further. Yao Niang, feeling sweaty and tired, reached the halfway point and saw an elderly person selling tea eggs and skewers in a large pot. She touched her stomach and said to Jie Shi, "Mother, Mother, buy those. I brought money with me."

Jie Shi was extremely worried: "Will eating that hurt your stomach? Also, can you buy it yourself? I'll have the maids buy it for you."

"I can buy it myself. I've even haggled over prices before. Grandfather took me to the market to play." Yao Niang, accompanied by two maids, was about to go, but Jie Shi, not feeling reassured, followed her.

In truth, although Jie Shi was a concubine's daughter, the Jie family was still a prestigious one, and she had been raised in luxury. She married into the Yan family as a daughter-in-law right after coming of age and rarely had contact with the common people. On the other hand, Yao Niang had grown up mostly on her own while accompanying her grandparents to the northwest, and her personality was a bit wild.

"Are these tea eggs three coins each? Then we'll buy ten for our family of four, which is thirty coins in total. We'll also get chicken feet and chicken legs. Oh, there are also flatbreads here. So, six pairs of chicken feet, four large chicken legs, and the rest of these skewers. Hongxiu, here's a hundred coins; you distribute them to everyone." Yao Niang was almost buying out the old man's entire stall.

What amazed Jie Shi was that her daughter could even haggle with the old man, getting a discount and extra flatbreads, ensuring everyone was taken care of.

"Nuan nuan, you're really great." Jie Shi said.

Yao Niang spent two silver coins and bought a lot, feeling very pleased. She then handed the largest chicken leg to Jie Shi: "Mother, let's eat this when we reach the highest point."

But Jie Shi knew her daughter was hungry and quietly peeled a tea egg for her: "Here, eat this."

Seeing this, Yan Yingqi decided to rest halfway up the mountain. The servants filled water pouches and arranged the braised delicacies Yao Niang had bought on plates. He was quite impressed with his third daughter. Usually, his second daughter, Qian Niang, who always accompanied him, never went beyond the bounds of propriety and was gentle and careful. Xiao Si'er, on the other hand, was lively and somewhat spoiled.

Only Yao Niang stood out, being so young yet knowing how to shop and calculate, and taking care of everyone.

Just as he was about to praise her, a moth flew over. Yan Yingqi had always been afraid of moths and froze instantly. At thirty-five, he couldn't jump like he did as a child, but inside, he was terrified, silently praying for it not to come near him.

He tried signaling Jie Shi with his eyes, but she, being so delicate, seemed oblivious and was focused on drinking water. Her son, Yan Jingzhao, a young teenager, was already ravenously eating. Only he and Yao Niang made eye contact. Yao Niang was eating a chicken leg and saw the moth flying towards her. She initially planned to wave it away but, seeing it heading straight for her face, grabbed it with her hand.

Yan Yingqi immediately looked at his daughter and saw Yao Niang shout: "Quick, get a handkerchief! It's so dirty; I squished the moth."

Before Jie Shi could pull out a handkerchief, she saw her husband do it faster, helping their daughter wipe her hand. This was unprecedented, as he was extremely clean and once refused to take exams because he found the test site too dirty and couldn't bathe or use the toilet properly.

To her even greater surprise, Yan Yingqi said to Yao Niang with a hint of admiration: "You're really amazing..."

Jie Shi and Yan Jingzhao were completely bewildered.