Chapter 40: Discontent
Though Madam Tan was lively by nature, she dared not agree to this matter without consulting her husband.
“To be frank with you, Miss Ning, our becoming sworn relatives with Eunuch Lu was also an attempt to seek favor. How could we truly presume to consider ourselves as kin? Moreover, my sister-in-law and I have never learned proper etiquette. If we were to enter the inner quarters of your esteemed residence, we would only become laughingstocks for the ladies.”
Miss Ning knew well that if formally invited, the Tan sisters-in-law would certainly not come. So she took Tan Leyao’s hand and said, “If Sister-in-law cannot come, that’s fine, but Sister must come early to spend a day playing in my courtyard.”
Tan Leyao quickly replied, “Your household is hosting a grand banquet, bustling with activity. How could I possibly go and add to the chaos?”
Miss Ning waved her hand with a smile. “The banquet and opera performances in the front have nothing to do with us. We sisters will just mind our own affairs. Dear Sister, you must come that day. I’ll be waiting for you.”
At this point, Miaotong and Miaoyun also returned, and Miss Ning prepared to take her leave.
The Tan sisters-in-law were reluctant to let her go. Madam Tan said, “If it were any other day, it would be fine, but today the Young Master is also a guest in the front. Why must Miss Ning rush back? Why not wait until evening and leave together with your brother?”
Miss Ning quickly smiled and replied, “Dear Sister-in-law, you’ve been busy hosting them for drinks and yet still came to accompany me. I feel terribly guilty. Sister-in-law and Sister may not know, but I’m hurrying home for no other reason than my three younger sisters. They take painting lessons every afternoon, and if I’m not there to keep an eye on them, who knows what mischief they’ll get up to!”
Seeing her determined to leave, the Tan sisters-in-law expressed their deep gratitude for the generous gifts and reciprocated with many presents in return.
Miaotong, Miaoyun, and even Pear Moon each received a gift box.
Miss Ning had them accept the gifts and sent someone to inform her brother in the front.
The party boarded their carriages at the second gate, escorted all the way out by the Tan sisters-in-law.
On the way back to the mansion, Miss Ning was in excellent spirits. She invited Pear Moon to sit in her carriage and praised her profusely, instructing Miaotong to reward her upon their return.
Pear Moon peeked through the carriage curtain at the bustling streets outside while listening to Miss Ning’s sighs.
“Look at those two sisters-in-law, and then think of the one in our household. I really don’t know what to say. With my brother’s character and appearance, after our parents’ careful selection, they found a daughter of the Shen family, yet her temperament isn’t even comparable to that of a military household wife.”
Madam Tan’s maiden family were military households from the north, and her father was a minor officer of a thousand households.
Miss Ning’s dissatisfaction with her sister-in-law was not something to be casually overheard. Pear Moon lowered her head, pretending not to hear.
Miaotong, who already disliked Shen Shi, seized the opportunity and pointed at Pear Moon, laughing. “These days, Madam Ning has been reprimanding the Young Lady, but who would have thought she would put on airs instead, causing quite a commotion in Phoenix Ripple Courtyard. Look at how these children in her courtyard have grown thinner from hunger. Despite her small stature, she devoured three mutton flatbreads just now, swallowing them without even blinking.”
Pear Moon’s face instantly flushed red, and she pursed her lips tightly.
Madam Tan was skilled at cooking mutton. The main dish at the banquet just now was a stewed mutton dish, and the pastries were oily mutton and chive flatbreads.
Miss Ning preferred light and delicate food. Though she praised the dishes profusely, she only took a few bites of the mutton and gave the mutton flatbreads to Pear Moon.
Having lacked oily food these past few days, Pear Moon couldn’t resist her appetite when she saw the soft, juicy, crispy, and thin meat pies.
She alone ate three of the meat pies on the plate. Seeing how much she enjoyed them, Tan Leyao even had her maid wrap a large portion for her before leaving, saying, “Take these back for your little sisters to try.”
She was terribly afraid that Miss Ning would be displeased, thinking her gluttony was shameful.
Fortunately, Miss Ning didn’t mind and simply extended two slender fingers to lift her chin for a closer look.
“What a fine, plump child, yet working in her small kitchen has made you this thin? Our Ningguo Mansion hasn’t seen such disgrace in a hundred years! Mother has told us since childhood, whose children aren’t the apple of their parents’ eye? Common folk sell their sons and daughters just to let them have a bite to eat. In this entire mansion, only she could do such a despicable thing!”
Seeing her anger, Miaotong leaned in and whispered some gossip.
“I’ve heard outsiders say that the Shen family, being scholars of pure reputation, have different rules from our noble and meritorious households. The Shen clan has many members, relying only on a few estates in Jiangnan for support. Not only are they stingy with money, but they also treat their servants extremely harshly. Servants in the Shen family receive no monthly allowance; if they have no duties, they aren’t even given grain, and every month some fall ill or starve to death.”
Pear Moon felt her heart race just hearing this.
Miss Ning frowned and shook her head, saying, “Isn’t that an exaggeration? Master Shen is, after all, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and his three sons hold positions in the Six Ministries. How could they be so destitute? When my sister-in-law married into the family, her dowry stretched for over ten miles, accompanied by twenty or thirty attendants. It doesn’t seem like the kind of shameless family you describe.”
Miaotong explained further, “The rumors outside are unpleasant precisely because of this. Idle gossips say the Shen family’s wealth relies entirely on their three daughters-in-law. The eldest and second daughters-in-law—one is the daughter of the Yangzhou Salt Transport Commissioner, the other the daughter of the Customs Transfer Commissioner—both brought substantial dowries. But the third daughter-in-law is the most remarkable: the only daughter of a wealthy Jiangnan merchant, whose dowry arrived on an official ship. Half of our Madam Ning’s dressing case was subsidized by her third sister-in-law.”
Whether Miss Ning believed it or not, Pear Moon was already mostly convinced.
She also knew the source of these rumors must be that gossipy maid, Chun Tang.
Miss Ning said disdainfully, “If this is true, the Shen family pretends to be pure and upright while spending their daughters-in-law’s dowries—utterly disgraceful. Their in-laws are officials in charge of finances, yet they live off their daughters-in-law’s dowries and still claim to be incorruptible. Do they think everyone is blind? No wonder a daughter raised by such people acts so shabbily! Our Ningguo Mansion is truly cursed to have married her to my brother as his principal wife. Even I will suffer the consequences.”
In noble households, the women share both disgrace and glory.
Educating younger sisters-in-law is the responsibility of the eldest sister-in-law. If people learn of Madam Ning’s harshness, they might assume the younger sister-in-law is the same.
Miss Ning usually spoke with restraint, but after drinking two cups of wine at the Tan family, she finally voiced her true feelings.
Miaotong quickly smiled and consoled her, “Miss, you are the daughter of a meritorious noble family, personally taught by Old Madam and Madam Ning. Who would dare compare you to Madam Ning? Everyone knows the daughters of Ningguo Mansion are more than capable of managing a household—they could even be empresses with ease.”
As mistress and servant chatted privately, Pear Moon dared not interject, keeping her expression neutral all along.
But upon hearing this, she could no longer hold back and covered her mouth, laughing aloud.
Miss Ning also chuckled, scolding Miaotong, “Have you drunk too much as well, daring to tease me!”
She then poked Pear Moon with a finger and chided her, “You little monkey of a girl, what are you laughing at!”
Smiling, she took half a sip of clear tea and leaned against a soft cushion to sober up.
The carriage arrived at the inner quarters of Ningguo Mansion, still not very late.
Afraid that Mama Hu would make sarcastic remarks, Pear Moon smiled ingratiatingly and urged Miaotong, “Sister Miaotong, could you please send a sister to escort me back to Phoenix Ripple Courtyard? I’m afraid Mama Hu will scold me.”
Miaotong was helping Miss Ning alight from the carriage and said impatiently, “No wonder everyone dotes on you, you little thing sure know your manners. Look, we’re all busy here, who has time to escort you? Go back first, I’ll send you a reward later!”
This seemed foolproof, so Pear Moon agreed crisply, bowed to Miss Ning, and ran back to Phoenix Ripple Courtyard.
Just as she was about to call Huan Huan and Autumn Abundance out to eat the lamb pies, she found the kitchen empty—everyone had gathered in the main courtyard.
Phoenix Ripple Courtyard was packed with maids and matrons.
Shen Shi, wearing an autumn-fragrance-colored jacket with a front opening, sat upright in a chair under the corridor.
Angelica Orchid and Granny He attended beside her, both looking displeased.
“What’s going on?” Pear Moon searched for Autumn Abundance and Huan Huan.
“The mistress is going to beat Chun Tang! They say she spread rumors and slandered the master’s reputation…”
Before Huan Huan could finish, Chun Tang’s heart-wrenching cries and screams echoed.
“Miss, mistress, spare me! I’m innocent!”