Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Showing Off Wealth Cui Zeyu bid farewell to Yuan Mingzhu and climbed into the carriage with his sister. Cui Lingrong asked why her brother had come. "I went to the Marquis Mansion to look for you, and the gatekeeper said you'd come to the Jiang residence, so I came over." Cui Zeyu said with a smile. "I went back and thought it over—you were right, Sister. I should buy a residence first. That way, if you and Yu-jie and the others ever want to change where you live, you'll have somewhere to go." As for why they might need to move, he didn't say outright. Right now, he just wanted to be his sister's support, so she could think more about herself. "That's the right thinking." Cui Lingrong said. "A residence is your face. People arranging marriages for you need to know your family's standing. If you live in the cloth shop day in and day out, who would know whether you have real ability?" "You're right, Sister. So I found a house broker and asked him to scout out a few properties, preferably ones close to both the cloth shop and the Marquis Mansion. But there's a lot I don't understand, so I wanted to ask if you'd accompany me to look at them—if you have the time." Cui Zeyu said. Buying a residence was a major matter—from the layout of the house to its regulations, and one should also investigate the neighbors thoroughly. Cui Lingrong agreed. "Wait until I arrange the time, and I'll go with you to look. Have the house broker scout out several options first—we need to be careful." She was managing the household now and wasn't free every day. Cui Zeyu smiled and said yes. When the carriage reached the entrance of the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, Cui Lingrong invited her brother to come inside with her. She would have the small kitchen make his favorite dishes. Cui Zeyu shook his head. "The cloth shop is busy—I won't go in. If you need anything, Sister, just send someone to find me. Anything at all." As the year drew to a close, many households needed to stock up on winter clothing, especially wealthy families who wanted fabrics delivered to their doors. Cui Zeyu was busy going back and forth between many households—there was indeed much to handle. Cui Lingrong told her brother to take care of himself. When she returned to Qiushuang Zhai, Caixia came over to say that someone from Wutong Yuan had come by that morning. Cui Lingrong asked what was the matter. "They didn't say. They only asked if you were here. I said you'd gone out, and the person from Wutong Yuan left." Caixia asked, "Should we send someone to Wutong Yuan to ask? The Commandery Princess is with child—if she uses that to cause trouble, Old Madame and the Marquis might blame you?" Cui Lingrong was the mistress of the household, managing all its affairs large and small. There were both advantages and disadvantages to this—if anything happened to Princess Rongjia, Old Madame and the Marquis would certainly hold her accountable. She had Nanny Qiu go to Wutong Yuan to check, and had Caixia deliver the fabric her brother had brought to her daughter. After Caixia returned, Cui Lingrong glanced around the room. "Where's Caiyue? I haven't seen her these past few days." "Reporting to Madam, Caiyue has been suffering from severe menstrual cramps lately, so I've been covering her shifts." Caixia said. "A woman's monthly cycle is a serious matter. Go fetch a female physician to examine her. You're all people close to me—I need to take care of you." Cui Lingrong was a bit tired after being out all day. Caixia knew her mistress had a kind heart, but Caiyue was still fixated on Young Master Yu. That girl—who knew when she would come to her senses. Caixia withdrew, and before long, Nanny Qiu returned to say that the Commandery Princess was having pregnancy cravings. "She wants to have someone who can regularly leave the residence to buy food, so she doesn't have to keep troubling you. The Commandery Princess said she feels it's an inconvenience for you." "Then let her do as she pleases." Cui Lingrong said. "She wants someone to run errands and pass messages for her—that's fine. But tell her this: Old Madame and the Marquis value her child greatly. Have the maidservant record in detail wherever she goes and whatever she buys. If anything should happen, the physician can diagnose accordingly." "Madam is clever. With everything recorded clearly, we'll know how much time the errands take. Then if anything happens to the Commandery Princess, it won't have anything to do with us." Nanny Qiu said. Cui Lingrong said that was the idea. If she tried to obstruct too much, Princess Rongjia would surely use it to stir up trouble. Better to go along with Princess Rongjia—after all, the Princess's food was all handled by Wutong Yuan, and it had nothing to do with her. Nanny Qiu went back to Wutong Yuan, and at that moment, He Pingping arrived at Qiushuang Zhai. Seeing He Pingping, Cui Lingrong was quite surprised, because this was the first time He Pingping had come to her courtyard. "Miss He, what brings you here? Is something missing from your courtyard?" Cui Lingrong sat upright, exchanged pleasantries, and studied He Pingping's expression. He Pingping didn't dare meet Cui Lingrong's eyes. She shook her head nervously. "I... I was just passing by nearby, and I thought of how beautifully the begonias in your courtyard were blooming. I wanted to come take a look." "Then you've come too late. Ten days or half a month ago was when the begonias were at their best." Cui Lingrong found it strange—a begonia plant, wasn't there one in the garden too? But she could tell that the begonias were just an excuse for He Pingping. Could she be trying to get closer? Was there anything here that He Pingping and Madame Jiang could scheme over? Cui Lingrong thought it over. Madame Jiang knew her management style—she wouldn't give extra things to anyone just because she had a better relationship with them. Whatever the household budget stipulated was what they got. Moreover, she and Madame Jiang had never gotten along. After Cui Lingrong returned from mourning, Madame Jiang had become even more subservient to Princess Rongjia. Why would she send He Pingping to see her? In Cui Lingrong's view, every move He Pingping made represented Madame Jiang. Could it be that Madame Jiang, seeing her take over the household management again, wanted to play both sides and curry favor with everyone? Then Madame Jiang was truly a fool beyond measure. Cui Lingrong collected her thoughts and looked at He Pingping again, her eyes curving into a smile as she probed, "Miss He likes begonias, but your cousin doesn't. She hasn't visited me in quite a while." He Pingping paused, catching the implication in Cui Lingrong's words, and lowered her head. "It's only natural that people have different preferences." "Oh, I suppose so." Cui Lingrong didn't press further. If He Pingping had some purpose, it would reveal itself in due time—she could wait. The two chatted for a while, and He Pingping tactfully took her leave before dinner. Cui Lingrong called her daughter over for the evening meal. "In a few days, I'll invite a few close friends over for my birthday—all people you've met before." Cui Lingrong was already fretting over her daughter's marriage. "When a woman marries, her husband matters, but her in-laws matter just as much. I don't have many acquaintances, and only a few households have suitable young men." Song Yu felt a little embarrassed. "Mother, are you in such a hurry to settle my marriage?" "It's not about settling it right now—it's about preparing you in advance. It's better to arrange a marriage with a family we know well. If your Aunt Yuan had a son of the right age, I wouldn't have to worry at all." Cui Lingrong had thought it over and over—it was best to marry her daughter into a familiar household. She didn't need her daughter to marry into a high-ranking family, but she also didn't want her to marry beneath her station. Song Yu wasn't ready for marriage yet and clung to her mother's arm, acting coy. "I want to stay home for a few more years. I don't want to marry so early." "I think so too, but the engagement can be settled in advance." Cui Lingrong affectionately touched her daughter's face. For her now, the children mattered more than Song Shulan. After mother and daughter finished dinner, Song Yu measured sleeves for Nanny Qiu in the room, saying, "Ever since I came home, Princess Rongjia has sent me many things and invited me to Wutong Yuan to talk, but I've never gone once, nor have I accepted her gifts." Accepting Princess Rongjia's gifts would be tantamount to betraying her mother—she wouldn't stoop to that. "Indeed, it's better not to go there. She's pregnant now—who knows if she might use it to stir up trouble." Cui Lingrong agreed with her daughter. "But on the surface, you need to have a good excuse." Song Yu said she understood. After finishing about Princess Rongjia, she asked about her father. "I heard Father got beaten while drunk a few days ago. Was it serious?" She hadn't seen her father in quite a while—he mostly stayed at Wutong Yuan, so she never got the chance to see him. Cui Lingrong said it wasn't serious. "He invited colleagues to drink again today, so you can see he's fine." Lately, Song Shulan had been socializing frequently. That morning, Qingshan had come to Qiushuang Zhai, saying the Marquis had spent all his monthly allowance on social engagements and asking Cui Lingrong to advance him some silver. Song Shulan had grown accustomed to spending lavishly over the years, and with his recent single-minded pursuit of promotion, he spent money like water on gifts and entertaining guests, leaving his pockets empty. But Cui Lingrong didn't agree. She told Qingshan that the marquis's household had no spare funds to shift this month and that Song Shulan should tighten his spending. Meanwhile, Song Shulan had just finished drinking at Fan Lou. When he went to settle the bill, Qingshan looked deeply troubled. The shopkeeper glanced at Song Shulan, then at Qingshan, and volunteered, "Marquis Song is a regular at Fan Lou. If you've forgotten to bring silver, I can put it on your tab. I'll send a clerk to the marquis's residence to collect it later." Song Shulan loved to flaunt his wealth and had never put anything on credit. Today, he was the one who had proposed treating everyone, yet now he couldn't produce the silver. He was momentarily mortified, feeling as though someone had slapped him across the face.