Four Seasons Brocade – CH 193

Chapter 193 ☆、

In the blink of an eye, it was the Laba Festival. As usual, the mansion cooked Laba porridge to give to others. Early in the morning, the palace also sent Laba porridge. Ah Wu had Zi-Zhui distribute the Laba porridge from the palace, sending a portion to each master of their respective courtyards, and then sending the rest to Yin’an Hall to offer to the ancestors. For the people of Great Xia, even families with a modicum of wealth had their own recipes for Laba porridge. However, Chu Mao, having grown up in the palace, ate either gifts from the imperial concubines or communal meals for the princes—it was not exactly a tradition.

Before Ah Wu married into the Prince Qi’s household, the annual Laba porridge was prepared by Nanny Hao. She was not skilled in cooking, and her family had always been poor, so the Laba porridge at the Prince Qi’s mansion was rather haphazard.

This year, Ah Wu was unusually enthusiastic and ambitious, determined to create her own recipe for Laba porridge at Prince Qi’s mansion. She spent days searching through books for ancient recipes, combined them with Zi-Zhui’s ideas, and made quite a few, which she then gave to the maids of Yulan Hall.

However, on Laba Festival, the people of Yulan Hall secretly felt nauseous at the mere mention of Laba porridge. Even the best food, eaten in excess, could not be stomached.

Ah Wu had Zi-Zhui fill three jars of Laba porridge in a four-handled jar with a purple-gold glaze and then sent someone to inform Nanny Hao at Hongyao Villa that she was going to Willow Tree Alley.

As soon as Ah Wu entered Lady Cui’s main room, she was met with a barrage of complaints, “Why have you not come back for the past six months? Are you tired of me nagging you?” Lady Cui then turned to Tang Yin, “Your new sister-in-law just entered the family, and you did not even come back to get closer to her.”

Tang Yin knew that Lady Cui was scolding Ah Wu on her behalf, but was actually telling her not to be angry with Ah Wu. After marriage, a girl seemed to mature overnight. Tang Yin was no longer as impulsive as before and quickly said, “It must be because there are many things to do at the Prince Qi’s mansion; Ah Wu could not get away.”

Ah Wu looked at Tang Yin, whose hair was styled in a bun. Now a wife, her complexion was even more radiant. Her eyes were bright and watery, her lips full and glossy, and her cheeks rosy and smooth. It was clear that she was enjoying a good married life.

“I apologize to my second sister-in-law first. I was ill when you came to the mansion last time and could not come out to see you,” Ah Wu said, bowing gracefully to Tang Yin.

Tang Yin quickly jumped away, exclaiming, “Oh dear, you are making me feel so bad!”

“Sister Yin, if you speak to me like that, it means you will not forgive me,” Ah Wu pouted, looking utterly pitiful.

Tang Yin then stopped and accepted Ah Wu’s bow. “Alright, alright, I thought you’d forgotten me as your Sister Yin after becoming a Princess. I forgive you this time.”

Ah Wu then looked at Dong Cangyue, noticing her somewhat haggard appearance, and felt a pang of worry. She then glanced at Lady Cui, who smiled and said, “Your sister-in-law is pregnant, less than three months along. She’s currently experiencing severe morning sickness, but it will get better after the first trimester.”

“Is that true?!” Ah Wu exclaimed excitedly, “Then I must congratulate you, Sister-in-law! It will be quite lively around Madam from now on.”

Dong Cangyue smiled but remained silent. Her sister-in-law had been married into the Prince Qi’s household for almost a year and a half, and there was still no sign of pregnancy. Dong Cangyue did not want to appear too overjoyed in front of her.

“I brought some Laba porridge today. Madam and Sisters-in-law, please try it and see if it tastes good.” Ah Wu sat down in the room, and Zi-Shan brought over a purple-gold glazed jar. Because it was covered with a cotton shroud and had been heated by an incense burner in the carriage, it was not cold at all, and the temperature was just right for eating now.

Zi-Shan served each of the four of them a bowl and then scooped three spoonfuls of mixed fruit from a sweet white jar with a chrysanthemum-patterned lid, placing it on top of the porridge.

Lady Cui took the bowl and exclaimed, “Oh dear, this is not Laba porridge anymore; it’s Laba Twentieth porridge! Look at all the ingredients in here—white rice, yellow rice, water chestnut rice, red dates, and on top of that, peach kernels and pine nuts! It looks quite a sight!”

“You try some first; it’s even more fun to eat,” Ah Wu said coquettishly.

Lady Cui took a sip. “Hmm, not bad. The rice is smooth and sticky, and the peach kernels and pine nuts are fragrant and crunchy. Your Laba porridge is even better than the ones in our household.”

Ah Wu smiled, raised her chin, and looked quite proud, which drew another round of laughter and scolding from Lady Cui.

Currently, Dong Cangyue was in charge of managing the Rong household’s affairs. Because she was pregnant, Lady Cui had asked Tang Yin to help her. Therefore, after the two of them talked with Ah Wu for a while, they went to the front hall to hear the servants’ reports. This was also a chance for Ah Wu and Lady Cui to speak privately.

Ah Wu was extremely satisfied with her two sisters-in-law from her maternal family. After taking them there, Ah Wu asked Lady Cui, “Did we not say that after Second Sister-in-law entered the household, we would separate the family and let them leave?” This was also the reason why the Tang family had agreed to the marriage.

“Yes, your father brought it up too, but your second sister-in-law absolutely refuses to divide the family property, saying it violates filial piety and puts your second brother in an unjust position. We could not persuade her and even asked Madam Tang to come and talk to her, but nothing worked,” Lady Cui said with a smile, her words full of protectiveness towards Tang Yin, like a parent talking about their daughter’s stubbornness.

Ah Wu nodded. Lady Cui opened her mouth, about to repeat the same old refrain, but Ah Wu quickly stood up and said, “I have not spoken with Sister Yin in a long time; I will go find her.”

Tang Yin was only helping Dong Cangyue, so when Ah Wu came looking for her, she told Dong Cangyue, and the two went to Tang Yin’s room.

Ah Wu surveyed Tang Yin and Rong Yin’s room. Rong Yin’s swords were gone from the walls, replaced by a painting of plum blossoms against a moonlit night. The room was furnished with a complete set of rosewood furniture. On the south-facing window couch were colorful embroidered handrails, backrests, and a cushion, along with a jade bronze tripod, a porcelain incense burner, and a white jade bonsai. Although the furnishings were luxurious, they appeared quite elegant.

“Ah, so comfortable,” Ah Wu slumped onto the couch.

Tang Yin laughed. “You are boneless! Everyone says that when you go out as a guest, you should be dignified and proper, but you are just lounging around here.”

“Good sister-in-law, I am tied to the title of Princess Qi in the mansion; how could I relax? But here with you, can I not even relax a little?” Ah Wu pleaded.

Tang Yin finally gave in and had a maid bring over some dried fruit and pastries. The two of them enjoyed tea and conversation.

Noticing a dark spot under Tang Yin’s eye, Ah Wu asked, “Are you having trouble sleeping in the same bed after you got married?”

Tang Yin had not expected Ah Wu to ask this, and her face flushed red. She and Ah Wu had always been very close, sharing everything. There were some private things she could not tell her husband, her mother-in-law, or even her own mother after marriage; she could only confide in her best friend.

Tang Yin touched her face and said, “Now you are making fun of me? Did you and Prince Qi not act like this on your wedding night?”

Ah Wu was stunned, not understanding Tang Yin’s meaning. “What do you mean, ‘like this’?”

Seeing Ah Wu’s blank and confused expression, Tang Yin realized she did not seem to know, so she leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “Your brother torments me every night, keeping me up at night. I am so annoyed with him.” Tang Yin assumed Rong Yin practiced martial arts, hence his exceptional stamina, while Prince Qi, Chu Mao, appeared refined and elegant, naturally unlike Rong Yin, a “brute.”

Having said that, Ah Wu naturally understood. Her face flushed even redder than Tang Yin’s, but she had to put on a brave face, feigning complete understanding. “What should we do? Why did you not advise my second brother? Greed and lust are harmful to his health. He’s a martial artist; his body is made of iron. How can you withstand it?”

“Men do not listen to advice on this matter. Your second brother is usually very obedient and considerate to me, but on this matter, he’s relentlessly insistent,” Tang Yin said, more like boasting than complaining.

Ah Wu, however, completely missed the point. She did not think there was anything to boast about. Lust, greed, and desire were the most shameful things. If it were not for the need to continue the family line, why would a pure young woman suffer such torment?

Ah Wu then said, “Just bear with it a little longer. Once you are pregnant, buy two maids for my second brother, let him do as he pleases, and you will not have to suffer anymore.”

Tang Yin felt completely different upon hearing this and asked in a deep voice, “You mean you want me to prepare maids for your second brother?”

Ah Wu sensed the displeasure in Tang Yin’s voice. “I only said this because I see your body cannot handle it. If you do not want maids, then do not. Anyway, my second brother only has eyes for you.” Ah Wu did not value a man’s physical fidelity; what mattered was that he loved only her.

Therefore, Ah Wu treated You Yi-niang completely as a plaything; even if she felt a slight stirring in her heart, it would pass in the blink of an eye. But Yuan Rongmeng was different. Despite being a cousin, Prince Qi still held a place in her heart.

“You brat, you make it sound so easy! Do you think you can push Prince Qi into another woman’s room while you sleep all night in the dead of winter with your feet cold?” Tang Yin said coquettishly.

Ah Wu naturally disagreed with Tang Yin’s words. In winter, Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi would warm her blankets with a censer, and there was a hot water bottle in the bed; how could her feet be cold? Besides, even when she slept in the same bed with Chu Mao, they each used their own blankets, so it did not bother her.

Even though Ah Wu no longer objected to Chu Mao’s touch and even occasionally felt a little hopeful, she still thought that sharing a blanket was not only easy to catch a cold but also uncomfortable because every time she reached out or moved her feet, she would bump into him.

However, everyone had different lifestyles, and Ah Wu knew she was somewhat different from others, so she did not argue with Tang Yin. “I am too lazy to argue with you. Just take care of yourself.”

Seeing Ah Wu admit defeat, Tang Yin assumed she felt the same way she did—that she would not allow her husband to touch other women.

“I wonder if my sister-in-law will have a boy or a girl this time. I hope she gives me a nephew; then I can relax a bit,” Tang Yin said, clasping her hands together.

“You can relax? That’s my eldest brother’s son, not my second brother’s. Do you not want a son?” Ah Wu laughed.

Tang Yin thought for a moment, bit her lower lip, and quietly said to Ah Wu, “I do not want to have a son so early. If your second brother is transferred to a post outside the capital, I’d like to go with him. If I have a child, and he’s too young, he will have to stay in the capital. I am afraid I will not be able to bear leaving him.”

Ah Wu thought about it and realized it made sense. She was not in a hurry to have a child herself, so naturally she did not think Tang Yin’s idea was wrong.

After a brief private conversation, Ah Wu rose to take her leave, bidding farewell to Lady Cui, and returned to the Prince Qi’s mansion.

Upon arriving at Yulan Hall, Ah Wu asked Zi-Zhui, “Did you send the Laba porridge to Xu Xian Hall?”

“Yes, I sent it all. Elder Shen and Master Fu both praised it highly,” Zi-Zhui replied.

Ah Wu paused for a moment, then softly asked, “What about His Highness?”

“His Highness is not at home. I’ve been keeping the porridge on a small stove. It will be even more fragrant when His Highness returns to Yulan Hall,” Zi-Zhui said.

Ah Wu did not expect Chu Mao to come to Yulan Hall. She feared he would have dinner at Hongyao Villa, where he often ate dinner these days. The thought made Ah Wu uncomfortable. She thought, “He can eat dinner wherever he wants; I do not like serving him anyway.”

Ever since returning from Luobei, Chu Mao had been acting strangely. After Yuan Rongmeng entered the mansion, he seemed to ignore her completely. Naturally, Ah Wu was also resentful and refused to get close to Chu Mao. In truth, if Ah Wu had thought more carefully about her feelings, she would have realized that if it were the old her, she would have already gone to Chu Mao to compete with Yuan Rongmeng and curry favor with Prince Qi. But now, even though she knew she should not treat Chu Mao the same way, she just could not lower herself to beg Prince Qi for a change of heart.

“Do not bother boiling it anymore. Put it in a jar and send it to Bingxue Forest. When His Highness returns, Lu Ruoxing will naturally serve him porridge and meals,” Ah Wu said listlessly.

Immediately, the maids outside began to greet Chu Mao in unison. Ah Wu sat up abruptly and looked out through the stained-glass window. She saw Chu Mao had already reached the bottom of the steps. A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips, but she quickly suppressed it, adopting an icy expression.