Spring Message in the Snow – CH 004

Chapter 4

Mianmian and the maids around her were stunned by Lady Pan’s actions.

Looking at the wreath lying on the steps, Mianmian had woven it herself for the Dragon Boat Festival, only to see it torn down and thrown on the ground like rags. Mianmian, a pampered child raised at home, was naturally furious at this sight.

“What is Aunt doing?” she cried, her face flushed and tears welling in her eyes. “Even if you want me to move elsewhere, you do not have to throw my things away! I know Aunt has never liked me…”

Lady Pan clearly was not buying it. She turned and glanced at the servants who were rolling up their sleeves to go inside and said calmly, “It’s full of your personal belongings inside. I am afraid the maids are clumsy and might accidentally break them. If you’d like, young lady, have your servants put them away. It will be easier to arrange them when you get to Qinxiang Garden.”

Lady Pan had always been an exception in the Zhang household, seemingly willing to risk everything, even the Grand Madam. Helpless, Mianmian had no choice but to let her personal maids and servants go in and tidy up while she watched from the sidelines. She was extremely unwilling, and at the slightest displeasure, she complained, “Be careful! This bottle is an imperial piece from the Dragon Kiln!”

She was bossing her around, and Lady Pan, too lazy to deal with her, turned to Surou and said, “These old women are ones I transferred from the garden for your rough use. You’ve been away from home for many years, and now that you are back, everything starts from scratch. If you need anything, just tell the maids to take care of it.”

Surou agreed, shifting her gaze to the courtyard. Warm sunlight filtered through the tall pear tree, casting dappled shadows through its sprawling branches. This courtyard was called “Qiandui Xue Courtyard,” named after this tree. She had returned a little late; a month earlier, she would have arrived during peak bloom, with clusters of blossoms crowding the branches, looking from afar like a tree covered in snow—a truly breathtaking sight.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

She sighed softly and smiled, saying, “This courtyard is still the same, so nice! It’s just that my brothers and sisters have all grown up. When Zhirou and Jiezhi came to pick me up today, I almost did not recognize them at first glance.”

Lady Pan gave a slight smile. “Time flies…” She paused, then continued, “A few days ago, someone from the court came and said that the Emperor has ordered your father’s spirit tablet to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The Old Madam was very happy to hear this. The Imperial Observatory has chosen an auspicious date, and the memorial tablet will be moved from the ancestral hall at the beginning of next month. The court will send someone to preside over the ceremony. You and Jiezhi are your father’s eldest daughter and son; you will accompany him to the ceremony and express your gratitude on his behalf.”

Surou turned her gaze, slightly taken aback for a moment.

This stepmother always treated everyone equally in important matters. Although she was strict at times, she never suppressed her or deliberately made things difficult for her just because she was not her biological daughter.

In his early years, when her father fought for the late Emperor in numerous campaigns, his official rank was not high. Later, when the court bestowed titles upon meritorious officials, her mother had already passed away. The posthumous title of “County Lady” merely added a few words to her memorial tablet, making her name more prestigious, but it held no real significance. However, after her father married Lady Pan, the titles bestowed upon the wives of concubines became substantial. Therefore, although Lady Pan was nominally the second wife, her status in the family was actually far above that of Lady Yuan and Lady Ling.

She and Zhirou were both legitimate daughters. If she had intended to show favoritism and give Zhirou prominence, no one would have dared to object. But in the end, she followed the order of seniority, having the eldest daughter escort her father’s memorial tablet. Naturally, there was a deeper purpose behind this.

Surou responded with a “Yes, Mother.”

Lady Pan nodded slightly, remaining silent for a long time before continuing, “When you came out of the Forbidden City, those who knew said you were released out of gratitude, while those who did not said you offended Consort Xiuyuan. There will be all sorts of gossip in the future, so be mindful. Since you cannot silence others’ opinions, you must be even more careful. Do not invite ridicule and ruin your father’s reputation. You are eighteen this year, a bit too old. You have not attended any of the noble ladies’ weddings in recent years, nor have you made an appearance in the circles of prominent families in the capital. Your marriage prospects may not be so smooth.”

She paused, then added, “But do not worry; the old lady will keep an eye out for you. If you find someone suitable in the future, do not be fixated on marrying into a high-ranking family. As long as he is decent enough and you find a place to settle down, that’s enough.”

These words were not tactful. Surou knew her temperament; she would not say anything nice. A firm stance followed by politeness was her usual approach. If it were any other girl, she would probably be heartbroken, but having experienced ten years of hardship, she had heard all sorts of hurtful words and could process them all. She obediently replied, “Mother, do not worry; I will be careful.”

Having given all the necessary instructions, Lady Pan glanced back into the room. “Once everything is arranged, I will return to Suihua Garden to talk with the Grand Madam.” With that, she left with her maid, Nanny Yang.

Meanwhile, the maids and servants Mianmian had brought had finished packing. The group emerged from the room, and Mianmian’s face broke into a bright smile, as if she had forgotten everything that had just happened. She warmly greeted them, “I will leave the room to you, Sister. I am going to Qinxiang Garden first. I will come back to play with you after I am settled.”

Surou smiled and nodded, agreeing.

Mianmian led her people out of Qiandui Xue Courtyard, but her face hardened as soon as she stepped out of the moon gate. The Qinxiang Garden was in the northeast corner of the courtyard, quite a distance from here, connected by a corridor. Although she did not have to carry anything herself and it did not take much effort, she still felt uneasy, thinking that Lady Pan was deliberately trying to embarrass her and that Zhang Surou was not a good person either.

Her personal maid, Hui’er, who understood her mistress best, followed closely behind, trying to comfort her: “Young mistress, do not be angry. Why bother with that person? The second wife has been a widow for so many years, and she’s been holding in her anger, but she cannot vent it on the old lady. Now that she sees the old lady doting on you, she’s trying to help the second young lady gain favor and wants to suppress you.”

Mianmian chuckled, “She’s someone whose future is predictable. I have a long road ahead of me; why would I get angry with her? It’s just that this second sister, several years older than me, has seen a lot in life, yet she refuses to be humble at all. It’s truly speechless.”

Nanny Jiang said, “Indeed, it’s like a warmed-up bed… There’s no reason to force someone to vacate their place. The young lady is young, and we respect her for having seen the world, but I see through her. This talk of ‘being granted a favor by Consort Zheng’ is probably just a euphemism for her misdeeds, being kicked out! Otherwise, she’d be seen by the Emperor every few days; why would he not consider her family’s past merits and bestow upon her the titles of ‘Talented Lady’ and ‘Beauty Lady’? She’s served him for ten years, and now he just lets her go? As for the Grand Madam Zhang, she was raised by her family, so they have to consider her reputation, making it seem like the whole family is welcoming a distinguished guest. The real reason is probably something they can not openly discuss; she’s probably having a headache right now.”

This made sense, and everyone laughed heartily. Once their anger subsided, moving to Qinxiang Garden did not seem like a big deal anymore.

When Surou had settled in, she saw Zhirou enter with two capable maids. She gestured to the taller maid, saying, “This is Jiao Yue,” and then to the rounder one, “This is Jie Lu. They are both first-class maids in Grandmother’s courtyard. Grandmother asked me to bring them here to pay their respects to you, Sister.”

The two maids stood side by side, their faces bearing demure smiles, and bowed deeply to Surou. Jiao Yue said, “Young mistress, if you need anything in the future, just tell us. Although we are not very clever, we are quite diligent and willing to be under your command and follow your orders.”

Surou nodded and invited Zhirou to sit down. A maid brought over some perilla-infused water, and Jie Lu quickly took the tea tray to serve. Jiao Yue, being very perceptive, immediately took on tasks, assigning the servants to arrange the courtyard.

Zhirou held the Jianzhan teacup, took a small sip, and asked Surou, “Cousin Shen was probably not willing to give up the courtyard so easily, was she? Did she say anything?”

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Surou casually replied, “It did not take much effort…”

Quelan, standing nearby, chimed in with a smile, “She said she’d let Second Young Lady use the house before she left; how generous of her!”

Zhirou laughed, “I knew there would be this. This cousin of mine is always all talk and no action; she seems perfectly respectable, but she’s full of scheming. My sister will know once she’s known her for a while. None of the sisters like her, and the brothers do not pay her any attention either, but they do not want to embarrass her because of Aunt. She came to the capital hoping to use our family’s status to find a husband from an official’s family, but given her background and that her parents are still alive, future marriages cannot bypass Aunt and Uncle. So she came up with a clever plan: she told Grandmother she was willing to be adopted by the eldest son’s family and even wanted to be registered in the Zhang family genealogy. This put her in a difficult position with the eldest aunt and offended her. Our eldest aunt has to manage the marriages of Jirou and Yingrou, and if she interfered, she’d have to deal with her first. Aunt, meanwhile, deliberately found fault, saying she specifically wanted to be adopted by the eldest son’s family and looked down on the third son’s family for being born of a concubine. Now she was caught in the middle, and only stayed in the household because of Grandmother’s favor.”

Surou, hearing Zhirou’s explanation, also found the whole thing absurd. Normally, girls were not registered in their maternal family’s genealogy; she herself was an exception because she became a lady-in-waiting in the palace. Now, her cousin Mianmian wanted to be registered—from any perspective, it was a huge overstepping of boundaries.

Pulling up the teapot, Surou poured more fragrant tea for Zhirou. Surou lowered her eyes and said, “Uncle and Aunt are not without children; there’s no reason in the world to adopt a niece.” Then, thinking of Shangrou, who had married into the Founding Marquis’s family, she asked Zhirou, “Is Eldest Sister doing well in the Chen family?”

Speaking of Shangrou, Zhirou’s face showed a wistful expression. She shook her head and said, “Before marrying Eldest Sister, that brother-in-law already had two concubines in his household. Uncle and Aunt know the inside story. Uncle is not very satisfied and asked Aunt to reconsider.” “But her aunt was weak-willed and greedy for the fact that the family was a noble household. She advised our eldest sister to marry first and then properly manage the concubines later, since the mistress would eventually be in charge. Eldest Sister listened and married, but the two concubines, spoiled and pampered, did not respect her at all, often making her so angry she suffered stomach aches. Later, she gave birth to Ze’an, but did not recover well during her postpartum period, and to this day, the house is still a mess.”

So, a girl’s life was full of hardships. Even if her own family loved her, she might still suffer all sorts of mistreatment in her new husband’s home. Surou originally thought that Shangrou, as the eldest daughter of the Zhang family and having given birth to the eldest grandson for the Chen family, would surely be treated well by the Marquis of Xingyang’s household. Who knew that in the end, she still would not be happy?

“Do the Marquis and his wife just watch their concubines rebel and do nothing to discipline their son?”

Zhirou said, “Unfortunately, they cannot do anything. That brother-in-law loves to socialize and is always out partying, rarely home. The Marquis’s son sits with courtesans, the leading lady sings with red ivory clappers, and he bets with his drinking buddies, and if he loses, he crawls under their skirts…” She frowned in disgust. “Eldest Sister has argued with him several times over this. Last time she came back to celebrate Grandmother’s birthday, she had a bruise on her forehead. My aunt said it was from my brother-in-law, but she could not tell the family. After dinner, she hid in the garden and secretly wiped away her tears.”

Surou felt a lump in her throat, deeply sympathizing with Shangrou. Shangrou was two years older than her, and in her youth, she was proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Lady Yuan had raised her with utmost devotion, demanding of her the standards of a noblewoman. Later, after she entered the palace, she did not know how Shangrou arranged her marriage, but she could imagine that many families must have sought her hand. In the end, after much deliberation, she chose such a young man—not only did he not strive for officialdom, but he also indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring—truly a waste of Shangrou’s talent.

The heavy topic weighed heavily on her spirits, so she left her be. Zhirou glanced at the sky, put down her Jianzhan teacup, and said, “It’s about time; let’s go to Grandmother’s.”

Surou agreed, telling her to wait a moment. She went inside to change her clothes: a sandalwood half-sleeved top paired with a sandalwood daylily-patterned skirt, tied with a delicate sash. This outfit, compared to the round-necked robe she wore when leaving the palace, accentuated her youthful beauty.

Zhirou looked her up and down, admiring her elder sister’s beauty. “In the palace, we wear elaborate robes every day, yet you dress like a young gentleman. This outfit is much more appropriate.” As she spoke, she took her hand, and the two sisters walked hand in hand through the Suihua Garden.

Upon entering, the brothers had all returned. Suizhi from the eldest branch and Jiangzhi from the third branch had already entered officialdom; Suizhi was appointed Deputy Envoy of the Bureau of Guests, and Jiangzhi was appointed Palace Official. Surou greeted her two elder brothers, and then Jiezhi led Chengzhi to bow deeply. These two younger brothers were both studying, preparing for the imperial examinations this year. It was said that Jiezhi was very good at his studies, but Chengzhi’s writing was so poor that even a dog would shake its head.

There was a joyous occasion in the family, and lanterns were hung under the eaves early. As night approached, Zhang Ju and Zhang Zhi also returned. Unlike their wives, the men did not show their emotions openly. Seeing the child, who had been away for so long, their eyes showed sadness, but in the end, they only nodded and said it was good to see her back.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

In the main hall, preparations were underway for the banquet. The whole family, men and women, sat at two tables, chatting and toasting each other across the distance. Although they had not separated the family in recent years, each branch had its own affairs, and it was not easy to get everyone together.

Grand Madam Zhang was delighted and said with a smile, “We should hold banquets together more often in the future…”

Just then, the old woman who had been announcing things at the courtyard gate arrived at the corridor and whispered something in the ear of Xu, the maidservant of Lady Yuan. Xu’s expression turned serious. After listening, she nodded and dismissed her.

Lady Yuan put down her chopsticks and asked what was wrong. Xu entered and answered in a low voice, noticing that Lady Yuan’s face had also turned pale.

A tense atmosphere began to spread. Everyone looked over in unison, and the Grand Madam Zhang also looked worried. “What happened?”

Lady Yuan hesitated for a long time, knowing that this matter could not be concealed, and had no choice but to report the truth honestly, saying with difficulty, “A message came from the Chen family saying that Shangrou beat a concubine to death, and Young Master Chen is making a scene, threatening to report it to the authorities.”