Spring Message in the Snow – CH 039

Chapter 39

Strange, was it not? Actually, this kind of strange thing was not the first time it had happened; it played out almost every day in the Marquis of Xingyang’s residence.

Sometimes, Shangrou almost wondered if Nian’er had saved Chen Ang’s life in a past life. Chen Ang’s affection for her was deeper than for his own mother. Even though he had almost lost his life at Nian’er’s hands, he could still not make a big deal out of it.

But Sheniang could not accept this outcome. She exclaimed in surprise, “My Lord, if the physician had not been there quickly and induced vomiting, would you still be alive? Now, just because of a few words from her, this matter has been swept under the rug. Whether she sent the bird’s nest or not, there are maids in her courtyard to testify. Did you not hear the maids’ testimony just now, my lord? You are lucky this time. What if she had completely killed me next time? Who would I have to complain to then?”

Unexpectedly, truly unexpectedly. People were always selfish. When their lives were threatened, how could they not protect themselves? She never knew there was someone like Chen Ang, who simply waved his hand and did not pursue the matter anymore, just because she had not died. Was he a saint? She had always secretly rivaled the principal wife, but it turned out she had been directing her efforts in the wrong direction. Only now did she clearly realize that the first person in the household who should be brought down was actually Nian’er.

Once she understood this, she began to unleash her full power, crying and making a scene: “My heart has been misplaced! The master only loves Nian’er; other people’s lives do not matter. I’ve heard rumors before that Nian’er was the one who killed Pan’er. I did not believe it then, but now I have no choice but to. Death is imminent; I will be next! Master, how cruel you are! Nian’er is your concubine, and I am just a servant you bought. I know I am insignificant and cannot compare to Nian’er. Since that’s the case, please, Master and Lady, spare my life. I am willing to return to the brothel, just to keep my life.”

In an instant, one act ended, and another began, and the small courtyard once again became as lively as a theatrical performance. Shangrou’s face was expressionless. She knew Chen Ang was the type to have his cake and eat it too, always wanting more and never willing to give up either. So, to put some pressure on him, she said, “What does My Lord think? If Sheniang really wants to leave, I am not a heartless person. After all, she served you, and I cannot let her go back to the brothel and suffer that hardship. I can return her slave certificate and give her a few taels of silver so she can fend for herself. But some things need to be made clear. She was bought for you, sir. Whether she stays or goes, you need to give me a definite answer. If you agree, I will have the gates opened and let her out.”

These words indeed seemed to awaken the sickly Chen Ang as if in a final burst of lucidity. He felt that Shangrou was purely there to cause trouble, and he pounded the bed, saying, “My Lady, instead of trying to persuade her, you are adding fuel to the fire? The whole capital knows my family bought a concubine, and now you are letting her out without any reason. What will people outside say about me?”

Shangrou still seemed unperturbed, spreading her hands and saying, “Then what do you say, My Lord? One claims they did not poison her, and the other is worried about dying a violent death. I am at a loss; it’s all up to you, My Lord.”

To put it bluntly, there was no choice. Chen Ang had vomited until his stomach was empty, but the cramping in his intestines still would not subside. A wave of pain surged through him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing that Sheniang’s eyes were swollen from crying, he realized he could not leave Nain’er unpunished. He steeled himself and said, “Punish Nian’er by making her kneel in the Buddhist hall for a day and a night. She’s not to be released until this time tomorrow.”

This was a punishment as lenient as it could possibly be, but Nian’er protested, crying, “They are forcing me to admit to things I did not do! My lord, can you not see they are ganging up on me? Why are you not standing up for Nian’er…?”

Sheniang had recently cultivated her own trusted confidantes. For things like escorting people, she did not need to worry about it. She only needed to give a signal, and several old women would come and drag the person away.

Simply locking her in the Buddhist hall was not enough. She secretly gestured to someone to lock the hall door, forbidding her from eating or drinking, and even whether she was allowed out at a certain time depended on when the master remembered her.

Shangrou, seeing everything was settled, did not linger in the courtyard. Before leaving, she instructed Sheniang, “Take good care of the master. Come to the main room tomorrow; I have some instructions.”

Sheniang agreed and hurried to see the Lady out. Returning, she naturally showered Chen Ang with tenderness, making him feel comfortable. Chen Ang was a restless person; the next day, feeling slightly better, he went out again. Sheniang then dressed and went to the main room to pay her respects to the Lady.

Meanwhile, Shangrou had just watched the wet nurse feed An’er when she heard an announcement from the corridor that Sheniang had arrived. She told the wet nurse to take the child away. Looking up, she saw a figure gracefully approaching from the middle of the path. She turned and gave Nanny Zhu a meaningful glance. Nanny Zhu understood, went into the inner room, and brought out a brocade box, placing it beside Shangrou.

Shangrou’s maidservant entered, bowed, and sat down. She then complained to Shangrou, “I’d only ever heard that the young master favored Nian’er, but I never imagined his affections were so absolute! No wonder the concubine in the Marquis’s quarters told me that the investigation into Pan’er’s death was only halfway done; it must have been to protect Nian’er. I feel so sorry for the Lady. I wonder how much suffering Nian’er caused her. The Lady is kind-hearted and does not hold it against her. If it were me, I would have skinned her alive!”

Shangrou’s face remained calm; the dignity of a principal wife could never be lost. She sighed and said, “She has been serving my husband since he was fourteen. Understandably, he cares for her. It’s understandable. As for me, my sickly body is useless; I just hope to live a peaceful life with fewer troubles, but Nian’er just cannot satisfy me. I saw everything yesterday, and I do not intend to go back on my word…” With that, she opened the box, took out a neatly folded piece of paper, and handed it to Sheniang. “You and I are different. I am already nailed to this Marquis’s Mansion; I cannot leave for the rest of my life. You, on the other hand, are free; you can fly high. If one day you do not want to deal with things anymore, you can leave.”

Sheniang unfolded the paper in confusion and was shocked to see a familiar signature—it was her own indenture. For a moment, she did not know what Shangrou was planning and stammered… She said, “My Lady… the bird’s nest was not sent by Nian’er; it was me…”

Shangrou said, “I know.”

Sheniang was even more puzzled, pushing the indenture forward. “Since My Lady knows, why are you giving this to me?”

Shangrou said, “I’ve said everything I needed to say. By giving you this indenture, you are no longer the lowly person Nian’er described. She’s confident now because she’s already released from her indenture, and she considers herself superior. I do not want her to constantly put you down. Everyone in this world has a hard life; why should you let her treat you like this?”

Hearing this, tears welled up in Sheniang’s eyes. Holding the indenture, she choked back tears, saying, “My Lady, I was sold into this brothel by my father when I was six. I’ve never lived like a human being in all these years. I thought you bought me to please My Lord, but I never expected you to treat me with such kindness. I swear to repay you with my life, to serve you like a slave.”

Shangrou smiled and shook her head, saying, “I have plenty of servants, and you do not need to be a slave. I just want you to live with some dignity, so your life will not have been in vain.”

Sheniang finally burst into tears, covering her face with her hands, tears seeping through her fingers, soaking the indenture. At least for this moment, she was genuinely moved.

Shangrou said, “It’s alright. An’er is about to sleep; do not disturb him. You should go back now!”

Sheniang thanked her profusely again before leaving the main room.

Shangrou watched her walk away, wiping away tears as she went. Even her departing figure seemed lonely, filling Shangrou with a myriad of emotions.

The old woman beside her, Nanny Zhu, asked, “Madam, do you think she will truly be loyal to you from now on?”

Shangrou was not sure either, murmuring, “It all depends on her conscience. I’ve bestowed such a great favor upon her today; if she harbors any unwarranted ambitions in the future, then she will fall into my hands, and that will be her just desserts.”

***

Surou’s girls’ school was all ready; all that was needed was an auspicious day to open its doors and begin classes.

The matriarch had informed all the families who had come to inquire earlier. In the end, the number of families reached seventeen or eighteen, not counting the noble ladies brought by the county princess’s circle. Surou felt troubled. There were too many people; she feared she could not handle it all. She told her grandmother, “I originally wanted to take in six or seven students so everyone could get along more easily and practice together. Now, with so many people all at once, not only is there not enough space, but there are not even enough tables and chairs. We will have to buy a lot more. What should we do?”

The grandmother’s suggestion was to stagger the classes on the first and fifteenth of the month or to teach one group before taking in the next. This way, it would not be a bad thing in the long run.

“But if you take one but not another, some sensitive families might feel slighted and unhappy. If possible, try to be considerate. The younger girls will grow up eventually; after this group leaves, there will be another. There will never be a shortage of students.”

Surou thought about it and agreed with her grandmother. She should not let this small matter cause unnecessary resentment. Anyway, each teaching session was not long, only about one or two hours, or one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, so it would not make much difference.

This led to the addition of tables, chairs, and other furnishings, as well as extra flower vases, incense burners, and twelve tutors. Finally, everything was arranged. That day, she went to the Duke of Wen’s residence and subtly mentioned to Sujie that if she were to visit to teach in the future, she feared she could not come as frequently. Just as Helian Song had said, the county princess was a noblewoman among noblewomen. Although they usually got along very well, she already held an official title at a young age and could not be treated the same as ordinary girls. She always had to consult Sujie’s opinion first before deciding how to proceed.

Sujie said, “Sister, you do not need to worry about me. I get along with everyone, and as long as they are not too unpleasant, I can treat them with courtesy. The other day, Cong Yi and Sui Sui, whom I brought with me, both agreed to study at your place. It will be lively if I go with them. I also know you will be busy in the future, so instead of making you run around, it’s better for me to go myself and save you the trouble.”

Surou was very grateful for her consideration. “Then I will have to trouble you, Princess.”

Sujie smiled and said, “Sister, you don’t know, if I go out casually, Mother will nag me for a long time, asking where I’m going, who I’m meeting, and when I’ll be back. But if I go to your place, Mother will never stop me. I get tired of staying at home every day. It’s so nice to go out for a walk. Even just looking at the pedestrians through the window is something I enjoy.”

Surou understood her meaning. Sujie’s sorrow lay in being an only child, without any sisters to keep her company, unlike the Zhang sisters (six in total, plus Mianmian, making seven). Even though the Zhang sisters were strictly disciplined, they were still allowed to go out together. Surou, having spent time in the palace, unlike girls raised in seclusion who saw few people, and having taken on the role of tutor in the Duke of Wen’s household, had a much more exciting life than Sujie.

Since it could kill two birds with one stone, it was naturally the best thing. After agreeing, they went to the Princess for her approval. The Princess nodded, smiling, and said, “Since Cong Yi and Sui Sui are traveling together, I am at ease with you taking a few more maids and servants with them.”

Everyone sat on the back veranda drinking fragrant beverages. The Princess then mentioned, “Lady Zhang has not come to the mansion these past two days. The Prince of Hubei’s family formally held the betrothal ceremony the day before yesterday. Our Sujie is now officially a member of a family.”

Surou was surprised and turned to Sujie, saying, “Congratulations! Why did you not tell me?”

Sujie’s face flushed like the sunset, and she said shyly, “I wanted to tell you, elder sister, but… I was too embarrassed.”

Human psychology was so strange. Talking about things one did not care about was like gossiping about neighbors, but once something was on one’s mind, one became hesitant and even “embarrassed.”

Surou understood; this marriage was indeed very suitable. She exchanged a glance with the Princess and smiled as she asked Sujie, “Has the County Princess met the young master of the Prince of Hubei’s family?”

Sujie, still feeling awkward in front of her mother, stood up and tugged at Surou’s sleeve, saying, “Sister, do not ask that. I will take you to see the ink I just made.” She pulled Surou into the garden and whispered, “I did see that young master the other day. His name is He Shu, and he’s currently a supervisor in charge of drafting official documents.”

Surou nodded. “And his appearance? He’s certainly very handsome, is he not?”

Sujie blushed again. “In my opinion, he is much better than Ye Fengshi, both in character and talent… He speaks calmly, and his words reveal a broad perspective. Now that I think about it, how could I have thought Ye Fengshi was so good before? Even when he openly said he wanted to build a ladder to success, I didn’t think much of it.”

Surou smiled. “It’s not your fault. You are young and have not met many men. Someone with ulterior motives deliberately approached you, and you, being naive, were easily deceived.”

Sujie said, “I was just being foolish. My elder sister has not met many men either. Even when she encountered someone like the Heir Apparent, she remained unmoved.”

Surou paused, recalling the figure she’d seen on the terrace that day. She still could not understand how Helian Song had become such a different person. However, she was not interested in delving too much into other people’s feelings. Since they were deliberately avoiding each other, it would be better to keep a safe distance from each other in the future, avoiding any forced conversation.

Seeing her silence, Sujie called out again, “What are you thinking about, Sister?”

Surou snapped out of her reverie and said, “Nothing. School starts tomorrow; you should prepare.”

Sujie agreed, then brought up the name of the small courtyard, asking in surprise, “Why did the Heir Apparent name it ‘Liaoyuan’?”

Surou shook her head but understood in her heart that her father’s death was probably like a mountain weighing on his heart. If he could find peace, he would be relieved. His lending her this courtyard was likely a subtle way of expressing his feelings.

Of course, there was no need to overinterpret his thoughts. After agreeing on a time with Sujie, she left the Duke of Wen’s residence and returned to the Zhang Mansion.

The next day, they arrived at the garden early. Beforehand, the maids fumigated the courtyard inside and out with mugwort to dispel any lingering odors. Around dawn, the tinkling of jade pendants could be heard outside; the noble ladies from various families were arriving one after another. Upon entering, they first bowed to Surou, saying cheerfully, “From today onwards, we invite Lady Zhang to teach us. If there is anything we do poorly, we hope Lady Zhang will offer her guidance.”

Surou stood with her hands tucked behind her back and said gently, “I learned a rudimentary skill in the Forbidden City. Today, I presume to instruct the young ladies in etiquette, manners, and the four refined virtues. If there is anything lacking, we hope the young ladies will point it out.” As she spoke, she gestured for everyone to enter.

Each person had a table and chair, neatly arranged in the bright hall. The front and back doors and windows were wide open, bamboo blinds of varying heights hung in the breeze, and a cool breeze blew in from the Genyue Garden, dispelling the summer heat.

Surou first introduced them to palace etiquette, starting with sitting. She explained what “daiju” ^(带踞), “changgui” ^(长跪), and “jiju” ^(箕踞) meant. Her speech, like her name, was solemn yet gentle. Years of experience in the palace had honed her into a tone and manner of speaking that was most acceptable to others, making the girls eager to learn from her.

After sitting came kneeling, a major form of etiquette. She explained the different forms of bowing, from the initial kowtow ^(稽首) and the empty bow ^(空首) to auspicious and inauspicious bows, each requiring different gestures for different occasions. For example, she carefully demonstrated whether the left or right hand should be on the outside, the degree of bending, and where to place both hands.

“Everyone has been instructed by their tutors, so these things are not unfamiliar to you. It’s just that the customs of the common people are slightly different from those in the Forbidden City. With a little explanation, you will all understand,” she said with a smile, turning to point to the various flower vases and flowers arranged on the table beside her. “I know that you are more interested in flower arranging than endless sitting and bowing. In the Forbidden City, flower arranging is valued for its horizontal, slanted, sparse, and slender forms. Today, I invite the young ladies to choose their flowers and matching vases, and let’s test your understanding of ‘elegance.'”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, somewhat hesitant to offer their own. Sujie stepped forward first, choosing daffodils and a stone bowl, before leading everyone else over to select their favorite flowers and vases, returning to their seats to arrange them.

Surou rose and paced around the hall, observing. These noble ladies had a certain understanding of beauty. Even though she did not usually practice herself, she had seen many examples and had a certain set of rules. However, some minor details were not meticulous enough. For example, some camellias and peonies were arranged in bougainvillea vases; while vibrant, they appeared gaudy and lacked liveliness and elegance.

After a short while, everyone finished, their faces showing shy smiles as they awaited the Female Tutor’s critique.

Surou looked around. Some had excellent taste, while others were careless. She did not offer praise or criticism, only saying, “For hall decorations, tall vases and large branches are generally used. For elegant mountain retreats, the vase should be short and small, and the flowers delicate and slender. The most undesirable things are overly complicated and tangled arrangements and flowers that are too thin for the vase. Just like a beautiful woman, a balance of slenderness and fullness is best. Too much or too little is counterproductive, lacking the grace of a broken branch and wasting precious time.”

Everyone looked at their own vases, each with its own shortcomings, exchanging glances discreetly, their faces showing some embarrassment.

Surou, as usual, said, “I’ve observed everyone’s color schemes and arrangements. Everyone has potential but lacks practice. Given time, they will grasp the essence and improve.”

She turned and took the leftover flowers. The leaves of a single-leaf orchid were broad and sturdy. She twisted and folded them, placing them horizontally in a water-filled basin. The leaves’ jagged edges created gaps. She casually picked up a jade-green flower and inserted it, then leaned a sprig of fennel on top. She pushed it forward slightly, saying nothing, simply letting everyone see. Sujie, who had witnessed her ingenuity, smiled knowingly. The others were genuinely amazed by this serendipitous achievement and grew even more convinced of her skill.

Surou said, “It’s only the first day of school; do not rush things. There’s plenty of time. I will guide you through exploring the mysteries of flowers and plants more thoroughly.”

When it was almost time, everyone had the maids clear away the vases. They drank tea, chatting and laughing for a while longer, and then slowly dispersed.

The first half of the lesson was finally managed, and by the second half, she was gradually getting the hang of it, making teaching much easier. After seeing off the second group of noble ladies, the day was considered complete. She had the maid tidy up the house and was about to return when she suddenly heard someone in the corridor delivering a message. A strange servant boy followed a maidservant, standing at the bottom of the steps, bowing respectfully: “Lady Zhang, I am Zhu Bai, a servant of the Prince. Our Prince sent me to tell you that he will be coming to inspect the house this evening. Please wait a moment, as our Prince has something to say to you.”