Spring Message in the Snow – CH 083

Chapter 83

Sure enough, it did not take long for the Grand Madam to have Lady Yuan and Lady Ling arrange a courtyard for Shen Kezheng and his wife. She said they must be tired from their journey and should rest well, as Young Master Song would be coming to pay his respects later. She also advised them to change their clothes and tidy themselves up so they could present themselves properly as the bride’s parents to the groom.

Since her parents were there, Mianmian, being a child, could not bear to be apart from them and happily went with them. Only her grandmother and a few of the younger sisters remained in the main room. The sisters planned to hold a tea party in the afternoon and invite their eldest sister back to stay for a couple of days.

The Grand Madam sighed deeply. “Shangrou is doing quite well now. As long as she’s not confined, it does not matter whether she has a husband or not. Before, when you sisters had gatherings, who would have thought to invite her! Now it’s great; you can see her whenever you want. I have not seen Shangrou this lively since her marriage; it’s a blessing from heaven.”

Then she said to Jirou, “Your eldest sister-in-law’s body has become increasingly heavy these past few days; she has not moved around much. Her due date must be near. You should go visit her often when you have time, and take good care of her if she needs anything.”

Jirou agreed, “I’ve been visiting her courtyard quite often lately. Yes, my eldest sister-in-law’s belly is very big, but she’s in great spirits. She walks around the garden several times a day; even my eldest brother cannot keep up with her.”

The Grand Madam smiled and nodded. “I’ve already sent someone to inform her. She will be brought to our house to stay when the time is right to help the mother get into bed.”

The sisters chatted and laughed for a few more minutes, intending to move together to Qingrou’s courtyard. The Grand Madam hesitated for a while, then called out to Surou, “Wait a moment, Grandmother has a few questions for you.”

Surou had no choice but to agree, letting her sisters go first, and sat down beside the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam scrutinized her face repeatedly. “Su’er, you were here yesterday afternoon. Why are you here so early this morning? Is there nothing to do at home? Do you not need to take care of the young master? Tell me honestly, has something happened? I’ve been looking at you for half a day, and you seem rather unusual. Do not hide anything from me; tell me, and I can help you figure it out.”

Surou hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, “Grandma, do not worry, nothing’s wrong with me. I just wanted to come back and stay for a couple of days. All my sisters are getting married soon; it’s rare to have everyone here, so I just wanted to have some tea, chat, and enjoy myself.”

Unfortunately, the Grand Madam did not believe her. Turning to Nanny Feng, she complained, “The child has really grown up. She used to tell Grandma everything, but now she’s learned to embellish things and even try to deceive Grandma.”

Nanny Feng smoothed things over. “Grand Madam, do not always worry about the children. They are all destined for good fortune. Second Young Lady, managing the Prince’s Mansion, can just enjoy her life.”

Surou’s smile faded, and after a slight pause, she said, “Grandmother, actually, I have encountered a small matter. I originally intended to keep it from you, but thinking that the family would find out eventually, since you asked, I will tell you.” She took a breath, her eyes looking at the Grand Madam, and said awkwardly, “It’s just that… he has a woman outside, and I just found out she’s pregnant…”

The Grand Madam’s hand trembled as she held the teacup, causing it to fall and shatter on the floor.

“What? What did you say?” The Grand Madam’s face changed, and she asked in alarm, “You’ve only been married for a month, and someone outside is already pregnant? This…this…what is this?”

She looked at Surou with a pained expression. Surou looked blank, seemingly showing no sign of grief, but seeing her grandmother staring intently at her, she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her dry eyes. “I never thought he was this kind of person!”

Anyway, this news greatly alarmed the Grand Madam. After the maids cleaned up the broken pieces on the floor, she stood up and walked away… She stomped her feet, pacing back and forth on the ground, lamenting with anguish, “Back then, he went through so much bureaucracy to marry you. We only agreed to marry you because of his good intentions. Did he go to all that trouble just to bring you home and then disgust you? It’s not that he’s forbidden from taking concubines—yes, he’s a prince, no one can stop him from taking concubines—but not now! It’s only been a few days, and she’s already pregnant! Really… I cannot do anything about it when he’s not here, but if he were, I’d definitely give him a good dressing down. Why can we not ask him? What have we, the Zhang family, done to wrong him? Why is he treating our daughter like this!”

Seeing the old lady so angry, Surou, fearing she might upset her, quickly helped her sit down and comforted her, saying, “Grandmother, do not be sad. I was angry earlier, too, and I gave him a good beating, but now I realize it was unnecessary. Before, when I was a young lady in my chambers, I had no expectations for marriage; I just wanted a peaceful life in a different place. These days, where are the men of high position and power who do not take concubines? I think as long as I continue as before… this family does not care how many women he has outside! He said it was a drunken mistake he made, and he will not bring her back. He told me not to worry.”

The old lady was furious. “But is that mistress not pregnant? What will happen to the child when it’s born? Will you bring it back to raise?” She grew increasingly angry, pounding her knees and muttering, “Another Shen Kezheng!”

Surou could not tell her grandmother the truth and felt very guilty, but the matter was serious, so she had to keep it from her for now.

She gently put her arm around the Grand Madam’s shoulder and said softly, “Grandmother, do not be angry. I am not really sad. Grandmother, try to be more understanding. Things are already like this. If we get sick from getting angry, would that not just benefit those other women? Anyway, I am the legitimate Heir Apparent’s wife. As long as I am here, those outsiders will not dare to cause trouble. Yesterday, I severely reprimanded him, asking him what he planned to do. He said he only has me in his heart, and that he’d only made this one mistake in his life. If he makes another one, all the land and property in the family will belong to me, and I can divorce him. I will announce it to the whole capital.”

She continued, “Grandmother, what do men really matter? Look at my elder sister. Her husband is in that state, but is she not living a more comfortable life? As long as she has enough to eat and drink, whether she has a man or not matters not. It’s outrageous! I control the Heir Apparent’s property; what kind of good life can I not have?”

She spoke very lightly, seemingly genuinely unconcerned. The Grand Madam looked at her but knew her lack of suffering was merely a facade to avoid worrying her elders. With a deep sigh, the Grand Madam Zhang said dejectedly, “I thought you had married the best among my sisters, but it turned out like this. What can anyone say? It’s good that you can accept it; if you cannot hold onto someone, you can hold onto money—that’s a way to protect yourself. But this situation…it’s truly disappointing.”

Surou sighed as well, “I suppose all men in this world are like this. I thought he was virtuous, but I never expected that he could not escape the common ways.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment; even Nanny Feng, standing nearby, was disheartened and felt indignant for the Second Young Lady.

Surou herself rallied, smiling, “Alright, let’s not talk about him anymore. Aunt and Uncle are back; it’s a joyous occasion for a family reunion. Why bring up such unpleasant things! I will go find my sisters and see if Mianmian needs any help.”

Grand Madam Zhang nodded, saying, “Go ahead,” but inwardly she wondered if Helian Song would come after Surou once she returned to her parents’ home.

Fortunately, during lunch, she heard a report from outside that the Heir Apparent had arrived. He hurried into the garden, first greeting her aunt and uncle before coming to pay his respects to the Grand Madam.

Perhaps because he felt guilty, knowing that Surou must have already told the family about the changes, he seemed somewhat uneasy upon seeing the Grand Madam. Once no one else was around, he knelt before the Grand Madam, bowing deeply, and said, “Grandmother, I have failed your hopes and betrayed Surou’s sincere heart. I deserve to die. But please give me another chance. I swear to heaven, there will never be a next time. Please, Grandmother, put in a good word for me with Surou and let her come home with me.”

The Grand Madam looked at him, exhausted. “If you had told me earlier that you had someone else outside, Surou would not necessarily have to marry you. Although I was unhappy about your collusion with the Emperor to pressure our family, I tolerated it because of your sincerity towards Surou. But now…how did you end up like this? How can you face Surou, her father, and her stepmother?”

Helian Song’s face was ashen. He said, “I am sorry to Surou, I am sorry to my elders, and I have no face to face my grandmother. But please believe me, Grandmother, I have no feelings for anyone else. It was just a drunken one-night stand…” He almost cried, his eyes red-rimmed. “I hate myself. Why did I do such a thing? Why did I drink too much that day and become so confused?”

His appearance softened the hearts of the Grand Madam and Nanny Feng. Nanny Feng looked silently at the Grand Madam, waiting for her decision. The Grand Madam remained silent for a while, finally only sighing, “Life is full of traps, one step at a time. If you do not stand upright, how many pitfalls can you not fall into? We women are bound by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, never truly free.”

“You men, with your noble titles and riding high, are sought after wherever you go. Today you have a woman, but tomorrow there might be one younger and more beautiful than Surou. One cup is not enough for you; two more will surely make you lose your head. To be honest, I originally had high hopes for you. My grandson-in-law is such a person; I always hoped that you would guide your sons well and set a good example for them. But…”

She shook her head. “What’s the difference between you and keeping a concubine before marriage? It’s just one at home and the other outside. I never thought that despite all our carefulness, Surou would still follow in her elder sister’s footsteps. It’s my miscalculation as her grandmother.”

Helian Song was even more ashamed, choking out, “I was wrong. It’s too late to say anything now. Even if Grandmother calls for family discipline, it’s what I deserve.”

Just then, Lady Pan came in to invite the Grand Madam out for dinner. Seeing Helian Song kneeling before the old lady, she was somewhat surprised. After understanding the situation, she spat angrily, “You, with your respectable appearance, dare to come here and make a fool of yourself!”

This stepmother’s anger was even greater than the Grand Madam’s. She had agreed to the marriage for Surou’s sake, telling herself to be more open-minded, even abandoning the cause of her husband’s death; as long as Surou could find a good home, she could overlook everything else. And this was the reward she received? Enraged, she roared, “You heartless wretch! How could you face your father-in-law like this?!”

Seeing the commotion was too great and might alert everyone, Nanny Feng quickly stepped forward to comfort her, “Second Madam, please do not make a scene. The whole family is here. It’s alright with your own people, but there’s also Master Shen. If things get out of hand, he will be utterly humiliated. After all, Young Lady Shen is getting married in a couple of days; it’s best to keep things peaceful at home.” As she spoke, she helped Helian Song up, “Your Highness, please rise. Let’s prevent anyone else from coming in and making things worse.”

Helian Song, having knelt for so long, was unsteady on his feet. He managed to support himself and apologized to Lady Pan again, bowing deeply, “Please forgive me, Mother-in-law. I swear to heaven that this will only happen once, and there will never be a second time. Please forgive me, Grandmother and Mother-in-law. Watch my future behavior. If I repeat this mistake, even if Surou divorces me, I will not dare say a word.”

Lady Pan scoffed, “You’ve got a good plan. What harm does divorce do to you men? A real man should not worry about not having a wife. Surou suffers; you get off easy.”

Helian Song immediately brought up his previous argument about leaving with nothing, which temporarily calmed Lady Pan’s anger. She coldly said, “I hope you can keep your word; otherwise, I will beat the drum to appeal to the Emperor and never let you go!”

The widow of a meritorious official’s appeal to the Emperor was different from that of ordinary people. The court, out of consideration for her feelings, would give her some leeway even if she was wrong. As a stepmother, for her to do this showed that she truly treated Surou as her own daughter.

Helian Song was somewhat moved and respected his mother-in-law even more. He bowed and said, “If I break my vow today, I will submit to your judgment in the future.”

Just then, a maidservant came to urge them on, saying that the banquet in the flower hall had begun and they were waiting for the old lady.

The Grand Madam stood up, patted Lady Pan’s hand, composed herself, and said, “Let’s go.”

The three of them took their seats, all behaving as usual, showing no signs of anything amiss. Lunch was a simple and lively affair; everyone was busy welcoming Shen Kezheng and his wife. The earlier unpleasantness seemed to have never happened.

After the meal, Helian Song, dejected, followed Surou back to Qiandui Xue Courtyard. As soon as he entered the inner chamber, he collapsed onto the bed, clutching the blankets, on the verge of tears. “You have no idea how miserable I was before,” he said. “Grandmother scolded me, and my mother-in-law wanted to devour me. I bowed and scraped, apologizing profusely, kneeling until my knees were swollen.”

Surou smiled and comforted him. “Great men do not concern themselves with trifles. What’s a little grievance? Besides, about that recruitment you did, anyone would have beaten you. You should understand that your elders love me.”

He hid his sobs under the covers, saying sadly, “Who does not want to be a good man? Do you think I want everyone to hate me? Grandmother’s words earlier made me feel ashamed. I am dying! I will not be coming over for dinner tonight; I am going to feign illness.”

Surou was helpless. “Why are you feigning illness again? This is home, not court.” She paused, then asked, “What did Grandmother say that made you so ashamed to face anyone?”

He said, “Grandmother criticized me for not setting a good example for my brother-in-law, implying that I am like Chen Ang.”

Surou finally burst into laughter. “Grandmother is indeed Grandmother; her words are penetrating and perfectly reasonable.”

“Reasonable about what?” He glanced at her resentfully. “I am innocent.”

But was this injustice not carefully fabricated? In any case, he could not clear his name until the very last moment.

Surou tried to comfort him, saying, “There will always be a day when justice is served. Just bear with it for now.”

He then made an unreasonable request: “My wife, take a nap with me.”

Surou refused, “Even now, if I take a nap with you, Grandmother and Mother will say I am weak-willed and indulge my husband. Besides, my elder sister is coming this afternoon; we sisters have a tea party planned.”

He did not understand, “What tea party at midday? We just had lunch.”

Surou said, “Drinking tea is secondary; chatting is the main thing.”

However, it was indeed getting chilly. A breeze blew in through the half-open window, turning the pages of the book on the table. The long wind carried a chill. Taking a nap with the window open at midday might really make him catch a cold, so Surou got up and went to lower the wooden stick holding the window open.

The Lingxi Jingsi incense burned slowly in the gilded incense burner, its delicate fragrance finally filling the room, reminiscent of a clear vat of water collected from split bamboo during the Qingming Festival, its depths crystal clear.

She returned to tuck him in, saying, “My husband has suffered today; rest and replenish your energy.”

He reached out from under the covers, his fair fingers grasping her wrist. “Wife, do not go. I am not over my grief yet; I need you to stay with me.”

Surou had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed, patting him through the blankets. “Just because you drank two cups of wine at noon, I can let you take a nap. Otherwise, if you go straight to your parents’ house and immediately look for a bed, people will laugh at you. I will stay here tonight; you go home…”

He asked why. “I want to stay here too.”

This man was sometimes strange; he could be meticulous in his planning, but when things were truly perfect, he became absent-minded.

Surou said, “You have to go back. Going back will only make it seem like we do not get along.”

He smiled. “Only a husband who does not want to win his wife back can let her stay at her parents’ house overnight. I want to win you back, so I will stay here too.” His words were eloquent and perfectly reasonable.

Surou looked at him, speechless. Seeing him try to sit up again, she quickly poked his forehead and pressed him back down.

Remembering the red mark on his face from the ruler he’d received earlier, a slight tinge still visible when he left that morning, though it had faded by now, she tenderly stroked his face. “Next time I hit you,” she said, “could you please not lean in so close?” she asked. “People might think I am rough,” she added, “and I will get a reputation for being a shrew.”

He nestled against her hand, rubbing it affectionately several times. “Will you hit me again? This time, I put on a good show. There will not be anything more outrageous than this. You can put the ruler away, my wife.”

She hummed in agreement, saying she hoped so, then asked with a smile, “Did you make a fool of yourself at court today? Your colleagues probably knew exactly what happened, right?”

He gave a perfunctory reply, slowly snuggling closer until he finally rested his head on her lap.

“Those are all regulars in the pleasure quarters; they already know everything. Earlier, the Emperor kept me behind for a talk and intentionally or unintentionally inquired about the matter. I could tell from his words that he already knew about Zhiniang, but he kept it hidden, waiting for me to fall.” He looked up at her. “My Lady, the Emperor still has feelings for you. He expressed his regret about my taking a mistress.”

Surou could not help but feel resentful. “Anyone would feel sorry for me. We’ve only been married a month, and she’s already pregnant with a child in her mistress’s home. How embarrassing would that be if word got out!”

He knew he had taken a risky gamble. “The Emperor will not release me. The situation in Longyou is becoming increasingly tense, and Father’s illness is not improving. I am afraid something terrible is about to happen. I was desperate and had no other choice but to resort to this tactic. Please forgive me, My Lady.” Of course, while apologizing, he did not stop rolling his face against her crotch twice.

Surou let out a soft “Ai,” then said awkwardly, “What are you doing? You are being indecent!”

He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I do not need to be proper. I am already proper enough in public; I am exhausted…” He then gave her a suggestive glance. “My wife smells so good.”

The moment he called her “wife,” it meant he had ulterior motives. Surou struggled but could not break free, frantically complaining, “Do not do anything reckless in broad daylight; people will laugh at us.”

Newlywed men had inexhaustible passion, and each time they were unwilling to settle for the ordinary, they were always eager to come up with something new. Before long, it took a considerable amount of time. If they got carried away, they would not be able to leave the house until evening. She could only comfort him gently, “Let’s discuss this further tonight, shall we?”

Those deep eyes, when they stirred with affection, were incredibly alluring. He tilted his head back, his lips moving slightly, and said, “I’ve suffered a great injustice today; how about my wife kiss me first?”

Surou was helpless, thinking to herself that this man would probably have to compete for her affections with the child from now on. But deep down, she liked it very much. She lifted his chin and kissed his full lips; the taste was indescribably wonderful.

He reached out and hooked his arm around her neck. His inner robe was half-open, revealing a shoulder. Despite his strong and powerful physique, his eyes held a youthful shyness. He whispered, “Again.”

So they kissed more intently. The cool autumn air in the boudoir was filled with warmth. Even without drinking, she felt slightly dizzy and blissfully intoxicated.