Chapter 14

When she was still a maiden, A-Jiao kept her bangs, but now that she was married, she tied up all her long hair, revealing her smooth forehead. The dark hairline at the center of her forehead formed a sharp widow’s peak. The old procuress once said that this was called a “beauty’s peak”—some girls didn’t have one and would even draw it on deliberately.

Thinking about it was almost laughable. A-Jiao lost her mother at a young age, and before her misfortune, her aunt had always treated her with indifference. Over the years, the person who had taught her the most was actually the procuress of Huayue Brothel—though most of what she was taught was not considered respectable knowledge.

The old procuress’s voice faded from her mind as A-Jiao refocused on the mirror. Her hair was neatly done, and she inserted a plain wooden hairpin, pinning a silk begonia flower onto it. The fabric flower was lifelike, its pinkish hue adding a finishing touch to her simple look, making her appear both gentle and charming.

“A wife is chosen for her virtue, a concubine for her beauty,” A-Jiao thought. Surely, what Old Madam Zhao expected from her was to be nothing more than a pretty concubine.

After tidying the dressing table, A-Jiao stepped out of the room.

The Zhao family was already seated outside. The square table was arranged with Old Madam Zhao sitting in the north, Liu Shi and Shen Ying sitting together on the west side, and Zhao Yanping on the east, with an empty chair beside him, left for A-Jiao.

In addition to breakfast, there was also tea on the table.

All four of them looked at her. Among them, A-Jiao was most familiar with Zhao Yanping. Feeling shy yet seeking reassurance, she glanced at him.

Zhao Yanping stood up and waited for her to approach before instructing, “Offer tea to the old madam first.”

Since A-Jiao was a concubine, she could only address them as “Old Madam,” “Madam,” and “Miss”—not as Zhao Yanping did, calling them “Grandmother” or otherwise.

A-Jiao respectfully offered tea to all three in turn.

“Alright, sit down and eat. We are just an ordinary household; there’s no need for excessive formalities,” Old Madam Zhao said.

A-Jiao followed Zhao Yanping’s lead and sat down.

Everyone’s bowls were still empty, and the pot of porridge was placed near A-Jiao’s side. Smiling, she picked up the ladle and took the initiative to serve everyone. She was swift and careful, ensuring that not a single drop of porridge spilled onto the rim of the bowls or the table.

Old Madam Zhao silently observed.

Zhao Yanping took his bowl and started eating without looking at anyone.

A-Jiao also lowered her eyes and quietly drank her porridge. The sweet potato porridge was slightly sweet—just the way she liked it. Back at her uncle’s house, because her aunt disliked sweets, such dishes were rarely made.

Perhaps it was because she was in a new place, but even an ordinary bowl of porridge felt more satisfying than ever.

After eating for a while, A-Jiao noticed that Shen Ying had been staring at her. She lifted her gaze and met Shen Ying’s eyes.

Caught peeking, Shen Ying smiled awkwardly and said in a small voice, “Sister-in-law, you are so beautiful.”

She had wanted to start a conversation with A-Jiao, but given A-Jiao’s complex background, she couldn’t find the right topic. Afraid of seeming distant or making A-Jiao feel unwelcome, she decided to start with a compliment.

A-Jiao studied Shen Ying for a moment before smiling and replying, “Not as beautiful as you, Miss. You are elegant and dignified, clearly a noble young lady.”

Shen Ying blushed, feeling a bit guilty.

Liu Shi seized the opportunity to interject, explaining helplessly, “It’s fine if A-Jiao praises Ying’er for her beauty, but dignified? That’s far from the truth. She never liked embroidery or needlework; instead, she’s been obsessed with abacuses since she was little. Now, all she cares about is managing the rouge shop her aunt left behind—she loves it when people call her ‘Lady Shopkeeper.'”

A-Jiao had never expected Shen Ying to be such an unconventional young lady.

Proud of her own skills, Shen Ying, upon hearing her shop mentioned, immediately untied the embroidered pouch from her waist and handed it to A-Jiao. “Sister-in-law, this is my wedding gift for you. Inside are two boxes of rouge—one red for lip balm, the other green for face powder. Try them out, and if you like them, I’ll bring you more next time.”

A-Jiao quickly set down her bowl, accepted the pouch with both hands, and expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Miss. You are too generous.”

Shen Ying beamed. “It’s just a small gift. As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.”

A-Jiao already liked it. As a concubine in the Zhao family, she hadn’t expected such warmth from the official wife’s younger sister. It was a pleasant surprise.

Old Madam Zhao felt that Shen Ying was being overly courteous to A-Jiao. However, since Shen Ying was of the Shen family, Old Madam Zhao had no place to reprimand her.

After the meal, A-Jiao wanted to help clear the dishes, but Old Madam Zhao glanced at her delicate hands and stopped her. “Leave the chores to Cui Niang. You don’t need to trouble yourself. I already made it clear when discussing the marriage proposal—you are here to serve the young master. Everything concerning his room is your responsibility, but you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Old Madam Zhao was concerned that if A-Jiao’s hands became rough from work, her grandson might grow even more disinterested in women.

Just then, Cui Niang arrived, cheerfully gathering up the bowls and dishes.

“You all sit tight, I’ll go return the borrowed tables and chairs,” Zhao Yanping said, leaving without hesitation, taking Guo Xing with him.

With her grandson gone, Old Madam Zhao had no more reservations. She signaled for A-Jiao to follow her into the east room.

Inside, she went straight to the canopy bed at the north side of the room. Seeing two separate blankets neatly placed on the bed, she frowned and asked, “What, did you two sleep under separate covers?”

A-Jiao’s heart skipped a beat, but fortunately, Zhao Yanping had anticipated this question and taught her how to answer. She slightly modified his explanation and lowered her head, fabricating an excuse. “W-We initially shared one, but later, the young master found it uncomfortable, so he fetched another. He also said we would sleep like this from now on.”

Old Madam Zhao narrowed her eyes.

What did “from now on” mean? Did they do their business first and then separate? Or did her grandson find A-Jiao’s crying unbearable and decide to sleep apart after just one night?

For now, she set aside those thoughts. First, she had to check the white handkerchief beneath the pillow. Seeing that it bore the expected traces of red, she finally felt at ease. She had been worried about spending ten taels of silver to bring in someone who had already been with another man—that would have been a loss.

With the most important matter settled, Old Madam Zhao moved to the dressing table, greedily running her fingers over the Western mirror gifted by the county magistrate. She had been thinking of taking it for herself, but when she caught sight of her reflection—a face darkened by years of farm work, covered in wrinkles—contrasted against A-Jiao’s youthful, porcelain-like skin, she immediately gave up the idea.

Turning her back to the mirror, she sat down and gestured for A-Jiao to come closer. Lowering her voice, she asked, “How did the young master treat you last night?”

A-Jiao’s heart pounded. Her lashes quivered as she blushed and stammered, “It… It was fine.”

Old Madam Zhao scoffed. “What do you mean by ‘fine’? Besides sleeping, did he say anything sweet to you? Did he ask about you at all? Or did he just finish and move to another bed?”

A-Jiao knew that saying too much could lead to trouble, so she simply showed a hint of grievance, twiddled her fingers, and said softly, “The young master doesn’t seem to talk much. A-Afterward, he just moved to another bed.”

Old Madam Zhao had expected as much. Her grandson’s peculiar habits had persisted for so long—how could they possibly change overnight?

“He doesn’t talk to you, which means you haven’t reached his heart yet. The colder he is, the warmer you must be. You’ve stayed at Huayue Brothel—surely they taught you how to capture a man’s heart.”

Midway through her words, Old Madam Zhao noticed A-Jiao’s face suddenly turn pale, as if she disliked hearing about her past. Old Madam Zhao cleared her throat and explained, “Don’t take it the wrong way. I don’t look down on you. I only hope that you can make the master like you as soon as possible. Use whatever methods you have—don’t hold back. The day you open his heart, I’ll reward you.”

A-Jiao finally understood the thoughts of the grandmother and grandson—one wanted her to act and fool the old lady, while the other wanted her to seduce the master like a temptress.

“Rest assured, Madam. I understand,” A-Jiao replied, though she didn’t mean it.

The more Old Madam Zhao looked at A-Jiao, the more beautiful she seemed, yet she lacked the seductiveness the old woman expected. She didn’t look like someone who had come from a pleasure house at all.

After scrutinizing her, Old Madam Zhao instructed, “Your attire is too plain. Didn’t the county magistrate send over a trunk of silk? Hurry and make yourself some silk dresses—the kind that entices, the kind that makes the master unable to take his eyes off you.”

A-Jiao’s face flushed red again.

Old Madam Zhao remembered something and reminded her, “The master doesn’t like overly delicate women. You cried last night, and he was very unhappy. I know you’re not used to things yet, but endure it if you can. Cry less—you don’t want him to keep sleeping apart from you every night, do you?”

A-Jiao took a moment to process this and guessed that the master must have said something about her. She nodded blankly.

Old Madam Zhao then left.

Shen Ying eagerly clung to Old Madam Zhao’s arm. “Grandmother, I rarely get to visit the county. Take me out for a stroll. Brother is sending us back this afternoon.”

Old Madam Zhao knew that Shen Ying must have money on her. Young ladies from wealthy families were always generous spenders—perhaps she could take advantage of that. Smiling, she agreed and asked Liu Shi, “Do you want to come along?”

Liu Shi replied gently, “I’ll pass. When Yanping returns, I want to catch up with him.”

At the mention of her grandson, Old Madam Zhao huffed, “That stubborn mule refuses to marry no matter what. I’m out of ideas. You should talk some sense into him.”

Liu Shi chuckled and agreed.

With that, Old Madam Zhao took Shen Ying out. Before leaving, Shen Ying turned back and playfully winked at her mother.

Liu Shi returned a smile.

Once she was sure Old Madam Zhao had gone far, Liu Shi went to knock on the east room’s door. “A-Jiao, may I come in?”

Hearing the master’s mother’s voice, A-Jiao immediately stepped out to greet her.

Liu Shi’s expression was gentle as she guided A-Jiao back into the room, following behind and closing the door.

A-Jiao wondered—could it be that Liu Shi, like Old Madam Zhao, was here to urge her to do everything she could to seduce the master?

Liu Shi had no idea about her mother-in-law’s true reasons for taking in a concubine for her son. When she arrived, she had only been worried about whether A-Jiao, having been in a pleasure house, was truly a good girl. But now that she had seen her in person, A-Jiao carried no trace of vulgarity. Instead, she was demure and well-mannered, evoking a sense of pity. Liu Shi felt completely at ease.

She had come to offer A-Jiao a meeting gift.

Taking a pouch from her sleeve, she placed it in A-Jiao’s hands. Inside were ten taels of silver. “This is from Ying’er’s father. Over the years, he’s wanted to support the master, but the master refuses to accept anything from him. If we give him money, he won’t take it, so I’m entrusting it to you. You can use it as you wish, or if one day the master finds himself in urgent need, you can keep it for him. Consider it our token of care.”

Such kindness was impossible for A-Jiao to reject. She promised, “Madam, rest assured—I will safeguard it for the master.”

Satisfied, Liu Shi then removed a pair of jade bracelets from her wrist and placed them in A-Jiao’s hands. “The silver is for you and the master to use together, but these are my personal gift to you. You’re still young—you should dress yourself up beautifully.”

A-Jiao looked at the deep green jade, clearly expensive, and hesitated. “Madam, this is too valuable…”

Liu Shi gently held her hands, her eyes full of regret. “I remarried early and couldn’t be there for the master. He carries such a heavy heart. There are things he won’t share with Grandmother, but as the one beside him, perhaps you can comfort him. The master refuses to take a wife, and who knows when he will? You are the only person close to him. You must take good care of him.”

A-Jiao saw the shimmer of tears in Liu Shi’s eyes.

She could not refuse any longer.