Chapter 15

After lunch, Zhao Yanping hitched up the cart and sent Liu Shi and Shen Ying back to Shenjia Gou.

Old Madam Zhao rested in the west room, Guo Xing and Cui Niang, the siblings, were napping in the side house, leaving A-Jiao with nothing to do.

She decided to familiarize herself with Zhao Yanping’s east room.

The furnishings were simple—just the usual bed and wardrobe. But for a constable, it was surprising to find an old bookshelf in his room. It had nine shelves, filled top to bottom with books. A-Jiao stood before it, observing carefully. The books covered various subjects—classics, history, and local records—but more than half were related to case-solving and legal statutes, which suited his profession.

They were well-worn. She wondered whether they had belonged to the previous constable or if Zhao Yanping had purchased them himself.

Leaving the bookshelf, she considered cleaning the room. But since the Zhao family had certainly tidied up thoroughly before the wedding banquet, the east room was spotless—even under the bed, there wasn’t a speck of dust.

With nothing else to do, A-Jiao lay down for a nap.

About half an hour later, she was awakened by Old Madam Zhao calling for Cui Niang. She quickly got up and straightened her clothes.

“I told you to sew a winter robe for the young master. Why is it taking so long?”

When A-Jiao stepped out, she saw Old Madam Zhao standing under the eaves, holding an unfinished robe while scolding Cui Niang.

Cui Niang hung her head in grievance. “I’m not very skilled at sewing, and I’ve been busy with the banquet these past days. Last night, I was still washing dishes at the second watch. Where would I find time to sew?”

Old Madam Zhao glared at her. “Still daring to talk back? I see it’s because the young master is too kind to you, making you lazy! When I was your age, I could finish a robe in three days. And this fabric—if my eyes weren’t failing me, I wouldn’t even let you touch it!”

Cui Niang lowered her head even more, thinking to herself, Old Madam’s eyes aren’t failing at all. Yesterday, I left a tiny oil stain on a bowl, and she still spotted it.

Knowing there was no winning against Old Madam Zhao, Cui Niang braced herself to have her ear twisted.

“Please don’t be upset, Old Madam. My needlework is passable—why don’t I sew the robe for the young master instead?”

A-Jiao spoke up just in time, both to help Cui Niang out of trouble and to find something useful to do. The young master didn’t need her to serve him, yet she had accepted the Zhao family’s betrothal gifts, Liu Shi’s silver, and her jewelry. If she did nothing, wouldn’t that make her a freeloader?

Old Madam Zhao eyed her suspiciously. “You know how to sew?”

A-Jiao smiled shyly and gestured to her dress. “I made this myself. What do you think, Old Madam?”

Old Madam Zhao circled around A-Jiao, examining the stitching on her sleeves. Satisfied, she handed over the unfinished robe. “Cui Niang is clumsy. Since you can sew, from now on, you’ll be in charge of making clothes, shoes, and socks for me and the young master.”

A ten-tael concubine should be put to good use—Old Madam Zhao believed in making the most of what she had paid for.

A-Jiao had no complaints.

The Zhao household only had the young master and the old madam to care for, and both had been kind to her. She was more than willing to do her part.

That afternoon, she sat in the room, sewing the robe.

Old Madam Zhao, ever curious, dragged over a small stool and sat beside A-Jiao, watching her work while making conversation. “A-Jiao, now that we’re family, there’s no need to be reserved. There’s something I’ve been wondering for a while. You’re such a beautiful girl—since you entered Huayue Brothel, why didn’t the brothel keeper arrange for you to entertain guests?”

The young master’s blood had already proven A-Jiao’s innocence to Old Madam Zhao. So now, speaking of Huayue Brothel no longer stirred strong emotions in her. She simply recounted her life there in a calm tone.

Old Madam Zhao couldn’t help but feel pity for the brothel keeper—she had surely spent a fortune grooming such a rare beauty, only to have her business ruined by the authorities just before making a fortune.

Then again, it was her own grandson who had handled the case. In the end, the brothel’s prized beauty ended up benefiting him. Thinking this way, Old Madam Zhao felt rather pleased, as if she had gained a bargain.

“So you not only read and write but also play the qin and sing?” she asked.

A-Jiao nodded.

Hearing songs at a teahouse required buying tea first, which cost money. Old Madam Zhao’s ears itched to hear a tune, so she urged A-Jiao to sing for her.

Huayue Brothel had trained A-Jiao to sing in order to please men. But through practice, she had discovered that she herself enjoyed singing.

Since Old Madam Zhao requested it, A-Jiao sang a birthday blessing song. She kept her voice soft so that only those in the room could hear.

Her voice was gentle, sweet, and melodious. Even a simple birthday tune sounded charming and alluring. Old Madam Zhao, who had lived for over sixty years, had never heard anything so pleasant. It was as if her old bones were soaking in warm water—utterly comfortable, as though she had truly become a wealthy lady without a care in the world.

“What else can you sing? Sing two more.”

A-Jiao knew many songs. She deliberately chose those unrelated to love or romance, singing as she continued sewing.

Old Madam Zhao, having enjoyed herself, suddenly thought of her grandson. She lowered her voice and asked, “Why are they all such proper songs? Didn’t the brothel keeper teach you songs meant to seduce men?”

A-Jiao blushed and bit her lip.

Old Madam Zhao chuckled. “Look at you, so shy. I don’t want to hear them. I mean for you to sing them to the young master.”

A-Jiao lowered her gaze. “The young master is an upright man. He probably wouldn’t like such frivolous songs.”

Old Madam Zhao replied, “It’s not like I’m asking you to sing in public. Just close the door, pull down the bed curtains—who cares if it’s frivolous or not inside the room?”

A-Jiao’s face burned even hotter. She murmured, “That depends on whether the young master wants to hear it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare. He seems rather cold.”

Old Madam Zhao sighed. “Of course he’s cold. That’s why I picked you. I thought, since you’d been in Huayue Brothel, you’d be bold enough to tame him. But I didn’t expect you to be so bashful.”

A-Jiao was puzzled. “Tame him?”

Old Madam Zhao put it tactfully. “He’s not eager to marry because he doesn’t understand the joys of having a wife. If you can make him understand, he’ll be willing to wed.”

A-Jiao finally grasped Old Madam Zhao’s intentions.

She lowered her head, focusing on her stitching, unsure how to respond.

While Old Madam Zhao was scheming her plans, A-Jiao was also making calculations of her own.

She knew the truth—Yanping delayed marriage because he was searching for his missing sister. Once he found her, his guilt would lift, and he would likely marry immediately.

Given his upright nature, he would surely treat his wife well. And if by then he had never touched A-Jiao, he might never do so. Perhaps he would even gift her to someone else.

A-Jiao’s heart clenched at the thought.

The Zhao family was good, and she didn’t want to move again. She wanted to solidify her position as the officer’s concubine. Once he took a wife, she wouldn’t compete for favor—she only sought a place to stay. Besides, she couldn’t bear children, so his future wife should be able to tolerate her presence.

“Old Madam, if I really tried to seduce the officer, wouldn’t you think I was indecent?”

A-Jiao lifted her gaze and asked nervously.

The Old Madam glared at her. “That’s exactly what I want! Don’t worry, just go ahead and do it boldly—I’ve got your back!”

A-Jiao’s face turned bright red.

But she had only been testing the Old Madam’s attitude. If she were truly expected to seduce the officer as blatantly as a courtesan from Huayue Brothel, even with a thousand times the courage, she wouldn’t dare.

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Shenjia Valley was quite far from the county, so Zhao Yanping only returned in the evening, just in time for dinner.

With Liu-shi and Shen Ying gone, only the three of them were left at the table. Zhao Yanping had A-Jiao sit across from him.

A-Jiao stole a glance at the Old Madam.

The Old Madam shot her a look—”Be bold!”

A-Jiao had no courage. She just lowered her head and focused on her meal.

The Old Madam was exasperated by her timidity and turned to command her grandson, “Don’t just eat by yourself. A-Jiao is new here and still reserved. You should help serve her some food—do you expect me to take care of her?”

A-Jiao quickly set down her bowl. “No need, no need! I can serve myself.”

But the Old Madam only kept her gaze on her grandson.

There were two dishes on the table—stir-fried water bamboo with eggs and braised meat. The meat was leftovers from the banquet, while the water bamboo was unused stock that would soon lose its freshness. A-Jiao had barely touched the food on her plate.

Without a word, Zhao Yanping picked up the plate of stir-fried eggs and tilted a third of it into A-Jiao’s bowl. Then, under her and the Old Madam’s stunned gaze, he also placed a piece of lean braised meat into her bowl.

“Eat up. You’re still young—you can grow a bit more.”

After portioning the food, Zhao Yanping picked up his own bowl, his sharp gaze fixed downward at the table.

With a bowl now full of food, A-Jiao had no choice but to eat.

After dinner, Cui Niang came in to clear the table, and the Old Madam instructed, “After you wash the dishes, heat a pot of water. Everyone should bathe tonight.”

Cui Niang smiled. “Got it!”

The Zhao family originally didn’t own a bathtub. The Old Madam and Zhao Yanping used washbasins to wipe themselves clean. But when preparing to take in a concubine, the Old Madam had a sudden whim to visit a carpenter’s shop and spent ninety copper coins on a bathtub big enough for two—hoping her grandson could enjoy the pleasure of bathing with a beauty.

“Yanping, go move the bathtub into the room. Once it’s set up, let A-Jiao wipe it down first.” The Old Madam gave her instructions with a serious expression.

Zhao Yanping shot her a look but went to the backyard to carry in the brand-new tub. It was so large that he nearly couldn’t fit it through the door.

While he was busy, the Old Madam cast another meaningful glance at A-Jiao.

A-Jiao fled into the room as if escaping.

Once the bathtub was in place, A-Jiao glanced at Zhao Yanping, then at the large tub, before lowering her head in embarrassment. Her flushed face resembled the begonia silk flower tucked in her hair, delicate and alluring.

Zhao Yanping spoke in a low voice, “You wash first. I’ll pretend to go to the latrine.”

A-Jiao gave a soft “Mm.”

As she wiped the tub, Zhao Yanping went outside to talk with the Old Madam. When Cui Niang finished boiling the water, he suddenly got up and left for the latrine.

Seeing this, the Old Madam leaned into the east room and quickly told A-Jiao, “Don’t wash yet—wait for the officer, and you two can bathe together.”

Poor A-Jiao was caught between the two of them. Whether she bathed or not, she was in trouble.

After a moment of hesitation, she chose to listen to the Old Madam.

The officer could be reasoned with, but the Old Madam was the one person she couldn’t afford to offend.

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhao Yanping returned from the latrine.

The Old Madam sighed meaningfully. “Go in now—A-Jiao is waiting to serve you. The water’s going cold.”

Zhao Yanping’s eye twitched slightly, but he maintained his usual indifferent expression as he stepped into the east room.

Inside, the bathtub was already half-filled. A-Jiao sat on the bed clutching a handkerchief, looking like she was about to cry. As soon as she saw him, she tilted her head and murmured, “Officer, the Old Madam… she told me… she wouldn’t let me wash first.”

Zhao Yanping only felt a headache coming on—he had underestimated his grandmother’s scheming.

He turned and locked the door, then checked that the south-facing windows were tightly shut before walking to the wardrobe and pulling out a bed curtain.

“You bathe first. I’ll lie inside and face away—I won’t look.”

After speaking, he motioned for A-Jiao to move aside. He removed his shoes and shifted to the inner side of the bed, hung up the bed curtain, and then gestured for A-Jiao to pull down the outer gauze canopy.

A-Jiao watched the whole process unfold and thought—this must be what they mean by “for every scheme, there’s a countermeasure.”