Chapter 3

A-Jiao put in a great deal of effort to wash her uncle and aunt’s bedding.

She set the clean bedding aside and was just about to take out her cousin Zhu Shiyu’s bedding when a sudden exclamation came from ahead: “Ah! My robe!”

The voice sounded familiar. A-Jiao looked up and saw a long purple robe floating down from upstream. The current was swift, and in the blink of an eye, the garment would be carried away. Without thinking, A-Jiao braced one hand on the stone steps and reached out with a laundry beater in the other, barely managing to catch hold of the robe’s hem. With some effort, she finally fished the wet robe from the water.

At that moment, a little maid dressed in green cloth came running in a panic from the riverbank ahead. Seeing A-Jiao holding the robe, the girl’s tear-streaked face brightened with relief. Rubbing her eyes, she thanked A-Jiao, “Thank you, Sister! If I lost my master’s robe, the old lady would beat me again!”

Her master’s robe?

A-Jiao’s heart stirred. She glanced at the damp purple robe in her hands and then recalled the frequent sounds of a young girl pleading for mercy coming from the house next to her uncle’s. In an instant, she understood—this little maid was Cui Niang, a servant in the household of Zhao Yanping, the official who lived next door. It was said that Zhao’s old mother was difficult to deal with, and she often beat and scolded Cui Niang.

As A-Jiao was pondering this, Cui Niang had already hurried down the steps to stand before her. The girl was around eleven or twelve years old, a full head shorter than A-Jiao.

A-Jiao stood up and handed her the wet robe.

Only then did Cui Niang get a clear look at her face. A delicate, flower-like visage, cherry lips, willow brows, and soulful eyes—so beautiful she looked like a fairy descended to earth. Cui Niang was momentarily stunned, forgetting to take the robe.

Seeing Cui Niang’s dazed expression, A-Jiao smiled slightly and pressed the robe into her hands before squatting down again.

Cui Niang snapped out of it, draping the wet robe over her arm. She bent down, peering at the beautiful sister’s profile, and said, “Sister, you’re really kind. You don’t know how fierce our old lady is. If I hadn’t gotten this robe back, I wouldn’t get to eat lunch or dinner today.”

A-Jiao had heard bits and pieces about the Zhao family from her aunt and cousin’s idle gossip.

Both Official Zhao and his mother came from a rural village and had little money to begin with. After moving to the county, although Official Zhao was a constable, he was an upright and honest man who refused to take bribes, abuse his power, or exploit the people. His monthly salary barely covered his family’s food and clothing.

If Cui Niang had truly lost his official robe, the old lady, distressed over the loss, would surely punish her.

“The current is strong here. Be more careful next time,” A-Jiao cautioned her.

Cui Niang nodded. Seeing that A-Jiao was alone, she hesitated before asking, “Sister, it’s boring doing laundry alone. Can I wash with you?”

Since leaving Huayue Brothel, this was the first time someone had actively sought her company.

She supposed Cui Niang rarely left the house, and since A-Jiao seldom stepped outside, Cui Niang probably didn’t recognize her.

“It’s best not to. My reputation is bad. If people see us together, it’ll only bring trouble to you,” A-Jiao said softly, lowering her head as she soaked her cousin’s bedding and rubbed soapberry onto it.

Cui Niang didn’t understand and curiously pressed, “Why is your reputation bad?”

A-Jiao smiled bitterly and answered without lifting her head, “I am Scholar Zhu’s niece.”

Cui Niang had never met A-Jiao, but she had heard of her. Realizing that the beautiful sister before her was the very person everyone gossiped about, Cui Niang instinctively took a few steps back.

“Watch the steps!” A-Jiao reacted quickly, grabbing her just in time.

Cui Niang turned to look—one more step and she would have fallen into the water! Frightened, she hurried back toward A-Jiao.

So clumsy. No wonder she was always being scolded by the old lady.

A-Jiao smiled at her. “You should head back.”

Cui Niang cast her a conflicted glance before leaving with the wet robe. However, not long after, she returned with a laundry basin and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, squatted beside A-Jiao.

A-Jiao looked at her in surprise.

Cui Niang grinned. “Sister is a good person. I’ll wash with you.”

The little maid was a bit dark-skinned, but her teeth were white, and her bright black eyes shone with innocence. Her gaze toward A-Jiao was full of warmth and sincerity. A-Jiao longed for a companion, but Cui Niang was still young and naive—A-Jiao couldn’t afford to drag her down.

“You should leave. If your old lady finds out you’re with me, she’ll scold you,” A-Jiao said softly.

Cui Niang shook her head, scrubbing the robe as she explained, “She won’t. Our old lady has talked about you before. She says you’re unlucky and had the misfortune of having a cruel aunt. She often curses your aunt when she talks about you, so that means she actually pities you and doesn’t look down on you at all.”

But A-Jiao thought of her aunt. Her aunt seemed to have had past grievances with Old Madam Zhao and often spoke ill of her. Most likely, the old lady was simply using A-Jiao’s situation as an excuse to scold her aunt more. That didn’t mean she truly sympathized with A-Jiao. Just like the women at the riverbank—they genuinely resented her aunt, but they also truly despised A-Jiao.

“I’ve warned you. If you insist on staying and get scolded later, don’t blame me,” A-Jiao said.

Cui Niang remained firm in her belief that the old lady wouldn’t scold her and cheerfully began chatting with A-Jiao.

“Sister, why did you move to your uncle’s house in the first place?”

“My parents both passed away. They entrusted me to my uncle.”

So that’s how it is. Sister, you’re really pitiful. But you’re beautiful, and lucky too—you managed to get out of that place. Your aunt may have a black heart, but at least your uncle still cares for you. Not like us siblings. We lost our parents, and my brother brought me here while fleeing famine. We were starving, nearly dead, but luckily, the officer saved us and took us in. Officer Zhao may have a cold face, but he’s kind-hearted. The old lady, though, is much worse. Behind his back, she tricked us into signing indenture contracts and now orders me around all day to serve her. Honestly, since the officer saved us, we’re willing to be his servants, but the old lady is just too hard to please. Even if I use a little too much oil when cooking, she scolds me…”

Like she’d found a place to vent, Cui Niang chattered on, pouring out all her grievances about Old Madam Zhao.

While washing the bedding, A-Jiao had more or less figured out the old lady’s temperament. She wasn’t necessarily wicked—just overly frugal and stingy, unwilling to waste anything. Most of Cui Niang’s scoldings came from minor mishaps, like damaging things or using too much oil or firewood.

A-Jiao’s cousin’s bedding was particularly difficult to wash. It had to be scrubbed by hand, and her wrists were turning red from the effort.

Cui Niang wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Whose bedding is this? It’s filthy. Our old lady may be mean, but at least she likes cleanliness. And our officer too—no matter how busy or tired he is outside, he always washes his hands and face and wipes down in the courtyard before entering the house. Look, this is his bedding. He’s used it for so long, and it’s still not that dirty.”

She flattened out a corner of Zhao Yanping’s bedding to show A-Jiao.

A-Jiao didn’t look. It wouldn’t be appropriate.

Thinking she hadn’t looked because she was busy scrubbing, Cui Niang put the officer’s bedding back and continued her work.

Though younger, Cui Niang finished washing first—Zhao family’s clothes were much easier to clean.

“Sister, I’m heading back now. The old lady’s sewing a robe for the officer and wants me to help.”

“Alright, go on then.”

======

Cui Niang carried her basin and walked home. As she left the riverside, she saw Zhu Shuangshuang from the Zhu family walking ahead with someone. The clothes and bedding in their buckets were bright and colorful, obviously belonging to young women.

Cui Niang might be naive in some ways, but when it came to laundry and cooking, she knew her stuff. She understood that girls’ clothing was usually cleaner and easier to wash than men’s.

When she got home, Old Madam Zhao had already returned from the market with new fabric and was about to start cutting.

Cui Niang stepped inside to help flatten out the cloth. As the old lady moved her scissors, Cui Niang muttered under her breath, “Old Madam, that scholar’s wife from the Zhu family is so cunning. She deliberately gave the clean bedding to her daughter to wash but made Sister A-Jiao clean theirs—the couple’s and their son’s. Ugh, you should’ve seen it! That scholar’s son’s bedding was nearly black as coal. And he calls himself a scholar? Even my brother is cleaner than him.”

Old Madam Zhao shot her a look. “Sister A-Jiao? So she was washing clothes with you at the river? Complaining about her aunt?”

Cui Niang quickly shook her head. “No, no, it’s not like that! I accidentally let go of a robe while washing, and Sister A-Jiao caught it downstream…”

Chattering away, Cui Niang explained the whole situation—except for the part where she had complained about Old Madam Zhao.

The old lady snorted, eyes still on the fabric. “That Jin woman’s heart has been rotten for a long time. And that’s with that scholar of hers keeping her in check. If she weren’t, she’d probably sell off her niece again.”

Cui Niang sighed. “Poor Sister A-Jiao… She’s as beautiful as a fairy but ended up with such a wretched aunt. Her whole life is ruined.”

Old Madam Zhao had long been curious about the scholar’s niece. Other neighbors had an excuse to visit the Zhu family and sneak a peek at A-Jiao, but the old lady and Jin had fallen out over some past grievance, cutting off all contact. A-Jiao had been back for a year, yet Old Madam Zhao had never seen her. All she knew were the exaggerated rumors outside about her stunning beauty.

“She’s really that good-looking?” the old lady asked, eyeing Cui Niang.

Cui Niang nodded furiously. Remembering A-Jiao’s face, a hint of admiration—almost greedy—flashed in her eyes. She heaped every praise she could think of onto A-Jiao before concluding, “Sister A-Jiao is so wonderful. It’s a shame my brother is too ugly—otherwise, I’d have him propose and marry her so she could be my sister-in-law.”

The old lady flicked her forehead. “Silly girl, what do you know? She drank the infertility decoction. If your brother married her, your Gu family line would end with him.”

Cui Niang blinked, then pouted. “What a shame I’m a girl. If I were a man, I’d marry Sister A-Jiao myself. She’s so beautiful—I wouldn’t even care if she couldn’t have children. As long as I could see her every day, I’d be happy.”

Old Madam Zhao just dismissed her words as childish nonsense.

Still, the mention of children brought back her own concerns.

Her grandson was already twenty-four—a man well past the usual marrying age. Yet, despite countless matchmakers proposing all kinds of brides, whether rich or poor, beautiful or plain, he refused them all.

People still whispered about what had happened last year at Huayue Brothel. When the constables raided the place, some had taken the opportunity to sleep with courtesans who usually required wealthy patrons to spend a fortune just for a night. But her grandson? He had only focused on the case, forbidding his men from taking advantage as well.

Afterward, the rumors spread: Was Zhao Yanping suffering from some hidden illness? Otherwise, what kind of man could resist such temptations?

Old Madam Zhao didn’t believe there was anything wrong with her grandson. When he was just a toddler, she had taken him to play with the village children. They had all worn split pants, and even at that age, it was obvious her grandson was… exceptionally gifted.

So, what was he resisting all these years?

The old lady fell into deep thought.

======

Two days later, a matchmaker visited the Zhao family again with a marriage proposal.

The girl’s family had once received help from Zhao Yanping, and out of gratitude, her parents wished to marry their newly-of-age daughter to him.

The matchmaker was an old acquaintance of the Zhao family. Upon seeing the old lady, she spoke earnestly, saying that although the girl’s family wasn’t wealthy, the girl herself was fair-skinned and slightly pretty, diligent and hardworking—an excellent choice for the Zhao family’s daughter-in-law.

Old Madam Zhao was quite tempted and enthusiastically introduced the girl to her grandson as soon as he returned home.

Zhao Yanping sat beside her, listening expressionlessly. Though his body was still, his mind was elsewhere, his gaze lowered in contemplation.

The old lady grew more and more frustrated with his indifference. Clutching her chest, she feigned distress. “Look at you! You’ve stayed single all these years, what are you waiting for? Other women my age are already holding great-grandchildren, yet here I am, still worrying about your marriage! Look at my hair—it’s getting whiter and whiter. How many more years do I have left? Do you want me to die with regrets?”

A ripple finally appeared in Zhao Yanping’s otherwise calm expression. He looked at his grandmother.

Her heart lifted—was he finally going to agree?

But after hesitating for a moment, Zhao Yanping only uttered two words:

“Not marrying.”