Chapter 9: A Good Gift (1)

The outdoor cold was intense, and after playing with Heng Ge’er in the room for a while in the afternoon and getting him to sleep, the wet nurse came to take him away. Wang Mama and Cui Xi vied to tell her about what happened the day before, when she had drunk too much. Wang Mama was especially worried, saying that they had offended the Old Madam by ruining her woods with the women, and that they might be punished.

Ning Rulan sent some balm and flower tea through the maid Hong Ye, who informed her that the housekeeper only brought the fresh meats and vegetables back to the mansion late last night. The Old Madam had already heard about it and could no longer blame the First and Third Young Mistresses. However, she was heartbroken over the woods and hadn’t eaten dinner. After the incident yesterday, the Third Mistress had fallen ill and was bedridden, no longer taking care of affairs from today onwards.

Meinang realized that she had escaped scolding due to her drunkenness, and Ning Rulan must have been severely criticized. Feeling guilty, she asked Hong Ye, “How is your mistress? Has she called a doctor?”

Hong Ye lowered her head and replied, “It’s just a slight cold, the Third Master called a doctor, who has prescribed some medicine, and she is taking it now.”

Meinang said, “Take me there, I want to check on her. She fell ill because of me!”

Hong Ye smiled and said, “The Third Mistress understands that you would think this way. She asked me to tell you that she is fine and will recover after resting for two days. As for you, since you were drunk yesterday, you need to rest properly as well. There’s no rush to visit the Old Madam. You can wait until she’s in a better mood, and then go greet her in a couple of days. It’s snowy and windy outside, and the courtyard is hard to walk through. Since you’re carrying Heng Ge’er, it would be better not to go out.”

Every word was filled with care, and Meinang felt deeply touched. Aside from her personal maid servants, perhaps no one treated her as kindly as Ning Rulan did in this house.

She looked at Wang Mama and asked, “Mama, do we have anything better to return to the Third Mistress? She sent me balm and tea, I should send something back, right?”

Wang Mama hesitated, “The First Mistress has been ill for so long and hasn’t had dealings with anyone outside. There’s nothing fresh or valuable to offer.”

Hong Ye quickly explained, “The Third Mistress knows that the balm and tea were gifts from the mistress’s family, not purchased, so it’s not valuable. The First Mistress need not worry about returning anything.”

Meinang felt awkward, her dear sister in law was ill, and she hadn’t sent anything valuable in return!

Hong Ye bowed and left, but as the door curtain lifted, Xu Junying walked in, blocking her path. Red Leaf was startled and quickly bowed, “I greet Lord Hou!”

Xu Junying nodded, waiting for her to leave before calling for Cui Si: “Go find Bao Yu, ask him for the red cloth bundle from the study in the East Wing, and bring it here.”

Cui Si responded and went out.

Wang Mama, Cui Xi, and Cui Jian quickly greeted Xu Junying and left the room. Now, only Meinang and Xu Junying were left. Meinang curtsied and said, “Lord Hou, please sit.”

She had once estimated Xu Junying’s height at over 6 feet (1.8m), with a perfectly proportioned figure. Standing in front of him, she only reached his shoulder, making her feel somewhat subdued.

She poured tea from the freshly brewed teapot for them both, trying to make conversation. “Lord Hou, have you had lunch?”

She immediately felt it was a rather pitiful question. Shouldn’t there be something more meaningful to say between a couple?

She quickly added, “Heng Ge’er came to play for a while and then fell asleep. I had the wet nurse take him down.”

Xu Junying didn’t respond, his handsome face expressionless. He took a sip of tea and said, “What you and Rulan did yesterday wasn’t quite appropriate. What’s done is done. Next time, remember, matters like this should be told to the men!”

Meinang lowered her head, and Xu Junying looked at her, “You were fooling around without restraint. Now everyone knows that the Lady of Wei yuan has a great tolerance for alcohol. In the future, when you attend gatherings, people will try to get you drunk.”

Meinang blushed, “I won’t drink to excess again!”

Xu Junying lightly pressed his lips together. When he heard the news yesterday, he couldn’t believe it. The usually timid Qin Meinang had such courage and ability? Ning Rulan couldn’t arrange a banquet, but Meinang managed to entertain the women with only a hundred pounds of beef, some vegetables, pastries, and wine, making them all drunk and satisfied. He remembered the courtiers who came yesterday they were in a funny situation, each carrying their own wives home.

This morning, the Emperor had summoned him to ask about the reason for Meinang’s ‘death and revival.’ He had almost run out of answers, and the other courtiers laughed, saying:

“Xu, are you embarrassed? Now, everyone in the capital is talking about how devoted and loving you are to your wife!”

Xu Junying was puzzled, “What good name could I have?”

“It’s not about how you fought valiantly,” someone replied. “It’s about how you cared for your wife. My wife woke up crying, saying she was sick recently, and I ignored her. She said you were much better than me when your wife fell ill for a month, you stayed by her side, tending to her. Even when she died, you stayed by the coffin, talking to her, hoping she would come back to life. And then, she did…”

Another man added, “Yes, my wife keeps complaining about how I fall short of being like Lord Xu. You’ve become the ideal husband in the capital, but we’re stuck being constantly criticized. How difficult!”

The Emperor laughed heartily, and the Empress looked at Xu Junying with admiration.

Xu Junying was utterly embarrassed, he only told Meinang not to talk nonsense, but now, the other women in the capital were exaggerating how devoted he was.

In truth, he hadn’t done anything extraordinary for her. When she died, he only gave her a cursory look at the bedside. Everything else, like the burial, was handled by Ning Rulan and the housekeepers. He only made sure she was dressed in the finest clothes and jewelry for the funeral, giving her a grand and luxurious send off, all for the sake of his reputation. Once someone dies, they are gone, but the living must continue, and he needed to maintain his good name.

Last night, while Meinang was still unconscious from alcohol, he had gone to greet the Old Madam. She had reproached Meinang for her carelessness, for not thinking things through, for entertaining people at home just after her brother in law’s death, ruining her purple leaf woods, and disrespecting her sick mother in law. In front of the Old Madam, Xu Junying had no choice but to apologize and take the blame. After all, Meinang was his wife, and in her unique way, she had solved a problem for the family. The snowfall had closed the roads, making it impossible to buy ingredients, and no one in the family would lower themselves to go out and borrow food. Meinang, however, had come up with a clever idea, using the blossoming plum trees and snow-covered scenery to host a unique and enjoyable banquet, preventing any awkwardness.

The noble ladies in the capital loved to compete and imitate. Following Meinang’s example, many noble families in the city started planning similar outdoor banquets, eating grilled meat and drinking wine while enjoying the scenery. They thought it was very exciting and fun, though they had never experienced the hardships of living outdoors.

Xu Junying had come to send a gift to the Old Madam to appease her. Meinang was thinking of how to handle this situation. The Old Madam was kind and had a deep mind if Meinang hadn’t attached herself to her like a persistent cowhide, the Old Madam wouldn’t even have glanced at her. Meinang had once been looked down upon by the Old Madam, so she was used to being neglected, living with very little in the room. Even when she was close to death, no one came to check on her. Only after waking up had she realized that to survive comfortably in this family, she had to fight for her own standing.

Thinking of her son’s and maidservants’ sufferings, Meinang was determined to pursue more financial security. She couldn’t let herself live in a subordinate position anymore, she would not let her son suffer.