Chapter 66 : Different In Treatment

After dinner, Yuchen went to Rose Courtyard with Yuxi.

Yuxi noticed that behind Yuchen there was a group of people that consisted of six maids, two old women and the two momo, Momo Quan and Momo Gui. The corner of her mouth suddenly twitch. Did you need to put up such a big appearance? We were only at home!

Yuchen saw Yuxi had an unnatural expression while glancing behind her, so she softly told her, “Momo Gui demands me to bring these people every time I leave my courtyard.”

Yuxi whispered back, “I didn’t see you bringing these many maids to Magnolia Courtyard.”

Yuchen smiled and said, “Teacher Song doesn’t like seeing so many people, so I only bring two maids.” No matter what Momo Gui asked her to do, she would not dare to let Yuchen disrespect her teacher.

Yuxi looked at the sky, going speechless.

Yuchen and Yuxi talked about a lot of things along the way, which were mostly about chess and painting.

Momo Gui watched Yuchen chattering all the time that she had to cough for several times. Unfortunately, Yuchen did not understand what she meant. Yuxi understood but she did not say anything.

When the maids and old women of Rose Courtyard saw such a big group of people, they went dumbfounded for a second. It was Moju and Motao who reacted quickly. They hurriedly moved forward towards Yuchen and greeted, “Third Miss is well.”

The greetings were unevenly match which made Momo Quan frowned at them. The rules in Rose Courtyard was really bad.

Yuchen looked at the setup of Rose Courtyard for a split second with an unnatural face. When she saw the layout of the study, her expression turned completely bad.

Yuxi pointed to the picture hanging behind her desk and said, “Third Sister, this is the Crane that father gave me.”

Yuchen was dumbfounded when she looked at the painting. After a while, she asked, “What kind of picture is this?” She thought it was a crane painted by a famous artist, but she didn’t expect that it was a crane woven out of something she didn’t recognised. Although it was relatively novel, such things are really not suitable for study as it looked neither fish nor fowl (Chinese idiom : nondescript).

Baiyangdian Lake

Source | VGN Photo via CGTN

Yuxi smiled and answered, “This is called reed weaving painting. It is made of reeds from Baiyangdian Lake. It is said that this reed weaving painting is one of the features of Hebei. “

Even if Yuchen didn’t go out much, she still knew that the reeds from Baiyangdian were not valuable things, and the paintings made from them were also not valuable. Although they were rare, but wasn’t it a bit too much to send them to Yuxi from far away in Hebei?

Momo Quan’s face was also not looking good. Just now, when she listened to Yuxi’s complains, she thought that Yuxi was having a small temper. However, she didn’t expect that what Yuxi said was true. As the first daughter of a second wife, how could such a big gap not making people wanting for more?

Thinking quickly, Momo Gui said with a smile, “I heard that Third Master had given a lot of gifts to Miss. What else are there besides this reed painting?”

Yuxi felt a little embarrassed, but when she noticed that Yuchen was also looking at her, she said, “There are some jujubes, dried apricots plums, and dried pears. I’m going to send some for Third Sister and two momo to taste when I get back.”

Aside from Yuchen and Momo Quan, even Momo Gui’s face also started to look bad. She was not thinking of Yuxi’s unfairness, but felt that th person who prepared the gifts were up to no good. Both Yuchen and Yuxi were the first daughters of the second house, but the treatments for both was as far apart as heaven and earth (Chinese idiom : an immeasurably vast difference). That person was trying to create bad blood between these two sisters!

Yuchen’s face was red as she was already getting angry.

When Yuxi sent Yuchen out of the Rose Garden, she shyly asked, “Third Sister, can I ask you for one thing?”

Yuchen’s heart unable to accept the scenes she just saw. However, seeing Yuxi saying this to her, she hurriedly answered, “As long as I can do it, I will promise you.”

Yuxi smiled and said, “My sister’s cook makes delicious pastries. Do you think you can let my cook learn some from her?”

Yuchen shook her head, “Whatever sister wants to eat, just directly send a person to tell me. I’ll let my cook make it for you.”

Yuxi tried to climb up the pole (Chinese metaphor : caters to the owner’s will, with a view to gaining fame and status) as she said, “Third Sister, the food prepared by your cook is really delicious. Can I have dinner at Tingyun Pavilion every day from now on?” She did not need to ask about the delicious food she had just eaten. She knew it was Momo Quan’s medicinal meal. The Old Madam had racked her brain (Chinese idiom : to take great pains to think sth through) to have Momo Quan made the medicated cuisine that for sure would make one’s body health fabulous.

Now, Yuxi had identified that all the things Yuchen used were absolutely the best. Since she had already been described as being in the light of Yuchen, so why not she got a real dip in the light for once.

Yuchen agreed without thinking much. For her, Yuxi’s dinner at Tingyun Pavilion was just involved in adding an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks.

Momo Gui gave Yuxi a second look.

Back in Tingyun Pavilion, Yuchen face was down. What was Wu Shi trying to do? If two people’s gifts were not the same it didn’t matter, but the difference was so big that it was impossible that no one wouldn’t be uncomfortable inside. If Wu Shi was going to give something like that, might as well not give them both at all.

Momo Gui sang a rare praise of Yuxi to Momo Quan, “Fourth Miss is indeed pretty good.” The gap between Tingyun Pavilion and Rose Courtyard was like ginseng abalone and green vegetable radish. However, she did not see any dissatisfaction and jealousy in Yuxi’s eyes, which was quite rare.

Momo Quan nodded her head.

Although Momo Gui felt that Yuxi had many advantages, Yuxi also had many disadvantages. For example, she had always had the inkling feeling of been taking advantage of when Yuxi decided to have her dinner at Tingyun Pavilion. Thinking till here, Momo Gui could not help but asked, “Do you think she knows the benefits of medicated dies since she was so eager in making such a request?”

Momo Quan’s heart moved, but there was no sign of it on her face. She just smiled and said, “Fourth Miss is only a five-year-old child and nobody has really taught her. She can not know what effect medicated diet has. However, she thinks the medicated diet is delicious. What a greedy mouth!“

Momo Gui also felt that she was probably thinking too much. Without Momo Quan, she would have thought that a five-year-old child was being too deceptive. Momo Gui nodded and said, “It’s not easy to make medicated foods either. You’ll have to work harder in the future.”

“It’s just a matter of adding more materials and it won’t cost much,” said Momo Quan.

Momo Gui remembered one thing and asked, “When we returned from Rose Courtyard just now, Fourth Miss’ eyes were red. Did you punish her?”

Momo Quan didn’t specify what had happened inside her class, but replied, “We were talking about some heavy stuffs, but they were good for her. After crying, she continued her study and didn’t lose her temper anymore.”

Momo Gui had Yuchen, a find jade in front of her, that was why she turned up her nose at (hold in contempt) Yuxi before, but she won’t be stupid enough to say that Yuxi was not good in front of Momo Quan, to save Momo Quan’s heart from being uncomfortable around her. “The medicinal materials have been found. Is it possible to prepare a medicated bath?”

Momo Quan smiled and said, “It will be New Year in a few days. The Third Miss is going to visit her relatives on that day, so let just wait for the Lantern Festival, okay?.”

After that day, Yuxi felt that Momo Quan’s attitude toward her had relaxed a lot, which made her overwhelmed by an unexpected favour (Chinese idiom : feel extremely flattered).

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Teacher Song began her holiday, and so did the two momo. However, the two momo only took their holidays until the third day of first lunar month, and on the fourth days, they began to teach Yuchen and Yuxi etiquette again.

On the twenty-eight day, the two shops, together with the hamlet, sent over their account book and money. This year, the combined income of the shop and the hamlet was more than two thousands taels, which was a bumper year for Yuxi.

With money in hand, Yuxi was feeling generous, “The Chinese New Year is coming soon. We also need to add more things here this month much more than the previous months.” The Rose Courtyard had more than twenty members, and the total monthly salary of all members was only twenty taels, which was not much. However, the maids and old women in the Rose Courtyard cheered when they got the news.

On the twenty-ninth before New Year, didn’t know what kind of wind had came up at the Duke of the State that he had sent someone to pick up Concubine Rong. The Old Madam was well informed of this and stopped it in time.

Hongshan whispered to Yuxi, “Miss, it seemed that Concubine Rong sent a letter to the Duke of the State. I don’t know what was said in the letter that could move the Duke that he would go and pick her up regardless of the New Year.” She now also agreed with Yuxi’s words. This Concubine Rong was too evil. Even with her age, she could still make the Duke disobeyed the Old Madam for her.

Yuxi sighed, “Eldest Uncle is a romantic-type of person (one who easily falls in love).”

Yuxi’s words were actually mocking, her Uncle, Duke Han of the State. If he was really a romantic-type of person, how could he let something happened to Yuru’s mother or how could he let Concubine Lian had miscarriages twice in a row! If he really cherished Concubine Rong so much, how could he compromise that day and let the Old Madam send her to the temple?

Hongshan felt that this was really not a good thing, “Miss, do you think the Old Madam will agree to take Concubine Rong back?”

Yuxi shook her head and said, “I am not a worm in my Grandmother’s belly (Chinese idiom : knowing exactly what one think). How will I know?” In fact, she thought that the Old Madam would not spare Concubine Rong any more. As could be seen from what had happened to Concubine Lian, the Old Madam had no more patience for Concubine Rong.

When Mama Shen came back from the outside, she happened to hear this conversation when she came in. She informed them, “The Old Madam has agreed to accept Concubine Rong back, but she has to wait for the first month to pass. The Old Madam said that accepting a patient during New Year’s reception is bad luck.”

Yuxi replied contrary to her personal conviction, “Grandma has a heart of Bodhisattva (compassion).” What compassion? Her Grandmother was deliberately stalling for time, as her Grandmother couldn’t tolerate Concubine Rong any longer.

Yuxi also said so something like that because she had been taught by Momo Quan. Momo Quan told Yuxi that any thoughts she had about the Old Madam and her father must be suppressed deep in the bottom of her heart. Yuxi must also showed respect and filial piety on the surface, otherwise, she would be the one who suffered.

As Yuxi had expected, the news of Concubine Rong’s death came before the first month had ended. Hongshan said, “Miss, Concubine Rong had passed away two days ago, and Second Miss hasn’t know about the news yet.” Yujing was still under house arrest ordered by the Old Madam, so the news would surely be lagged behind.

Yuxi murmured to herself, “I don’t know what will happen when my Uncle knows about this news?”

When the Duke heard the news of Concubine Rong’s death, he had a big fight with the Old Madam. The Old Madam was so angry that she had to purse her lips in the end as she fallen ill.

Yuxi felt funny. Even she knew that the Old Madam was using the stalling tactic, and somehow her Eldest Uncle, who was the Duke of the State, didn’t even know. Was he really stupid or was he really being careless?

This matter actually had nothing to do with Yuxi. As long as Concubine Rong died, her revenge had already be avenged. “Let’s go to the main room.” The Old Madam was ill, and her granddaughters must attend to her when she was in this condition. Even if the Old Madam didn’t need this, Yuxi had to put forth her attitude.

When Yuxi and her maid got to the main room, they could see that everything was in perfect order. The maids and the old women in the courtyard did not even show any sign of panic. By then, Yuxi knew that the Old Madam’s illness wasn’t really a big one.

Sure enough, when Yuxi entered the room, she saw the Old Madam was leaning against a pillow. Although she looked very weak, Yuxi knew she didn’t have to worry about her Grandmother’s life.

It wasn’t long before the doctor came. Once he had done checking the Old Madam’s pulse, he said, “The Old Madam is angry. She should rest quietly in the future. She should not loose her temper nor should she kick up a row.”

So, Concubine Rong’s story just ended like this.