Chapter 204

"Just as before," Mama Shu said with a smile. "Only the morning and evening greetings from Concubine Wu have been waived."

Madam Yu nodded slightly.

Mama Shu smiled and said, "Would you like me to add two more attendants to Concubine Wu's quarters?"

"That's the young mistress's business, not mine," Madam Yu said, glancing at Mama Shu.

Mama Shu felt a chill of self-awareness and quickly smiled, saying, "Look at me—with your ladyship's generosity, my tongue runs longer and longer." Then she added, "I'll go right away and tell Steward Yu to send someone to Nanjing for the ginseng."

Madam Yu gave a soft "Mm" and picked up her teacup.

...

The young lady now known as "Concubine Wu" was also holding a teacup, but she was staring blankly at it.

Beside her stood a young maid who had just had her hair done up, speaking in low tones about the visit back to the Wu residence: "...The mistress said to let you focus on nurturing the pregnancy. If you can give birth to the eldest son, then for the sake of the eldest son's standing, the Yu family will do whatever it takes to help the master, who teaches at a private school in Songjiang, and the second young miss, who is being raised by First Madame on Zhoushan Island." She talked on for a while, but Concubine Wu just sat there like a clay Bodhisattva, listening. The maid looked up and called out "Concubine" with some unease, a hint of timidity visible in her brow—she was the same young maid whose eyes had lit up when she saw Mama Shu yield to Mrs. Zhao.

Her name was Lianxin, and she had been bought by Madam Wu to serve Concubine Wu. When Concubine Wu had come over, she had brought Lianxin along with her.

Concubine Wu responded listlessly, "You may go now. I know all of this."

Whether she had truly taken it in or not was anyone's guess.

Lianxin, even if she were dull-witted, knew that her fate was tied to Concubine Wu's—and she was anything but dull. Otherwise, Madam Wu would not have chosen her from among so many.

She thought of her aunt back home, who had been scorned by her mother-in-law and husband for bearing three daughters in a row, always gloomy and unhappy. Then on the fourth pregnancy, it had been a son, but she miscarried at seven months... If Concubine Wu stayed so downcast all the time, might she also miscarry?

Lianxin was worried.

"Oh, by the way, when I went back to the Wu residence, I ran into something," she said, wanting to share some outside news to cheer Concubine Wu up. "The mistress sent Steward Yu's nephew, Runbi, to drive us to Shi Family Lane. He parked the carriage in the lane, and then Mrs. Zhao, who lives next door to the Wu family, came back from buying a lot of flowering trees, and they were blocking the cart that was hauling Mrs. Zhao's flowers..."

"Wait!" Concubine Wu, who had been wearing a dull expression, suddenly showed a spark of life. She interrupted Lianxin and said, "Mrs. Zhao—the wife of General Zhao? The Mrs. Zhao who lives on the east side of the Wu family? She has a son and a daughter."

"Yes!" Lianxin grew more animated seeing her interest. "It's their family. Mrs. Zhao had been who knows where, and she had her son and daughter with her..."

"Did you see their young miss and young master?" Concubine Wu asked curiously.

Lianxin nodded eagerly: "Mrs. Zhao's children both look like her—beautiful as the golden boy and jade girl in New Year paintings."

"And then what happened?" Concubine Wu pressed.

"Then the Zhao family's driver had Runbi move his carriage closer to the wall..." Lianxin recounted the scene vividly, growing more excited as she spoke, her voice rising louder and louder. "...In the end, Mama Shu just said 'Forget it,' and his face turned green with anger..."

Concubine Wu quickly shushed her, lowering her voice: "Keep it down—be careful someone hears you."

Lianxin stuck out her tongue, tiptoed to the door, cracked it open, and peered outside. Seeing the courtyard empty, she ran back and shook her head at Concubine Wu.

Concubine Wu let out a sigh of relief and laughed, "When have you ever seen someone's face turn green from anger? You're spouting nonsense again!" Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of laughter hidden within.

How long had it been since Concubine Wu had been this happy?

Lianxin was pondering this when she heard Concubine Wu murmur, "Mrs. Zhao is a good person..."

She was puzzled. "Does Concubine Wu know Mrs. Zhao?"

No wonder Concubine Wu had perked up at the mention of Mrs. Zhao.

"No, I don't know her," Concubine Wu quickly denied, though a trace of wistfulness crept into her expression. "But I know of her."

What did that mean?

Lianxin was young after all, and she looked at Concubine Wu in confusion.

Concubine Wu smiled, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, when from outside came the faint sound of cheerful laughter like silver bells.

Lianxin's expression tightened, and she quickly said, "The young mistress is back."

Concubine Wu's gaze dimmed at the sound, and she said quietly, "She must be with the young master..."

Whenever the young master was around, the young mistress's laughter was especially bright and clear.

She instructed Lianxin: "It's almost noon—go to the kitchen and fetch the meal!"

The young mistress didn't like having her serve in attendance. Apart from the morning and evening greetings, she always stayed in her quarters. Now that even those greetings had been waived, she went out even less.

But that was fine too—she no longer had to endure those strange looks.

Lianxin acknowledged repeatedly and withdrew.

Concubine Wu leaned back against the bolster pillow.

Because the kang was against the window, the young mistress's sweet, charming voice reached her ears clearly: "Really, you mustn't deceive me! Otherwise, I, I won't speak to you for three days."

"A man of honor never breaks his word—once spoken, even a team of horses can't take it back. How could I deceive you!" The gentle, laughing voice belonged to the eldest young master. "Tomorrow I'll make a shuttlecock for you with my own hands."

"Depu..."

The eldest young mistress's voice was tender and lingering, reminding Concubine Wu of the look Yu Jingxiu had given Lady Fan.

Suddenly, she felt deeply wronged.

On the third evening after meeting Madam Yu at Tanzhe Temple, a small sedan chair had carried her into the Yu household. That very night, Yu Jingxiu had stayed in her room... but before she had even risen, he had called for a maid to attend his bath, then returned to the main chamber.

After that, though Yu Jingxiu continued to spend several nights in her room, he never spoke a single word to her—he hadn't even asked her name.

Then her monthly cycle had come.

Yu Jingxiu's face darkened as he muttered "Bad luck," and returned to the main chamber.

When she was diagnosed as pregnant, even the always stern Madam Yu couldn't help but break into a joyful smile—yet she heard Yu Jingxiu let out a long sigh of relief... From that day on, he had never so much as crossed paths with her again.

Since the husband and wife were so deeply in love, why had they dragged her into this...

At this thought, Concubine Wu felt her eyes grow hot and her vision blur.

She hastily wiped away her tears and burrowed under the quilt.

Since the young mistress disliked her so much, would she be allowed to keep the child herself before it grew old enough to understand?

She wondered whether it would be a son or a daughter. If a son, that would be one thing—but if a daughter, what would become of the child?

She turned over restlessly.

For no particular reason, she thought of Fu Tingjun.

If it were Mrs. Zhao, what would Mrs. Zhao do?

The thought flashed by, and Concubine Wu smiled wryly.

No matter how far she had fallen, how could she end up like herself, reduced to a concubine?

She was a daughter of heaven—how could she know the suffering of the little blades of grass trampled into the mud?

The door was shoved open with a bang.

Concubine Wu started up in fright.

"Who is it?" she asked, trembling with fear.

"It's me, Aunt," Lianxin said, her face deathly pale as she rushed to the edge of her kang. "Aunt..."

She looked at Concubine Wu, hesitating as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.

Seeing that it was her, Concubine Wu relaxed completely.

She said gently, "What's the matter? Didn't you go to the kitchen to fetch the meal? Did one of the stove women give you trouble? Or did you get into some mischief? Don't be afraid—I'll go and plead for you."

"No, no," Lianxin shook her head like a rattle-drum, "It's just that while I was waiting for the meal, I heard someone say, say..."

Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Concubine Wu smiled and gathered her into her arms. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. The two of us together—we'll find a way somehow."

Lianxin burst into loud sobs, stammering, "It was the woman from the laundry room... she said the young mistress must be pregnant... and she also said, also said, we'd see what the Aunt would do then!"

"What did you say?" Concubine Wu grabbed Lianxin's shoulders, her eyes wide, her face as white as silk. "Who did you hear this from?"

Lianxin's shoulders ached from the grip, but she dared not make a sound. She sobbed, "It was that married woman who's sworn sister to Mozhuan—she said it..."

Concubine Wu's body went limp, and she collapsed onto the bolster.

Lianxin hurriedly threw herself forward. "Aunt! Aunt..."

"I'm fine," Concubine Wu said, her voice barely a whisper. "Don't mind me—go get the meal. If you're late, the stove women will gossip again..." But tears were already streaming from the corners of her eyes onto the pillow.

"Aunt!" Lianxin, seeing her face ashen as death, was terrified and hesitated to leave. She tried to comfort her, saying, "Maybe they're just making it up... Yes, they're making it up! They always love to spread rumors..."

"I understand—now go get the meal!" Concubine Wu dismissed Lianxin, but as soon as the words left her mouth, her expression froze. "Why didn't I think of that..." she murmured. "The young mistress's clothes are all managed by the personal maids she brought from her natal family. Even if she were pregnant, how would the laundry women know..." At this thought, her mouth felt as if it held a bitter gall—so bitter it was hard to bear.

Matters of heirs were of the utmost importance.

Lianxin was merely an ignorant little maid—could someone have deliberately spoken within her hearing?

Concubine Wu patted Lianxin's hand. "Go on!"

Lianxin dared not linger. She said uneasily, "Aunt, I'll be right back," and went off to the kitchen.

Concubine Wu closed her eyes.

...

Madam Yu raised her hand, ready to dash the teacup in her hand to the ground, but seeing the trembling little maid before her, she took a deep breath and gently set the cup down on the kang table beside her. "Since the young master has sent you to summon the imperial physician, go and inform Steward Yu!"

The little maid felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and with a quick "Yes," she fled from Madam Yu's inner chamber.

Mama Shu then cast a meaningful glance at Madam Yu's senior maid.

The senior maid, without any change in expression, quietly led the other serving girls in the room to file out one by one.

Only then did Madam Yu's anger surface on her face.

"Tell me, what exactly is she trying to do?" she asked Mama Shu. "Pregnant, and possibly two or three months along... Didn't she know whether her monthly flow had come? Is she a dead woman, and are all those serving her dead too? And she even called for the imperial physician... Fine, fine, fine. If she wants to make a fuss, I'll let her make a fuss. I'd like to see just what kind of trick she can pull!" As she spoke, Madam Yu's hand slammed hard onto the kang table.

The teacup that had been gently placed on the kang table moments ago rattled loudly from the impact.

The tea splashed onto the table, then dripped down its edge, soaking Madam Yu's precious blue Hunan silk skirt embroidered with gold thread.