Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 129 Rampant
The head housekeeper, Mama Liu, stood at the Yang family's door, looking at the narrow entrance with a hint of disdain.

She said she came from Chengenfang, and the gatekeeper actually made her wait.

They're clearly from a poor, humble family. They don't even know where Chengenfang is? What kind of wealth and status do they dream of? They can't even catch gold falling from the sky.

When I see Madam Xie later, she will definitely give me a few words of criticism.

Thinking this, the headmistress reached out to straighten her clothes.

Before her patience was completely worn out, she finally saw the messenger turn around. The steward glanced behind the man and saw that Lady Xie hadn't followed him out.

Before the man could speak, the Liu family steward started walking towards the Yang family's house; she couldn't wait any longer.

After arranging this matter, she still had other things to do.

"Where is your wife?" the Liu family steward asked abruptly. "Why isn't she coming out? She clearly doesn't know the rules."

There was a hint of disdain in his voice.

"You..." The gatekeeper didn't have time to stop him before he barged into the courtyard.

The steward approaching had no choice but to hurry up, but was taken aback by a question from the Liu family steward.

"wait……"

"What are you dawdling about?" the Liu family steward said. "I don't have time to waste here with you..."

"My wife says... she won't see her." The messenger finally reached the Liu family steward.

The Liu family steward couldn't believe his ears: "What did you say?"

The servant of the Yang family straightened his back and clearly repeated, "I won't see you."

The steward of the Liu family watched as the Yang family's gate slammed shut in front of him, his face instantly turning red with anger. He knew that if he reported this to Second Madam, the Yang family and Madam Xie would certainly not fare well, but he himself would also be punished for his incompetence.

I thought it would be a very simple matter, but I never expected it to turn out like this.

The Liu family steward wanted to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he reached out and pounded on the door: "Do you know who my master is?"

A voice came from inside the door: "The Liu family of Chengenfang."

The steward of the Liu family slunk away as he boarded the carriage.

The two servants inside the door exchanged a smile.

However, one of them soon became worried: "Is it really the Prefect Liu's family?" They couldn't afford to offend officials.

Another said, "How could someone from the prefect's family possibly come here?"

"What if it is?"

"There are also wives out there. Are you even more capable than a wife?"

After the two doormen finished speaking, they stopped talking about this matter and went on to discuss the La Ci, which was what they had been most concerned about.

Every December, the host would give a reward, hence the name "La Ci" (腊赐).

The Yang family has had a lot of trouble this year, and the winter reward money was only distributed today. However, no one is in a hurry, because this year it is Madam Xie who is distributing the reward money.

“How many will there be?”

"No matter how much, it will definitely be cash."

The two smiled at each other. He would only distribute some items, mostly stockpiled goods, with the most useful being a few feet of cloth.

"However, the cloth cannot be lacking either. The eldest mistress gave the order, so the second mistress shouldn't neglect it."

When Yang Mingjing came out to see what was happening after receiving the news, he saw the two gatekeepers chatting and laughing.

Yang Mingjing said, "I heard there are guests? From the Liu family?"

The second steward saw a carriage at the gate and the stewardess who came in was wearing a fur coat, so she knew that it must be a wealthy family. Then she heard the gatekeeper shout that it was the Liu family of Chengen Lane. She was immediately startled and hurriedly went to report to Yang Mingjing.

Yang Mingjing was skeptical, feeling that no matter what, it was impossible to bring the prefect's family to his door.

"What about people?"

Yang Mingjing asked.

The gatekeeper pointed outside: "The lady said she wouldn't see anyone and chased them away."

Yang Mingjing's mind went blank for a long time before he came to his senses.

Is he really a member of the Liu family? If he is... wouldn't that be a disaster? He wanted to ask Xie Yuyan, but he didn't dare, afraid that he would be scared to death.

Let's just pretend... he knows nothing!

...Zhang's furrowed brows remained furrowed.

"What's wrong, Mother?" Xie Yuyan asked. "Are you worried that the Liu family will retaliate?"

Zhang nodded.

“I’m worried they won’t take action,” Xie Yuyan said. “For so many days, things have remained calm at the Xie family’s side. If they would rather suffer losses and back down to avoid trouble, then all my previous preparations will have been in vain.”

"Someone needs to urge them on."

Zhang sensed something: "You mean, the Liu family is the one that can pressure the Xie family?"

Xie Yuyan said, "Someone saw Liu's servants buying clay stoves today. It seems that Liu's family is very interested in clay stoves. They either have their eyes on these things or they've got their hands on this business."

I guess it's the former.

The Liu family came from a military background, and their children and descendants always studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting like a scholarly family. Consort Liu herself was very good at calligraphy, which the Empress Dowager particularly disliked.

They said of her, "No matter how much makeup she puts on, she can never get rid of her original appearance."

People tend to care about things they have the least. If someone says that a doctor from the Imperial Academy is unlearned, they usually ignore it. But if you say that to a good-for-nothing who imitates a scholar in every way, she will probably argue with you endlessly.

She intentionally placed the clay stove alongside the tea and wine brewing equipment, and gave several to Mr. Tong so that they could use it when discussing literature, intending to regard it as an elegant object.

She also knew that the scholars would bring these things home and use them at banquets and poetry gatherings. The Liu family was eager to shed their military background, so they naturally paid attention to these things.

She gets angry if others have something she doesn't.

It seems that because of this, people would think that they have never truly entered the circle of scholars.

How heartbroken must the Liu family have been to only be able to buy a clay stove after the stove shop opened?

The Liu family has been educated for generations; even Consort Liu was known for her talent. The current Liu family members would only care more about such things. That's why Liu Erniang has earned the reputation of a "talented woman."

If this had happened to someone else, there might not have been any follow-up.

If Prefect Liu's family were to simply let things go like this, Xie Yuyan would have to rack her brains. Perhaps the Liu family's fate was not yet sealed; on the contrary... then it would be time for their downfall, and what she needed to do was add fuel to the fire.

The fact that the Liu family could not tolerate such a small matter shows just how arrogant they were.

What she wanted was the Liu family's arrogance.

Xie Yuyan said, "If I don't give them this face, who do you think they'll turn to?"

The only porcelain kiln in Daming Prefecture that can rival the Yang family's kiln, has a grudge against the Yang family and her, and listens to the Liu family, isn't that the Xie family?
Zhang nodded thoughtfully, feeling that her mind had become much sharper.

“Let’s go,” Xie Yuyan glanced at the hourglass, “It’s time to distribute the wax-offering gifts.”

Madam Yu helped Xie Yuyan and Madam Zhang put on their cloaks, and the group headed towards the main room.

This year, there were an unusually large number of people receiving the La gift; there were thirty or forty people standing inside and outside.

Mrs. He had been waiting in the house for a while, and her face looked rather grim.

She went to the small storeroom to exchange the cloth, only to find that the cloth in the trunk was long gone. She didn't know if Xie Yuyan had kept the cloth as evidence.

Xie Yuyan might use this to control her for the rest of his life.

Those moth-eaten cloths weren't unusable; they could still be sold for some money. Now they're just gone like that. Madam He was both heartbroken and worried. In just one night, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight, looking extremely haggard.

But who could she tell all this to? She could only grit her teeth and put the newly bought cloth inside, to be distributed today.

Under Xie Yuyan's gaze, Madam He handed the cloth to her clansmen and servants. The number of people receiving the winter harvest gifts was twice as many as before, which allowed her to make up a large sum of money.

Now, Madam He just wants this matter to pass quickly. She doesn't want to work in the clan anymore and would rather be an ordinary daughter-in-law.

With a heavy heart, Mrs. He handed out the cloths one by one.

Just as He was about to breathe a sigh of relief as the cloth was about to be distributed, Yang, who had come to collect the winter gifts, gently touched the hairpin in her hair.

For some reason, after Yang did this, several of the young women showed meaningful smiles.

Madam He raised her head, looked around blankly, and suddenly noticed that all the young men and women who came to receive the winter gifts today had flowers in their hair.

"Send a lifelike flower to Second Aunt," Xie Yuyan's voice came, "Everyone should thank Second Aunt for being able to wear flowers in their hair."

Yang took a flower from the box and casually pinned it to He's hair.

“This flower,” Mrs. He’s smile was forced, “is…”

what happened?

Before she could finish her question, Yang said, "It was made from the second young lady's moth-eaten cloth."