Full House Spring

Chapter 38 Tongcao Peony
Man Qing seemed to be struck by a silent thunder and her whole body froze.

Time seemed to have frozen. It took her a long time to come back to her senses. She said in a dry voice, "Did you know that my family would suffer such a disaster?"

Xia Li nodded calmly and said slowly:

"I knew it when you were competing with Xiangru for the second-class vacancy. It would have been useless to remind you then. Your father must have told you about it when he went back, but you didn't take it to heart."

Xia Li pulled her to sit down and poured her a cup of hot tea. Man Qing took the teacup absent-mindedly and drank a sip of water. After the warm tea went into her stomach, she seemed to come back to life.

"Why don't you let me kneel down and beg the old lady?"

Xia Li stroked the wall of the cup with his fingers, feeling the accumulation of time, and said calmly:

"You have only been serving the old lady for a short time, so you probably don't understand her temperament yet. You kneel outside the door in the snow and beg her. In her eyes, this is nothing more than a threat or provocation, or maybe even asking for more? The result will be even worse. No one can change the decision she makes, so begging her is useless."

Man Qing's knuckles turned slightly white as she pinched the teacup. She took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "You mean, the old lady might attack the four of us, mother and son?"

Xia Li said with cold eyes, "You have enjoyed a lot of the money that Manager Wang embezzled, so it is only natural that he is angry with you. If you know what is good for you and behave yourself, and show a look of shame and gratitude when facing the old lady, maybe you can calm down a little."

Man Qing slammed the teacup on the table and gnashed her teeth, "Why? She raided my house when my father's body was still warm, trying to end the lives of mother and son. It's good enough that I don't curse her day and night. My father worked hard for her, and everything he brought home was what he deserved!"

Xia Li's eyes were sharp, and the contempt mixed in them was like a sharp knife that pierced deeply into Man Qing's heart. She spoke word by word:

"She holds the indentures of you and your mother, and can send human traffickers to sell you at any time. By then, let alone reunion, it's hard to say whether you can survive. Do you want to end up in this situation?"

Man Qing's face lost all color, and her eyes were filled with fear. "The old lady doesn't need the money we earned from selling our bodies..."

Xia Li nodded gently, and she sighed, "That's why I advise you to live well before you can talk about the future. Keep your family in check. You need to know what you can and cannot say at this time."

Man Qing thought of her mother crying and cursing at home before she left, and she could no longer sit still. She stood up and said, "My family is in a mess. I have to go back and take care of things. Thank you for your advice..."

Xia Li curled his lips slightly and said calmly: "It's not a suggestion. After all, we know each other and I have no grudge against you. I can't just watch you jump into the fire pit."

Man Qing looked at her deeply, and then left without looking back...

Xia Li watched as the snow outside the house grew heavier and heavier. The strong wind blew up the snowflakes, which rolled and danced, like a huge whirlpool, swallowing everything...

When Manqing returned home, her cloak was covered with a thick layer of snow, and even her hair had turned white. The mourning hall had been set up in the house, and her younger brother was kneeling in front of the coffin burning paper. Zhou was crying until she was hoarse, and Zi Fu kept stroking her chest to help her breathe more smoothly.

Seeing Manqing coming back, Zhou straightened her back and asked in a hoarse voice, "Have you seen the old lady? Did she give you an explanation?"

Manqing looked at the house that had been completely looted, and felt so sad that she choked up and said, "Mom, accept your fate. There is no turning back."

Zhou's eyes were about to burst. She gasped and said, "You are talking nonsense. Didn't I tell you that you must find a way to see the old lady? If she doesn't see you, you should kneel outside the door and refuse to leave. Your father has worked hard for her all his life. Even if he has no merits, he has worked hard. She is not afraid of disappointing people by just robbing our family like this."

Man Qing said weakly, "Mother, the old lady is not like the women from the merchant families. She is someone who can take your life at any time. If you anger her, she will ask the human traffickers to sell us mother and you will have no place to cry."

Zhou's shouting stopped abruptly. She said in horror, "How is it possible? How can such a big Duke's Mansion sell out servants at will? It's not like they are so poor that they can't survive. Isn't this just a joke?"

Man Qing smiled bitterly and said, "Our lives and deaths are in her hands. She can buy and sell as she pleases. There is nothing to laugh at for outsiders."

Zhou's face showed a struggle. She said unwillingly, "We have nothing now. We can't even give your father a proper funeral. How are we going to live in the future?"

Man Qing saw her younger brother looking at her helplessly, knowing that she was the only one the family could rely on, Zi Fu said with tears in her eyes: "I have saved some money from the monthly allowance, which should be able to help us in an emergency."

Man Qing cheered up and said, "I have saved some money. The old lady hasn't taken back the house yet, so we don't have to live in the open air. We can always get by if we are frugal in the future."

When Zhou thought about having to live frugally in the future and her son having no money, she was overwhelmed with grief and cried uncontrollably. Manqing wanted to cry but had no tears. If crying could help, she would cry for three days and three nights. The two sisters comforted their mother and asked their younger brother to accompany her to rest, and then they kept vigil.

Zi Fu knelt beside Man Qing, burning paper and sobbing, "Sister, if we want to make ends meet, I'm afraid we'll have to put in some effort."

Manqing paused while burning the paper, turned his head to look at her, and asked in a serious tone: "What do you mean by that?"

Zi Fu was confused about her sister's attitude. She stopped sobbing and said hesitantly, "Second Master Chen is interested in me and wants to take me in as his concubine. Now that I don't have a father to rely on, I have to make some new plans. It's better to..."

Before she finished speaking, Man Qing frowned and said, "We can't agree to this, at least not now."

Zi Fu's eyes widened, and she said in great confusion: "Now that Mr. Chen has not yet married, it is a good time for me to be the first person by his pillow. If I am lucky enough to give birth to a concubine's eldest son, then I will have no worries for the rest of my life."

Man Qing sneered, "Don't dream of having a bastard's eldest son. Not to mention that a bastard's eldest son is worthless, even if you want to have one, it depends on whether the first wife and Hong Xiaoniang agree. The Duke's Mansion is not a poor family. We must abide by the rules and live a long-term life."

Zi Fu said stubbornly, "I can't be a servant all my life. I would rather die than be paired with a servant and have another bunch of slaves. Don't think of blocking my way."

Man Qing looked at her indifferently, the fatigue on her face was clearly visible, and she said seriously:
"I don't want to block your way, I just want to advise you not to be the first to do something. Mrs. Hong has high hopes for Mr. Chen. If you affect his studies at this critical juncture, I'm afraid the consequences will not be good.

You should work diligently first, and wait until your father's matter is over before you talk about it. Even if you want to be a concubine, it is more respectable to have someone appointed by the elders than to do it privately, right?"

Zi Fu finally came to her senses. What she wanted was long-lasting wealth and not immediate prosperity. There was still a long time to go, so why not wait a little longer?

The incident of Wang's house confiscation did not cause a stir because the women of the Wang family knew the situation. After the funeral, Manqing and her sister continued to work as usual. Some people who were waiting and watching, seeing that the old lady did not deprive them of their jobs, knew that the crime should not be committed on their wives and daughters, and gave up some of their ill intentions. On the surface, Xia Li's relationship with Manqing was the same as usual. Neither of them revealed their private dealings. They lived a leisurely life. The hurdles that could not be overcome at present could always be overcome slowly in the future.

Three days after Lu Qinghe returned home, she was finally summoned by Concubine Shu. This aunt loved her the most when she was young, and she thought she would treat her well now. However, the result disappointed her.

The mother and daughter sat in the carriage on their way back to the palace. Lu Qinghe held the hand warmer with an unpleasant look on her face. The eldest wife frowned and said in a tactful tone, "I think the Third Prince really has official business to attend to, so he didn't meet you. It's possible that he was so busy when he first started working."

Lu Qinghe didn't have to pretend in front of her mother. Her dark eyes revealed a trace of resentment, and she said self-deprecatingly: "I thought my aunt treated me differently from others, but now it seems that I am just like this. I am the eldest daughter of the Duke's Mansion, am I not worthy of the Third Prince?"

Song's face was full of sorrow, her eyes were filled with worry and anxiety, she said softly:

"It's not that your status is not suitable, it's just that she has a better candidate. The struggle in the palace is like the tide. If you are not careful, you will become a victim of power. It's better to find a family of equal status and live an ordinary life."

Lu Qinghe showed unbearable irritation on her face, and she said in a bad tone:
"Mother, you should know my ambition. I am willing to stay in the ancestral temple to temper my character in order to stand higher. Instead of wasting your time here trying to dissuade me, you might as well think of a way for me to change my aunt's mind and please her."

Even though Song had a lot to say, she could only sigh in the end. She said in a calm tone, "Shu Fei has taken a fancy to Princess Zhaohua of the Duke of Yu's family. Her mother is the eldest princess. She is not only very capable but also very popular with the emperor. If the third prince marries her, the benefits are self-evident."

Lu Qinghe's face was terribly gloomy. She had met Yao Dizhu a few times when she was young. She had the impression that she was a very domineering person, but her family background was really impeccable.

She said in a deep voice: "Does the Yao family also have this wish? Will His Majesty agree?"

Song shook her head slightly. "The princess is keeping her mouth shut. She neither refuses nor nods. She is probably still waiting for a better price."

After all, His Majesty has more than one prince, and the future crown prince could be anyone. Lu Qinghe sneered, "In the past, my aunt summoned me to the palace every few days to get support from our family. Now that we are on the ship, she has nothing to worry about. This is really realistic. Unfortunately, Yao Dizhu is not someone she can easily control. There is still room for maneuver in this matter."

Even if she is really destined to be the Third Prince's wife, isn't there still a position for a concubine? She has to give it a try.

Song followed her line of thought and agreed with what she said. The Concubine Shu was arrogant and strong-willed. If her future daughter-in-law was like her, there would be a lot of trouble between the two of them.

"Forget it. This is not something I should worry about. Just dress up well for the plum blossom viewing banquet the day after tomorrow and let the ladies take a good look at you."

Lu Qinghe did not object. It was a good thing to have a good reputation outside. After the mother and daughter returned to the Duke's Mansion, Lu Qinghe did not return to her own courtyard, but went straight to Leshou Hall.

The old lady had just woken up from a nap and was in a good mood. Seeing Lu Qinghe, she smiled and asked, "Why are you back so soon? In the past, you always came back after dinner."

Lu Qinghe said calmly, "It's different now. When I was young, it was fine for me to stay in the palace. Now that I've grown up, how can I still be so unruly?"

The old lady nodded slightly, "What you said makes sense, is Concubine Shu all right?"

Lu Qinghe raised her eyebrows and chuckled, "My aunt is still the same. It's just that it's freezing cold, and there are no flowers around to look at. She feels bored. She heard that people in our house use embroidery thread to make velvet flowers in the summer, so I wanted her to make some realistic peonies for her to see..."

The old lady narrowed her eyes and looked at her in a scrutinizing manner and said, "Why do you have to be so hard on Xia Li? She protected me from disaster that year, and you hold a grudge against her like that?"

Lu Qinghe quickly denied, "That's not the case. You misunderstood, Grandfather. Xia Li had already been recognized by Concubine Shu. It was just a coincidence that I went there. I really didn't do it on purpose..."

The old lady raised her hand to stop her from finishing her words and said impatiently:

"You are still a little immature to play tricks in front of me. You can do whatever you want. If you are retaliated in the future, don't turn around and blame me..."

Xia Li naturally didn't know about the lawsuit between the grandfather and grandson. She was called over by the little maid, and after listening to Lu Qinghe's words, she was speechless.

Seeing that she remained silent, the old lady said lovingly, "Don't worry, girl. Let's try making velvet peonies with embroidery thread. I think if it's made by you, the Concubine will like it."

Xia Li's eyes were calm and peaceful. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your advice, old lady. It's just that Concubine Shu wants to enjoy the flowers, and the velvet material is not realistic enough. This peony can only be made of tongtuo wood."

The old lady was surprised and said, "This is really unheard of. Can wood be used to make flowers?"

Lu Qinghe was also half-believing and half-doubting. Xia Li chuckled and said, "Of course you can. Take out the core of the tongtuo wood and you can make it. I beg you to send someone to find some fresh tongtuo wood. Then not only can the Concubine Shu appreciate the flowers, but we can also hold a peony banquet in our mansion."

The old lady laughed so hard that she couldn't stop. She had no doubt about what Xia Li said and said immediately:
"Okay, Qiancao, tell your men to go find the tongtuo wood. It's a very precious tree, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

Qiancao looked at Xia Li with concern, and then bowed to agree. Seeing her so confident, Lu Qinghe was inevitably unhappy and couldn't help but say:

"It's a good thing that Miss Xiali is full of confidence, but what will you do if this Tongcao Peony can't be made well?"

Xia Li smiled slyly and said in a brisk voice, "That is what Madam Shufei meant. If I cannot complete it, I will apologize to Madam Shufei. But what if I complete it, young lady?"

Lu Qinghe didn't believe she was really that capable, so she asked casually, "What do you want?"

Xia Li turned her head to look at the old lady and said with a smile: "Old lady, can I make some conditions to the young lady?"

The old lady was on her side, so how could she not agree? She said in a deep voice, "Just ask, otherwise your grandma will know that you've suffered a loss and come to me to cry again."

Xia Li smiled, turned to the lion and said:

"If the peony flowers I make can be mistaken for real ones, you must spend five hundred taels of silver to buy flowers from me as a tribute to Madam Shufei."

Xia Li could guess what was going on. He wanted to get something for nothing and steal her achievements to please Concubine Shu. No way!
(End of this chapter)