93. Chapter 93: A Rare Calm

The Gu household, rarely, at last found itself in peace. At first, everyone was a little unaccustomed to it, but before long they grew used to it. Jiaoyan, too, went from discomfort to ease, and gradually found farm life more and more interesting.

Every day, Chengyong would take the children out to train before dawn. By daybreak, Wenping and the others would go gather wild greens and the like, while Jiaoyan would return to help her mother with breakfast. Once the rice porridge was done, Madam Feng would pour the pig feed into the pot to cook, so that after everyone had eaten, it would be ready to feed the pigs.

When there was much work in the fields, Chengyong would take Wenxiu, Wenqi, and Wentao down to help. If there was little to do, he would go by himself. Then Wenxiu and the others would either go up into the mountains or down to the river, bringing back game, fresh fish, and the like for a welcome treat. Madam Feng had a fine hand in the kitchen, and with Jiaoyan lending her aid, she could always make the food delicious, to the children’s great delight.

Every morning Jiaoyan went to Suwen Miao’s place, staying by her side and watching her treat and diagnose patients, from which she benefited greatly. Suwen Miao did not teach her medical arts in a rigid, formulaic way. Aside from the lessons that had to be assigned each day, most of it was learning through practice. Whatever kind of patient came that day, Suwen Miao would sort out and summarize the relevant symptoms, then explain the key points clearly to Jiaoyan.

In her previous life, Jiaoyan had come from a family of physicians, and through constant exposure she had in fact developed unique insights into many ailments. Though she had later chosen surgery, she had still come into contact with so much that learning now came easily to her, and she could even offer many unusual observations.

Suwen Miao had long known that this little disciple was no ordinary child. Whenever Jiaoyan voiced an idea, it often felt like the clouds had parted and the blue sky had appeared. Thus the master and disciple were both earnest: one teaching diligently, the other learning attentively; they discussed matters together and often explored ideas side by side. The whole process of learning was, one might say, full of delight.

Shaoyuan had no real interest in medicine. Still, as Suwen Miao’s son, he could not remain ignorant of everything. He was, however, quite skilled at gathering and preparing medicinal herbs, so he often went into the mountains to search for all kinds of them. Yet this was the wrong season for many herbs, and all Shaoyuan could do was bring back those that could be harvested year-round.

Life seemed to go on unchanged, yet if one looked closely, there had been many changes. At the very least, the sisters Wenfang and Wenfei no longer had to labor from dawn to dusk as they had before. Aside from helping when Mrs. Zhao was cooking, the Wenfang sisters mostly spent their time here with Madam Feng, learning needlework and women’s handiwork.

The Wenfang sisters genuinely wanted to learn a trade, and Madam Feng did not hold back, teaching them the techniques of Su embroidery without reserve. Wenfang was a little older, so she had started somewhat late. Wenfei was impatient by nature; though she had a mind to learn, she was always rather careless and restless. Surprisingly, it was Wenying, only eight years old, who learned the fastest of the three sisters.

Of course, the matter of Wenfang and the others learning embroidery from Madam Feng could not be kept from the Gu family. In just a couple of days, Madam Li heard about it.

Madam Li was furious. Her own daughters had not yet learned such a remarkable skill, and yet those dead little girls had gone and learned it instead. On top of that, with Wenfang and the others no longer doing so much work, she was deeply displeased with them.

Someone like Madam Li was not capable of truly changing. Right now she only restrained herself because of the Seventh Granduncle’s warning and because Xiu Li’s marriage was right before her eyes. Even so, while she could no longer openly beat and curse Wenfang and the others, she could still find ways to punish them in secret.

Ever since the day the Seventh Granduncle had left those words and walked away, Madam Li had begun controlling the food on the family table. Whenever the daughters-in-law cooked, she personally measured out the rice and flour, and at mealtimes she alone handled the distribution of dishes. In this way, she deliberately brought out less than usual when cooking, and then, at the table, she gave very little food to Wenfang and her sisters.

Wenfang and Wenfei were both growing girls with good appetites, and not getting enough to eat every day was, of course, unacceptable. Once, Wenfei could not hold back and asked Madam Li why they were not allowed to eat their fill.

Madam Li, however, answered with complete righteousness, saying she was worried that girls who ate too much would grow fat and be unable to find husbands later. They used to eat a lot, yes, but they also worked a lot. Now that they worked less, they could not keep eating so much; if they grew fat, what then?

Anyone with eyes could tell what was really going on, but since Gu Mingcheng did not speak, no one else dared say another word. The Gu household had only just settled down after much difficulty, and no one wanted to stir up trouble again. Mrs. Zhao and Chengxin Gu had no choice but to quietly save a mouthful or two for the children.

Later, Jiaoyan found out about it, and every day she would set aside some food for Wenfang and the others. Then, when no one was paying attention, she would hurry the sisters along and have them eat it.

Wenxiu and the others could hunt and fish, so they brought back meat and the like every day, making the food on this side of the house a little better than that in the east courtyard. Of course, when something especially good came in, Madam Feng would have the children send some to the east courtyard as well. Yet most of those things ended up in Xiu Li’s mouth, along with Wenjing and Wenan’s; the others were, in truth, unable to taste much at all.

At first, Wenfang and the others had felt awkward about eating anything here at Madam Feng’s place. Later, it was Jiaoyan who coaxed them, and only then did they begin quietly filling themselves up a little each day. The food here was good, and in not many days at all, the girls’ faces had taken on a much healthier glow.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, April was gone and May had arrived, bringing the Dragon Boat Festival with it. The Dragon Boat Festival was also known as the Daughters’ Festival, a time when married daughters would usually return to their natal homes for a short stay. Just so happened that Xiu Li’s betrothal would be settled on the sixth day of the fifth month, so Madam Li sent word early to the homes of Xiu Lan and Xiu Yun, telling them to come back for the festival and remain until after Xiu Li’s engagement was completed.

On the fourth day of the fifth month, Chengren Gu returned from the academy in town. Since it was the holiday, the academy had also closed. When Madam Li saw her youngest son come back, her face was all smiles, and she hurriedly sent him into the room to rest.

“Daughter-in-law, hurry and soak the rice. This afternoon we’ll wrap the zongzi, and tonight they can be boiled. Tomorrow morning we’ll eat zongzi for breakfast.” After giving the instruction, Madam Li left.

Madam Wu, together with Madam Feng and the others, followed Madam Li’s orders and washed the yellow millet and the glutinous rice bought from town, then soaked them in water separately. Since it was a holiday, Madam Li rarely said that Madam Feng should join them in wrapping the zongzi so they could all eat together.

When Xiu Li became engaged and later married, the Jiang family would certainly bring many people with them. Jiang Binghao placed great value on Chengyong Gu, so Chengyong would almost certainly have to accompany them. Moreover, when receiving the Jiang family’s visitors, there would also have to be young daughters-in-law present. Even if Xiu Lan and the others came back, they could not alone represent the Gu household.

Among the Gu family’s daughters-in-law, Madam Feng stood out the most. Madam Li had carefully weighed this in her mind: Madam Feng was good-looking, had seen much of the world, and handled speech and affairs with great propriety. Having her help entertain the guests was the most suitable choice of all. For these reasons, recently Madam Li had been unusually amiable toward Chengyong’s family.

For Madam Feng, however, Madam Li was, after all, her mother-in-law. Unless matters turned truly irreparable, she was willing to live in peace with her. Thus, when Madam Li’s attitude was good, Madam Feng would not deliberately be difficult. Since Madam Li said they would wrap zongzi together for the holiday, Madam Feng came over gladly to work.

No matter what, a festival was a good thing, and everyone was in fairly high spirits. What was more, the Gu household was rarely so peaceful, so as everyone bustled about, the place gave off an air of prosperity and thriving industry.

“Mother, look how nice the home is like this? The whole family smiling as they work, discussing things together, isn’t that much better than the constant smoke and chaos before? Do you know why I never wanted to come home? Because the house was always in an uproar, and I could not even read in peace.” Chengren sat on the kang, looking out through the open window as he spoke to his mother.

Madam Li was slightly taken aback, then curled her lip. “It’s because the holiday is coming. They’re all thinking about good food. Otherwise, would they be willing to work?” Though she still harbored anger in her heart, she had no proper outlet for it, and so she sounded a little aggrieved. “I’m the mother-in-law, and now I have to speak to them gently and carefully. In what lifetime did I fail to earn any virtue?”

“Mother, we’re not doing this for anything else. For Xiu Li’s sake alone, we have to bear with it. Just wait, Mother. Once your son passes the licentiate examination and then the provincial examination, I’ll stand up for you and help you vent your anger, all right?” Chengren knew how stifled she felt, and hurried to comfort her.

Hearing her son say that, Madam Li brightened at once. “Ah, then that would be wonderful. I’ll just wait for my youngest son to make his mark, and then I’ll be able to share in his glory.” Nothing pleased her more than her youngest son’s words, and at once she cast aside her grievance, smiling at Chengren.

“My son, you’re no longer a child. It’s time you began thinking seriously about marriage. For these past few years you’ve been caught between high expectations and low compromises, and now you’re already twenty-one. You can’t keep delaying like this. I’m still waiting to hold my grandson, so you mustn’t make your mother wait too long.”

The youngest son and youngest daughter were the old woman’s favorites, and also the matters she worried over most.

“Mother, I know that. How about this: I want to focus on my studies for now. When I come back after the autumn examinations, you can start arranging a marriage for me. If I pass the licentiate examination, I’ll also be able to choose a good family.” Chengren was very confident in himself, which was why he was thinking of preparing for marriage after the examination.

Madam Li laughed until she could hardly close her mouth. “Good, good. I’ll listen to you, and I’ll ask the matchmakers to help me look carefully. My son has both fine looks and fine character, and he’s a scholar into the bargain. The daughter-in-law must be chosen well, and she absolutely must come from a family of good standing.”

In Madam Li’s heart, her son was a dragon among men, outstanding in every way, with few women worthy of him. In her view, the daughter-in-law of Chengren Gu, even if she were not the daughter of an official family, ought at least to be the young lady of some wealthy household.

“Mother, if you have anything to do, go ahead and take care of it. Tomorrow both Elder Sisters are coming back. Everything that ought to be prepared at home has to be ready. The Jiang family will be coming the day after tomorrow too, so we must not embarrass ourselves at a time like this. As for the banquet, tell Second Brother to go into the mountains and bring back some game. Whatever you do, don’t make it look too shabby.” Remembering this, Chengren could not help but remind her.