Chapter 2: Criticizing and Analyzing

  Yao Yan got into a small sedan chair, carried by two sturdy women, and bypassed the main gate, going from the east side of the path to the inner house's Huahua Gate, but did not enter. Instead, she continued east for another section of road and entered a side courtyard.

  The sedan chair landed, and Yao Yan helped Cui Wei down from the sedan chair. She looked up to see a pinkish-white wall with a grand and peaceful entrance. The sign above the door read "Xi Xiang" in elegant characters. The black lacquer gate had shiny brass door handles that sparkled in the light. A small screen wall stood before them, adorned with colorful paintings of blooming hibiscus flowers and a majestic ribbon.

  "Miss, we've arrived." Cui Wei looked at the small courtyard gate and thought to herself, "Is this really our family's eldest daughter's courtyard? Although it's not big, it's very exquisite. The Hou Mansion is indeed different from other families."

  Yao Yan led Cui Wei into the house, where Yao Fengge's wet nurse Li and Yao Fengge's personal maid Shanhu were waiting together.

  "Second Miss is here, Second Miss has finally arrived. Our master has been thinking about her for many days." Li Mama and Shanhu together paid their respects to Yao Yanyu.

  "Mother Li, don't be too polite." Yao Yanyu hastily supported her with a virtual hand. Mother Li was Yao Fengge's nanny and the most trusted person by Yao Fengge's side. Although she had aged, she remained sharp as ever. Yao Yanyu knew that this person should not be underestimated.

  Yao Yan followed Li Ayi through the wisteria trellis in the small courtyard, past the large blue-and-white porcelain vat where water lilies and goldfish were raised, and stepped over the low threshold into Yao Fengge and Su Yuxiang's house.

  The weather in June, but the windows were not open. The strong lily fragrance mixed with medicinal smell made Yao Yanyu feel a bit suffocated.

  She turned around the screen and passed through the purple gauze curtain, but saw a pearl curtain behind a carved purple sandalwood bed. The pinkish-green gauze curtain hung on the golden hook, Yao Fengge was leaning against the pillow wearing a moon-white silk undershirt, her face pale without a hint of blood color. At first glance, Yao Yanyu couldn't help but be shocked - in just three years, Yao Fengge had become like this.

  Yao Yan walked up to the bed and gently bowed: "Sister?"

  Yao Fengge slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw Yao Yanyu, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Her voice was weak, almost without sound: "Sister, you're here." As she spoke, Yao Fengge's eyes were instantly filled with tears, big drops rolling down and soaking into the front of her clothes.

  Yao Yan also felt heartache. She thought of the times when she and her sisters were together in their boudoir, although they weren't extremely close, there wasn't much conflict either.

  Yao Fengge, as the eldest daughter, was already superior to her in many ways. She often put on airs and didn't bother with Yao Quehua and Yao Yanyu, who were both illegitimate daughters. Yao Yanyu, being an illegitimate daughter herself, knew her status wasn't enough to compare with Yao Fengge's, so she was content with what she had. The sisters never fought over anything.

  The scene of living in peace for seven years, on the day when Yao Fengge got married, she held her hand and said that her grandmother and parents would ask her sister to take care of her more often. At that time, Yao Yanyu's mouth agreed, but her heart was secretly sighing, if one day she could also get married in such a grand manner, it wouldn't be in vain for her to have crossed over inexplicably.

  In a flash, three years have passed. The young lady from the Two Rivers Governor's Mansion who had such a grand wedding is now on her deathbed!

  Two sisters chatted casually, and Yao Fengge felt a bit exhausted. Yao Yanyu carefully looked at her older sister's face and had a professional habit, thinking that she didn't know what her pulse was like, what kind of disease it was, or if it was really incurable.

  Madam Li hurried over and whispered, "Second Miss, the master is tired. Your room has been cleaned up, would you like me to take you there?"

  Yao Yan nodded and said to Yao Fengge, "Sister, you rest first," then retreated. When she went out, she still couldn't help but ask Li Mama: "On such a hot day, why doesn't sister's room even have an open window?"

  "Third Master says that the young lady's body is weak, and it's feared that if she catches a draft from the open window, her illness will worsen."

  Yao Yan slightly frowned, it's June already! Can't this sultry weather make people sick? Moreover, there is such a strong incense in that house, the air is sealed for a long time, and people can't come out to move around, can ten people stand it?

  "Is this also what the imperial physician said?"

  Old Lady Li shook her head: "The imperial physician didn't say it was like that."

  Yao Yan wanted to say that it would be better to open the window and let the house air out, but after thinking about it, she endured. She didn't want Li Nian to think that she was meddling in the relationship between Yao Fengge and Su Yuxiang.

  Yao Yan's house was arranged in the backyard of Yao Fengge's residence, a small three-roomed house, although not large, but it was exquisite. It seemed that Yao Fengge had high expectations for herself, and the furniture inside was also made of fragrant sandalwood carvings, with new curtains, bedding, and everything that could be used was available, and it was complete in all aspects.

  Li Ayi led Yao Yanru to take a look around the house, and then pointed to that carved sandalwood bed and said: "The bedding was all made by Master finding ten complete ayis. The master said that from the outside, Second Miss is being wronged, but when the two sisters close the door, they cannot let Second Miss be wronged."

  Yao Yan smiled faintly and thought that some things were unfair, but she knew it in her heart.

  "The young lady's things will be moved in soon, and this small backyard has no outsiders living here. The girl looked at the side of the warehouse and thought it was suitable for storing things, so she directly ordered them to do so."

  Yao Yan merely smiled politely: "Thanks for your trouble, nanny."

  "This is all the old slave should have," said Li Ayi, sighing again.

  Yao Yan naturally understood that if her elder sister really passed away, the days of Li Nian's wet nurse would not be easy either.

  Before she could even sit down, a maid in a blue dress came in and said: "The mistress has asked me to invite Second Young Mistress Yao to go to the front to have some tea."

  Mrs. Li hurriedly blamed herself: "This old slave is really getting old and muddled, seeing the young lady was just joyful, and actually forgot to take the young lady to pay respects to the madam."

  Yao Yanyu smiled but didn't speak, and Li Nian naturally wouldn't dare to be presumptuous. With her status, if Madame Ding didn't summon her, and Yao Fengge couldn't personally take her up, she wasn't qualified to go upstairs to pay respects. It was likely that by now Yao Yan'en had already met with Duke Ding along with Su Yuxiang, so it was only then that Duchess Lu summoned someone to invite Yao Yanyu.

  In Mrs. Lu's room, Feng Shi, the wife of Su Yuping, and Sun Shi, the wife of Su Yu'an, were both present. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-laws were gathered together discussing family matters. On the side, there were several concubines and maids who did not dare to be presumptuous, some serving tea, others holding fans, all with downcast eyes and bated breath.

  Someone went in first and reported back, then Yao Yanru was invited in to pay her respects to Mrs. Lu.

  "This child looks good." Mrs. Lu smiled and stretched out her hand. Yao Yan stepped forward two steps and handed over her own hand to Mrs. Lu's grasp.

  Old Lady Fang looked at Yao Yanyu seriously for two seconds, then smiled and said: "Madam is right, although she doesn't look much like Third Brother's wife, but she has a unique charm."

  "The real person is even more handsome than in the picture." The second lady, Mrs. Sun, also added with a smile.

  Mrs. Lu looked at Yao Yanyu's eyebrows and fingers again, and smiled with satisfaction: "It's true, more beautiful than the painting." Then, Mrs. Lu pointed to Fang Shi and Sun Shi and introduced them to Yao Yanyu.

  Yao Yanyu hastily greeted Mrs. Feng, who took Yao's hand and smiled: "Little sister has had a hard journey, since you've entered the Hou Mansion gates, from now on we're one family, if you need anything just have someone tell me, don't be polite."

  Yao Yan hastily replied, then turned around to pay respects to Sun Shi. Sun Shi smiled and said: "Hehe, this appearance is really good, it's better than ours! Old Three is blessed!"

  Madam Lu asked Yao Yanyu to sit down, and only after Yao Yanyu apologized did she take a seat at the lowest position. Madame Feng and Madame Sun repeatedly yielded to each other before she finally sat down below Madame Sun.

  There was a maid serving tea, offering fragrant tea. Madame Lu asked about the health of the elderly lady from the Governor's Mansion and her relatives, and also asked if the journey northward was smooth and if they had encountered any trouble.

  Yao Yanyu replied. Mrs. Lu asked again about the arrangement on Li's side, and Li hurriedly explained that Yao Yanyu lived in the small three-room house in the north of the backyard, with more than ten maidservants brought by herself, and San Niang also assigned two maidservants and two wet nurses to go there.

  Mrs. Lu nodded and said, "The third daughter-in-law has always been a reliable person, this arrangement is very good. It's just a pity that she only has a clever mind, but her body is not strong."

  For a moment everyone's smile faded away, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

  "Madam, don't be too heartbroken, your body is important. Besides, I just saw my sister and she's only spiritually weak, but her mind is clear. With the blessings of the Emperor and the Eldest Princess, as well as the care of the Hou Mansion's master and mistress, and the careful nursing of the imperial hospital, I think this illness can be cured."

  The landlady's face had a smile on it again: "You child are really good at talking."

  A few people chatted for a while, and as the sky was about to darken, Mrs. Lu said she wanted to go to the Grand Duchess's mansion for a visit, and let Yao Yanyu return first.

  Yao Yan got up and bid farewell, taking Cui Wei and Li Mama back to Yao Fengge's courtyard.

  Mrs. Lu got up and went to change her clothes, asking Mrs. Feng on the side: "What do you think of this Yao Ergou?"

  Feng watched Jinlan adjust Mrs. Lu's collar, then went to fetch the waistband to attend to her. Having been a daughter-in-law for ten years in front of Mrs. Lu, she naturally knew what kind of words her mother-in-law wanted to hear. So she smiled and said: "Looks like she's quite sensible, gentle and cautious, and her appearance is not bad either. Although she's not as elegant as her sister, after all, she's a concubine-born daughter, so it's understandable that she lacks confidence. Once she marries Third Brother, if you, madam, take the trouble to guide her for a few more years, she'll be fine."

  Mrs. Lu nodded in agreement, "I think she looks better than her sister, and seems to be a lucky person. Her temperament is also good, although she lacks the cleverness of her sister, but for women, it's more important to have a gentle disposition, what's the point of being too sharp and strong?"

  "Madam is absolutely right," said Sun with a busy smile.

  "Alas! Let's go. Our third child is really pitiful. At 22, he still doesn't have a partner, and on top of that, I as his mother have to worry about things in his room." Mrs. Lu changed her clothes, took a glance at herself in the mirror, and then led the two daughters-in-law out the door.

  Digression

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