10 Mistakenly Treated His Home as Her Own

Page (1/3)

The rain poured down in torrents. Madam Ru decided to have her stay at home for the time being, which conveniently allowed Miaozhen to manage the household chores with her mother-in-law, Lady Qiu. Besides instructing them in their studies, Lady Qiu usually taught them needlework, managed the accounts, and took care of the household.

Madam Mei arranged the two westward rooms for the three members of the main family to live in and had Xu Siniang stay together with Miaozhen.

“It’s only for a few days; we must be patient and not give our relatives any reason to gossip,” Madam Mei said.

Miaozhen smiled and replied, “Your daughter understands.”

Since Xu Siniang was soaking wet from the rain, Miaozhen had Xiao Xi and Xiao Tao assist her in bathing. However, Xu Siniang took a hot bath but didn’t want to be seen naked by the maids, so she got out of the tub herself. Without a towel to dry off, she noticed a stack of paper nearby and used it all to wipe her body before putting on her clothes.

Xiao Xi saw that her dress, especially the back near the skirt, was nearly worn through and immediately realized that Old Madam Xu was stingy. Upon entering, she noticed paper wads scattered all over the floor and exclaimed, “A single bolt of hemp cloth only exchanged for a few rolls of grass paper, and our mistress usually saves every piece. How come there are seventy or eighty paper wads all at once? Such waste!”

Xu Siniang, hearing this, flushed; her parents had been helping Third Brother without money, only eating meals with them. She herself was not diligent in spinning thread, only earning some scattered coins to buy hair ornaments and cosmetics. Though the Third Branch’s business was decent, they were frugal, using sticks or leaves for toilet paper—not grass paper. Hearing Xiao Xi’s complaints, she feigned ignorance and went to find Madam Mei.

At that moment, Madam Mei and Miaozhen were speaking with the mother and daughter of the main family. Over these past two years, Miaoyun had grown more beautiful and was the most lovely among the Xu family’s young ladies, dressed in silk and holding a finely polished silk handkerchief embroidered with orchids, elegant and refined.

Madam Huang noticed that Madam Mei had newly furnished the house with white rosewood furniture: a Luohan couch, a three-legged floor lamp with scroll and grass patterns, and a high flower table with cloud patterns before the couch, on which sat a copper censer. The atmosphere felt more distinguished, and she recalled that the outer wall had also been newly decorated.

Madam Mei said, “I have assigned my maid, Xiu’er, to serve Sister-in-law. If there is anything to eat or play with, and I’m not around, Sister-in-law can simply tell her.”

Madam Huang smiled, “Sister-in-law, you are too polite.” She neither refused nor accepted, looking around and silently blaming her own husband’s lack of ambition. Though a tribute student, his life was less prosperous than a scholar’s.

Outside, Madame Feng had just brought in hawthorn cake, lily pastries, and some tea. Miaoyun asked Miaozhen, “Sister, have you started reading the Four Books now?”

“Finished them all. I’m currently studying the Book of Changes, interpreting hexagrams daily. How about you?” Miaozhen replied.

Miaoyun smiled wryly, “I’m tutoring that young lady, and though I understand everything, she can’t even grasp the Great Learning.”

“Impossible! What does the Lady of the Thousand Households say about her?” Miaozhen was speechless.

Miaoyun shrugged, “The Lady dotes on her but even when she learned embroidery under my mother, she injured her fingers several times, and I ended up doing most of the sewing.”

“Indeed, Sister, you must be very uncomfortable in her household.” Miaozhen felt sorry for Miaoyun, gave her a lily pastry, and said, “I can now cook abalone with bone; I’ll make it for you in a few days.”

Miaozhen thought of her sister’s life in that mansion as little better than a maid’s.

Miaoyun thanked her first, then said, “That family has already arranged a marriage for her—the second son of General Dingyuan. Her future is set.”

Page (2/3)

“Those official families always make strong alliances,” Miaozhen remarked, unfazed. In her own family, her father said to save more dowry over the years to marry into a good household.

In modern society, breaking class barriers is hard enough, let alone in ancient times. One must be practical.

But Miaoyun felt discontented; she was clearly stronger than that Lady of the Thousand Households yet was treated like a servant, lacking even a place to stay.

As they spoke, Xu Siniang appeared, her hair still wrapped in wet cloth.

Madam Huang frowned, thinking that a girl over ten should know better than to appear with wet hair so openly. Madam Mei was startled and quickly said, “Sister, there are many people coming and going here. Please go to the inner room; I will have someone dry your hair.”

Yin Huan quickly led Xu Siniang inside. Fortunately, they went in just as Madam Ma led the dowager Madam Li, who had resigned from officialdom in the capital and returned home. The dowager’s attire was distinctly different, and she had come to Madam Ma’s house due to the heavy rain.

Madam Huang noticed the dowager’s distinguished presence and was pleased to accompany her.

Miaozhen took Miaoyun aside to speak quietly but was surprised to see the Li brothers outside—Li Xilie and Li Ximeng—dressed in amber jackets and oil-soled boots, carrying umbrellas without rain hats, their heads adorned with net caps and hairpins, carrying the bearing of prominent young gentlemen.

“Master Li, Second Master Li,” Miaozhen said. Having studied at Madam Ma’s girls’ school, she recognized them but dared not be careless, as they were fallen nobles.

Li Xilie, accustomed to the favor of women, was kind even to young girls like Miaozhen. He smiled, “My mother forgot her waist support; fortunately, we brothers brought it.”

Miaozhen gestured towards the main room, “Please, sirs, go inside.”

Afterward, she took Miaoyun away. Returning to the embroidery chamber, Xiao Xi complained that Xu Siniang had used all the grass paper to dry herself. Miaozhen said, “Since that’s the case, she can’t be allowed to waste things in my room. Prepare the window-facing room downstairs; move my bamboo bed there and make it ready for her.”

Every bit of fabric and wood was precious to a modest household. Though Miaozhen had come from the modern world and knew of toilet paper, grass paper was costly and rare. She hadn’t expected this aunt’s carelessness, and the paper wasn’t even hers.

Miaoyun asked, “Who were those two young gentlemen we met earlier?”

“Oh, they’re relatives of the Ma family next door. They used to hold high office in the capital but resigned due to conflicts. Still, a broken ship has thousands of nails. I heard the elder Li’s father now works at the Hangzhou academy, and the younger’s father is an official in the Ministry of Works. They are definitely children of officials,” Miaozhen said with a smile.

She spoke casually, but Miaoyun’s heart stirred.

Xiao Tao brought various colored silk threads. Miaozhen picked them up and began splitting the threads with Miaoyun. The Xu family was small and simple; maidservants had few rules. Xiao Tao asked, “Miss, do you think Miss Ma next door will marry into the Li family?”

“Unlikely. Madam Ma cherishes Sister Yulan and knows the Li family’s high ambitions; they’re not suited. Also, a fallen family marrying a merchant’s daughter is often for money. Such a marriage would require at least three or four boatloads of dowry, which would empty the Ma household,” Miaozhen said.

Though ambitious, Miaozhen knew her place and did not indulge in wishful thinking.

Page (3/3)

Meanwhile, inside, the maids helped Xu Siniang dry her hair halfway and pin it up. They told her the ladies were still attending the funeral rites, and she could return first if she had nothing else to do.

Xu Siniang was two years older than Miaozhen, who was just ten and a half. Now thirteen, Xu Siniang was well versed in worldly matters but anxious about her unresolved marriage. Unexpectedly meeting the two young gentlemen made her heart flutter wildly, and she stood rooted to the spot.

Night had fallen. Xu Siniang slept on the first floor, where mugwort scented the room with a strong, pungent odor. She resented Miaozhen for not letting her sleep upstairs, feeling scorned. She thought about what Third Sister-in-law had said: her second brother’s family constantly mentioned debts but lived well and knew influential people; they simply didn’t want to benefit her.

Lost in such thoughts, she eventually fell asleep. Meanwhile, Xu Erpeng was still in his study, lighting lamps and writing. He found that inspiration came strongest at night. Despite the weather, rain or shine, cold or heat, he never missed his daily quota of writing.

His insomnia had persisted stubbornly for years. Fortunately, his daughter studied medicine and sometimes brewed jujube seed decoctions to ease his migraines. Today, hearing he was somewhat heart palpitated, she sent someone to the pharmacy to get Gui Pi Tang. As he wrote, he yawned repeatedly and hoped tonight’s sleep would come easily.

The following morning, the rain had lessened. Miaozhen had already begun cutting fabric to sew a paddy-field armor to gift Madam Ru, a project that had taken a month.

Xiao Tao was carrying down freshly finished breakfast when Xiao Xi said, “Master Li said he wants to invite his friend to dine at our house and gave money to buy many dishes.”

“With such heavy rain, I wonder how they’ll get here,” Miaozhen laughed.

She had no idea that Xu Dalang’s fortunes had declined in recent years. He was often apart from Madam Huang, frequently quarreling. Madam Huang despised his uselessness, and he was reluctant to stay, especially after she demanded to buy a new residence, blaming him for incompetence.

Xu Erpeng, seeing his elder brother so eager to meet friends, thought to himself that his brother rarely invited anyone, and none of them were close friends. But seeing Xu Dalang so enthusiastic, he said nothing.

Xu Dalang’s friend was someone he met in Jinling, from a prestigious family and a tribute student who had studied at the Imperial Academy—a truly good friend.

He told Xu Erpeng, “He’ll look after you as well when he comes.”

Xu Erpeng remained silent and returned to his study. The heavy rain forced him to move his books indoors, where he continued writing.

Xu Dalang’s friend arrived promptly, wearing a tall hat, a lake-blue silk robe, and wooden clogs. He paced around, saying, “Brother Yiming, when Magistrate Zhang resigned, you and I parted ways—one north, one south. Now you have become a wealthy man. That’s good.”

Originally, Xu Dalang intended to say the house belonged to his younger brother, not himself, but for some inexplicable reason, he acquiesced, “You now hold a good position in Jinling. Had I not heard you were visiting family, I might never have seen you. My humble abode is simple; please excuse it.”