The Young Lady of the General’s House

Finished reading the letters, Shen Jin let Zhao Momo and the others enter to bring in the boxes and other stuff. Most important ones were Rui Wangfei’s box of Jade Stem rice and the clothes made by Chen Cefei.

The servants went out after putting down the items, only Zhao Momo and An Ping left.

“Zhao Momo, which one is from Mother?” Shen Jin looking at the pile of things. Zhao Momo found the box with Chen Cefei’s marker on, Shen Jin went over to open it.

It’s not wrong to say mothers and daughters had special connection, Chen Cefei didn’t have Shen Jin’s current size but all the summer clothes she made fit just right. The autumn and winter clothes were in slightly bigger sizes so even if Shen Jin grew taller next year, the clothes would need only slight alteration.

The clothes were also in border town’s style instead of Capital’s style, but with newer and more original colours and design. Not sure how Chen Cefei learned the styles.

Shen Jin had An Ping carefully put the clothes away, then pulled the box of Jade Stem rice closer. Shen Jin opened the box and the rice sack inside the box right away. She took a handful of rice from inside, “Let’s eat this for dinner.”

Zhao Momo laughed, “I’ll go inform the kitchen now.”

Shen Jin nodded, she rolled up her sleeves revealing her white and tender arms. She had a good figure with thickness and thinness on the right places. She didn’t look chubby at all but as Chu Xiuming had hugged Shen Jin before, he knew very well that she was soft and ample.

Her lower arm was not bony, it’s well-shaped with the sort of ’rounded pearl and smooth jade’ beauty. She stirred the bag for some time, and finally looked at Chu Xiuming with confused face, “Is Mother Consort joking with me?”

Chu Xiuming raised his eyebrows towards Shen Jin, she obediently moved aside. Chu Xiuming rolled up his sleeves and put his hand inside the bag. It didn’t take long for him to pull a wooden box out of the bag, he gave the box to Shen Jin and moved to the side to wash his hands on the copper basin.

“It’s down there.”

His words and his expression were saying her arm was too short!

Shen Jin furiously humphed, she put the box on the dresser, there was a small lock on it.

“And the key?”

Chu Xiuming had dried his hands, “You ask me?”

“Yes.” Shen Jin asked as if Chu Xiuming should naturally just produced the key.

Chu Xiuming thought for a while, “Get the box of jewellery from Rui Wangfei.” The sentence was directed to Zhao Momo, he himself stood next to Shen Jin to look at the exquisite small lock, the lock was embellished with a branch of plum blossom.

Shen Jin leant forward as well, her finger pulled the lock twice, it looked small but very sturdy.

Zhao Momo quickly found the jewellery box, Chu Xiuming saw Shen Jin was still standing there examining the lock, he opened the jewellery box himself. It’s a three-tier jewellery box with small drawers at the lower part.

Chu Xiuming riffled through the jewellery box carefully, he found a pair of plum blossom earrings which he handed to Shen Jin. She tried the earring on the wooden box lock and it opened.

Inside the wooden box there was a pile of banknotes of various values. Shen Jin took them out and saw there were roughly 500,000 liangs. Her entire dowry wasn’t even 50,000 liangs.

Shen Jin was dumbfounded, she looked at Chu Xiuming then at the banknotes, “Is this for me?”

Chu Xiuming didn’t expect Rui Wangfei would lay out such large amount of money. He had some conjectures after reading the letter, but was not entirely sure of Rui Wangfei’s stance.

And now there was probably not much cash left at Rui Wang’s mansion. Rui Wang was wealthy but many of the possessions could not be liquidated. For example the business holdings bestowed by the Palace, Rui Wang could only collect the income but not allowed to sell the businesses. The rewards from the Palace were not hard cash either.

Chu Xiuming suspected Rui Wang knew nothing about these banknotes.

A woman like Rui Wangfei married to Rui Wang, it was a real pity.

Shen Jin run her fingers on the banknotes then put them back in the box and locked the lid. She handed the box and it’s key to Chu Xiuming,

“Give you. Now you have received Mother Consort’s money, you have to treat me well.”

Chu Xiuming understood the money was Rui Wangfei giving him through Shen Jin’s hands. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he accepted the box without saying anything.

Chen Cefei also sent some things for Chu Xiuming, but unlike Rui Wangfei, Chen Cefei’s gifts were for the sake of her daughter, hoping Chu Xiuming treated Shen Jin well.

That night Shen Jin didn’t get to eat the seafood she wanted because dried seafood needed to be prepared in advance, so the kitchen served other things. Shen Jin didn’t mind, she’d get to eat everything sooner or later.

It was already too late so only the next day Shen Jin get to organise and distribute things out.

Not just Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan, even Zhao Momo, An Ping, and Steward Wang who lost his right arm all received something. Mansion’s little attendants were busy running around delivering things from Shen Jin’s courtyard to everyone.

Shen Jin was not an extravagant person but she was not stingy either. Even Steward Wang was given some Palace brocades, not to mention An Ping and Zhao Momo. Shen Jin even selected An Ping’s favourite colours for her.

Gift distribution completed, Shen Jin thought of calling the Second Steward to ask for news, but the maid returned saying Second Steward had been summoned out by Chu Xiuming.

An Ping on her side laughed, “Madam if you want to know about Capital affairs, why don’t you ask me?”

“You know?” Shen Jin looked at An Ping in surprise.

An Ping smiled, “These few days I told the maids and the helpers to follow around the servants from the Capital for news, and we have heard a lot.”

Zhao Momo knew about this as it was actually her nudgings. The Second Steward didn’t speak not because he was not allowed to, but because he didn’t feel right talking about it openly. In that case, using some maids and some servants armed with tables full of good food good wine could make any information obtainable.

An Ping responded, “I heard Madam’s Second Sister married the eldest young master of Zheng family, the young master is very scholarly.”

Shen Jin knew Shen Zi married into Zheng family, it was a very honorable and respected family and Zheng eldest young master was outstanding in all arts of poetry and verses, many ladies of prominent families collected his poem books.

While Shen Zi’s learning……. As they were close in age the teacher taught them similar things, Shen Zi was not illiterate but could not be said talented either. She would still be considered good had it been a regular family, but this was Zheng family…… Shen Jin couldn’t imagine Shen Zi and Zheng Young Master spent their days reciting poems together.

An Ping spoke, “Also heard Zheng Young Master likes to ‘red sleeves sweeten the fragrance’ …..” The words were not finished, “Madam’s Second Sister was married as a Junzhu, so it’s not surprising that..….. I heard she cried and went home to ask Wangye to interfere.”

T/N – ‘Red sleeves sweeten the fragrance’ 红袖添香 = ancient scholars having young and pretty women accompany them when studying.

Shen Jin asked. “Did Father step in?”

“No.” An Ping said, “After two or three days, Wangye had someone sent her back to Zheng family.”

Shen Jin felt that based on Rui Wang’s character if both Xu Cefei and Shen Zi cried together, Rui Wang would certainly helped. Could it be that Rui Wangfei put a stop on it? It made sense, Shen Jin nodded, “What else?”

“An auntie was drunk and cursed Yongle Shizi.” An Ping knew Shen Jin was worried about Shen Qi so she specifically inquired, “She said Yongle Shizi only looked good from outside but is actually most shameless, and that Yongle Marchioness is an evil woman.”

T/N – The auntie here is 婆子 = older female servant, I use ‘auntie’ as it sounds more domestic.

T/N – Yongle Marchioness was Shen Qi’s mother-in-law.

T/N – Yongle Shizi = Marquis Yongle’s Heir = Shen Qi’s husband. The ‘Yongle’ here is a title similar to how Chu Xiuming is Count ‘Yongning’.

Shen Jin frowned, “It can’t be.” She remembered prior to the wedding everything was great and after married Eldest Sister’s relationship with her husband had been extremely good as well. Yongle Marchioness was also good friends with Rui Wangfei.

An Ping said, “I heard not long after the wedding, Yongle Shizi took a concubine, she was his maternal cousin and also his childhood sweetheart.”

Shen Jin’s brows wrinkled, “Eldest Sister is having hard time? Brother-in-Law mistreats her?”

Zhao Momo saw her flustered, “Madam, it’s not that simple. It’s not that Yongle Shizi is not kind, he’s probably too kind that Madam’s Eldest Sister becomes unhappy.”

Shen Jin looked at Zhao Momo, who then said, “An Ping, did you find out about that cousin’s origin?”

“Heard she is Marchioness Yongle’s shu sister’s daughter. Her family had problem, and she has no other relatives so she took shelter with Marchioness Yongle.” An Ping added.

T/N – ‘shu’ = children from concubines, like Shen Jin. Some novels translate it as illegal or illegitimate children.

Zhao Momo then said, “It seems the Shizi is gentle with people, and this gentleness is not just towards Shizi-fei. Although Yongle Marchioness is good friends with Rui Wangfei, but naturally is still biased towards relatives. Not only that, in the eyes of outsiders, the concubine is alone and helpless, while Shizi-fei is Rui Wang’s di daughter, her family is distinguished and she herself is a Junzhu and the Heir’s main wife. Comparing both of them, it’s hard not to see the concubine looks more pitiful.”

T/N – ‘di’ = children from the main/legal wife, like Shen Qi.

Shen Jin pursed her lips, after a long time she said, “I understand.”

Zhao Momo was sent by Chu Xiuming, but having been with Shen Jin for some time she had grown some sincerity. “Therefore Madam, there are times you can’t be too kind. If Shizi-fei had been decisive from the beginning when cousin first came for help, gave her money to go away, then there wouldn’t have been this much problem.”

Shen Jin asked, “Wouldn’t Marchioness and Shizi be angry?”

Zhao Momo asked back, “Which is better, making others angry, or making yourself angry?”

Shen Jin blinked a few times, looked at Zhao Momo for a moment, and nodded, “I understand. Right, does Fujun have a cousin?”

Zhao Momo said with some relief, “The General does have a distant cousin. That time she did come as she had noone to rely on, but then….”

Shen Jin asked, “She has gone?”

“Yes.” Zhao Momo said.

Shen Jin nodded, “No need to talk about her then. Any other news?”

An Ping asked, “Madam aren’t you worried? The cousin is very pretty.”

“You said ‘that time’.” Shen Jin saw Zhao Momo and An Ping looked baffled,

“If anything really happened that time, according to Fujun’s character if he wants to marry anyone, will he wait for someone to tell him to marry? I won’t be here now. Moreover, the person is not currently here so something must have happened, and since this is the first time she is mentioned, that something can’t be a good matter. Since this is the case, there is no need for me to worry.”

Zhao Momo felt perhaps Madam was a ‘shrewd inside foolish outside’ person.

Shen Jin looked at the shocked Zhao Momo and An Ping, with some smugness she proudly said, “I am very smart.”

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T/N – Now that the story starts to dive into intriques, and nobles, and royals, there will be a lot more of titles and salutations, it’s a big headache!

As they could be mouthful and sometimes awkward when translated to English, I may use them selectively with some adjustments. Terms commonly found in these kind of novels (such as Wangfei, Wangye, Momo, Fujun, Cefei, etc) will be used as is.

Anything you want to know, or think not properly used, feel free to leave comments!