A Pillow in Huai’an

I am the adopted daughter of the Shen family. After my father passed away, my grandmother wanted to hand the family jade pendant to me.

At the funeral hall, my relatives bullied me, saying that I coveted the Shen family’s property.

Before the seventh day after my father’s death, his fiancé came to break off the engagement, and I tore up the marriage certificate on the spot.

Everyone bullies me because I am a weak woman, but I want to revive my family business!

1

In the spring when I was sixteen, my father fell seriously ill. We invited several doctors to come to our house, and they boiled medicine in the yard every day.

My mother cried every day and cried her eyes blind.

I put down the wedding dress I had not yet finished embroidering and took care of my younger sister and nephew day and night.

I had just coaxed my nephew who was crying because he fell while walking, and was about to finish embroidering the fourteenth golden flower on my wedding dress, but I accidentally pricked my finger, and bright red blood instantly dripped down, staining the gold thread of the flower.

My grandmother called me to her side and said that she wanted to entrust all her family members and property to me.

I was stunned for a moment, my legs went weak and I fell to my knees on the ground.

I said, “Absolutely not. My surname is Xue, and I am the granddaughter of an old friend of my grandmother. My parents died when I was eight years old, and the master of the Shen family took pity on me and adopted me as his adopted daughter.”

The Shen family is not without successors. Erlang is a young and talented man, so why would they let me be the head of the family?

What’s more, my mother had already made the decision to marry me to the Xu family, who were in the fabric business in Yangzhou City. However, the marriage was delayed again and again due to my father’s illness.

How can a woman of a different surname or a woman who marries out be the head of the household?

The old lady got angry with me and wanted to punish me by making me kneel in the ancestral hall for two days, so that I could understand the truth that a harmonious family brings prosperity. I was confused, but I saw my father coughing as he wrote my name on the family tree.

When he came to his senses, the master’s jade pendant was hanging around his waist again.

I was so scared that my hands were shaking. I immediately kowtowed to my grandmother to apologize, but she pulled me to sit next to her, her wrinkled face showing a shrewd expression.

“Yu Niang, Grandmother knows that you are a good child. Grandmother believes in you, and the Shen family will be grateful to you.”

I pinched the hole of the embroidery needle on my finger.

It was a chilly spring day, and that’s how I became the head of the Shen family in Yangzhou City.

I kowtowed three times to my grandmother solemnly, “Now that I have your trust, I am willing to be the daughter of the Shen family for the rest of my life and protect the Shen family.”

My father finally passed away this spring day. As soon as the body was set up in the mourning hall and covered with white cloth, a group of relatives from the Shen family led people in the mourning hall and clamored to take back the Shen family’s property.

The way you eat is ugly.

As a woman from another family, I blocked their way to wealth, so they pointed at my nose and started to curse me.

He also ordered a powerful woman who was as fat as a tiger and as strong as an ox to capture his younger sister and nephew.

I exchanged several moves with the woman, and in the last one I bit her arm, making her scream in pain. I narrowly won.

A bunch of uncles and aunts were about to hit me, so I had the servants take the broom and shoo them out. I yelled, “I am the daughter of the Shen family, as written on the jade disc by my father himself, the holder of the Shen family jade pendant, and the head of the Shen family!”

“You all came to the Shen family’s funeral hall today, wanting to be the head of the Shen family and share our Shen family’s property. But when my father was seriously ill, did you come to make the decision? You all only want to share the joy but not the sorrow. Our Shen family does not recognize relatives like you!”

The nine-foot-tall, fat uncles of the Shen family wanted to eat me alive at this moment. The curses were all about a story about a woman from another family killing her father and stealing his wealth.

But if I was afraid of him, I should have hit my head against the pillar of my Shen’s ancestral hall and died when I took the jade pendant that day.

I drove the uncles from the Shen family out of the door, and the servants pointed at them with brooms.

My uncle was so angry that his face turned red, and he pointed at my nose and was about to start cursing again. But my aunt grabbed his sleeve and stared at the pedestrians on the street who were watching the excitement.

His face flushed red, and he finally spat, “Bitch!”

2

“May I ask how my sister offended Third Uncle? How could Third Uncle, who is always boasting about being a gentleman, call him a shrew?”

These words didn’t sound like insults, but they were full of sarcasm.

I was overjoyed. My second brother must have received my letter and came home!

Sure enough, I saw a man in black clothes handing the reins to the servant and swaggering into the door of my house.

During this time, I passed by a group of uncles and aunts of mine and politely said “excuse me”.

If it’s not my second brother, then who else could it be?

Seeing that he was trying to trip up these relatives, I immediately stepped forward and burst into tears with red eyes.

She snuggled up to him, pretending to be a pitiful person being bullied, and called him obediently, “Second brother.”

The second son of the Shen family was named Huai’an. He was nineteen years old, handsome, and had an extraordinary bearing. He was also one of the most prominent figures in Yangzhou City in the past.

But this handsome young man now spoke with disgust.

“I didn’t expect that before my father’s body was even cold, all the uncles and aunts would plot against my Shen family. Maybe they saw that my new sister was young and wanted to bully her.”

“But Yu Niang is, after all, my father’s daughter who was recorded in the family tree on the jade disc, and the eldest daughter of my Shen family. The way you all behave today is probably because our Shen family’s ancestors lived too peacefully in the underworld.”

“We have paid our respects to all the uncles and aunts today, please go back now.”

Shen Huaian didn’t even bother to talk about his feelings, and turned around and walked into the mansion. Uncle Shen was even more furious, pointing at his back and saying, “Do you really want to recognize this foreign girl as the head of the family?”

I heard Shen Huaian hum quietly without leaving any trace. The sound was not loud, but it was quite sarcastic.

“Uncle San, what a joke! There is no such thing as a girl from another family. There is only the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, the head of the family.” After saying that, he took my hand and walked back.

At night, he wanted to compete with me for the night watch job. I couldn’t win the argument, so I went back to my room with my pillow in my arms and went to sleep.

I woke up not long after falling asleep. I had a weird dream, and when I woke up, tears were streaming down my face and I felt a chill down my spine.

I couldn’t sleep, so I found a cloak and went to the mourning hall.

During the day, I saw him being called to the courtyard by my grandmother as soon as he got home. When he came back, his face was not looking good. He looked at me with his eyes and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself several times. There are some things that must be clarified.

I lit a lamp and came to the mourning hall. The room was brightly lit with longevity candles.

Shen Huaian sat cross-legged on the futon, eyes gently closed. The spring night breeze made the candlelight flicker. His eyelashes also trembled slightly.

I picked up another cushion and sat down next to him.

He probably guessed it was me, “Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”

“I’m dreaming. I can’t sleep.”

He didn’t say anything else, and we looked at each other in silence for a while.

After a long while, I finally mustered up the courage to ask, “Brother, if there is anything you couldn’t say during the day, you can tell me now.”

“Grandmother only said that Second Brother is a noble man. The Shen family can’t trap you, but Yu Niang wants to know, what makes Second Brother noble?”

The spring rain suddenly came in torrents, and the wind swept the rain away, bringing a chill to the clothes.

The storm was about to come, and the servant guarding the corridor gently closed the door of the mourning hall.

Shen Huaian sighed, stood up and picked off a few lamp wicks.

He didn’t say a word that night and I couldn’t sleep at all, so I stayed with him and watched the lanterns all night.

The candlelight flickered and I couldn’t tell what was real.

3

On the day my father went up the mountain, I sent Shen Huaian away from home. Before leaving, I asked him the question again, but he still didn’t answer.

“The time is not yet ripe, Yu Niang, please don’t ask too much.”

I accepted it indifferently, and told him that the journey was long and the mountains were high, so take care. He nodded, spurred his horse, and disappeared into the endless night.

The sound of horse hooves stopped, and the rolling locust flowers mixed with the soil, leaving behind his few words, “You too.”

Not long after, the master of the Xu family came to cancel the engagement.

When my younger sister came to Shen’s pastry shop to find me, I was still teaching the new guy how to knead dough.

She pulled me to go home, and after hesitating for a long time, she finally said “Xu”.

I had expected this day to come. I followed her home calmly, changed into clean clothes, and went to the front hall to meet the guests in a respectable manner.

When the maid Baodeng brought me over, my grandmother and my mother were sitting in the front hall, and Master Xu was sitting half-lying on a brocade stool without any courtesy. His wife was standing next to him, staring at the shoes with lowered eyebrows.

Seeing me coming over, Mrs. Xu blushed immediately. Mr. Xu glared at her, but she lowered her head even lower.

This Mr. Xu is a notorious miser among the merchants in Yangzhou, and has learned the face of profiteering to the fullest. Now that my family is impoverished, he will definitely not be willing to let his legitimate son marry me.

“This Miss Yu is here too. I won’t waste any more words. Now the Shen family can’t raise the dowry, so we have already broken the agreement. I am marrying a wife, not opening a charity. How can I marry a wife and bring the whole family home? Let’s both make concessions.”

“Da Lang, please return the marriage certificate to Old Madam Shen on behalf of your father.”

Xu Dalang was submissive in front of his father, as if he didn’t want to hand in the marriage certificate, but he didn’t dare to disobey his father’s order. It took half an incense stick of time to get a marriage certificate.

Nanny Jiang took the marriage certificate and showed it to my grandmother, but my grandmother picked it up and called me over.

“Yuniang, please tear up this paper. It makes grandma upset.”

I said “eh” and tore the marriage certificate in half without hesitation. The three members of the Xu family looked at us in astonishment, as if they were looking at some kind of monster.

I sent my grandmother back to the courtyard, and then prepared to go to the shop to continue teaching the clerk how to knead dough. Not long after I walked out of the house, I bumped into someone.

The eldest son of the Xu family stood in front of me, his hands tightly grasping his sleeves.

I stopped, fearing that he would get angry with me for tearing up the marriage certificate, and I quickly wanted to grab the opportunity to speak first.

“Master Xu, why are you standing at the gate of the Shen Mansion? The elders in the family have just gone to bed, so I’m afraid it’s not convenient for the Shen Mansion to receive outsiders.”

“Young Master, you should go back earlier, so as not to make the Lord and the Queen wait anxiously.”

I ordered him to leave, but he still stood there and refused to move.

I didn’t want to say anything more, so I started to go my own way. When he saw me leaving, he immediately stopped me.

He loosened his hands on the clothes and handed a stack of silver in front of me.

This frightened me at once. I could not guess what he meant even though I was calculating clearly in my head.

After a long while, he managed to utter, “Master Xu took this money, but Master Xu doesn’t know about it, right?”

My guess was right. Mr. Xu felt a little embarrassed and pushed another cent forward.

“I…Xu has failed the girl! I didn’t mean to break off the engagement, but my father is too strong and I can’t say anything in front of him. That’s why I made the girl lose face.”

Looking at the thick stack of banknotes in his hand, I thought to myself that Mr. Xu was truly an honest man.

I thrust the banknote in front of him, “Mr. Xu, you are joking. Although we were engaged before, we only met for the first time today. There is no question of whether we are being betrayed or not.

Besides, I tore up the marriage certificate myself, so it can’t be said that you broke off the engagement.”

“My lord and I have always gone our separate ways. It would be best if we could live in peace and harmony, even though we are far apart.”

4

When the locust flowers were about to fall, I took advantage of the Flower Festival and made cakes into flowers and launched the “Hundred Flowers” series of pastries, which made Shen’s pastries famous and became the new darling of Yangzhou city.

The cakes are divided into four gift boxes according to the season, namely “Spring Morning”, “Summer Dew”, “Autumn Glow” and “Winter Wine”.

I also used plum blossoms and orchids to make a “Jun Zi”, peony and hibiscus to make a box of “Fang Rong”, and lucky bamboo and fortune tree to fill a basket of “Hong Yun”.

If you don’t buy a gift box, there are also cakes for sale in individual portions.

On the night of the Flower Festival, many men, women, and children came out to parade in Yangzhou. It was a scene of lights just coming on. I stayed in the shop with my precious lantern, watching the crowds of people rushing to buy at the door, and we all smiled foolishly.

These flower-shaped pastries were sold throughout the spring and summer, and became a classic in the shop.

I was excited to write a letter to my second brother, but I was worried that I would disturb him by talking about these daily trivial matters.

Several nights before going to bed, I picked up the pen, wrote the words “From my second brother”, and then put it down after a long time.

In the end, I was unable to write a letter home.

Mid-Autumn Festival is the time when cakes and pastries in the store sell best.

Literati also say that “every festive occasion makes one miss his family all the more”. Regardless of whether one is an official, a businessman, or rich, one always likes to ask for a round cake in the hope of a good omen of family reunion.

The biggest deal that day was for an order of fifty boxes, and they asked me to personally lead someone to deliver them to Mr. He’s residence.

I took my clerk to deliver the goods. The He residence was decorated with lights and colors. There was a banquet at the residence, and there were many masters, young men, ladies and young ladies in the courtyard, all laughing and talking happily.

I sent the pile of boxes to the kitchen, but a maid who looked like a first-class servant in the He Mansion insisted that the Madam had a reward and asked me to go to the front hall to pay my respects.

I have been to the He Mansion once before a few years ago. There are pavilions and towers built inside, and it is quite a winding way to get there.

Fortunately, after walking around for a long time, the laughter in front gradually became clear. As soon as I heard it, I knew that the banquet for the women was about to begin.

But, she is not a lady at all.

All the delicate young ladies in the yard pointed at me and whispered to each other when they saw me coming, with undisguised mocking looks on their faces.

In the crowd, I spotted the daughter of my uncle Shen at a glance. Her name was Shen Ling. Her name was Lily of the Valley, but she was wearing a light red dress.

She mocked me, “Isn’t this the Yu Niang from my uncle’s family who is included in the family tree? Why didn’t you stay at your Shen’s Cake today and come to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the He Mansion?”

She completely ignored the unhappy expression of Miss He who was standing not far away.

When I saw her behaving like that, I thought something was wrong and was about to turn around and leave, but a strong force behind me pulled me back.

I looked back and saw three or five maids rushing towards me from behind, grabbing me and dragging me backwards.

After a few pushes and a “splash”, I was pushed into the pond.

Suddenly, the lake water rushed into my eyes and nose from all directions, and I choked on the water several times. The lake water was icy cold in autumn, and I shivered with cold.

When they saw me fall into the water, the group of ladies laughed even louder.

I struggled in the water for a few times and finally swam to the shore with great effort. When I reached the shore, I vomited a lot of water.

I don’t know if it was because the water was too cold, but I was shivering from coughing. I immediately thought it would be great if the water was warmer.

Even if you fall into the water in summer, it won’t be this cold.

5

When I finally stood up from the ground, Miss He had already come to me. She frowned and looked very unhappy.

I wanted to get angry at Shen Ling and the others, but then I remembered that the He Mansion was also owned by the government, and when my father was alive, the He Mansion had granted him many business benefits. The situation was not right, so I had to suffer this loss first.

Miss He asked the maid to hand me a cloak. I didn’t take it, but asked her to escort me out of the house through the back door.

I was soaked all over, and I didn’t dare go home and let my family see me, so I had to go into the shop.

I walked slowly from the back door of He’s house to the street. I don’t know how I got there, but when I saw the rumbling carriages and many closed shops on the street, I realized that it was already very late.

I fell into the water and caught a cold, and I felt very heavy. Shen’s Bakery had closed down, and it was dark all around. There was only a lamp at the door, which gave me some warmth.

There was a person sitting next to the lamp.

He was dressed in black and had a pair of clear eyes, staring at me blankly.

If it’s not Shen Huaian, then who else could it be?

The guilt that suddenly arose in my heart made me want to run away immediately, but my body often acts one step ahead of my thoughts.

But you definitely can’t escape.

Shen Huaian only needed to pull me back with a slight pull. He did so, and after pulling me back, he immediately untied his cloak and covered me up.

The cape was wide and still carried the residual warmth of his body, mixed with the faint smell of soapberries. I instantly felt much warmer and couldn’t help shivering with my shoulders.

He pressed my shoulders and whispered, “Don’t move.”

Seeing my wet hair, he wanted to wipe it. Since there was no handkerchief nearby, he used his sleeve as a handkerchief.

He looked unhappy, probably angry, “What’s going on?”

I was afraid that he would laugh at me for being useless and being bullied by a group of little girls. I just told him about the He Mansion incident in a roundabout way, and said jokingly, “It’s really nothing. Fortunately, my grandmother taught me how to swim.”

His words were meant to comfort me, but because I caught a cold from falling into the water, his tone was softer than usual.

She was cold and had a red nose, just like the delicate little lady I used to be when I was bullied when my father and brothers were still alive.

I realized something was wrong and quickly turned my face away.

He also realized that I didn’t want to talk much, so he kept silent and just wiped my hair silently.

I didn’t resist for once, so I asked him politely, “Why did you come back today, brother?”

“I was passing by to do some work, so I went home to take a look.”

I was just passing by on business.

I said “Oh” and looked up at the sky again. The night was like a curtain, with only a silver moon hanging alone in the sky.

“Thinking that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s time for families to reunite.”

I laughed.

Pointing at the moon, he told him, “Brother, the moon is so beautiful today. Shall we go home and eat mooncakes?”

He was slightly startled, and after a long while he looked up at the moon like me, and then nodded solemnly. He picked up the lamp that I had mentioned earlier and took me home.

When we got home, the whole family had already gone to bed. I took some wine and a plate of mooncakes from the kitchen and took him to the yard to admire the moon.

After just two glasses of wine, I started to feel dizzy again. When I woke up, I found myself sleeping soundly in bed. The scene of the boudoir was what I saw when I opened my eyes.

There was no trace of him in the Shen Mansion anymore. It was as if he had never been back.

I carefully put away the small dagger he had placed by my window and glanced at the note he had hidden under the dagger.

“Keep the dagger for now. I’ll bring you something delicate for self-defense next time. Don’t cry when you’re bullied by others. Also, I miss home, so I hope you’ll write to me more often.”

The elegant words are very free and easy.

I looked back and saw that there was new ink on the pens and inkstones that had not been put away on the table, and the previously written “Personal Letter from Second Brother” were neatly placed on the desk.

6

“Dear brother: Everything is fine at home, grandma is still healthy, and mom’s eyes are still the same, but she cries less than before.

My younger sister has been more active recently, and she always likes to bring Ye Ge’er to ask me for snacks. I bring them some back every day.

The shop has been doing well recently, and we are planning to research a few new products. We are currently working with our master on this. It is cold, so remember to put on more clothes.

Also, I wonder if you will be home on New Year’s Eve tomorrow? I hope you take care of yourself. My little sister, Yu Niang. “

This was the first New Year’s Eve for the Shen family after my father passed away. No more people came to congratulate us, and the family had a rare New Year’s Eve dinner around the table in peace and quiet.

Shen Huaian wrote to me before the New Year saying that he would go home on New Year’s Eve, but he was nowhere to be seen until midnight.

My younger sister and nephew set off fireworks in the yard, and clamored about waiting for my second brother to come back and ask for the red envelope, but in the end they fell asleep on my lap.

The two children were much more lively than in spring, and they could smile and make my mother happy every day. I was happy, and rubbed their pink little faces, and stuffed the red envelopes I had prepared in my sleeves into their sleeves.

She also asked the maid to carry them back to the room to avoid being blown by the wind and snow on the winter night.

I sat alone in the porch waiting.

The winter was not too cold that year, and there was hardly any snow at all, but that night snowflakes fluttered down from the sky.

It is covered in silver and looks particularly beautiful.

I had drunk some wine, so my mind was not very clear. I stretched out my hand, caught a palmful of snow, and happily poured it on my face.

When drunk, people act stupidly.

When Shen Huaian entered the courtyard, he saw the usually shrewd girl, who foolishly scooped up the snow water on her face. Then, as if she realized it late, she shivered her shoulders because of the cold.

The man in black smiled and imitated her. He stretched his hand under the umbrella and caught a palmful of snow.

The snow melted as soon as it touched his hands, and when he was about to imitate her and rub it on his face, he saw her running towards him excitedly, lifting her skirt.

The girl had a silly smile on her face, as bright as the time when he and his elder brother took her to the street to see the lights. “Look, second brother, it’s snowing!”

7

I was awakened by the sound of my younger sister and nephew playing and laughing in the yard. When I opened my eyes, it was already bright outside.

I washed up in a hurry and came out to see my younger sister and nephew making a snowman in the yard. When they saw me open the door, they excitedly wanted to take me to see the snowman they made.

The snowman was cute, a plump white ball, decorated with two round eyes and a grinning mouth.

A black robe flashed behind him.

But I saw Shen Huaian hiding behind the snowman and laughing.

When I passed by, he looked at the already bright sky and said cheerfully, “Are you awake?”

When I saw him, some fragments of last night suddenly emerged in my mind.

I was already drunk and fell asleep when I asked him to watch the snow. In a daze, I seemed to see him sigh and send me back to the house.

It seems that it was the same on the Mid-Autumn Festival night.

Shen Huaian stretched out his hand and rubbed my hair, “Let’s go eat.”

I was feeling rather embarrassed to begin with, and hearing what he said, I felt as if I had been pardoned, and I ran away as fast as I could.

She put her hand on his head, trying to tidy up his messed up hair, but instead she touched down an exquisite butterfly hairpin.

The carvings are lifelike and the colors are bright and attractive, a style that is hard to find in Yangzhou city.

Shen Huaian rarely stayed at home for a few more days, so our family could be together for a few days. I calculated the money I had available and discussed with him about opening a new shop in the spring.

My nephew had reached the age where he needed enlightenment, so I asked someone to find a school for him and sent him to study in the spring.

Shen Huaian patiently listened to my plan and gave me some suggestions from time to time. As time went by, it was time for him to leave again.

The day I left was not yet the Lantern Festival, but I watched him get on his horse as usual and handed him a basket of snacks as dry food.

He was just about to ride off when my younger sister came running out from the yard, carrying my nephew with her.

The two of them were crying and tugging at the hem of the second brother’s trousers to stop him from leaving. I quickly took them both in and let Shen Huaian go.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped their faces, and just kept coaxing them, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, you will come back, you will come back.”

After the spring, I really opened a new shop, three streets away from the original Shen Ji Pastry. I wrote a plaque “Shen Ji Dessert” and sold some fresh desserts.

He calculated the date, took his nephew to visit the teacher, and sent his nephew to school.

Everything was going well, except that my younger sister had been unhappy recently. Later, my grandmother enlightened me, “She was envious of Ye Ge’er because he went to school.”

I suddenly realized. My younger sister is already nine years old. In the past few years, everyone thought she was a little stupid and didn’t teach her to read. Now, she is looking at her younger nephews going to school with envy in her eyes.

So when I was sending Ye Ge’er to school, I asked her, “Little sister, do you want to go to school?”

As a result, the little girl stared at the school entrance for a long time, but posed a difficult question to me.

She said: “I want to be like my elder sister, to have a big business and make a lot of money.”

8

I held my forehead with my hands in guilt, wondering what influence I had on my younger sister. She was always said to be lively, not fond of needlework, and always liked to follow me around. It turned out that she was waiting for me here.

But when it comes to doing business, women are often prejudiced. People don’t like women to show up in public, so it’s not easy for women to do business.

Deep down, I don’t quite agree with my younger sister going down this path.

But the little girl’s eyes were sparkling and radiant.

I didn’t know what to do, so I had to write a letter to my second brother.

“Brother, my little sister recently said that she wanted to start a business. What do you think?”

He replied: “Nothing special, but why not give it a try?”

So I took my younger sister with me. Every day, I would send my nephew to school first, and then take her to check the shops, teaching her how to read and do accounting.

She actually learned it quite well.

I was very happy. If I could pass all my property to my younger sister in the future, it would be absolutely feasible. I felt much more relieved.

As soon as I was happy, I generously bought a set of jewelry for my younger sister. But when my younger sister saw the jewelry, she got angry at me and said that I was wasting money.

But when I saw the smile in my little sister’s eyes that she couldn’t hide, I thought to myself that she was about to grow up.

Girls from wealthy families love to dress up. I made up my mind to make more money in the future and buy a room full of jewelry for my little sister.

Just as I was thinking about the future, I felt something cold in my hand. I looked down and saw that my younger sister had picked up a jade bracelet and put it on my hand.

I looked at my little sister’s serious expression. She has really grown up.

I touched her delicate little face and said, “My little sister has also learned to be considerate.”

But just as summer arrived, Ye Geer returned home with a bruised face. His face was disfigured, and he looked unconvinced.

I looked at him and thought he must have had a fight with someone in school, but why did he fight? I asked him the reason, but he kept silent.

When I pushed him too hard, he turned his head away and ignored me.

This really got me angry, so I picked up a rolling pin and was about to hit him on the palm of his hand.

But he still refused to say.

I hit him a few times. His palms turned red instantly, but he still refused to say anything.

He has a very stubborn temper, just like my elder brother. I have asked him questions and beaten him, but he just won’t say what he doesn’t want to say.

I had no choice but to pick up a basket of snacks and take him to knock on the door of my husband’s house.

The person who opened the door was Mr. Pei’s servant. After hearing our names, he led us into the courtyard.

My nephew and I were waiting for the master in the house. My nephew didn’t say a word, but he glanced over and was still sulking at me.

After waiting for a while, Mr. Pei came out.

He is a smart man and immediately knew why I came.

“Ms. Shen, please take a seat. Pei guessed that Miss Shen would come today, so he asked the servant to make some tea in advance. Miss Shen, please have a taste.”

He was polite, gentle and courteous. With a pair of slender hands, he held a cup of tea for us.

It turned out that in the school today, the children of the Shen family’s relatives were the first to laugh at Ye Ge’er, saying that he was a bastard who was born by his parents but not raised by them. Ye Ge’er ignored them.

They then went on to call me, Xue Yu, a shameless bitch, who had broken off her engagement but was out there doing business all day, secretly coveting the Shen family’s assets.

If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked too. The younger sister has learned from her elder sister and acts like a coward all day long.

Ye Ge’er couldn’t hold back and cursed back, and this curse made him fall into the trap of those bad boys.

So the two sides started fighting. They had more people, and Brother Ye didn’t gain any benefit at all.

9

Only then did I realize that I had wrongly blamed Brother Ye, and I felt extremely sad.

What did Ye Ge’er do wrong? We fought only because they scolded me and Ye Ge’er wanted to vent my anger.

I felt so sad that I squatted beside Ye Ge’er and cried.

This was probably the first time I cried after my father left. Ye Geer was also panicked and shouted at me: “Auntie, don’t cry.”

I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeves.

“You did nothing wrong, but you also did something wrong. They scolded you, but you were able to endure it. This shows that you were determined and not disturbed.

They scolded me, but you protected the dignity of your family and saved your own face. Today, aunt is very grateful that you stood up for us, but she really doesn’t want to see you hurt and suffer because of this.

Next time before you take action, you should still consider your own strength. Now that you are outnumbered, you will be the one who suffers, right? “

“These are not wrong in my eyes, but you made a mistake today. Do you know where you made a mistake? Your mistake was that you shouldn’t have started the fight. No matter if you were provoked or not, it’s not okay.

You disrupted the teacher’s class discipline, and you should apologize to the teacher for that. I will also take you to apologize to those who scolded you one by one.”

I took Ye’er by the hand and prepared to go back home. I apologized to Mr. Pei and thanked him. Mr. Pei even personally sent us to the door.

I turned around and led Ye Ge’er away, but he called me from behind.

On a summer night, cicadas chirped in the empty mulberry forest, and the stars shone brightly. Mr. Pei’s voice was as clear as the gurgling spring water in the mountains, and his noble pride was evident as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Miss, I am grateful for your advice.”

I didn’t accept his praise. I led Ye Ge’er into the carriage of Shen’s house.

That day, I really took Ye Ge’er with me and knocked on every door. I argued with people in the yard and demanded the apology they deserved.

I just want everyone in Yangzhou City to know, stop bullying the Shen family because we have so many old people and children. I can’t bear to see them being bullied, but I dare to argue loudly like a shrew.

We had completely offended our relatives once again, and as summer came, the dessert shop was crowded with people lining up every day. As I made more money, the Shen family’s relatives began to get restless again.

Rumors about me spread all over the city, but this time they not only slandered me, but also implicated the upright Mr. Pei.

Just because I brought Ye Ge’er to visit Pei’s house that day, and went back to the houses of all my uncles and aunts to ask for apologies, they actually said that Mr. Pei and I had an impure relationship and were in cahoots with each other.

But I dared not do anything, because I knew that scholars valued their reputation. Speaking out would only make things worse. For a time, there were many different opinions in the city.

There are all kinds of versions of rumors. They spread from one person to ten people, and from ten to a hundred. In the end, even the long queue outside the dessert shop was cursing me in front of my grandmother.

But the old lady in my family calmly organized the waiters to serve sweet soup to everyone, and then spoke contentedly, as if she had just listened to them telling a ridiculous joke.

“You are all talking about my granddaughter. I wonder if you would like to hear my explanation.”

After saying that, he took out a piece of red paper from his sleeve.

10

“Have you seen clearly? What’s the meaning of Pei or not Pei? It is true that Xue Yu Niang was originally the adopted daughter of my Shen family, but she is also the daughter-in-law that my Shen family married for my eldest son Huai’an. She is my granddaughter-in-law.

You all should not tarnish my granddaughter-in-law’s innocence here. It is not easy for a woman like her to manage the household, and she also has to ask about the studies of her husband’s nephew. How can she, an honest and decent woman, let you tarnish her reputation like this?”

The old lady had been through many ups and downs in her life, and she was dignified and at ease, but now she pretended to be an old woman who was heartbroken.

As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his tears. He placed the marriage certificate in front of everyone and showed them the name.

My name and Shen Jia Erlang’s name were clearly written on the red paper.

For a moment, the situation took a turn for the better, and in the end, it was my grandmother who was better.

But when my younger sister came to tell me this, I only had one thought in my mind.

It is such a sin to tarnish my second brother’s reputation. He is a clean man, but he has a new wife for no reason. I am afraid that he will peel off a layer of skin from me when he returns home next time?

I quickly wrote a letter and went to admit my mistake.

“A letter from my second brother: When you come back next time, if your reputation is damaged, it will all be Yu Niang’s fault.

A month ago, she took Ye Ge’er to thank the master, but rumors spread that she had an affair with the master, and Yu Niang couldn’t defend herself. To prove Yu Niang’s innocence, her grandmother wrote a marriage certificate for us.

I will tarnish your innocence for the time being. But don’t worry, you can tear up the marriage certificate when you return home.

If you are really angry, you can beat Yu Niang to vent your anger, or let her hit her head against a pillar to die as a token of apology!”

After sending the letter, I felt uneasy, and I wanted to run to my second brother immediately to admit my mistake so that he could calm down faster.

But before I received this letter, I received several posts from Mr. Pei, inviting me to a certain place for a chat, or to a certain teahouse to listen to an opera.

I didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so I rejected them one by one.

But Mr. Pei, after sending Ye Ge’er back from school, came directly to visit the Shen residence. This made me have to talk about it again.

I invited him to sit in the study and asked someone to bring him a cup of tea.

I apologized to him, saying that I had brought shame upon Mr. Wang because of something I did a few days ago. I felt really sorry for him and I couldn’t face him again.

He said goodbye politely and only asked me about the marriage certificate.

He is not a bad person, and everyone knows the truth about the marriage, so I might as well make it clear directly.

“Those rumors are really ugly. Grandmother did this for Mr. Quan and my reputation. She wrote a marriage certificate that doesn’t exist, and it can’t be true.

But don’t worry, sir, they are just gossiping these days, and when there is new gossip to talk about after a while, they will stop talking about it.”

“Well, in that case, what do you think of Pei?”

What do you think of Pei, girl?

I don’t know how much courage it took for Mr. Pei to say this, but when I saw him, his face was already flushed and his expression was nervous.

I immediately understood what he meant by “how”.

But after tearing up the Xu family’s marriage certificate, I no longer expected to get married in this life.

“Although Pei is a little poor, I can ensure that the young lady will not be wronged. If the young lady is worried about her family, Pei can also take care of them for her.”

“Pei admires the girl and is willing to marry her!”

I shuddered and spilled half a bowl of tea on the back of my hand. The hot tea hurt me so much that I broke the cup on the ground.

The cup shattered into pieces in an instant, and the tea mixed with the new tea brewed after the rain wet my skirt.

“What are you joking about, Mr. Pei? Mr. Pei is a man of high moral character and a very good man. It is you, Yu Niang, who should not bother you.”

“Miss Yu is a lady from a noble family, famous in Yangzhou. Pei has admired her for a long time. But in the past, Pei was trapped in poverty and did not dare to come to your house to bother you.”

A lady from a noble family, famous in Yangzhou. It seems so far away that it happened in the last life.

The jade pendant with the word “Shen” on my waist is as heavy as a thousand pieces of gold. I turned my head to look out the window and saw a dragonfly flying low.

“It’s going to rain soon, please go back, Mr. Pei.”

11

Shen Huaian’s reply came a little late. The letter sent in midsummer arrived in autumn. I read the letter, but found that there was no mention of my previous apology.

I was very happy, thinking that my second brother was very magnanimous and would not care about these false reputations with his own sister. He was a truly good son.

He also asked someone to find the medicinal herbs for my mother’s confusion that I mentioned earlier, and he filled a basket with them.

I led the maid to sort out the herbs, and the maid picked up a few and started to boil them. Before the medicine was boiled, she took a piece of grass and ran to my room.

Only then did I realize that there was a red bean mixed in Shen Huaian’s medicinal herbs.

“I hope you can pick more of this, for it is the most reminiscent of you.”

It seems that he is far away and misses his family. I immediately flipped through his last reply letter, shook my pocket, and two round red beans rolled out.

It was also these two red beans that reminded me of Shen Huaian when I made new clothes for my family in winter.

I wonder if there is anyone who buys new clothes for him while he is far away in the capital, and if there is anyone taking care of him?

I remembered that he often wore a cloak. It happened that I had negotiated a fur business at the beginning of winter and left behind a beautiful white fox fur.

So, she made him a fox fur cloak and sent it to him along with a letter from home.

I also asked him if he could go home on New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Eve, I closed the shop early, gave each of my employees a big red envelope, said a few auspicious words to each other, and then took my little sister home.

Before I even got home, I heard laughter in the yard. My mother was laughing the most, and her laughter was the most I hadn’t heard in a long time.

My younger sister and I smiled at each other. My younger sister said, it must be my second brother who has returned!

Sure enough, as soon as I entered the door, I saw Shen Huaian and his mother sitting in the yard chatting, and his grandmother was sitting next to them, joining in on the conversation.

My mother kept calling him “son-in-law”, and Shen Huaian happily agreed.

Judging from the situation, my mother was really confused. Shen Huaian even joined her in the confusion.

Seeing me coming back, my mother pulled me up and pushed me to Shen Huaian, calling me a good daughter on the left and a good son-in-law on the right.

I was still a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. But I turned to look at Shen Huaian, who was dealing with it easily, so I didn’t think it was a big deal.

I don’t really care anymore.

This year, I had one more person to accompany me. I chatted with Shen Huaian casually while calculating my plan.

I was doing the math, and he was watching me do it. He heard the sound of my abacus, and asked me if I could get back half of the Shen family’s assets.

I waved my hand and counted each order carefully for him.

Now he has opened two shops and taken over other businesses, such as grain, oil, cloth, calligraphy and painting, and restaurant management…

All in all, in just one more year, not only can we earn back the Shen family’s former wealth, but we can also do even better!

I got excited just talking about these businesses, and happily took the fur I had sent him earlier, and asked him silly, “How is it? Is this material warm? This is also my business this year. Isn’t it great?”

He was also very happy, rubbed my head again, and gave an extremely affirmative answer, “Great.”

“My Jade Lady is the most amazing lady in the world.”

I have one more piece of good news for you in these days of worry.

It’s almost over.

I knew what he meant, that the big thing in the capital was about to be completed, and I happily congratulated him.

Suddenly I remembered the excuse I gave him when my father passed away, so I asked him as a joke, “If that’s the case, then when will you pass the imperial examination and bring honor to our Shen family?”

Shen Huaian smiled and handed me a glass of wine.

“Tomorrow.”

12

After he left that time, he didn’t return home for more than half a year.

Many major events happened in the past six months. It was said that the master of a marquisate in the capital was engaged in the illegal business of privately minting copper coins, which angered the emperor, who immediately ordered the entire family to be confiscated.

The lady’s family and her husband came in together, so the emperor raided the lady’s family home as well.

Not long after, the official in charge of the case discovered that the case was instigated by the third prince of the current emperor, His Royal Highness Prince Qi. The prince’s involvement in the crime touched the emperor’s reverse scale, and the emperor’s face was burning with anger.

The emperor was so angry that he spat out blood. He ordered the King of Qi to be demoted to a commoner and then executed.

After all these great actions, the emperor fell ill due to the pain of losing his son and the suffering of being deceived.

The country could not be without a ruler for a day, so the officials petitioned the emperor to appoint a crown prince as soon as possible. The emperor refused, but in the end he had no choice but to pick and choose the fifth prince, Prince Huai, to be the regent.

For a time, the court was in turmoil and unpredictable.

The common people of Yangzhou city also began to talk about it. This matter was talked about in the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, and among storytellers.

Shen Huaian returned home late one night. Everyone was asleep, but I was still calculating with the abacus by the light of the lamp.

He walked straight into my yard, put another ruby ​​hairpin in my hair, and told me seriously, “It’s done. Wait for me to enter high school next year.”

I touched the red gem. It was round and looked just like the red beans he always put in his envelopes.

After that, I seemed to be competing with Shen Huaian. The competition was whether I would become the richest man in Yangzhou first, or he would pass the imperial examination first.

I counted the accounts day after day, shrewdly calculating investments in various industries. I had to open a jewelry store, a Shen’s Restaurant, a few more cake shops, and a chain of dessert shops…

Then, before I knew it, I had truly become a 20-year-old maid. Girls of my age had already started families and their children were old enough to go out and play.

Even the eldest daughter of the He family back then has married and is now the mother of two children. One day, she brought her little girl to visit my home, and my mother was very fond of the delicate little girl.

Since then, I have been thinking about how long it will take for my son-in-law to come home and give me a cute grandson.

She was confused and forgot that she had a son. She only remembered two daughters, me and my younger sister.

My younger sister has grown into a very beautiful girl now. She has become very shrewd from following me in doing business.

But one day, Ye’er suddenly refused to go to school. He insisted on picking up the bow and arrow that my eldest brother had used, and clamored to become a general.

When I was 20 years old, I opened the most exquisite restaurant in Yangzhou. When I cut the ribbon for the restaurant’s opening, there was an uproar on the street and loud voices in the distance.

Someone shouted at the top of his voice: “This year’s top scholar has returned home!”

People were pouring out of the restaurant, all wanting to see the top scholar. When I saw the guests leave, I immediately became anxious.

I was resentful in my heart that the top scholar was here to steal the limelight. My new store had just opened and I hadn’t even made the first profit yet, but already he had overshadowed me.

The shopkeeper came back excitedly from outside and started to congratulate me: “Congratulations, boss! Congratulations, boss!”

I was about to lose money, so what was there to congratulate? I looked at the bill and picked up the abacus to calculate how much money I would lose from today’s incident.

“I’m here, Boss! Shen Jilang is back!”

The word “Shen Erlang” really brought me back to my senses immediately.

“Who are you talking about? Second brother is back? Is it true?” Before he could finish his words, the person ran back to the Shen Mansion holding up his skirt.

There were many people coming to the gate of Shen’s house to congratulate, and my housekeeper and maids were simply unable to greet them all. Now there was no one in charge, and they were leaderless.

I was anxious to see my second brother, but I couldn’t afford to offend the villagers, so I had to thank them one by one and then send them off one by one.

By the time I was done, my mouth was so dry that I couldn’t speak. I didn’t even drink a sip of tea before I went to look for him in his courtyard.

As a result, his servant told him that he was in my yard, and I ran back to my yard eagerly.

However, as soon as I opened the door, I saw him wearing the familiar black clothes, standing under the locust tree in the yard.

Grandmother and mother were sitting on the porch, chatting happily with him. Little sister was standing beside grandmother, rubbing her head, and nephew was dancing with a big sword.

When he saw me come in, he called me, “Yu Niang.”

13

But less than half a month after Shen Huaian returned home, I was already fed up with it.

Business was at its busiest, but the ladies kept sending me invitations to go and see the flowers. I received dozens of invitations a day, and I couldn’t refuse them in time.

But I was the head of the Shen family, and I had to review all kinds of banquets, big and small. For a while, I always felt overwhelmed.

In my spare time, I read a few posts, all of which introduced their own daughters. There were even cases where wives put photos of their own daughters in the posts.

I thought that since I was Shen Huaian’s junior, I naturally couldn’t make decisions for him. So I put a bunch of invitations in front of my grandmother and asked her to pick them out first. These were all from people who wanted to marry Shen Huaian.

But my grandmother narrowed her eyes again and murmured loudly at me, as if she didn’t quite understand.

I remember that Erlang was promised to you at that time. Why do these ladies want to marry their daughters to a son-in-law?

I was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

I had to retort that everyone knew the truth about whether he was a son-in-law or not. They knew that the marriage certificate you wrote at that time was just an emergency measure and it didn’t count.

Now my second brother is a prominent figure in Yangzhou City, so naturally there are many ladies who want to marry their daughters.

Grandma stuffed the note back into my hands and said, “I can’t decide for him. You should give it to him yourself.”

I came to his yard angrily and spread all the notes on his desk.

Pointing at the pile of posts, he said, “They are all candidates for marriage. You can choose one by yourself. If you like any of them, I will prepare the betrothal gifts for you.”

He turned around and was about to go back to the restaurant to settle the accounts. I was still very angry, but he laughed out loud. I glared at him and was about to step out of the house. In the end, he grabbed me back.

I tried to break free, but failed after several attempts. I was already blushing from holding it in.

“What’s going on? Is your wife jealous?”

“What are you yelling about! I’m just talking about serious matters, can you please speak properly? Let me go now, I haven’t settled my account for today yet.”

“Where did I yell? It’s you who’s yelling at me all day long. Hmm?”

“Brother, please don’t scare me. Yu Niang shouldn’t have made you angry. You should calm down first.”

He chuckled twice more, and his strength seemed to have diminished a lot. I quickly broke free and ran to the door. But he locked the door before me, forcing me to look him in the eye.

“My dear, are you still thinking about Xu Lang and Pei Lang? I remember that year my grandmother wrote a marriage certificate for you and me, in black and red words, very clearly written.”

“Those were just jokes from the past, don’t take them seriously, brother. If you are still angry with Yu Niang because of that, then today you can beat her up to vent your anger. I will accept it even if you beat me to death! Brother, can you let me go first?”

I was not as powerful as him, so I immediately gave in. I just wanted to escape from this place of trouble.

But he would not agree, “Second brother? Why don’t you try calling him again?”

I don’t dare to speak anymore.

This was probably the most disastrous battle I’ve ever fought since I took over the family. The enemy had already defeated us before we even had a chance to fight. Shen Huaian seemed to be possessed by a demon. “Be good, call me husband.”

14

I was dreaming.

Shen Huaian’s figure is everywhere in the dream.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival that year. I fell into the water. He used his sleeve to wipe my hair, and I watched the moon with him.

Soon it was New Year again. I asked him to watch the snow, and he smiled and pinned a butterfly on my head.

After a while, he sent another letter home. I opened it and saw that it was full of red beans.

It’s really like being possessed.

I suddenly opened my eyes and stared blankly at the carved ceiling of my bed. Shen Huaian’s voice seemed to still linger in my ears.

“Yu Niang, please think carefully about what your feelings for me are.”

“I don’t know.” I sighed softly in the darkness, turned over and hid all my thoughts under the quilt.

The next day, I woke up early, because I was afraid of meeting Shen Huaian again, so I didn’t even have time to eat. I went to the restaurant with dark circles under my eyes. When I walked under the corridor, I saw him holding a bow and teaching Ye Ge’er archery in the yard.

I wanted to walk past quickly, but he put down his bow and arrow, stopped me and asked me where I was going.

“None of your business.” I ran faster than I could speak.

As a result, he was still restless even when he arrived at the restaurant. He simply picked up a jar of wine and ran to He’s house to drink with Miss He.

It just so happened that Miss He was still upset because I fell into the water at her house and refused her cloak. Later, I did some business with the He family and our relationship improved.

It is true that alcohol makes people brave. After a few drinks, I hugged He Chen and told him everything about how Shen Huaian treated me yesterday.

As a result, this guy clapped his hands and swore, “I told you! When you fell into the water that year, wasn’t it your second brother who wiped your hair?”

“How do you know that my second brother wiped my hair?” I have never told these things to anyone.

“Well, I was worried about you as a girl, so I asked my brother to take me to follow you. Then I saw you in front of the shop, and a man was wiping your hair with his sleeve.

I don’t know your second brother, but my brother said that the man looked like Shen’s second brother. So it was your second brother! I think he was right, you should think about it carefully. “

“Then… what do you think of my second brother…”

“Oh, your second brother must be very fond of you! Didn’t he write you a letter? The kind with two red beans in it.”

Red beans express lovesickness.

I grinned foolishly, poured out the last drop of wine in the jar, held the cup and drank it all, then fell headfirst onto the table and fell asleep.

15

I was drunk, and when I woke up it was almost dusk. There was no light beside the bed, but there was a small oil lamp burning on a wooden table not far away.

Shen Huaian was sitting there, writing something.

When he heard me sneak out of bed, he immediately put down his pen.

“Are you sober? The sobering soup is still warming on the stove. Can I bring it over?”

“I’ll…get it myself.”

“Just sit there and be obedient.” Pinching my face, Shen Huaian quickly got up and went to the kitchen, and considerately closed the door when he left.

After he disappeared, I breathed a sigh of relief. I put my hand on my face and it was burning hot.

My fingers were shaking with fear.

When he came back with the hangover soup, I had already dressed neatly and sat next to the desk. When Shen Huaian came in, he saw me sitting there obediently and smiled even more…

But he looks really good when he smiles.

“Drink the soup to avoid a headache.”

I took the bowl and began to drink from it in small sips. Shen Huaian sat down next to me again, picked up the pen and started writing what he had not finished before.

I couldn’t help but glance at him secretly.

He seemed to notice something, and he curled his lips and turned around with a teasing look on his face.

“It’s not like I won’t let you see it. If you want to see it, then go ahead. What’s the point of just peeking at it secretly?”

I immediately felt like a kid who had been caught doing something bad, so ashamed that I wanted to hide. So I buried my face in the bowl.

“You almost buried your face in the bowl. You weren’t like this when you were drunk just now.”

“I… I’m sorry.” I blushed even more with shame, buried my head deeper, and started to apologize, my voice as small as a mosquito.

Shen Huaian looked into my eyes, which were sparkling.

“Yu Niang, I am attracted to you. I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife. Do you understand?”

The room was very quiet and I could hear two hearts pounding.

He said to me with a smile on his face, “Yu Niang, your heart is beating so fast.”

He tilted his head to the side of the table and motioned for me to look at the letters on the table.

“Okay, I won’t tease you anymore. Come and see what I’m writing. Didn’t you always ask me what’s so precious about me? I’ve written down all the words I can’t say.”

“Come and watch it with my second brother, okay?”

I suddenly remembered that my father passed away that year. The locust trees in Yangzhou were blooming. I saw him off and asked him what made him so precious.

At that time he refused to answer, only telling me that the time had not come yet. So now, is that the time?

16

Even through the letter, I could feel the hidden swordplay inside. Shen Huaian had dodged countless attacks in the past few years.

The prince of the royal family, whose mother was murdered, was hidden in an old friend’s house under a false name. He was born with a heavy blood feud on his shoulders, which made him breathless.

He was involved in disputes again and joined King Huai’s army, becoming the sharpest knife, hiding in the dark and stirring up trouble.

Is this Shen Huaian?

“The year my father passed away, the situation in the capital changed dramatically. There were undercurrents and constant storms in the court.

King Huai was being closely watched, and they found me by following the clues. I was afraid of involving the Shen family in the power struggle, so I didn’t dare to do anything at that time. “

“On the day I came back, my grandmother told me that she had handed the Shen family over to Yu Niang.

I was anxious at the time. I said, “How can Yu Niang, a weak little girl, fight against those evil relatives?” I was worried, so I sent spies to secretly inquire about your news.

As a result, my Yu Niang is truly the best woman in the world. She alone supports the entire Shen family. This is what made me put my heart at ease. “

As I listened to him talk about the past, my face no longer turned red, but my eyes did and tears were about to flow down.

“You’re talking nonsense. I… I’m not that good.”

He wiped my tears.

“Good lady, don’t cry. I hate to see you cry. Every time your eyes turn red, I feel so distressed.”

“I know my daughter, Yu Niang, she has never said a word when she was wronged since she was a child, and she would cry secretly in her bed in the middle of the night.”

“I can’t bear to see you cry. Stop crying, okay?”

Shen Huaian softened his voice, wiping away tears and coaxing her.

But my tears were like a broken dam, rushing out in an instant, flowing more and more, and I could never wipe them away.

Finally, when I finished crying, I realized that I was still lying in his arms, and I felt extremely embarrassed. I turned my head to the side and buried my face deeper.

His words, still coaxing, came from above my head, “Are you done crying?”

I kept silent.

He said, “Yu Niang, let’s take it slow, okay?”

It was an old family tree, the edges of the paper had turned yellow. He had just written on it, the ink had just soaked through the paper, and flowers had bloomed on it. His handwriting was still vigorous and unrestrained.

He originally crossed out the name of the second son, Shen Huaian, and added it after my name.

The legitimate daughter is Xue Yu, and her husband is Shen Huaian.

“Please let me marry into your family.”

17

Shen Huaian was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. King Huai personally selected a house in the capital and ordered him to choose an auspicious day to take office.

On the day he left for his new post, I saw him off at the door of my house as usual. He got on his horse, leaned over and kissed my face, “I’ll be waiting for you in Beijing.”

I smiled and said, “Okay.”

“Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

Later, I married him, and he promised me a phoenix crown and a long-mile red dress. At night, he lifted the veil, and I took out an abacus to calculate the Shen family’s assets with him. He smiled and said that he would live a life of luxury and draw eyebrows for me every day.

A few years later, he was promoted to Prime Minister and he would draw my eyebrows every day.