Chapter 2.2

[This is my first time translating and I would like to emphasize that I am not a professional translator and I don’t speak the Chinese language and English is not my language as well. I just want to share some good novels that I have MTL-ed. If you don’t mind these things, then feel free to read and if you don’t just go away (don’t be a meanie XD).]

Pei Yong Chang didn’t know that the Chen family was not peaceful recently. His mother-in-law, Chen second madam, was very angry with the private moves of the other branches of the family. For many days, the servants of Yunxia courtyard were trembling for fear that their misfortune might cause the master’s misfortune.

Just like today, the second madam lost her temper again. In the room, she scolded the third and fourth madam for being hypocrite, mean and shameless. She also scolded the first madam for being a smiling face tiger. They were envious that her daughter was the crowned princess, they tripped her behind her back.

Just then, Pei Yong Chang came.

Pei Yong Chang is the son-in-law of the second branch of the Chen family. He married the eldest daughter of the second branch.

At that time, Chen’s family had not yet produced a crown princess and they were not noble enough. In addition, Chen second master is a man with no ambition. Although he has a good reputation but he is addicted in painting and calligraphy. Chen second madam also knows that it’s impossible to expect her husband to be an official. Since her husband don’t have a good official position, it’s better to get some silver.

Using the influence of Chen family, the second madam found herself a son-in-law who was a salt merchant.

Although the name of salt merchants is not pleasant to hear, but they can’t escape the temptation to have money. Pei Yong Chang has always been filial. He never fails to show this yearly (through gifts and money). He has not only fattened the second branch, but also filled the Chen family. Naturally, Pei family’s business in Yangzhou has been smooth and successful. No one dares to make trouble.

Everyone in the Chen family knows that the fourth gūyé (this ranking is based on the total ranking of Chen’s daughters, meaning her wife is the fourth lady of Chen family) is filial. If the fourth gūyé knows that the second madam is a little uncomfortable, all kinds of rare and valuable medicinal materials are sent from Yangzhou. The second master likes all kinds of ancient paintings, so when fourth gūyé find some he sends it to the capital as soon as get a hold of it.

Relying on the ^[1] ‘dripping water wears through a stone’, Pei Yong Chang has the respect of the Chen family. Especially in front of the second branch, Chen second madam look up to this son-in-law.

Everyone in the house is against the second madam now, even her husband is not on her side so this filial son-in-law naturally become her confidant. When she heard that Pei Yong Chang was coming, she asked someone to call him in to talk.

…

While Pei Yong Chang and the second madam were talking, Pan Er was waiting outside the bào shà.

It’s march and spring has come. The flowers in the flower garden of Yunxia courtyard have already bloomed. There are roses, lilacs, and jasmine. They seem to complement and compete each other. The air is full of faint fragrance of flowers, which makes people feel refreshed.

Pan Er was sitting there with her head half down. From time to time servant girls came in and went out, dressed in either blue or green bǐ jiǎ. Just by judging the manner and attire of the whole person it is evident that they are not the servant girls of ordinary people.

Even the previous Pan Er was inferior.

After all, one is a thin horse trained to serve people for pleasure, and the other is a maidservant. There is a saying that “It’s better to marry everyone’s maidservant than a ^[2] woman from a small family.”. Although the meaning of the two is different, the meaning is close in comparison. If you change her to a 15-year-old Pan Er, I’m afraid that it’s hard to sit and settle surrounded by these needle like eyes. Fortunately, Pan Er’s inner self has been changed, so she’s just sitting there and looking down.

In the vague memory of Empress Dowager Yi An, it seems that there was such a scene before.

At that time, she didn’t know the inside story why she had suffered such a look. It was that everyone knew her identity a thin horse. She was ashamed of herself and had no face to see others. So later, she was seized by the second lady with her humble state of mind. She didn’t dare to resist whatever they demanded.

When others give her a little kindness, she will be grateful. When others begun to show their true colors, she did not dare utter a word. After suffering so much later, she came to her senses.

Just when Pan Er was immersed in that memory, someone came to the yard. He was the little servant beside the second master.

It’s said that the second master was resting today. He heard that his eldest son-in-law has come so he asked him to visit him and talk.

The second lady did not bother to let Pei Yong Chang stay. He left without taking Pan Er, apparently deliberately.

The second madam thought about what they talked about. She went to the partitioned window and looked into the inclined Bào shà.

Looking from her direction, she can only see the gentle side face of the woman. At this time, Liu Mama came back after sending Pei Yong Chang out of the room.

After sitting down, the second lady asked, “Nanny, what do you think of this girl?”.

The second madam is in her forties, but at most she is in her early thirties in appearance. She is wearing a red ^[3] bèi zi embroidered with butterflies and a cyan ^[4] mǎ miàn skirt. Her jet-black hair was coiled in a bun, decorated with dangling gold hair ornaments, which made her look dignified.

She has a white, plump, round face with a pair of phoenix eyes and willow eyebrows which do not match the face.

Liu Mama sighed, “Madam, what do you think?”

The second madam rubbed the ring between her lower fingers, then pursed her lips and said, “The appearance is not bad, but it seems to be a little smaller, and rather too thin, such a sickly woman if sent in, can she really please the prince?”

When Liu Mama went out, she also glanced at Pan Er. She thought that Pan Er’s appearance was excellent, especially that delicate and weak countenance. This kind of looks can easily arouse people’s sympathy.

As for why the second madam said that, I’m afraid that the face of this woman has violated her taboo. It is known that the second madam had always disliked such a weak woman’s appearance. Only the old people in the mansion know that this is an old grievance. How would the eldest son-in-law know about this?

If you set aside the second madam’s personal likes and dislikes, this girl is really suitable.

Thinking about the advice that had been given to her when she sent the eldest son-in-law out, Liu Mama hesitated and cleverly avoided the topic.

“What is a thin horse, madam?”

The second madam, who had come from a Marquis’ family, naturally knew what it was, but it was nothing more than a collection of low, dirty things that she could not even speak of.

“This thin horse is a woman who has been specially trained to serve men. Women and men have different perspectives. Maybe we can just take it as we don’t see it. And such a person is better than the third young lady. If it’s a relative, how can we control them? We can’t hold people in our hands and send them to the prince. To send someone to the crown prince is to share our girl’s favor. Such a girl is the best. She comes from a humble background and her life is in our hands. We can control what she needs to do. “

These are all understood by the second madam, her only concern was her beloved daughter, she really cannot allow any carelessness.

Thinking of her daughter as the crowned princess, the second madam was both proud and annoyed: “Before, I was too eager to please the old lady and sent Yan Er to be raised under her knees. She had enough talent, virtue and grace however developed a proud character. She can only grit her teeth and say nothing. She can’t tolerate how a lowly person blocked her but she can’t handle it. How can I watched her suffer? It really breaks my heart as her mother. “

T/N: Double Update! (/◕ヮ◕)/

• [1] dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom); constant perseverance yields success You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty.
• [2] woman from a small family – used to mean a woman from a family without money or power.
• [3] bèi zi 褙子 – A beizi is an item of traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women, a large loose coat. It was most popular during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty.
• [4] mǎ miàn skirt – literally ‘horse skirt’, a really wide skirt similar to a saddle skirt

beizi

mamian skirt

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