The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 21
On the way there, the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady naturally also saw the fish basket carried by the servants. After asking and finding out what it was, their anger flared even more.
Just earlier, several shopkeepers had blocked their courtyard, refusing to write off even a single box of rouge from the account, demanding every last coin to be settled cleanly. Yet now, she actually had silver to lavish on the servants?
The two young ladies, fuming with rage, stormed into the courtyard. By then, Wen Shuse had already gone inside. The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady headed straight to Xie Shao’s west wing room and began pounding on the door.
“Third Brother!”
“Third Brother…”
Xie Shao had been out all night and, after his street quarrel with that sharp-tongued individual, was thoroughly drained, both physically and mentally. He was just about to take off his clothes for a bath and collapse into a deep sleep when the sudden pounding rattled the door panels, as if the two of them wouldn’t rest until they tore the doors right off.
Minzhang had always been helpless in the face of the two spoiled young ladies’ tantrums. Standing outside, he could only call out again and again, “Eldest Young Lady, Second Young Lady, the young master is resting. Please stop knocking.” He didn’t dare actually lay hands to drag them away.
His ears already aching from the noise, Xie Shao let out a sharp hiss with his eyes closed, put his clothes back on, and pulled the door open with a dark expression. “What is it now?”
The Eldest Young Lady stood just outside the threshold, her face full of grievance as she spoke first. “Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law bullies people far too much. While you were away, she turned the household upside down. Mother was so upset she was in tears, and Grandmother was so angry she fainted.”
The Second Young Lady quickly chimed in, “Yes! We cannot accept a sister-in-law like this. Third Brother, you should send her back to wherever she came from.”
Their words were filled with nothing but accusations and complaints against Wen Suse.
Xie Shao was somewhat surprised. Hadn’t Steward Wen been managing things quite well? He found their words rather hard to believe.
Turning his head and glancing toward the east wing room, he saw Xiangyun standing under the eaves, deliberately drawing out her voice as she called, “Our Third Young Madam says, if Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady have grievances, hurry up and pour them all out to Third Young Master now. Once she’s finished bathing, she’ll listen to the two of you argue your way out.”
Xie Shao: …
The words argue your way out struck the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady dumb for a moment. When they came back to their senses, they stomped their feet and cried out, “Third Brother, just look at her! Isn’t she just a dog barking based on its master’s power?”
Xie Shao felt his headache and swept his gaze over. “Who are you calling a dog?”
The Second Young Lady was choked silent, then hurriedly said, “Third Brother, you don’t know what she’s done…”
Sleep was clearly out of the question now.
Xie Shao went back inside, sat down cross-legged on the floor cushion, and, half-dozing, half-awake, listened to his two cousins relentlessly accuse his new wife. After what felt like an eternity, he finally pieced it together and pried open his eyes to ask, “You’re saying she made the shopkeepers come demand money from you?”
“Exactly. Today, the shopkeepers from the stores came to settle accounts, and she flatly denied everything. Each one of them came running to us for payment of perfumes and powders, and even Mother wasn’t spared…”
The Eldest Young Lady quickly fanned the flames, “Before, everyone in this household knew how kind and generous Third Brother was. But ever since she arrived, everything has changed…”
While they were busy making their complaints inside, Wen Shuse had already finished her bath, changed into fresh clothes, and had Aunt Qing and Nanny Fang move a wooden table and benches out beneath the pear tree. She then had tea and pastries set out, presenting the clear attitude that she was ready to accompany them to the very end. Only then did she send Xiangyun to summon them.
Xiangyun went to the west wing room to deliver the message, but didn’t even step over the threshold. Standing at the foot of the steps, she once again raised her voice, “Third Young Madam is already finished bathing. If Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady want an explanation, you may come now!”
Inside the room, the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady were so furious they nearly staggered backward. “See? Just look how arrogant she is…”
Xie Shao rubbed his temples, knowing that if he didn’t step in today, this would never end. He decided he might as well go see this so-called Third Young Madam himself, to find out whether she was really as arrogant as they claimed.
But the moment he stepped over the threshold, he saw the young lady seated on a round stool beneath the pear blossom tree. She wore a begonia-red long dress, pearl flowers pinned in her hair, and in her hand, a gauzy fan swayed lightly as she sipped tea at her leisure.
Xie Shao: …
The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady buzzed like wasps. “Third Brother…”
Bracing himself, Xie Shao walked over. Wen Shuse had only ordered two stools to be set out: one for herself, the other placed at her side.
Xie Shao, however, showed not the slightest politeness. He sat right down next to the young lady, flicked his sleeve with one hand, and said, “Your Third Sister-in-law is here. Say what you have to say.”
With no seats left, the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady had no choice but to stand. Just moments earlier, in front of Xie Shao, they had been able to rattle off accusations. But now, facing Wen Shuse herself, their words caught in their throats.
The Eldest Young Lady nudged the Second Young Lady, urging her to speak first. But having just suffered a loss to Wen Shuse the night before, the Second Young Lady felt a bit intimidated, and carefully mulled over her words before daring to speak.
Wen Shuse wasn’t in any rush, waiting patiently for them to gather their thoughts. After a long pause, it was the Eldest Young Lady who finally spoke first, pointedly not addressing her as sister-in-law, “Before you came, this household was harmonious.”
Wen Shuse nodded in acknowledgment. “That’s something I truly can’t do. I’m not stupid, and I’ve never been one to let myself be a fool.”
Xie Shao: …
The Second Young Lady couldn’t take it anymore and immediately tattled, “Third Brother, she just called you a fool.”
He had heard it himself; there was no need for her to repeat it. She’d already called him that several times; one more hardly mattered. Xie Shao felt his head splitting. “Stick to the main issue.”
The Eldest Young Lady steadied her emotions. “The expenses drawn from the shops under the Xie family’s name have always been included in the monthly household accounts. This has also been tacitly agreed by Second Uncle and Second Aunt…”
Before she could finish, a commotion came from behind.
Uncle An arrived in haste with several servants, arms full of account books. Picking up right where the Eldest Young Lady had left off, Wen Shuse gave her order, “Uncle An, read out for the Eldest Young Lady how much she spent last month.”
Uncle An had already memorized these ledgers by heart. Flipping open a book, he read aloud in a clear voice, “Last month, under the pretense of purchasing perfumes, powders, silks, and jewelry, Eldest Young Lady withdrew a total of one thousand two hundred and sixty-eight taels of silver from the accounts. In addition, aside from the Xie family shops, she also accrued one hundred and fifty taels of credit.”
Tsk. Over a thousand taels in just one month…
Enough to buy an entire courtyard in Fengcheng. Astounding. Even the Second Young Lady was stunned for a moment and turned to stare at her elder sister.
The Eldest Young Lady’s face changed. “Don’t you spout nonsense! Of that sum, one thousand taels were specifically rewarded by Third Brother because I contributed five hundred taels to aid Concubine Gu’s cousin!”
This was like offering her face up to be slapped. Wen Shuse did not show the slightest mercy. “What Eldest Young Lady might not know is that I happened to see Concubine Gu’s cousin being thrown out of the Xie Mansion that very day. The five hundred taels didn’t come from you. I gave the money. Concubine Gu has already visited my courtyard to thank me. Your Third Brother also knows. You deceived him into giving you a thousand taels.”
The Eldest Young Lady frantically looked toward Xie Shao.
Seated beside Wen Shuse, Xie Shao’s expression was one of utter calm, his face unreadable. His silence spoke volumes. The Eldest Young Lady’s face instantly turned ashen.
Wen Shuse continued, “Even if you hadn’t come to me, I would have sent someone to find you. Among the accounts you owe, some belong to the Wen family. I must ask the Eldest Young Lady to settle the account by the end of today.”
Ignoring the Eldest Young Lady’s look of despair as though she’d been buried alive, she turned her head toward the Second Young Lady. “And you, Second Young Lady… you owe my Wen family four hundred and eighty taels. When do you plan on repaying it?”
Four hundred and eighty taels? She certainly had nerve.
This time, it was the Eldest Young Lady’s turn to be shocked. The Second Young Lady opened her mouth, her face flushing red. When she had taken on the debt, the shopkeeper had sworn to keep it secret. Who would have thought he’d turn around and sell her out like this…
“Uncle An, read out the Second Madam’s accounts as well.”
Uncle An was more than happy to oblige. “Last month, the Second Young Lady withdrew from the accounts a total of…”
—
The commotion in the garden soon reached the ears of the Eldest Madam. A servant came running, breathless, blurting out as soon as she saw her: “Eldest Madam, something terrible has happened! The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady have been caught red-handed by Third Young Madam. She’s already exposed them before Third Young Master…”
The Eldest Madam was stunned for a moment, then cursed, “Is she trying to overturn the heavens?” She quickly sent Biyun to go see what was happening.
By the time Biyun arrived, not only the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady, but even the Second Young Master and Second Young Madam had been summoned to the courtyard.
Wen Shuse handed out a stack of account books to each of them, sitting upright and composed as she spoke politely, “I must trouble everyone today to settle their outstanding accounts first.”
The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady had never imagined that they would come intending to lodge a complaint, only to end up being pressed for debts. What was worse, all the little secrets they had hidden were dragged out into the open for everyone to see, as if stripped bare with not a shred of dignity left. Each of their faces turned ashen-green with fury.
The Second Young Lady, pampered since childhood by the Eldest Madam, was the first to explode. “I refuse to pay! What can you possibly do about it?”
Wen Shuse smiled. “Naturally, I can’t do anything to you. Debts must be repaid, so we’ll just meet in court. We’ll go to the yamen and seek out your elder brother. I imagine there are valuable things in the Second Young Lady’s room. Selling a few should cover your debts.”
The Second Young Lady pointed at her furiously. “You…!”
“Didn’t your tutors ever teach you to live within your means? Or does Second Young Lady truly not understand that debts incurred on credit must eventually be repaid?”
The Second Ma Young Lady burst into tears from sheer anger.
The Eldest Young Lady gave a cold snort. “So, it’s just a little over a hundred taels of silver. Was there really any need for Third Sister-in-law to make such a scene, to drive us all into a corner? What good does this do for you?”
That was playing the emotional card.
“I am not a people-pleaser, and I least despise using silver to win others over.” Wen Shuse refused to yield. “I know Eldest Young Lady has plenty of private savings, so there’s no need to sell anything off. Just settle the account today. As for that one-thousand-tael note, bring it back tomorrow. Next time, don’t lie so easily. Being exposed like this is utterly shameful.”
The Eldest Young Lady was so furious that tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing both elder sisters-in-law reduced to tears, the Second Young Madam stepped forward to fan the flames. “Sister-in-law, you are certainly impressive today. But in the end, we are merely outsiders who married into this family. If you go on offending everyone like this…”
“Second Sister-in-law, is it?” Wen Shuse cut her off. Seeing her remain silent, she knew she hadn’t mistaken. Wen Shuse sighed softly and said with seeming kindness, “You’d best advise Second Brother to visit the pleasure houses less often. From what I’ve heard from my elder brothers, the girls there are experts at swindling money. Normally, a pot of wine is just a few dozen copper coins, but in their place it costs dozens of taels, even hundreds. Second Brother must have been deceived, otherwise how could he have racked up over six hundred taels of wine debt…”
The Second Young Madam froze, then turned in shock to stare at her husband. “You… you went to a pleasure house?”
The pleasure houses of Fengcheng were filled with women, and everyone knew what kind of business they conducted.
The Second Young Master’s face showed panic, and he quickly tried to explain. “I… I had no choice. They forced me inside against my will…”
The Second Young Madam grabbed hold of him, sobbing and striking him at once. “I stay at home giving you sons and daughters, while you go off to enjoy yourself! You even went to a pleasure house! Heartless man, I can’t go on living…”
Just as Biyun hurried over, she was greeted by this very scene. Her heart sank with a thud, and she rushed forward to pull the Second Young Madam away, asking anxiously, “What on earth happened here?”
Wen Shuse recognized her. She was Biyun, the senior maid who served at the Eldest Madam’s side.
Perfect.
Wen Shuse called out, “Aunt Biyun.”
Just as Biyun looked over, Wen Shuse said, “Since the Eldest Madam hasn’t come today, it’s just right for you to carry a message back to her. Tell her that the Third Young Master is busy with affairs every day and has no time to manage the accounts. Since you are all dissatisfied with my management, from today onward, to avoid such conflicts in the future, we will each manage our own affairs. Our branch will no longer maintain a shared accounts office.”