The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 45
Since he had already said what needed to be said, and the other was determined to go, why bother asking for his opinion again?
Even if he tried to stop him, would he really not go?
Not expecting Xie Shao to take this stance, the Eldest Young Master froze for a moment. He drew his hands out from his sleeves, gave the wide cuffs a light shake, and relaxed into a smile, saying with relief, “Ever since Third Brother entered officialdom, you’ve been quite different from before. I believe that sooner or later, the two of us brothers will meet again in the Eastern Capital.”
Xie Shao did not comment on that, only smiled and said, “Then I’ll wish Eldest Brother a future as bright as brocade.”
“I’ll take Third Brother’s good words,” he replied.
With his departure set for the next day, the Eldest Young Master still had plenty to attend to. Xie Shao did not detain him further. After taking his leave, he returned first to the garden. The young madam had not yet come back; she was likely still dining at the Old Madam’s place. After bathing and changing clothes, he casually took out a book and sat down on a cushion to wait.
—
Wen Shuse was indeed in Old Madam Xie’s room. That evening, portions of the banquet’s food and wine had been sent to the Old Madam as well. The two of them sat at a round table, chatting as they sampled the dishes.
“They’ve really spared no expense this time. These sliced fish are fresh the moment they’re cut. Last time, when White Pavilion sent theirs over, the layer of ice had almost melted, and once in the mouth, it always felt too soft,” Old Madam Xie said, picking up a piece and placing it into Wen Shuse’s bowl. “Shuse, have a taste.”
After being caught by Xie Shao last time, Wen Shuse had not dared to sneak out to eat again. She had obediently lived on vegetarian food for several days, and her stomach had long since grown bland and empty.
Tonight, the Eldest Madam was hosting a banquet for the Eldest Young Master to celebrate his promotion. The guests were all prominent figures of Fengcheng, so the dishes were naturally prepared with great care. The flavors were no worse than those at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion or White Pavilion.
From the moment she sat down, Wen Shuse’s chopsticks had not paused. Hearing this, she dipped a piece into the sauce and put it into her mouth, her expression immediately filling with satisfaction. “Grandmother is right. It’s fresh and delicious. Grandmother should eat more as well.”
Old Madam Xie liked seeing her look so lively. Eating at the same table as someone with such a good appetite made her enjoy her own meal all the more.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the servants cleared the table. Old Madam Xie dismissed all the maids from the room before handing a letter to Wen Shuse. “News from the Eastern Capital. It just arrived at dusk. Take a look.”
Wen Shuse knew it was from Uncle An and Aunt Qing. She quickly took it and opened it.
The contents of the letter were brief. The properties had already been purchased. Fingerprints were pressed that very night, and by the next day the prices had already jumped, each courtyard increasing by an average of one hundred strings of cash.
Wen Shuse was startled, unable to hide the joy on her face. She blurted out, “Uncle An and the Aunt really are reliable. This alone is worth how many months of my husband’s salary?”
Indeed.
This was just one day. By the time the properties were sold, doubling the investment would likely be no issue at all.
When Wen Shuse first proposed that idea, Old Madam Xie agreed without a moment’s hesitation. As a mother, she knew her two sons’ temperaments all too well.
After the Second Master returned home, he washed his hands of everything and took no responsibility at all. For all these years, the household had been left entirely in the hands of the Eldest Master. The Eldest Master, for his part, showed no restraint. He took charge as head of the family and even counted the second branch’s silver as part of his own assets.
Though they were one family, they had not the slightest awareness of whether that money truly belonged to them, or whether it ought to be spent.
Money itself was a small matter; character was hard to correct. A chasm might be filled, but greed knew no bounds.
Over this issue, she had once gone to the Second Master. He only chuckled twice, taking it utterly lightly, and tossed her a single line in response: “We’re all family. As long as they’re happy, that’s enough.”
If she tried to say more, he would either dodge here or hide there, always finding some excuse to brush her off.
The Second Madam was no more reliable. “What is Mother afraid of? Since the Second Master can be so at ease, he must have his own plans. When things truly reach the end of the road, he surely won’t let us chew on chaff.”
As for the younger ones, there was no need to mention them. Their talent for squandering surpassed even that of their parents.
One could see a person’s future from their childhood; their character at three foretells their path in old age. Old Madam Xie understood all too clearly that the eldest branch of the Xie family could not shoulder the great responsibility of the family. In the future, the ones they could truly rely on would still be the second branch.
But with the second branch sinking into such willful neglect, how could she not worry, especially about her third grandson, a truly promising seedling. How could she stand by and watch him be cut down?
Her granddaughter-in-law was right. Rather than letting things drag on like this, it was better to pull the firewood from beneath the cauldron and give him a clean, decisive push.
Back then, the Second Master had feared his son entering officialdom and choosing sides. Without regard for anything else, he had dragged him back to Fengcheng, feeding and housing him well, yet forbidding him from pledging allegiance to Jing Wang.
Now he could no longer control him. His son had taken a wife, and that wife was a “spendthrift,” who emptied her household to buy a ninth-rank post and forcibly shoved his son onto the official path.
Such a happy accident was enough to make Old Madam Xie laugh herself awake even in her dreams. Once he was set upon that road, with her third grandson’s abilities, she had no fear he would fail to make something of himself.
The only person she felt she had wronged was this granddaughter-in-law. “To have you bear the reputation of a spendthrift for no reason weighs heavily on my conscience. Your father-in-law can’t be relied upon anymore. All I hope for now is that that little rascal will come to his senses sooner rather than later. When the truth comes to light, he will surely be grateful to you.”
“Grandmother is too serious,” Wen Shuse replied. “This reputation of mine didn’t appear overnight. It can’t be laid at Grandmother’s door. Besides, we live our lives for ourselves. What use is a reputation to me?” If she truly cared about her name, how could her father and elder brother enjoy the peace they have today?
As long as she bore the label of ‘spendthrift,’ no one else would dare set their sights on them.
It was already late night when Wen Shuse finally returned to the courtyard. Seeing that the light was still on in the west room, she remembered how they had agreed to go eat and drink for free together, only for her to abandon him halfway through. She felt a little guilty about it.
On top of that, good news always lifted one’s spirits. Standing below the steps, she raised her voice to greet the person inside. “You’re still not asleep, Husband? Your wife has returned, just reporting in. You should rest early.”
Xie Shao had been flipping through a book for nearly an hour. Hearing the movement outside, he knew she was back and was about to close the book and get up to blow out the lamp.
Then he heard the young lady’s voice.
He paused, savoring the words “your wife,” which made his heart flutter and face flush. He let out a soft scoff, mocking her for having no shame at all, yet the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled into a smile that lingered for a long while. He tossed the book aside, had Minzhang blow out the lamp, and lay down on the bed himself.
At noon he had drunk with Zhou Kuang, in the evening he had eaten with his brother-in-law, and afterward he’d sat under the lamp turning pages while waiting for the young lady to return. Sleepiness had long since overwhelmed him, and as soon as his head touched the pillow, he drifted off.
The next day, he didn’t know when the Eldest Young Master had departed. After dressing and washing up, Minzhang finally reported, “The Eldest Young Master has already left.”
Xie Shao showed no reaction.
Minzhang continued, “This servant has found someone and sent them on the road to Quanzhou. The Second Master should receive the news soon.”
Xie Shao nodded. As he went out to report for duty, he glanced toward the corridor outside the east room and saw that towering lotus lantern still standing there. He turned and asked Minzhang, “Wasn’t the Third Young Madam going to deliver the lantern to Miss Ming? Why hasn’t she sent it over yet?”
Minzhang: …… Why doesn’t he say this directly to the Third Young Madam?
Xie Shao didn’t feel there was anything wrong with it, his expression unchanged and said, “Tell the Third Young Madam deliver it early. Don’t let it spoil.”
Wen Shuse was surprised when she heard the message from Minzhang. “I can go to the Ming Mansion now?”
Minzhang nodded. His master might shamelessly pretend to have forgotten, but he couldn’t. Left with no choice, he smoothed things over on his master’s behalf. “The Young Master, bearing in mind the deep friendship between the Third Young Madam and Miss Ming, thought it over and decided it would be more appropriate for the Third Young Madam to deliver the lantern to Miss Ming in person.”
Wen Shuse quite liked hearing that and immediately praised him at once, “Husband really isn’t as narrow-minded as I thought.” She then called Xiangyun, and together they carried the lotus lantern to the Ming Mansion.
The Wen and Ming families lived next door to each other, and Wen Shuse was a frequent visitor to the Ming Mansion. When the gatekeeper saw her, there was no need to announce her arrival. Instead, he craned his neck curiously at the lotus lantern tied to her carriage. Before he could ask, Xiangyun explained, “This is a lantern my young lady made for Miss Ming.”
The gatekeeper immediately called over a few servants to carefully carry the lantern inside.
The Second Young Master Ming was just coming out of the courtyard when he heard the commotion outside and asked the servant walking toward him in confusion, “What’s all this noise about?”
The servant bowed and said with a smile, “The Third Young Madam Xie has brought a lotus lantern for our Eldest Madam.”
At the words “the Third Young Madam Xie,” the Second Young Master didn’t immediately react. Seeing his puzzled look, the servant added, “The Second Young Lady Wen.” Only then did it click for him.
Because his own younger sister and that Second Young Lady Wen had been inseparable since childhood, he had known her for a long time as well.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’d watched her grow up.
A bright, striking face flashed through his mind. The Second Young Master paused, then finally stepped out to greet her.
The lantern had already been carried inside. Wen Shuse followed behind the servants, watching closely as she reminded them, “Careful of the steps… don’t press on the lotus leaves…”
The lantern blocked her view. Hearing the servant carrying it call out “Second Young Master,” she tilted her head to look. The Second Young Master happened to step aside, turning sideways to give way. Sensing her gaze, he turned his head, and their eyes met directly.
Both of them froze. The Second Young Master quickly looked away and greeted her first. “Second Miss, you’ve come.”
Second Young Lady. Second Young Master.
Back then, Ming Wanrou used to say they were a perfect match by nature, both being “second,” how fitting it was, a pair made in heaven.
Because Wen Shuse was close with Ming Wanrou, and the two families were neighbors, she had known several of the Ming family’s young masters since childhood. Ming Wanrou had always wished she would marry into the Ming family and become her sister-in-law. She constantly mentioned her elder brothers in front of her, asking which one she fancied so she could play matchmaker.
Later, the Eldest Young Master married, and the Third Young Master became engaged. Only her own full-blooded older brother, the Second Young Master, remained. Ming Wanrou grew anxious, dragged her along to find her brother, and directly asked him, “Brother, do you have someone you like? If not, what do you think of Gao Xian?”
Because of Ming Wanrou’s words, the two of them looked at each other in surprise.
Perhaps it was in that very moment that the Second Young Master realized the young lady before him had grown into a graceful young woman, long past the little girl he once imagined her to be.
Seeing him frozen, saying nothing for a long time, Ming Wanrou pressed him again. The Second Young Master’s face flushed as he replied, “Second Miss is naturally of exceptional beauty.”
Hearing this, Ming Wanrou became more excited than he was. She pulled Wen Shuse into her room, burned incense and bowed to the Bodhisattva, saying, “I knew my own brother was reliable. He likes you. You’re going to be my sister-in-law!”
Wen Shuse had never been sure what kind of husband she wanted in the future. Seeing the Second Young Master’s attitude, she felt it was simple and convenient. The Ming Mansion was close to the Wen Mansion. When returning to her maiden home, it would only be a wall away. And the Madam of the Ming family was open-minded, which would spare her many troubles between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, or between sisters-in-law.
With that thought planted in her heart, she slowly began paying attention to the Second Young Master.
The more she paid attention, the more pleasing he seemed. Which young lady wouldn’t be fond of a gentle and refined young master?
And the Second Young Master often used Ming Wanrou as an excuse to invite her to the mansion to sample dishes and fruits. During festivals and holidays, he would even prepare a separate gift just for her.
Over the course of a year, the two of them reached an unspoken understanding, lacking only the final step of breaking through that thin layer of paper.
Then, a few months ago, when Wen Shuse was punished and sent to the countryside, the Second Young Master escorted her to the city gate. At last, he summoned the courage to take that first step and said to her, “I’ll wait for Second Miss to return.”
The meaning was clear to both of them.
Once Wen Shuse returned from the countryside, he would go to the Wen family to formally propose.
Unfortunately, on the very day Wen Shuse returned, she married into the Xie family. By the time the Second Young Master heard the news, it was already noon the next day.
He had prepared for many days, even thought through how he would report it to his parents. He had been filled with anticipation, waiting for her return. Yet before this budding affection could fully blossom, it was abruptly cut short, leaving him feeling as though he had been struck by a heavy blow. He lost his appetite and spent a night in sorrow.
And what could be do?
She was already married. There was no turning back. In the end, it could only be said that their fates together were too shallow.
Some days ago, he had heard news that the Xie family had gone bankrupt and worried about her situation there. After privately inquiring and learning that his own sister was secretly helping her, he finally put his mind at ease.
Now, this was all he could do.
The servants carrying the gauze lantern had already gone far ahead. Xiangyun glanced at the two of them, read the situation well, and lowered her head as she hurried after them. “Miss, I’ll go ahead and keep an eye on the lantern.”
Only the two of them remained under the long corridor. The young lady across from him finally spoke. “Is Second Young Master doing well?”
Her tone was unexpectedly light. The Second Young Master couldn’t help but look up.
He had thought the days might be somewhat hard for her, yet what he saw was still a bright, vivid face, as though sorrow could never cling to her. The familiar stirring in his heart threatened to rise again. He quickly shifted his gaze away and said, “I’ve been well. And you, Second Miss?”
“I’m doing quite well too.”
The Second Young Master nodded.
The young lady he once held in his heart had married another. Whether her days were good or bad, he had no standing to ask. All he could do was wish her smooth sailing in all things to come.
After exchanging pleasantries, he suddenly didn’t know what else to say.
The topics they once shared could no longer be continued now that their positions had changed.
After a moment of silence, the Second Young Master glanced toward the lantern that was about to be carried around the corner and smiled. “The lantern Second Miss made grows more exquisite by the day. If A’Yuan sees it, she’ll surely be delighted. You should go on ahead.”
With that, he stepped aside to clear the way.
Wen Shuse passed by him. After walking a short distance, she ultimately couldn’t hold back and turned to call out, “Second Young Master.”
The Second Young Master, who had just turned away, stopped and looked back at her.
Wen Shuse said to him, “I did not break my promise.”
The matter of the marriage exchange between the Wen and Xie families was something the Second Young Master had naturally heard about. Yet hearing her say it aloud herself, a sudden sense of release rose in his chest. He smiled at her. “I don’t blame Second Miss.”
After saying this, Wen Shuse also felt a weight lift. She turned again and walked inward. The farther she went, the emptier her heart felt and she realized it was because one of her escape routes had completely vanished.
Aside from Second Young Master Ming, who else could she have married in this lifetime?
The more she thought about finding someone else to remarry in the future, the more she felt it would be better to just stay with Third Xie, at least he had a house in the Eastern Capital.
What had he said to her that day…? Something about them being united as husband and wife.
And how had she answered?
A sudden, inexplicable panic welled up in her chest. Even when she saw Ming Wanrou later, she couldn’t lift her spirits. She returned home in the afternoon worried and distracted. Turning her head, she saw that the young master of the west room still hadn’t returned.
In a rare occurrence, she asked Nanny Fang several times, “What time is it now?”
Nanny Fang couldn’t guess what she was thinking and simply checked the water clock in the room before giving the time.
Finally, the setting sun dipped toward the horizon, and a brilliant sunset glow slipped beneath the rolled-up blinds. The young lady, who had been sitting in her armchair, sprang to her feet and hurried to the doorway.
The doors of the west room were still tightly closed, and no one stood beneath the corridor opposite either. She paced back and forth under the walkway for a while before she finally saw two familiar figures.
She hurried toward them and began fussing over the young master in front of her. “The sun was scorching today. I was out only a short while and was drenched in sweat. Husband has been on duty all day, are you tired? I’ve just prepared some tea in my room…”
When someone showed such sudden attentiveness for no reason, it was never without motive. Xie Shao eyed the young lady warily, the hand clasped behind his back quietly squeezing the purse hidden in his sleeve.
Was her nose that sharp?
He had just received his salary today.
He declined her goodwill. “Wife simply hasn’t been out in the sun for a long time. A bit of sunlight and you naturally feel tired. I, on the other hand, find today’s weather gentle and pleasant, quite suitable.”
The young lady did not give up. She followed him all the way to the west room, snatched Minzhang’s duties from him, poured tea and water, and even reached out, intending to help him change his clothes.
Xie Shao was startled. He leaned back to dodge her grasp and demanded, “If Wife has some request, you may as well say it outright. Acting like this makes me very uncomfortable.”
“That’s only because Husband isn’t used to it. I’ll just have to be more considerate toward you in the future.” The young lady smiled, her expression and tone bearing an uncanny resemblance to his own from that day.
Xie Shao sighed inwardly, thinking how truly unique this young lady was. For the sake of a little silver, she was willing to go to such lengths.
But there was only so much money. He absolutely could not let her squander it.
Who would have thought the young lady would grow bolder with each setback? She leaned in again and asked, “Does what Husband said to me that day still count?”
He had said countless things to her; he had no idea which words she meant.
“When you said you wanted to spend a lifetime with me, I took it to heart.” The young lady lowered her head slightly, lips pressed together, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “Husband, to be honest with you… I’ve also come to feel something for you.”
The words were far too shocking. Minzhang, who had retreated into a corner, lifted his head in astonishment, eager to see his master’s reaction. Unfortunately, all he could see was his master’s rigid back.
From that stiff posture, though, he could guess that the shock had been no small one.
Only after a moment did he hear his master reply. “Your words have left me somewhat at a loss. Could you allow me a little time to gather my thoughts?”
Minzhang: ……
Minzhang could tell that his master was being evasive, but the young lady clearly could not. Anxiously, she pressed on, “Husband, there’s no need wait. Every word you said to me that day, I took to heart and thought over carefully. After spending these days with you, I find we get along quite harmoniously. It was my own shortsightedness before, and I failed to appreciate your worth. How could there be another gentleman in all of Phoenix City as handsome as you? There simply isn’t. Since you has the heart to share hardship and fortune with me, it is my blessing. From this day on, I am yours, and you are my husband. We will never part, and in the future, we must share every blessing. Is that not so?”
The young lady spoke with such earnest sincerity that it was now the young master who stood dumbfounded.
It was just twenty taels of silver…
Fine. He’d give her ten taels.
Before he could even take the silver out, the young lady dropped another bombshell. “If Husband is willing, you can move back into the east room tonight.”
What kind of auspicious day was today, exactly?
The temptation was far too great. This was no longer something that a mere twenty taels could buy. It was an absolute bargain that he couldn’t afford to hesitate. He seized the chance at once. “Does the young madam mean what she says?”
The young lady nodded. “I mean it.”
Deal.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xie Shao handed over the twenty taels of salary he had just received from his sleeve. “Here, Wife, keep it safely.”