Chapter 19: 103

Chapter 103 – New Year’s Celebrations

On New Year’s day, Yu Wen and Yu Bo took Yu Yuan to pay their respects to the Pei family.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, most people in Lin’an City would visit the Pei family to pay their respects. If the Pei family members were to meet everyone, they would collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Therefore, the so-called New Year’s greetings for the Pei family just meant writing their name and greetings and placing them in a big red basket at the entrance of the Pei family’s mansion. Thereafter, a steward would register all the names and report back to the Pei family’s patriarch.

Yu Wen, Yu Bo and Yu Yuan soon squeezed their way from the crowds at the entrance of the Pei family’s gate and went to pay respects to other families.

The Yu family also set up a basket at their front gate. Friends of the Yu family as well as scholars who came to pay their respects didn’t have to enter the door, they could just drop their name cards into the basket. Some of them didn’t even need to come in person  – they just sent one of their family’s servants or stewards over.

Yu Tang, together with Madam Chen and Madam Wang, were preparing the gifts for Yu Yuan’s visit to the Xiang family tomorrow.

Since it was New Year’s, most of the passenger boats were not in operation. The Xiang family was located in Fuyang, so Yu Yuan couldn’t go and return on the same day and thus had to stay at the Xiang family for a night.

Yu Tong packed her meticulously-made flower head pieces into a little red box and placed them in Yu Yuan’s bag. She reminded Madam Wang, saying “Eldest Aunt, don’t forget to tell Brother, lest he assumes these flower headpieces were meant for the Xiang family.”

Madam Wang was always fond of Yutang, moreover, now that Yutang was thinking of Yu Yuan’s welfare in all matters, she became ever more loveable in her eyes.

“I know.” She couldn’t help but pinch Yu Tang’s tender face and laughed, “Don’t worry, when your sister-in-law comes, I’ll let her embroider shoes for you to wear.”

Yu Tang grinned cheekily and teased Madam Wang, “Don’t worry, once my sister-in-law gives me a big chubby nephew, I’ll make clothes for my nephew to wear.”

“This little girl!” Madam Wang chuckled and lightly smacked Yu Tang’s hand. She turned towards Madam Chen who was busy packing the malt candy for Yu Yuan, saying “I don’t know where she learned to speak so eloquently, our family certainly won’t be afraid of losing arguments with others in the future.”

Madam Chen smiled dotingly at Yu Tang, saying, “It’s because sister-in-law just spoils her rotten, so she is getting more and more unrestrained with her words.”

“It’s good that she’s becoming more capable now!” Madam Wang released Yu Tang, and together with Madam Chen, they packed the things they prepared earlier into baskets and instructed San Mu to call Xia Ping Gui over.

San Mu was the attendant Yu Bo bought for Yu Yuan just before the New Year’s. Since the boy had only recently arrived at the Yu family’s, it was already too late to teach him their family’s rules and procedures, so when Yu Yuan went to the Xiang family this time, Yu Bo asked Xia Pinggui to go along with him as well so that he would have someone to help him with things.

San Mu was an honest kid but he wasn’t alert or perceptive enough and was only twelve years of age after the New Year’s. After hearing her instructions, he immediately nodded awkwardly and ran off in a huff.

Madam Chen looked on and got a bit worried, saying, “Is it alright for him to go along?” “It’s Ah Yuan’s first time to visit and stay with his in-laws, so don’t let this kid cause any problems due to his foolishness.”

Madam Wang sighed, “After seeing all the available candidates, this is the best one. When the time comes, I’ll have to ask Ah Cam to guide him along.”

The Grand Elder and Madam of the Xiang family didn’t have any opinions about the marriage, but all the aunts and madams of the Xiang family felt that Lady Xiang had married beneath her and did not think very highly of the Yu family.

The Yu family couldn’t care less about these in-laws, but they feared Lady Xiang would feel slighted. Yu Yuan would not even have an attendant to serve him when he went, so Yu Wen made the decision to let Ah Cam go with him to Fuyang.

The two of them chatted for a while longer and asked Yu Tang to check if there were any mistakes or omissions in the gift list, when San Mu suddenly returned and stammered out, “First Madam, Second Madam, the third head steward of the Pei Family came to deliver greetings to our family.”

Madam Wang and Madam Chen exchanged glances and quickly took Yu Tang out to welcome him.

Hu Xing was the one who often brought imperial physician Yang to examine Madam Chen during this period, and they met frequently. Therefore, their relationship with Hu Xing went deeper than mere acquaintances. In addition, Hu Xing was the Pei family’s third head steward, and thus represented the Pei family. Him coming to pay respects to the Yu family was an honor and their family should rightfully invite him in for a cup of tea, as a matter of courtesy.

However, was Hu Xing here on behalf of the Pei family or by his own accord?

Yu Tang pondered in her heart as she followed her mother and eldest aunt to the front gate.

Hu Xing donned a dark red silk robe with a gray squirrel fur collar. He cheerfully greeted Madam Wang and the others, bowing and said, “It was Third Master who sent me. First Madam, Second Madam, Happy New Year!” After saying that, he looked up and saw Yu Tang standing behind Madam Wang and Madam Chen, and also said a New Year’s greeting to Yu Tang.

It was a matter of great honor to have the third chief steward of the Pei family offer New Year’s greetings.

Madam Wang, Madam Chen and Yutang returned the greetings.

Hu Xing responded, “I have a few more families to visit, so I don’t have the time to exchange further pleasantries, but I’ll come back to visit Master Yu when I’m done.”

Madam Chen replied concernedly “That’s too troublesome for you!” and wanted to send Hu Xing out of Qingzhu Lane.

Hu Xing laughed as he declined, “We’re all neighbours, you don’t have to be so polite. In this cold weather, it’s better for you to return early and rest! If you catch a cold, how can I face Master Yu?”

He was insistent that Madam Chen not see him off, and Madam Chen upon seeing his sincerity, didn’t make things difficult for him. She gave him some homemade malt candy and sent him to their front gate. After Hu Xing left, she couldn’t help but ask Madam Wang, “The last time when the store re-opened, I saw Head Steward Hu looking so miserable as if he had lost his loved ones, yet now he seems quite happy?”

“Perhaps something good happened?” Madam Wang smiled as she replied, “Head Steward Hu is quite a nice person, so that could be just a brief moment of unhappiness!”

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Although they were somewhat familiar with Hu Xing, but after all, those were Hu Xing’s personal affairs. Both of them discussed for a while and left the matter behind them, and got worried about Yu Yuan’s visit to the Xiang Family instead.

Hu Xing’s face fell as soon as he left Qingzhu Lane.

After his previous presumptuousness, Pei Yan gave him the cold shoulder, and behaved as if there was no such person as a Third Head Steward. The family’s stewards were all smart people, and soon steered clear of him. Luckily, Imperial physician Yang was ignorant of the Pei family’s affairs, and asked his attendant to inform Hu Xing that he would come to Lin’an before the year end to examine Grand Madam and Madam Yu and scheduled the next visit for after the second day of the second lunar month. If he hadn’t had the courage to report this to Pei Yan, and took advantage of the fact that Pei Man was extremely busy these days, racking his brains to find a way to take on this task, he would have already been sent to the ‘cold palace’ by Pei Yan, waiting for the day to be driven out of the Pei Family, retiring in the remote countryside fields or farmland.

However, what exactly was the relationship between their third master and the Yu family?

If it was just normal neighbourly goodwill, why was it that Lady Yu could always successfully request and meet third master? It was unusual that although third master didn’t seem to be particularly concerned over the Yu family’s matters, but if someone brought it up, he would be reminded of it and ask, but if no one said anything, it would be forgotten.

Take for example, this time, if it wasn’t for the fact that Imperial Physician Yang had some things he needed to inform Mrs Yu in advance and Pei Man was especially busy now, he wouldn’t even have the opportunity to deliver the message to the Yu family.

Therefore, should he or shouldn’t he make efforts to draw close to the Yu family?

This was the first time for Hu Xing, who took great pride in his adaptability and intuitiveness, to be so indecisive.

For Yu Tang, naturally, she was unaware that a mere invitation letter could brought forth so many different thoughts in Hu Xing’s mind. On the second day of the New Year’s, Yu Yuan went to Fuyang and returned on the fourth day. Both Yu families sat nervously around the table and asked Yu Yuan about his visit to the Xiang family, but Yu Yuan only winked at Yu Tang before saying, “Although Mrs. Xiang didn’t care much about Lady Xiang, but she couldn’t allow others to see it and have a laugh about it behind her back. When I arrived at the Xiang family, Mrs. Xiang was more amicable and did not make any excessive demands, nor did anyone treat me rudely.”

Yu Wen and the others were relieved.

From his wink, Yu Tang knew that Yu Yuan had something to say to her. She found an opportunity to meet with Yu Yuan in the tea room.

Yuyuan asked Sanmu to guard the door of the tea room, and quietly whispered to Yutang. “Mrs. Xiang and Lady Gu’s aunt were close friends, and I happened to hear the people around Mrs. Xiang said that during the New Year’s, Lady Gu created a huge fuss and made Grand Elder Gu fall ill with anger. On the first day of the New Year’s, they actually closed their doors and didn’t receive guests, and the family’s social engagements were all done by Eldest Master Gu. Say, would the marriage between them and the Li family fall through?”

Yu Tang laughed heartily and replied, “Whatever it is, the Gu family is unsettled, and the Li family won’t escape from suffering the consequences either.” Here, she gleefully asked Yu Yuan, “Brother, do you think we should send someone to keep an eye on the Li family? If something happens during the New Year, it would be even more interesting!”

Yu Yuan nodded repeatedly and replied, “I’ll let San Mu go and keep watch, and it’s also good practice for him.”

“It’s better to let Ah Liu go!” Yu Tang said, “We can’t make it too obvious.”

The two siblings laughed and Yu Yuan went to arrange the matter.

When the sixth day of the first month came, their family went to the Wei family to offer New Year’s greetings. On the 14th day of the first month, Yu Tang went to see Ma Xiu Niang, and also arranged to go watch the lanterns together the next day. However, unexpectedly when she returned home, the front gate was closed and it was devoid of any festive atmosphere.

She panicked and asked Shuang Tao to knock on the door.

Behind the door, came San Mu’s timid voice. “Who? Who is it?”

“Our Young lady has returned.” Shuang Tao said in loud voice.

The door opened with a creak, and San Mu called out “Eldest Young Lady” with a crestfallen expression and turned sideways to let them in.

Shuang Tao asked, “What’s wrong?”

San Mu looked around and saw that there were no outsiders around, so he pulled Shuang Tao inside and said to Yu Tang fearfully, “Miss, master has gone to First Supervisor Tong’s place and isn’t here. Just now Mrs. Li came to our house to cause trouble and was locked outside by Second Madam. She said many unpleasant things about us, and upon seeing Second Madam’s anger, she went to find the Li Family’s patriarch to obtain justice. She left a few minutes ago.”

Yu Tang’s face sank, and she quickly went to Madam Chen’s private room, asking San Mu, “Did you report this to my father?”

“Yes!” San Mu chased after Yu Tang at a brisk pace, “Ah Cam has gone to find the master.”

“What about my mother?” Yu Tang asked.

“Old Aunty Chen has gone to find the First Madam.” San Mu said, “First Madam is currently discussing with Second Madam.”

Yu Tang’s heart was slightly at ease as she lifted the cotton curtain of Madam Chen’s private room and walked in.

“Mother!” She called out. Upon seeing Madam Chen and Madam Wang sitting opposite each other, both with smiles on their faces, she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

“Ah-tang is back!” Madam Wang smiled and waved at Yutang, “Come and sit down!” She asked her concernedly, “Are you hungry? Do you want Shuang Tao to make a bowl of sesame paste for you?”

Yu Tang looked at Madam Chen and then at Madam Wang and said in confusion, “Didn’t Mrs. Li came earlier and caused a ruckus?”

Why were her mother and her eldest aunt all smiles?

What happened that she was unaware of?

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