Chapter 29: The Qixi Festival (1)

An Chunfeng felt a sense of irritation mingled with helplessness. She would have preferred the other party to be a brute like Mother Zhuang, whom she could drive away with a few punches and kicks, ensuring they would never dare return. Instead, she was entangled with a shameless person like Mistress Qiu, who hovered around daily with a smarmy smile, impossible to strike or scold—clinging to her like a stubborn medicinal plaster. Accustomed to solitude, An Chunfeng was not adept at dealing with such entanglements; beyond ignoring her, she had no better solution for the moment.

"Mistress Liao, if you continue to spout nonsense, I shall have to turn hostile," An Chunfeng said, her face darkening as she shut the door.

Mistress Qiu sighed twice behind the door, and seeing it firmly closed, she turned away in frustration. Yet, she cast a lingering, unwilling glance back. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, a smile played upon her lips.

Back inside her courtyard, An Chunfeng did not open the food box but sat silently under the eaves. It had been over a month since she left the Tang household. Should she take advantage of the upcoming festival to go to Shun'an Ward and see her child? But the boy had said, "Do not come looking for me again..."

An Chunfeng felt that even though he was young, he was a person with a mind of his own, and she had to respect his choice. Besides, he was right. Her own self-will might only cause the child discontent. It would be better to find a reliable person later to help her look in on him secretly; she only needed to know that he was doing well.

On the Qixi Festival, the busiest people were likely the mothers of unmarried young women in the city. At the Tang residence in Shun'an Ward, Mistress Liu had spent the entire month worrying over Tang Yushu’s marriage, and as the festival approached, she was busy making arrangements for her daughter as well. Just yesterday, the young lady from the Sun family, who had recently become betrothed to the Third Young Master, sent word that she wanted to take Tang Yuexi to the shores of Yue Lake to pray for blessings under the moonlight.

Mistress Liu was overjoyed. That was a gathering place for the daughters of high-ranking families in the city; if her own daughter could join, she would surely find a desirable match in the future. She quickly canceled the holiday gatherings she had already agreed to with several minor official families and accepted the Sun family’s invitation. Consequently, the clothes and jewelry she had prepared were no longer of sufficient standing, requiring new acquisitions. Early in the morning, the mother and daughter headed to the silver and clothing shops on Zhengdong Street.

In the small side courtyard, Qin Mu sat under the eaves brewing medicine. For days, Mistress Qin had been in low spirits, coughing incessantly since dawn. Although Tang Yushu had returned to check on her health, his heavy academic workload prevented him from staying overnight. The physician had also visited, only to say that Mistress Qin was suffering from bottled-up emotions and stagnant energy, and that she must find a way to release her inner turmoil; for now, she could only rely on the medicine to slowly regulate her condition. Ping Niang entered the courtyard carrying a bundle and found Qin Mu clumsily pouring the scalding broth into a bowl.

She hurried over to help: "Master Mu, where is Mother Xu, who is supposed to be in charge of the brewing?"

Qin Mu wiped the fine sweat from his brow and said emotionlessly, "Mother Xu said she had to prepare Qiaoguo cakes and asked for leave from the Great-Aunt to return home for a few days!" It was no "leave"—she had simply snuck off. In his previous life, he had long since experienced the cold indifference of servants; these women only dared to be so negligent because they knew those living in the side courtyard were not valued by the head of the house. He couldn't even speak of it to others. If he displeased these servants, they would secretly resort to malice, spitting in the food they delivered or scattering sand in it—doing all sorts of disgusting things. Currently, it was only brewing medicine; he could do it himself. Thus, even though he knew Mother Xu was slacking off, he remained indifferent.

"Oh! You go rest on the side, let Auntie handle it!" Ping Niang sighed inwardly. She knew the servants in the mansion all took their orders from Mistress Liu; as a concubine, her words meant nothing. She finished pouring the medicine and set the small stove in the courtyard before carrying the bowl into the room.

Mistress Qin lay languidly on the couch with a wet towel on her forehead, groaning listlessly. Seeing Ping Niang enter with the medicine, she struggled to prop herself up, and Qin Mu, following behind, tucked a large pillow behind her back so she could sit up. Mistress Qin took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears and sighed: "Look at this wretched body of mine, growing worse by the day. I fear I shall not last until the New Year. I am sorry to trouble you, Auntie Ping, with coming to visit me morning and night!"

Qin Mu remained silent. Ping Niang handed her the medicine and said with a smile: "They say recovery from illness is as difficult as drawing a silk thread; Second Mistress should just focus on drinking your medicine, and wait until the twelfth lunar month to drink the daughter-in-law's tea!"

In just one month, Tang Yushu’s marriage to the Sun family had not only been settled but the date had been set for the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month—only four months away, not after he passed the imperial examinations. The date had been moved up, and Mistress Qin had only learned of it when the marriage contract was returned. Her only son's marriage, and she had received not a whisper of information beforehand, becoming a mere bystander. Much of Mistress Qin's illness was born of this very grievance. Hearing mention of the daughter-in-law's tea, Mistress Qin frowned and sighed: "I fear that tea will be bitter. It is all the fault of that An woman for causing such trouble, leaving me no time to inquire about the character and background of the Sun family’s daughter."

Ping Niang’s lips curved slightly. Having lived in the capital for twenty years, though she rarely went out, she had friends with whom she could speak, and she had naturally heard something of the Sun family’s affairs. Sun Ruyi was not a daughter born to the Sun family’s main wife, as many in the capital knew. She was merely a maidservant from the household of the Old Madam of Guang'an Earl, whom the Sun family had adopted as a daughter, claiming she was a concubine’s child to marry her off in splendor and recruit people for Consort Li in the palace.

This was not the first time the Sun family had done such a thing; two years ago, they had married off two sons-in-law in one go, and this time it was Ruyi. Tang Yushu had just arrived in the capital and, unaware of the underlying reasons, had been manipulated by Mistress Liu, trading himself away like a favor. Ping Niang could not simply tell Mistress Qin these things; if she knew Sun Ruyi was of maidservant stock, she would likely die of rage. Yet, being a son-in-law to the Sun family was not necessarily a loss. Two years ago, those two sons-in-law were merely minor ninth-rank officials who, through the Guang'an Earl’s influence, obtained real positions and followed the Earl’s arrangements. Now, they were seventh-rank officials holding substantive posts, surrounded by friends, living in grand houses, and possessing beautiful wives and concubines—skipping twenty years of hardship in one step.

If Tang Yushu could truly pass the examinations, he would naturally be introduced to Consort Li by the Guang'an Earl. Given the current level of imperial favor enjoyed by Consort Li and the addition of a new young prince, Tang Yushu’s rise to prominence was just around the corner. Tang Yushu was now a member of the Tang family; when one person succeeds, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, and Tang Pinshan would also benefit. Currently, Mistress Qin was confined to the side courtyard specifically to prevent her from hearing rumors and causing a scene.

Hearing Mistress Qin blame the An woman again, Qin Mu lowered his gaze, not blinking once; only when he looked toward Ping Niang did a flicker of urgency appear. After drinking the medicine, Mistress Qin fell into a deep sleep. Only then did Qin Mu speak to Ping Niang: "Auntie Ping, have you heard any news?"

With Qin Mu confined to the house, he could no longer search for his mother, An Chunfeng. He had assumed he would have to wait until his confinement ended to find a way to look for her. To his surprise, Ping Niang had guessed his intentions and secretly offered to help. As Tang Pinshan’s concubine, while it was not convenient for her to go out often, it was still far easier for her than for a child like him. Thus, an understanding had formed between them, and for the past few days, they had been inquiring about An Chunfeng’s whereabouts.

Ping Niang shook her head: "You said your mother did not leave Shun'an Ward, but I begged others to check every inn in the ward, and no one has seen a wounded woman seeking lodging."

Qin Mu’s small face flushed red: "Could she have left Shun'an Ward?"

The capital held a million people, living in twelve wards, each with countless streets and alleys. If An Chunfeng had left the ward, she would be lost in a vast sea of humanity, making her nearly impossible to find.