Repaying Debt
Feng Yu Heng felt that she had been slightly favoring the people of Feng manor recently. It had been many days since she last caused them any headaches. A flame flickered to life in her heart, while she waited for the group to sit down before she said: “Why is concubine mother Han’s face swollen? There also seems to be blood on your forehead Did you get in a fight with someone?”
Han shi’s nose nearly became crooked in anger.
Doing something as classless as getting in to a fight with others was something only Chen shi dared to do. Regardless of how bad she was, she knew to consider her and Fen Dai’s face. But this face… she had done her best to avoid being spotted, but she was still unable to avoid being detected by Feng Yu Heng’s eyes.
She helplessly explained: “I did not. It was because of my carelessness at night that I bumped something.”
“Oh.” Feng Yu Heng looked pensive, “It’s understandable for the forehead, but to make the entire half of your face swell from bumping into something. Concubine mother Han really is unique.”
The matriarch felt Feng Yu Heng had been speaking in a strange voice but did not think too much about it. She simply glared at Han shi and said: “How old are you that you can still bump into things at night. Did Feng family not provide you with a servant to take care of you at night?”
Han shi quickly stood up and replied to the matriarch: “It was all this concubine’s fault for being careless. Mother-in-law has been too concerned about it.”
The matriarch rolled her eyes. How could she put forth any energy to thinking about a concubine.
Han shi saw that the matriarch was no longer speaking, so she quickly sat back down in her chair, her head sinking even lower.
At this time, Feng Chen Yu stood up and took a box from a maidservant’s hands, giving it to the matriarch: “Grandmother, the money second sister wanted, granddaughter has acquired it from maternal uncle. In here is two hundred thousand taels in bank notes. I invite grandmother to take a look.”
Hearing these words, the matriarch’s eyes lit up. The money had arrived. The majority of which belonged to her!
Quickly having granny Zhao receive the box, she opened it up and counted. There was not a penny more nor less, it was precisely two hundred thousand taels.
The matriarch nodded, “Un, Chen Yu, you have done very well on this matter. You must remember, you are, at your core, a daughter of the Feng family. No matter how wealthy that Chen family is, they are still just a merchant family. Your future fate is controlled by the Feng family, so everything you do should place the Feng family first.”
Chen Yu bowed: “Granddaughter will remember it.”
Feng Yu Heng raised the corner of her mouth and said: “Grandmother is right. This is the Feng family’s money. It was not A-Heng who wanted it from the Chen family.”
The matriarch put on an act and had granny Zhao send the box of bank notes to Feng Yu Heng and said: “A-Heng, in the end, this is money that was earned by your shops, thus you should manage it!”
Feng Yu Heng pushed granny Zhao’s hand in a well-behaved manner, saying: “Of this two hundred thousand, fifty thousand will be given to third sister to help with her dowry. The remaining amount will be grandmothers. Of course, father’s portion will be passed over to grandmother. There will be no need for A-Heng to handle it.”
The matriarch was very content with Feng Yu Heng’s understanding of wealth. Like holding a baby, she held the box and very reluctantly handed fifty thousand in bank notes to granny Zhao to give to An shi.
An shi quickly kowtowed towards the matriarch and thanked her for her grace. At the same time, she also thanked Feng Yu Heng.
When Han shi saw this from the side, her eyes turned bright red from envy. She could not help but secretly blame Feng Fen Dai in her heart. If it were not for her nonsensical screams that day, there would also be a portion of the bank notes that went to her from that box! Now, the money was gone and replaced by a pair of old shoes. Fen Dai had even thrown a tantrum at her. She felt that there really was no justice.
“Second sister.” After the matter with the bank notes was settled, Chen Yu once again spoke to Feng Yu Heng: “The antiques you wanted, the Chen family will return to Wonderful Treasure House today. When the items have been returned, would second sister go over and check the inventory.”
Feng Yu Heng once again corrected her: “It isn’t that I wanted the antiques. They are antiques stolen by mother.” She especially emphasized the word stolen, making a glint flash through Feng Chen Yu’s eyes. “Eldest sister, do not worry. I will dispatch some people who are familiar with the industry to take the inventory.” As she said this, she turned her head to Wang Chuan and said: “Take a trip over to Prince Yu’s palace later and have his Highness send a person who knows antiques to Wonderful Treasure House.”
Wang Chuan nodded and accepted this order.
Hearing these words, Feng Chen Yu furrowed her brows.
The matriarch saw that the money had already been split and changed the topic. She began speaking to Yao shi about something she had been longing to talk about: “Oh, Qian Rou!” She simply called Yao shi by her name, “There is something I have been wanting to discuss with you.”
Yao shi looked at her and wanted to reply in her habitual manner “What is it mother?” But when the words were about to be said, she remembered that she was no longer the family’s head wife. She no longer had the right to call her mother. Now, she was a concubine, so she did as An shi and Han shi did and called her mother-in-law. Thus, with a turn of her words, she replied in an emotionless manner: “What instructions does mother-in-law have.”
The matriarch felt that she was a little cold, which made her a little unhappy, but she could not contradict her at a time like this. She could only take two deep breaths and adjust her mood before saying: “Zi Hao has been recovering from his injuries at home for a few days now. It is about time he returns to Xiao Zhou.”
Yao shi nodded, “Oh.”
Hm? The matriarch was startled. She did not think that Yao shi would have this sort of reaction. In her mind, Yao shi was someone who had always been easy to talk to; furthermore, she was someone who complied with the orders of the Feng family. So long as the Feng family had needs, she would, without any mention from the family, mobilize the connections of the Yao family to help the Feng family. But now…
She had no other choice. She could only speak directly: “Do you think you could speak with Princess Wen Xuan a little to allow Zi Hao to return to his studies at Yun Lu Academy?”
Yao shi blinked a few times, “Then my husband should go to Wen Xuan palace! I do not know what mother-in-law means by saying these things to this concubine?”
The matriarch angrily rolled her eyes and simply spoke directly: “My meaning is you and Princess Wen Xuan are close. Yun Lu Academy belongs to the Ye family. If you can speak with Princess Wen Xuan about this, then why trouble Jin Yuan with a trip to their palace?”
Yao shi shook her head, “About this matter, this concubine really can not do anything. Mother-in-law might not know, but Princess Wen Xuan and this concubine are indeed close, but because she and this concubine are close, she brooded over this concubine’s sudden demotion by the Feng manor to concubine and further banishment to the mountains in the Northwest with this concubine’s children. Previously on the road to Pu Du Temple, this concubine tried every possible method before appeasing her anger.”
The matriarch no longer understood: “Since her anger has been appeased, why can you not help?”
Yao shi replied in a matter of fact way: “Princess Wen Xuan can do nothing about what happened to me. Even if she wanted to pursue the matter, she did not have the position to do so. She could only brood on her own. But for no apparent reason, she was insulted directly by the head madam, and even the Emperor’s most beloved imperial daughter Tian Ge was insulted. Mother-in-law, how do you want this concubine to ask for help? That day, if it were not for this concubine stopping her, Princess Wen Xuan would have turned around and went back to the capital and reported it directly to the imperial palace.”
Hearing these words, the matriarch felt dazed. She did not even dare to think back on the happenings of that day. What sort of words was Chen shi using! No need to speak of the other side being a princess, even a normal citizen would not tolerate such a thing. Put plainly, this disaster was wrought by Chen shi. Now that Yao shi explained her contributions, what face did she still have to ask Yao shi for help?
“Could it be that there is absolutely no way?” The matriarch murmured.
Yao shi found the words she heard were laughable and could not help but say: “This concubine can not do anything. If mother-in-law has an idea, I invite you to tell us.””
The matriarch’s eyelids twitched. Why did she feel that after these three years, not only has Feng Yu Heng changed, even Yao shi had changed? Now, this Yao shi’s mouth was almost the same as Feng Yu Heng’s. In just a few words, she was able to render others speechless.
She did not know, but the Feng family’s feelings were cold and distant. Under Feng Yu Heng’s influence, Yao shi had already become distant.
With those words having been said, it seemed there was nothing else that could be said. Everyone suddenly became quiet.
The matriarch looked at these people, but the more she looked at them, the more she felt panicked. She was constantly thinking about what her Zi Hao should do! That was her only son of the first wife!
But at this time, Feng Yu Heng once again came to cause trouble: “Previously, father said he would look for a famous doctor to treat eldest brother’s illness. I do wonder if he has found one or not.”
With just these few words, the matriarch was once again thrown to the brink of collapse. Completely unable to continue enduring, she simply waved her hand: “You can all go back.”
Everyone stood up and left. As they were preparing to leave, Jin Zhen for some reason suddenly stopped and suddenly brought her hand to her chest, as her expression fluctuated.
Han shi was at her side and casually asked: “What happened to you?”
An shi also said: “With her facial color looking so poor? Could it be she did not get enough rest?”
Han shi snorted, “How could it be that she did not get enough rest. Dear husband accompanies her every night. As I see it, the ones who can not rest well should be us sisters.”
Having Han shi interject like this, Jin Zhen’s condition seemed to improve a little. She quickly said: “I’ve troubled the two concubine mothers with worrying. I am fine. It was because I slept too late last night.”
She had meant to find an excuse, but once Han shi heard this, it had gained a different meaning: “But of course, husband goes over there every day. You being able to sleep early would be weird!”
The matriarch really could not get used to seeing Han shi, as she slapped the table: “Having caused your face to look like that, you should go back to your own courtyard and take care of it, so why are you still nagging? Are you not clear about what you used to do? It is only because of An shi’s temperament that she does not argue with you; otherwise, how could she allow you to continue to be arrogant in the manor!”
The matriarch had gotten angry, so Han shi could not say anything further. She moodily left Shu Ya courtyard first.
Feng Yu Heng glanced at Jin Zhen. Under the calm expression, she saw a hidden nervousness and fear. It seemed that she had reached some sort of conclusion.
Because the three shops were reopening, Qing Yu was busy all day and could not be found. Feng Yu Heng returned to Tong Sheng pavilion with the others. Zi Rui went directly to his own yard to learn to read with the teacher. Yao shi had a few concerns and asked Feng Yu Heng: “Were the things I said today a little too harsh? Previously, I would not say things like this, but ever since we returned to the capital, I do not know what happened, but I can not calm down this temperament.”
Feng Yu Heng told her: “Because the Feng manor is most definitely not a peaceful place. We would aspire for peaceful days, so they would not need to find us satisfactory. Mother, the things you did today were very good. Some of those people are quite shameless, so why should we give them any dignity?”
Yao shi continued: “I actually did not direct it towards mother-in-law. I only thought of that Feng Zi Hao climbing into your room in the middle of the night. Yet your father did not speak up for you. This family not even recognize when a wrongdoing has occurred!”
Feng Yu Heng smiled. Regardless of why Yao shi did it, her being able to do perform this action was already a big improvement. People would need to meet with adversity before improvements could be seen.
She sent Yao shi back to her yard then advised the servant to take good care of her. Right before she left, she glanced at the now obedient granny Sun then returned to her own yard.
Wang Chuan gave her a suggestion: “How about taking in another servant. Qing Yu is almost unable to handle the amount of work with the three shops. Presently, this servant will be going to his Highness’ side to find an expert for the antiques. Young miss can not be left without a servant to take care of you.”
Feng Yu Heng pondered a little then said: “No rush. I will take my time and look later.”
Wang Chuan did not say anything further. She just tidied up and prepared to leave. Turning around, she saw Jin Zhen, led by a servant, hurriedly coming over.