Chapter 178: Burning Bridges After Crossing the River
Matchmaker Miao sent messages a couple of times, asking Yu Family First Madam to return to her maiden home.
Yu Family First Madam couldn’t delay any longer. Seeing the sun begin to set in the west, she slowly shuffled over to Da Lang Yu’s side.
Da Lang Yu was looking at the account book, rapidly moving his abacus beads. Yu Family First Madam glanced at Da Lang Yu as he finished his calculations and smiled, “Are the accounts all settled? You’re so fast with your abacus, my eyes are blurring.”
Da Lang Yu closed the account book and gave a hum.
The items confiscated from Hejia Village were worthless. After being shackled for over ten days, not a single copper coin could be recovered. Alas, it was a loss of thirty-seven taels of silver!
That girl from the Li Family is truly ruthless, she even took the loom! She’s not human!
“Mother sent word that she misses me. The Eldest Sister sent someone back the other day, but I didn’t get to see her. Eldest Sister also misses me dearly. There’s nothing urgent at the shop right now, why don’t I go back and visit?” Yu Family First Madam said softly.
“Didn’t your mother come over the day before yesterday? She came with Nanny Miao,” Da Lang Yu thought of the thirty-seven taels of silver, feeling distressed.
“She did come, but she misses me again,” Yu Family First Madam snuggled against Da Lang Yu.
“Go if you want to. It’s not far from your maiden home, just a short walk,” Da Lang Yu put the account book into the drawer.
“Go empty-handed?” Yu Family First Madam pouted and said softly, nudging Da Lang Yu.
“Your mother took two pieces of fabric last time she came.”
“They were fabric scraps, one was a bit bigger, the other was only about half a foot, enough to make two shoe uppers,” Yu Family First Madam’s tone was extremely soft, even though she was refuting him.
“Go to the shop opposite and get a bag of fruit,” Da Lang Yu counted out twenty large coins and pushed them to Yu Family First Madam.
“Just one bag of fruit? It doesn’t matter to me, she’s my own mother, she wouldn’t fuss over this. If we take this bag of fruit back, it reflects on the Yu Family’s reputation, and if we don’t, it’s also the Yu Family’s disgrace!” Yu Family First Madam was a little annoyed.
“Then how much do you want to take?” Da Lang Yu replied impatiently.
“At least a four-color gift, right? How can one go back to their maiden home with just a bag of fruit? I didn’t marry into your Yu Family empty-handed!” Yu Family First Madam turned away, also annoyed.
“You still have the nerve to talk about your dowry?”
Da Lang Yu thought of his wife’s dowry, and besides the heartache, he felt even more stifled.
“The dowry list stated a huanghuali wood cabinet, but it turned out to be just a thin veneer of huanghuali wood on the outer side! The dowry chests looked like they were filled with silk, but only the top layer was silk, and underneath was coarse cloth. They’d wrap it layer by layer with the top silk to claim it was all silk!”
“What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?” Yu Family First Madam hugged Da Lang Yu’s arm, feeling wronged.
“I’m not looking down on you, we just got carried away talking,” Da Lang Yu sighed in annoyance, opened the drawer, and counted out another thirty large coins. “Buy two more bags of fruit. You’re just going for a visit, not a formal return to your maiden home, so why would you need a four-color gift? Aren’t our family’s copper coins your copper coins? Besides, your mother can’t eat that much.”
Yu Family First Madam wrapped the copper coins in a handkerchief, went to the pastry shop opposite, picked up two bags of pastries, and headed to her maiden home.
The next day, after lunch, Yu Family First Madam said to Da Lang Yu with a smile, “Mother asked me to handle a small matter and asked me to discuss it with Second Sister. The shop isn’t busy right now, why don’t I go over?”
Da Lang Yu quickly stood up, “Don’t go empty-handed. Pick out a piece of fabric for your Second Sister. I’ll go to the shop opposite and pack some pastries. I remember Ping Yatou likes sesame crisp candy.”
Yu Family First Madam was surprised and nodded quickly. She watched Da Lang Yu hurry out of the shop, then moved over, absentmindedly picking out fabric.
Da Lang Yu called for another cart, loaded it with a large bag of pastries, about ten bags in total, and two pieces of fabric.
Madam Ping, the third wife of the Ping family, saw the fabric and the pile of pastries. She first sent someone to distribute the pastries brought by her third sister to various places, then warmly welcomed her third sister, loudly ordered someone to bring pastries and tea, and after a while, they sat down.
“Why are you here?” Madam Ping scrutinized her third sister with a discerning gaze.
“Mother asked me to come over and discuss Fourth Sister’s dowry with you,” Yu Family First Madam picked up a piece of cloud-shaped cake and took a tiny bite.
“Fourth Sister’s dowry should be your responsibility, why are you discussing it with me!” Madam Ping’s eyebrows immediately shot up.
“It’s not that I want to discuss it with Second Sister, it’s that Mother insisted I come,” Yu Family First Madam glanced sideways at her Second Sister.
“Matchmaker Miao and Mother said long ago, the established rule is one takes care of one. Fourth Sister’s dowry is your business!” Madam Ping also picked up a piece of cloud-shaped cake and looked at the ceiling beams.
“My dowry was thanks to Eldest Sister. Second Sister didn’t contribute much,” Yu Family First Madam swayed the cloud-shaped cake in her hand.
“What do you mean by that? Are you unhappy with your marriage, or do you think your dowry is too little? If you’re unhappy with your marriage, you can’t blame me. It’s not my business, and I can’t control it!” Madam Ping was about to lose her temper.
“That’s not what I mean, alas!” Yu Family First Madam sighed deeply, bowed forward, “Second Sister, let’s sisters have a private chat. Second Sister, you’ve probably never been looked down upon in the Ping family, but in the Yu family, alas, my Da Lang explicitly said we come from a lowly profession!”
“How are we from a lowly profession? He’s talking nonsense!” Madam Ping was angry.
“I was very puzzled at the time, so I asked him. Guess what he said?” Eldest Sister Yu glanced at Second Sister.
Madam Ping also glanced at her Third Sister.
“He said, your Matchmaker Miao is a matchmaker, so what else are you if not from a lowly profession?” Yu Family First Madam said slowly.
“Matchmaker Miao isn’t part of our family! Her surname is Miao, ours is Wu!” Madam Ping retorted quickly.
“That’s what I said too. Didn’t you see Da Lang’s expression? He looked so surprised and curious, he even exclaimed, saying that Matchmaker Miao lives with you, and you call her ‘Mother’ all the time, so how are you not family? People outside say that Eldest Sister and Second Sister were both born to her,” Yu Family First Madam said with a smile.
“Nonsense!” Madam Ping’s eyebrows shot up.
“It is nonsense, but Da Lang’s words, Second Sister, please calm down and think carefully. If you were an outsider, what would you think? Have you asked Second Brother-in-law? What does Second Brother-in-law think?” Madam Ping gently flicked her handkerchief twice.
Madam Ping glanced at her Third Sister, then looked away after a moment, and snorted.
Her third brother had indeed said similar things several times, asking her why Matchmaker Miao was so good to them, and if Matchmaker Miao was her mother’s biological sister.
“Speaking of which, Eldest Sister has the hardest life. Us, well, your father-in-law is an official, and our family is in business. Eldest Sister comes from a scholarly family of Recommended Scholars. It’s no wonder Eldest Sister rarely returns home and doesn’t pay much attention to us. I used to complain about Eldest Sister, but now I think about it, how hard Eldest Sister’s life is, being dragged down by her family.” Yu Family First Madam spoke slowly.
“Nanny Miao must be almost fifty, right?” Madam Ping’s face turned grim.
“Indeed. Yesterday, I went back to see Mother, and she was talking about getting old,” Yu Family First Madam pursed her lips, a hint of a smile.
“What did they say?” Madam Ping leaned forward and asked.
“What else could they say? You heard them when you were home. They just want us sisters to take turns supporting them. Nanny Miao said she’s been feeling weak these past few years and won’t be a matchmaker after fifty. She also said she gets along best with Ping Yatou, and will likely spend the most time at your place from now on,” Yu Family First Madam said slowly, fiddling with her handkerchief.
Madam Ping’s expression worsened. After a moment, she snorted.
“It’s only a few more years. We all need to prepare well. Alas, our family is the most difficult. Da Lang, he gets annoyed at the mention of merchants. He’s said countless times that if he has children, he’ll make sure they study hard. My mother-in-law is also incredibly shrewd. Alas, just thinking about it makes me so worried I can’t sleep.”
“If it were our own mother, there’s nothing we could do. No matter how difficult, we’d have to grit our teeth and bear it. Da Lang or my mother-in-law, no matter how unhappy they are, there’s not much they can say. Even if they say it, we can retort. But Nanny Miao… alas, our family seems to be in a difficult situation. At that time, I’m afraid we’ll have to ask Second Sister to be understanding.”
“What do you mean I should be understanding? Am I not in a difficult situation? My family has a large household, and they can stir up trouble even when there’s nothing going on. Can I withstand such a fuss?” Madam Ping replied impatiently.
“Second Sister, we are all in difficult situations. Why don’t we find Eldest Sister and discuss it? We need to persuade Mother,” Yu Family First Madam gently nudged her Second Sister.
“We still have Fourth and Fifth Brothers at home,” Madam Ping said after a moment of silence, frowning.
“With us three sisters, what is there to fear for Fourth and Fifth Brothers? Once we get rid of this matchmaker business, our family is a respectable and upright household. Nanny Miao clings to us and won’t let go. Who knows if we sisters are being burdened or benefiting,” Yu Family First Madam sighed in annoyance.
“That’s true. If we really think about it, for sisters like us, marrying into these families isn’t considered good,” Madam Ping also sighed, then smiled, “Your family has plenty of silver, Da Lang is so good at making money. Let’s three sisters find a restaurant and get together. You’re treating.”
“Alright. Da Lang hasn’t been doing well lately either, business is tough. But no matter how tough it is, we still have enough copper coins for us sisters to get together for a meal,” Yu Family First Madam readily agreed.
