Chapter 2: A Wedding Ceremony with a Spirit Tablet
Before Xiao Yin could finish speaking, a soft knock came from outside the door.
I told Xiao Yin, “Don’t panic,” then got up, opened the door, and a young woman smiled at me with concern.
The woman had a plump complexion, fair skin, and was elegantly dressed, her dark hair styled in a bun with a jade hairpin slanted across it. As soon as she saw me, she took my hand, examined me from head to toe, and said, “Are you Miss Zhu? Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at you, such a beauty. It’s just a pity…”
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, “It’s just a pity about Second Child…”
“And you are?” I asked, already guessing about seventy to eighty percent.
She said, “I am Cang Shi’s wife, Huaishi’s eldest sister-in-law.”
I quickly bowed, “So you are the Eldest Young Mistress.”
She glanced towards the door and whispered, “Miss, an hour ago, the news of Second Child’s death came back. Our Old Madam heard it and was so heartbroken that she’s been crying until now. Everyone in the manor knows how much the Old Madam dotes on her youngest son. I don’t know who it was, but someone slandered you to the Old Madam, saying that you brought disaster and jinxed Second Child, leading to this outcome. The Old Madam has ordered that you and your servant woman be beaten to death… I’ve always been soft-hearted; I can’t even bear to step on an ant. How could I let you suffer such a misfortune? I’ve bribed the servant boy at the side gate. Miss, you must run.”
I hesitated.
She pushed me towards the door, “Miss, hurry up. If you don’t leave soon, it might be too late…”
Xiao Yin picked up the bundle and followed behind, saying, “Miss, Eldest Young Mistress is right. Let’s hurry and leave; we can still save our lives.”
Pushing and shoving, we arrived at the side gate.
The gate was open.
It was as if everything had been prepared in advance.
The Eldest Young Mistress looked around and said, “Miss, I can’t stay here any longer. If the Old Madam finds out I let you go, she’ll blame me, and that won’t be good.”
After saying that, she left.
The Yangzhou morning in October was shrouded in a hazy mist.
I stood at the side gate, contemplating.
Although Cheng Huaishi and I were betrothed by the elders’ decree and had no prior affection, his untimely death now was truly pitiable. I should at least see him off, fulfilling the etiquette of my Zhu family.
Leaving so abruptly would make me seem heartless.
Xiao Yin urged, “Miss, what are you spacing out for? Let’s go. We’ll return to our Dongchang Prefecture and find another good family to marry into. We’ll never come back to this cursed place…”
A clear voice rang out.
“Where are you going?”
I turned and saw a young girl in a dark blue dress walking towards me. She had slender shoulders, a narrow waist, and eyes like clear autumn pools, her gaze lively and intelligent.
She walked up to me, raised an eyebrow, and said, “My Second Brother’s body hasn’t been recovered yet, Sister Zhu, you can’t leave!”
A sachet hung from her waist, embroidered with small characters of blooming flowers: “In the Ming Dynasty, waiting for Qing Shi to clear up, watching the spring ice by the pond.”
I suddenly remembered that lecher on the boat, Qin Mingxu.
Did the characters on this girl’s sachet have any connection to him?
Seeing my silence, the girl continued, “Sister Zhu, you came to marry my Second Brother, you can’t just leave like this without explanation. Second Brother was such a clever person; I don’t believe he’s dead. No matter what anyone says, I won’t believe it.”
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and said, “Sister Zhu, my name is Qing Shi, the Third Young Miss of the Cheng Residence. What is your maiden name?”
“Sang Yu. Zhu Sangyu,” I replied.
“Do not say the mulberry is late, for the sunset clouds still fill the sky. Sister, you have a beautiful name.”
The Third Young Miss was very familiar.
She acted as if we had known each other for a long time upon meeting.
Looking at her, I felt a sense of closeness, like looking at a neighbor’s younger sister.
She took my hand and led me back.
As we walked, she told me about the affairs of the Cheng Residence.
Only then did I understand why I had seen so many Canal Troops outside the manor gate yesterday.
The Cheng family patriarch originally passed down their legacy through “farming and studying.” By the generation of the Master, however, they had become quite fond of martial arts.
In the early years of the Wanli era, the Master first passed the strategy examination and then the archery and horsemanship, becoming a martial arts scholar. While serving in Huai’an Prefecture, he unexpectedly gained the appreciation of Lord Ling, the Governor of the Canal Troops, and became a Fifth Rank Thousand Household Officer of the Canal Troops.
The official positions of the Canal Troops were hereditary. Three years ago, after the Master passed away, the Eldest Young Master, Cheng Cangshi, inherited the official position.
“Then, what did the Second Young Master usually do? Did he study literature or practice martial arts?” I asked.
The Third Young Miss said, “Second Brother, he was a cunning and clever one…”
As she was speaking, a Servant Woman approached and said, “Miss Zhu, the Old Madam requests your presence—”
Xiao Yin shivered and clutched my arm, “Miss, what should we do, what should we do?”
It felt as if the gates of hell were about to open.
I gently patted her hand.
The Third Young Miss said, “Sister Zhu, don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”
Whether it was mountains or rivers, I had to face them.
I followed the Servant Woman forward.
The Old Madam resided in the main house of the North Courtyard, which was spacious and imposing.
The tables and chairs inside were all made of high-quality huanghuali wood. On the wall, in the center, hung a 《 painting of a hundred children welcoming fortune 》.
The Old Madam was weeping mournfully.
Hearing the servant announce my arrival, she looked up, her deep eyes gazing at me.
She transferred her grief over her deceased son onto me, fiddling with her prayer beads and muttering, “O ill-fated star, ill-fated star, I knew we shouldn’t have gotten involved with a fallen family. My Huaier was such a good child when he left, how could he be gone just like that…”
A servant boy knelt on the ground, holding bloody clothes, and wailed, “Before Second Master met his misfortune, he told this servant that he regretted not being able to marry and start a family to be filial to his mother; he truly was unfilial.”
This statement further pierced the Old Madam’s heart. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out, “My son—”
“Beat to death this ill-fated girl from a fallen family who jinxed my son!” the Old Madam ordered.
Several burly house guards approached.
The Third Young Miss took a few steps forward, intending to intervene.
“Wait!” I called out.
“When my maternal grandfather was alive, he had a long-standing friendship with the Cheng family. Although my Zhu family has declined significantly since my mother’s passing, does the Old Madam truly disregard our past affections and intend to execute me without cause based on rumors?”
“Rumors?” the Old Madam gritted her teeth, “The monks at the temple said it, how could it be false?”
As they argued, a servant boy outside announced, “Madam, Miss Liu is here!”
The Old Madam wiped her tears with a handkerchief and quickly rose to greet her, “Xian’er, you’ve come.”
A woman in a light yellow dress entered, took the Old Madam’s hand, and said anxiously, “Aunt Cheng, has Huaishi brother really met with misfortune? Tell me quickly, this isn’t true. It must be the servants gossiping nonsense.”
The Old Madam hugged her, remaining silent.
The Third Young Miss whispered to me, “This is Miss Liu Yuxian, the daughter of Prefect Liu of Yangzhou. She was always very attentive to Second Brother. She’s always been urging her mother to break off Second Brother’s engagement and marry her instead.”
No wonder the Cheng family treated me that way yesterday; they had a high-ranking connection to cling to.
The eldest son of the Cheng family inherited the Canal Troops official position, and if the second son were to marry the Prefect’s daughter, it would be a situation of great prosperity and influence.
I looked at the woman.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked at the Old Madam, saying, “Aunt Cheng, tell me quickly. Huaishi brother is skilled in martial arts; he was just going to Huizhou on an errand and will be back soon.”
The Old Madam pointed at the blood-stained, soiled clothes in the servant’s hand, trembling, and hesitated to speak.
Liu Yuxian’s eyes were vacant, as if her last hope had vanished.
The thing she least wanted to happen had been confirmed.
She collapsed onto the ground.
“My Huaishi brother, my Huaishi brother…”
At this moment, a middle-aged man entered and said to the Old Madam, “Madam, the clan elders say that since the Second Young Master died in a foreign land without being married, he cannot be buried in the Cheng family’s ancestral grave. Madam, which plot of land should we purchase to bury the Second Young Master’s ceremonial clothes?”
The Old Madam angrily said, “What land to buy? My Huaier should be buried in the ancestral grave, with his grandfather and father.”
The middle-aged man looked troubled, “He cannot be buried in the ancestral grave without being married; this is the rule of the Cheng family for generations, and it cannot be changed…”
The Old Madam pondered for a long time and said, “Then let’s arrange a marriage for Huaier! Regardless of whether Huaier is here or not, the wedding must be grand. We must let the people of Yangzhou Prefecture witness this grand occasion. Who will be the bride…”
The Old Madam’s gaze fell upon Liu Yuxian.
Liu Yuxian hurriedly lowered her head.
The Old Madam said with tears, “Xian’er, you always said you wanted to marry Huaishi…?”
“When Huaishi brother was alive, I did say… I said I wanted to marry him… but now, he is dead. I, I, I…”
Liu Yuxian stood up and left as if fleeing a plague.
“I am willing.”
I announced loudly.
All eyes in the room turned to me.
“Are you truly willing?” the Old Madam looked at me, her gaze no longer as sharp as before.
“I am willing,” I met the Old Madam’s gaze.
I wanted to show her what kind of family of loyalty her “fallen family” was.
Since I traveled thousands of miles, holding the marriage certificate, I should see it through to the end!
After a while, the Old Madam said, “Good.”
The Third Young Miss shouted, “Second Sister-in-law is benevolent and righteous!”
The Steward, servant boys, and maidservants whispered among themselves, showing approval.
The twenty-second day of October.
In the Dinghai month, on the Guiwei day, it poured rain in Yangzhou.
An old Servant Woman held Cheng Huaishi’s spirit tablet.
I, dressed in red, bowed to the spirit tablet in a wedding ceremony.
From then on, I became the Second Young Mistress of the Cheng family.
On the wedding night, the red candles burned brightly, and there seemed to be movement outside the door…
