Chapter 87: A foster father is a father, and a Master is also a father!
Last night it rained, a heavy downpour lasting half the night.
As dawn broke, the rain gradually lessened, turning into a fine drizzle that fell softly. The clouds were no longer very thick, but the sun’s rays struggled to penetrate them, casting only a faint halo between the raindrops.
The fine rain continued to fall, unhindered, like silver threads tearing through the sky, weaving and tangling in the air, before gently landing in the woods and fields, nourishing all things and bestowing a dewy sheen upon them.
Everything’s colors were thus muted, appearing and disappearing amidst the swirling mist, as if transformed into an ink wash painting.
The plum rain season is coming, I need to prepare more firewood…
Yuan Ye gazed at the natural beauty, like a cow chewing peonies; practicality came first, and he didn’t feel particularly poetic. Instead, he planned to order Maeshima Shichiro to prepare more fuel, lest it affect the yield of the soy sauce workshop.
He had deliberately woken up so early today, as he had promised Asano Nagamasa yesterday to be Nene’s “teacher.” He naturally took it seriously, waking up early to await his new student’s first day of class. Even though it was suddenly raining and the roads were muddy, he figured Nene wouldn’t arrive too early, yet he still woke up well before then.
He wasn’t in a hurry, as he had nothing else to do today. He simply enjoyed the rainy scenery and waited patiently. Before long, A Man, having eaten her fill, ambled over barefoot. Seeing him gazing out the window, seemingly anticipating someone’s arrival, she couldn’t help but say speechlessly, “Are you that eager?”
She was truly impressed. Fires in old houses spread quickly; he was so eager to get married he couldn’t sit still, standing there waiting early in the morning. It seemed her words from last night had been in vain.
However, she could understand. Yuan Ye, being over twenty and still unmarried, was quite the veteran bachelor, and rather pitiable.
Yuan Ye glanced back at her briefly before returning his gaze, too lazy to bother with her, this wild child.
Last night, A Man had chattered with him for most of the night, offering earnest advice. The advice, though unwelcome, was full of nonsense, urging him to exercise restraint, to first understand Nene’s background before making a move. If he couldn’t hold back, she suggested he could use Yayoi as a temporary substitute, and absolutely not act rashly. Otherwise, it could lead to a major conflict between the Asano and Yuan Ye families, severely damage his reputation, and he might genuinely fail to find a wife, which would be a terrible loss.
He was stunned for half a day before he realized that his momentary curiosity to “archaeologize” and see what a young “Woman Regent” looked like, as a check-in for his transmigration life, seemed to have caused some inexplicable misunderstandings. And these misunderstandings appeared to have involved Oda Nobunaga, otherwise Asano Nagamasa wouldn’t have been so shameless, lacking any reserve, to actively offer his daughter into the tiger’s den. Nene did indeed have Oda Nobunaga behind her, and now Oda Nobunaga seemed intent on pairing him and Nene, so he could be controlled in the future.
At the very least, it would give him, this “master of medical skills,” ties in Owari, preventing him from simply walking away at any moment as he had before.
However, once Yuan Ye understood, he didn’t really care.
After all, he acted upright and honorable. He had no wicked intentions towards Nene herself, nor any collector’s fetish for historical figures. He simply wanted to ruin the “Monkey’s” reputation. As long as he could achieve this goal, he could accept being slightly misunderstood. After all, if he could truly change the history of East Asia because of this, even if no one knew, he would feel very satisfied.
Therefore, a little gossip and a little misunderstanding were of no concern to him; he was still prepared to proceed with his original plan.
…………
Around nine in the morning, the fine rain had not yet stopped. An ox cart, its wheels caked with mud, slowly entered Yuan Ye’s residence, accompanied by several followers in straw raincoats.
Nene, wearing tall wooden clogs, jumped down from the cart, staring blankly at the “ancestral home” in the rain.
When her family was ruined, her sister was still very young, but she was already old enough to remember.
Back then, she often ran barefoot among these wooden houses, living a stable and happy life. However, this all quickly vanished after her father’s death, like a beautiful dream.
The year she spent at the Asano family afterward was like a nightmare. She was underfed and poorly clothed, looked down upon, and often subjected to ridicule and disdain. Even when her sister fell ill in winter, no one cared. No matter how much she pleaded, it was useless. She was forced to seek out her father’s killer, her father’s former lord, and by forcibly stopping his horse and cautiously engaging him in conversation after nearly being trampled to death, she managed to elicit a sliver of pity and secure a new life for herself and her sister.
She had once thought that she might have to wait until she grew up to reclaim her family home and relive that beautiful dream. She never imagined she would return so soon, and even have to seek knowledge from someone here.
Or rather, to cultivate a relationship with that person, so as to become a member of the Yuan Ye family in the future.
She didn’t feel any aversion to this. After all, aversion was useless. She couldn’t decide her own fate now, and she didn’t even know how she could decide her own fate. Thus, she could only go with the flow and try her best to live each day well.
She watched silently in the rain for a moment. When her wet nurse’s oil-paper umbrella was held over her head to shield her from the drizzle, she forcefully rubbed her face, forcing a serene and virtuous smile. Then, personally carrying a small vermilion lacquer food box, she walked towards the house.
Upon receiving the notification, Yuan Ye didn’t put on airs and quickly came to the door to greet her. Seeing him, Nene immediately clasped her hands in front of her, bowed, and said softly, “Lord Yuan Ye, please forgive my tardiness. I have arrived late.”
Yuan Ye looked down at her and smiled politely, “It’s nothing. It’s raining today; you could have sent someone to inform me, and it would have been fine to come tomorrow.”
“An agreement is an agreement; I dare not break it,” Nene replied with another bow, appearing very well-behaved.
Yuan Ye nodded. This was indeed the ancient era. Asano had acted like a little adult at such a young age, and now Nene was no less capable. Her emotional intelligence was higher than some middle schoolers of later generations, and perhaps even surpassed some clear-eyed university students. If Nene and those clear-eyed university students were to “kidnap” each other, the university students would most likely be the ones sold!
His thoughts wandered as he led Nene to the tea room. Nene’s wet nurse followed silently behind. Although Japan in this era didn’t strictly observe the separation of men and women, a degree of discretion was still maintained; it was impossible for a daughter to be alone with an unrelated man for an extended period.
Yuan Ye didn’t mind. He prepared a small low table for Nene, complete with paper, ink, brush, inkstone, and books. Tea sets and cups were also provided, showing he had put thought into it. As Nene knelt and looked, she could tell his thoughtfulness. She quickly opened the small food box she was carrying, took out a crystal-like rice cake, and presented it to him with both hands, saying with an obedient and well-behaved expression, “Lord Yuan Ye, thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn. This is a confection I made myself. Its taste might not be very good, but I hope you won’t dislike it.”
“Oh? It looks very good. Thank you!” Yuan Ye was surprised by her thoughtfulness, having brought a “teacher’s gift.” He smiled at her and accepted it. He then patted himself down, realizing he had nothing on him except for a gold coin sewn into the lining of his belt as emergency money. But this item couldn’t be used as a return gift.
He thought for a moment, ground some ink, spread out some paper, and wrote a banner for her. Smiling, he said, “I don’t have anything suitable to give you right now. Take this as encouragement. From now on, call me Master!”
He intended to trick the “Monkey” and would inevitably interfere with Nene’s marriage in the future. He planned to solidify the title of “Master” first. Even if Asano Nagamasa had no such intention and didn’t plan for his daughter to become a disciple, he would forcefully establish it. This would also clarify their generational order and status, preventing rumors from spreading and truly binding him and Nene together.
Nene was slightly taken aback. This was not what she had expected. Looking at the calligraphy and then at Yuan Ye, she asked in surprise, “Master?”
“Good disciple!” Yuan Ye immediately responded, looking at her with a benevolent expression and nodding slightly, appearing deeply gratified, as if he had finally found someone to rely on in his old age and wouldn’t have to go to a retirement home.
Nene was even more stunned. She turned to look at her wet nurse, feeling that this was different from what her wet nurse had told her. The purpose of coming to learn was to have a legitimate excuse to enter and leave the Yuan Ye residence, to pay special attention to her demeanor and appearance, to slowly cultivate a relationship with Lord Yuan Ye, to demonstrate her ability to manage a household, and to prepare to become the mistress of the Yuan Ye family in the future.
But now, why had she suddenly become a disciple? How could she become the mistress of the family like this?
Nene’s wet nurse was also stunned. How had they become master and disciple? She had never heard of a woman being taken as a disciple!
Yuan Ye paid no mind to their thoughts. In any case, he was determined to be this “Master”!
A foster father is a father, and a master is also a father. In a couple of years, when Nene is of marriageable age, he would push Asano Nagamasa aside and personally choose a good family for her, even offering a dowry. Asano Nagamasa was said to have a kind and good-natured personality, certainly not as cunning as him, and wouldn’t be able to win against him. He was basically guaranteed to win!
As for Oda Nobunaga, he would figure out a way to fool him then. Besides, by then, he would likely be busy with wars and might not have the leisure to pay attention to Nene. By the time he realized what had happened, it would be a fait accompli, and he would probably let it go.
His plan was set early. Now, he would execute it by forcefully placing the “little disciple” hat on Nene, not giving her too much time to refuse or change her words. Pointing directly at the banner, he asked, “Do you recognize these characters?”
Nene’s mind was already a bit jumbled. She looked down at the banner in confusion and instinctively read, “Water drips wear away stone, rope saws cut wood; effort is never in vain, success awaits the worthy.”
She was actually literate, but she was still young and her knowledge was limited. She could recognize these few simple characters. Yuan Ye didn’t mind and asked again, “Do you know what they mean?”
Nene blinked, hesitated, and nodded, “I know… I roughly know.” She wasn’t entirely sure about the third phrase, but she understood the other three. She guessed the third phrase likely meant something similar, emphasizing the importance of perseverance. As long as one persisted, there would eventually be a reward.
“It’s good that you understand!” Yuan Ye nodded with satisfaction and returned to his low table, sitting with an air of masterly dignity. His tone was light but serious, “Learning is never an easy task. I hope you will persevere, so that you will not look back one day in the future and resent or hate the person you are today!”
“Uh…” Nene became even more dazed, her pupils starting to widen slightly, but she still instinctively sat up straight and replied, “Yes, Lord Yuan Ye, I will not…”
“Call me Master!”
“This… Yes, Mas-Master, I will persevere and work hard, and I will not let down your good intentions.”
“Very good. Now, open your book… the first one on the left pile. Let’s begin!”
“Uh, yes, Master!”
Nene dazedly opened the book and began listening to Yuan Ye read and explain. Yuan Ye didn’t just go through the motions; he was genuinely teaching her, planning to teach her poetry, arithmetic, and the way of economics. This was a form of compensation for her not becoming the “Woman Regent.” In fact, it was better that she didn’t; the “Monkey” was notorious for taking concubines, even taking his adopted daughters as secondary wives, forcing her to leave home to avoid suspicion. If not for her years of service in the Toyotomi household and her deep influence, with many people supporting her, she might have been deposed to make way for Chacha.
In history, her life was not particularly happy. Changing her fate was indeed a good thing.
Thus, he taught diligently, and she learned in a daze. Time quickly passed until noon. For the first day, Yuan Ye naturally had to host his little disciple for a meal. He even called the entire family to introduce the new member to everyone.
Nene’s wet nurse watched Yuan Ye’s benevolent expression, constantly urging Nene from several yards away to eat more and gain weight. She even offered to prepare a room specifically for her, so she would have a place to rest when she got tired from studying, and finally slapped her thigh in realization!
Master, it’s over. The young man from the Yuan Ye family has ill intentions. He doesn’t want to be your son-in-law; he wants to steal your daughter!
Our daughter is going to be lost. Perhaps in a couple of years, Miss Nene will become an adopted daughter of the Yuan Ye family!
This person’s intentions are truly malicious!
