Did the third place winner regret it today?

Chapter 45

Yin Shi was still thinking about something.
After lunch, she returned to the yard and said to Shen Ti, "Go take a nap, don't worry about me."
Shen Ti was curious: "What are you doing?"
Yin Shi said, "I have to pick my flowers."

Yin Shi liked to plant flowers and grass, so when Mrs. Shen was tidying up the yard, she reserved a place for her. The two of them had communicated with each other in their letters.
When Yin Shi went out, she dug up some of her favorite flowers and plants and moved them into pots. When she arrived at a new place, the climate, water and soil were different, so she didn't rush to transplant them. She had to check the soil first.

Shen Ti sat on the couch in the second room drinking tea, opened the window and looked outside to see Yin Shi, who had changed into her casual short-sleeved shirt and was squatting there with her maid to inspect the soil in the yard.
"That won't do." He heard her say to the maids, "The soil needs to be loosened up and fertilized for a few days, otherwise the flowers will all die if we move them here."
Then he discussed with Pu'er and Ying'er how to improve the soil.

It sounds like he is really knowledgeable.
Shen Ti sipped her tea and watched leisurely. She could see Yin Shi's eyes sparkling across the courtyard. It seemed as if he was planning to take root in this soil and thrive.
He couldn't help but think of Feng Luoyi.
He thought that it would be great if his cousin could share some of her strong vitality with Feng Luoyi.

"Tell the people in the yard to go and help the young lady," he ordered.
He Xin hurried there.
Shen Ti glanced out the window again, rinsed his mouth, and went to the inner room to take a nap.

I woke up in a daze, turned my head and saw that the bed was still empty. Yin Shi didn't come.
He woke up and called someone to come in and serve him. He washed up again, changed his clothes and came out refreshed, and saw a graceful figure lying on the couch in the second room.

After all, it was only the first day of their marriage, so Shen Ti paused.
From now on, I will live with this woman forever. Her presence and scent will be everywhere, in the inner rooms, the side rooms, the main hall and the courtyard.
Gotta get used to it.

Yin Shi turned around when he heard the voice and smiled: "Are you awake?"
She still held a pen in her hand. Shen Ti walked over and asked, "What are you writing?"
"Come quickly." Yin Shi said with a smile, "I need your help with something. This can't wait."

Shen Ti was curious and sat down on the couch: "What's the emergency?"
Yin Shi blew on what he had written and handed it to him: "Now is the time to divide the orchids. It will be too late if you delay any longer. I need these things and I have to ask for your help. As soon as possible."

Shen Ti took a closer look and laughed.
Rotten leaves, fine soil, coarse sand, river mud, broken tiles, pebbles and even cow dung. Flower pots are the most common.
The items were not valuable and not difficult to obtain, but they had to be obtained outside. Yin Shi had just settled down and taken over the maids in the courtyard. Her companions were still getting familiar with the environment, so she could only ask Shen Ti for help.

Shen Ti asked someone to call Changchuan over and handed it to him: "Give it to Pingmo, tell him to hurry up, tell him it's urgent."
Changchuan said: "Yes."
Yin Shi asked Kui'er to take some big coins to Changchuan: "Tell him, it's urgent."
Chang Chuan accepted the reward and puffed out his chest: "Don't worry, Madam!"
He ran out of the door, his legs moving very fast. Yin Shi looked over from the window and laughed.

The sun was shining brightly outside, making her face look bright as well.
People who love to laugh are not annoying.
A beautiful woman who loves to smile is less likely to be annoying.
Shen Ti felt that he could quickly adapt to this kind of life with his cousin.

"You didn't sleep?" he asked.
"No. I'm very busy." Yin Shi said.
As they were talking, Kui'er and Pu'er came in, each holding a pot of orchid: "Madam... Young Madam, Hanlin."
Now the two of them have to change their way of speaking. Since they are married, they can no longer call each other girls.

Yin Shi moved the pen and ink on the table: "Put it here."
The maids placed two pots of orchids on the couch.
Shen Ti's eyes lit up and she praised: "You raise him really well."
The Four Gentlemen, plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, have always been the favorites of scholars.

Yin Shi said, "These two pots are the best. Wait a minute, I'll take a look. They have just arrived in a new place, and I'm afraid they can't adapt to the environment. After two days, if they are fine, I will give them to my aunt and uncle."
Shen Ti raised an eyebrow: "Not mine?"

He had been "indifferent" for the whole day, and now he finally looked like a teenager again.
Yin Shi burst out laughing: "My flowers are all in the yard, you can pick any one you like."
Shen Ti was satisfied and promised: "Just tell me what you need. I can find it for you."

These two pots of orchids are of really good quality. If they weren’t given as a gift to her parents, Shen Ti would have wanted to take them for herself right now.
He had heard from Mrs. Shen before that Yin Shi was good at planting flowers and plants. Now that he saw these two pots of orchids, he finally believed it with his own eyes.
This was good. Shen Ti felt that since he and Yin Shi were not a real couple, she might get lonely in her room after a while. Having a hobby that she was willing to invest a lot of time and energy in was a good way to kill time.

"I need one for my outer study," he said, "and one for my inner study as well."
He also emphasized: "Sister, pick the good ones for me, don't be stingy."
"As your elder sister, how can I bully you?" Yin Shi agreed, "I'll pick them for you later. Oh, you can pick them yourself. They are all in the side rooms. They just got exposed to the sun, and now they are all in the side rooms for shade."
"I'll let you pick first. Once you're done, I'll pick up the rest."
"It's just that these two pots won't do. These are for my aunt and uncle, so they have to be the best."
Shen Ti had no objection: "Of course." Yin Shi asked the maids to leave and said to him: "I asked the maids to check the cash box. It matches the account. There is no problem. The warehouse has not had time to check it in the next few days. I will hand it over to Lu Yan He Xin. The accounts will be made clear."

While Shen Ti was taking a nap, she and Kui'er counted the cash box first.
Kui Er was still a little scared: "They still have a booklet!"
One book is for money, and the other is for the things in the storehouse. The money in and out, the goods in and out of the storehouse are all clearly recorded.
Kui Er said, "We have never made a booklet."

Of course, Yin Shi was a little concubine's daughter before. She lived in a small courtyard with a few little maids. All her assets were just a few small things. It was enough to remember them in her head, so there was no need to make a book.
Yin Shi encouraged her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."
Kui'er felt relieved.

Flowers and grasses are all for cultivating one's temperament and killing time. Money is the serious matter and the basis for living.
When talking about these things, even Shen Ti had a different feeling, that feeling of "already having a family" became more textured.

He sat up straight and explained his and her financial situation to this cousin who had assumed the title of his "wife": "Keep your dowry to yourself, and don't use it. Mother has informed me that the family will give you twenty taels of monthly allowance for your own expenses. The expenses for the people and items in the courtyard are not included."
"Mother will transfer the supplies from our courtyard, such as rouge, powder, hair oil, tea, incense, and medicine. You don't have to pay for it."
"My salary is not much, only 7500 dan. I don't take rice, but convert it into silver. I will give it to my sister as well."

But Yin Shi had his own ideas in mind.
She refused: "I will take the monthly salary given by my family. You don't have to give me your own salary, just give it to Miss Feng."
Shen Ti stared at her.

Yin Shi said, "I am the young lady of the Shen family. I will serve my parents-in-law and teach my concubines. In your future official social events, you may need me to entertain the wives of your colleagues, superiors, and subordinates. I accept this identity, take on this responsibility, do this work, and deserve this money."
"But your salary is yours. You don't have to give it to me. Just give it to Miss Feng."

Yin Shi regarded the Shen family as a "big family" and she was a part of it. But she believed that there was a "small family" within the big family, and Shen Ti and Miss Feng formed that small family.
She worked for everyone and got paid by everyone. As for the private money Shen Ti earned, it belonged to his and the Feng family's little family.

Shen Ti could understand what she meant, but he said, "No need, there's not much money, just take it, sister. Don't worry about Feng's, sister, I have money for her."
After thinking for a while, he added: "Sister, if you don't have enough money, tell me."

He is so young but he has such a big mouth.
Yin Shi understood immediately: "There's extra money, right?"
Shen Ti paused.
He's a bit like the man whose secret money is discovered by his wife.

Yin Shi suppressed his laughter and said, "Can I ask? People like you who work in the Hanlin Academy are not considered to be officials with low incomes, right? How do you make extra money?"
She waved her hand again: "If you don't want to say it, you don't have to. I'm just purely curious."

Her eyes were bright and smiling, clear and without any calculation.
Shen Ti explained to her: "It's mainly for writing fees. I help people write poems, inscriptions, introductions, and epitaphs. Some people also ask for Qingci. Some people just ask for calligraphy."

Yin Shi exclaimed: "There are so many ways."
Shen Ti sneered: "It's only like this since I became an official. Everything and everyone talks about money."
"Because I've grown up." Yin Shi looked at him with a smile on his face.

When I was young, I just needed to study hard. My parents took care of my food, clothing, housing, transportation, and money.
When I grew up, I had my own ideas and had disagreements with my parents. It was not appropriate to use my parents' money to solve these disagreements. The feeling of being constrained was too strong.
Naturally, I started thinking of ways to make money.
Things that I used to think were tacky are now accepted so naturally.

Yin Shi said affirmatively: "In fact, I feel it is very obvious. Compared with when you were in Huaixi, you have changed a lot. You are really different."

In fact, it was only less than a year, but in this short year, he became an official and entered the officialdom.
Only Shen Ti herself understands the transformation, acceptance and compromise in between.
Occasionally, when I chew on it late at night, I still feel melancholy.
Now, when she said “you’ve grown up”, Shen Ti suddenly felt… relieved.
"Yeah," he said, "everyone has to grow up."
Who isn't?

(End of this chapter)