Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

As expected, Old Madam Liu scolded her grandson severely, agreed to take in Hongxing'er, but didn't suggest he take a concubine. Liu Ruicai was a little disappointed and went to ask his mother for advice, only to be scolded again, then told her son there was plenty of time. Madam Liu personally went to her son's courtyard to give Hongxing'er some detailed instructions, then sent someone to pack her things and deliver them to the old lady's courtyard. The old lady arranged for her to live in the west wing of the back courtyard, where she ate three meals a day with her, and did needlework in her spare time.

The Liu brothers brought Du back without much trouble. Du was about to throw another tantrum, but Ruihong said seriously, "Father is coming back soon. It's one thing for him to be working so hard outside, but how can we let him worry about his children's private affairs? Besides, what couple doesn't bicker and get angry? Now that your sister-in-law is unwell, and Mother is running around managing the household all by herself, you probably can't just hide at your parents' house and be lazy!" The mother-in-law then went along with it, inviting them to stay for lunch, packing up her daughter's things, and sending them back.

Liu Lian was watching over her eldest daughter-in-law, Fengxian, as she drank soup. These past few days, Liu Lian had been keeping a close eye on her, ensuring her diet, medicine, and tonics were meticulously prepared. Her eldest daughter-in-law's complexion had even begun to glow slightly, which pleased Old Madam Liu. But while she was happy, someone else was not. That's how things are in the family: it's always one way or the other. Old Madam Liu was seething with resentment; she didn't have even the slightest hope that her eldest daughter-in-law would recover.

Mrs. Liu had wanted to take over the management of the household for over a decade, but the old lady stubbornly refused to hand it over. First, she used her pregnancy as an excuse, then she directly gave the management to Ruihong's wife, saying she was literate and could do math. She merely mentioned that her daughter-in-law was young and inexperienced and might not be able to manage well, and the old woman's face fell. She said the eldest son would eventually have to run the household, and if he didn't learn while he was young, did he expect to learn when he was old? She almost choked! She knew she had entered the family pregnant, which wasn't respectable! But this was unfair: both her sons were put on their grandmother's bed after birth, and she only got to raise her daughter after much persuasion. After enduring so many years of mistreatment, she finally got the management, but she still had to put up with the old woman's temper. If Fengxian didn't eat well even once, she would be scolded—it sounded like she was scolding the cook, but actually… everyone knew!

Seeing Cai's daughter-in-law made her angry. Cai was her own son, yet his wife wasn't close to her at all. Her sister-in-law and her husband's wife were inseparable, like sisters-in-law. This daughter-in-law didn't even greet her first; instead, she rushed off to the back. No doubt, she was going to find her sister-in-law and grandmother!

Madam Du first greeted her grandmother, then exchanged pleasantries with her sister-in-law. She sat down to the side, took Liu Ye'er's hand, and spoke a few words intimately. She then slipped a gold twisted bracelet onto Liu Ye'er's wrist, smiling, "I liked this younger sister at first sight. No wonder she's from your family; her appearance and demeanor are truly exceptional." Fengxian quickly offered some polite words on behalf of her sister. Liulian, guessing Madam Du had something to say to her elder sister, slipped off the kang (heated brick bed) and went outside. The old lady of the Liu family was sitting in the shade, fanning herself, and invited her over to eat cherries.

There was a murmur of voices coming from inside, but it was hard to make out what they were saying. There seemed to be some low sobs mixed in. The old lady remained calm and composed, discussing the cherries with Liu Ye'er.

Inside the room, Madam Du was sobbing. Fengxian didn't try to comfort her. Madam Du said bitterly, "He only comes back once every ten days, and when he does, all he thinks about is that vixen. Do you think I can tie him down? He doesn't even come back once a month... how can I get pregnant! My elder brother is thirty and still childless and hasn't taken a concubine yet, how can he take one?"

"Didn't you marry Second Brother?" Fengxian teased her, then turned serious, "If you agree to drink the tea she serves, she can simply have the child legitimately. If you don't agree, she'll just have a bad reputation, but the child will still be born, and everyone will look bad. But," Fengxian emphasized, "the more pathetic she looks, the more Second Brother will pity her, the more she'll cling to him, and the more embarrassed you'll be. Without our family, she probably wouldn't even be able to be a maid. If she stays, she can live a life of luxury. Do you think she'd want to leave? Second Brother is in the mood; he wouldn't be willing to send her away. The so-called 'keeping the child while leaving the mother' is just a temporary measure!"

"Letting her become the Second Master's concubine like this is too lenient on her! Get some medicine to induce an abortion!"

"Tch!" Fengxian was too lazy to pay attention to this silly girl. He gathered his strength and still advised her gently, "If you really abort her baby, not to mention Second Master, I'm afraid even Grandmother won't tolerate you. At that time, it won't just be a divorce, but a divorce. Don't even think about it!"

Du was already deeply desperate. She sobbed, "I'm staying at my parents' house, and I'm thinking it would be better to die! If you force me any further, I'll hang myself at Hongxing'er's door. I'm sure my family will smash that vixen to pieces!" Fengxian was speechless. This was something she should have understood immediately, but this simpleton was stubbornly oblivious. Her own sister was only twelve or thirteen years old, yet she knew that she had to drink the tea Hongxing'er offered, whether she wanted to or not. If she brought up the topic of taking a concubine, everyone would be more respectable, and she would gain some favors. If she didn't agree, she would only be seen as the bad guy, which wouldn't help at all. Fengxian was helpless. It seemed she had to be direct. This simpleton couldn't even taste the filling after eating a bowl of dumplings, so she explained the situation to her in detail. Du cried, cried bitterly, and realized for the first time how helpless she truly was.

Fengxian watched her cry quietly for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before saying softly, "Don't cry, I have an idea for you." Madam Du looked up, and Fengxian said, "Hongxing'er comes from a humble background and is not virtuous. Taking her as a concubine will only bring shame to the Liu family! At most, she can only be a maidservant! Once the Second Master's novelty wears off..."

That's right, concubines aren't qualified to raise children. I'm the proper wife, so I can handle things however I want. The Second Master is only home five or six days a month. Humph, does he think she's going to fly to the moon?

Fengxian shook her head. When Hongxinger was a maid, she openly stole her man, and Fengxian was helpless, only able to beat and scold her, but she couldn't subdue her at all. Now that things were out in the open... Actually, when she discovered Hongxinger's affair with Cai'er, she could have found a pretext to give her a bowl of medicine to cut off her escape route and see what tricks she could pull. Letting the Second Master do as he pleased, how long would that interest last? If she weakened her body, she was afraid that her superiors wouldn't punish her, and she wouldn't have to play the villain! She actually got pregnant right under her nose! It's truly speechless!

Du was only twenty years old; she would still be in school now. She wasn't stupid; she was just a spoiled brat—unwilling to accept her husband's betrayal—and she had to experience many things to understand. She hadn't yet learned how to scheme and plot, but now she had.