Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

After breakfast, Madam Du mentioned going out to buy silk thread. Fengxian couldn't go out yet; the old lady, being quite old, hadn't recovered from her rest and also refused to go out, only saying, "Don't take Fuhui with you. She's just a child. Take good care of Seventh Miss; she's unfamiliar with the city and is still young." Madam Du respectfully withdrew, and as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard gate, she grabbed Liuye'er and ran off. Liulian was puzzled; they hadn't done anything wrong, why were they running?

“You don’t know, if we run into your sister-in-law, she’ll definitely have a lot to say to you. She’ll absolutely forbid us from eating out. You’re such a moralist, sister.” Then, turning to the panting old woman who came over, she said, “You don’t need to come with me. Just stay home and rest for a day!” The old woman wanted to say something, but seeing Du’s expression, she said, “Or should I go see my daughter? You’re going out without anyone to serve you…”

"Okay, okay, I got it!"

Halfway there, the old woman got off the carriage. Du gave her a piece of silver and also gave the driver a piece of silver as hush money, which the driver happily accepted.

Having stayed in the city for over ten days, Liulian hadn't actually visited any of the shops. Along the way, Madam Du pointed out the Confucian Temple, the county government office, the county school, and other temples to Liulian, explaining what each place was and what it was.

Shizijie (Cross Street) is located in the southern part of the county town, and is the most prosperous area. It's a street about two or three miles long, lined with shops selling fabrics, yarns, jewelry, and embroidery. The alleys to the east and west are filled with restaurants, bookstores, and theaters. It's almost overwhelming to linger here; I always thought life in ancient times was dull and monotonous, but it turns out it was much richer than modern life. Du Shi and Liu Ye strolled slowly. There was a large gate by the roadside leading to a square, with stalls lined up one after another, filled with storytellers, acrobats, magicians, and singers. The crowd was packed, and coins rained down. Before they knew it, it was noon. Du Shi and Liu Ye went into a small restaurant and ordered two kinds of golden-brown sesame cakes and soup dumplings, a bowl of chicken wontons each, and a side of assorted pickled vegetables. It was truly a satisfying meal! The streets were much less crowded now; under the scorching sun, it was definitely time to rest. Du Shi pulled Liu Ye'er into a jewelry store. The head shop assistant greeted them with a smile and led them to the backyard. Du Shi instructed the assistant to brew a pot of tea, then led Liu Ye'er upstairs, unlocked a door around the corner, and opened it. Liu Lian saw a two-room room, lavishly furnished. Du Shi said proudly, "No one is allowed to stay in this room normally. It's specially prepared for people to rest when they're tired from shopping. Just make do with resting on the couch." As she spoke, a young shop assistant brought over a large pot of tea, followed by a junior apprentice carrying a food box. The apprentice took out plates and set them out. Liu Lian glanced at them and saw a plate of melon seeds, a plate of black sesame crisps, a plate of candied fruit, a plate of fried peas with oil and salt, a plate of boiled spiced broad beans, a plate of cherries, a plate of apricots, and a plate of shredded smoked rabbit legs. The shop assistant smiled obsequiously at Madam Du and said, "I didn't know Miss was coming to shop today. I didn't prepare anything and just bought some random things outside. Please tell me what you want, and I'll buy it for you." Madam Du was quite pleased with herself and waved her hand, saying, "No need. Go and rest. It's terribly hot. Bring me a piece of ice."

Soon, the two men carried up an oval ice platter, at least three feet long, with a half-melted iceberg on top. Liu Lian couldn't help but gasp in amazement; the Du family was quite wealthy!

Madam Du was quite pleased with herself. Her family was no less powerful than the Liu family, which had indeed prospered in recent years, even showing signs of surpassing the Du family. Back then, her family hadn't even considered trying to climb the social ladder. Madam Du assumed Liu Ye'er wanted to marry into the Liu family, and she was happy to see it happen, so she tried to curry favor with her in every way, as a way of repaying Madam Huo's favor. Although Madam Du came from a merchant family, she wasn't good at scheming. Because she had always been pampered, she had a cheerful and unpretentious temperament, quite similar to modern people, which is why Liu Lian befriended her. In fact, Liu Lian had absolutely no intention of marrying into the Liu family. She didn't even know that the Liu family had a third young master, and even if she did, she had no interest in this kind of arranged marriage.

Madam Du and Liu Ye'er lay on the couch, chatting and laughing. Liu Ye'er asked Madam Du, "Is this your shop? No wonder you have so many beautiful pieces of jewelry. I haven't properly thanked you for that bracelet you gave me yet; it's so beautiful!"

"That bracelet isn't really worth much, but it's exquisitely crafted. Xiu Luan tried to get it from me several times, but I refused! Tch! She wants my things but won't even say a nice word. Does she really think I'm a sucker? I can give my things to whomever I want! Has your sister-in-law been talking about you behind your back?"

Liu Lian just smiled and didn't say anything. "My sister-in-law is such a conflicted person. She's been virtuous and kind her whole life, but I wonder how many times she's truly laughed heartily in her thirty years? Sigh, my sister-in-law helped me this time, and I'll remember her kindness. I'll go downstairs later and pick out a nice one, and put it on my tab!"

"You still need to keep accounts?"

"Hey, just kidding, anyway, the shopkeeper didn't go to ask for the money!" She chuckled as she spoke, and Liu Lian was a little envious of her. Only girls who were pampered by their parents could have such confidence and be so naively sweet.

After a moment's hesitation, Du asked Liu Ye'er with a slightly embarrassed expression, "Did your eldest sister ever teach you how to handle something like Hong Xing'er's situation?"

"No, my elder sister just said that if a person is upright, he has nothing to fear. If you can't stand up for yourself, no one can help you." In fact, Fengxian didn't say these things to her. Fengxian felt that she was still too young and not suitable to teach her these underhanded methods of the inner court.

"However, Sister Du, once you accept the red apricots, your brother-in-law will definitely be grateful to you. Take this opportunity to win his heart. If you and your husband are loving and affectionate, a basket of red apricots won't be of any use. Think carefully about what kind of apricots your brother-in-law likes, and cater to his preferences. Are you afraid you won't be able to keep him?"

Du's eyes were a little moist. "Sister, the dowry my family gave me is more than enough for me to live on for the rest of my life. Why should I humiliate myself to please a man? Just thinking about him and... makes me sick. I wish I could stay as far away from him as possible!"

Don't advise others to do good if you haven't suffered in their shoes. Besides, in this kind of situation, modern people mostly advise separation rather than reconciliation, leaving me speechless for a moment. After thinking it over, I decided to follow local customs and advised, "Sister Du, if you don't find a way to repair your relationship with your brother-in-law, aren't you just letting Hongxing'er benefit for nothing? Since she wants to steal your man, aren't you afraid to fight back against her?"

"She doesn't deserve it! I am the legitimate daughter of the Du family, and I was carried into the Liu family with great ceremony and ceremonies. To fight with her would be giving her too much credit!"

As she spoke, she plucked a willow leaf and poured tea, saying, "Sister, you're like my own sister. Talking to you makes me feel so much better! If you ever feel wronged, just tell me, and I'll stand up for you! My mother-in-law is stubborn and won't listen to reason. You just have to be tough with her, or she'll play games with you! Look at my sister-in-law, how much she's tormented her, both openly and secretly? It's only because of your sister-in-law; anyone else would have died several times over! Here, try this."

Liu Lian never expected that Du Shi, who seemed carefree and thoughtless, was actually quite talented.