Chapter 23: Pointless arguments are best avoided.

In the Great Yuan Dynasty, there was an ancient custom where a woman, upon marrying into her husband's family, would address her mother-in-law as "Grandmother," just as her own children would. This served as a mark of respect, yet it also underscored the low status of women; from the moment they wed, they were essentially lowered by a generation in the eyes of their in-laws.

Madam Wen opened her mouth as if to say more.

"Eldest Aunt, I was the one who volunteered. Besides, these are just trivial matters, it is no trouble at all," Yunjiao said, looking up at Madam Wen with a sweet, obedient smile.

She did not want her two aunts to quarrel here. Given the current state of her grandmother, the quieter the environment, the better. Moreover, her Eldest Aunt had always treated her well, and she did not want her aunt to suffer bullying or humiliation from the Second Aunt on her account.

In the Great Yuan Dynasty, women were permitted to remarry if their husbands passed away. If a husband could not provide for his wife and children, the wife could report it to the authorities and request a divorce. If a husband went away for three years without returning, the wife also had the right to remarry.

After Yunjiao’s eldest uncle passed away, her aunt had taken two widowers into her home, effectively bringing them in as live-in husbands. After all, her two daughters were already married off, and her adopted son, though living nearby, treated her with more indifference than a stranger. For a woman left alone and helpless, having someone to talk to was a comfort.

Unfortunately, both men passed away within a few years of marrying her. Having experienced so much, she had come to terms with life and remained a widow ever since. Rumors circulated outside that the Eldest Aunt was a jinx who brought death to her husbands, whispering about some "three-husband fate" and other such nonsense; in short, there were no kind words to be found.

As a member of the family, the Second Aunt should have stood by the Eldest Aunt and silenced those outsiders, but instead, she took part in the gossip, sometimes even more enthusiastically than the others. Fortunately, the Eldest Aunt understood her character and never took her words to heart. If she were a more sensitive person, she might have been driven to despair.

If they were to argue over her now, the Second Aunt would surely use those rumors to mock the Eldest Aunt again. Yunjiao could not bear to see her aunt hurt; it was better to avoid unnecessary verbal disputes whenever possible.

Madam Wen, seeing how sensible the girl was, patted her shoulder without another word and walked slowly to the bedside to check on Old Madam Qian.

"Grandmother, how are you today?" she asked, leaning over the old woman.

Old Madam Qian seemed not to see her; she remained silent, her clouded eyes fixed blankly on the bed canopy. Madam Wen sat down on the edge of the bed, took her thin, withered hand, and sighed, "How did it come to this? You were such a capable person back then—how could you have become so muddled so suddenly?"

Just as she was speaking, there was a commotion outside.

"Master, Sir..." the maids were heard offering their greetings outside.

Madam Ding stood up. Madam Wen also rose, saying, "Shihai is here."

Yunjiao stood up as well and watched as the door curtain was lifted and her second uncle, Qian Shihai, stepped inside.

He was similar in build to her late grandfather—not very tall and rather thin. He wore a stone-gray silk robe, with two jade pendants hanging from his waist, looking every bit the wealthy merchant, his face wreathed in a pleasant smile.

Yunjiao’s heart stirred. For the past few days, her second uncle had claimed to be too busy to see her, and since he was not naturally a man who smiled often, this smile clearly was not meant for her.

Sure enough, she saw someone following closely behind Qian Shihai. Taking a closer look, she realized it was Qin Nanfeng’s uncle, Zhao Zhongyong, the Commander of the Loyal Martial Guards.

Yunjiao understood immediately; no wonder her second uncle was smiling like that.

Although the Great Yuan Dynasty valued civil officials over military ones—meaning a military official was generally considered a notch below a civil official of the same rank—the Commander of the Loyal Martial Guards was still a fifth-rank official. Furthermore, Zhao Zhongyong came from a military family; in time, with military achievements, he would surely rise higher. To a merchant like Qian Shihai, he was naturally someone to be treated with great deference.

Yunjiao was somewhat puzzled. She was, after all, the daughter of a third-rank civil official; why did her second uncle not try to curry favor with her? After a moment of reflection, she understood. Her second uncle and her father had fallen out bitterly over her mother’s dowry. At that time, her father had not yet passed the imperial exams and was merely a poor scholar, and she had heard that her second uncle had often humiliated him with his words. Now, she was only a daughter of a concubine, and her biological mother had been reduced from the mistress of the house to a secondary wife; it was only natural for her second uncle to look down on her. Besides, seeing the Second Aunt’s unrelenting attitude, it would be strange if her second uncle dared to be close to her.

Zhao Zhongyong was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a narrow-sleeved, short battle robe made of animal hide that looked both warm and practical. With his military boots, he appeared awe-inspiring and naturally imposing. Yunjiao felt a slight jump in her heart; surely, only someone who had truly been on the battlefield and killed enemies could possess such an intimidating presence.

"Second Uncle," Yunjiao greeted Qian Shihai.

"Yunjiao," Qian Shihai took two steps forward, his expression complex. But seeing Madam Ding’s face, he immediately acted as if nothing were amiss. "Hurry and greet Lord Zhao."

"Greetings, Lord Zhao," Yunjiao said with a proper curtsy.

Madam Wen and Madam Ding also offered their greetings. Moments later, a young man strode in, followed closely by a young servant.

Yunjiao could not help but smile at the sight. It seemed Qin Nanfeng wanted to visit Old Madam Qian and had mentioned it to his uncle. Zhao Zhongyong was a man of sentiment and loyalty, and since Old Madam Qian was the grandmother of his nephew, Qian Xiangshan, he had come to pay his respects upon hearing of her condition.

Qian Shihai and Zhao Zhongyong were now standing by the bedside, with Qian Shihai whispering about the old lady’s illness.

"Young Master Qin," Madam Ding said, hurriedly greeting Qin Nanfeng with a face full of maternal kindness, the sharp, hostile look she had worn for Yunjiao completely vanished.

Qin Nanfeng ignored her with a faint nod, turning his attention to Yunjiao instead.

"Xiao Jiu, why are you washing clothes yourself?" He walked over to the wooden basin and stood there, frowning in confusion. "And why are you doing it in your room?"

Although he had never washed clothes himself, he had seen how it was done; shouldn't laundry be done by a well or a riverbank?

Yunjiao did not know how to explain it for a moment, so she merely brushed it off: "It’s nothing."

"I knew you didn't have enough people helping you," Qin Nanfeng said with a proud grin. He turned to his servant and said, "Wannianqing, go call some people in."

The servant, who looked clean-cut and bright-eyed, was still staring at him blankly, as if stunned.

"What are you staring at me for!" Qin Nanfeng gave him a sharp slap on the head without hesitation. "Hurry up!"

The servant snapped out of his daze, rubbing his head with a look of grievance. "Young Master, isn't my name 'Chihu'? Why am I 'Wannianqing' again?"

Yunjiao chuckled softly. Although Qin Nanfeng claimed to dislike reading, he must have studied quite a bit; "Chihu" was a symbol of bravery and strength, often representing "invincibility" on the battlefield. As for the servant's name, while Qin might not have been diligent in his studies, he certainly had not disgraced the reputation of his scholarly family.

"I’ll change it whenever I want, why so much nonsense?" Qin Nanfeng raised his foot as if to kick him.

The servant, terrified, clutched his backside and scrambled out of the room.