Chapter 55 Staring at Each Other in Utter Embarrassment

"You don't understand," Yunjiao chuckled softly. "The more detestable Shen Changdong is, the better it highlights the second aunt's sense of righteousness. With such a virtuous grandmother who is willing to sever ties for the sake of justice, what is there to fear about not finding a good match for marriage in the future?"

"That's true," Ji Yaru flashed a look of disgust. "Still, I wish that brute had been driven out of the house. That would be the only thing to satisfy my hatred."

Yunjiao smiled without responding.

The two women picked up some tinfoil paper, found the corner of a table, and sat down to fold ingots.

Before long, Madam Zhou was seen walking in accompanied by Madam Yu, though Shi Jin was nowhere in sight.

Spotting Yunjiao, Madam Zhou shot her a vicious, sidelong glare before walking straight over to Madam Ding's side.

Noticing Madam Zhou's newly changed plain silk tunic, Yunjiao bit her lip and smiled lightly. "She claimed she wasn't scared in the slightest, yet she ended up changing her clothes after all."

"Anyone would have been terrified after hearing what you said," Ji Yaru agreed, finding it rather amusing.

Yunjiao kept her eyes fixed on Madam Zhou as the latter whispered into Madam Ding's ear, glancing over at Yunjiao from time to time.

A slight frown formed on Yunjiao's brow. Were these two women so impatient that they were already plotting how to retaliate against her? Yet, upon closer observation, their expressions did not seem directed at her at all.

She pondered for a moment, then shifted her gaze to Ji Yaru beside her. Her cousin was petite in stature and elegant in appearance, possessing the gentle grace inherent to young maidens. A thought suddenly occurred to her—could it be?

"Sister, take a look," Yunjiao whispered a prompt.

"What is it?" Ji Yaru asked, finding Yunjiao's secretive demeanor rather strange.

"The second aunt and Madam Zhou look as though they're discussing you. Could it be that Shi Jin has taken a fancy to you?" Yunjiao checked her surroundings to ensure no one was near before whispering with a smile.

"Stop spouting nonsense," Ji Yaru pinched her hand, her face flushing instantly.

"I'm serious. Look over there," Yunjiao motioned for her to look at Madam Ding.

Sure enough, Madam Ding and Madam Zhou appeared to be deep in consultation, casting frequent glances in their direction.

"Don't you think so?" Yunjiao pressed.

When Ji Yaru looked over, she realized it really did look rather suspicious. Overcome with a mixture of annoyance and bashfulness, she gathered some tinfoil and placed it into the basket used for holding the ingots. Holding the basket in one hand and pulling Yunjiao with the other, she said, "Come, let's find a quiet spot to fold these."

Yunjiao readily agreed.

As the two stepped out of the main hall, remembering that Aunt Qian was resting in the west parlor, they headed straight for the east parlor instead.

Outside the entrance of the east parlor was a small utility room, usually reserved for household servants to take shelter from wind and rain while keeping night watch. Naturally, it was vacant at the moment.

"Shall we go in there?" Ji Yaru was intent on finding peace and quiet.

Yunjiao looked it over and suggested, "Let's stay outside. The wind can't reach us here, and we can catch some sunlight."

Ji Yaru nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the sound of a man speaking drifted out from the utility room. The two exchanged startled glances, surprise mirrored in their eyes.

Assuming a domestic servant was slacking off and hiding inside, Yunjiao motioned for Ji Yaru to keep quiet, and they crept on tiptoe to a crack in the door to peek inside.

Then, a woman's voice emerged, laden with sorrow.

"Third Brother, you shouldn't keep waiting for me. If a matchmaker comes along, consider if there is anyone suitable and bring her into your household. Once the children are older, you will still need someone to keep you company and share a word with."

Upon hearing this voice, Yunjiao and Ji Yaru were struck with utter dismay. Both slapped their hands over their mouths simultaneously to stifle any cries of surprise.

The man's voice replied, "He has done every wicked thing imaginable, and now he is finally facing retribution. Are you still going to stay by his side?"

The woman sobbed twice. "Third Brother, this is simply the fate I have been dealt. In this lifetime, I lack the fortune to be together with you. As long as he lives, I must remain bound to him—not for his sake, but for the children."

The man sighed. "Have it your way, then. At least I will not remarry."

"You..." The woman wept anew. "Why must you torture yourself like this?"

"I have grown used to living alone these past few years. Do not cry; hearing you weep breaks my heart."

"You should hurry back before someone sees you," the woman said, moving toward the door. "Wait, let me check if anyone is outside."

Terrified, Yunjiao and Ji Yaru scrambled backward.

In her panic, Ji Yaru accidentally kicked over the basket by the door.

"Who is outside!" The door was flung open instantly.

The three female cousins stood face to face, plunged into an excruciatingly awkward silence.

To their astonishment, the woman inside was none other than their elder cousin, Qian Xianglan.

As for the identity of the man, it remained a mystery.

"You..." Qian Xianglan's face turned pale. Although her conscience was clear, if this scene were to leak out, she would never be able to clear her name, no matter how many mouths she had.

Yunjiao was the first to regain her composure. Bending down to retrieve the basket, she grabbed Qian Xianglan's hand and pulled her toward the main hall. "Cousin, our eyes are straining from folding all these ingots, and here you are, hiding away to shirk your work!"

Ji Yaru recovered her wits as well and hurried after them. "Indeed! If you don't fill this entire basket with ingots today, we will not let you off."

Qian Xianglan glanced back toward the utility room and felt a wave of relief upon seeing a figure dash out through the courtyard door. Knowing full well that her two cousins were intentionally playing ignorant, she decided not to expose the charade.

She nodded repeatedly. "I will fold them. I'll fold them right now."

As dusk fell, all the mourning hats, garments, and cloth bands were completed and distributed. Once everyone was dressed accordingly, a glance across the hall and its courtyards revealed a sea of plain white hemp.

With nearly all the younger generation gathered, the ritual of burning the mourning paper began.

Kneeling right at the front entrance was Qian Shihai's family, followed by Madam Wen, and then Qian Shilin.

On the east side of the entrance knelt Madam Qian’s nephews and their households, including the sons and grandsons of her eldest maternal uncle, as well as the descendants of Grandfather Qian's sisters.

On the west side, led by Zhou Songnian and Qian Fangru, knelt the daughters and sons-in-law, accompanied by their respective children.

As the youngest concubine, Aunt Qian naturally knelt at the very back.

Though her face was as pale as paper, she forced herself to participate in the burning of the mourning paper, supported by Mammy Qu kneeling beside her.

As for Yunjiao, apart from her own mourning attire and the hemp band around her head, she had two additional sets of mourning clothes and cloth bands bound around her arms, making her look rather encumbered.

Since neither her father nor her brother could attend, she had to fulfill their duties on their behalf.

The remaining neighbors, peers, and bystanders all looked on from the side.

The funeral directors came forward to tie hemp strands onto the mourning hats and bands one by one, while everyone held willow branches that swayed gently behind their backs.

Inside the house, Madam Qian had been assisted by the directors to sit facing south near a table.

Paper money was being consumed in an ash brazier.

A monk stood to one side, striking a wooden fish while chanting a short scripture. Once this scroll of scripture was completed, the burning of the mourning paper would conclude.

No one was permitted to stand up just yet; they had to wait until the funeral directors removed the hemp strands and willow branches from each person individually.

This kneeling posture lasted for a full half-hour. When the time came to rise, nearly everyone felt as though their kneecaps had been shattered, and gasps of pain echoed through the hall.

Shortly thereafter, the lead director announced in a loud voice, "In accordance with Master Qian's filial piety, the duration for Madam Qian's mourning vigil is hereby set at seven days."

Murmurs of praise rose among the onlookers.

A wake meant that after a person passed away and before burial, the body remained at home, with someone keeping watch through the night without a moment's departure.

This was primarily to prevent animals such as cats, dogs, or rats from coming close to the remains, which was superstitiously believed to cause the corpse to sit up.

According to the customs of the Dayuan Dynasty, a vigil could last anywhere from three to seven days. The more prominent the family, the longer the duration—not for any other reason, but to display utmost filial piety.

Such dates were not chosen arbitrarily; a feng shui master had to be consulted to select an auspicious day before it could be finalized.