Chapter 2 part 4
Marquis Mansion
has not held any flower party for many years, this time the flower party in the
eyes of the old Furen, the management of Yang Shi is far worse than what she did
when she was young. She does not want to manage the house, but from time to
time pick a mistake or something can still do.
Old Furen took
Shen Wen by the hand and followed Yang Shi to walk around the courtyard of the
house to do a final inspection. A large group of maids and pozis followed
around, Yang Shi occasionally stopped, one hand on the waist, one hand gestures
for people to adjust the position of the flower pots, and shouted a couple of
times when in a hurry. Old Madame is not idle, sometimes contradicting Yang
Shi's words, so that the subordinates are at a loss
Yang Shi
frowned, "Don't put this potted flower on, it's already wilted."
The
Old Madam pointed out, "I told you to use potted flowers, if you put them
in like this, they won't last an hour."
Yang
Shi was impatient: "Mother, what's the use of talking about this now? You
should change the pot quickly."
The Old Madam
continued to chant, "You must not speak so loudly tomorrow, those madams
are so noble now, if they think you are a wicked mother-in-law, no one will
want their daughter to marry here.”
Yang Shi waved
her hand: " Everyone understands how I am, there is no point in
pretending. This flower party is just a group of children coming to have fun
and see who looks good to each other, not to pick any flowers. They don't look
at me, I don't look at them.
The Old Madam
was a bit angry: "Why don't you listen to advice? Look at other families,
where there is a daughter-in-law who doesn't listen to her mother-in-law?"
Yang
Shi was a bit anxious: "Mother, why didn't I listen to you? It's really
too late to change the potted plants, we couldn't buy that many at first so we
used the flower arrangements ......"
The
Old Madam was also anxious: "It's just that it's late, can you keep your
voice down tomorrow?"
Yang Shi
frowned: "I'll try my best, then tomorrow you can talk to the ladies more
and I'll show up less?
The Old Madam
pointed at Yang Shi: "You still don't listen!"
Over there Shen
Xiang ran over and shouted: "Mother! I knocked Third Brother down
today!"
Behind her, Shen
Zhuo followed in a furious stride: "Mother! I didn't! I sat down on
purpose to make way for her!"
Shen Xiang
turned her head and said: " Not at all! I knocked you down!"
Shen Zhuo
said back, "No!"
Shen Xiang
stopped, " You were knocked down!"
Shen Zhuo
would never admit it in front of his mother and grandmother and a large group
of servants: "I didn't! You're talking nonsense!"
Shen Xiang
was furious and pounced on Shen Zhuo: "You're denying it?”
The two wrestled
with each other, mixed with some fisticuffs and kicks. Shen Xiang was eight
years old and tall and strong, while Shen Zhuo was eleven, although he was a
boy and also practised martial arts. But he was thin, like a small bean sprout.
In front of the crowd After all, he couldn't let his hands go, so he was on the
defensive, and the two of them clashed for a while.
Yang Shi
shouted, "Sanlang! Do you even have the decency of being a brother?
How can you fight with your sister?"
Shen Zhuo said:
"She wants to practice martial arts, so she naturally has to fight
......" and placed a trip, twisting Shen Xiang to the ground. Shen Xiang
finally won a hand in the martial arts training ground by dexterity, but now
she lost in front of so many people, her face turned red for a moment. As
result she jumped up with a shout, and continued to fight with Shen Zhuo,
without paying attention to any moves. Just like a normal child, they punched
randomly
Yang Shi shouted
a few more times, but when she saw that they did not listen, she sighed loudly,
led the crowd around them and continued her inspection. The Old Madam also
shook her head and pulled Shen Wen to follow, whispering, " Nannan(baby) is the
best behaved, you can't fight like this in the future."
Yang Shi turned
back and said, "Mother, they fight so much, they will be good at fighting
in the future."
The Old Madam
grunted: "You only know how to be obstinate with me, they have learned
from you, that's why they are so disobedient ......"
As the two were
fighting and walking, Shen Wen twisted around to look at Shen Xiang and Shen
Zhuo in the distance, where the two were still pushing and shoving.
Thinking back to
her past life it was because of these petty fights that broke out from time
to time in the Marquis Mansion.
Tomorrow, when
she saw the civil officials' Madams being helped in by their maids, with their
slow and elegant gait, she felt a strong sense of inferiority and felt that the
Marquis Mansion was inferior to others.
In this era, the
imperial court placed more importance on Civil affairs than on the Military. The Civil Officials usually decided on National affairs, while the Military
officials has no say in the matter. Even after a Military officer had fought hard on
the battlefield, the final rewards and punishments were decided by the Civil
officials.
In general,
there was a clear difference between the styles of Civil and Military
officials. In terms of demeanour, in the civil official camp, not only were the
ladies supported by a maid who walked beside them, but the hems of their skirts
were not allowed to rise and fall. Even the civil officials has to be supported by two beautiful maids when walking outside slowly in order to look elegant.
The Military
officials walked on their own without any elegance. Not to mention the fact that
even the ladies in their families walked as fast as they could, causing the
families of the civil officials to look down on them.
Most of the Civil officials were appointed through the Imperial Examinations and their
families naturally favoured poetry, songs, music, chess, calligraphy and
painting. While the Military officials focused on fighting in the battlefield
in the years to come, and what they wanted was to practice martial arts from
childhood. Even if they were somewhat literate but also for the purpose of
familiarizing themselves with Military books. When the two sides met in court,
it was clear that who's conversation was superior, and the mannerisms
and words of the Military officials seemed crude and rude. It is a pity that
the Civil officials do not go to battle, so how can the Military officials find a way to get back, they can only curse in private.
The flower Party held by Military officials family are only third-rate in the capital and usually the
families of Civil officials do not attend them. However, as the Marquis of
Zhenbei now holds a heavy military force and is the most powerful Military
General in the imperial court. The flower party at the Marquis's residence will
naturally attract some madams and young ladies of the Civil officials family.
As tomorrow is
the flower party, Yang Shi instructs Shen Wen's maids to send her to bed early, but
Shen Wen reconfirms the six scented sachets she has prepared for the following
day.
Nanny Hu Shi looked
at Shen Wen who was carefully checking whether the edges of the jewellery and the
sachet were sewn tightly. With thread in her hand, she made several more stitches in some places, making the already messy embroidery stand out even more,
but they were really firm and sturdy. She couldn't help but smile bitterly
and say: "Why don't let the maids do it all, young Miss? Why do you
need to do it yourself?" Wasn't this a waste of things? Such a precious gems matched on the outside of such an ugly sachet? The maids' craftsmanship
must be much better than Shen Wen's. When the time came, they wouldn't be
unable to give it to someone.
Shen Wen said
earnestly: "Mother said, 'only when you make it yourself does it mean
something.' I made these for my brothers, sister and friends."
Hu Shi sighed:
"You're still young and your eyes are weak, it's not too late to do it
again in two years. Wait until you are more skilled in the craft.”
Shen Wen smiled:
"I know I'm not good at embroidery, that's why I put such good jewellery
outside, so they won't just throw it away. Besides, I made it like this so that
they will remember later that it was given to them when I was six years old ah.
Mama watch it for me, don't let anyone take it away."
Hu Shi nodded,
"Yes, there are six in total, I've asked Xia Hong to put them away, go to
bed now."
Shen Wen
answered and Xia Hong was busy coming over to serve. Shen Wen pointed to the
four light green scented sachets and said, "These are the ones I will give
to my brother and sister tomorrow, don't mix them up with these two green
ones." Xia Hong nodded and packed away the incense sachet. Xia Hong was
already thirteen years old and not someone who would later join Shen Wen in
marriage. Shen Wen's memories of her were very vague, except that she spoke
very little and was silent most of the time.
Shen Wen sighed
in her heart: she had no one now. This maid will not stay long, in addition to
She being a soft person. The other maids saw that she loved to cry and were not
too close to her in normal times. Since she had to pretend to be soft, she
could not put up a fight to take in the others.
Besides, the
Marquis of Zhenbei is at the border and his mother and wife are in the capital,
who would believe that they are not hostages? The residence is full of the
emperor's spies, and she does not dare to choose her confidant at random.
Many of the
people she knows will live and die with the Marquis Mansion are still too young
or have not appeared, so she can only wait.
