Chapter 3 - The Husband's Demeanor
After being added to the clan register, Pei Yue returned to the Grand Secretariat. Mingyi first escorted her mother-in-law back to Chunjin Hall. Halfway there, Qinghe came to meet her, and together they returned to Changchun Hall. Upon entering the courtyard, they saw Fu Momo in the corridor, instructing the young maids on cleaning the yard. Seeing Mingyi return, she hurriedly came forward to greet her.
“Young Madam, this month's allowance has been distributed.”
Mingyi was slightly stunned. “There's a monthly allowance?”
The mistress and her several servants entered the room as they spoke.
On the square table in the north of the main room sat a red sandalwood brocade box. Fu Momo opened the box; inside was this month's silver allowance.
Mingyi unhurriedly took a seat at the table. Qinghe poured her some tea. Mingyi was in no hurry to drink the tea. She glanced at the box and asked,
“How much silver is this?”
“One hundred taels.”
Mingyi was slightly taken aback.
“Is this for the whole of Changchun Hall's food and living expenses for one month?”
Having been here for a few days, she had gotten a sense of the Pei family's wealth. To say nothing of other things, just the number of servants in this courtyard alone was not small. There were several first-rank maids in the rooms, and outside there were second- and third-rank young maids. The other female servants and momos were even more numerous.
The daily food and clothing were also extraordinary. Take her for example: a single meal consisted of at least four main dishes, two soups, plus several small side dishes. By a rough calculation, one hundred taels was enough for the entire courtyard's expenses for a month.
Hearing this, Fu Momo actually smiled. She shook her head and said,
“Replying to Young Madam, this is your personal monthly allowance. In other words, your spending money. You can dispose of it as you wish.”
Mingyi immediately fell silent.
As far as she knew, a first-rank high official in the Great Jin had an annual salary of less than two hundred taels. Yet in this Pei family, her spending money for one month alone was one hundred taels? She had always heard that the Pei family was wealthy, but she had not known they were wealthy to this extent.
She was puzzled in her heart, but did not show it on her face.
“How much do the others get?”
Fu Momo understood why she asked this and immediately replied, “Others cannot compare to you. You are our Master of the house's wife. In the entire vast Pei residence, aside from the Old Master who is away traveling and our Eldest Madam, yours is the highest amount.”
Although there were other elders, the status of the wife of the Master of the house was transcendent.
“What about the Master of the house?”
Pei Yue couldn't possibly get less than her.
Fu Momo said calmly, “All the silver on the Pei family's books can be freely disposed of by the Master of the house. On a daily basis, the Master of the house does not need to receive a monthly allowance.”
Mingyi understood. After asking, she pushed the box to Fu Momo.
“Then please keep this for me, momo.”
Fu Momo was slightly astonished. “This... how can this be acceptable?”
This Young Madam had resided in Tanzhou for many years and had no dealings with the capital. To put it plainly, the Madam did not know her background. Therefore, Fu Momo was tasked with the responsibility of paying attention to Mingyi's every move. For Mingyi to hand over her entire monthly allowance to her the moment she got it was greatly beyond her expectations.
Could it be that the Young Madam had seen that the Pei family was testing her, and thus acted this way?
Mingyi insisted. “It is acceptable.”
That the Pei family was dissatisfied with her as the clan matriarch, Mingyi knew perfectly well.
She was used to living a precarious existence. To now have enough clothes to wear and food to eat was already a great fortune. What would she do with so much silver?
Furthermore, she was uncertain how long she could walk this path with Pei Yue.
If one day, this marriage were to end abruptly, perhaps she wouldn't even need to come back to pack her things and could just leave by herself. Why bother taking this gold and silver, needlessly creating a pretext for gossip?
Having made up her mind, Mingyi persuaded Fu Momo.
“Momo, I do not like managing accounts, and I don't plan my spending on a daily basis. Please keep this monthly silver for me. If one day I need to use some silver, I will just come to you to withdraw it. Afterwards, you can record the accounts properly for me. Everything will be clear at a glance. Wouldn't that be excellent?”
Fu Momo was her mother-in-law's trusted confidante. Entrusting it to her, there could be no safer arrangement.
Fu Momo could not be sure whether Mingyi was being sincere or feigning, but for the time being, she accepted it.
It was now the hours between 5 and 7 PM. Qinghe got hungry when it was time to eat, so Mingyi ordered someone to have the meal served.
As usual, it was four dishes, two soups, and six small side dishes, a full small table's worth. Mingyi did not adhere to conventions and instructed Qinghe to eat with her. In the Pei family, a servant could not eat at the same table as their master, but Mingyi clearly treated Qinghe like her own sister, so Fu Momo could not say much. Fortunately, Qinghe was sensible enough to bring over a small stool and eat next to Mingyi, which was not considered too great a breach of etiquette.
Mingyi was not used to being waited on and told Fu Momo and the others to go eat as well. Fu Momo, of course, could not be so presumptuous as to do so, but she still retreated to the outer room to let the mistress and servant be at ease.
Mingyi finished eating first. She subconsciously reached for her cup, only to find it contained just a glistening yellow tea. She could not help but feel disappointed.
Qinghe, her mouth full of rice, saw her holding the teacup without drinking for a long time and couldn't help but laugh at her.
“What, you want to drink wine?”
Having been seen through, Mingyi embarrassedly drank all the tea.
“Of course not. I just saw that this tea was yellow and thought it was liquor. I was thinking, when did you, this lass, ever so kindly prepare wine for me?”
To have good meat but no good wine was truly a flaw in an otherwise perfect picture.
Qinghe snorted lightly. “You can forget about wine. You must remember Teacher Yuan's words. Your body cannot handle wine; it must be carefully looked after.”
As she finished speaking, she took a medicine vial from her waist, pulled out the stopper, and poured out a dark-black pill, handing it to her.
“Here, eat it quickly.”
Helpless, Mingyi took the pill, stuffed it into her mouth, and with difficulty, swallowed it down with a mouthful of tea. She then stood up to go outside for a walk to aid her digestion.
The snow outside was melting, which was the coldest time. She did not walk for long before turning back.
That night, Pei Yue did not return.
Mingyi slept even better. There was no other reason than that she was actually not a very still sleeper. When Pei Yue was there, she had to constantly be on guard not to disturb him. With him gone, Mingyi could do as she pleased.
Pei Yue also caught up on sleep that night. For no other reason than that the previous night, he had only barely slept for two shichen(4 hours). How was that enough? So he took the opportunity of being on duty to rest at the government office. Without a stranger beside him, he slept soundly.
But he could not do so the next day.
As a newlywed, he couldn't just keep staying at the government office and not return home. Tonight, no matter what, he had to go back to Changchun Hall.
The Emperor knew he had hindered Pei Yue's wedding procession on the wedding day and had felt bad about it ever since. These past few days, he had permitted Pei Yue to return to his residence at any time. Pei Yue arrived at the Pei residence in the early evening, around 5 PM. As usual, he first went to Chunjin Hall to pay respects to his mother, Xun-shi, and then headed towards Changchun Hall.
As he walked to the entrance of the main passageway, he saw two people standing where the lights were dimming. From their expressions, it seemed as if they had been eagerly awaiting him for a long time....
Seeing Pei Yue return, Mingyi breathed a sigh of relief. Qinghe was young and at a growing age. She was also a martial artist and could not go hungry. Originally, she had instructed the momo to serve the meal on time, but the momo had informed her that Pei Yue was coming back tonight. Mingyi had no choice but to wait. After waiting and waiting, she had finally caught sight of him in the dense night air.
The mistress and servant joyfully welcomed him in the door to begin the meal.
He washed his hands and sat down.
Fu Momo began to instruct people to serve the dishes.
Today's meal was served at the Eight Immortals table in the main hall. Mingyi and Pei Yue each sat at one end. First, several main dishes were served: a lamb casserole stewed until it was falling-apart tender, a chicken soup with fo-ti root, clams with minced meat sauce, and so on. Then came several soups, such as Four Divinities Soup and a cured ham and cabbage soup. It was not one large pot, but rather one small tureen for each person. Then there were several seasonal stir-fried dishes, plus about ten small platters including elm pod cakes and sticky rice with red dates. They were presented one by one, filling up the vast Eight Immortals table and dazzling Mingyi's eyes.
She had originally thought that the four dishes and two soups she usually ate were extravagant enough. Today, the Master of the house's ostentatious display was even more of an eye-opener for her. With this quantity and variety, even His Majesty in the palace probably didn't dine much better than this.
She saw that Pei Yue's expression was completely unmoved, as if he were accustomed to it, showing that this was how he usually dined.
Mingyi silently drew in a breath.
She had married a master who was fabulously wealthy.
At this moment, the last dish was placed on the table. Its glittering golden skin emitted an unparalleled aroma.
It was precisely the roast goose that Mingyi and Qinghe usually dreamed of eating but could never get.
During those days of living exposed to the elements, a roast goose paired with a pot of strong liquor—one burning hot mouthful, and it would be worth it even to become a ghost.
Once all the dishes were served, Pei Yue began to use his chopsticks.
Fu Momo waited to the side, occasionally rolling up her sleeves to personally place food on the masters' plates.
With so many dishes, there was no way the two of them could finish everything. Not wanting to be wasteful, Mingyi selected a few of the dishes on her side and had them given to Qinghe, who went to the pantry outside the corridor to eat.
That platter of roast goose was placed on Pei Yue's side. After eating for a good while, she still had not seen Pei Yue touch it.
This would not do.
If the roast goose was left out any longer, it would get cold and not be as tasty. Wouldn't that be a waste of such a delicacy?
Thus, Mingyi raised her hand to pull the platter over. At the same time, she glanced sideways at Pei Yue. Pei Yue's eyelids were lightly lowered, focused on eating the dish before him, pretending not to see. So Mingyi directly pulled the platter over. The roast goose was already sliced. She put some in her own bowl and had a young maid send the rest to Qinghe.
Afterwards, Mingyi picked up a piece of roast goose and put it in her mouth.
She had, of course, eaten roast goose before, otherwise she wouldn't have craved it so much. But this roast goose was far more exquisite than any she had eaten in the past. The skin was fragrant, crisp, and chewy, the meat tender and succulent. If only she had a mouthful of Fierce West Wind to go with it, it would be perfect.
Taking advantage of Qinghe's absence, Mingyi looked at the unshakeable man opposite her, and an idea suddenly formed in her mind. She raised her cup to toast Pei Yue.
“I toast the Master of the house with tea in place of wine.”
Pei Yue glanced at her, put down his chopsticks, and also picked up his teacup, gesturing towards her.
But Mingyi was in no hurry to drink her tea. Instead, she looked at him with a smile, her bright eyes carrying a tempting persuasiveness.
“Master of the house, with this whole table of good food, isn't it a pity not to have wine? I wonder what kind of wine the Master of the house usually drinks? I am not picky about any kind of wine... I can accompany the Master of the house in a hearty drink.”
After she finished speaking, she discovered that the man opposite her was casting a cool and indifferent look her way, staring at her for a good while without speaking.
Mingyi was slightly embarrassed. “Did I say something wrong?”
Pei Yue said, one word at a time, “Madam, unless it is by imperial command, I never drink wine.”
Drinking was harmful to the body, and he was not accustomed to losing his composure.
Mingyi was stunned for a long time, the disappointment in her eyes almost impossible to conceal. “Is that so...”
She had lost a drinking buddy.
Immediately after, Pei Yue said seriously,
“Madam, drinking is harmful to the body. A young woman should take care of her health. Do not drink in the future.”
As soon as these words fell, it was as if the sky had collapsed for Mingyi. She could barely maintain her smile. “I understand.”
After that, even picking up food from the dishes was no longer done with as much enthusiasm.
Pei Yue took in her expression. Seeing her feeling wronged, he couldn't bear it.
He would not yield on matters of principle, but he could compensate her in other areas.
“What else would Madam like to eat? You can tell me all at once. Anything I can satisfy, I will certainly satisfy.”
Mingyi stared fixedly at him. “Wine.”
Pei Yue made no comment.
He completely ignored her.
After eating, Pei Yue went to the study to handle official business. An attendant brought back the memorials from the palace that had not yet been processed. Pei Yue wrote his preliminary decisions on them as he read. As usual, the several stewards from the main accounting office entered, holding stacks of account books.
It was already the third day of the eleventh month, approaching the end of the year. Every year at this time, the rents from various lands were collected one after another, and the stewards of the Pei family also worked around the clock.
First was Steward Liu, who was in charge of collecting rent.
“Master of the house, the rents from Yingzhou and other places in the northeast were delivered to the storehouses today. This year's amount is twenty percent more than last year's. The first batch of game meat has been put into storage, and there are several carts of pelts still on the road. It is estimated they will reach the capital in about ten days or so.”
“The dividends from the several hundred shops in Songjiang have also been entered into the accounts, an increase of fifty thousand taels of income compared to last year....”
These stewards were all experts at handling routine affairs. They didn't even need to look at the account books. Standing bowed before the desk, they reported back without missing a single word, all the figures known by heart.
Pei Yue, who was in the middle of reading a memorial, suddenly interrupted, “Has that shipment been delivered to the Weaving Workshop?”
This matter was answered by another steward who specialized in liaising with the imperial court.
“According to your instructions, thirty percent of the income from the Jiangnan shops has been sent to the Weaving Workshop and presented to the Directorate of Ceremonial.”
The Directorate of Ceremonial reported directly to the Emperor.
A few years ago, the imperial court went through several major wars, which nearly depleted the national treasury. Although Pei Yue had tried to turn the situation around, in such a vast dynasty, there were many places where silver was spent. Attending to one area meant neglecting another. The Emperor was a ruler with a virtuous reputation and always told his court officials, “It is better that I suffer than to let the common people suffer.” As his subjects, how could they really watch the Emperor “suffer”?
Therefore, every year the Pei family had to present a portion of its income to the imperial court. This was a tacit understanding between Pei Yue and the Directorate of Ceremonial.
After the matter of the accounts was finished, it was the turn of the steward from the Disciplinary Hall. This steward was big and burly and specialized in restraining the lawless members of the Pei clan.
“Master of the house, today Master Qiu of the Eleventh Branch was out frequenting prostitutes and was reported by Master Han of the Seventh Branch.”
Hearing this, Pei Yue frowned in displeasure. “How many times has it been for him this year?”
The steward replied, “Eight times, almost once a month. Only in the fifth and sixth months, when the old master fell ill, did he behave himself for two months.”
At his age, his disposition still hadn't changed, setting a bad example for the younger generation.
Pei Yue's gaze returned to the memorial. Without raising his head, he commanded, “Send him back to Wenxi, strip him of his personal allowance, record a demerit for the Eleventh Branch, and reduce their dividend for this year.”
“As you command....”
After speaking, he slowly raised his eyes and glanced sideways at the steward.
“How did Master Han report Master Qiu? Was he present at the scene?”
The steward knew what Pei Yue suspected and said with a wry smile,
“Master Han and Master Qiu have been at odds for many years, as you are well aware. With the year-end dividend banquet imminent, isn't this just catching Master Qiu's mistake and fixating on it? This old servant has confirmed that Master Han did not, in fact, enter the brothel.”
Pei Yue was speechless.
It was a good thing for clan members to restrain one another, but he could not allow people to be opportunistic and use the clan rules as a weapon. Those who needed to be reprimanded still had to be reprimanded. He said with a blank expression,
“I remember that Master Han is very fond of mutton soup. Have the main kitchen make a large bowl of Jianyang mutton soup and send it to Master Han. Just say that it is a show of my respect for him.”
Mutton soup is considered a 'heating' food. When that Master Han saw the bowl of mutton soup, he ought to understand Pei Yue's meaning.
The steward suppressed a laugh and agreed.
He was busy until he finally wrapped things up at hai shi chu ke (around 9:15 PM). Pei Yue pinched the bridge of his nose and lifted his gaze towards the window lattice.
A ram's horn palace lantern held open a halo of light in the night. The night had deepened.
Pei Yue stood up, draped a dark cloak over his shoulders, and walked towards the rear courtyard.
From his study, a paved walkway led directly to the front of Changchun Hall's courtyard. He lifted his foot and stepped onto the stairs. The light from the east room was dim, and he was not certain if Mingyi had already rested. The old woman guarding the door had already gone in to announce him. Fu Momo came out to greet him, lifted the thick cloth curtain to let him in, and personally helped him undo his cloak.
“Master of the house, the Young Madam has already gone to rest.”
Pei Yue had already bathed in the study. He washed his hands and went straight into the inner chamber. The curtains of the canopied bed were drawn tightly, but a faint, hazy yellow light spilled out. A shadow was leaning obliquely against a bolster, flipping through a book. He guessed that Mingyi was not yet asleep.
He gave a light cough to remind her that he had arrived.
In truth, there was no need for his reminder; Mingyi had already sensed him. She had been sleepy for a long time, but with her husband not yet home, it seemed improper for her, as his wife, to be sound asleep. Having just eaten his roast goose today, Mingyi waited patiently for him and had finally seen him return. She stood up, swept aside the bed curtain, a lamp held in her palm.
“The Master of the house has returned.”
Her stature was quite a bit taller than that of other women. Her waist was slender yet straight, lacking the delicate gentleness of other women. Her eyes and brows held a smile, and enveloped by the hazy yellow lamplight, she was like smoke rising from jade.
Pei Yue's reputation was well-known, and over the years, there had always been women throwing themselves at him one after another. He was used to seeing those common, painted faces and disliked artificial, affected women. Having spent these two days with her, Mingyi had a clean disposition and did not make trouble or cause a fuss. For him, that was more than enough.
Pei Yue nodded towards her. “I have made Madam wait long.”
Seeing that she was lightly dressed, he raised a hand to take the lamp from her.
Mingyi passed it to him. In the lamplight, his face truly had not a single flaw. His features were as if forged by the goddess Nuwa; one stroke more would have been too much, one stroke less too little. They were just right.
A moment later, after they had settled in, the two of them got into bed and lay down.
Having had the mutton soup tonight, Mingyi felt a little restless and could not fall asleep right away.
Pei Yue, smelling that cool fragrance, likewise could not sleep.
Hearing the sound of someone turning over beside him and confirming that Mingyi was not asleep, he suddenly spoke up.
“May I ask what fragrance Madam is wearing?”
Mingyi was taken aback. She propped herself up and looked in his direction. What incense could she possibly be wearing? What she had was the fragrance of medicine pills. It wouldn't be right to tell him that directly, so she casually explained, “A type of fir fragrance.”
Pei Yue said, “May I trouble Madam to write down the formula for me? I will have the servants prepare it.”
He couldn't very well make Mingyi switch to using his incense. She had married and come from so far away; it wasn't easy. It was up to him, as the husband, to be accommodating.
He could have a sachet made, carry it with him every day, and by smelling it continuously, he would get used to the scent, he thought.
A bitter feeling instantly welled up in Mingyi.
It was medicine, not incense.
The prescription absolutely could not be given to him.
“I will look for the formula later. If I find it, I will give it to the Master of the house.” If she couldn't find it, he couldn't blame her, could he?
Pei Yue nodded.
Outside, a light rain began to fall with a rustle. The raindrops pattered rhythmically against the window lattice, which was rather hypnotic. Pei Yue slowly closed his eyes. He didn't know how long he had been asleep when his arm was groggily brushed by something. He suddenly awoke.
The rain in the middle of the night was cool. Mingyi's bedding was not as thick as the mandarin duck quilt. As she slept, she had subconsciously burrowed into the mandarin duck quilt.
Pei Yue looked at Mingyi, who was now right before his eyes. His sleepiness vanished completely.