Chapter 119: Stumbling Into the Hornet’s Nest
Traveling is very tiring.
Even if one is traveling by carriage.
Although Aunt Yin still held herself upright and showed no signs of fatigue.
But after all, she was of an advanced age and not as young as she used to be.
She had suffered much in her youth and hoped to suffer less in her old age.
Aunt Yin chatted with the two girls.
Qin Luoxia had already nimbly made the bed; since Brother Chong had just gone back, this room was now arranged for Aunt Yin.
If the two girls were to learn things in the future, they would still need to share a room.
Later on, if Mianmian grew up, she would likely want a room of her own.
Looking at it this way, with so many people in the family, the rooms were far from enough.
Moreover, Qin Luoxia felt that her husband was at a disadvantage on his own; it would be much better if there were a teacher like Mr. Gang who could follow and help him.
Her husband was also quite delicate and easily bullied outside; it would be reassuring to have a guard like Heita.
Thinking about it this way, it was no wonder large households needed big houses with many rooms.
However, these were matters for later, and she couldn’t quite figure it out; they couldn’t just keep adding single-story rooms one after another. She would ask Aunt Yin later; she would surely know.
Come to think of it, Commander Zi was quite particular, actually sending a female teacher over.
Aunt Yin had said she came after exhausting her family fortune; it wouldn’t be right not to treat her well.
Furthermore, Qin Luoxia had always felt that a household without an elder felt a bit desolate.
Her Mother had passed away early, and as for her husband’s side, it was better not to mention it. Now that an elderly elder had arrived, she felt much more at ease.
When her husband returned in the evening, she would discuss with him how to treat Aunt Yin.
For now, Qin Luoxia made the bed and carried Aunt Yin’s bundle inside, unexpectedly finding it a bit heavy.
Aunt Yin looked frail, but she hadn’t expected her to be so robust.
The room was very empty, containing only a bed, a small table, and four floor cushions.
Qin Luoxia brought over a small cabinet and placed the bundle on it.
She even hung a lock on one of the cabinets.
After thinking, she went to pick a bunch of bamboo leaves, placed them in a pottery jar, and brought it into the room.
She used a charcoal brazier to smoke the space under the bed to dry it out for a good night’s sleep.
She propped open the window to let in plenty of sunlight; after tidying up, the room became clean and bright.
Seeing that it was about right, Qin Luoxia went to get a pair of new straw sandals. Although they were woven from straw, they were lined with cloth and had no heel covering; she had made them when Mianmian needed to walk.
They could be worn indoors.
Qin Luoxia tried them, and they were indeed good; her husband quite liked to change into them when entering the room.
She guessed Aunt Yin would also like them.
She placed a pair of new cotton-lined indoor shoes without heel coverings; Mianmian said these were shoes for shuffling about, and she called them slippers.
Qin Luoxia felt that Aunt Yin was a very particular person.
She had also met Commander Zi.
Her husband said that Commander Zi was the most capable person he had ever met in his life.
Her husband said Commander Zi’s capability didn’t lie in himself alone—though he was already very formidable—but rather that he knew how to use people well, and those around him were all very capable.
Everyone was talented.
Commander Zi had a great eye for people.
Therefore, the person Commander Zi sent must be very capable.
Seeing the room was finished, she brought over a kettle.
Placing it on the charcoal brazier in the corner, the water could be kept warm. Then she nailed a few wooden pegs into the earthen wall to hang hand towels and face cloths.
She placed bamboo tubes on the shelf for holding water, which could be used for cleaning teeth, and they were kept separate.
These were all prepared by Qin Luoxia based on the details of her husband’s living habits.
Once everything was done, she went to prepare food.
With Aunt Yin added at noon, Qin Luoxia made noodle soup.
Eating hot noodle soup in winter was the most comfortable and warming to the stomach.
Aunt Yin had already been talking with the two little girls for a long time.
Although there were more or less some issues.
But overall, The Eldest Miss was sincere and gave her heart and soul to her family; such a girl, even with many small flaws, was impossible to dislike.
The little girl was smarter and lazier, seemingly having some early wisdom, though it was wisdom in the wrong places.
However, she was also a girl with a very good heart, very soft-hearted; having never suffered or seen the face of evil, she was soft and squishy.
Overall, Aunt Yin was still satisfied.
Except for some strange, random things.
Things like house-protecting spirit ants were not a big problem; masters in the palace also had hobbies of keeping strange things.
At noon, she had a soft, warm meal.
Then Mrs. Qin took her to her room to settle in and let her rest for a while at noon.
She was somewhat surprised; she hadn’t expected that there would be a habit of a midday nap in the countryside.
But she was indeed very tired.
Moreover, during the day, she had only met her students and the mistress of the house.
The male master and the young master she had to meet in the evening would be the real test.
She heard from Sister Yu that the one who really made the decisions in the family was the male master.
However, she was not too worried.
She had experienced life and death several times over; she believed that with her capabilities, no one would refuse a female teacher like her.
In fact, when she was in the capital, many great families vied to hire her.
However, she had grown tired of the life in those great families.
She had married a good man and followed him to the remote Jingzhou.
Yet, unexpectedly, her life had been like duckweed; her marriage halfway through life could not last until they grew old together.
Aunt Yin entered the room and didn’t expect it to be not only very clean but also full of elegant touches everywhere.
A foot of sunlight lay before the window.
There was a pot of asparagus fern in the corner.
Tea was also prepared.
The towels for wiping hands and face were actually kept separate.
The bamboo cups for drinking tea and rinsing the mouth were also separate.
Although simple, there was elegance everywhere.
The small table and floor cushions were even more to her liking.
And the fresh shoes for changing, brand new and quite fitting.
Not to mention what kind of person the male master of the house was, this thoughtfulness from the mistress alone made Aunt Yin feel extremely comfortable.
This sense of comfort lasted until she lay down.
Lying on the dry bed, hearing the clicking sounds from her waist, she was indeed tired; she was getting on in years.
She had always been vigilant and did not fall asleep easily.
Yet, unexpectedly, in this place she had come to for the first time, she actually fell asleep during her midday nap.
She slept very soundly, without even dreaming.
It was very rare.
One had to know that even after leaving the palace and getting married, she would sometimes inevitably dream of the various aspects of life in the palace while falling asleep; there was a sense of being in another lifetime—terrifying, stimulating, and incredible. Dreaming of returning to the imperial palace was truly her biggest nightmare.
She slept until the sun tilted to the west.
Aunt Yin sat up and felt wonderful.
Just based on this bed that allowed her to fall asleep, she felt that life ahead wouldn’t be bad.
At this moment, she truly felt she had come to the right place.
She had truly left the imperial palace.
Coming to this remote, poor place—although distant and impoverished—she could sleep peacefully and eat securely.
She thought carefully in the room about how to teach the two girls and what the best way would be.
Although the two girls were born of the same Mother, their personalities were vastly different; one was very lively and couldn’t sit still for a moment, while the other was very lazy, sluggish, and motionless—perhaps because she was small. But she had carefully observed and asked around; many items in the house were made because the little one reminded the adults to do so.
None were not for the sake of enjoying laziness.
Her personality was evident.
It was necessary to teach according to their aptitude, with different focuses.
Moreover, Commander Zi sending her over might have another reason, or perhaps the male master was a very formidable person whom Commander Zi highly valued.
It was said that Commander Zi treated all his subordinates extremely well, settling their whole families very properly.
Regardless of the reason, as fate would have it, Aunt Yin had already made up her mind; she would properly teach the two girls here, and spend the last leg of her life in this country cottage, living plainly and peacefully.
She liked it here.
She liked Mrs. Qin’s thoughtfulness and respect.
She liked the simplicity of the two girls.
She also liked the simple atmosphere of this home.
One could tell from the two girls’ personalities; if the family atmosphere were complicated, it wouldn’t be possible to raise these two types of temperaments.
In short, everything was perfect.
Aunt Yin let out a long sigh of relief and poured herself a cup of warm water; the water was also sweet and tasted good.
Then she pushed the door open, ready to work and take care of the children.
Pushing the door open, she saw The Eldest Miss killing a chicken in the courtyard. Seeing her come out, The Eldest Miss turned back and smiled: “Great-Aunt, Mother said you arrived; we are having chicken tonight.”
Her face was splattered with chicken blood, and she was smiling foolishly.
Aunt Yin, who appreciated beauty, wanted to cover her face.
The other little girl was leaning lazily on a small bamboo chair, which was cushioned with a blanket. She stretched out her little feet and was happily shaking them; from the frequency with which her little short legs were shaking, one could see how leisurely and comfortable she was…
It was as if she were seeing a big old master shaking his leg.
Aunt Yin wanted to close her eyes again.
She walked over, picked up the little girl, put her legs together, and then said to The Eldest Miss: “When killing a chicken, don’t just chop off the chicken’s head. Cut the chicken’s neck to drain the blood; once the blood is drained, the chicken meat will be more tender and smooth, without a gamey smell. The chicken blood can be cooked separately; there is also a pastry called chicken blood jelly, which is extremely delicious.”
Jiang Yu’s eyes widened upon hearing this.
As expected of Great-Aunt, she knew too much.
She excitedly grabbed the knife and went to catch the chicken again.
“Great-Aunt, wait for me, I’ll be right back.”
Aunt Yin just smiled at her, thinking, she loves good food; first cater to her preferences, and when she is tamed, then teach her; it will be twice the result with half the effort.
She had spent nearly ten years in the Imperial Kitchen; fooling a little girl was enough.
However, she had no clue about the little one in her arms, seeing her actually putting her finger in her mouth to suck on it…
Aunt Yin silently pulled her finger out, thinking she would apply some coptis on her fingers later.
Qin Luoxia returned and saw Aunt Yin and her two girls getting along harmoniously, feeling very happy.
Indeed, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; the family needs an elder to hold down the fort, and everything is suddenly different.
She very sincerely took out some clothes and said to Aunt Yin: “Aunt, time was tight, I’ve managed to find you a set of cotton clothes to wear when sleeping at night.”
Aunt Yin looked up and saw that the size of the clothes was indeed suitable for her; this Mrs. Qin had a very good eye, and she was very satisfied.
In the evening, the sunset glowed across the sky.
In the village, chickens crowed and dogs barked, and smoke curled from the chimneys.
Aunt Yin had successfully become the Great-Aunt that The Eldest Miss admired the most, and she was slowly beginning to open up to the little girl?
Blowing in the cold wind of the village, she actually didn’t feel cold; instead, she felt warm in her heart.
She had only had this feeling back when she had just married her husband.
Some places and some people just make one attached.
Having spent only half a day together, Aunt Yin already felt that she could spend her retirement here.
In the mountains, time passes without notice; it is very good.
Having lived for more than half her life, at this moment she felt that this was truly living.
Real and peaceful.
A place like the imperial palace is really not meant for humans; in this life, the next life, and the life after that, she would never go there again.
The red clouds in the sky piled up layer by layer, overlapping like the cheeks of a group of girls.
The little girl in Aunt Yin’s arms suddenly spoke: “My Father is back!”
Then she saw The Eldest Miss stand up with a swish and run outside; at the door, she shouted loudly to the distance: “Father, Elder Brother, we have relatives at home; it’s Mother’s Great-Aunt, our own Great-Aunt, she is so amazing.”
Aunt Yin felt that the etiquette that needed to be taught to The Eldest Miss was too much, but listening to her words, she couldn’t help but reveal a smile on her face—a sincere smile.
The little girl in her arms also struggled to get down to welcome her Father.
It was really rare for her to be willing to get down and walk a few steps.
Aunt Yin held her hand and went to the door.
Standing under the tree at the door, she watched the people in the distance gradually approach, closer, and closer, until they reached the front.
Seeing the face of the person who came, he bowed to her with a smile: “Mr. Yin, you have worked hard.”
Aunt Yin:…
She wanted to let go of the little girl’s hand, but was tightly grasped by the little girl.
She looked down at the little girl’s face, then looked up at Mr. Jiang standing in front of her.
Her old face was calm, expressionless, but her heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys were all twitching; was she, was she stabbing the old nest of the imperial palace?
What kind of grudge, what kind of grievance was this?
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