The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

As soon as Jia She entered the door, the news quickly spread throughout the Lin household.

Yun Shuyao was in her Lanxin Courtyard, working on some clothes. She had specifically asked Cui Chan how to make clothes that were both form-fitting and comfortable because she wanted to personally make underwear for the two little children.

This highlighted her double standards.

For the elderly lady and Lin Ruhai, she prepared simple, convenient items like small purses, handkerchiefs, and headbands. However, for her own children, she went to great lengths, aiming for perfection.

Yun Shuyao didn’t think she was in the wrong.

Her own blood relatives were naturally different.

In this era, she was not considered an independent person in the eyes of the elderly lady and Lin Ruhai, merely an accessory. Did they truly have any real affection for her?

They were merely tools for each other.

As for Jia She, he was a man, an outsider. If he came, he came. He would never ask to see her.

A chance encounter?

Yun Shuyao decided to stay at home during this period. There was no need for her to put herself in harm’s way. Clearly, the other party was here to support Jia Min. If she went out now and happened to cross paths with someone looking to make a point, it would be courting trouble.

Wasn’t it better to stay in her own courtyard?

As for expanding her horizons or anything of the sort, honestly, she had little interest.

What were men like in this feudal bureaucratic society?

Lin Ruhai was a rare example of a self-disciplined man, whereas Jia She’s reputation, including the fact that he had two concubines in his carriage, was already spreading.

She also instructed that the people in Lanxin Courtyard should avoid going out for walks.

Although the chance was slim, what if Jia She really took a liking to someone and expressed a desire to have them serve him? In this era, where servants were not regarded as people, what if Jia Min agreed?

Of course, if it was a maid trying to climb the social ladder, it would be a different story. They might even see it as an opportunity.

The eleven-year-old Hong Tao didn’t have such concerns.

She found an opportunity to take a look and then secretly shared her findings with Yun Shuyao.

“Compared to our master, the big uncle is far inferior.” It wasn’t that Hong Tao was biased, but rather stating the plain truth.

Putting aside other aspects, just in terms of appearance, the big uncle looked swollen and bruised, his steps unsteady. His clothes, though luxurious, couldn’t support his presence. The two of them together looked like they were from different generations.

The servants of the Lin family were accustomed to their master’s stature. How could they regard the big uncle highly?

She didn’t say this outright, but that was the implied meaning.

Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but smile when she heard this. After laughing, she became serious and reminded Hong Tao, “Don’t say such things again. Trouble often comes from loose lips.”

Hong Tao stuck out her tongue, “Auntie, I only told you. I didn’t say anything to anyone! I’m not stupid!”

After saying this, she glanced around to ensure no one else was present, and then added, “Auntie, I’ll go get to work now.”

“Wait a moment. Would you like some jujube cakes? Take a couple of pieces and go.”

After Hong Tao left, Yun Shuyao watched her bouncing away and felt that Hong Tao’s skills in gathering information were getting better. Also, Hong Tao had a young, innocent face and was short in stature, so when she went out, people regarded her as just a child, lowering their guard and speaking more freely around her.

The next morning, Jia She paid his respects to the old lady as soon as he arrived.

The old lady’s attitude was neither warm nor cold, displaying no particular displeasure. Her invitation for him to stay longer at the Lin family was just customary politeness.

Jia She didn’t see any problems, and after a nap, he felt much better.

Today, his sister and brother-in-law were hosting a feast, which he gladly accepted.

After the meal, Jia Min sat down with her elder brother to chat.

They discussed their mother, second brother, and nieces and nephews.

The elder brother had Lian’er, and the second brother had Zhu’er and Yuan Chun. When Jia Min was still in the capital, she would occasionally invite the older Zhu’er and Yuan Chun to the Lin family or visit them at their home.

She had no children of her own and was very fond of these three nieces and nephews. Just looking at their innocent faces could ease some of her regrets.

Jia She, who had been indulging himself in his courtyard and couldn’t even remember the last time he saw his son, simply remained silent.

He could manage a few words about their mother and second brother, but when it came to the younger generation, and questions about what his sister and her family liked to eat or what books they read, he was at a loss. He eventually pointed to the steward to answer for him.

The steward answered these questions fluently, knowing the status of all the masters in the household. But seeing such an elder brother, Jia Min felt deeply powerless and didn’t even want to glance at her husband’s expression.

The emotion was less about embarrassment and more about disappointment.

Originally, their father’s title should have been promoted to marquis.

If only elder brother hadn’t made mistakes…

After that, the elder brother rarely went out, staying mostly in his courtyard, showing no interest in anything, not even his legitimate son.

This made Jia Min inevitably resentful of his lack of ambition.

Although he had offended a noble person, a lesson had already been given. If the elder brother could prove himself and achieve success, his title could still be restored.

Seeing him like this, Lin Ruhai showed no outward signs of displeasure but felt inwardly distressed by how inattentive his brother-in-law was toward his own son.

Though Lin Ruhai’s children were not his biological ones, not seeing them for a long time would make him miss them.

But his brother-in-law seemed to have neglected his children for an extended period. Moreover, he had a legitimate son before, who died due to an accident—perhaps the master’s lack of concern had set a poor example for those below him?

Lin Ruhai didn’t delve into the Yue family’s affairs but remembered clearly the shock he felt when he received the news of Hu Ge’er’s accident at their home.

Lin Ruhai wouldn’t let his guests feel awkward. He smoothly transitioned the conversation to antiques.

This was one of the few areas where Jia She could engage in meaningful discussion, and he became quite animated.

As long as Lin Ruhai was willing, there would never be an awkward silence during conversations with him.

Even though Jia She had many flaws, his expertise in antiques was genuine.

Seeing them enjoy their conversation, Jia Min’s mood improved somewhat. She resigned herself to the situation—there was little she could do as a sister when even their mother was helpless. She only hoped her nephew wouldn’t follow in his uncle’s footsteps and fail in both scholarly and martial pursuits.

Afterward, Lin Ruhai took Jia She to the outer study, where there were many items of interest to him.

Jia She spent three days without leaving the Lin family’s home, absorbed in the collection of antiques.

If Jia She didn’t want to explore other antiques, he wouldn’t have wanted to go out.

As for visiting brothels, Jia She had no such interest.

Though he had an appreciation for beauty, he seldom visited brothels, finding them unclean.

The people around him were either maidservants or women sent by others who had been trained in a modest way.

When Jia She went out, he headed straight to the place his brother-in-law had recommended and found quite a few good items.

Those who were well-informed and knew of his identity naturally brought out the best items for him to choose from.

After a couple of outings, when Jia She returned to the Lin family’s home, he brought back two new, beautiful maidservants.

The two maidservants he had collected from his hometown were given proper titles, but these new ones—one who had sold herself to bury her father and one sent by a merchant—had no titles and were intended to be taken back as maidservants.

Jia Min learned of their backgrounds, confirmed their innocence, and then left it at that.

This wasn’t much of an issue.

The one who had sold herself to bury her father had a bit of cunning, planning her actions in anticipation of Jia She passing by. The master’s courtyard was not lacking in such shrewd individuals.

Jia She also met the three young children from his brother-in-law’s family.

Before meeting them, he thought it was not worth seeing, as children generally looked the same. However, upon seeing them, he found them quite notable.

The two daughters of his brother-in-law were indeed peculiar: one was small and thin, while the other was plump and rounded. Compared side by side, it looked as if the thin one had been mistreated.

Jia She remarked, “Is this child’s health not very good?”

Jia Min nodded, “There are some congenital deficiencies, but with proper care, it should be fine.”

Jia She nonchalantly responded, “That’s alright. We’re not lacking in medicine. Sister, don’t worry, even if the child is thin, we can still take good care of her.”

Jia Min was speechless and choked up.

“Big Brother, is it really that I don’t want to act quickly?”

Jia Min felt very weary.

Jia She did not get to see the two concubines, and Jia Mu did not give him the task of investigating them.

The heavy responsibility fell on Auntie Shi.

Because Mei Concubine was in poor health and Yun Concubine had twins, the old lady previously said that children under three months should not be moved around too much. Jia Min therefore suggested waiting until three months after the concubines gave birth to resume the regular visits.

Auntie Shi felt this was too lenient toward the two concubines, but since the decision had been made and the old lady was above, she could not retract the words. So it was settled.

Although the daily visits were waived, there were still other ways to make contact with the two concubines.

Auntie Shi soon discovered a problem.

Mei Concubine was relatively easy to deal with; she had been “coincidentally met” several times in the garden.

As for Yun Concubine, apart from Auntie Shi entering Lanxin Courtyard, there was no other way to see her.

As for trying to find a way to summon her? Auntie Shi thought about it but couldn’t come up with a good idea. It would be too obvious and go against her original intention.

Auntie Shi asked Old Lady Qian, “Has she always been like this?”

Old Lady Qian thought for a moment and replied, “She has not been fond of going out or moving around since she entered the household.”

Auntie Shi felt it was the opposite: a woman who bore sons would act modestly, while one who bore daughters would walk with her head held high.

But a barking dog does not bite. While she could see through the shallow Mei Concubine with just a few meetings, the more reserved Yun Concubine might be hiding some big trick.

After Auntie Shi discussed this with Old Lady Qian, Old Lady Qian slapped her thigh and said, “I also think she is scheming!” She turned to Jia Min and advised, “My good lady, you must not be careless. She already has children and is scheming. A moment’s negligence could result in a big loss. Do not be careless.”

This left Jia Min feeling a bit helpless. Mei Concubine was bold and arrogant, while Yun Concubine, who avoided showing herself, was considered to have deep schemes.

What then constitutes a qualified concubine?

Auntie Shi answered without hesitation, “Of course, it is someone who lifts the curtain, fans you, holds chopsticks and bowls and follows orders faithfully.”

The obedient concubines of the old Duke were like this. The old lady reciprocated with kindness, letting them give birth to daughters. After the old Duke passed away, they were sent to the temple to pray for him, provided with food and clothing, and given a final outcome.

As for those who were disobedient, they were long gone.

Now, the old lady’s life was so much easier.

The young lady has not learned the old lady’s skills in this regard.

She is too soft.

Jia Min: “…”

Isn’t that the work of the maidservants? It’s not that she can’t do it, but doing so would certainly leave a reputation for being harsh.

There is no need for that.

Old Lady Qian sighed.

Auntie Shi also sighed, silently formulating a plan. The master may not care, but the servants must. There has to be a way to curb their arrogance.

Yun Shuyao stayed in Lanxin Courtyard and did not go out, but Concubine Mei did not.

Given her health condition, Dr. Zhou said she needed to maintain proper exercise daily.

So, she would go for a walk in the garden every day.

Most of the time, the garden was empty except for her. Although the madam would also walk in the garden, Concubine Mei would deliberately avoid her.

However, now Mei Concubine often encountered Jia family’s servants in the garden. With so many people around, Mei Concubine’s mood soured. She didn’t want to be scrutinized or cause a scene with Jia family’s visitors. She was not foolish.

She was curious to see how Yun’s reaction would be under such scrutiny, but… Concubine Mei felt frustrated.

Before returning to the Mei family, she had been told that Yun Shi was a person who kept a low profile and was advised to be cautious and not act impulsively. If Jia Min wanted to take action against them, she should observe Yun Shi and learn from her.

She had believed this.

But after observing for so long, Concubine Mei began to doubt.

How could Yun Shi be so deep and inscrutable?

She only saw Yun Shi like a turtle retreating into its shell, remaining motionless in Lanxin Courtyard.

Didn’t she find it boring to stay in that small area?

If you asked the people of Lanxin Courtyard, they would certainly say it was not boring.

Their lives were quite fulfilling. They accompanied the second young lady and the eldest young master, played with them, read to them, made clothes for them, prepared purses and handkerchiefs for the old lady and the master, and also learned from Old Lady Wang…

Recently, the concubine had even become interested in painting. The master would give her pointers when he visited, and they would chat and laugh. The master even praised her talent in painting.

In summary, with so many things to do, how could they possibly be bored?

Concubine Mei couldn’t understand Yun Shuyao.

Speaking of which, Yun Shuyao didn’t know what was going on with her colleague.

She took walks in the garden, which was nothing out of the ordinary. Even if Jia She came, it wouldn’t be a problem for her to continue.

But what did she do?

She actually angered Lin Ru Hai to the extent that he took the eldest young lady Yingyu and the wet nurse, along with others, and moved them all to… Bi Tao Courtyard?!

Wasn’t it said that the children of concubines would not be taken in by Jia Min?

Yun Shuyao looked at Hongxiu with curiosity.

Hongxiu shook her head helplessly: “Concubine, no one knows the reason behind this. We only saw the master leave Meixiang Courtyard in a fit of anger. This order was given by the master, and I just happened to see them passing by on the road. I don’t know the details.”

What exactly did the colleague do? Yun Shuyao was even more eager to find out.

As if summoned by name, Concubine Mei burst in, wiping her tears—