nucmednet Chapter 84 Annoyance
Chapter 84 Annoyance
Jiang Shichang glanced at her: "What, you don't want to?"
The second wife honestly replied, "Yes, I am a little unwilling."
"Why? Don't you like her too?" Jiang Shichang couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.
How can she not be interested in such a good girl? What is she thinking?
Second Madam: "That's right, I like her very much, and even admire her. However, liking her is one thing, but I feel that she is not good enough to be our Chun'er's daughter-in-law. With Chun'er's looks and talent, she deserves to be with the best girl in the world, even a princess!"
"Foolish!" Jiang Shichang couldn't help but scold, his expression turning extremely cold: "Remember this, my son will absolutely never marry a princess! A princess as kind and enlightened as my sister-in-law is one of a kind in thousands of years! Marrying a princess as a daughter-in-law is like marrying a Bodhisattva. The whole family has to serve her every day, and you can't do or say anything that doesn't please her! You may be willing to put up with your daughter-in-law's temper, but I'm not, not even if you talk to me until the end!"
At this point, he couldn't help but look at her suspiciously again: "Could it be that you've taken a fancy to one of the princesses?"
Second Madam: "Consort Mei conveyed a message to me, saying that the Tenth Princess has taken a liking to Chun'er and hopes to form a marriage alliance with us."
Jiang Shichang couldn't help but scold again: "Foolish! Consort Mei is the Empress's mortal enemy. Even if the Tenth Princess is better than the Eldest Princess, this marriage must not be arranged! Moreover, the Tenth Princess is arrogant and willful. Relying on the Emperor and Consort Mei's favor and love, she even dares to disregard the Empress."
"A woman like that is not worthy of our Jiang family! Give up on that idea! Even if it means my son marries a real country girl, I will never agree to let Chun'er marry the Tenth Princess! If you truly love Chun'er, don't be so foolish and think such nonsense!"
"No, I had no intention of letting Chun'er marry the Tenth Princess!" The Second Madam quickly defended herself: "This is what I thought: even the princess and the Imperial Concubine have taken a liking to Chun'er, so the daughters of other noble families will surely also be interested in Chun'er! It's not that Zisu is bad, but our Chun'er deserves better! Zisu's current family background is indeed too poor, and Chun'er's wife must be someone who can bring him great help!"
Jiang Shichang: "Family background? Speaking of family background, what is there for our Jiang family to be proud of? The social hierarchy is scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. At least Zisu is a farmer, and she is the second oldest. But our Jiang family, except for the eldest brother, are all merchants, and we are at the very bottom!"
Second Madam: "Husband, why do you say that? It's true that most of the Jiang family are merchants, but our Chun'er is a young general! He's only eighteen years old and he's already a fifth-rank general! Such a fine young man is absolutely unique in the entire Western Liang Dynasty!"
Jiang Shichang frowned, unwilling to continue. Continuing the conversation might lead to an argument, so he waved his hand helplessly: "Alright, let's leave it at that. Our son's choice of wife is none of our business; it's his decision to make himself!"
When the eldest princess learned of this, she couldn't help but shake her head: "Second sister-in-law is too ambitious. Although Chun'er is very good, Zisu is also worthy of him! In my opinion, Zisu is destined for great things. If she knew what second sister-in-law was thinking, she would definitely not agree to this marriage!"
Jiang Shihua: "Yes, Zisu deserves the love and care of the best men! If Chun'er can marry her, it will be his blessing. My second sister-in-law usually seems quite shrewd, how could she be so short-sighted on this issue?"
Princess: "Yes, it's a pity that our sons are all younger than Zisu, otherwise, I would really like a daughter-in-law like her!"
Her eldest son, Jiang Hao, is only nine years old this year, while Zisu is already thirteen. The age difference is too great.
Jiang Shihua: "Yes, Hao'er is too young. If Hao'er were twelve, I would also encourage him to try. Such a wonderful girl, whoever marries her will be blessed!"
The Northwest, thousands of miles away.
Jiang Chun received a letter from his younger sister, Hua'er, and couldn't help but develop a strong interest and curiosity about the perilla that his sister praised so highly.
What kind of outstanding woman could she be to win the heart and admiration of my proud and arrogant younger sister? Putting everything else aside, her character alone must be exceptional. Otherwise, why would my sister even look at her?
If he works harder this year, earns more military merits, and gets promoted again, he can leave the border next year and return to the capital to be with his parents and younger siblings. Then, he wants to personally see that girl named Zisu and see just how wonderful she is that Hua'er speaks so highly of her.
He spread out the Xuan paper, about to write a letter to his sister, when his personal guard rushed in to report: "General, the enemy has attacked again!"
"Summon everyone immediately and prepare to meet the enemy!" Jiang Chun ordered his personal guards as he quickly put on his armor.
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys!" The guard replied respectfully, but before he finished speaking, he had already disappeared.
The military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed for even a moment.
Jiang Chun suppressed his thoughts, picked up his spear, mounted his mount, and charged out of the camp like a whirlwind, heading straight for the front-line outpost.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner.
The drought has finally passed. The plague that everyone feared did not occur, and it was all a false alarm.
The autumn rain drizzles down, nourishing all things on earth.
The house belonging to the Zisu family was completed before the rain. Zisu named this two-courtyard house "Caotang" (Thatched Cottage).
There is an artificial stream and an artificial lotus pond in the thatched cottage, with a stone arch bridge spanning the lotus pond. In the center of the bridge is a small pavilion, in which there is an exquisite little table and four small chairs.
Zisu transplanted a large number of golden wild chrysanthemums and flowers from the mountains. Now is the season when wild chrysanthemums are in full bloom, and you can see wild chrysanthemums and flowers scattered in every corner of the thatched cottage. They are inconspicuous, but very pleasing to the eye, and Zisu especially loves them. She can never get tired of looking at them.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Zisu plans to send some gifts to her uncle, Jiang Shichang, and Hua'er. If she's not mistaken, Jiang Shichang and Hua'er will also send her gifts.
What should I give as a gift? Zisu racked her brains for days. The Jiang family was so wealthy; they could have anything they wanted. The gift should ideally be something special and practical.
After thinking about it for a few days, Zisu finally made a decision: she would send mooncakes, chrysanthemums, and flower pillows.
This kind of mooncake had never appeared in the Western Liang Dynasty. She had seen mooncakes from the future world in her dreams, and in her previous life, she had also made mooncakes with Shangguan Zhihua. She knew exactly how to make the molds, how to make the fillings, and how to bake them.
Before making mooncakes, she had to solve the problems of chrysanthemums and flower pillows.
That day, she gathered five girls from the village who were on good terms with her and said to them, "I'm going to pick a lot of wild chrysanthemums and flowers, and I'll buy them from you for ten coins a pound. You can tell your families that the whole family can come and pick them! I'll also bring some fragrant pears to pick with me. We'll start picking this afternoon, and we'll all go into the mountains together, which will be safer!"
“Okay, I’ll go home and tell my parents right away!” Yingchun said happily.
Peach was overjoyed: "Great! I'll go home right now and tell my brothers so they can go pick some too!"
The other girls were also chattering away, laughing and talking happily.
Zisu: "Okay, it's settled then. We'll meet at my doorstep in an hour!"
"Okay, we'll go home for lunch now, and then we'll meet up again!" the girls replied cheerfully, and they ran off in a flash.
In the mountains, golden wild chrysanthemums and other flowers bloom all over the hillsides, on cliffs, along ditches, and by streams, flourishing in every corner. Scattered like stars, their fragrance wafting through the air, adorning the mountains with extraordinary beauty.
Aside from the elderly and young children, almost all five families came, totaling about thirty people. Eight strong men carried hoes, just in case. The first place they went was very close to the village, starting their harvest from the edge of the mountains.
Zisu: "Listen carefully, everyone. There's a reason why I asked you to bring two baskets or two bags. There are two kinds of flowers: one is in bud and the other is fully open. These two kinds of flowers have different prices and different uses, so be sure to pack them separately!"
She didn't mention which one was more expensive, and no one felt comfortable asking. That was fine, as it prevented everyone from rushing to collect just one type of flower.
Once a spot has been harvested, the perilla will not be harvested there again for at least three days; it will be moved to another location. Therefore, whether the buds are still in bloom or fully open, they must all be harvested at once.
Over thirty people spent five days collecting wild chrysanthemums. The drying ground at Xiaoshitan was filled with mats and winnowing baskets of all sizes. The wild chrysanthemums and flowers were collected and brought to Xiaoshitan to be weighed, washed, and dried on the same day.
We collected about 300 jin (150 catties) of fresh wild chrysanthemums and flowers over five days. It's fair to say that everyone has visited every hill and ridge in the vicinity. These past few days have been crisp and sunny, and the wild chrysanthemums and flowers have been thoroughly dried in the sun for three days.
Zisu took out several bolts of fine cotton cloth from the storeroom, along with some pear, lilac, cherry, and crabapple blossoms, and worked day and night to sew twenty pillowcases. The fully bloomed wild orange blossoms were used to make chrysanthemum and flower pillows, while the buds were used to make chrysanthemum and flower tea.
Twenty chrysanthemum and flower pillows were made in total. One each for Mother, Grandmother, Yi-ge'er, Han-ge'er, Uncle, and Zisu. One each for Jiang Shichang, Second Madam, Hua'er, Jiang Shihua, the Eldest Princess, and Yue'er. The remaining eight were all given to Hua'er, and she could decide who to give them to.
Chrysanthemums, flower pillows, several letters, mooncakes, and some mountain produce were personally delivered to the capital by Li Mao and Uncle Li.
Zisu gave Li Mao twenty taels of silver: "We're not in a hurry this time. We can find a small town to rest for the night along the way. Don't be stingy with the money. This money is meant to be spent."
The Li family members are all very honest and kind, especially Uncle Li. Every time he goes out to help Zisu, he brings dry rations with him. If he gets hungry on the road, he'll eat a few pancakes and drink some cold water. Every time Zisu gives him a travel allowance, he brings it back almost untouched and hands it back to Zisu.
Zisu had told him off many times, and each time he would chuckle and agree, "Okay, little one won't eat dry rations next time!" Despite saying that, he remained unchanged.
This time, Zisu gave the money to Li Mao and let him make the decision.
Li Mao: "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself and won't eat dry rations!"
He didn't actually agree with his father's approach. He knew life was hard when you're away from home, and as long as you didn't spend money recklessly, it was only right to eat a little better. But this wasn't the way to be frugal.
******
Yu Zhe was deeply moved when he received the letter, pillow, mooncakes, rice, preserved pheasant, and wild rabbit.
This child, how many wild chrysanthemums and flowers must he have picked to make such a pillow? And these hazelnuts, Li Mao said Zisu personally went up the mountain to pick them. This child is so thoughtful!
Having such a niece is truly a blessing for him!
Now that Zisu is helping him take care of his mother and son, he can focus on his work without any distractions. Although the house is a bit quiet when he gets back at night, he definitely feels much less pressure.
The princess was overjoyed to receive the chrysanthemum pillow and couldn't put it down.
This pillow has a faint, pleasant fragrance; taking a deep breath of it can even bring a sense of tranquility and peace. Sleeping with such a pillow at night will improve your sleep significantly.
This child is so thoughtful! It must have taken a lot of effort to make such a pillow, right? And that thing called mooncake is novel and delicious, and it also has a very good meaning of family reunion.
Hua'er received chrysanthemums, a flower pillow, her favorite hazelnuts, and the mooncakes that Zisu had mentioned before. She was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling all day.
However, of all the people, the happiest was Yue'er.
"Wow, Sister Zisu even gave me a gift! She doesn't even know me, yet she's so kind to me! Next spring, I definitely want to go to Xiaoshitan and stay for a month to learn some skills from Sister Zisu!"
The little girl was so happy that she danced around and chattered incessantly to her mother.
The eldest princess was exasperated by her antics and quickly promised, "Alright, alright! You can go and stay for a few months next May, and you don't have to come back! As long as your sister Zisu wants you to stay indefinitely, I won't object!"
The second madam received the pillow, glanced at it only once, and then instructed her personal maid: "Put it away!"
Her husband had a wicked idea: he wanted Chun'er to marry Zisu. She couldn't agree to that! Zisu had lost her father and was raising her mother and younger brother alone in a mountain village, farming. How could Chun'er possibly live with a wife like that? Not only Chun'er, but she herself would have no face to show anyone.
Jiang Shichang was delighted and used the pillow that very night. The next morning, he exclaimed, "Hmm, this pillow is really good! It helps me sleep a lot. I feel so much more refreshed this morning!" He then said to Hua'er, "There are eight left. Give one to Daddy so we can switch between them!"
Hua'er said, "Where would there be any extra? I'll mail one to my eldest brother, one to my second brother, one to my third brother, one to my fourth brother, and one to my maternal grandparents. That way, we'll have just used them all!"
The second and third brothers are Hua'er's biological brothers, while the fourth and fifth brothers are Yue'er's biological brothers.
Hua'er's words annoyed the second wife.
This pillow is actually going to be sent to the Murong family?!
The Second Madam's family was the Murong family, one of the ten great families of the Western Liang Kingdom.
She was angry, but she couldn't scold her daughter. Otherwise, her husband might become estranged from her. Besides, if the chrysanthemum pillow wasn't sent to the Murong family, her husband would have a spare pillow and would have to use the chrysanthemum pillow every day. In that case, she wouldn't have a reason or opportunity to get rid of it and replace it with something else. This would cause her a lot of distress every day.
Suddenly, Zisu no longer seemed so lovable to her! In fact, she began to feel disgusted with Zisu, thinking that Zisu was a jinx and a nemesis. The chrysanthemum and flower pillow that Zisu sent were like a thorn stuck in her heart.
Seeing everyone in her family happily using chrysanthemum and flower pillows, she felt incredibly awkward, filled with indescribable annoyance and worry.
If things continue like this, is it really possible that her most precious son will marry a widowed eldest daughter? How will she ever face the social circles of wealthy women again? How can she possibly take such a daughter-in-law out in public, or introduce her to anyone?
She felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart, and she eventually fell ill and never recovered.
The imperial physician said that her illness was psychological, and that only a mental cure could address it. He indicated that he was helpless and could not cure her.
Jiang Shichang was dumbfounded: "What, it's actually a psychological problem?"
The imperial physician said, "Yes, judging from her pulse, it doesn't seem like a physical ailment, but rather a mental one. Please forgive my incompetence; I am not an expert in treating mental illnesses. Perhaps there are such masters among the common people. However, in my opinion, mental illnesses require mental remedies. No doctor can do better than her own self-reflection! Once she understands this, her illness will naturally improve!"
After seeing the imperial physician off, Jiang Shichang's face was terribly gloomy: "What's troubling you? Tell me! First, I haven't taken a concubine, and second, I haven't been involved with any other women. What else are you worried about?"
As a woman, isn't the biggest worry her husband taking concubines and keeping mistresses? She has no worries about food or drink at home, and he is devoted to her. What more could she possibly want?
The only thing I'm not satisfied with is probably the perilla leaves.
The second wife wiped away her tears and said, "I don't want Chun'er to marry a girl from the mountains. If he does, he'll be laughed at by everyone! I also don't want a wild girl as a daughter-in-law. How can I face the world of noble ladies like that? Besides, Zisu is the eldest daughter who lost her father. She's a jinx!"
Jiang Shichang was so angry that he trembled all over, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
Sure enough, that's exactly why she has this mental illness!