Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Cousin Jing Yi was reflecting on her actions and copying Buddhist scriptures. The Old Lady of the Jueluo family, determined, prohibited anyone from visiting her. The place where she was copying the scriptures was in the Buddhist hall where she chanted daily, and her meals consisted only of vegetarian food. Jing Yi, with her frail constitution, felt aggrieved and unaccustomed to hardship, and after just a few days, she fell ill.

The matter of copying the scriptures was eventually brought to an end after the pleadings of her mother, Aunt Rongxian. Seeing her widowed daughter’s tears, the Old Lady of the Jueluo family said, “Rongxian, I pity your hardship. I brought you back to the house, but I will not let you ruin the Tong family’s reputation. As for Lan girl, we can set her aside for now. She is someone who knows her place, and I am not worried about her losing her manners. But Jing Yi, you have spoiled and pampered her too much. This cannot continue.”

“Mother, Jing Yi is my flesh and blood. She has always been weak since she was little, and she’s my precious baby.”

“Enough!” The Old Lady Jueluo raised her eyes. “You’re foolish. Your future support lies with your son Jing Hui. Don’t forget, he holds a title. He needs to be properly educated. I’ve heard from the eldest daughter-in-law that Jing Hui is currently painting pictures of beautiful women? Is that what he should be doing? He can’t shoot arrows well and now he can’t even read books properly?”

Yun Wei, who was stitching flowers behind the screen, perked up her ears. She knew that her cousin Jing Hui enjoyed painting beautiful women and had little interest in a career in government or economics. He was very indulgent with the maids and always took great care of them. Yun Lan had once said that daughters are made of water, while sons are made of mud, a saying that made her cousin Jing Hui immediately regard Yun Lan as a close confidante.

“He’s not even my biological son, so he won’t listen to what I say.”

The Old Lady of the Jueluo family angrily threw down her cup and pointed at her daughter Rongxian. “What nonsense is this? Jing Hui has always regarded you as his own mother. If I had known it would come to this, what was the point of me caring for him back then?”

“Mother, don’t be angry. I misspoke.”

Rongxian gently patted the Old Lady’s back, trying to calm her down. The Old Lady exhaled heavily, sighing deeply, “It’s also my fault. I was soft-hearted. How could I have agreed to this? I married you to a scholar, and he passed away early. And yet, where were those vows we made? Did he ever remember them while he was alive?”

Rongxian’s face turned pale, and she murmured, “Mother, I regret not listening to your advice.”

“One wrong step leads to many more. It’s no use regretting now. A person must look forward,” the Old Lady Jueluo said as she held her daughter’s hand, warning her, “From now on, don’t mention Jing Hui’s matters again. You must remember that he is your own son, your future support. He is closer to you than Jing Yi.”

“Mm.”

Seeing her daughter nod, the Old Lady Jueluo felt a bit relieved. She then said, “I generally don’t like comparing my own daughter with others, as my own daughter is always the best. Rongxian, you were right to care for Jing Yi, but your approach was wrong. You should look at your second sister-in-law and see how she raised Yun Wei.”

“Second sister-in-law’s methods are something I can’t learn.”

“It’s not that you can’t learn, it’s that you don’t even respect them.”

The Old Lady Jueluo was truly baffled by how she had ended up with such a daughter. She had taught her all that was needed, but it seemed it hadn’t worked. Rongxian, slightly defiant, retorted, “Wasn’t it you who chose for second brother…”

“Shut up!” The Old Lady Jueluo suddenly shook off Rongxian’s hand, her voice sharp. “Let me make myself clear, Rongxian. Your second brother marrying Fucha Zhuo Hua was a blessing. A household with a virtuous wife thrives.”

“Mother, don’t be angry. I remember.”

The Old Lady Jueluo’s gaze grew even more stern as she said, her tone filled with disappointment, “What do you remember? Back then, you looked down on Rongxuan’s wife. She is generous and never fought with you, always giving in to you. But what about you? You schemed behind her back. Have you ever thought about it? She grew up in the capital and could follow Rongxuan to Fujian for over ten years. Could you do that? You swore eternal vows with your husband, but when he went to the northwest as an imperial commissioner, did you go with him? No, you stayed in the capital. If you had been like Rongxuan’s wife, would things have turned out this way?”

As the discussion began to touch on elder matters, Yun Wei didn’t want to listen any further. She was about to get up, but Lin Mama gently pressed her shoulder, lowering her voice to say, “Miss Yun Wei, this is beneficial for you.”

Yun Wei pouted, listening closely to the old stories. In her eyes, Fu Cha was the best mother, and she didn’t want her mother to be misunderstood by her aunt, nor did she want to hate her aunt. Her mother had once said that hating someone was very tiring; either you directly seek revenge to relieve your anger or you let go of it, but it should never remain in your heart.

“Let’s not talk about these things. Look at Sixth Girl,” the Old Lady Jueluo said, her expression softening as she mentioned Yun Wei. Recently, Yun Wei had been keeping her company, arranging meals, and urging her to eat more. The little acts of coaxing, that cute manner, could melt even the hardest hearts.

“When she returned to the capital, her knowledge was less than that of Yun Lan, and even Jing Yi was ahead of her. But now? She couldn’t recognize many characters, didn’t know music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but the teacher who taught the girls to read said that Yun Wei was the most diligent, and her aptitude was the best. Now, she’s no worse than Yun Lan. As for Jing Yi, all she has is jealousy and complaints. She doesn’t realize that Yun Wei’s achievements didn’t fall from the sky. Isn’t this because you didn’t teach her correctly?”

“I didn’t have as many books to give as second sister-in-law, and Jing Yi’s health is weak. I couldn’t bear it,” Rongxian replied.

The Old Lady Jueluo sighed weakly, saying, “Go back and think carefully about what I said today. As for Yun Lan’s matters, I will decide.”

“Mother.”

“Go back. I want to rest now.”

Rongxian left, and the Old Lady Jueluo lay her head on her arm, speaking calmly, “Wei girl, come out.”

“Ma’am, I’ll go check if the soup is ready.”

Yun Wei lifted her foot lightly and was about to sneak off, but the Old Lady reached out and pulled her into her embrace, poking her forehead. “Now you want to check the soup? It’s too late.”

“Ma’am.” Yun Wei took advantage of her skills in acting cute, nuzzling her little head into the Old Lady’s shoulder and sweetly saying, “I didn’t mean to.”

At the sound of her voice, the Old Lady’s stern heart softened. With Yun Wei’s actions, she seemed like a well-mannered Persian cat, almost wagging her tail.

“Madam, the soup is ready.”

Lin Mama placed the soup on the small table, and Yun Wei, peeking out of the Old Lady’s embrace, reached out with her soft, fair hand to grab the bowl, blowing on the soup spoon to cool it before holding it to the Old Lady’s lips. In a soft, coquettish voice, she said, “You should try it, this is a recipe I improved, I love it the most.”

One spoonful after another, Yun Wei fed the soup to the Old Lady, looking up expectantly for praise. Finally, she made the Old Lady laugh. “You clever girl.”

“Yun Wei is like the Monkey King, but she can never escape your grasp.”

Yun Wei placed the soup bowl down and knelt beside the Old Lady, gently pressing her shoulder, skillfully grasping her movements. Her ability to focus on things was unmatched by most. As long as Yun Wei was interested in something, she remembered it quickly and accurately.

The Old Lady closed her eyes in comfort, feeling relaxed, clearly not the first time Yun Wei had done this. “Your Fourth Sister…”

“Just like you said, Fourth Sister won’t bring shame to the Tong family. She understands better than anyone.”

“It’s because she understands too well that I’m worried. Wei girl, you must remember, people are fickle. Right now, everyone may be treating you well, but if something goes wrong, it will be all wrong. He is a prince, and the hearts of royal people are unpredictable.”

Yun Wei felt it was necessary to defend Yun Lan a little. Yun Lan had shared some private matters only with Yun Wei. She wasn’t the type to slander Yun Lan. After considering carefully, Yun Wei spoke, “Fourth Sister understands him. He likes Fourth Sister and will ask the Emperor for a marriage.”

The Old Lady curved her lips slightly, speaking lightly, “We’ll see. Lan girl has chosen the hardest path. Knowing him so well may not matter when they’re young, but in the future, he will become suspicious and afraid.”

Yun Wei didn’t fully understand, but she kept these words in her heart. Many things that happened later proved the Old Lady’s wisdom.