Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 25 Taking Charge of the Household
He was helped onto the bed, her lotus-colored dress splattered with crimson blood, a shocking sight at first glance.

The old woman in the second old lady's room left a bottle of medicine and then left, adding before she left: "The old lady said that this is the best medicine for external injuries. It will be fine after a few days of application. This kind of injury is just scary to look at... There's no need to go to great lengths to call a doctor, so as not to cause any gossip."

Ms. He felt wronged and distressed, her mouth filled with the taste of blood, and she sat there trembling.

When she was in the inner room, the window next to her was half open, and she was frozen for at least two quarters of an hour. Even now, leaning against the charcoal brazier, she couldn't feel any warmth.

Looking at He Shi's disheveled appearance, Yang Mingjing asked with concern, "What exactly happened?"

He raised her red and swollen eyes: "I heard that Mother had a terrible headache, so I rushed over. As soon as I entered the door, I tripped and fell. When I came to my senses, several old women around Mother came over and said that I had stepped on the threshold."

"Don't I know whether I stepped on it or not? It was clearly Mother who told them to..."

Mrs. He refrained from continuing, but everyone in the room already understood.

The two old ladies vented their anger on Mrs. He.

Yang Shen's face turned ashen: "I'll go and deal with those old women to avenge Mother." He couldn't complain about his grandmother; surely he could deal with the old women in his grandmother's courtyard?

Madam He anxiously tried to stop her, saying, "Don't cause trouble. If you punish the servants today, tomorrow... the consequences will fall on my shoulders."

Yang Shen wanted to say something, but after glancing at Yang Mingjing beside him, he swallowed his words. No matter what, he couldn't be disrespectful to his grandparents. Bearing such a stigma would make it impossible for him to move an inch in the future.

Madam He felt an indescribable sadness. Over the years, she had worked hard, even if she hadn't made any great contributions. Moreover, when she took over the reins of the household from the third branch, many things were accomplished through her.

If she hadn't managed to keep the clan members in check, how could everything have gone so smoothly? Besides their three branches, the Yang family also had other direct descendants and collateral branches. Although they didn't live with them, they still relied on the clan for sustenance. It was only in winter, when there was little activity in the clan and few people were seen on ordinary days, that things changed. When the weather warmed up, clan members would come and go every day.

Back when the third branch of the family was still alive, although they lost the hearts of the people because of the lost goods, they still had many years of prestige. If it weren't for their obstruction of the accounts, where would we be today?

The more He thought about it, the more upset she became.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Yang Mingjing had a sullen face, and the image of the two old ladies questioning him just now was still in his mind.

"Second Master," a servant entered the room to report, "our clansmen have come to congratulate you on obtaining the position of Deputy Warden."

When the villagers heard the news, they rushed over. He instinctively tidied her hair, but the pain in her nose brought her back to her senses.

She can't get out of this room.

That's how the two old ladies arranged it; even if they benefited, they shouldn't expect to gain face in front of their clansmen.

Yang Mingjing tried to say something several times, but finally sighed and instructed He Shi: "You should stay in the house and rest well. Tell everyone that you are sick. Just bear with it, and your injury will heal in a while."

After saying this, Yang Mingjing took Yang Shen out to deal with the clansmen.

Looking at the empty house, Madam He was overcome with grief. At that moment, she even thought of the third wife's old lady, who always spoke to her with a kind and gentle tone...

"I've come to visit my second aunt."

He was lost in thought when she heard the voice, and she immediately shuddered.

"Not letting us in?"

"My second uncle just became the deputy magistrate, and he doesn't even recognize people anymore?"

"I was so glad I sent Qin-ge'er to the yamen to report the good news; if it weren't for the lack of a patrol inspector..."

Upon hearing this, Madam He gasped in shock and, disregarding everyone else, hurriedly called out, "Sixth Brother's wife, come in quickly."

The door wasn't opened immediately, and Madam He clenched her hands, staring longingly at the door. At that moment, she just wanted Madam Xie to come in quickly.

She herself didn't realize that when faced with Xie Yuyan's sudden arrival, the emotion that arose in her heart was not surprise, but fear.

“Many female relatives from the clan have come to our home,” Xie Yuyan said. “Although my second aunt is ill, we cannot be impolite. So, I’ll trouble you, Mother, to take some people to entertain her.”

Zhang responded.

Xie Yuyan said, "Second Aunt, are you allocating manpower, or should we take the roster and go to select people?"

He took a deep breath, which immediately aggravated her nose, and she quickly covered the injured area with her hand. If she didn't do as Xie said, would Xie absolutely refuse to come inside?
Not only that, Xie might also speak ill of others in front of his clansmen.

“Aunt Zou, Aunt Qin, you should go with your third sister-in-law.”

The two old women guarding the courtyard froze, but since Madam He had given such an order, they could not disobey. They responded and left with their respective men and women, along with Madam Zhang.

With everything arranged, Xie Yuyan then walked towards the main house of the He family.

The door was pushed open, and Mrs. He saw the figure.

She walked slowly against the light, her face obscured, without uttering a word. Yet, it was precisely this unhurried pace that made Mrs. He subconsciously straighten her back.

"Second Aunt is seriously injured," Xie Yuyan said calmly, standing there. "I heard she tripped and fell. How could she be so careless?"

Mrs. He had no words to express her distress: "The second old lady is ill, and I was so worried..."

Xie Yuyan found a chair and sat down: "I have a few questions to ask my second aunt."

Mrs. He nodded and said, "Tell me about it."

Xie Yuyan asked, "Will Second Aunt's injuries be fully healed before Fourth Aunt returns?"

He felt a chill in her heart and subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. If the second old lady didn't want her to appear in public, even if the injury on her nose healed, something else would happen.

The second matriarch was pressuring the master to rescue Yang Mingshan and his wife as soon as possible. She had vaguely thought of this before, but not as clearly as Xie Yuyan. Xie Yuyan continued, "Second Uncle became the deputy magistrate, but Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt suffered imprisonment. Has the second matriarch said how to compensate them in the future?"

Madam He stared at Xie Yuyan: "What do you mean by that?"

Xie Yuyan did not respond, but instead said a third sentence: "Second Uncle will be busy with business in the future, and Second Aunt will inevitably be following behind to help manage things. If something goes wrong in the midst of all this, Second Aunt, are you prepared to deal with it?"

At first glance, it seemed as if Xie was asking her a question, but the answer was already implied in her words.

When Yang Mingshan and Zou Shi returned, the two old ladies would definitely let them get involved in clan affairs in order to make amends. Yang Mingshan would help in the front hall, and Zou Shi would manage the household with her in the backyard.

When the time is right, they will find a fault and replace her completely.

Isn't this the same method used to deal with the third wife back then?
Without real power, possessing only a title, one can only beg for face from the clan in order to maintain one's status and identity.

In this way, they completely benefited Yang Mingshan and his wife.

Just thinking about it made He feel like someone was pressing down on her chest, making it impossible for her to breathe.

"Then what should I do?" Mrs. He murmured unconsciously, as if asking herself, or perhaps asking...

Xie Yuyan said, "Second Aunt has a second option."

……

In the flower hall in the backyard of the Yang family ancestral home, Zhang instructed the steward to serve hot tea to the female members of the clan.

The women whispered among themselves, clearly not expecting to see Zhang in such a setting.

After the third branch of the family relinquished its position as clan leader, most of them knew that no one from the third branch would be able to manage affairs within the clan in the future.

Indeed, the work Zhang did later was not much better than that of the women from the collateral branches.

But what is the situation today?
Many people are confused about the situation.

"You'll find out soon enough."

These messages couldn't be kept secret within the clan; they could easily find out the general situation by asking around.

"What exactly is the illness of Mingjing's wife?"

Some people still couldn't help but ask.

Standing to the side, Zhang was thinking about the past years. She knew all the people sitting here very well. When the third branch of the family was in charge, they would surround her. Later, when the third branch declined, some people took advantage of her misfortune. During the most difficult times, in order to earn some money, she even took on washing and sewing jobs from them. She also heard them gossip, which was nothing more than the kind of talk about everyone kicking someone when they're down.

No one knew better than her what was being planned behind those smiling faces.

"From the Mingsheng family..."

Zhang didn't reply, so someone else reminded her, "We'd like to go see Mingjing's wife?"

Just as Zhang was wondering how to respond, a figure walked in from outside.

"My second aunt cannot receive guests."

The voice was clear and melodious, seemingly able to suppress all other noises.

Everyone turned to look.

The sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl walked forward step by step, without responding to any gazes cast her way.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, she sat in the main seat of the flower hall.

He sat down seemingly casually, yet his posture was upright and solemn. His clear gaze swept across the room, instantly plunging the flower hall into silence.

"Dear nieces-in-law and husbands-in-law, this may be the first time you have met me."

“I am Liulang’s wife, and also the eldest daughter-in-law of the third branch.”

She is Xie, who came back from the dead.

Before they could fully recover from the news...

Xie Yuyan spoke again: "Until Second Aunt recovers, I will take over the management of the clan's internal affairs."

Xie Yuyan glanced at the steward beside him as he spoke.

The steward hurriedly opened the two boxes he was holding; one contained the key, and the other contained the waist tag and name card.

This time, it elicited surprise and gasps of astonishment.

Xie Yuyan wouldn't pay any attention to these things.

“I know that the way the third branch of the family addresses me is different from how I am addressed in the clan,” she said, her gaze slightly lowered, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly as if she were smiling, “but I am used to being called ‘Madam’ by others.”

"The matriarch of the Yang family."

"These are the rules I follow while I'm in charge of the household affairs. Do you all understand?"

(End of this chapter)