Marrying a treacherous official

As night fell, Aunt Du led Cui Shuhua to visit Yunji, braving the wind and snow.

When Granny Kong saw them rushing over covered in snow and cloaks, she quickly lifted the heavy cotton curtain and welcomed the mother and daughter into the house.

"The snow is raging outside, why did you come at this time, Aunt?"

"We heard that the First Madam has fallen ill, and Hua'er and I were worried about her, so we came here to see how she is doing."

Aunt Du handed a tray of candied fruit to Granny Kong, and said with a smile:

"Knowing that the First Madam wouldn't be used to bitter medicine, I brought some crispy plums, candied dates, jasmine-infused kumquats, sugar-coated hawthorn berries, rock sugar lotus seeds, and candied longan to satisfy her cravings."

"The First Madam has a particular fondness for sweets; she'll probably be overjoyed."

After the two women changed out of their snow-soaked outer garments, Granny Kong led the mother and daughter straight to the inner room. "Madam, come and see who has come to see you."

Yunji was leaning against the warm kang, engrossed in reading a county gazetteer. Upon hearing this, he closed the book, straightened his back, and sat up gracefully on the kang.

"Why did you come here in such cold weather, Auntie?"

"Come and see if the First Madam is feeling any better, otherwise I won't be able to sleep a wink for a moment."

Aunt Du's face was full of shame as she said guiltily, "If Hua'er hadn't taken such a bad job in the carriage, the First Madam wouldn't have caught a cold and become so ill."

Cui Shuhua stepped forward, her tearful eyes lowered, and after a curtsy, she said in a choked voice:

"I shouldn't have lingered at the palace gate. If I had sent my elder sister-in-law back to her residence for medical treatment sooner, she wouldn't have fallen seriously ill. I have failed my elder sister-in-law's kindness and care."

"How is this your fault again?"

Yun Ji gently reached out her hand and pulled her to sit down beside him.

"That day a blizzard suddenly descended, and no one expected it to be so cold. I remember you gave me the stove and huddled in a corner, shivering with cold."

"The First Madam is kind and cannot bear to blame Hua'er, but in the end, it was Hua'er who was wrong."

Aunt Du deliberately brought it up, "Master is right to reprimand her. Hua'er doesn't know how to act responsibly. After learning that the First Madam was ill, she should have sent her back to the mansion immediately. No wonder Master punished her by confining her to her quarters for half a year."

Yunji had never heard anyone mention that Cui Shuhua had been punished.

After a moment of slight surprise, she immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Aunt Du's words.

After Cui Shuhua came of age in the spring, she was supposed to start looking for a husband. However, she was punished by being confined to her home for half a year. Not only did she miss the flower-viewing banquet held by the aristocratic families, but she also missed the selection of potential husbands after the results of the imperial examination were announced. If this marriage was delayed, it would be a matter of a lifetime.

No wonder Aunt Du braved the wind and snow to rush over and deliberately brought up this matter with her.

"A six-month stay-at-home order is indeed too harsh a punishment."

Seeing Aunt Du looking at her expectantly, her watery eyes brimming with hope, Yunji said reassuringly:

"The old man was probably angry at the time, and his words were inevitably a bit harsh. I will talk to him again later. The second young lady only needs to be confined for three months. She can go to the flower viewing banquet after the New Year."

"If that's really the case, then I'd be very grateful to the First Madam."

Aunt Du immediately beamed with joy, took Cui Shuhua's hand, and urged her, "Aren't you going to thank your elder sister-in-law?"

Cui Shuhua quickly and obediently said, "Hua'er thanks you, sister-in-law."

Granny Kong brought up tea and presented it to the table with both hands. She then handed Yunji a bowl of warm medicine, smiling as she advised:

"Madam, please don't find this medicine bitter. My aunt brought over a tray of candied fruit; may Madam have a taste."

"I need to experience some sweetness before I can endure this hardship."

Yunji teased Granny Kong to the point of exhaustion, so she had no choice but to take out a drawer of candied fruit and allow her to taste a bit of sweetness.

Aunt Du found the mistress and servant pair quite amusing and said with a smile, "The nanny serves the medicine so diligently, which is why the First Madam's illness is recovering so quickly."

"That's right."

Under Granny Kong's watchful eye, Yunji gulped down the bowl of medicine, her little face scrunched up from the bitterness.

"The old nanny and her trusted maid, one watching over even-numbered days and the other over odd-numbered days, were afraid that I would slip up and spill my medicine. They would never let me go."

"The First Madam loves to joke."

Granny Kong pushed the candied dates in front of her, then retreated with the empty bowl in her hand.

Yun Ji glanced at Cui Shuhua, who was sitting idly to the side, and said jokingly:

"Many officials' wives at the court banquet showed interest in the Second Miss. I wonder if the Second Miss found a suitable suitor at the banquet?"

"Please don't laugh at me, elder sister-in-law."

Cui Shuhua lowered her head shyly, picked up the teapot from the stove, and brewed a cup of Yangxian Zisun tea. "Marriage has always been decided by parents and matchmakers. How can I have the final say?"

Aunt Du dared not expect the Marquis and Madam You to make decisions about Hua'er's marriage.

"Since Hua'er is too shy to speak, I won't stand on ceremony with the First Madam. The few scholarly families who were interested in Hua'er at the palace banquet are excellent, but their sons are all taking the imperial examinations. I think we should wait until the results are announced before making a decision."

"It's not too late to wait and see."

Yunji, unusually, thought the same thing as Aunt Du, and thoughtfully offered her some advice:

"I've heard that the two nephews and grandnephews of the Minister of Revenue, Zuo, are of noble character and have a refined literary talent. Auntie might as well take advantage of the upcoming New Year to visit the Minister's residence more often."

"What the First Madam says is quite right."

Aunt Du smiled and said:

"Hua'er is born out of wedlock. I only hope that she can marry into a respectable family and become the mistress of the house, free from the mistreatment of her mother-in-law, and live a peaceful life in her later years. I would never dare to be like the Lady of the Marquis, who hopes that her eldest daughter will marry General Pei."

With a crash, the teapot fell onto the table, spilling boiling tea and soaking the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

Fortunately, Yunji withdrew in time and was not scalded by the boiling tea.

"How could you be so reckless? You almost burned the First Madam, do you know that?"

Aunt Du cursed incessantly as she grabbed Cui Shuhua's hand and carefully examined her injuries.

Cui Shuhua covered her scalded arm and kept shrinking back, saying, "I'm sorry, sister-in-law."

"Chunxuan, quickly bring in a basin of cold water to rinse the Second Miss's arm."

Yunji got off the heated kang and instructed the two maids, "One go and get some burn ointment, and the other go and fetch a doctor. Be quick, and make sure the second young lady doesn't get a scar on her arm."

Chunxuan quickly brought over a basin of water, and Aunt Du hurriedly poured cold water on Cui Shuhua's wounds, her eyes filled with anxiety.

Looking at Cui Shuhua's detached and otherworldly demeanor, Yunji understood everything.

No wonder Choi Suk-hwa accidentally knocked over the teapot after hearing that Choi Yeo-joo intended to marry Bae Yun.

She recalled the heavy snow outside Donghua Gate, and through the carriage curtain, she seemed to hear snippets of their conversation that day.

Cui Shuhua should never have fallen for Pei Yun.