Second Marriage

Translator: tarararawr

Chapter 3 Part 4

Two shichen1 later, Xiao Youning wore a guan2 on her head and disguised herself as a man. She cupped her hands to Second Master Xiao to take her leave. “Today Youning will always store Second Uncle’s help in the heart; and will bid you farewell for the time being; and will also trouble Second Uncle to handle the unfinished business with the Li Family.

“You…” Second Master Xiao was hesitating to say more, but only sighed after a single word. “Very well, you all must take care of the Eldest Young Miss. You must not let the refugees run into her.

There was a drought in the northwest last year, and people began to migrate to other places in order to continue living. Nowadays, there were refugees everywhere.

The six people accompanying her responded “yes” simultaneously.

Xiao Youning thanked him again. She put down the carriage’s curtains and set off to her journey.

Yuan Guo was sitting next to her. Her eyebrows were pinching tightly. After a long time, she whispered in the middle of the shaking, “Young Miss, how can you be at ease with giving your dowry to the Second Branch like that…”

Even if Second Master Xiao had good intentions, the Old Madam and the Madam from the Second Branch were not friendly with her.

When the family separated, Master’s Madam suffered3.

Xiao Youning sat upright. The swaying curtain divided the light and shadow inside the carriage. She stared at the flickering light and said quietly, “There’s nothing to worry about. it doesn’t matter if we give them the dowry as long as they help us now.”

Yuan Guo closed her mouth and sat in silence.

The carriage sped along the whole journey and reached the relay station to stay overnight before nightfall.

The servants who accompanied Xiao Youning took Second Master Xiao’s name card to the lodging area, and she was soon taken to a small side room on the first floor.

The relay station attendant had a fawning smile on his face and said, “There are so many Daren4 these days that it is not easy to have a vacant room.”

Xiao Youning nodded and made Yuan Guo give him a small silver ingot.

The relay station attendant smiled with even more flattery. After bowing, he said he would immediately prepare some hot water and food.

“There are no other rooms. There is only this one.”

Xiao Youning was about to enter the room when another relay station attendant in an impatient voice led two young men past them.

One of the young men was wearing a plain Daoist robe and Xiao Youning could not see his entire face because of the dim light. But she felt that he was a good-looking young man because of the outline of his side profile and his straight nose.

Moreover, the person’s treatment was worse than hers.

The room where he was taken to was next to the kitchen storage. The attendant was talking nonsense to her when she was walking over and said that her room was conveniently close to go to the kitchen and also pointed out that her room was actually in a good position, because the room next to hers was worse.

Xiao Youning just glanced at it, then went into her room and closed the door. The two attendants’ voices could be heard from outside of the door and they did not try to hide their voices at all.

“Those noble people these days actually believed in this Daoist Priest’s babbling nonsense. They even unexpectedly gave their name card to let them stay at the relay station. These people are pretending to have contact with the gods. They are so stingy when they have so much money!”

“I really am lucky compared to you.”

When Xiao Youning heard this, she didn’t even have to think to know it was the relay station attendant who brought her here that was showing off the reward he received.

The Daoist Priest next door is probably going to be angry. 

However, the Daoist Priest next door that she had guessed about looked indifferent and did not appear even a bit displeased. Furthermore, the young man that was following the Daoist Priest was actually excited. He pointed to the room next door and whispered, “Fifth Master, can this be regarded as ‘enemies on a narrow road’ 5?

When they were out of the city today, they heard a lot of people talking about how his Fifth Master helped the Li Family bully a young little girl. Surprisingly, they ran into that person just now and she was even staying next door!

Even though she and her maid disguised themselves as young youths, they were still the people that schemed against his Fifth Master. His first impression of them was so deep that he could recognize it at first glance.

 

The author has something to say:

Xiao Youning: I am staying next door to a Daoist Priest who is more miserable than me.

Fifth Master Ye: I am staying next door to a little destined lover6.

 

Footnotes

时辰 (shí​chen) – one shichen is a two hour period.束冠 (shù guān) – hair gathered into a small crown/cap and fixed with a long hairpin. Examples and explanations亏暗(ànkuī) – this usually means a loss in finances, but could mean a loss for other things like morals大人 (dà​ren) – title of respect towards superiors冤家路窄 (yuān​jiā​lù​zhǎi) – idiom that means an inevitable clash between opposing sides冤家(yuān​jia​) – A person who hates and loves someone who brings him pain, but he is reluctant to give that person up. It can also mean an enemy that is extremely jealous when they meet. But I prefer the first meaning haha. ;)