Chapter 99: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 99: The Issue of Titles
Daohua wasn't sure what her second uncle Yan Zhiyuan and Concubine Lin had said to her father, but the next morning at breakfast, her father seemed hesitant to speak. She simply ignored it.
After the watermelon harvest was finished, her second uncle would be returning to the capital.
Her birthday was on the first day of August, and this time, several of her cousins had prepared gifts for her. She needed to prepare return gifts for them.
In addition to giving each of them a bamboo tube of jasmine tea, she also took some of the flowers she had planted in the garden, which had begun to bloom, and transplanted them into pots. Each cousin received a potted plant.
"Second Uncle, you must come and visit me more often in the future," she said.
That afternoon, once the watermelons were packed, Li Xingnian was ready to return to the provincial capital.
Li Xingnian smiled and nodded. "Of course, I will come to visit Daohua more often."
Daohua smiled brightly, "Next time, bring my cousins with you. I'll take them to visit my farm."
Li Xingnian agreed, "Alright, your cousins have been staying at home for too long. Next time, I’ll bring them along."
Madam Li added, "Second Brother, be careful on your journey."
Li Xingnian reassured her, "Don’t worry, we’ll be traveling by water, so we’ll reach the capital quickly."
After bidding farewell to Old Madam Yan, Li Xingnian left, and Yan Zhiqiang took some time off from the Prefectural office to see him off.
As they watched the carriage disappear in the distance, Madam Li felt a little reluctant but was also reassured.
After so many years of marriage to the Yan family, it was always her family that sent her gifts. This time, she had some things to send back in return.
Although it was just a cart of produce from the fields—grapes, vegetables, and the like—even the esteemed Young Prince had enjoyed them, so they were decent enough to present.
"Mother, if you miss Uncle and the others, we can always go to the capital to see them," her daughter said.
"There’s too much to handle here; how can we find the time?" Madam Li replied.
"Of course we can make time; time is like... like squeezing it out, there’s always time," her daughter responded.
Madam Li: "..." What did that even mean?
Songhe Courtyard
Daohua was happily going over the accounts for her farm.
She had sold the watermelons to her second uncle at a wholesale price of 80% of the market rate in Xingzhou City, and as for what price he would sell them at in the capital, that was no longer her concern.
"Grandmother, the watermelon business earned over five hundred taels of silver. Do you think that’s enough to buy a shop in Xingzhou City?" Daohua suddenly asked.
Old Madam Yan gave her a sidelong glance. "Why do you want to buy a shop?"
Daohua replied, "To sell things, of course. I’ve planted a lot of flowers in my garden. After some time, I plan to transplant the ones that bloom well into pots and sell them as potted plants."
"Don’t scholars and poets like to gather and appreciate flowers? With Mid-Autumn Festival in August and Double Ninth Festival in September, both are good times for gatherings."
"I’ve planted a lot of chrysanthemums, so those will definitely sell well."
"Mm."
"This year, I didn’t plant as many watermelons and they were planted late. Next year, we should plant earlier. The harvest will definitely be better. I also want to buy another farm, just for growing flowers."
"By the way, when the medicinal herbs and fruit trees are ready to harvest, I’ll sell them, and then I’ll buy another farm, specifically for growing medicinal herbs."
Seeing her granddaughter so full of energy, Old Madam Yan felt a sense of joy and satisfaction.
She loved seeing Daohua’s eyes light up, filled with limitless vitality. Watching her, Old Madam Yan felt that life was becoming more hopeful, and there was nothing that couldn’t be overcome.
"Oh, and the grapes—when I make grape wine, I’ll have another source of income."
"Wait, I’ll ask Mother to help me look at shops." Daohua finished sorting her accounts and smiled at Old Madam Yan. "Grandmother, when I prepared the grapes for Second Uncle earlier, I had some extra, so now I’m going to learn how to make grape wine. Do you want to come watch?"
Old Madam Yan quickly stood up, "Of course! How could I not go? If I stay idle all the time, my body will rust."
That evening, when everyone came to Songhe Courtyard for dinner, Daohua, following her previous life's methods, had already sealed a small jar of grapes for wine.
Before dinner, everyone sat in Old Madam Yan's room, chatting.
During this time, Yan Wenjie occasionally glanced at his parents, hoping they would hurry up and discuss with his uncle about going to Wangyue Academy for studies.
The day after tomorrow, his older brothers would leave. If they didn't speak up soon, it would be too late.
Yan Zhiyuan remained still, certain that Concubine Lin wouldn't give up easily. It was better that she brought it up first.
Sun Shi had been watching Yan Zhiyuan's expression. Seeing that he didn't speak, she could only suppress her impatience.
"Mother, you all sit a while longer, I'll go check if the food has been arranged properly."
After Madam Li left for the dining hall, not long afterward, Concubine Lin came in with Yan Wenbin and Yan Yishuang.
Upon seeing Concubine Lin, Old Madam Yan's eyes flickered with displeasure. She glanced at Yan Zhigao, who looked somewhat uneasy, and said coldly, "What are you here for?"
Concubine Lin wore a gentle smile. "It's been a long time since I greeted the Old Madam properly. I came to pay my respects."
Upon hearing this, Daohua furrowed her brows, glanced at her indifferent father, and then looked at the other silent members.
Her eldest brother, Yan Wenxiu, looked somewhat displeased. He moved his lips as though wanting to say something, but after a glance at their father, he swallowed the words. His furrowed brows clearly showed he was suppressing his emotions.
As for Fourth Brother, Yan Wenkai, he was whispering to Third Brother, Yan Wentao, and hadn't heard a word Concubine Lin said.
The people of the second house might have sensed something but had no intention of speaking up.
The third house people, having lived in the countryside for a long time, were completely unfamiliar with the etiquette concerning wives and concubines.
Daohua breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her mother wasn't in the room. Otherwise, she would have been heartbroken.
"Fifth Brother, Third Sister, there's something I don't understand and would like to ask you." After learning the rules from Teacher Shen, she knew that in ancient times, even if the elders made a mistake, juniors couldn't point it out directly, as that would be disrespectful.
She couldn't speak to her father, but as the eldest sister, her younger siblings should be able to.
Yan Wenbin and Yan Yishuang were surprised that Daohua suddenly spoke to them, pausing for a moment.
Yan Yishuang glanced at Yan Zhigao, thinking that since their father was here, the eldest sister wouldn't be too harsh. She smiled and said, "Please, Elder Sister, go ahead."
Daohua looked at Concubine Lin, then asked with a smile, "My younger siblings have more education than I do. I'd like to ask, can a concubine refer to herself as a daughter-in-law?"
As soon as she said this, Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin's faces changed color. The others in the room also showed subtle reactions, especially Yan Zhigao, who had not noticed Concubine Lin's title earlier.
Concubine Lin's face turned pale in shock, and with a loud thud, she kneeled. "Eldest Miss, it's my fault. I spoke hastily earlier because I was nervous."
Daohua remained unfazed, turned to Yan Wenbin, and said calmly, "Earlier, Fifth Brother also referred to Concubine Lin incorrectly. Now Concubine Lin has made the same mistake. Didn't she claim to come from a scholarly family? How come her manners are worse than someone like me, who grew up in the countryside?"
The issue of titles might not seem significant in modern times, but in the past, it represented one's status. Concubine Lin calling herself a daughter-in-law in front of the matriarch was an attempt to replace Madam Li, wasn't it?
Hearing this, Yan Zhigao's face grew awkward. Although Daohua hadn't addressed him directly, her implied reproach was clear.
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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At this moment, he wondered if he had been too indulgent with Concubine Lin. Could a concubine refer to herself as a daughter-in-law in front of the wife?
Old Madam Yan was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted, becoming furious. "Lin Shi, do you think this old woman is ignorant and can be easily deceived?"
Seeing the Old Madam angry, Concubine Lin immediately began kowtowing, pleading, "Please don't be angry, Old Madam. I won't dare again."
Yan Wenbin and Yan Yishuang also knelt down to plead on her behalf.
Seeing this, Yan Zhigao became both angry and heartbroken. After thinking for a moment, he still couldn't hold back and said to the Old Madam, "Mother, please don't be angry. I will speak to Lin Shi about this later."
Old Madam Yan glared at him. "You're a prefect magistrate now, the family's rules can’t be as loose as before. What needs to be set in place should be set. Don’t let things change every day, with everyone doing as they please."
Yan Zhigao nodded. "You're right, Mother. I will pay attention."
Old Madam Yan waved her hand. "Alright, let her go. With her acting like this, anyone would think that the old woman is a villain."
Concubine Lin immediately responded, "Old Madam, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry. It's just that my health has suffered because of the anger, and it's not worth it." Then, she turned to Daohua. "Eldest Miss, please don't be angry. I misspoke. I will go apologize to Madam Li right away."
(End of this chapter)
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