Chapter 14: Embarrassment
Song Hemei spoke frankly, her tone carrying a breezy lightness as if it were only natural.
Yu Yeqing, however, was jolted by her words, his body recoiling slightly. His arms instinctively tightened on the reins, drawing her closer in his embrace.
Before she could say another word, he pulled away as if he had touched something scorching hot, dismounting hastily.
The warmth at her back vanished. Song Hemei looked at the man standing below the horse and could only laugh in disbelief. Was she some sort of hot potato? Or had she freeloaded off him, making him want to keep his distance?
She dismounted as well, gritting her teeth in a threatening tone: "You'd better be feeling shy."
Yu Yeqing didn't answer, but his hand, reaching for the reins, grew noticeably stiffer.
He wanted to refuse what was about to happen, but he likely knew his refusal would be futile anyway.
Song Hemei curled her lips, taking his silence as acquiescence with good grace, and urged him softly: "Hurry up, aren't you anxious to see your sister?"
Watching him take a few steps forward, she followed unhurriedly behind. Then she noticed a faint lamplight flickering outside the house, and a vague shadow crouched on the ground.
Not knowing who it was, she saw Yu Yeqing suddenly halt, turn around to look at her, and directly hand her the reins. His expression was cold and firm: "Please wait here a moment, Lady Song."
Without waiting for her reaction, he strode quickly toward the house.
Song Hemei was slightly bewildered, unable to figure out what was going on.
Who was that? Could it be some clam spirit from a river who had transformed to repay a kindness while the master was away?
Her expression darkened. Had she just escaped a man who kept a concubine, only to pick another who had a sweetheart in his heart?
If that were true, then she would certainly have to settle accounts with him. Back then, he had said himself that he had no betrothal. Now, who was this person suddenly appearing?
She led the horse deeper into the shadows, quietly following and closing in. She saw Yu Yeqing walk to the bamboo fence and softly call out: "Aunt."
The figure crouching on the ground paused but didn't turn around. The washing mallet in her hand was raised high and brought down heavily.
Only then did Song Hemei see clearly—it was no virtuous clam spirit, nor any beautiful maiden. It was a woman around forty, her hair wrapped in a plain cloth bun, wearing coarse, thin clothes that had faded from repeated washing.
The anger that had just risen in her heart instantly evaporated. She thought to herself—were all the Yu family members taciturn? Yu Yeqing was like that, and his aunt was the same.
Without waiting for a reply, Yu Yeqing stepped forward quickly and bent down to take the mallet from the woman's hands: "Aunt, let me do it."
"Washing a girl's clothes—what kind of talk is that for a man?"
The woman's tone was harsh. She was sturdy and strong, swinging her arm to push him away, then pounding the clothes even harder.
His words seemed to ignite her temper. The mallet thudded against the clothes loudly, but as if still unsatisfied, she threw it into the basin and stood up abruptly, revealing a face full of anger: "Didn't you say you'd pick up Minglian today? Where were you? Don't tell me you're thinking of abandoning your sister?"
She pointed at his nose: "Minglian's health has always been poor. The Zhao family back then was such a good match, but you refused. If you'd sent her off to be the Zhao family's young mistress earlier, her illness might have been cured by now. Why drag her along to suffer with you? Are you finally finding her a burden?"
Yu Yeqing's head drooped slightly. Even while being scolded to his face, his expression didn't change: "Nephew was merely delayed by matters. I never once thought of abandoning Minglian."
He paused, then asked: "Aunt, what did the physician say?"
At this question, the woman's eyes instantly reddened, but she still put on a fierce front: "What else could he say? Just that same old story! Aren't you working for the Song family? Where's all the silver you've earned? I haven't seen you buy Minglian any good things to nourish her body. Look how thin she is, her cheeks sunken in. If you don't spend your silver on Minglian, are you saving it to marry a wife?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she grew, her voice rising: "Let me tell you, as long as Minglian's illness isn't cured, don't even think about anything else!"
Song Hemei found these words strange. Since when did a brother have to put his own life on hold just because his sister was sick?
No wonder he had said he wasn't betrothed—it was this aunt who was blocking him.
But Yu Yeqing was clearly used to these remarks. His tone of acquiescence was flat, without a ripple: "Rest assured, Aunt."
His voice paused. Song Hemei stared at him, inexplicably feeling that he seemed to want to turn back and look at her.
Then, in the next moment, he pulled out banknotes from his bosom—the ones she had stuffed into his hands before leaving, payment for those two kisses.
He handed half of them over: "Take these, Aunt. Uncle's legs are bad—use them to nurse him back to health before summer sets in. And the two younger brothers are of marriageable age and need silver for arrangements. Keep the rest for now, nephew still needs to buy medicine and supplements for Minglian."
The woman stared at the notes in his hand, immediately took them and counted. After a flash of joy, her face turned stern: "You can earn this much just accompanying that young master to study? Don't tell me you've been stealing from the master's house?"
She made to shove the notes back: "Take them, take them! I don't want dirty silver!"
Yu Yeqing pushed them back: "These are rewards from the master. The master... recently had a joyous occasion. Rest assured and accept them, Aunt."
The woman was skeptical, but her family was in need. As she tucked the notes into her bosom, she added: "I'll take them as clean money. But if someone comes knocking one day, don't expect me to cover for you one bit."
Yu Yeqing nodded: "Rest assured, Aunt."
She finally stopped her tirade, turned around to continue washing. Yu Yeqing insisted on stopping her, saying it was late and offering to escort her home. But the woman waved him off: "Minglian can't be left alone. You watch her. At my age, who would pass up a pretty young girl to kidnap an old woman like me? Don't fuss!"
She wiped her wet hands on her clothes, tucked the notes away, and left. Seeing this, Song Hemei led the horse to the side and hid, only entering the small yard after the figure had disappeared.
Yu Yeqing's hands were already wet, about to wash the clothes in the basin.
Song Hemei watched him, lost in thought.
He was indeed poor. She knew very little about him—only that his parents had died, his younger sister was gravely ill, and that his monthly wage from the account was two taels of silver.
Two taels wasn't a small sum, but with a sick person at home, no amount of silver could keep up.
She slowly walked over to a small stool, sat down, and propped her chin on her hand: "If I were you, I wouldn't be washing these tattered clothes right now."
Yu Yeqing's hand froze.
Song Hemei raised an eyebrow at him, then lightly tapped the corner of her own lips: "What's the fastest way to get silver? Don't you know?"
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment