Chapter 18: Bedroom Matters
Song Hemei had led her horse into the Song residence through the side gate.
She had parted ways with Yu Yeqing at the corner of the Song residence, wary of being seen.
She took the horse to the stable and casually grabbed some leftover fodder from the nearby trough to feed it. "Eat up, you've worked hard."
She didn't ride much at home. Such a fine horse was usually tended with great care; when had it ever carried two people like this before?
"Mei'er, where are you off to?"
Song Hemei paused in her movements, recognizing her elder brother's voice.
He probably didn't know she had just returned and mistakenly thought she was about to go out, right?
Without turning around, she busied herself with smoothing the horse's mane. "Just going for a stroll around the market. Brother isn't forbidding even that, is he?"
"Mei'er, you're a young lady. How can you go out at the crack of dawn?"
"A young lady?" Song Hemei let out a faint, nonchalant laugh. "I thought in your heart, Brother, I was already considered a wife of the Shao family by now."
Song Yunyao stepped forward, somewhat at a loss for how to handle his sister. He could only stare helplessly. "Mei'er, don't let anger speak for you. Yesterday, your brother was busy with business and neglected you. Mother said you locked yourself in your room and refused to come out for anything, and you also said—"
His voice paused. "You also said you shut Shao Wen'ang out, and your door even pinched his hand. Mei'er, his head wound was already conspicuous enough. Why did you have to hurt him again? You weren't this rash before."
Song Hemei couldn't bear to hear any more. She tossed down the fodder. "And what kind of person do you think I should be, Brother? Staying in the Shao residence, playing the part of a deaf-mute Madam Shao?"
She realized her words had come out a bit harsh. She took a deep breath, struggling to control her temper. "But you're wrong about those times. I didn't mean to hurt him. The time in the bridal chamber, he kept grabbing at me. And yesterday, he tried to barge into my room. Brother, are you saying I should have just let him have his way with me?"
"Well… no, you shouldn't have."
A female voice came through. Song Hemei finally turned around and saw her sister-in-law, Qiu Wan, standing beside her brother, looking at her gently, an awkward smile plastered on her lips.
Her sister-in-law had returned to her own family home after Song Hemei's bridal sedan chair departed. It was because she had lost a child earlier in the year, and it was considered unlucky for her to be around the new bride. So she was arranged to stay at her maiden home for ten days or half a month.
Seeing her sister-in-law back so suddenly, Song Hemei had to put on a good face. She smiled at her. "Sister-in-law, when did you get back?"
Qiu Wan came forward and took her hand. "About last night's business. I wanted to come see you, but your maids said you were already asleep, so I couldn't bear to disturb you."
Song Hemei let her take her hand. Her sister-in-law was small and delicate, a little shorter than her. Though not much older, her hands were no longer as smooth as most young girls'. These were the marks of a hard life in her youth.
Qiu Wan turned back and gave her husband a meaningful look, then pulled Song Hemei towards her bedchamber. "Your brother has been terribly busy these days and spoke harshly. Don't hold it against him."
Song Hemei followed her, stepping over the threshold of the moon-shaped gate. As she glanced sideways, her peripheral vision caught her brother watching her with concern. She couldn't help but sigh.
That sigh, in Qiu Wan's ears, signaled a chance for reconciliation.
A girl's biggest weakness is her family. If she still feels for them, isn't she easy to handle?
She put on a smile. "You see how your brother talks; it's really because he cares for you. He's worried the Shao family will mistreat you over these matters. I've sent someone to ask about Young Master Shao's injuries—they're not serious. The hand injury is mostly healed after a night. I know you can't bring yourself to make the first move, so I took the liberty of sending a maid over with some medicine for his wounds."
Song Hemei stopped in her tracks and turned her head to look at her sister-in-law.
Qiu Wan was puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Her face was full of concern and confusion. It was the same expression her parents and brother wore.
They all thought they were paving a way for her, but they were using her name to do the very things she detested.
Now that Shao Wen'ang had received the medicine, what would he think? That she was harsh in her words but still cared for him deep down?
The thought was revolting. But facing her sister-in-law, she couldn't lose her temper.
She could complain to her parents and brother, but not to her sister-in-law—especially knowing that her brother also had a concubine in his chamber.
She looked at her sister-in-law, a hint of pity and reluctance in her eyes. "Sister-in-law, I'm sure you know why I won't stay with Shao Wen'ang anymore. I… I only recently found out that brother's household isn't clean either. I didn't know before, or I would have never let him do something that hurts you like this."
Qiu Wan gave her young sister-in-law a long, meaningful look, her smile stiffening.
Perhaps she was a little envious. Both were daughters married off by their families, but this sister-in-law had been raised so naively, taking such offense at a mere chamber concubine.
Which capable man wasn't surrounded by a flock of twittering beauties?
Compared to picking up wild ones outside or keeping shady characters, it was better to have a chamber concubine whose background was known.
They were clean, their families' contracts were in the wife's hands. When the master went out, no matter how formidable the concubine, she still had to kowtow to the wife for a living, right?
After all, she was just a chamber concubine, not an official consort.
These were things a mother could say, but not a sister-in-law.
Qiu Wan forced a smile. "Your brother's chamber matters… can't really be discussed with an unmarried girl like you."
She pulled Song Hemei onward into the room, making small talk. "Some things, a young girl just can't understand. Now that you're a married woman, Sister-in-law can be blunt with you. Sometimes, a chamber concubine is a help to you. When you're unwell or not in the mood, you have someone to take care of things."
If she had heard this before her marriage, Song Hemei might not have understood. Her sister-in-law probably thought she and Shao Wen'ang had already consummated the marriage, hence the blunt talk.
But her own aching waist and legs seemed to echo her sister-in-law's words.
Yet she felt a surge of resentment and defiance. If a woman felt unwell, couldn't a man wait a single day or two?
Did he have to be like an animal—if not the wife, then a concubine; if not a concubine, then a chambermaid; if not a chambermaid, then someone outside—dragging anyone over to satisfy his needs?
She frowned deeply, showing not a shred of agreement with her sister-in-law's words.
Silent, she walked back to her bedchamber. They sat down at the round table in the room while maids served tea and snacks. She had been exhausted the night before and hadn't felt hungry when she went to sleep, but the sight of the pastries tempted her into eating two more.
Her sister-in-law stopped her. "Eat less. You still have to dine with your mother and father later. You're not skipping the front hall again, are you?"
Chewing, Song Hemei said, "Not going. If we meet, it'll just be the same old words."
Qiu Wan watched her with a smile and wiped a few tiny crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
But slowly, her smile froze, and she seemed to be hesitating, struggling to speak.
Song Hemei sensed something was off. She assumed her sister-in-law was about to plead someone else's case again, but couldn't bear to cut her off. She sighed helplessly. "Sister-in-law, just say what you want to say."
Qiu Wan twisted the handkerchief in her hands, not daring to meet her eyes. "It's not really a big deal… it's just… do you have some extra cash on hand?"
Song Hemei calculated in her head. She had been quite generous to Yu Yeqing; most of the silver in her box was already gone.
"I have some. What's the matter?"
Her face flushing with embarrassment, Qiu Wan spoke. "Could you lend some to your sister-in-law for a few days? I'll repay you with two parts interest."
Song Hemei laughed, casually waving her hand. It was just about borrowing some silver.
"We're family. What talk of interest?" She got up to look for her money box, asking idly, "But Sister-in-law, why come to me? Didn't you ask brother?"
Qiu Wan's expression stiffened. As she watched her sister-in-law's slender back, her face turned unpleasant.
"Your brother's financial base is hardly something I can touch. In the end, he still treats me as an outsider, on guard."
"How could that be? Brother has you in his heart, Sister-in-law."
Song Hemei brought out the money box and quickly counted its contents. "How much does Sister-in-law need?"
"Not much. Just thirty thousand taels will do."
Song Hemei paused. "How much?"
Qiu Wan answered quickly. "Just thirty thousand taels will do, Xiao He. Sister-in-law knows your mother and father gave you a good private stash. This should be a small sum for you."
Song Hemei's brow furrowed at this.
Yes, it was a small sum for her and the Song family. But thirty thousand taels was no small amount in itself; it could accomplish so much.
So, what did her sister-in-law need so much silver for?
She pulled out two hundred taels from the box, picked out two smaller silver ingots and some copper coins, turned around, and placed them all before her sister-in-law. "I really don't have thirty thousand taels. This is all I have on hand. Take it, Sister-in-law."
Qiu Wan stared at the banknotes and loose silver in front of her, gathering them into her hands. A sour taste filled her mouth.
"Ah, Xiao He, your life is good. Even as a married-out daughter, you're more dignified than me, the wife of the eldest son. You can casually pull out several hundred taels."
Song Hemei's eyelids twitched at the sarcastic remark.
Her sister-in-law wasn't from a good family. She was also from a merchant family, but it had already fallen into ruin. The remaining ancestral property had been gambled away clean by her younger brother.
Back then, she could marry into the Song family because her brother was smitten—head over heels from the first glance, lost in his infatuation. But Father believed the Qiu family was a bottomless pit and insisted her sister-in-law sever all ties with them before allowing her to marry in.
Actually, ever since she married in, Mother had treated her well. She hadn't handed over the household reins, but only because she felt the sister-in-law wasn't ready yet. The Song family business was vast and complex; it was no laughing matter if she couldn't handle it.
She wondered… maybe her sister-in-law was running short on pocket money and was looking for faults in the family?
Song Hemei smiled, trying to smooth things over. "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? The elder sister-in-law is like a mother. The household affairs will be yours to manage sooner or later. When the time comes, I'll be relying on your care."
Qiu Wan's lips stretched into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Who didn't know these were just empty pleasantries to make her happy?
But she had no choice. She had to believe them.
She also had to finish what her husband had asked her to do.
"Alright, enough about me. Your own matters are the most pressing now."
She tucked the money—every single copper—into her bosom. "The day after tomorrow, the Shao family is hosting a banquet. Whether you plan to go back to the Shao family or not, you absolutely have to attend that banquet."
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