Chapter 59
Chapter 59
Ji Hanyi was at a loss for words. She had never expected Shen Si to stop her only to ask about this.
Why would a man who had always seemed uninterested in everything care about such a matter…?
Shen Si glanced at Ji Hanyi again. “Xie Yuheng has repeatedly made errors in his case files of late. I need to know the reason before I can assess his performance in reviewing the Ministry of Punishments’ robbery dossiers this time.”
Ji Hanyi knew nothing about such official matters, but since Shen Si had put it that way, he must have his reasons. He was such a meticulous and busy man that she could think of no other explanation.
Her lips parted. Though she found it difficult to speak of, it was a fact that she and Xie Yuheng would divorce sooner or later.
Her fingers tightened once more before Ji Hanyi finally said, “It is true.”
Shen Si gazed at Ji Hanyi’s rosy lips, where her teeth had left faint impressions. A delicate sheen of moisture glistened over their fullness.
His heart suddenly beat faster, and heat spread through his body.
Even through his robes, he could feel the soft warmth radiating from her. He slowly exhaled. His fingertips twitched with the urge to reach out and touch her right then.
All he knew was that she was going to divorce.
The heat surging through him grew increasingly difficult to suppress. When Shen Si raised his eyes again, he saw Ji Hanyi backing away in alarm. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, mist clouded her eyes, and her earrings swayed wildly as she said in a trembling voice, “Lord Shen, I… I have to go.”
Shen Si’s outstretched hand remained suspended in midair without so much as brushing the edge of her skirt.
He watched Ji Hanyi retreat. Her lilac skirt fluttered, the auspicious patterns upon it rising and falling with her small, measured steps. Yet the slight disorder in her pace betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
The wooden door opened with a creak. Only then did Shen Si close his eyes and lean back in his chair, his body still burning as he relived the moment she had drawn close.
Even the fingers resting on his knee moved uncontrollably, as if her fragrant warmth still lingered on his fingertips.
Ji Hanyi’s heart continued pounding even after she left.
Every time she looked into Shen Si’s dark eyes, her nerves wound a little tighter.
Especially just now, when the two of them had been so close…
And the moment had felt so vaguely intimate…
Ji Hanyi felt an inexplicable heat rise to her cheeks and hurriedly stopped herself from letting her thoughts run wild.
Rongchun, who was waiting downstairs, saw Ji Hanyi descending the stairs at an unusually quick pace and hastened over to meet her.
Her mistress was normally calm and unhurried, and she paid particular attention to her bearing and appearance. It was rare to see her walking so quickly.
When Ji Hanyi saw Rongchun approach, she said softly, “Let’s get into the carriage first.”
Rongchun nodded at once and helped Ji Hanyi into the carriage.
Ji Hanyi instructed the driver to head to the main shopping street. The New Year was only two days away, and she planned to buy a few things to send to her maternal grandmother. She had also happened to receive her payment today.
Her first stop was an apothecary, where she bought medicine for her mother. She then went to a southern-goods shop on Drum Tower Street and bought bird’s nest and other tonics, intending to send some to each of her two aunts and her maternal grandmother.
Remembering her two unmarried younger cousins, she also bought each of them a length of satin.
Ever since Ji Hanyi had come into some spare money, she had made such purchases every year. This year’s gifts were simply a little more expensive, partly because she would soon divorce Xie Yuheng and would inevitably have to stay at her maternal grandmother’s residence for some time.
She knew the Gu Family had struggled in recent years. Her eldest maternal uncle served as a County Vice Magistrate thousands of miles from the capital, a post with almost no prospects. Each month, he could barely make ends meet without the money his wife had someone send him. Then, not long ago, that incident had happened to the cousin from her second aunt’s household. Everyone in the family was having a difficult time.
Following beside Ji Hanyi, Rongchun was so distressed by all the money being spent that she whispered, “Young Madam, you should save a little.”
Rongchun truly did feel the pain of every coin spent. Life after the divorce would likely be a hundred times harder than it was now, so it was always better to save more money.
Ji Hanyi smiled. “Don’t worry. I still have some savings.”
At the fabric shop, however, they happened to run into Second Madam Xie of the Xie Residence and her third daughter-in-law, who was supporting her by the arm.
They crossed paths just as the shopkeeper finished wrapping Ji Hanyi’s fabric and Rongchun instructed him to deliver it directly to the Gu Family residence.
The fabrics in this shop were not cheap. In fact, it was one of the finest fabric shops in the capital.
Second Madam Xie did not recognize Ji Hanyi beneath her veiled hat at first, but the moment she saw Rongchun, she realized who it was.
With a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, she looked Ji Hanyi up and down before saying, “My dear niece-in-law, you certainly never forget the Gu Family.”
Ji Hanyi lifted the gauze veil, a natural, faint smile on her face. “The last time I visited my maternal grandmother’s family, I saw that my cousin was wearing such lovely fabric, so I asked her for two bolts. I happened to find the same kind here today, so I bought these to return them to her.”
She added, “The fabrics in this shop are beautiful. Second Aunt, perhaps you should take a look at this pattern as well. I think you might like it.”
Hearing this, Second Madam Xie merely glanced at the fabric before replying with a hollow smile, “That color is for younger women. I don’t care for it.”
Ji Hanyi nodded. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she said, “Then please take your time choosing, Second Aunt. I will return to the residence first.”
Second Madam Xie watched Ji Hanyi leave. The moment she was gone, she turned to the shopkeeper and asked how much silver Ji Hanyi had paid for that bolt of fabric.
When the shopkeeper said the price was eighty taels, Second Madam Xie’s expression stiffened.
Her daughter-in-law, who stood beside her, said, “I heard she brought nothing with her when she married into the family. The jewelry she usually wears is all so plain, yet she was willing to spend her own money on such expensive fabric.”
“I also heard she’s been quarreling with Eldest Master over something lately. Who knows? Perhaps she deliberately made a fuss until he bought it for her.”
“Besides, I don’t believe what she said just now. I doubt it’s really for her younger cousin. She’s probably sending it to her mother. Who knows how many things she’s taken from the Xie Family and sent to her mother over the years?”
“And she only ever wears the same few outfits and pieces of jewelry. So where have all the things delivered to her courtyard each season gone?”
Something shifted in Second Madam Xie’s eyes. She lowered her voice and said, “We’ll discuss this after we return.”
Inside the carriage, Rongchun looked anxiously at Ji Hanyi. “Second Madam Xie loves nothing more than spreading gossip. Many of the disputes in the residence were stirred up by her. What if she goes to First Madam and starts making wild accusations?”
Ji Hanyi remained calm and reassured her, “It doesn’t matter even if she does. All these years, they’ve assumed I was spending the Xie Residence’s silver and using its things, but everything I’ve ever used is recorded in the account books.”
“Aside from the regular allotments each courtyard receives every season, I’ve never asked for anything extra. I’ve never gone to them with my hand out, much less asked Eldest Master for anything.”
“Even if they confront me and go through the accounts item by item, my conscience is clear. I haven’t taken a single coin more from the Xie Family than I was due.”
Hearing this, Rongchun’s anxious heart finally settled.
Over the years, Eldest Master had bought and given the young cousin plenty of things, but he had never bought a single item specifically for Young Madam.
Even on the rare occasion he brought something back for her, it was merely an afterthought while buying gifts for the young cousin. Young Madam had placed every one of those items in the storeroom, and each had been meticulously recorded.
Just as Young Madam had said, her conscience was clear. What did she have to fear?
When Young Madam first married into the Xie Family, Old Madam Gu had hoped the Xie Family would treat her well. Since Young Madam truly had little dowry of her own, Old Madam Gu had returned all the Xie Family’s betrothal gifts without keeping a single thing.
What had Young Madam ever taken from the Xie Family?
By the time they returned to the Xie Residence, it was not particularly late. A final glimmer of light still lingered on the horizon.
Every courtyard in the rear residence bustled with activity. Servants were decorating, sweeping away dust, arranging New Year provisions, and preparing new clothes to welcome the coming year.
As Ji Hanyi walked along the paths, all that activity flowed past her as though it had nothing to do with her.
In a daze, she recalled how busy she, too, had once been whenever the end of the year approached.
She would have the maids clean the courtyard from top to bottom, hang newly made lanterns beneath the covered walkways, and paste protective prints on the doors to ward off evil. Then she would hand out bonus money to the maids so the entire courtyard would be filled with festive cheer.
She would also brew cleansing tea for Xie Yuheng and burn mugwort incense. No matter how unwilling he was, or how cold and impatient he looked, she would still humble herself and coax him in a soft voice.
The instant she stepped into the courtyard, Ji Hanyi felt as though an entire lifetime had passed.
The matron at the courtyard gate had been waiting for her. As soon as Ji Hanyi arrived, she hurried forward to ask how the courtyard should be decorated this year.
The other courtyards had begun their preparations long ago and were all bustling with festivity. Yet this courtyard, which should also have been decorated early, was cold and desolate this year, without the slightest hint of New Year cheer.
The matron looked anxiously at Ji Hanyi, her eyes full of urgency as she waited for Ji Hanyi to make a decision.
Once Ji Hanyi entered the courtyard, about ten maids came to meet her, all wearing the same expectant expression as the matron.
Ji Hanyi silently took in their gazes, then asked only Nanny Lin, the matron in charge of the courtyard, to follow her to the main chamber.
Walking beside Ji Hanyi, Nanny Lin reported that the steward had sent over new jewelry and fabrics that day, along with the clothes that had been made earlier. There was also incense, tea, several plates of pastries from Wufangzhai, and some fruit. Everything had been placed inside the main chamber.
These items were distributed to every courtyard each year. As the principal daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, Ji Hanyi always received excellent things. Madam Lin had indeed never shortchanged her in this regard.
Ji Hanyi merely nodded and continued walking.
She rarely came to this main chamber anymore. Stepping inside again, she found it strangely unfamiliar.
She sat down in a broad armchair and had Rongchun bring out the silver they had prepared in advance and place it in Nanny Lin’s hands. Then she said softly, “Certain matters delayed me this year, so I didn’t have time to arrange new clothes for the servants in the courtyard. I’ll have to trouble you to explain it to everyone.”
“I’ve added an extra tael to each person’s bonus. They can use the money to have clothes made for themselves.”
At those words, Nanny Lin’s eyes immediately stung with tears. In previous years, although the other courtyards also provided clothes for their servants, the ones Young Madam had made were always the thickest and warmest.
Young Madam had the tightest budget of all the young madams in the Xie Family, yet she had never treated servants like them poorly.
With reddened eyes, Nanny Lin said, “We still have the clothes Young Madam had made for us in previous years. You always had such fine clothes made, with thick cotton padding. They won’t wear out even after several years. We can still wear them even if you don’t have new ones made this year.”
She pushed the silver back. “Everyone in the courtyard knows how kind Young Madam is. How could we dare accept so much silver? You have your own expenses to cover. Please keep it for yourself.”