Wish You All the Best - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Half a quarter-hour before the Hour of the Monkey (3:00 PM), the Zhen family carriage pulled up in front of the Song mansion. Madam Meng and Jiafu were led in by servants through a side gate, eventually winding up in a side hall. There was neither tea nor anyone to receive them. Two elderly nannies stood stiffly to the side, staring at them blankly. After waiting in vain for quite a while, they finally heard a series of footsteps approaching. Madam Song, dressed in brand-new, opulent clothing and dripping with gold and jade, appeared surrounded by a cluster of maids and nannies. She sat down, and after Madam Meng and Jiafu finished paying their respects, she did not speak. Her gaze, like two fine-toothed combs, scanned Jiafu from head to toe, back and forth, several times, leaving nothing unexamined. Only then did she point to a chair nearby and invite Madam Meng to sit. "Some female relatives from the Marquis of Anyuan’s estate were here earlier, and we chatted a bit too long, neglecting you." She glanced around and raised her voice to scold the nannies for their lack of etiquette, berating them for not serving tea when guests arrived and asking how they differed from the riffraff of the streets. The nannies had clearly been instructed to give them a cold reception, but now they were being scolded into a daze. Afraid to talk back, they hurriedly served two cups of tea and apologized to Madam Meng.

Madam Meng hurriedly gestured for them to stand down. Madam Song smiled thinly. "Your Zhen family is considered a wealthy household in Quanzhou. This is your mother and daughter’s first time in the capital, and coming to my place only to have my servants show such poor manners—it truly makes me a laughingstock."

The moment Madam Song appeared, Madam Meng sensed her hostility. The preceding remarks were clearly pointed insults disguised as generalities; how could she not hear them? Seeing Nanny Ye standing beside her, casting cold, sideways glares, it was as if she were a different person from the one they had parted ways with at the pier this morning.

The Song family was now powerful and prominent, and Madam Song was arrogant and overbearing. Not only did Madam Xin have to tread carefully around her, but she even wanted a hand in her daughter’s marriage to the Duke of Wei’s heir. Madam Meng understood these entanglements, so she had previously striven to build a good relationship to ensure peace. At this moment, she was utterly confused, not knowing where things had gone wrong. For the sake of her daughter’s smooth marriage, she could only swallow her pride and exchange a few hollow pleasantries.

Madam Song’s attention remained fixed on Jiafu. After a few sentences, she beckoned for Jiafu to approach. Jiafu walked over, head bowed and eyes submissive, and called her "Godmother." Madam Song asked her age and what she usually did at home; Jiafu answered one by one, appearing extremely well-behaved.

Nanny Ye had rushed back to the Song mansion in a panic that morning and immediately told Madam Song everything she had been bottling up on the road, embellished with her own additions. Madam Song was extremely displeased at the time.

In theory, someone passing by a temple and asking for a fertility talisman while on the way to marry off a daughter—even if she were a successor wife—was perfectly natural, and not her place to intervene.

But she was simply unhappy. In her view, the Zhen girl being recognized as her goddaughter to marry Pei Xiuzhi and fill the vacancy left by her own poor, ill-fated daughter was an immense honor. Like a sparrow flying onto a golden branch, the girl should be overflowing with gratitude and should have consulted her about everything first. She wasn't against the Zhen girl bearing children in the future, but to hide this from her and move with such intentions early on was clearly a slight against her own grandson, which was absolutely unforgivable.

Given her personality, how could she hold back? Having heard the nanny describe the Zhen girl as having the face of a temptress—fearing that a man would be unable to resist a few whispers on the pillow—she felt as if a cat were clawing at her heart. She was dying to summon the girl to see for herself. Actually, there had been no Marquis’s wife visiting; she had known the Zhen mother and daughter were coming and deliberately delayed her appearance to leave them waiting. When she first saw the girl’s beauty, her heart skipped a beat. Knowing Nanny Ye hadn't exaggerated—for the girl was far more beautiful than her own deceased daughter—she felt immediate disgust. As she engaged in small talk, she watched Jiafu’s behavior and speech, not letting even a single glance slide. The more gentle and obedient Jiafu acted, the more suspicious she became, always feeling as if the girl were putting on an act. Her annoyance doubled, and eventually, her eyes fixed on a small sachet hanging from Jiafu’s waist that appeared and disappeared under her outer robe. She suddenly smiled and said, "The embroidery on this sachet looks unique. Did you make it yourself? Bring it here for me to see."

Madam Meng immediately remembered the talisman they had requested at Guanyin Temple that day. She had told her daughter to put it away at the time, and had since forgotten about it.

The fertility talisman bore a pomegranate pattern, which was instantly recognizable. If her daughter still had it inside the sachet and it caught Madam Song’s eye, it would look quite unsightly. Feeling uneasy and about to steer the conversation elsewhere, Jiafu had already unhooked the sachet, presented it with both hands, and said shyly, "It is indeed my own handiwork, but my needlework is poor. Godmother, you are too kind."

Madam Song took it and turned it over in her palm, feigning praise, then made an excuse to check the inner stitching. She pulled at the seam, and the opening gaped wide. She peeked inside to see two small incense cakes at the bottom of the sachet, and sure enough, a talisman. Using the excuse of wanting to see more closely, she turned the sachet completely inside out and poured the contents onto her palm, only to find it was merely an ordinary protective amulet. She glanced at Nanny Ye.

Nanny Ye, who had been bursting with excitement and waiting with wide eyes to see the Zhen girl make a fool of herself, froze. A young, unmarried girl carrying a fertility talisman would be highly improper. Seeing it was only a protective amulet, she looked at Madam Song’s gaze and immediately turned away, signaling frantically with her eyes that the Zhen girl must have tucked the talisman away and wasn't carrying it.

Madam Song, having found no leverage, had no choice but to offer a few more hollow praises, put the sachet back together, and return it to Jiafu.

Jiafu took it and put it back on as if nothing had happened. Madam Meng, standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief, secretly feeling lucky. She hurried to pull out an envelope and smiled, "My daughter is clumsy, but she is fortunate that you have taken a fancy to her and wish to recognize her as your goddaughter. My family’s Old Madam is very grateful. Before I left, she specifically instructed me to bring some local specialties. They are nothing of great value, just a small token of our sincerity. I have already had the servants bring them in; here is the manifest for you to look over, Madam."

Madam Meng had inquired beforehand and knew Madam Song was greedy and fond of profit. She had prepared a heavy gift, calling them "local specialties" while the manifest listed valuable items, several of which were truly top-grade.

Madam Song accepted it, took a look, and finally felt slightly satisfied. She thought the Zhen family at least had some common sense. Having received such benefits, her expression softened a bit.

Watching her closely, Madam Meng breathed a secret sigh of relief. Recalling Quan-ge’er, she thought it would be improper not to ask about him now that she was here. She smiled, "Visiting the Pei family today, I had hoped to see Quan-ge’er, but they said he had come here to you. Quan-ge’er is four years old now, isn't he? Our family’s Old Madam specifically had a 'Hundred Blessings' gold lock commissioned for him and had it blessed by an eminent monk to protect the child in wealth and longevity." She then produced the gift.

Madam Song knew that the marriage between the Pei and Zhen families had reached this point, and she herself had loosened her stance and even recognized a goddaughter. Even if she were dissatisfied with the Zhen girl now, she could not find any decent excuse to block it. It would be better to call Quan-ge’er out and use this opportunity to send a warning, letting the Zhen girl know her place. Once the girl married in, she would find another reason to send trusted nannies to keep an eye on her; she reckoned the girl couldn't cause much trouble.

Her mind made up, Madam Song replied, "The Old Madam is very thoughtful. I will have someone bring the child over so you may see him."

Madam Meng naturally agreed. Madam Song gave the order. A moment later, the sound of a child’s laughter drifted in from the corridor. A handsome-looking maid of sixteen or seventeen appeared, crawling on all fours with a four-or-five-year-old boy sitting on her back.

That child was Quan-ge’er. He had been born quite delicate, but due to gluttony, he had become round and heavy. Sitting on the maid’s back, he was followed by a few other maids who held him lightly to keep him from falling. The maid on the floor was panting and sweating profusely. The boy held a willow branch in his hand, waving it wildly as he shouted "Giddy up!" like he was riding a horse, entering the room exactly like that.

Jiafu looked at him with a faint smile on her lips, but her gaze was cold.

In her previous life, after she married into the Pei family, Pei Xiuzhi loved her deeply. Before long, she became pregnant. When she was five months along, she stepped on some mung beans one day and slipped heavily, causing an immediate miscarriage. She bled incessantly and took a long time to recover, but her health was permanently damaged. After that, whether with Pei Xiuzhi or later with Xiao Yintang, she never conceived again.

Those mung beans had been scattered by this very child. Jiafu remembered that Pei Xiuzhi was furious at the time and wanted to hang the child up for a whipping, but was stopped by Madam Xin. The next day, when Madam Song learned of it, she came over to cause a scene, claiming the child was still young and ignorant, and that perhaps he had been framed. The matter eventually fizzled out.

Thinking back now, not having a child’s entanglement in her past life was a blessing in disguise. However, she could not find a shred of affection for the child before her.

Madam Meng looked on, dumbstruck, while the Song family seemed accustomed to it. Madam Song laughed, her gaze filled with doting affection. She scolded him for being mischievous and ordered them to bring the boy over.

Quan-ge’er liked riding people, and specifically picked handsome maids. At the Pei mansion, he didn't dare play this way because he had been reported to the Old Madam. The Old Madam had summoned Madam Xin, and after that, Madam Xin forbade Quan-ge’er from riding people. But the Song household didn't care, which is why Quan-ge’er preferred running over here.

Nanny Ye hurried over and carried Quan-ge’er over. Madam Song took him, sitting him on her lap. The child twisted and turned, wanting to get down. She hugged him tight, stared at Jiafu, and said, "I have only one daughter; she was like the flesh of my heart. Now that she is gone, Quan-ge’er is no different from my own biological grandson. I am a person who believes in clear rewards and punishments. Whoever treats my Quan-ge’er well treats me well..."

She paused, narrowed her eyes, and emphasized her tone: "Whoever dares to have designs on him—even if they pluck a single hair from his head, if I find out, do not think I will let them off."

Madam Meng gasped. Jiafu, however, opened her eyes wide and nodded vigorously. "Godmother, you are absolutely right. Quan-ge is precious; who would dare touch him?"

Madam Song was unsure if she really understood. As she stared at Jiafu, the child on her lap also stared at Jiafu with wide eyes. Suddenly, the boy slid out of her arms and ran to Jiafu. Lifting his neck, he put his hands on his hips and pointed at her: "You, get down! I want to ride a horse!"

Jiafu walked toward the child, stopped in front of him, bent down with a smile, and said, "Riding a horse won't do, but I can hold you while we play."

Quan-ge’er immediately threw himself on the floor, kicking his legs wildly while howling: "Don't want to be held! I want to ride a horse! I want to ride a horse!"

Madam Meng’s expression turned ugly. Madam Song hurriedly gave Nanny Ye a look. Nanny Ye stepped forward, picked up Quan-ge’er, and coaxed, "Let’s go out, let’s go out and ride the horse."

Quan-ge’er spat on her, beat her with his fists, and shouted, "She’s pretty! I want to ride her!"

Jiafu stood there, watching the child throwing a tantrum on the floor with cold eyes, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

Now Madam Song’s face couldn't hold it together either. She coughed, and several maids stepped forward together with Nanny Ye, and in a flurry, they lifted the wailing Quan-ge’er and carried him out. The crying slowly faded, and the side hall finally grew quiet.

Madam Song laughed awkwardly, "The child isn't usually like this; he’s just a bit rowdy today."

Madam Meng offered a forced smile, sat for a while longer, and then rose to take her leave. Nanny Ye returned after coaxing Quan-ge’er and said, "Madam, you saw it with your own eyes, didn't you? Look at that face of a temptress; what man could resist falling into her trap? She hadn't even arrived today, and the Heir personally ran to the pier to meet her. Madam, you didn't see it—the way he stared at her, not blinking even once! How could he still remember a shred of the kindness of Quan-ge’er’s mother? As the saying goes, 'with a stepmother, comes a stepfather.' Once she has children of her own, Quan-ge will probably lose his own father! Madam, you must not be deceived by her. This girl is two-faced. I have lived and traveled with her these past few months; I know her better than anyone."

Madam Song thought of her dead daughter, feeling both sorrowful and helpless. She frowned, "Do you think I am satisfied with this Zhen girl? But I had already promised, and listened to your words, and recognized her as my goddaughter. It is a done deal; how can I back out now?"

Nanny Ye slapped her own mouth hard. At that moment, the little maid who had gone out earlier came running back in a panic. Nanny Ye’s face darkened: "So reckless! If you startled Madam, see if I don't use a needle to stitch your mouth shut!"

The maid waved her hands repeatedly and shouted, "It’s Quan-ge’er! The young master is not well!"

Madam Song was shocked: "What happened?"

The maid gestured, "Just now, we were playing with the young master in the courtyard when he suddenly cried out that there were bugs crawling on him, scratching everywhere. I looked at his face, and good heavens, his face was like rising dough; it just bloated up..."

Madam Song’s expression changed, and she hurriedly strode out. Quan-ge’er had already been carried back to the room and was lying on the bed, crying incessantly. Madam Song went up to look and saw his face covered in red rashes, swollen as if he had been blown up like a balloon. Terrified, she grabbed him, calling "my heart, my sweet" a couple of times, and frantically ordered them to call a royal physician. By the time the physician arrived, Quan-ge’er’s face was swollen like a wasp’s nest. The entire face was bloated, and there were rashes all over his body. Because of the itching, some were already scratched raw. He lay there whimpering, crying non-stop.

The physician could not diagnose the cause, so he only prescribed a decoction for washing to reduce the swelling. However, the swelling would not go down. They struggled through the night, and it wasn't until the next day that he showed slight improvement.

Madam Song had not intended for Madam Xin to know, but unfortunately, the next day, people from the Pei family came to pick up Quan-ge’er. Madam Song couldn't hide it and had to tell the truth. She felt quite wronged, saying he had just become like this out of nowhere. Upon hearing the news, Madam Xin rushed over in a fury, her face dark, and took Quan-ge’er away.

Madam Song felt snubbed, yet remained worried about Quan-ge’er, sending people to the Pei mansion repeatedly to inquire about his condition. When she learned that Madam Xin had been making pointed remarks in front of her servants, she was furious, but because the boy had fallen ill on her side, she could not exert her authority and had to swallow her anger. It wasn't until the evening of the second day, when she learned the child’s swelling had mostly subsided, that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nanny Ye, thinking of how much she had suffered and sacrificed in Quanzhou over the past few months, only to be dismissed by the Zhen family with a mere twenty taels of silver, could not calm her resentment. She made it her mission to break up this marriage. She kept whispering in Madam Song’s ear, saying that the moment the Zhen girl arrived, the previously healthy young master developed this unprecedented, strange illness and suffered such great pain, which clearly indicated their horoscopes were incompatible and their fates were clashing.

One of Madam Song’s specialties was displaced anger. Incited by Nanny Ye, she began to grow suspicious. Another night passed, and on the third day, the steward of the storehouse came to report that among the items the Zhen family had sent two days ago, the most valuable pieces of jade and pearls were found to be of insufficient quality upon inspection. While they were still trinkets, they were not top-grade, and their value was significantly discounted. He asked how they should be filed.

Madam Song recalled how respectful Madam Meng had been to her two days ago and figured the Zhen family didn't have the guts to try to cheat her with inferior goods. This must be the best they could afford. Despising them, she spat, "I thought the Zhen family was wealthy. It turns out they are only so-so. For the Pei family to be willing to settle for such a marriage, one can see how poor they have become!"

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. This day was the sixtieth birthday of the Old Madam of the Duke of Wei’s mansion.

Although the Duke of Wei’s mansion was in decline, its prestige remained. The Old Duke had been a hero of great merit, and the Old Madam held the rank of a First-Rank Noble Consort. Her daughter had been the Empress of the Tianxi reign and had passed away early due to a plague. The Emperor of that time had always missed her dearly, so the Old Madam’s rank was extraordinary. For her sixtieth birthday, eunuchs from the palace had arrived early in the morning, bestowing imperial gifts to show divine grace. The aristocratic families and powerful officials in the capital who had dealings with the Duke’s mansion also came to offer their congratulations. On this day, the main gates of the Duke of Wei’s mansion were thrown wide open, and both inside and out were radiant, looking as if it had finally regained some of the glory of the past.

Since returning from the Song residence that day, Jiafu had not stepped outside once. Madam Meng heard that Quan-ge’er had fallen ill and had been picked up from the Song residence. Although she detested the child, she went to visit him once. When she returned, she told Jiafu, "He is almost better. It’s just that he scratched himself in a few places and is still crying."

Jiafu pursed her lips at the time and said nothing. Madam Meng was lost in thought and did not mention the matter again. On this day of the birthday celebration, because Madam Xin was too busy with many affairs, she invited her to come early to help. Madam Meng naturally agreed, told her son not to go out and play, and changed into the clothes prepared for the day. After noon, she took her two children to the Duke’s mansion.

Mother and daughter sat in the carriage together. Madam Meng was silent the whole way. Jiafu leaned over and rubbed against her mother’s arm: "Mother, what are you thinking about? I noticed you haven't said a word these past two days."

Madam Meng was lost in thought for a moment before whispering, "Mother only heard before that the child was a bit mischievous; I never expected it would reach such a point. In the future, once you marry in, Mother is afraid you will have a hard time..."

Jiafu hugged her and said with a smile: "Mother, if in two days they don't like me and I can't marry the Cousin, will you scold me for being useless?"

Madam Meng was startled, surprised that she would suddenly say such a thing. She looked at Jiafu: "As long as you are not heartbroken, why would I scold you? If it weren't for your grandmother, Mother would have been hoping for..."

She stopped, sighed, and pulled her daughter into her arms with affection.

Jiafu’s smile faded. Her little face rested in her mother’s arms, and she closed her eyes.

Everything was going smoothly. Things were developing step-by-step exactly as she had predicted.

Quan-ge’er’s sudden, strange illness that day had been well within her expectations.

This child was the single most important key figure in her plan to break off the engagement.

In her previous life, there was one time when Quan-ge’er was perfectly fine, ran into Madam Xin’s room, and not long after coming out, his head and face swelled up and rashes appeared on his body, causing unbearable pain and itching. Even applying medicine didn't help. A few days later, he slowly recovered on his own. Unexpectedly, not long after, he fell ill like this again. It happened repeatedly several times, and he suffered greatly. The physician could not find the cause of the illness. Madam Xin was frantic, but later, a meticulous nanny discovered that every time he went into Madam Xin’s room, he would suffer from this illness upon coming out.

At first, Madam Xin thought her room was "unclean" and hurriedly hired people to perform rites to drive away evil spirits, but it was still ineffective.

In the end, it was Jiafu who found the root of the problem.

The problem was in the ambergris incense that was being burned in Madam Xin’s room.

True ambergris has a soft, moist, and deep fragrance—vivid and elegant, pure and free of impurities. The smell left by frozen dragon-brain (borneol) also carried a faint, special scent of wood moss. Most people found it very difficult to distinguish the two scents.

Jiafu was very familiar with spices and identified that what was being burned in Madam Xin’s room was not the ambergris she usually used, but frozen dragon-brain. Counting the days, it was exactly when she started using this box of incense that Quan-ge’er fell ill. She had the incense removed, and sure enough, Quan-ge’er never fell ill again. Later, the physician said that Quan-ge’er must be uniquely allergic to that particular spice—a rare condition—and warned them never to use that incense near him again.

Ambergris is known as "Heavenly Incense." Top-tier ambergris can linger for months. In wealthy capital families, anyone who could afford it used ambergris; it was one of the hallmarks of status.

Madam Xin had always burned ambergris. Now that times were tight, she refused to switch to anything else. This box of frozen dragon-brain had previously been offered as a tribute by a tenant from one of the estates, who claimed it was high-priced ambergris. Madam Xin couldn't tell the difference. When the original incense ran out, she took out this box to use, never imagining it was counterfeit incense, nor that it would cause Quan-ge’er such great suffering. When she learned the truth, she threw a massive temper tantrum.

This incident had turned the entire Duke of Wei’s mansion upside down at the time, leaving a deep impression on Jiafu. In this life, she naturally thought of using frozen dragon-brain to help herself out of her predicament. This was the reason she had been using frozen dragon-brain ever since returning from West Mountain Temple.

Those close to her would only smell that she was using ambergris; how could they know this incense was not that?

Slowly inciting Madam Song’s dissatisfaction with her was the catalyst.

She lacked an excuse to trigger the issue, so she handed one to her. Letting her use the excuse of her and Quan-ge’er’s fates clashing to step forward and ruin this marriage—that was the powerful medicine Jiafu needed to administer.

This method was indeed not very kind to that child, but at the time, Jiafu had only hesitated for a moment before making her decision.

In her previous life, she was kind to others, yielding everywhere and tolerating everything, but in the end, she did not receive the so-called good fruits.

Life is difficult. In this life, she would treat well those who treated her well; if possible, she would repay them tenfold.

That was enough; there was no need to think about anything else.

"Mother, Sister, we’ve arrived!"

The carriage gradually slowed down, and the voice of her brother, Zhen Yaoting, came from outside the window.

"A-Fu, we’re here. There are many people here today, and Mother will be busy. I’m afraid I won't be able to look after you. Do not squeeze to the front, in case you get jostled. Go to a quiet room in the back, and I will send someone to call for you later."

Madam Meng gently patted her daughter’s shoulder.

Jiafu opened her eyes, gave her mother a sweet smile, and murmured an affirmative.