Chapter 108 — IAVD (QT) Chapter 108

The first to notice that the relationship between Ji Xiu and Su Xiangyu had eased was Su Ling’er.

Over the past few months, Su Ling’er had grown closer and closer to Ji Xiu, relying on him greatly. He was her dependable and trustworthy father, a good teacher who taught her to read every day, and a close companion who accompanied her when she talked and went out.

With Ji Xiu around, the little girlish affectations she once had all turned into smoke and clouds. Every day she was cheerful and happy, her smile bright, like a butterfly flitting about, flying from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard, fluttering everywhere.

If she had any worries at all, it was only that her parents’ relationship was not harmonious, leaving her caught in the middle and very troubled.

Now that the two had reconciled, their daily actions did not seem to have changed much, but when they interacted, that sense of harmony was something anyone who had experienced it could immediately understand.

After observing for several days, she could not help covering her mouth and laughing secretly.

“Granny Nanny, are Father and Mother about to make up?” Su Ling’er tugged at the wet nurse’s sleeve and whispered to her.

The wet nurse was stunned. She looked over at the way the young miss and the son-in-law interacted, her heart filled with complicated emotions and also a bit of relief. “It should be. Such a harmonious scene has only been seen fifteen years ago.”

Back then, the son-in-law and the young miss were also a match made in heaven, praised by everyone.

Who would have thought that because of the imperial examinations, so many years would be wasted.

The wet nurse felt a trace of unease and guilt in her heart. Back then, when the son-in-law and the young miss had a falling out and entered years of cold war, not only did she fail to mediate between them, she had even been encouraging the young miss to send the son-in-law away.

If they had really followed her words and sent him away, how could there be such peaceful days like today?

Looking at the little miss’s happy face, and at the young miss who appeared cold but actually had gentle eyes, she felt ashamed.

Sigh, she was old. She was no longer fit to stay by the young miss’s side. It was time to rest.

The next day, the wet nurse proposed to Su Xiangyu that she retire and return to her hometown.

Su Xiangyu tried to persuade her again and again, but the wet nurse resolutely declined. After all the back and forth, she finally persuaded Su Xiangyu to agree.

A few days later, the wet nurse boarded a carriage and quietly left through the side gate, bringing one maid with her as they set off on the road home.

Su Xiangyu brought Su Ling’er to see her off. Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, both mother and daughter felt a little melancholy.

How could the wet nurse’s heart not be melancholy as well? But she understood clearly that in the past she had always been an obstacle preventing the young miss’s family from reconciling. Do not look at how the young miss still missed her now. Once she and the son-in-law returned to their former loving state, there would definitely be a thorn in her heart. It was no longer appropriate for her to stay in the Su family.

……

On the second day after the wet nurse left, the official gazette, which had been dragging its feet on the road for half a month, finally arrived at Shanglang County.

After the county magistrate learned the news, he sent an invitation, inviting Ji Xiu to a banquet.

Ji Xiu had no grudges with this county magistrate. He gladly accepted and went, drinking wine, composing poetry, Let's talk ideals, staying out for a full day before returning.

When he returned home, the gatekeeper eagerly and obsequiously went up to the carriage, wiping the footstool again and again, then with a flattering face invited Ji Xiu to get down.

Ji Xiu had drunk a few cups of wine and was a little tipsy. He glanced at the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper was startled, nearly frightened out of his wits.

From the news of Ji Xiu passing the provincial examination returning to Shanglang County, to the celebration banquets, and finally to the arrival of the official gazette, half a month had passed. Outside, the winds and clouds surged. Some people felt honored along with him, others could not believe it.

And among them, perhaps the ones who least believed that Ji Xiu had passed were the Su family’s servants.

Compared to the scholars outside, who had channels to learn about Ji Xiu’s past glory and talent and could more or less accept that he had passed, the Su family’s servants were confined within the large residence. What they saw each day was only the small patch of land before them. Their information was blocked. They knew nothing of Ji Xiu’s former brilliance and despised him the most. Suddenly learning this news, their eyes practically fell out.

The son-in-law they had looked down on had suddenly become the provincial top graduate?

Thinking about how they had treated Ji Xiu in the past, the Su family’s servants all felt an indescribable mix of fear and unease. These days they had been diligently fawning over him, even more attentively than they treated the Su family’s masters, all in the hope that Ji Xiu would forget the old grudges and let them remain in the Su household.

The Su family had few masters, the work was light, and the monthly wages were high. Working here was as easy as it got. If they were sold off with the reputation of offending a superior, they would never find such a good position again in this lifetime.

“What are you shaking for?” Ji Xiu suddenly spoke.

The gatekeeper jumped and quickly lowered his head. “Not shaking, not shaking.”

Ji Xiu’s drunkenness rose, and a bit of mischievous intent surfaced. He deliberately asked loudly, “If you are not shaking, are you saying I saw wrong?”

The gatekeeper shook his head frantically. “No, no, this one is shaking, shaking.”

“Tsk.” Ji Xiu found it boring. He turned around, passed the gatekeeper, and walked inside the Su residence.

A slender figure and a delicate figure stood in the courtyard. It seemed they were taking a walk, and also seemed they were waiting for someone.

Hearing the movement, the two turned their heads to look. Under the yellow halo of the lanterns, familiar faces were revealed. It was Su Xiangyu and Su Ling’er.

“You finally came back.”

Su Xiangyu’s gaze quickly swept over Ji Xiu, confirming that he was fine. She patted her daughter’s hand. “Go on. Weren’t you always thinking of coming to welcome him?”

Su Ling’er looked completely confused. What did this have to do with her? Was it not Mother who wanted to come, and she merely went along with it?

At this moment, Ji Xiu beckoned to her, surprise and tenderness showing in his eyes. “Ling’er missed Father? As expected of my precious daughter. Father thought of you today as well when I was out.”

As soon as Su Ling’er heard this, all her words of rebuttal were instantly forgotten. She beamed with joy and ran over to Ji Xiu with a bright smile. “Father, you are not lying to Ling’er, right?”

Ji Xiu patted her head. “Today the county magistrate held a poetry gathering and had everyone use the character Ling as the theme. When I heard that, did I not immediately think of our Ling’er?”

Su Ling’er felt sweet in her heart. Father said he missed her. He really loved her the most.

Beside them, Su Xiangyu: “……” Watching the harmonious father and daughter, she felt rather uncomfortable.

At this moment, the gatekeeper had just finished directing the driver to take the carriage away and was about to close the side gate. By chance, he noticed Su Xiangyu in the courtyard and with a thump, accidentally fell.

The sound drew the attention of the family of three.

Su Xiangyu glanced over and said in a cold tone, “If you are injured, you may go to the steward to ask for leave.”

Her tone was always like this, cold and distant, as if she had opinions about people. In fact, the underlying meaning of her words was that the Su family was not the kind of powerful household that squeezed its servants. If servants were injured, they could rest.

But the gatekeeper was of low status and rarely interacted with Su Xiangyu. He did not understand her. Hearing this suddenly, he mistakenly thought that the young miss was going to expel him from the residence. Before he could even get up, with another thump, he knelt down again.

“Young miss spare my life, young miss spare my life……”

Su Xiangyu’s face was full of confusion. What had she said? Why was he suddenly begging for mercy?

If someone who did not know the inside story passed by, they would think she was about to kill someone.

Su Ling’er was also startled. She looked at the gatekeeper and suddenly muttered thoughtfully, “Father, is this gatekeeper the one who was disrespectful to you……”

Every time she went out with Ji Xiu, they used the side gate.

Because they always went out during the day, it was always the same gatekeeper. Every time he opened the gate, he would speak in a sarcastic manner, which had always bothered her and stuck in her heart.

She just did not dare complain to her mother, afraid that everyone would find out about her sneaking out. Later, she had voluntarily confessed about going out with Ji Xiu, but had forgotten about such a small person as the gatekeeper.

Who would have thought that one day he would bump into her again.

Su Ling’er tugged at Su Xiangyu’s sleeve. “Mother, drive this servant out of the residence!”

Su Xiangyu was stunned. She looked at the gatekeeper, then at Ji Xiu, her expression subtle.

“Mother, listen to me. This person offended his superior and was once disrespectful to Father and me……” Su Ling’er explained what had happened in the past.

As Su Ling’er spoke, Su Xiangyu’s expression gradually darkened.

The gatekeeper collapsed limply onto the ground. It was over, it was over. He was finished.

Su Xiangyu’s expression was also strange and ugly, shifting between green and white, because she knew very clearly that this was not the first time she had heard of these things.

In the past, she had been disappointed and heartbroken over Ji Xiu, holding onto a cold war mentality. Even though she knew that clan members and servants did not respect Ji Xiu, she had never thought to speak up and intervene.

She did not care about Ji Xiu, thinking that under the management of the steward and the wet nurse, even if Ji Xiu suffered a bit of cold treatment, it was no big deal.

But when she came to care about Ji Xiu, and heard those things she had once not cared about, intense regret and remorse drowned her.

So hearing with her own ears that someone she cared about had suffered hardships felt this infuriating, hateful, and guilty.

Fine, it was her own fault. She had not cared about Ji Xiu before, and now she was suffering retribution.

No wonder that over the years, Ji Xiu had become colder and colder toward her……

Su Xiangyu did not dare look at Ji Xiu. She turned her face away and ordered coldly, “Someone, call the steward!”

A servant waiting in the darkness responded and ran off.

The servants by Su Xiangyu’s side were all those who had undergone years of training before being qualified to follow her. The more valued a servant was, the more they adhered strictly to etiquette. Just like the wet nurse. Even though she looked down on Ji Xiu in her heart, at least on the surface, she had never neglected or mocked him.

Because of this, they were also the only ones in the courtyard who dared to go call the steward.

On the way, however, they also had faint guesses in their hearts. From today onward, the sky of the Su family was probably going to change.

When a ruler is angered, corpses fill the land.

Su Xiangyu was not some ruler, but in the Su family, her status was almost equivalent to one.

After the steward arrived, Su Xiangyu coldly ordered him to clean out the servants who had been disrespectful to Ji Xiu in the past. Those with serious offenses were to be slapped according to family rules and sold off. Those with minor offenses were to be fined half a year’s wages.

The steward was stunned and still wanted to plead for the servants.

Su Ling’er suddenly spoke up, “Mother, the steward has also looked down on Father quite a bit.”

“……” Pain stabbed through Su Xiangyu’s heart.

Ji Xiu was so outstanding, gentle and noble, overflowing with talent. Women could not resist such a man, especially when he was still their husband in name.

Only a few days after their relationship eased, Su Xiangyu’s heart had already been stirred.

The more her heart was stirred, the more she could not accept that she had once treated him with such neglect and disdain.

If not for her indulgence, the steward and servants would not have dared to treat Ji Xiu like this. If back then she had been just a bit more patient, had spent a bit more time accompanying Ji Xiu, things would not have turned out like this.

Su Xiangyu was silent for a long while, then spoke with a hoarse voice. “In that case, replace the steward as well.”

……

This time, Su Xiangyu’s anger caused many servants in the Su household to suffer.

Among them were the steward, the gatekeeper, the flower granny, and many other servants. For a time, there was a severe shortage of servants in the residence.

And Ji Xiu, who had caused all this, had already fallen asleep from drunkenness when Su Xiangyu became angry, and was sent back to Songtao Courtyard by the servants.

Only after waking up and learning of these matters did he feel it was unbelievable. “If they are all really cleared out, will there still be servants left in the residence?”

Xu An muttered, “There are still some. All honest people. Honest people are good. They will not flatter the high and trample the low, nor offend their superiors…… Master, the young miss has finally stood up for you.”

Ji Xiu laughed. “You make it sound so aggrieved, as if I suffered some great hardship.”

Actually, even if Su Xiangyu had not dealt with these servants, he had planned to clean them up himself.

It was just that the lingering excitement of passing the examination was still there. Every day he had to go out socializing and making friends, and did not have much energy to put into the Su household, delaying things a bit.

But this was also good. No need to do it himself, and he could enjoy some peace and quiet.

Moreover, seeing Su Xiangyu lose her temper for his sake made him happy.

“Where is the young miss now?” Ji Xiu asked Xu An, planning to go find Su Xiangyu.

Xu An quickly answered, “The young miss is selecting a new steward. She sent word that the son-in-law should rest well and not worry.”

Ji Xiu was in good spirits and waved his hand. “I have slept a whole night. What rest is there to take? Let’s go. We will go to the main courtyard and see who the steward position falls to.”

Xu An also wanted to go. He squinted and smiled, answered with a yes, served Ji Xiu as he got up, and followed behind him to the main courtyard.

“Where is Huang Hu?” Halfway there, Ji Xiu suddenly remembered that he had not seen Huang Hu today.

Xu An replied, “The young miss called Huang Hu away. She plans to choose a steward from among him and several others.”

Ji Xiu was stunned.

Was Su Xiangyu worried that someone would disrespect him again in the future, and deliberately choosing one of his confidants to be steward?

Although he did not know who the other competing candidates were, Huang Hu would probably be the one to take the position.

Things went exactly as he expected. Before even reaching the main courtyard, he heard servants discussing Huang Hu’s appointment as steward.

Ji Xiu smiled faintly, stepped over the threshold, and entered the main courtyard.

Su Xiangyu was seated at the head of the hall, delivering instructions. Huang Hu nodded repeatedly, both delighted and at a loss.

Suddenly hearing footsteps, Su Xiangyu naturally looked up. When she saw Ji Xiu, her composed and indifferent expression immediately changed, stiffening slightly. She stood up and went to meet him. “Why did you come? You were drunk yesterday. You should rest more.”

Ji Xiu laughed helplessly. “You are treating me like a patient. I only drank twice as much as usual.”

Su Xiangyu fell silent. She looked up at Ji Xiu. After a long while, she softly said, “I am sorry.”

Ji Xiu paused, his smile unchanged. “Why are you saying this?”

“I am sorry to you……” Su Xiangyu gathered her courage to start, and once she did, the rest came more easily. “Actually, I have always known that the servants in the residence treated you coldly. It was my disregard that let their boldness grow, letting them treat you so lightly. I am sorry to you.”

Ji Xiu’s smile faded. He glanced at the servants in the hall who all lowered their heads and pretended not to exist, then said, “All of you, leave.”

The servants withdrew like a receding tide.

Ji Xiu walked past Su Xiangyu, chose a seat, and patted the armrest and tea table. “Sit down. Let’s have a heart to heart talk.”

Su Xiangyu sat down silently.

Ji Xiu sighed. “Actually, I was also at fault. Those matters are in the past. You do not need to keep them in your heart. From now on, let us treat it as getting to know each other again and live our days well.”

Su Xiangyu looked up at him. “I will take good care of you in the future.”

Ji Xiu laughed. “I am a grown man. How could I be that delicate? In the future, just take good care of yourself. Do not exhaust yourself for business, so busy that you cannot look after the household.”

He paused, then added, “But if you like managing business, that is also fine. Ling’er and I are your strongest support. Whether you succeed or fail, we will be by your side.”

Ji Xiu said these words plainly, but for women in ancient times, they were already extremely romantic words.

Especially since he did not look down on merchants because he himself had passed the examination, nor did he demand that Su Xiangyu give up business and return to the household. Instead, he strongly supported her decision, which unintentionally moved Su Xiangyu even more.

Su Xiangyu’s earlobes flushed almost imperceptibly. She lowered her head and said softly, “Alright.”

……

The Su family replaced a batch of servants. Outsiders might not know the inside story, but within the Su household, it had already spread like wildfire.

Madam Su was extremely angry about this and intended to reprimand Su Xiangyu, because the previous steward had been her confidant, personally appointed by her when she retired to Xinghua Courtyard back then.

Su Xiangyu did not manage household affairs. The Su household had essentially been ruled by Madam Su and the steward alone.

Su Xiangyu’s sudden move to drive away the steward was equivalent to cutting off one of Madam Su’s arms. How could Madam Su not be furious?

She sent someone to summon Su Xiangyu. Su Xiangyu went, but she brought Ji Xiu with her.

Merchant families had an innate fear and respect for officials.

Although the Su family was deeply rooted and a prominent local household, back when the Su family rescued Ji’s father and mother, they still did not dare show even the slightest dissatisfaction toward the county magistrate. Not only did they offer a large sum of money, they also made guarantees that they would never use this matter to cause trouble in the future.

Similarly, although Ji Xiu had not yet become an official, he was the provincial top graduate, a future official set in stone. No matter how angry Madam Su was, she did not dare to scold Su Xiangyu too harshly in front of him.

She could only suppress her anger and reprimand Su Xiangyu a few times.

Su Xiangyu naturally responded with agreement and admitted her fault.

But no matter what Madam Su said, she refused to invite the steward back.

Madam Su was so angry she was suffocating on the spot, yet had to maintain appearances and could not flare up because of Ji Xiu’s presence. She could only let the matter drop.

However, after this incident, whether because there were too many new servants in the residence or because the old servants had seen the direction of the household’s winds, in any case, the status and authority of Xinghua Courtyard were never again as domineering and arrogant as before.

Madam Su found excuses to reprimand Su Xiangyu several times, but with no effect. Helpless, she fell silent, truly becoming an old lady who enjoyed her later years and did not manage any affairs.

As for Master Su, he lacked the energy and would not bother with so much.

Of course, Su Xiangyu did not shortchange them. Everything they were due was provided in full. Inside and outside the residence, people all said she was filial.

Her feelings toward Madam Su and Master Su were now very complicated. She did not know how to treat them, but her filial piety as a daughter had not changed.

As for anything more, there was none.

……

On one daytime occasion, Ji Xiu moved back to the main courtyard. Songtao Courtyard was converted into a study and learning room, used to teach Su Ling’er. At other times, he returned to the main courtyard to rest.

The servants in the residence saw the direction clearly and became even more cautious and respectful.

Time flowed on, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

The New Year passed hurriedly.

Once the New Year was over, Ji Xiu planned to set off for the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination in the second month.

This time, he did not go alone with servants. He traveled together with the Yin family father and son.

The journey was exhausting with carts and horses, but they hurried on and finally arrived in the capital before the second month.

Ji Xiu led his people to find an inn to stay in, rested for a few days, and then welcomed the metropolitan examination.