novelzi Chapter 258
Chapter 258
Xu Xinyue's life can be divided into three parts. The first part was her childhood, when her family faced great upheaval and she lived a life of uncertainty, not knowing what each day would bring.
The second part was her life at Li Manor, where although she was a concubine, she had her daughter Li Xia for company. She lived contentedly during this time.
The third part began when the Xu Family was exonerated, and she returned to the home she had longed for day and night.
People said Xu Xinyue was lucky to have such a talented daughter, who became the second female general in the dynasty. But Xu Xinyue didn't care about these accolades; she only wished for her daughter to be by her side.
At banquets, she would listen to the ladies discussing Li Xia's great achievements. Xu Xinyue would then take out a carefully treasured jade tablet from her dressing table box. This was a carving Li Xia had made and given her when she returned from Hai City. At the time, Li Xia sensed her days were numbered, so she carved a statue of Xu Xinyue pulling her ear. In the carving, Xu Xinyue's face showed anger, but her eyes revealed concern. Li Xia's mouth was open in pain, but her face wore a smile.
Xu Xinyue reached out to pinch Li Xia's little ear. "You heartless girl," she said, "How could you leave so suddenly without even saying goodbye? Forcing me to bury my child before myself."
Wang Hong entered the room and saw his mother holding his sister's jade carving, lost in thought. He knew Madam Xu was thinking of his sister again. He also missed that brilliantly talented sister. "Mother," he called.
Hearing Wang Hong's voice, Xu Xinyue came back to herself, carefully put away the jade, and stood up. "Hong'er, you're back. Did everything go smoothly at the Ministry of Works today?"
After passing the imperial examinations, Wang Hong had entered the Ministry of Works with Li Hui's help. Wang Hong had been interested in woodworking since he was young. Li Xia had left behind many woodcarving works, including a small water wheel. After entering the Ministry of Works, Wang Hong thought it could be made into something practical. Recently, he had been researching with the ministry staff, and today they had successfully tested it.
As Wang Hong described how Li Xia's small water wheel could be enlarged and made into a wooden structure to irrigate farmland and reduce manual labor, Xu Xinyue felt proud of her daughter's ingenuity.
"Mother, sister's spirit in heaven surely wouldn't want you to be sad," Wang Hong said, stepping forward to help Xu Xinyue sit down.
Xu Xinyue patted Wang Hong's hand. "I know, Xia'er wouldn't want me to be sad. I'm not sad, I just... I just miss her a little." As she spoke, Xu Xinyue's tears fell uncontrollably. Her daughter had been so young; how could she be gone? She couldn't understand why Heaven had taken her so early.
Lady Li began to cut expenses, directly selling off unnecessary personnel. Daily meals were also adjusted; luxurious delicacies were out of the question. Every day, it was plain porridge and simple dishes.
Xu Xinyue had her own money and a small kitchen in her courtyard. She simply used her own funds to stock the small kitchen, living very well. Lady Li saw this with envy but could say nothing; she could manage everything else but not her step-mother-in-law.
Moreover, Xu Xinyue had Wang Hong, the grandson of the Marquis of Pacifying the South. She regularly associated with noble families like the Beining Marquis Manor and Chengen Marquis Residence, as well as prestigious families like the Li family.
Lady Li dared not and could not interfere. The elder Mrs. Wang, who had enjoyed a good life for over a decade, suddenly found her lifestyle drastically changed. The number of servants in her quarters hadn't decreased, but the quality of food, clothing, and daily necessities had declined. Her daily morning bowl of bird's nest soup had been replaced with white fungus soup. Her seasonal wardrobe of four sets of clothes had been reduced to two, and the fabric had changed from luxurious brocade to ordinary silk.
This was unacceptable to her. She confronted Lady Li several times. Lady Li secretly resented the elder Mrs. Wang for encouraging her to seize power, causing her to take over without understanding the situation clearly. She found herself stuck in a mess. Lady Li had no intention of being like Xu Xinyue, using her dowry's income to supplement the family for over a decade. Her dowry was for her own and her future children's use only.
When the elder Mrs. Wang asked, Lady Li simply said there was no money in the common fund. Why was there no money? Because the Wang family had few common assets and no income.
Wang Dong also noticed the changes but didn't dare confront Xu Xinyue. He took some money from his private funds and put it into the common fund. However, Wang Dong's private funds were limited, and he needed money for himself as well.
It's difficult to go from luxury to frugality. The elder Mrs. Wang was very dissatisfied with Lady Li. There were frequent conflicts between them, and several times the elder Mrs. Wang approached Xu Xinyue, wanting her to take over the household management again. Xu Xinyue, having finally rid herself of this troublesome task, would not take it back. She either changed the subject or pretended not to hear, watching the two of them fight.
"Mother, I've spoken with the Minister. Starting next month, I'll take a three-month leave. Let's go to the southern border," Wang Hong said, worried that Xu Xinyue's constant sadness wasn't good for her. He thought of taking her to see the person she had been longing to meet.
"You're just like your sister, always thinking of me," Xu Xinyue said, looking at the grown-up Wang Hong and lamenting her own helplessness.
"I want to see what kind of formidable grandmother Cheng'er talks about. I also want to see Hai City and the ocean," Wang Hong said sincerely, his eyes filled with longing that Xu Xinyue could clearly see.
"Alright, let's go together," Xu Xinyue said. She also wanted to see what Crescent Moon Island, which Li Xia had never forgotten, looked like.