Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Lantern Festival Dispute

Once inside the room, everyone vied to crowd toward the Old Madam. Shen Qingdai, with a calm and detached expression, slowed her pace and stood against the inconspicuous wall.

Shen Hong, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, was sitting by the Old Madam’s bed, waiting on her, while the cousin, Tian Muya, stood nearby, chatting and laughing, telling jokes that made the Old Madam laugh heartily.

Madam Liu paused at the sight, then stepped forward with the others to pay her respects to the Old Madam. She glanced sideways at Shen Hong with a smile that was pleasant enough, though it failed to reach her eyes.

"Third sister, you arrived so early. It was truly my lack of decorum not to have come out to welcome you; I have truly made a fool of myself..."

Shen Hong looked at Madam Liu with a half-smile, her words light and airy: "Sister-in-law, are you blaming me? That is a truly great injustice. It is not as if I came here without etiquette or prior notice. Mother fell ill just after the New Year and wrote to me, hoping I would visit soon. I was anxious, and so..."

Madam Liu’s expression darkened instantly. Was Shen Hong not implying that she had failed to take proper care of the Old Madam?

She hurriedly retorted, "Third sister, you misunderstand. You and I are of one family; how could there be any question of etiquette? I manage the household affairs and truly find myself stretched thin. My service to Mother has indeed not been as thorough as yours, and I am grateful to you, let alone blame you..."

This time, it was Shen Hong’s turn to look displeased. This remark struck a nerve. As the daughter of a seventh-rank assistant prefect married to the second son of a fourth-rank prefect, it was a rare and advantageous marriage. However, precisely because of this, even though her husband was the only son of the Tian family, her mother-in-law would rather hand over the household management to her widowed eldest sister-in-law than entrust it to her. Now that Madam Liu had brought up the power of household management, it naturally left her feeling bitter.

Seeing the tension rising and Shen Hong losing ground, the Old Madam, reclining on the side, was naturally displeased. She gave a light huff, tapping her ruyi-headed cane against the floor with measured force: "I am still capable of moving about, old as I am; there is no need for the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family to wait on me!"

Madam Liu was about to explain, but the Old Madam, knowing her thoughts, waved her hand: "Has the second daughter-in-law arrived? I am still waiting for her to recite the play scripts for me."

Shen Hong quickly took the lead: "Second sister-in-law arrived early; she is in the back brewing a sweet soup for you. Later, your daughter will serve you your medicinal soup so it won't taste bitter."

The Old Madam laughed heartily, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes trembling: "You two are both filial; all is well, all is well."

The atmosphere was now quite harmonious, but Shen Qingdai looked thoughtfully toward the direction of the back kitchen. If nothing went wrong, the Second Madam should be making her entrance. This play could not begin without her.

The others stepped forward one by one to pay their respects to the Old Madam. Shen Qingdai performed her obeisance correctly and quietly returned to her spot in the corner.

Just then, several maidservants filed in, carrying a small charcoal brazier and a clay pot, standing upright.

The beaded curtain at the doorway shifted slightly, and a hand tipped with crimson nail polish reached in. The Second Madam of the Shen family stepped into the room, draped in a vermilion-red robe woven with peony and gold patterns, looking exceptionally joyous and dignified.

"Daughter-in-law has come to pay her respects!"

The Old Madam stopped speaking, looking at the exquisite woman before her with a gentle smile: "You mischievous thing, what interesting trinket have you prepared for me now?"

The Second Madam stepped forward with a smile, placing the charcoal brazier at the foot of the daybed, and set the clay pot steadily upon it. A maidservant used a fire-starter to light the silver-silk charcoal inside. Instantly, a faint, lingering plum blossom fragrance mingled with the sandalwood incense in the room, which was quite refreshing.

Seeing the Old Madam’s curiosity, the Second Madam hurriedly said, "Mother, this clay pot contains a recipe I happened upon a few days ago. I took winter-hardy plum blossoms and stewed them with bird’s nest and snow fungus over silver-silk charcoal mixed with sandalwood pellets. Paired with the sandalwood incense already in your room, it is excellent for calming the mind and nourishing the body."

Hearing this, the Old Madam’s smile deepened: "You are very thoughtful."

Shen Qingdai watched the small charcoal brazier and, without drawing attention to herself, moved even further away. The brazier was only half a step from the Old Madam, and the people surrounding her were all from the second branch and the eldest daughter’s family. It seemed that this time, Madam Liu would be unable to distance herself from the matter no matter what.

The clay pot began to bubble, and the Second Madam scooped some out into a bowl, placing it on a tray.

Tian Muya rose quickly, attempting to take it: "Second Aunt, you have been busy all day; you must be tired. Let me serve Grandmother the soup."

Before she had even finished speaking, she picked up the tray. Before she could walk away, Shen Manxuan reached out and grabbed the other end of the tray, speaking without a shred of politeness: "You say you will go, so you will go? It is I, the direct granddaughter, who should be serving Grandmother. You, step aside and rest!"

Tian Muya naturally refused to yield, gripping the tray tight: "Cousin, your words are unreasonable. Grandmother likes me; she will naturally be much happier if I serve her. Cousin, you had best let go yourself; it would be unsightly if Grandmother has to speak up!"

Shen Manxuan was incensed. The Old Madam’s bias toward the second branch and Shen Hong already made her and Madam Liu unhappy, and Tian Muya’s words tore away the last shred of pretense. She was filled with rage, and her movements naturally grew forceful: "You are but a daughter of an outside family; how dare you be so arrogant in my Shen household?! I am the one who will serve this soup today!"

Seeing her being so outrageous, Tian Muya became angry as well. Her willow-leaf brows arched as she sneered: "I won't give it to you! What can you do about it?!"

"Give it to me!"

"No!"

"Give it to me at once!"

In the midst of their struggle, there was a sudden "clatter." The porcelain bowl slipped from the tray and crashed onto the floor tiles, shattering into pieces. Sticky soup splashed onto the two young ladies, dripping down their skirts.

The Old Madam, seeing this, was infuriated, her hand trembling as she pointed at Shen Manxuan: "You! You!"

Seeing the Old Madam struggling to catch her breath, Shen Hong hurriedly helped her sit and patted her back to soothe her.

Shen Manxuan, seeing her beloved skirt stained with filth, let out a shriek: "Ah! It’s all your fault!" and lunged at Tian Muya.

Tian Muya did not retreat, and the two began to grapple, pulling each other’s hair and scratching at each other’s faces in a fierce struggle.

The Second Madam stood nearby, her mind blank, stunned and anxious, not knowing how to intervene or where to pull them apart. The maidservants were also in a panic, trying to separate the two brawlers while keeping an eye on the gasping Old Madam and restraining Madam Liu for fear she might get hurt.

The room was in complete chaos.

And the small charcoal brazier stood there quietly, its curling, graceful wisps of smoke drifting softly on the breeze toward the daybed.

"Enough!!!"