Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Two months quickly passed, and summer turned into deep autumn. It was the season when chrysanthemum flowers bloomed, and everything at the Tong residence remained as usual. The brothers were respectful towards each other, the sisters-in-law were harmonious, and the house was peaceful. Rongxian, who was living at the Tong residence, perhaps took the words of the Old Lady Jueluo to heart. She became much kinder towards Fucha, speaking with a warmth that carried a hint of flattery. On the surface, Fucha seemed to have reconciled with Rongxian, letting go of past grudges. But in reality, she was secretly on guard, trying to figure out her intentions.

Fucha understood Rongxian better than the Old Lady Jueluo. Although the Old Lady was astute, she didn’t think badly of her daughter. Fucha, however, always remained somewhat wary of Rongxian’s kindness. Rongxian did not possess the Old Lady’s sharpness but had inherited her stubbornness, finding it difficult to change once she had made up her mind. After becoming widowed, her temperament had become even more eccentric.

“Mother, is this from Aunt?”

When Yun Wei returned home from school, she saw large, deep purple grapes on the kang table, making one’s mouth water. “The Third Branch has some too, but why is it only sent to our house?”

Fucha had Yun Wei wash her hands, and Yun Wei sat on the other side of the kang table, picking up a grape and popping it into her mouth. The sweet taste made her exclaim, “I love grapes the most.”

“Your aunt is thoughtful, but also calculating,” Fucha said, her brows furrowing. After thinking for several days, the situation became clear to her. She snorted coldly and muttered, “How could I not have realized…”

Yun Wei was about to take another grape, but Fucha caught her hand in mid-air. After taking a deep breath, she said, “Yiya, remember this: when someone gives something under the guise of kindness, they must be asking for something in return. Your aunt hasn’t changed; as the saying goes, ‘It’s easy to change the country, but hard to change one’s nature.’ She may have inherited the Old Lady’s stubbornness, but not her wisdom. She’s foolish.”

“What does Aunt want?” Yun Wei was a bit confused.

Fucha’s expression changed, and she sneered, “She wants my heart.”

Yun Wei blushed and murmured, “Mother… I… I don’t want to marry Cousin.”

“I will handle this.” Fucha was furious with herself for even considering marrying Yun Wei to Jing Hui. Yun Wei nuzzled her cheek against Fucha’s hand, her little face full of concern. “Mother, I don’t want this to cause you trouble at home, and I don’t want Aunt to make things more difficult…”

“Yun Wei, be quiet.”

Fucha’s face darkened, and she withdrew her arm, her eyes filled with disappointment. Coldly, she said, “Have you forgotten everything I taught you?”

Yun Wei stood up and called, “Mother.”

Qi Mama, who had been standing beside Fucha, sent the maids out of the room and quietly waited outside. The room was now left with only Fucha and her daughter.

“Yun Wei, kneel.”

Yun Wei bit her lip and knelt in front of Fucha. “Please don’t be angry, daughter knows she is wrong.”

“Wrong? Where have you gone wrong? I raised a good daughter, generous and virtuous. How can you have done wrong?”

Tears welled up in Yun Wei’s eyes, like a stream about to overflow. Her usually sweet voice turned low, and she shook her head, saying, “It is my fault, mother. You’ve taught me that things should be prioritized, and being virtuous and filial is not enough. One must not give in when it is wrong.”

Although Fucha still wore a cold expression, a flicker of satisfaction passed through her eyes. To make sure her daughter understood, she said faintly, “What do you mean by that?”

“When it comes to a woman’s future, it’s a big matter. We cannot settle or compromise just to avoid trouble or criticism. We should not let others push us into a corner and make us walk only the path they draw.”

Fucha pulled Yun Wei up and embraced her. “That’s the right way to think, Yiya. Mother will not let you become your aunt’s daughter-in-law. It’s not that you can’t handle your aunt, but I don’t want you to endure that hardship. Changing your aunt’s mindset is not an easy task. It won’t be done in just a few years. Working hard for half a lifetime, only to have a few days of happiness, is not something I want to see.”

“Mother, I understand.” Yun Wei leaned into Fucha’s warm embrace, feeling comfortable and safe. Fucha gently adjusted Yun Wei’s cat-eye earrings. Her daughter’s sweet appearance made her cherish and protect her even more. With a soft sigh, Fucha said, “I don’t want to see my pampered daughter mistreated. Yiya, power and status are necessary; they are the foundation for ensuring a stable and prosperous life. But your husband’s family must also be chosen carefully. I’ve taught you much, but from the bottom of my heart, I hope that you won’t need to use those methods. You should be cherished and loved by your husband, living a happy and joyful life.”

“Mother, Yiya will be happy.”

Yun Wei rested her head on Fucha’s shoulder. Fucha patted her daughter’s back and sighed. “If only you weren’t a gifted lady. No matter how much we plan, your future is in the hands of the nobles in the palace.”

“Accepting fate?” Fucha raised her eyebrows again. Yun Wei leaned her forehead against Fucha’s and smiled brightly. “That definitely won’t do. I’ll work hard to strive for what I want, like Fourth Sister said—live with brilliance. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I will never give up easily or just go with the flow.”

“That’s my Yiya.”

“Hehe, it’s because you taught me so well.”

Yun Wei lazily rolled around in Fucha’s arms. If you threw a ball of yarn at her, she would look just like a spoiled Persian cat. Fucha was utterly helpless against her daughter’s playful demeanor. In a moment, she was smiling with warmth, no hint of anger. Yun Wei squinted her eyes and asked, “What about Aunt’s situation? How are we handling it?”

Fucha decided to test her daughter and said, “You think of a solution for Mother.”

With her big eyes blinking, Yun Wei wore a mischievous smile. But to Fucha, it appeared playful and cute. If this daughter were to do something wrong, others wouldn’t easily believe it.

Yun Wei whispered in Fucha’s ear. Fucha furrowed her brows for a moment, but then relaxed, gently patting her daughter’s little bottom and teasing, “You little rascal.”

Yun Wei covered her eyes with her small hand, snuggling into Fucha’s embrace, and playfully complained, “I’m not a rascal, I’m Mother’s Yiya.”

Two days later, Aunt Rongxian dared not have any further ideas. Although she still acted as close to Fucha as before, she stopped mentioning Jing Hui’s marriage. She finally understood why Old Lady Jueluo praised her endlessly and said that she was far inferior to her.

In the main residence of the Tong family, Old Lady Jueluo asked, “Who do you think came up with this idea? Can it make Rongxian understand without losing face?”

Mama Lin, who was preparing the water pipe for the old lady, chuckled softly and said, “Who else could it be, if not the second madam?”

Old Lady Jueluo took a puff of the water pipe, a smile in her eyes, and shook her head. “No, it’s not Rongxian’s wife.”

Mama Lin paused for a moment, showing a confused expression. Old Lady Jueluo gently tapped her shoulder with the water pipe and said, “You old thing, pretending to be confused with me, hmph, do you think I don’t know how much you care for Yiya ?”

“Madam, Miss Yun Wei is here.”

The usually calm Old Lady Jueluo showed a moment of panic. The water pipe in her hand became hot, and she muttered regretfully, “Why did Yiya come at this time?”

“I don’t know,” Mama Lin said, hurriedly tidying up the smoking items on the table. She didn’t say much, just looked at Yun Wei with soft, watery eyes and sweetly mentioned the harms of the water pipe, making it impossible to get angry or frustrated with her. One could only comply, and even Old Lady Jueluo couldn’t hold out for long.

Yun Wei entered, sniffed the air, and approached Old Lady Jueluo. She placed the cloth bag on the table and took out the water pipe that had not been properly hidden from behind the old lady.

Old Lady Jueluo awkwardly said, “Yiya, I… I was just…”

Yun Wei relit the water pipe and placed it back in the old lady’s hand, smiling. “Water pipe isn’t bad to use, but we must stick to a daily limit.”

She pointed to the cloth bag and instructed Mama Lin, “I’ve made some special snacks. If Madam has the craving for the pipe, she can have a few of these. When they’re finished, just let me know, and I’ll prepare more.”

“Understood, Miss Yun Wei.”

Yun Wei lifted her small face, her soft pink lips close to Old Lady Jueluo’s ear as if coaxing a child, saying, “Madam, you have to be good and listen, okay? Next time, I’ll make your favorite boiled tofu.”

Old Lady Jueluo embraced her little granddaughter, laughing contentedly, and the room was filled with warmth.