Read Novel Full CHAPTER 56 PART2
CHAPTER 56 PART2
Rely on Yin Huan to protect his daughter? Hah! Should his daughter ever stumble, Yin Huan would be the first to trample her down.
Yin Huan opened and closed his mouth soundlessly, his heart plummeting into a bottomless abyss, cold creeping through his veins.
When Madam She saw him struck dumb, she rushed to speak in his place. “Father, you truly have the wrong idea about us. We only wish for Yanfei’s good—”
“Out!”
Old Madam Yin’s palm slammed against the tea table with a resounding crack.
The elderly matron, usually all smiles and kindness, had at this moment shed her warmth. Her face was expressionless, her gaze like lightning, and her voice sharp as ice as she looked at Yin Huan and his wife.
Madam She: “……”
Madam She had been married into the Yin family for over a decade. Ever since she and her husband had been adopted under the old master’s name, Old Madam Yin had always been gentle, never one to impose rules or raise her voice. She spoke with calm composure, warm and mild in all things.
This was the first time Madam She had ever seen Old Madam Yin lose her temper.
Old Master Yin, however, actually smiled. A flicker of nostalgia shone in his eyes as he looked at his wife.
Old Madam Yin’s tone remained icy. “What now? Must I have someone escort you out?”
Yin Huan’s chest tightened.
If the household servants were to drag him out, where would his dignity be?
He hastily said, “Mother, we’ll leave at once… at once!”
Seizing Madam She by the hand, he quickly retreated toward the main hall.
At that moment, Nanny Liao came in from the other side, carrying a jewelry case. She presented a ruby necklace to Old Madam Yin. “Old Madam, is this the one?”
Diamonds shimmered around a central ruby the size of a pigeon’s egg, set in the shape of a rose. The “pigeon blood” gem glowed with a rich, fiery brilliance, dazzlingly resplendent.
Just holding it seemed to brighten the entire room.
“Yan’er, look at this—quite a piece, isn’t it?” Old Madam Yin’s smile returned, her icy sternness gone as if it had never been, her face glowing as she showed it off to Xiao Yanfei. “It’s from the West, the only one of its kind in the capital.”
“Ah, only a pity it didn’t come with matching hairpins, earrings, and bangles…”
Old Master Yin chuckled. “That’s easy. I still have rubies and diamonds tucked away. We could have the craftsmen from Jinyuzhai come and make a full set.”
The old couple grew lively with talk of jewels, laughing and conversing, leaving no chance for Xiao Yanfei to cut in. Their good cheer seemed to wipe away all unpleasantness brought by Yin Huan and his wife’s visit.
The couple practically fled the main hall. Even when they reached the veranda, they could still hear Old Master Yin’s cheerful laughter mingled with the girl’s bright, playful voice.
“That old wretch,” Yin Huan muttered through clenched teeth. “He’s already had a stroke, yet he still woke up!”
“Why couldn’t he just die!”
Madam She startled, quickly glancing around. Once assured no servants were nearby, she exhaled in relief and tugged his sleeve, shaking her head.
A warning: walls have ears. If such words reached the old man, the consequences would be dire.
Yin Huan’s teeth ground audibly, his eyes blazing with hate and resentment.
Those two old relics had never truly treated them as family. He had merely exchanged a few words with the marquis at the gate, and somehow the news had already reached them. No doubt they had spies watching him and his wife day and night.
Madam She tugged at his sleeve again and whispered, “Master, it’s already late May.”
“By now, the sea vessel should be returning. The accounts…”
She bit her lip, swallowing her words, a headache pressing behind her eyes.
If Yin Wan and her children didn’t leave soon, things would grow truly inconvenient.
The shadow in Yin Huan’s eyes deepened, dark as stormy seas. He leaned close to her ear. “That girl’s betrothal gifts haven’t been formally exchanged yet. Sooner or later, they’ll have to go back.”
“Just bear with it. A few more days, and it’ll be over.”
Yin Wan treasured this long-lost daughter far too dearly to take risks with her marriage. If they provoked the Duke of Wei’s household, the imperial betrothal itself might be annulled.
Madam She nodded gravely.
She thought the same—Yin Wan would never gamble with such a marriage.
And so the couple returned to their courtyard, marking the days, waiting and hoping.
But instead of seeing Yin Wan depart, two days later, the Duchess of Wei herself arrived.
Having received the visiting card the day before, Madam Yin had been so nervous she barely slept a wink. Dark circles showed beneath her powder that morning, though she forced herself to rally.
To her surprise, the Duchess of Wei was neither particularly warm nor cold—composed and dignified as always, but not distant as Madam Yin had feared.
From start to finish, the duchess never once asked why Madam Yin had left the marquisate, not even obliquely. She merely said, “A’chi left the capital two days ago to hunt wild geese. He may be gone for several days.”
“I had originally chosen the 25th of May as an auspicious date, but it seems he won’t make it back in time.”
“The next suitable date is the first of June. I plan to come then with the betrothal gifts. Would that suit, dear in-law?”
At the mention of Gu Feichi personally hunting geese, Madam Yin was first startled, then overjoyed—touched by his thoughtfulness.
After all, live geese were rare; most families used wooden decoys as gifts. For Gu Feichi to go to such lengths left her with no fault to find. Her heart settled at once, and she readily agreed.
She personally saw the Duchess off, watching until her carriage departed.
Before this day, Madam Yin had worried over whether to move temporarily to her dowry residence on Ande Street, or even retreat with her daughter to the marquisate until the duke’s family formally set the betrothal.
Now, all her worries vanished. Her spirits soared.
Returning to the main hall, she joyfully praised Gu Feichi to Xiao Yanfei—his thoughtfulness, his courtesy—and scoffed at the old rumors of his arrogance and cold heart.
She was convinced it must have been Gu Feichi who persuaded the Duchess to come in person.
Holding the account book in her hands, Xiao Yanfei listened with delight, her smile as fresh and bright as morning wind.
The elder couple, too, were all smiles, their faces glowing with cheer.
“A’ying,” Old Master Yin chuckled as he discussed the betrothal gifts with Madam Yin, “since the Duke of Wei’s household is presenting live geese according to the old rites, shouldn’t we also prepare in the traditional way?”
“Why not have a qūjū shēnyi made for Yan’er? She would look wonderful in it.”
Madam Yin agreed readily, but Xiao Yanfei wrinkled her little face. The qūjū shēnyi was narrow and close-fitting, with a long train trailing the ground. Beautiful, yes, but wearing it felt like being shackled—hardly convenient for walking.
As she drifted into this thought, she suddenly felt a light tap across the back of her hand from her grandfather’s ruler.
Startled, Xiao Yanfei instinctively drew back, clutching her account book, her eyes wide and glistening with a look of pitiful grievance.
It hadn’t hurt at all—the ruler was wrapped in several layers of cloth, so the gentle tap was no more than a mosquito bite. It wasn’t meant as punishment, merely a reminder.
“Meow~!” The little white kitten raised by Xiao Ye gave a plaintive cry, fixing its watery eyes on Old Master Yin as well.
Anyone who saw girl and kitten together in that moment would have felt their heart soften.
Madam Yin leaned close and whispered to her daughter, “When I was your age, your grandfather made me study accounts, arithmetic, and mental calculation under his eye. He used this very same ruler.”
“Yes, yes.” Smiling at the memory, Old Madam Yin added, “But he never had the heart to truly strike you. I even padded the ruler with cotton and silk, afraid he might actually hurt you.”
Mother and daughter burst into laughter together.
Old Master Yin struggled to keep a straight face, giving Xiao Yanfei a stern glance that meant, back to your accounts.
Obediently, she pushed aside her wandering thoughts and returned her gaze to the ledger, turning page after page…
The room fell into tranquil silence.
Not until she had gone through nearly half the book did Old Master Yin suddenly ask, “Well? Do you understand?”
Since yesterday, he had begun teaching Xiao Yanfei how to read accounts.
His granddaughter had grown up with no one to instruct her. Now that she was soon to be married, she needed to learn quickly how to manage household affairs and keep the books. So he had volunteered to tutor her.
Xiao Yanfei: “……”
She was a science student, after all—numbers came easily.
But this ledger was for maritime trade, a subject about which she knew nothing.
She could only tell whether the sums were correct or not, and that before sailing, the fleet had first purchased porcelain, tea, silk, lacquerware, and other goods in Dajing. These would be sold overseas, and with the silver earned, more goods would be bought abroad and brought back to Dajing.
Overseas trade promised enormous profits, but also carried immense risks: natural disasters, accidents, or pirates at sea.
“Grandfather,” Xiao Yanfei asked earnestly, flipping through several pages, “is this section here about buying ships and hiring sailors?”
“Let me see.” Old Master Yin stroked his beard with a smile and leaned closer.
But age had dimmed his eyesight. He squinted at the page, still not making it out when a maid suddenly rushed in, lifting the curtain with breathless excitement.
“Master, Madam—the Imperial Physician Wang is here!”
The Imperial Physician?!
The old couple and Madam Yin looked at one another in surprise.
They had not summoned him.
In fact, as commoners, they had no right to summon an imperial physician at all—not even the Marquis of Wu’an’s household had such privilege.
Xiao Yanfei was the first to speak. “Let Physician Wang come in.”
The maid darted out like a gust of wind, and soon returned with a grey-haired man in a plain blue robe, carrying himself with calm dignity. A young apprentice trailed behind with a medicine chest.
Physician Wang bowed respectfully to everyone present, his smile genial. “His Grace, the Duke of Wei, sent me to examine Old Master Yin and prescribe a tonic for his recovery.”
The apprentice puffed up proudly behind him. Their Physician Wang was, after all, the finest hand in the Imperial Infirmary at treating strokes and fevers.
“That is truly a kindness.” Madam Yin’s face lit with joy, her heart even warmer. Clearly, this was the Duke’s thoughtfulness for Gu Feichi’s sake—caring for her family as he cared for his own.
Though Old Master Yin’s health had improved since arriving in the capital, he still could not walk. Even reading for a short while left him exhausted.
As his daughter, Madam Yin’s heart ached to see him so frail.
The apprentice quickly placed a wrist pillow under Old Master Yin’s arm. Physician Wang took his seat and began taking the pulse, concentrating deeply.
Everyone held their breath, even Xiao Yanfei.
After a moment, Physician Wang withdrew his hand, eyes glinting faintly. Stroking his beard, he smiled. “Well cared for. I shall write a prescription at once.”
Xiao Yanfei ordered ink and paper, then followed him into the side room.
Madam Yin watched his departing back, a glimmer of thought in her eyes. She shifted slightly, but in the end remained seated, chatting and smiling with the old couple.
In the side chamber, Physician Wang dipped his brush and swiftly wrote out a prescription. With a final review, he set it down. “Follow this formula. One dose daily, decocted in three portions. Begin with five days.”
Xiao Yanfei picked it up and examined it carefully.
She had spent months studying medical texts, slowly piecing together what she had once abandoned. She had made some progress—and now, at a glance, she sensed something unusual.
Her grandfather’s stroke was phlegm and blood stasis blocking the orifices. By rights, the prescription should have focused on dispelling phlegm, promoting blood circulation, and replenishing qi. Yet several herbs here were chiefly for strengthening the spleen and stomach.
Her slender fingers tightened around the prescription. She suddenly raised her head.
“Physician Wang,” she asked, voice clear, “was my grandfather truly suffering from a stroke?”
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