Qingyou Courtyard.
Shen Yiru was in her room making medicinal sachets with her four senior maidservants.
As Qingyao sorted through the herbs, she could not help asking, "Miss, these medicinal sachets can relieve Old Madam's coughing fits. Once she starts carrying one with her, does that mean she won't choke on phlegm like she did a few days ago?"
Shen Yiru placed carefully selected honeysuckle into a sachet. Only after tucking it in did she look up at Qingyao. "I formulated this recipe with great care. It should prove very helpful in treating Grandmother's coughing. Paired with herbal decoctions to condition her body, she ought to be mostly recovered in as little as half a month."
Hearing this, Qiuyan spoke up excitedly, "That's wonderful! Once Old Madam recovers, you won't have to go to her room every few days to attend to her illness, Miss. When she suffered her latest spell, you stayed by her bed for three whole days without break. Guarding her day and night must have been exhausting. Back at the Shen Estate, you never had to suffer like that."
Wenchany stuffed a handful of herbs into a sachet. "If you ask me, Lady Xie does it on purpose. Every time Old Madam's coughing acts up, Lady Xie claims she feels unwell herself. Then she says our Miss has superior medical skills, so it's more fitting for our Miss to tend to Old Madam. She just wants to shirk her own duties and bully our Miss!"
"Exactly," Qiuyan chimed in indignantly. "Every time Miss gives Old Madam acupuncture and medicine, the coughing doesn't recur anytime soon. Why would Miss even need to keep vigil overnight?"
"Hush..." Miaoqin lowered her voice in warning. "Mind your words, you two. Don't let someone with bad intentions overhear you. Everything Miss does, she does for the General. Her filial piety toward Old Madam and respect for her mother-in-law come straight from her heart. Careless gossip like yours will only end up smearing Miss's good name."
Qingyao nodded in agreement with Miaoqin. Qiuyan and Wenchany both pursed their lips and fell silent.
The four maidservants had been chattering back and forth animatedly, but Shen Yiru had no intention of scolding them. All four had been brought along from the Shen Estate as her personal maids. Having grown up beside her, they were fiercely loyal. Though each had her own personality, everything they said and did came from a desire to protect her. How could she bear to reprimand them?
She and Li Wangzhou had been childhood sweethearts, bound by deep affection. Their betrothal and marriage as adults had been a natural progression. Yet on their wedding day, as war raged between Dachu and Nanman, her husband had been summoned to the front lines by an imperial decree from the Emperor. He had been gone for two long years.
Her husband had marched off to defend the people of Dachu, and she was naturally proud of him. While he established meritorious deeds on the battlefield, it fell upon her to honor his elders and maintain the inner household of the General's Manor. Even if she suffered some grievances or hardships along the way, she endured them willingly.
Thinking this, a faint curve touched the corners of Shen Yiru's mouth. "Alright, that is enough, girls. The priority now is to finish these sachets. Once they are done, we will make two medicinal pillows. That way, Grandmother can sleep more soundly."
"Yes, Miss," the four maids obediently responded, nodding.
As mistress and maidservants busied themselves, Lady Xie arrived with her personal maid.
"Yiru, are you busy?" Lady Xie asked with a smile as she stepped inside.
Seeing her mother-in-law enter, Shen Yiru quickly set aside her work and came forward to greet her. "Greetings, Mother."
The four maidservants also paused their work, stepping forward respectfully to offer their greetings. "Greetings, Madam."
"No need for formalities," Lady Xie said, her face beaming with smiles.
After Shen Yiru helped Lady Xie to a seat and served tea and pastries, Lady Xie exchanged a few pleasantries before sheepishly bringing up the real purpose of her visit. "Yiru, a concubine of my brother back home has passed away. I wish to make a trip back, but the condolence money, as well as..."
Hearing this, Shen Yiru instantly understood her mother-in-law's intent. Without any reluctance, she looked directly at Qingyao. "Take the storeroom key and accompany Madam to select what she needs from my private storeroom. Then draw three hundred taels of silver from my personal account for her."
"Yes, Miss," Qingyao bowed in response.
As usual, Shen Yiru was extremely generous toward her mother-in-law. Lady Xie could not conceal her delight, her brow smoothing into a radiant smile. "Yiru, I truly must thank you!"
"Mother, please do not stand on ceremony. We are family," Shen Yiru said softly.
Lady Xie nodded repeatedly. "Wangzhou is truly blessed to have married you. Even I, as his mother, get to share in his good fortune!" After showering her with more flattering words, Lady Xie followed Qingyao out.
After Lady Xie left, Shen Yiru returned to making medicinal sachets, her expression calm as ever.
Wenchany, however, could not contain her indignation. "Miss, what is wrong with Lady Xie? Her brother's concubine died—shouldn't she pay for the condolence gifts herself? How can she have the nerve to come asking you for silver? Right after you married into the General's Manor, she handed over the management of the household to you. At first, we thought she held you in high regard. Only later did we realize that this grand General's Manor is nothing but an empty shell! She didn't grant you power to manage the household—she just wanted you to constantly use your dowry to subsidize the manor. She's simply treating you like a purse!"
"Exactly," Qiuyan agreed, nodding in a low voice. "Who spends their daughter-in-law's dowry like this? Aren't they afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word gets out?"
Shen Yiru naturally knew that Wenchany and Qiuyan were telling the truth. However, her dowry was substantial, and her mother had taught her the ways of commerce from a young age. She had long mastered business operations, so although the silver she used to subsidize the General's Manor over the past two years was considerable, the revenue generated from the fifty or sixty shops in her dowry far exceeded those expenses. The silver spent was nothing to her.
Most importantly, she was willing to make sacrifices for the General's Manor. They were family, and she had no wish to keep score. Her thoughts drifted back to their wedding night two years ago...
"Yiru, I am sorry, but an imperial command cannot be disobeyed. Wait for me to return, and I promise to make it up to you with a proper bridal night," Li Wangzhou had said softly as he shed his wedding robes.
Shen Yiru had shaken her head gently. "Husband, do not dwell on it. Go and defend Dachu. I will stay at the General's Manor and keep the inner household safe for you."
She had then blushed as she helped Li Wangzhou change into his armor. "Husband, I will wait for your return."
Li Wangzhou had drawn her into his embrace, lowering his head to kiss her forehead gently. "Wait for me."
Military matters were urgent and permitted no delay. And so, before they could even consummate their marriage, she and Li Wangzhou were separated, parting ways for two full years.
She reached up to touch her forehead and waved a hand dismissively at Wenchany. "Your mistress has more than enough silver. This small expense is nothing to me. I know you mean well, but my husband is fighting on the battlefield amidst great danger. How could I let petty domestic affairs burden his mind? Taking good care of Mother is also my duty."
As long as her husband returned safely in the end, nothing else mattered.
Well, Wenchany could understand her mistress's feelings. The bond between her mistress and the General, forged as childhood sweethearts, was beyond ordinary comparison. Besides, her mistress possessed the skill to earn silver. As long as her mistress was willing, subsidizing the General's Manor a little was hardly a problem...