At this moment, the small matter of scratching her hand injury was not important.
The adoptive mother asked in surprise, "What's going on? I heard commotion from Tongluo Alley. Has some misfortune befallen a household? That noble person just now has nothing to do with our family, right?"
Ying Xiaoman had not yet told her adoptive mother about the Yan family's troubles. She didn't want to mention the unlucky matters brought from that unlucky place.
But if her mother asked, she wouldn't conceal it.
As the mule cart began its return journey towards the Capital City, bumping along the uneven road, Ying Xiaoman briefly recounted the whole affair amidst the frequent jolts.
The adoptive mother was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth. "After all that, isn't it just trouble caused by a fan? Can't we just return the fan to them?"
Ying Xiaoman mumbled, "We can't return it. The fan pendant has already been pawned. It was pawned for two strings of cash, so we'd need to redeem the pendant first."
Seventh Young Master chimed in from the side, "It's not about the fan. Young Master Yan's relentless pursuit is certainly not to retrieve a mere ivory fan. Rumors of him forcibly abducting a civilian girl have spread. Yan Erlang needs to find Xiaoman to prove that she willingly sold herself as a servant, to dispel the rumors. That's the Yan family's goal. Even if we reassembled the ivory fan with its pendant and returned it to the Yan Mansion exactly as it was, they certainly wouldn't accept it."
Hearing this, Ying Xiaoman felt both angry and wronged. She exclaimed loudly, "I didn't agree! I would never sell myself to be a beast of burden! I came to the Capital City to—"
The adoptive mother quickly pinched her daughter's hand hard. Ying Xiaoman gasped in pain, but managed to swallow the latter half of her sentence.
"Our family came to the Capital City to—ahem, with all our belongings, mother and daughter relying on each other, intending to live a good life." The adoptive mother turned to Seventh Young Master with an awkward smile, then said seriously:
"I believe Xiaoman. This child is sincere. As long as I'm alive, she definitely wouldn't sell herself to another family. That noble Yan Erlang from earlier must have made a mistake."
Ying Xiaoman, with tears of pain glistening in her eyes, was so moved that her eyes turned red. She nestled into her adoptive mother's embrace like a little fish, touched as the old woman gently massaged her all over.
Noticing Zhi timidly staring at them from across, she opened her arms to her as well.
Zhi excitedly pounced into her sister's arms like a little firecracker.
Ying Xiaoman held onto her mother's arm with one hand and embraced Zhi's soft body with the other, her heart as warm as a spring breeze. The return journey was just as bumpy as the outbound trip, but her mood was vastly different from the heavy-heartedness she felt when going to pay respects at the graves.
Although life in the Capital City was a bit poor and there were more troubles, including a troublesome enemy to deal with, they could still live well.
Seventh Young Master sat opposite them. The Ying family women often forgot about him as an outsider when they got emotional, frequently hugging each other in front of him, which he had grown accustomed to seeing these days.
There were still a few eggs left in the basket from the grave-sweeping trip. While Ying Xiaoman and Zhi were cuddling and hugging each other, he brought the small basket in front of him and began peeling eggs for them.
This man had an inherent air of leisurely refinement about him, making even egg peeling seem effortless. However, what he said while peeling eggs was so dispassionately calm that it was somewhat unpleasant to hear.
"The deep affection between mother and daughter is truly touching. But forgive me for speaking out of turn, deep affection won't move the Yan family. If Yan Erlang cannot prove that Xiaoman willingly sold herself as a servant, he will be branded as someone who coerced an innocent girl, and might lose his official position. What's even more terrifying than losing his position is losing face in the Capital City's noble circles. For the Yan family, it would mean complete loss of face, a great shame and humiliation. Yan Erlang will certainly do everything in his power to prove that you accepted his gift of the ivory fan, which means you willingly sold yourself."
The more Ying Xiaoman listened, the more confused she became: "He misunderstood on his own, and the Yan family feels they've lost face, that it's a great shame and humiliation. To prevent Yan Erlang from losing face, I have to sell myself to him as a servant?"
Seventh Young Master calmly continued peeling eggs, "According to the Yan family's thinking, yes."
"..." Listening to his words, Ying Xiaoman felt it would have been better not to have heard them at all.
She thought that life in the Capital City could still be lived well, just with a bit more trouble than imagined.
Tonight, someone had pursued them to their residence in Tongluo Alley, but fortunately, the new house in the north of the city was ready. It wouldn't hurt to move in a night early.
Ying Xiaoman discussed with Seventh Young Master, "Shall we stay at the new house in Seven Scholars Lane tonight?"
But Seventh Young Master said it wasn't necessary: "Let's take our time going back, make a few detours, and wait until it's dark to scout out Tongluo Alley. Perhaps the pursuers have already left."
"How so?" Ying Xiaoman asked, puzzled. "Yan Erlang brought quite a few people with him. What if he keeps waiting in the alley to intercept us?"
As they spoke, the mule cart had already traveled two or three miles.
The two gates of Louze Garden gradually disappeared behind them. Ahead, Yan Erlang's group seemed to have rushed away like a whirlwind, leaving no trace.
Seventh Young Master gazed at the dust rising in the distance ahead and said unhurriedly, "Yan Erlang is naturally arrogant."
"People who consider themselves clever and are arrogant usually lack patience."
*
Night enveloped the surroundings. As smoke rose from kitchens in various homes, the mule cart returning from outside the city stopped at a river bend not far from Tongluo Alley.
They made inquiries with the women washing clothes by the river, and just as Seventh Young Master had predicted, a group of fierce men had indeed come to Tongluo Alley in the afternoon.
Their shouts had caused unrest among the neighbors as they went from house to house searching for the "Fish-Killing Beauty's" residence in Tongluo Alley.
There were only about a dozen households in the alley, leaving little room for concealment. The fierce men questioned each family, and quickly identified the Ying family's home, which was locked and empty.
After identifying the residence, the group of servants led a finely dressed young gentleman into the alley. He paced around the door for a few turns.
"He looked like a noble person!" Auntie Yang whispered, "He couldn't stand outside your door for more than a moment, unable to bear the mud, insects, and damp smell. He left with a flick of his sleeve. Before leaving, he said that it was a pity for the delicate young lady, the Fish-Killing Beauty, to live in such a filthy place, like a pearl thrown into the mire. Didn't she want to move to a clean and spacious good house? Didn't she want to wear silk and satin, and live a good life with servants at her beck and call? He said he would come to visit again in a couple of days, and if she was willing, they would naturally meet."
Thirteen-Year-Old Brother Yang snorted, "The noble person brought many servants and spoke so arrogantly. They all looked down on the poor households of Tongluo Alley, comparing us to filthy mud — so no one told them that the Ying family was going to move in a couple of days, that you already have a clean and spacious good house to live in, and don't need the noble's charity!"
The adoptive mother was deeply moved and repeatedly expressed her gratitude, "Distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors! Thank you all for your help."
They quietly opened the door and returned home in the dark. The Ying family first went door to door to deliver some boiled eggs.
They lit the stove fire, and dinner was ready in an instant, steaming hot as it was placed on the table.
Zhi came bouncing over. Ying Xiaoman patted her head and ladled out a separate bowl of food for the west room.
Zhi picked up the bowl and chopsticks, placed them outside the west room, and expertly knocked on the door before returning to sit down and eat in the main room.
Due to the unexpected incident at the Yan family, the adoptive mother felt increasingly uneasy. She appeared distracted while eating, putting down her chopsticks after just a few bites.
"Child, come to my room when you're done eating," she said, turning and entering her room.
The other two, still eating, fell silent. Zhi, sipping her millet porridge, timidly asked, "Is big sister going to be scolded?"
Ying Xiaoman, picking at the rice grains in her bowl, couldn't be sure. "Maybe," she replied.
"Big sister, carry me in with you," Zhi whispered, her little head leaning close. "Auntie never scolds anyone when I'm in the room."
Ying Xiaoman smiled, reaching out to ruffle Zhi's little braid. "So you're a clever little one, aren't you?"
If her mother wanted to scold, she'd scold. There was no need for a little girl to shield her.
She lowered her voice and advised, "After you finish eating, go sit in the west room with Seventh Young Master for a while. Wait until I come out to the main room from mother's room, then you can go back to mother's room to sleep."
Zhi nodded, "Alright!"
The adoptive mother sat on the kang bed in her room, her hands unusually idle without any needlework. Her expression was very serious.
Ying Xiaoman sat obediently opposite her, hands folded neatly on her lap. "I've finished eating and washed the dishes. What did you want to say, Mother?"
The adoptive mother hesitated, studying the young woman before her who had grown into adulthood, as beautiful as peach blossoms in March. The more she looked, the more she loved her, and the more her heart ached. After a long moment, she wiped the corner of her eye.
"Child, you're already sixteen this year, no longer a little girl. In my heart, I wanted to keep you with me for a few more years, but as time passes and a girl grows up, it attracts the attention of all sorts of scoundrels. I'm afraid something might happen."
She picked up the porcelain pillow she had brought from her hometown to the capital, rummaging in its pillowcase for a while before pulling out a heavy blue cloth package. She opened it in front of Ying Xiaoman, revealing bits of silver glinting in the lamplight.
Ying Xiaoman's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
It was her adoptive mother's life savings, half a package of loose silver pieces accumulated over half a lifetime.
"When your father was alive, he was always talking about saving money. When we'd saved enough, he'd dream about building a tile-roofed house, making a stove, digging a well in the backyard, raising chickens and ducks. Later, it was all about buying medicine for me, buying medicine for him."
The adoptive mother sifted through the silver pieces. "Every New Year, he'd say he wanted to buy silk to make new clothes for us, but we could never afford it. Your father was a simple man; he thought cotton clothes were fine, not understanding how much a woman longs for a nice outfit for the New Year..."
"Sometimes I'd get annoyed with him and secretly keep some of the spare change, saving it up year after year. I've saved this much, and that thickheaded man never even noticed. When I counted and found it was enough to make silk clothes for the whole family, I started to feel reluctant to spend it, thinking I should save it for your dowry. I planned to casually mention it to your father when it reached twenty taels – he would have been so shocked his eyes might have popped out! Just imagining it makes me laugh... Ah, when your father passed, we had saved eighteen taels and six qian."
At this point, the adoptive mother tied up the open cloth bundle, weighing the small package in her hand.
"Child, this is all saved for your dowry. Now that you've grown up, it's true that this big capital city offers better chances of finding a good family than our old village. I've decided, once we've settled into our new home, I'll ask the matchmaker to make inquiries. If there's a suitable, hardworking, compatible match your age, you should marry. I'll see you off properly, with dignity."
As Ying Xiaoman listened, tears gradually welled up in her eyes. "Mother..."
The adoptive mother reached out to wipe away her tears, then suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly reopened the bundle and fished out a piece of old fabric from the corner.
It was a thick, high-quality brocade that might have been crimson when new, but years of washing had faded it to an old pink. However, when held up to the lamp, one could still make out the exquisite embroidery from years past.
"This fabric has always been kept with your dowry savings. I might as well show you everything today. Child, this is the swaddling cloth your birth mother left for you the day your father brought you home."
Ying Xiaoman took the old swaddling cloth in her hands with surprise, feeling the soft fabric.
The few remaining tears in the corners of her eyes suddenly turned into a waterfall.
The night breeze blew through the courtyard as Zhi sat at the low square table by the window of the west room, holding a cup of goat's milk.
Goat's milk was rare. On the way home, Ying Xiaoman, worried about Zhi's frail constitution, had gone out of her way to buy a skin of it from the sheep milk shop.
Crying could be heard from the east room. At first, it was faint, but as mother and daughter cried together, they forgot to hold back, and the sound suddenly grew louder.
Ying Xiaoman sobbed, "Mother, don't you want me anymore?"
The adoptive mother wept, "Who says I don't want you? I'm the one who can't bear to let you marry. But you've been eye-catching since you were little, we can't keep you at home. It's better to find you a good family to marry into early. It's better than always having to worry about some loafer from the fish market, or that Yan Erlang from the east of the city, or some noble from an official ship, or the likes of Master Feng from Three Lane Alley setting their sights on you."
Ying Xiaoman choked back a few more sobs, then suddenly stopped crying. "Who's Master Feng from Three Lane Alley?"
"Ah, I was afraid you'd be upset, so I didn't dare tell you. Last time, when you weren't home, a procuress snuck in to see me. She said Master Feng from Three Lane Alley had seen you once at the fish market and couldn't forget you. He offered five hundred strings of cash to take you as his concubine! I immediately called over Auntie Yang from next door, and we chased that wretched woman out with our washing mallets."
The adoptive mother choked up as she continued, "When your father was alive, I'd never raised a hand against anyone in my life. That vile woman made me lose my temper for the first time..."
"Mother, waaah..." Mother and daughter embraced each other, deeply moved. Their hugging silhouettes were clearly visible through the half-open window lattice, casting shadows in the small courtyard.
Zhi, sitting in the west room, listened with partial understanding.
"Seventh Young Master, big sister is crying so terribly. Is it because auntie is scolding her? Should I go to auntie's room?"
The Seventh Young Master got up to fetch the milk skin from the stove, refilled Zhi's cup of goat's milk, then sat back down at the low table, a hint of a smile on his face as he continued to fiddle with the pebbles:
"She's not being scolded, they're having a heart-to-heart. They're discussing adult matters. Little children shouldn't interrupt. Keep drinking your milk."