Bai Xiuming’s interruption didn’t dampen Achan’s anticipation for dinner. Though her pancakes were indeed lackluster, with a hint of burnt flavor, the smoked chicken was truly delicious.
At night, Achan wrapped herself in the soft, thick cotton quilt she’d bought, falling asleep while still savoring the taste of the chicken.
Meanwhile, in the main house of the Zhao residence, a maid finished attending to Lady Xiao Lin’s washing and respectfully withdrew. Zhao Ming, the man of the house, sat at a table reading a letter.
“What are you reading, dear?” Lady Xiao Lin asked, holding her waist as she approached him.
Zhao Ming casually placed the letter on the table, rising to support her. “Your pregnancy is advanced now. Be careful.”
“I know, yet you nag me all day,” she said, though a smile betrayed her delight.
In all the capital, finding a man as attentive as her husband was no easy task.
Zhao Ming helped her to a seat by the table. Lady Xiao Lin glanced at the open letter, which bore the characters “Zhao Lang.” She only recognized the “Zhao” character, her husband’s surname.
As a concubine-born daughter, her mother had been favored for a few years. When young, her mother had persuaded her father to send her to study with her legitimate elder sister. The female tutor always praised her sister, saying Lady Xiao Lin’s mind wasn’t on learning. After two months, recognizing only a few characters, she begged her mother to stop attending lessons. She knew the “Zhao” character only because it was her husband’s surname.
“You haven’t said who the letter is from,” Lady Xiao Lin prompted.
“It’s from my parents back home, asking about your health,” Zhao Ming replied, glancing at the letter with a gentle smile.
“Oh,” Lady Xiao Lin responded coolly, losing interest in further questions.
Her relationship with her in-laws was strained. Her husband was gentle and considerate, and though his looks were plain, he was talented and cared for her deeply. But her mother-in-law’s past actions still fueled her resentment.
Years ago, soft-hearted and swayed by her husband, she had brought his parents to live with them in the capital after giving birth. At first, things were fine. But after bearing two children, her health suffered, and for two years, she showed no signs of pregnancy. Her mother-in-law, influenced by someone, secretly planned to arrange a concubine for her husband.
Worse, they hadn’t informed her, the mistress of the house, and brought the woman home.
How could Lady Xiao Lin tolerate this? She had a fierce argument with her in-laws, expelling them along with the so-called cousin they’d chosen for her husband.
When Zhao Ming returned, they quarreled. Furious, Lady Xiao Lin returned to her natal home.
A few days later, her husband came to fetch her, apologizing for arguing without understanding the situation.
She heard he had sent his parents back to their hometown and driven out the woman they’d brought. Only then did the matter end.
Later, Lady Xiao Lin encountered that woman twice in the capital, already pregnant. The woman recognized her and greeted her, but Lady Xiao Lin ignored her and left.
Since then, she cared little for her husband’s parents, leaving holiday gifts to the hometown in the hands of the steward, rarely asking about them.
Zhao Ming was used to her indifference toward his parents and said nothing, carefully folding and storing the letter.
Lady Xiao Lin then complained about their daughter. “I don’t know what’s so great about that Xue Mingtang. He’s got Wenyue’s head all muddled. As her father, don’t you have anything to say?”
Zhao Ming moved behind her, massaging her shoulders gently. “Mingtang is very ambitious and favored by his superiors. Given time, his prospects are limitless.”
Lady Xiao Lin scoffed, unconvinced. “Given time? How long is that? Should my daughter marry him and wait a decade for his promotion? And he’s a widower, which sounds ominous.”
Zhao Ming coughed lightly and continued, “It won’t take that long. The Jinyang Marquis values Mingtang highly. If he makes achievements in the Ministry of Justice, promotion is certain.”
Lady Xiao Lin shot him a look. “Xue Mingtang is the Jinyang Marquis’s brother-in-law, and you’re his sister’s husband. Has he ever helped you? Yet you eagerly cozy up to him.”
Zhao Ming, embarrassed, could only explain stiffly, “I know you want the best for Wenyue, but the matches you’ve considered for her, though from prominent families, are with men of little ability. Some haven’t even passed the scholar exams and are mostly wastrels.”
“Didn’t you once tell me it’s good to rest under a big tree’s shade? I chose favored legitimate sons. If they want to enter officialdom, they don’t need to rely solely on exams. They may be reckless before marriage, but they’ll settle down after.”
The couple argued over their daughter’s marriage, neither convincing the other. Near the end of the hài hour (9 PM to 11 PM), Lady Xiao Lin, yawning, finally went to bed.
In a foul mood, she refused to let Zhao Ming sleep in the bed, banishing him to the outer room.
Zhao Ming, accustomed to his wife’s whims, took his bedding and slept on the outer room’s couch.
After the candles were extinguished, Lady Xiao Lin drifted into a drowsy sleep. In the middle of the night, she vaguely felt her belly twitching uncomfortably, thinking it might be the baby kicking. Too tired to care, she ignored it.
But in her haze, she seemed to hear an infant’s cry, sharp and piercing, jolting her upright.
Opening her eyes, the room was silent. Wondering if she’d dreamed it, the crying started again.
This time, she heard it clearly, coming from outside the window. The longer she listened, the more eerie and shrill it sounded, unlike a newborn’s cry.
Terrified, and remembering her husband was in the outer room, she fumbled into her embroidered shoes, calling as she moved, “Dear, dear?”
The outer room was eerily quiet, as if no one was there.
Struggling to reach the door, she heard the window bang open, the infant’s cry growing clearer.
Her scalp prickled with fear, and her belly ached from the shock. Clutching her stomach with one hand and the doorframe with the other, she slid to the floor.
At that moment, a candlelight flickered in the outer room.
Zhao Ming, hair loose and in his underclothes, hurried over with a candlestick.
Seeing his wife on the floor, he quickly called for the night-watch maid to fetch a physician and helped Lady Xiao Lin up.
As he assisted her back to bed, looking perfectly normal, she gripped his wrist tightly. “Dear, didn’t you hear it?”
“Hear what?” Zhao Ming asked, confused.
“The infant crying, right outside the window,” she said, pointing to the open window. “It just opened by itself.”
Zhao Ming helped her to bed, then went to the window, peering out. He saw nothing.
Closing it, he returned to her side, comforting her. “There’s nothing outside. The window probably wasn’t latched and was blown open by the wind.”
“But I can still hear the crying. What’s going on?” Since her husband appeared, the sound seemed to have softened.
Looking at his anxious wife, Zhao Ming said, “As scholars say, if you’ve done no wrong in life, you needn’t fear ghosts at midnight. If Madam has done no wrong, what is there to fear?”
Lady Xiao Lin swatted his hand. “How do you know the ghost has heard that saying?”
As she spoke, the crying stopped. Looking at her husband’s gentle face in the candlelight, she wondered if she’d misheard.
That night, after Madam was startled and disturbed her pregnancy, the household servants were busy all night.
By dawn, Zhao Ming had to attend court, and Lady Xiao Lin finally fell asleep.
Achan was unaware of the Zhao residence’s events. Remembering yesterday’s agreement, she took the sachet and went to the Zhao household when the time was right.
The gatekeeper didn’t dare let her in without permission, only passing on her arrival.
Soon, Sun Mama hurried out, looking less tidy than usual, her hair not even properly pinned.
Seeing Achan, some of the worry on Sun Mama’s face eased. “Sorry to make you come all this way, Miss Chan. It’s bad timing. Last night, Madam disturbed her pregnancy and is resting now, unable to see anyone.”
“Aunt disturbed her pregnancy? What happened? Didn’t the physician say rest would be enough yesterday?” Achan asked, puzzled.
She didn’t think this was an excuse to avoid her. With her aunt’s personality, she wouldn’t bother with pretexts if she didn’t want to see someone.
Sun Mama sighed. “Exactly. Last night, Madam said she heard an infant crying, but the master and the night-watch maid heard nothing. We don’t know what’s going on. The master’s gone to his duties, Madam’s still sleeping, and I’m at a loss.”
Achan thought for a moment before saying, “If it’s just an infant’s cry, it might not be an infant. I’ve read some tales of the strange. They say certain insects or spirited creatures can make sounds like a baby’s cry. If Aunt wants to investigate, she could look into that.”
Sun Mama’s eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly. “You’re so knowledgeable, Miss. I’ll have someone look into it.”
Achan handed her the sachet. “This is the incense I made yesterday, for repelling insects. It uses common materials. It’s for you, Sun Mama. Please don’t place it near Aunt; prolonged exposure to incense isn’t good for her health.”
“Don’t worry, Miss, I’ll remember. Go home and rest. When Madam recovers, I’ll fetch you again.”
“Good. Please take care of Aunt.”
Not seeing Lady Xiao Lin, Achan still achieved her purpose for coming.
After parting with Sun Mama, she walked along the Zhao residence’s wall toward the back street.
Near the back gate, she saw her cousin from the Zhao family again. He held a fish basket, with live fish still wriggling inside.
The fishy smell was strong, noticeable even from over ten meters away.
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