In the thatched cottage, three whale-oil lamps were lit, making the little room all the more bright.
They ate their dumplings and Xue Dongting was made to drink several cups of plum wine by Song Yuming. Now she was leaning against the piled up quilts, fiddling with Song Yuming"s new clothes.
Song Yuming lay to the side, his head propped on his hands like a pillow, watching his wife, a piece of straw in his mouth.
She kicked him lightly. “Get the tongs and smother some of the coals, it"s too hot in here.”
Song Yuming got out of bed and poked at the coals and ash with the tongs, turning over the blazing hot coals to reduce the heat.
“If you want to sleep, go ahead. I"m going to stay up to ring in the new year.”
She shook her head. “I"m not tired.”
He said nothing. There was nothing much left that needed to be said between them.
On the third day of the new year, they took some gifts and crossed the river into town and went to Cloudgem Lodge.
It was still Yuansheng who opened the courtyard gates when they arrived, but when the girl saw Song Yuming she gave him a hostile look, glaring daggers at him. She pulled Dongting to the side and asked, “Sis, has that guy been bullying you?”
Xue Dongting looked at Song Yuming and smiled but said nothing. Yuansheng frowned and whispered, “Sis, don"t be afraid of that guy, me and Mama Qiao have your back.”
Xue Dongting had still not said anything when she heard Mama Qiao scolding, “Yuansheng, what are you blabbering about over there? Hurry up and boil water for tea!” She smiled at Song Yuming and said, “You"re here, and you brought something!”
Song Yuming presented the return gift. “As it should be. Mother-in-law, Happy New Year.”
Mama Qiao was all smiles. She had once been a star in the pleasure quarters of the capital, so even though she was getting on in years, she still had a flirtatious streak and her smile seemed all the more intimate. She quickly said, “Come on inside and chat.”
She led Dongting and Song Yuming inside and ordered Yuansheng to pour tea. Yuansheng grudgingly poured Song Yuming a cup of tea, still giving him that same angry look.
Song Yuming smiled helplessly, and cupped his hand over his fist to Yuansheng. “Some days ago I offended you, Third Sister, please don"t take it to heart.”
Mama Qiao quickly added, “That girl, Yuansheng, has always been undisciplined and out of control, I ought to ask you not to take things to heart on her account.”
Xue Dongting, off to the side, pouted, “Mama Qiao, obviously he"s been bullying me, yet you take his side!”
Song Yuming chuckled and bowed to Xue Dongting with his hands folded in front of him. “It was my fault. Madame, please forgive me and give me a little face in front of Mother-in-law.”
Xue Dongting stuck her tongue out, looking all proud of herself.
Mama Qiao was delighted to see the two of the getting along, but she still glared at Xue Dongting, scolding her through her smile, “Thank goodness you don"t bully your husband, and when would you let anyone bully you?”
Xue Dongting felt hurt. “Mama Qiao, they say a daughter married off is like spilled water in that it can"t be retrieved. Do you really take me as spilled water? Do you have my back or not?”
Mama Qiao gave her a look. “You"re so clever and glib, you"re already as stable as Mt. Tai, what do you need my backing for?”
Xue Dongting was thoroughly defeated. She might be clever and glib, but she was no match for Mama Qiao. So she turned to Yuansheng and laughed. “Hurry up and get married so you don"t have to be run roughshod over every day by Mama Qiao.”
Song Yuming always knew his wife had a clever tongue, but he never expected her to meet her match in Mama Qiao. He was gloating a bit to himself, though he kept a serious look on his face.
Mama Qiao had the two of them seated and they chatted for a while. She herself ran to the kitchen to cook and Xue Dongting went to help her, leaving Song Yuming alone in the room with Yuansheng.
Yuansheng held her cup with both hands and sipped her tea while looking askance at Song Yuming, who was sitting upright drinking his tea with a leisurely look on his face. The girl couldn"t look at it any longer and decided to pick a fight. “I heard Mama Qiao say you have seen and went through a lot of things.”
“Oh?” Song Yuming said, smiling. “Mama Qiao brought me up?”
“I don"t see what"s so special about you, you"re nothing but a boatman who takes people across the river.”
He smiled. “Yes, I"m a boatman and a fisherman. Mama Qiao must be mistaken.”
The girl frowned, clearly not happy with that response. Song Yuming was not arguing with her on account of himself, which made her feel like she was punching cotton, and there was no joy in that. So she asked, “Do you treat my big sister well?”
“What do you think?”
Yuansheng still had bitterness bottled up. “I think you"re mean, not good at all! I don"t know why I see my Second Sister so happy, I told Mama Qiao all the bad things you did, but she just scolded me and didn"t say a single word against you. It"s really infuriating!”
Song Yuming just felt this girl was lovably straightforward. He couldn"t help laughing. “What bad things have I done to give you such a bad impression of me?”
Yuansheng hmphed, indignant. “Why did you ask my Second Sister who she was the other day? My sis is Xue Dongting. You"ve been married to her so long and you still don"t know who she is? That"s really weird!”
Song Yuming smiled warmly, remembering an adopted younger sister of his named Qiao Wan. Her father was a great general who campaigned in the west and so she was conferred the t.i.tle of princess. That girl was also innocent and naive like that. In the end she met a gallant xia of the jianghu and the two of them ran off together roaming the jianghu.
Innocent willfulness in a girl is a virtue, and so is kind consideration. Song Yuming couldn"t help but smile, thinking of his own wife, who was actually quite considerate and willful. She had both qualities.
Yuansheng screwed up her brows. “What are you smiling at?”
“I was just thinking how lucky I am to have married your Second Sis.”
Yuansheng grinned with delight. “Now that"s more like it. Let me tell you, my Second Sis is smart and gentle, taking her as your wife is like getting several lifetimes of blessings!”
Song Yuming nodded but said nothing.
Yuansheng thought a moment, then asked, “Mama Qiao said you"re not from Clearcreek Village?”
“That"s right.”
“Then where are you from?”
“The capital.”
The girl"s eyes lit up. “What"s the capital like? Is it fun?”
Song Yuming purposefully tried to whet her appet.i.te. He raised his cup and took a leisurely drink, then in a long, drawn out way, said, “If it was fun, would I have left the capital and come here?”
Yuansheng thought about that, puzzled. “But I heard people say the capital is much more bustling and extravagant than here. Why didn"t you like the bustling capital, but like here instead?”
He smiled. “Bustling, extravagant places are not necessarily fun.”
“Then… Then what kinds of people are there in the capital?”
“All kinds, all varieties. However… there"s also all kinds of desires there, so the capital is not that fun of a place. Underneath all the dazzling colors lies plots and schemes of every kind.”
Yuansheng was a bit taken aback at that. She lowered her head, not knowing what to think.