Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine’s Daughter

It was a cold and bright day in autumn. The streets were crowded. It was September 18th, the day for Luo’s Family to pick He Danggui up.

Yesterday evening, Mammy Tang came to the Taoist temple to deliver the message. She said to a Taoist nun who was a doorkeeper that Luo’s Family would send a sedan to carry Third Miss back to Luo’s Mansion next morning. She went here to deliver the message and saw whether should she help arrange the luggage. Then the Taoist nun guided the way. When they walked to East Wing-room, He Danggui was talking with Zhen Zhu in the room. Zhen Zhu looked depressed, and He Danggui wore a thick veil on her face.

Mammy Tang looked at He Danggui and immediately asked in surprise, “Third Miss, why are you covering your face with a veil? What’s wrong with your face? Do you need a doctor?” Mammy Tang was trusted by Madam Luo and was influential in Luo’s Family. Sometimes, she was the spokesperson of Madam Luo. Therefore, it was an honor to gain her solicitude.

He Danggui immediately stood up to welcome Mammy Tang. She carried a stool to let Mammy Tang sit and replied in a calm tone, “My face is fine. I wear the veil because I have a stuffy nose today and I’m afraid of catching a cold. So, I wear it to protect myself from the wind. After all, I live in the hill now. It’s troublesome to ask a doctor, so it’s not necessary to do this for me.”

Mammy Tang said hurriedly, “It’s not a big problem. When I passed by the hillside, I saw a farm. There is certainly a doctor. We may as well let the doctor give you some herb medicines to eliminate the coldness and help you sweat. Most importantly, Madam Luo always mentioned you. If she knows that you have a cold when you bless for our Luo’s Family, she must be sad.” Before Mammy Tang left, Madam Luo specially said to her that Madam Luo knew she was reliable. So, she was assigned to lead the sedan to pick Third Miss up. Madam Luo also told her that she should wait until Third Miss got better before leaving, stop the sedan often and check if Third Miss could stand the turbulence.

He Danggui shook her head, “As an old saying goes, ‘Inviting a quack is worse than no doctor’. Their medicines are mostly useless and may aggravate the disease. Mammy Tang, you are tired from your journey. How can I ask you to do anything? When I get home, there are my Grandma, uncles and cousins. Everyone in Luo’s Family is a good doctor. Even a young servant for sweeping in Luo’s Mansion can sing the Song of Prescriptions. As long as I breathe the air of Luo’s Mansion, I will breathe very smoothly.”

Mammy Tang thought it was reasonable. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Third Miss. Madam Luo asked me to take you home. The West Lateral court was also cleaned up and took on a new look, just waiting for you to live in.”

Hearing the good news from Mammy Tang, He Danggui did not rejoice and still said lightly, “So, we will set out at about 7:00 to 9:00 tomorrow.” Then she turned to Zhen Zhu and said, “Mammy Tang just had a long journey. Please arrange accommodation and the vegetarian food for her. Thank you, Sister Zhen Zhu.”

Zhen Zhu nodded, “Let Mammy Tang live in the side room of the northern yard. Ms. Liu and others also lived there before, and everything can be used directly. I will go to the kitchen to prepare the food.” Then she got up and left.

He Danggui looked at that figure who had the long hair reaching to the ground and signed in her mind, “Qiu Ping, you’re a nice woman. This gloomy Taoist temple is not your destination. Even if you don’t get married again, you can have a better life. I was hurt more deeply and painfully than you, should I hide all my life?”

Seeing Third Miss was not very excited when she heard that Luo’s Family came to pick her up, Mammy Tang felt confused. She put a package of clothes, jewelry and rouge on the table and said with a smile, “Madam Luo knew that Third Miss lived in a remote Taoist temple and couldn’t buy suitable clothes. The clothes we sent to the Taoist temple last time were plain shrouds. Now you are so lucky that you can’t wear them anymore. As there was not enough time to prepare the new clothes, Madam Luo thought Second Miss and you have the similar size. So, she asked for the dress from Second Miss. These clothes were made last month and Second Miss didn’t wear them many times. The middle clothes, inner clothes and embroidered shoes are taken directly from the warehouse. Will you try these clothes on, Third Miss?”

He Danggui opened the package, seeing a Qianshui dress with ancient pattern, two butterflies and cloud line, a gauze coat with magnolia flowers, the middle clothes made of cold silk, the inner clothes made of ivory silk and a pair of embroidered shoes in pale pinkish purple color with Ruyi design.

She looked at these clothes carefully and then smiled, “Ah, Second Sister’s taste is still so good. And the color is elegant, the style is simple, and the hollowed-out embroidered hem is ingenious. I really like them. When I go back home, I must make more sachets to thank her and my Second Aunt. How about my Second Aunt these days? She must be troubled by the trifles at home.”

Mammy Tang looked at He Danggui with surprise. In her mind, Third Miss looked like a gourd with few words. Why did she change her temper today? Mammy Tang had not noticed the quickness of Third Miss’s speech when they talked. It was strange that Third Miss now should take initiative to start a conversation with her and inquire the situation about Second Mistress Luo!

Half a year ago, Third Miss moved in Luo’s Family. This tiny and delicate girl was absolutely more beautiful than First Miss and Fourth Miss. Even Second Miss who was called “beautiful flower” in the East Yard and West Yard of Luo’s Family was also inferior. Madam Luo was tender to Third Miss who looked like a porcelain doll, and asked Third Miss to have breakfast and lunch in her room. In the afternoon, people of the East Yard and guests from Wu’s Mansion often visited Madam Luo, and sometimes Madam Luo would keep them for supper. It was inconvenient for Third Miss to accompany, so Third Miss ate dinner in her room and the food was from the kitchen.

At that time, it was the busiest time in spring in the mansion. Second Mistress Luo who was in charge of family affairs neglected Third Miss, so the kitchen kept bringing dinner to West Lateral court every day according to a maid’s standard instead of a Miss’s. Third Miss thought Second Mistress Luo was deliberately skimping on her food, so she ate a dish and a soup half a mouth in a maid’s standard.

When Misses of Luo’s Family were about to make spring dresses, Third Miss heard that and waited in her room for the tailor to take measurements. However, she waited until evening but no one came. So, she sent a maid to inquire about it.

The maid was a narrow-minded person. After hearing some hearsay, she returned to report to Third Miss and said that the tailor had gone back in the morning after he had measured for other Misses, and the person sent the cloth at noon. The other Misses had picked up all the bright-colored cloth, just leaving a few bolts of cloth with mandarin duck in a dark red background, which Second Mistress Luo had ordered to make pillowcases.

Third Miss was very angry after hearing this, so she complained to Madam Luo about her situation in the half a month. Hearing her words, Madam Luo called Second Mistress Luo over for questioning.

Second Mistress Luo was also very angry when she came in. She said, “The kitchen has always been managed by Wang Qi’s wife. Being in charge of the family, I only manage the kitchen when we entertain friends and relatives in the Spring Festival and other festivals. Even so, I’m already busy enough. How could I know the food or soup of everyone in the mansion? Since they sent you the wrong food, why didn’t you send it back and ask them to send the right food again? You came here to complain about it after eating half a month. Do you want others to laugh at the mess of our family affairs and my incompetence?” She was even angrier when she talked about making dresses today. “Early in the morning, every Miss went to Xin Xin Tang to ask Mr. Mai for measurements, but only Yi didn’t come. Mr. Mai was an old master of clothing workshop in the imperial palace. And he had stopped making clothes long time ago, but changed his mind to make clothes for Misses because he had a good relationship with our family. He waited a long time and left because Yi didn’t come. Should I be responsible for all mistakes because I am in charge of the family?”

Madam Luo saw that Second Mistress Luo was angry, so she let a servant send a cup of jasmine tea and asked Third Miss to pacify Second Mistress Luo. The misunderstanding would be cleared up by this way. In a family, some misunderstandings were inevitable.

Third Miss picked up the tea reluctantly and used just one hand to give it to Second Mistress Luo, making Second Mistress Luo unhappy. She said, “Qiong and Shao knew that they should serve tea to the elders with both hands from the age of 3. I know that you did not grow up in Luo’s Family, but even the girls who sing songs in a teahouse would know this small ceremony. Yi, you really didn’t know?”

Then Third Miss twitched her mouth and suddenly burst into tears. Madam Luo hurriedly asked people to wipe her tears and lead her to another room to coax her. Then Madam Luo complained that Second Mistress Luo was too strict to a 9-year-old kid. After all, aunt was just like a mother. If she loved Third Miss in the same way as she loves Qiong, the atmosphere in the family would be harmonious. Second Mistress Luo pressed her finger on the area between her eyebrows, and cried for a headache. Madam Luo also knew that Second Mistress Luo was hard in managing the family affairs and couldn’t bear to say anything more, so she assigned a maid to send Second Mistress Luo back.

Everyone in Luo’s Family knew that Second Mistress Luo was a straightforward person. This misunderstanding made her dissatisfied and she would not like the Third Miss.

Second Mistress Luo often held a tea, poetry or flower appreciation party on the first day and the 15th day of the lunar calendar at Bao Qin Ge. In addition to the Misses and Childes of East Yard, she would also invite the younger generation of West Yard of Luo’s Family, Wu’s Family and Sun’s Family. These Misses and Childes got together to deepen the relationship among relatives. The spring tea party would be held in a few days later, and Second Mistress Luo had prepared an invitation for Third Miss. Because of this misunderstanding, she was not willing to invite Third Miss.

Second Mistress Luo said, “All the Misses and Childes that I invite to the tea party grow up together, and they often joke with each other. Even if there is a contradiction, they would make peace on the dinner table. Now if Third Miss who is not familiar with them join the party, everyone will feel uneasy and can’t enjoy it. If she cries while the guests are talking, it would be a shame for all people in the East Yard of Luo’s Family. If she feels wronged at the party, she only keeps silent at that time and then runs to Madam Luo to complain about it, I would be involved and also wronged.”

Mammy Tang had witnessed all things. So, she guessed that although Third Miss didn’t say anything, she must have resented Second Mistress Luo. But now why was Third Miss still willing to inquire about the health of Second Mistress Luo and whether she was busy?

Mammy Tang thought for a moment and replied, “You are right. Second Mistress Luo is not very good these days, but she still insists on managing all the affairs at home. She is also very concerned to welcome you home. These clothes for you are chosen by her according to your size. Even Madam Luo had forgotten it.”

“Ah!”

He Danggui suddenly screamed. Mammy Tang was startled and asked, “What’s the matter with you, Third Miss?”

He Danggui’s face was covered by a thick veil, so Mammy Tang couldn’t see her expression. Only a pair of big eyes full of tears were exposed outside, which was very pitiful. She seemed to hesitate again and again and finally opened her hand to show the palm. Mammy Tang looked at her hand and then was startled. She saw several sharp white thorns on He Danggui’s delicate fingers, and several wounds were bleeding.