My Husband Never Oversteps The Bounds Of Propriety - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Calculating Minds

In the days that followed, Shen Jiuyuan’s daily life proceeded according to a set routine, as if she had been fitted into a fixed and rigid mold.

Rising every day at the third quarter of the Hour of the Tiger (approx. 4:45 AM), she would wash and have breakfast before heading through the faint morning light to the Meditation Courtyard, the residence of the Mistress, Lady Lin, to begin her hour-long instruction on family rules.

Inside the main hall of the Meditation Courtyard, there was always a lingering scent of medicinal herbs, which complemented the indelible gloom between Lady Lin’s brows. Lady Lin sat at the head of the room in a purple sandalwood armchair, with a cup of warm, bitter-smelling ginseng tea always placed at her side.

The content of Lady Lin’s instruction ranged from the Su family genealogy and seniority to the interests and relationships of the various branches; from the personnel arrangements in the manor to the general distribution of family properties; and from the nuances of etiquette in social interactions to the minute habits of daily living. It was both trivial and vast.

Lady Lin’s voice was consistently straightforward and devoid of emotion, like someone reciting a long-outdated ledger. While she did not deliberately make things difficult for Shen Jiuyuan, she showed not a shred of intimacy. When she occasionally questioned Jiuyuan, her gaze was incredibly sharp, as if she were trying to pick out even the slightest trace of the Shen family’s perceived coarseness or defiance from Jiuyuan’s submissive answers.

“Although the household management is primarily under my control now, each branch has its own fixed quota. External affairs such as the estates, shops, and shipping are managed by your father-in-law, Su Jin, and the others. As a newcomer, your priority is to be cautious in word and deed.

Do not meddle in things you shouldn’t, lest you make a fool of yourself for nothing,” Lady Lin said flatly, taking a sip of ginseng tea. “Especially the financial transactions and social interactions between the branches gauging the proper measure of things is the ultimate test of a person.”

Shen Jiuyuan listened with her head bowed, her mind clear. Lady Lin’s words were both a warning and a subconscious effort to consolidate her own authority as the managing mistress, keeping Jiuyuan excluded from the core of the Su family power.

Understanding this, Shen Jiuyuan simply replied submissively: “Your daughter-in-law understands and will certainly keep to her place.”

On this day, as Lady Lin was discussing several of the Su family’s important silk shops and tea businesses in the city, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside, followed by a maid’s slightly panicked report:

“Madam, something is wrong! Qilo, the girl from the Second Mistress’s room, has fallen into the water!”

Lady Lin frowned and set down her teacup. “Has she been rescued? What happened?”

“She has been rescued, but she choked on water and caught a chill. She is now running a high fever and speaking in delerium. The Second Mistress has already called for a physician, but…” The maid hesitated.

Lady Lin’s face darkened slightly. “But what?”

“But before Qilo lost consciousness, she kept muttering… muttering that she had offended something… unclean in the water…” The maid’s voice grew lower and lower.

The hall fell silent instantly. The faces of several serving matrons and maids changed. In the Southern water towns, people were naturally prone to believing in ghosts and gods; in a deep manor like this, the slightest stir could lead to endless speculation.

Lady Lin pondered for a moment and then instructed: “Go to the warehouse and take some high-quality aged ginseng and soul-soothing incense to the second branch. Tell the Second Mistress to take good care of her and to ask for whatever is needed.”

Lady Lin then looked at Shen Jiuyuan, her tone rippleless. “You come with me to take a look. Although you are a new bride, since you’ve encountered this, you should show your concern.”

“Yes.”

Shen Jiuyuan rose, her heart stirring. Qilo was a highly favored senior maid by the side of the Second Mistress, Lady Wang. She was steady by nature; how could she fall into the water for no reason? And why was there mention of something “unclean”?

When they arrived at the Splendid Pavilion where the second branch resided, it was indeed a scene of chaos. Though Qilo had been fished out, she had only a faint breath left. She lay on a wooden board, soaked through and pale, while matrons and maids frantically called her name.

Lady Wang sat in the outer room, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief. Seeing Lady Lin and Shen Jiuyuan, she hurried to meet them, her eyes red as she spoke: “Sister-in-law, what a misfortune. Qilo has always been reliable. Today she only went to the back garden to pluck a few plum blossoms, how could she…”

As she spoke, Lady Wang lowered her voice with a hint of terror. “Has the manor been unsettled lately? Old Zhang, who watches the garden, also said he heard strange noises at night…”

Lady Lin did not respond to this talk, only offering a few words of comfort in her steady tone: “Sister-in-law, do not let your thoughts run wild. Perhaps the path by the pond was slippery in winter and she was simply careless. Focus on treating her; do not scare yourself.”

Shen Jiuyuan followed behind Lady Lin, her gaze quietly sweeping across the room. The maids and matrons looked terrified, whispering among themselves, clearly unsettled by the talk of “unclean things.”

She noticed a small cleaning maid in the corner; her eyes were darting about, and she was nervously twisting the corner of her clothes, appearing as if she wanted to say something but didn’t dare.

Taking advantage of the gap while Lady Lin and Lady Wang were talking, Shen Jiuyuan walked slowly to the small maid’s side and spoke in an extremely soft, gentle voice: “Do not be afraid. Did you see something?”

The small maid jumped. Seeing it was the new Eldest Young Grandmother with a gentle expression, she hesitated before trembling: “I… I think I saw this morning… saw that Sister Qilo wasn’t alone when she went to the pond. There seemed to be another figure, but it was far away, and I didn’t see clearly…”

Hearing this, Shen Jiuyuan was surprised. If someone had accompanied her to the pond, why was no one there after she fell in? Though she thought this, she showed nothing on her face, only saying warmly: “Perhaps your eyes played tricks on you. Do not speak of this, lest it cause more trouble.”

As she spoke, Shen Jiuyuan quietly removed an inconspicuous silver bracelet from her wrist and pressed it into the maid’s hand. “Take this to steady your nerves.”

The small maid looked at her gratefully and clutched the bracelet tightly.

Leaving the second branch, Lady Lin rubbed her temples, appearing tired. She said to Shen Jiuyuan: “You’ve seen it; the manor has many mouths, and a small matter can be spread like a storm. You must be even more cautious in your words and deeds hereafter. Do not get involved in these affairs.”

“Your daughter-in-law will keep Mother’s teachings in mind,” Shen Jiuyuan replied submissively. Yet she thought: The tree desires stillness, but the wind does not cease. In this deep manor, wanting to remain aloof was likely a fool’s dream.

It was afternoon when she returned to Yuanlan Pavilion. Dismissing her attendants, she sat alone by the window, contemplating the day’s events. Qilo falling into the water was definitely not a simple accident. The figure the small maid saw was the key.

Was it a silencing? A dispute? Or did someone want to use this incident to stir up waves in the Su Manor? The so-called “unclean things” were merely a smokescreen to distract everyone.

While in deep thought, she suddenly heard clear laughter from the courtyard, followed by the maids’ greetings: “The Eldest Master has returned. Greetings to the Second Young Master.”

The door curtain was lifted, and a gust of cold air from outside rushed in, accompanied by a teasing voice: “Your younger brother, Su Yu, has specifically come to pay respects to Sister-in-law. I wonder if Sister-in-law has adapted to the water and soil of our South?”

Shen Jiuyuan looked up. Su Yu stood at the door wearing an indigo-colored brocade robe with fox fur, a playful smile on his face. He held a folding fan unseasonable for the weather and his gaze landed on her without reservation, filled with undisguised appreciation and scrutiny.

Behind Su Yu followed another figure. He wore a moon-white silk robe with dark bamboo patterns and a black cloak. He was tall with a clear, handsome face, and his eyes held a scholarly detachment. Who else could it be but her nominal husband, Su Jin?

He had finally appeared.

Su Jin’s gaze also fell on Shen Jiuyuan. Compared to Su Yu’s heat, Su Jin’s eyes were like a pool of deep water calm, rippleless, and devoid of emotion. He merely nodded slightly as a greeting.

Shen Jiuyuan rose and bowed, her posture impeccable. “Jiuyuan greets Second Brother. Greets Husband.” The last word rolled gently off her tongue with a trace of imperceptible awkwardness.

Su Yu laughed and took a seat on a chair, snapping his fan shut. “Sister-in-law, no need for such formality. I dragged Brother here today. He spends all day soaked in the study and shops, nearly becoming a wooden man. I feared Sister-in-law would be bored to death, so I came to keep you company.”

Su Jin did not sit. He stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the courtyard as if every plant there was more attractive than the new wife in the room. He said coolly, “My brother is unruly; do not take offense.”

His voice was clear and crisp, like jade striking stone, yet it carried a chill that kept people a thousand miles away.

Shen Jiuyuan lowered her eyes, a proper, shallow smile on her lips. “Second Brother is lively and sincere, and Husband is busy with serious business; both are as they should be. I am doing well here, thank you for your concern.”

Su Yu’s gaze darted between the two, his smile deepening as he began to rattle off interesting anecdotes from Jinling City to liven the atmosphere. Shen Jiuyuan responded occasionally with a soft voice and a composed manner. Su Jin remained silent, his brow only furrowing imperceptibly when Su Yu mentioned a trouble regarding detained water transport goods, though he did not interject.

After a moment, Su Jin turned and said to Su Yu, “Brother, there are several accounts in the front study that require your joint verification. Do not stay here and disturb your sister-in-law’s rest any further.”

Su Yu seemed reluctant to leave, but he rose and said to Jiuyuan with a grin, “Then Sister-in-law, rest well. I shall come to trouble you another day.”

Shen Jiuyuan rose to see them off. “Safe travels, Second Brother.” Her gaze finally fell back on Su Jin. He still did not look at her; he merely nodded slightly and turned to leave with Su Yu.

From start to finish, Su Jin had not spoken a single extra word to her, nor showed a hint of the warmth expected between a husband and wife. He was even stingy with a direct look.

At her side, Lily’s eyes turned red with anger, feeling incredibly aggrieved for her mistress.

Shen Jiuyuan, however, merely watched their retreating backs in silence especially Su Jin’s tall, detached silhouette her gaze deep. Had Su Jin come today because Su Yu dragged him, or because he had heard about the second branch and came to test the waters with his new bride?

Regardless of the reason, his attitude was clear.

She sat slowly back by the window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold carvings of the frame.

Su Jin, you treat me as if I am nothing, so I shall make a life for myself in this Su Manor.

Qilo falling into the water and the rumors in the manor might just be my opportunity.

Outside, the sky had turned overcast at some point. A persistent winter rain arrived quietly, pitter-pattering against the eaves and window frames. Every person in the Su Manor seemed to wear a mask, and beneath those masks lay petty calculations and hidden anxieties; even without substantial interaction, Shen Jiuyuan could perceive them.

Especially Su Jin. Although he didn’t say it, every nerve at the edge of his eyelids seemed to silently proclaim that she, Shen Jiuyuan, was merely a mediocre person to be his inner wife, where did she get her confidence!

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