My Husband Never Oversteps The Bounds Of Propriety - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Fan Pendant

Su-luo took the medicine formulated by Shen Jiuyuan, and her fever subsided. The night passed without incident at the Second Mistress’s quarters.

The next day, the Taoist priest from Baiyun Temple arrived as scheduled. An altar was set up outside the Second Branch’s courtyard to perform the ritual. The intermittent sound of bells and chanting drifted through the air, and wisps of incense smoke curled upward, adding a touch of mysterious tension to the manor.

However, perhaps because Shen Jiuyuan had extended a helping hand the previous night and stabilized Su-luo’s condition, the talk of “unclean things,” though still circulating in private, lost some of its certainty and gained a measure of skepticism.

During the morning respects, the gazes in Baicao Hall fell upon Shen Jiuyuan with a slight difference compared to previous days.

When the Second Mistress, Lady Wang, saw Shen Jiuyuan, she smiled before speaking, affectionately pulling her hand and saying to the Old Madam and the other female relatives:

“Mother, you have no idea; it was truly thanks to Jin-er’s wife last night. That steady composure, that medical skill she is truly a ‘daughter of a general,’ remaining calm in the face of crisis. Su-luo’s little life is halfway back from the brink!”

Lady Wang spoke beautifully. She both elevated Shen Jiuyuan and subtly linked the title of “daughter of a general” to her performance last night, diluting any potential criticism that practicing medicine was not the proper path for a lady of the inner chambers.

Old Madam Su, who had been moving her prayer beads, stopped her hand and looked up at Shen Jiuyuan. The scrutiny in her gaze lessened, replaced by an indescribable depth.

“Oh? Does my granddaughter-in-law actually understand medical theory?”

Shen Jiuyuan bowed her head, her voice gentle:

“In reply to Grandmother, it was merely that I was frail as a child. My mother was worried and invited several medical matrons. I listened to a few words by their side and remembered some basic prescriptions; they are hardly fit for refined circles. Last night was a moment of desperation, and I gave it a try, fortunately avoiding a major mistake.”

Shen Jiuyuan attributed the reason to her childhood frailty and her mother’s concern, which was logical and reasonable. It explained the source of her skills while appearing humble and unpretentious.

The Old Madam nodded slightly and did not delve deeper, merely saying: “Being thoughtful is always good. However, a woman should focus on the ‘Four Virtues’ (Morality, Speech, Appearance, and Labor). It is enough to know of these skills; do not become overly immersed in them.”

“I shall keep Grandmother’s teachings in mind.”

Shen Jiuyuan responded submissively. She knew that in such a noble house, a woman practicing medicine was not considered the proper path. The Old Madam’s words were a reminder not to take things too far.

The Third Mistress, Lady Zhao, curled her lip to one side and said with a half-smile:

“Second Sister-in-law is right; Jin-er’s wife is indeed capable. But a family like ours is not a medical clinic or a pharmacy after all. If the masters step in personally, it might make people mock us for having no rules, as if we can’t even afford a competent physician.” These words carried a clear sourness and intent to provoke.

Lady Lin, sitting nearby, remained calm. Hearing this, she said flatly:

“Third Sister-in-law worries too much. Jin-er’s wife acted out of a kind heart; saving a life is always a virtue. Rules are kept in the heart, not in such minor details.” Although she did not like Shen Jiuyuan, she was even less willing to see the Third Branch use the topic to humiliate the Eldest Branch.

Shen Jiuyuan acted as if she hadn’t heard, maintaining her submissive appearance. She knew that any defense or retort would be redundant; silence was the best response.

On the way from Baicao Hall to the Meditation Courtyard, Lady Lin uncharacteristically took the initiative to speak.

“It is truly rare that you could lower your status to diagnose and treat a servant, demonstrating kindness and virtue. However, in the future, you must be more cautious with such matters. Do not involve yourself easily, lest you debase your status.”

“Yes, Mother, I understand,” Shen Jiuyuan replied.

She could feel that although Lady Lin’s attitude hadn’t become warm, the subtle barrier between them seemed to have shifted. Her bold action and startling results had finally brought a slight change in the mistress’s perception of her.

At the Meditation Courtyard, the content of Lady Lin’s instruction today was no longer dry clan rules or family precepts. Instead, she began to touch upon the verification of the manor’s daily expense accounts and the analysis of specific social interactions.

Lady Lin maintained her flat tone, but her explanations were much more detailed.

“The Jinhua Silk Shop in the city saw its profits drop by ten percent last month compared to the same period in previous years. The manager reported it’s because there aren’t many new patterns from the South this winter, and customers were drawn away by the new Qin family silk shop opened on the West Street…” Lady Lin flipped through the ledgers, mentioning it seemingly in passing.

The Qin family?

Shen Jiuyuan’s heart stirred. Is it the Qin family of the Western Border? She remembered her mother’s journal mentioned the Qin family had been active in the South in recent years. She showed no change in expression and simply listened attentively.

Returning to Yuanlan Pavilion at noon, Shen Jiuyuan found several pots of high-quality Suxin winter sweets (wax plums) in the courtyard, their fragrance filling the air.

Lily reported joyfully: “Young Lady, the Second Mistress sent people to deliver these, saying it’s to thank you for your help yesterday.”

In the afternoon, the arrogant Miss Su Wen from the Third Branch sent a box of trendy Southern pastries. Although she didn’t come in person, it showed a significant softening of attitude. Even the evening meal sent from the kitchen was more exquisite than usual, with a specially added high-grade warm milk shake.

Lily looked at all this, unable to hide her excitement: “Young Lady, look, these people in the manor are much more polite to you now.”

Shen Jiuyuan sat by the window, leaning down to sniff a petal of the pale yellow wax plum, but her face showed little joy.

“Politeness is not necessarily sincerity. It is only because my actions yesterday showed them some utility, or because they temporarily cannot fathom my depths and dare not offend me easily.” Her voice was calm. “In this Su Manor, it is easy to add flowers to a brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow. Today’s gestures are but drifting clouds.”

She thought of Su Jin’s detached “I trouble you,” Lady Lin’s warning not to debase her status, and Lady Zhao’s sour, stinging words. This slight improvement was like the brief winter sun seemingly warm but essentially shallow, liable to be buried by the next snowstorm at any moment.

To truly establish a foothold was far more complex than this.

Shen Jiuyuan needed to understand the Su Manor’s power structure more clearly, find a force she could truly use, and make her nominal husband unable to ignore her existence any longer.

While deep in thought, she saw a small maid peeking around the courtyard gate. It was Su-juan, the small maid from the Second Branch whom she had gifted the silver bracelet.

Lily went out to inquire and returned with a small, neatly folded cloth bundle. She whispered: “Young Lady, it’s Su-juan. She said she couldn’t repay you for saving her sister, but she accidentally picked this up by the pond and thought it might be useful, so she came specifically to give it to you.”

Shen Jiuyuan took the bundle; it felt slightly heavy. Opening it, she found a fan pendant commonly used by men. It was made of green jade; the quality was average, and the carving was ordinary, but there was an almost imperceptible stain on the edge.

The stain had dried and darkened, resembling a rouge mark left by a fingernail scratch. The color was extremely similar to the traces left under Su-luo’s fingernails when she was rescued from the water.

Shen Jiuyuan’s heart skipped a beat.

Su-luo falling into the water was indeed not an accident. This fan pendant was key evidence. Su-juan giving this to her was an act of trust, but it was also a “hot potato.”

Shen Jiuyuan gripped the pendant tightly in her palm, the cold stone pressing against her skin. The winds of the Su Manor were indeed more treacherous than she had imagined.

This small fan pendant belonged to a man, confirming her previous suspicion: Su-luo’s fall was not a simple incident. But if she pursued the truth, what secrets of the Su Manor would be unearthed? Before her arrival, the Su Manor appeared harmonious; even if only on the surface, it was orderly and a house of etiquette. When had there ever been a hint of scandal?

Was she really going to pierce this hidden undercurrent and turn the secret tides into a raging flood? Thinking of this, she was quite hesitant.

Given her current status, it seemed she should remain quiet, guard herself, and in the slow passage of time, wait for the day Eldest Young Master Su Jin acts on a whim or a sudden surge of affection to come to Yuanlan Pavilion and favor her, waiting to have a child to firmly establish her status as the Eldest Young Grandmother, and then live out her life.

Furthermore, her mother-in-law, Lady Lin, had warned her to be cautious and self-disciplined, and not to force herself to the front of affairs.

Night fell once more, swallowing Yuanlan Pavilion along with the vast Su Manor. Only the wax plums newly sent by the Second Branch quietly released their fragrance in the cold night wind, as if silently foretelling that a more violent storm was about to arrive.

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