Love Like the Galaxy

Chapter Five:
The Incident and Eating Melon

Most of human fear stems from ignorance. Before, more than half of Yu Cai Ling’s depression was due to her worries of the unknown future. After these few days of eavesdropping, she settled down. Her parents were shrewd, capable, and she came from a wealthy family. She had a number of brothers, including her own dragon and phoenix twin. No matter what, she would not be wronged to any extent.

Once the mind settled down, sleep became particularly sweet, and the medicine brought to her by her parents was very effective. She slept until dawn, her heart and lungs clear, and felt a bit more stable.

Turning her head joyfully, she saw that A’Zhu was already sitting on the sofa, arranging bowls, dishes and cups. Yu Cai Ling was both surprised and delighted to ask about the situation. Only then did she know that A’Zhu had become her own nanny at the behest of Madam Xiao. The two maidservants kneeling behind A’Zhu were also assigned by Madam Xiao to serve as well.

Yu Cai Ling wanted to ask about A’Mei and A’Liang but stopped herself and asked, “Have my parents come back? I don’t want them to leave this time.” Thank you, President Xian Yu for introducing her to Stanislavski. She hadn’t forgotten the self-reflection of an actor. How could a good child ask after her friends without thinking of her parents first?
[Stanislavski is a Russian character actor in the 19th century.]

A’Zhu’s expression darkened. “Young Mistress has grown up and it’s time to be aware of things. After the Master and Madam come back, they will be in charge of everything for you. You don’t want anything to do with the people your aunt and grandmother appointed for you.”

This was very telling. Yu Cai Ling pouted, pretending to be unhappy about it. “Since Mother knew Aunt wasn’t treating me well, why didn’t she send someone earlier? She asked me to endure all these hardships.”

A’Zhu smiled and said, “In the early years there was a lot of chaos outside and letters couldn’t be delivered properly. Besides, the trivial affairs of the inner house couldn’t be controlled in a timely manner, even if the Madam knew something. Your aunt and uncle were in charge of the family, and they assigned people. What’s the point?” Madam Xiao’s original words were: loyal servants are rare. Now was the time to hire people. Don’t get caught up in the activities of the women of the inner house.

Yu Cai Ling had had a smart and mean mouth ever since she was a child, and she wanted to take a stab at the ‘wise and omnipotent’ Madam Xiao. She couldn’t bear to when she saw A’Zhu’s exhausted face.

Since coming to this place, the closest person to her was the reserved, honest and considerate woman in front of her. At the time, in order to act cautiously, A’Zhu did not dare to find more servants to help and handled all the affairs herself. When Yu Cai Ling couldn’t swallow the medicine, A’Zhu took a bit of the concoction to feed her; in order to reduce her fever, in such cold and snowy weather, A’Zhu boiled water several times a day to wipe her down and change her clothes. As a result, the well water froze and she could only scoop snow to melt. A’Zhu’s fingers, which were originally well kept, had frostbite; because she disliked the greasy broth, she personally went to the mountains to dig through the snow and find little mushrooms and vegetables to put into her soup. It looked like A’Zhu hadn’t had a good rest in quite a while, so Yu Cai Ling decided to save her some trouble.

Yu Cai Ling lowered her head and said, “I will listen to Nanny.” The more time she spent with someone, the harder it was to keep from revealing things. It wasn’t that she was afraid someone would say she wasn’t herself, but the people here were so superstitious that Yu Cai Ling wouldn’t put it past a shaman or monk to pour boiling talisman water on her and say she was possessed.

A’Zhu was satisfied and began to serve Yu Cai Ling porridge.

If the original attendants were here, they would be amazed at how the Young Mistress became so talkative. However, after taking care of Yu Cai Ling for so many days, A’Zhu felt that she was a good child with a pure and kind nature.

Three small lacquerware bowls of the same color were placed on a wine-red wooden tray, and had strange little beasts depicted along the sides of the bowls. The slightly larger bowl had a fragrant rice porridge. The small bowl on the other side was filled with pickled vegetables – one of A’Zhu’s specialties. The last lacquered bowl had two small pieces of sweet milk cake. She didn’t know how much sugar was put in it but knew that sugar was hard to come by during this time. The two pieces of malt sugar candy she had in the countryside were enough to make the children salivate uncontrollably.

These were all things Yu Cai Ling loved to eat, and she ate them happily. A’Zhu looked at her with a smile, as if seeing the girl satisfied with her meal was enough to fill her own stomach.

During the meal, Yu Cai Ling asked after A’Mei and her brothers. A’Zhu said, “Thanks to Madam, A’Mei will serve the Young Mistress in the future. I’m not sure which Young Master A’Liang will follow, but they have become accustomed to the countryside. Now, Qing Cong is looking for someone to teach them the rules.” She turned and introduced the two maidservants behind her.

The round-faced maid was younger, about thirteen or fourteen, and her name was Qiao Guo. The other oval-faced maid was slightly older, about fifteen or sixteen, and her name was Lian Fang. According to A’Zhu, Madam Xiao, the ‘wise and omnipotent,’ had been trying to find reliable and loyal maidservants for her daughter for years. These two were the results of a thousand choices.

The corners of Yu Cai Ling’s mouth twitched. Shouldn’t a confidant be reliable when they’re nurtured by herself?

“Who is Qing Cong?” Yu Cai Ling asked, nibbling on a piece of sweet milk cake.

A’Zhu smiled. “She is Madam’s sworn sister. Thanks to her help all these years, you should treat her with respect in the future.”

Yu Cai Ling nodded. So, she was an aunt.

After finishing the meal, Qiao Guo carried the tray out of the room and Lian Fang quickly took out the half-foot-high lacquered wooden cylinder that was warm, and poured hot water into a copper basin to wash Yu Cai Ling. Yu Cai Ling was still hungry, but A’Zhu only gave her a small meal and told her, “Drink the soup later.”

After washing up, A’Zhu dragged Yu Cai Ling – who just wanted to lie down and nap – out of her bed and began walking with her around the room. “It’s cold outside and Young Mistress is still weak. Let’s walk around the room.”

Yu Cai Ling didn’t want to, but the reality was that in the past, Yu Cai Ling, who used to be able to dance, do the splits, fight and split bricks, was panting after walking just two laps around the room. Obviously, she had been able to hike in the countryside before, but with her illness relapsing, she had to begin from scratch. This filled Yu Cai Ling with anger. She took a break and cursed as she walked. She cursed that those with the last name Ge would fall, bend and twist their backs when they went out, and when they turned around, they would encounter another who cheated money and feelings!

By the eighth lap of the room, Yu Cai Ling was gasping. The round faced Qiao Guo arrived with steaming hot soup. As soon as she lifted the curtain of the room, a pungent and bitter odor wafted over.

A’Zhu helped Yu Cai Ling sit on the sofa and brought the bowl up to her. Yu Cai Ling took a sip. Numbness spread from the tip of her tongue to her forehead. It was bitter, spicy, and had a fishy smell. The combination made Yu Cai Ling burst into tears immediately. Seeing this, A’Zhu hurriedly said, “This is the medicine prescribed by the Imperial physicians. It’s bitter but good for life. Yesterday, Young Mistress took a dose of medicine and immediately reduced her fever.”

Nonsense. If it weren’t for the desire of a speedy recovery, ghosts would eat the moldy thing that the eighteen generations of ancestors didn’t accumulate. Yu Cai Ling groaned and lifted the bowl again with tears in her eyes. At that moment, she heard the voice of Lian Fang call out, “Lord Father and Mother are here.”
[I think this means the taste is so bad that she would rather have no good karma for eighteen generations. The better the karma, the better next life will be.]

Looking up, she saw that Cheng Shi had retired from his military uniform today, wearing only a dark-colored gold-embroidered silk robe, a large belt of dark silver, and no gold or jade ornaments around his wrists. Madam Xiao was dressed in a deep purple dress with large purple flowers, under which exposed a two-palm-wide light purple skirt, with a circle of snow-white fox fur around the neckline, her hair was a half-high bun with a golden phoenix and jade hairpin, and white jade earrings, which reflected her beautiful complexion and extraordinary demeanor.  

Cheng Shi saw that his daughter was feeling much better than yesterday, and he was happy in his heart. However, he didn’t know where to start. He could only sit on the bed with a smile, and Qing Cong helped Madam Xiao sit beside him. As a child, Yu Cai Ling had to continue to kneel on the futon with her head lowered.

Not only did Cheng Shi not know where to start, Madam Xiao – who was resourceful and scheming – also didn’t know how to begin. She could only cough softly and say, “How are you?”

Yu Cai Ling replied in a soft voice, “I’m much better.” She didn’t mean to, but her voice naturally became weaker when she spoke to them.

He shouldn’t have looked up. As soon as he did, Cheng Shi saw his daughter’s tears and reacted immediately. “Why are you crying?”

He was about to ask which bastard would dare bully his daughter so soon after returning until she said weakly, “I’m fine… the medicine is too bitter.”

Yu Cai Ling didn’t know how pitiful she looked. Her skeleton was weak, shoulders thin, and skin almost translucent after the initial recovery of a serious illness. She had a slender neck that looked like it was difficult to support her head and, to kneel on the floor, she tilted slightly. The voice was even weaker when she spoke. Cheng Shi felt that grabbing a cattail fan would crush his daughter like a baby bird. His heart and voice softened. “Why don’t you add some malt sugar candy to it?”

These words made Madam Xiao roll her eyes and solemnly said, “Husband is talking nonsense. Can you add anything to the medicine prescribed by the doctor so carelessly? Good medicine tastes bitter and you can only add sugar.”

Cheng Shi hurriedly said, “What Madam said is right.” He turned his head to his daughter. “Listen to your mother. When you recover from your illness, Father will take you to ride a horse and watch the lantern festival after New Year’s Day.”

These words caught her attention. Yu Cai Ling smiled happily at Cheng Shi; her pale skin tinted with a hint of blush. She was as cute as a jade doll.

Cheng Shi felt true joy in his heart, realizing that his daughter was indeed the most beautiful little lady in the world. The daughters born to General Wan could not compare to his morning glory. Next time he was out drinking, he needed to boast and be proud. Madam Xiao still had a complex expression when she saw the appearance of Yu Cai Ling.

Cheng Shi’s imagination was still lacking, and he turned to his wife with a smile, saying, “We have a beautiful daughter.” Then, he added, “It’s all thanks to my wife.”

Qing Cong rolled her eyes to the sky. She had always known that her Master was blind, and the Young Mistress was clearly not born like her parents. In her opinion, although the Young Mistress had a decent appearance, she was pitiful and not very grand. How could she compare to Madam Xiao’s high-spirited demeanor?

People had a preference for strong and tall women in terms of aesthetics during this time. Could this little girl grow taller and fatter? Old Madam Xiao was originally weak but her figure was not inferior. Qing Cong was thinking about it, and casually turned her eyes to see the Young Mistress looking at her parents with great interest. Her big eyes were black, her demeanor that of a newborn beast in the forest, she was lively and wild. Qing Cong was momentarily stunned.

According to A’Zhu, Madam Xiao had given birth to several children, including a girl who died young, and her figure was still voluptuous. This made Yu Cai Ling secretly happy. Cheng Shi was a lucky man.

Madam Xiao didn’t know what her sworn sister and daughter were thinking and turned to her husband. “…Don’t go out and talk nonsense. What’s the use of bragging about a girls’ beauty all day long? It’s more important to learn about virtue and integrity.”

Seeing him like this, Madam Xiao remembered how passionate her husband was since his daughter was born. Because of his mother’s and wife’s insistence, he had no choice but to be separated from her for ten years. Her demeanor softened and she sighed softly, saying, “Everyone has eyes. When Yong’er and his brothers come back with General Wan’s family, let’s take Niao Niao out to a banquet and garden. Just us.”

As everyone was chatting, a sharp and coarse older woman’s voice could be heard in the distance. It started with a sad and mournful main melody, and ended with an indignant ‘aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~’ that lasted a good seven or eight seconds without pause.

Yu Cai Ling couldn’t help but admire the sound and appreciated the emotional investment added to the long and loud cry. This was simply Old Madam Cheng embracing her inner Pavarotti and Li Shuang Jiang.* Then she wondered how could the cry be so crystal clear? Maybe the Cheng household wasn’t as big as she thought.
[Luciano Pavarotti and Li Shuang Jiang are two famous tenor opera singers.]

Only when she saw that there was no fluctuation on Qing Cong’s face and caught the look Cheng Shi and his wife exchanged did she realize that a good show was about to begin.

Old Madam Cheng’s cry quickly turned into a wail, “My son… my son…!” The sound quickly drew nearer, and Yu Cai Ling became increasingly more aware that this household was indeed not very big.

After the couple finished their silent exchange, Cheng Shi coughed and stood up to greet Old Madam Cheng. Madam Xiao unhurriedly helped her husband tidy up his clothes and didn’t forget to tell Yu Cai Ling, “Don’t just stand there, hurry up and drink the medicine.”

The couple was about to leave the room, but underestimated how fast Old Madam Cheng could move. Before Qing Cong could lift the door’s curtain, she was pushed back by a strong force. Old Madam Cheng rushed in like a wild boar hit by an arrow, nearly tearing the door curtain off.

This time, there was no display of a long string of servants behind her, only Madam Ge and two other women whom Yu Cai Ling didn’t recognize. The first one was about the same age as Old Madam Cheng, with a similar roughness in appearance, face full of tears and snot. The other was pretty and shrewd, looking to be in her thirties, even though the powder on her face was a little thicker, she was crying too.

Old Madam Cheng was in a very disheveled state, her gorgeous clothes torn apart at her lapels, the big golden hairpin as thick as a fire rod was gone, and she had only one big golden earring in. Tears and snot hung on her face and she kept saying, “You have to save your uncle…he will die…”

As soon as she saw Cheng Shi, she rushed forward with a heartrending cry. Everyone could only watch as Old Madam Cheng’s fist, as big as a wine bowl, began to pound on her majestic and full chest, making a frightening sound. At the same time, she didn’t forget to pull out her hand to beat her son. Cheng Shi, who was physically strong, staggered back a few steps.

The corners of Madam Xiao’s lips twitched as she took a step back and watched, thinking that it was a pity that her mother-in-law had been born a girl. If she had been born a man, she would have been a brave general. Old Madam Cheng’s fists were flying around and she took another step back. When she turned around, she saw her daughter moving to the corner in the same way she did, and she even turned her head and said something to A’Zhu. In the commotion, she only heard the words ‘…Grandmother should be a general…’ before A’Zhu pushed the little girl behind her to hide.

Madam Xiao was taken aback.

Seeing the chaotic situation, A’Zhu wanted to drag Yu Cai Ling out of the room, but Yu Cai Ling was so excited that she wasn’t willing to leave at this moment.

A’Zhu couldn’t move. She saw the Young Mistress clutch the bowl tightly, her body trembling. She figured it was because the Young Mistress was frightened and knew it wouldn’t be easy for her to go out into the wind like this while she was still recovering. The Madam didn’t say anything, so A’Zhu decided to just let her be for now.

While A’Zhu was making her decision, Yu Cai Ling, who had heard the clues from Old Madam Cheng’s howling, combined with everything A’Zhu had told her over the past few days, was able to figure out some of what was going on.

Old Madam Cheng’s maiden family was the Dong family. During the war, the Dong family ran away from death and only Old Madam Cheng and her younger brother survived. Things were tough until Cheng Shi began to make a name for himself. By that point, the Dong family relied on the Cheng family to make a living.

Unfortunately, Madam Xiao’s fingers were tight, and what fell into Old Madam Cheng’s hands was not abundant, let alone what was left to give to the Dong family. It was better to teach people to fish than to give them fish. In order to make the Dong family more prosperous, the ‘clever’ old woman asked Cheng Shi to find a job for Uncle Dong. Unfortunately, Uncle Dong didn’t know how to read books, and disliked the cumbersome and slow income of farming and repeatedly hit a wall.

Finally, a few years ago, the old woman heard that the war was beginning to ease up, so she forced Cheng Shi to secure a position in the military for Uncle Dong. He thought that with his nephew taking care of him, he would never be bullied again, and Madam Xiao had no excuses anymore.

Sure enough, in the past few years, Uncle Dong straightened his back and earned more money. He occasionally passed on news of Cheng Shi and his wife to Old Madam Cheng. Old Madam Cheng became more and more proud, and often asked her son for more money to give to the Dong family– the two siblings had a very comfortable life.

Old Madam Cheng was originally waiting for her younger brother to come back and report on her son’s recent developments. Before any news came, she received bad news. It turned out that Uncle Dong had secretly stolen military equipment and supplies and sold them off for profit.

For such things, even with leniency, family members would be fined, have their property confiscated and officials fired. The offender would also be beheaded and abandoned.

Upon hearing the news, Aunt Dong brought her daughter-in-law to seek help. Old Madam Cheng nearly fainted when she heard it. So, Da Xiong came to find Doraemon, who had already begged for his wife and was not very obedient.
[This is a Doraemon reference that I’m not too sure about. I’ve never seen the show and from what I can tell, Da Xiong is considered lazy but still a good friend to Doraemon? If anyone knows, let me know!]

Cheng Shi used all of his strength to peel off his mother’s hand, turned his head and caught Madam Xiao’s eyes. Yu Cai Ling noticed another silent communication pass between them and thought to herself, ‘Here it comes.’

Cheng Shi took a deep breath, shook out his wrinkled robe sleeve, bowed deep and long, then knelt straight down at Old Madam Cheng’s feet with tears in his eyes (Yu Cai Ling secretly cheered – look at his acting skills!). He sighed mournfully, “Mother! I heard this from my subordinates earlier this morning, and I wanted to tell you this but… I really didn’t know where to start…”

Qing Cong once again rolled her eyes. She knew her Master could really pretend to be a fool. She had come to visit the Young Mistress early in the morning but was trapped because she underestimated the speed of Aunt Dong and her daughter-in-law.

Madam Ge, who was holding onto Old Madam Cheng, saw the opportunity and said in a coquettish voice, “This is Uncle Dong! No matter how embarrassed Eldest Brother is, you have to save him!” As she spoke, she looked at the tall and upright Cheng Shi.

Cai Ling felt disgusted and thought to herself, ‘Another person who lacks a good mirror. You are at least eighteen times inferior to Madam Xiao in terms of physique, appearance, temperament, and knowledge. Why don’t you just save it, Pan Jin Lian?’
[Pan Jin Lian is a fictional character in the 17th century novel Jin Ping Mei and was considered a femme fatale and one of the most notorious villainesses of classical Chinese literature.]

Madam Xiao immediately took a step forward and said to Madam Ge, “It’s my husband who is kneeling down before Mother. If my sister doesn’t get out of the way, is she going to be bowed down, too?”

Before Madam Ge could speak, Old Madam Cheng backhanded her and angrily said, “Did you come here to see the jokes made of this old lady?” She didn’t want too many people to know about her maiden family’s scandal, but Madam Ge rushed over as soon as she heard the news. Old Madam Cheng knew about Madam Ge’s foolishness, she was just too lazy to pay attention to it.

The slap was loud and heavy, and immediately a large red mark appeared on her cheek. Madam Ge, ashamed and angry, covered her face and cried as she ran out of the room.

…

Eating Melon in the chapter title has a similar meaning to ‘grab the popcorn’ or the like in English. In Chinese, it’s used to say that there’s some hot, juicy gossip or drama happening to someone else and CSS definitely was enjoying the drama unfold in front of her!

I also want to thank everyone who has been reading so far! The response to this has exceeded my expectations by 1000% and I’m so grateful to you all!