Chapter 290 - 289: Old-Fashioned
The Western clock chimed.
Mrs. Zhou looked up and asked Nanny Su to call Du Yunluo over.
"Lian Xiao won’t be back at noon, so you’ll come with me to Baijie Hall," Mrs. Zhou said as she stood up and walked out. "Today is the nineteenth of February, Old Madam should have been chanting scriptures all morning."
As Mrs. Zhou said, Madam Wu spent the entire morning chanting scriptures in the small Buddhist hall at the back room.
Banqiao led them over.
Du Yunluo glanced around the courtyard and happened to see Lady An’s figure.
Lady An served beside Mu Yuanjing, and her name as a maid was Qiu Rou.
Back then, when Mu Yuanjing married far away to the Liu family in Shu, Qiu Rou went as her dowry maid and stayed with Mu Yuanjing.
It’s said that Qiu Rou married someone while in Shu, but after her husband passed away and with no one left in the husband’s family, she returned with Mu Yuanjing when she came back to the capital.
These years, they’ve been like master and maid but have also developed a bit of sisterly affection.
Du Yunluo asked, "Sister Ba Jiao, is Aunt also here?"
Banqiao smiled and said, "Madam is resting in the Warm Pavilion, and Lady is keeping her company."
Du Yunluo glanced at the main house and realized that not only Mu Yuanjing, but also Mu Lianhui was there.
Mrs. Zhou and Du Yunluo did not enter the main house but went straight to the small Buddhist hall.
The fragrance of sandalwood was strong inside the Buddhist hall.
Madam Wu was holding Buddha beads in one hand, tapping a wooden fish with the other, her lips moving as she chanted scriptures.
Mrs. Zhou and Du Yunluo knelt beside her, hands clasped in prayer.
Nanny Su stood respectfully to the side. Seeing the incense before the Buddha was almost burned out, she took out three more sticks and continued them.
In the west Warm Pavilion of the main house, Mu Yuanjing lay slanted on the Arhat Bed, while Mu Lianhui sat opposite her, holding a cup of hot tea, blowing on it repeatedly.
Mu Yuanjing sneered, "How long have you been blowing it? Even if there’s a flame underneath, you’ll blow it cold."
Mu Lianhui smiled faintly, "Just passing the time."
"Mother has been chanting all morning..."
Mu Lianhui blew a couple more times, "Grandmother is sincere, today is the nineteenth of February, naturally so."
Many people believe in Buddha; it’s the same in the Marquis Mansion, except for Mu Yuanjing, who doesn’t believe.
Not just Buddhism and Daoism, she doesn’t believe in the Three Pure Ones, she mocks ghost and spirit tales, Mu Yuanjing believes in nothing.
Mu Yuanjing yawned, "Wasn’t it Sister-In-Law and Lian Xiao’s wife who came before? I seemed to see them go to the Buddhist hall. It’s been at least a quarter of an hour, why haven’t they come out yet?"
The window in the west Warm Pavilion was slightly open, just enough to see the activity in the courtyard.
Mrs. Zhou and Du Yunluo’s arrival was also witnessed by Mu Lianhui.
"It’s Aunt and Yunluo, they should be accompanying Grandmother in chanting."
Mu Yuanjing rolled her eyes and sneered, "Sister-In-Law I can understand, but Lian Xiao’s wife is so young, worshipping Bodhisattva so seriously, if no one calls them out, they might chant for half an hour or an hour."
Talking about being kind like a Bodhisattva, who knows if inside they’re good or bad.
In my opinion, what good is listening to Buddhist chants at such a young age? It turns a perfectly good person all strange and sinister, with ill intentions."
Mu Lianhui’s face gradually darkened, her hand steady as she placed the tea cup on the table. "Aunt, isn’t that a bit unfair to say?"
Whether she believes in Bodhisattvas or not, Mu Lianhui is used to chanting scriptures.
She stayed with the Imperial Consort at Putuo Mountain for three years, constantly hearing Buddhist chants.
What Mu Yuanjing said was like speaking directly about Mu Lianhui.
Mu Yuanjing suddenly frowned.
She said whatever came to her mind, initially intending to ridicule Mrs. Zhou and Du Yunluo, without any hidden insinuations, not expecting it to unsettle Mu Lianhui.
Mu Yuanjing, who often disregards both soft and hard approaches, grew irritated seeing Mu Lianhui’s displeased expression, "I wasn’t talking about you, if you misheard and took it upon yourself, how can that be my fault?
Looking at it this way, my words weren’t wrong, those four words ’strange and sinister’ do suit you. No wonder you’re still at home at your age."
Mu Lianhui’s eyes narrowed suddenly, her lips curled into a contemptuous smile, "I’m unmarried, you returned home, we both eat at the family table, Grandmother never blamed us, so why should Aunt laugh at others’ shortcomings?"
"You!" Mu Yuanjing stood up with a jolt, raising her hand to strike Mu Lianhui’s face.
But Mu Lianhui neither dodged nor evaded, merely looked at Mu Yuanjing mockingly.
Mu Yuanjing’s hand hung mid-air, ultimately not landing on Mu Lianhui’s face. She gritted her teeth, "For Second Sister-in-Law’s sake, I won’t argue with you!"
After speaking, Mu Yuanjing turned and left.
Mu Lianhui propped her face with her hand, chuckling softly.
Indeed, it was for the sake of the Lian Family.
Now the second branch is in charge at the mansion. Mu Yuanjing is at odds with the first branch, so to live comfortably at her maiden home, she couldn’t act against Mu Lianhui.
If she slapped down, Mu Yuanjing would be completely in the wrong, and even Madam Wu would blame her.
As Mu Yuanjing hurried out, Lady An quickly followed.
"Saying I eat from the family table, is this my choice?" said Mu Yuanjing, continuing to walk, "How could I stay in Shu, in that desolate place, with the Liu family’s short-lived men? Is this my fault?"
Lady An dared not utter half a word.
Returning to Manhe Garden, she lifted the curtain and entered the main house. Mu Yuanjing pulled off her snow jacket and threw it onto the ground.
Lady An bent down to pick up the snow jacket, gently dusting it off before hanging it on a rack.
Entering the inner room, Mu Yuanjing lay on the bed, her shoulders trembling, sobbing quietly.
Lady An brought in a basin of water, wrung a cloth, and walked to the bedside, "Madam, tears are bad for your health, let me wipe them for you."
Mu Yuanjing sat up and embraced Lady An, crying, "Qiu Rou, I don’t want to live with my family either. If there was a long-lived man, why would I return? I’m so lonely too... Qiu Rou..."
Lady An sighed quietly, wrapping her arms around Mu Yuanjing and soothing her back, "Madam, please don’t cry."
In Baijie Hall.
Madam Wu set down the wooden fish, and Mrs. Zhou and Du Yunluo helped her up.
After kneeling for a long time, her legs felt uncomfortable. Having experienced this herself, Du Yunluo knelt down to massage Madam Wu’s legs and knees.
Madam Wu smiled, "You’re such a considerate child. I’m old, my legs aren’t like you young ones’, after kneeling for a while they just don’t have any strength."
Du Yunluo continued to knead and said, "When I was with my family, I also accompanied my grandmother in chanting."
"No wonder, you have a good heart," Madam Wu nodded, "That’s enough, let’s go back to the room and you can help pound it later."
Du Yunluo agreed and supported Madam Wu as they walked ahead.
As they left the small Buddhist hall, Banqiao was waiting outside.
Banqiao informed Madam Wu about the argument between Mu Lianhui and Mu Yuanjing.
Madam Wu frowned and shook her head, "Yuanjing... sigh! Usually, it’s enough that she quarrels with her sisters-in-law, but now she vents her anger on the younger generation, what kind of aunt is she acting like?"