The Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 22

The morning lessons were all about the teachings of being a wife, mother, and daughter, with phrases like “obeying the father at home and the husband after marriage.” Mingshu found herself drowsy from listening. It was a struggle to get through the lessons on women’s virtues, and then came the needlework, which Mingshu still wasn’t good at.

The embroidery frame was set up, the needle and thread were ready, and the first stitch was taken.

Hiss…

Two gasps sounded simultaneously.

Yin Shujun turned her head and saw that Mingshu was also sucking on her finger, just like her.

The two were in sync.

Mingshu smiled at her, but Yin Shujun, still resentful, snorted and turned away.

The morning ended with the rigidly prescribed teachings. When lunchtime arrived, the young ladies of the academy were eagerly picked up by their maids as if granted a pardon. Mingshu noticed that, from start to finish, no one but Yin Liangjun had spoken to Yin Shujun.

“Eldest sister, Mingshu, let’s go greet mother together. I heard that mother made pickled goose feet today, and it’s supposed to be really delicious,” Yin Liangjun said, sending her maid to gather her things before excitedly approaching Yin Shujun and Mingshu.

Mingshu frowned slightly. The “mother” that Yin Liangjun mentioned was likely her stepmother, Madam Li, who was Yin Shujun’s biological mother.

Looking at Yin Liangjun’s warm demeanor, one might mistakenly think that she was the legitimate daughter of the household and Madam Li’s own child.

“If you want to play the dutiful son and grandson, you can do it yourself. I’m not interested,” Yin Shujun said coldly, not giving any face, and walked away.

Since Shujun wasn’t going to see Madam Li, Mingshu naturally wouldn’t either. Liangjun looked a bit disappointed, her pitiful expression as if she had been wronged. However, she quickly brightened up, waved to Mingshu, and joined the other young ladies as they left the academy.

From a distance, Mingshu noticed that Liangjun was surrounded by several girls. They clustered together, chatting, and several of them kept sneaking glances at Shujun.

Those gazes were unfriendly, like thorns.

Yin Shujun was in a bad mood, her pretty face tense, and she didn’t have the inclination to bother with Mingshu. She walked with her maid to the entrance of her small garden but didn’t go in. After standing there for a moment, she seemed to remember something and turned to head towards Huai Xiu Pavilion.

Mingshu had no choice but to follow.

The group hurried to Huai Xiu Pavilion. Today at noon, Yin Licheng was also returning for a meal and was in the pavilion. The maids were busy setting the dishes inside, and the room was quite lively with sounds of laughter. The maid holding the curtain at the door smiled and looked inside, not noticing the arrival of visitors.

Mingshu followed Shujun outside the room and watched as Shujun was about to enter, but then she suddenly heard Madam Li’s voice from inside.

“Good child, you’re very thoughtful. If only Shujun were half as considerate, I’d be relieved.”

“Why bring up that troublemaker again during a nice meal?” Yin Licheng’s voice followed closely.

Madam Li fell silent, and Yin Liangjun inside quickly changed the subject, trying to liven up the atmosphere. Even Madam Li joined in the laughter, making it seem like a happy family scene. Shujun, overhearing these words through the curtain, had an increasingly grim expression. The maid holding the curtain saw her and was about to pass on the message, but Shujun turned and walked away.

Mingshu smiled at the maid and quickly followed after her.

Once they left Huai Xiu Pavilion, Yin Shujun’s face grew even darker, as if it were shrouded in a layer of gloom. Wherever she went, the servants quickly avoided her, and no one dared approach her, fearing they might incur her displeasure.

Mingshu observed with a cold gaze, noting that Shujun’s social demeanor was the complete opposite of Liangjun.

After walking for a short while, Shujun stopped in front of a secluded toilet. Without saying a word to Mingshu, she went inside and shut the door behind her.

As the saying goes, everyone has urgent needs. Mingshu had been holding it in after spending the entire morning at the academy. Since she had been following Shujun, she hadn’t had the chance to use the toilet. Now that Shujun had gone to the restroom, Mingshu felt she could quickly take care of her own needs. She greeted the maid accompanying Shujun and then hurriedly went into the toilet.

After closing the door and finally relieving herself, Mingshu felt much better. Just as she was about to push the door open, she found it wouldn’t budge.

She tried pushing again with more force, but the door remained firmly shut, locked from the outside.

Outside, she heard Yin Shujun’s malicious voice: “Want to follow me? Let’s see if you’re qualified.”

Mingshu remained silent, and Shujun continued, “Do you think you can act as my mother’s lackey and spy on me? If a spider doesn’t scare you, how about a few more? Would you like some snakes to keep you company?”

Inside, there seemed to be the sound of crying. At this, Yin Shujun’s mood seemed to brighten a bit, and she said, “Want to come out? Then you’ll have to beg me!”

Mingshu whimpered, “Shujun, please let me out.”

Yin Shujun was even more pleased: “Begging? You wish! You’ll have to…”

Before she could finish, Mingshu suddenly screamed, “Ah—snakes!”

Yin Shujun’s face changed. Just as she was about to speak, the person inside let out a weakened scream, “I—I’ve been bitten, the poison… this snake is poisonous…”

Mingshu’s voice grew fainter, and Shujun started to panic, “Hey? Don’t try to scare me, there’s no way there are snakes in there!”

The maid next to her was already frightened out of her wits. In a panic, she cried, “Mistress, there really are snakes in there. Please let Mingshu out quickly. What if something terrible happens?”

This toilet was built for urgent use and was covered with grass and foliage. It was surrounded by many trees, flowers, and plants, and it was springtime with abundant growth, so it wasn’t surprising to find snakes and insects.

“Do not open it!” Yin Shujun said stubbornly, but she secretly moved closer to the door, trying to find out what was happening.

It was too coincidental to believe that there were actually snakes just because someone said so.

“Mingshu, we have no past grievances and no recent enmity. Why are you doing this to me? I… I…” Mingshu, whose voice was already weak, suddenly raised her tone, “If I die, even as a ghost, I won’t let you off!”

Just as Yin Shujun was leaning close to the door, listening to the commotion inside, Mingshu’s sharp voice suddenly rang out. The door shook as if someone had collapsed and slammed into it, which startled Yin Shujun.

The maid was on the verge of tears, and Yin Shujun still wouldn’t open the door. She called out, “Hey?! Don’t try to scare me! It’s not that easy to die. Hey, Lu Mingshu!”

After calling out several times with no response from inside, Yin Shujun began to panic. She had only intended to teach Lu Mingshu a lesson, not to endanger her life.

“Hey! Wake up!” She called out to Mingshu while hurriedly unlocking the door.

Once the lock was removed and the door creaked open, Shujun peered through the gap and unexpectedly came face to face with an eye. The eye stared directly at her, and the dim light in the toilet made it seem as if the eye was floating in mid-air. Shujun’s scalp tingled, and before she could react, the door was suddenly pushed open from inside. With Mingshu’s loud “Ah!” Shujun was so startled that she stumbled back and fell to the ground.

She almost wet herself from the shock.

The maid, still with tears in her eyes, stood by in shock, forgetting to help her own mistress up.

“You, you, you…” Shujun’s heart raced, her legs weak and unable to stand. She pointed at Mingshu, unable to speak.

Mingshu straightened her clothes and walked out calmly, saying, “Oh dear, why is Mistress Shujun sitting on the ground? It’s chilly in the spring, so be careful not to catch a cold. Hurry, get up.” The last part was directed at the maid.

As she spoke, Mingshu bent down and helped Shujun up, with the maid finally snapping out of her daze and rushing to assist.

Still smiling, Mingshu said, “Mistress Shujun, let me help you. After all this fuss, I’m hungry. Let’s go back and have a meal.”

So, the entire Yin household witnessed a surprising scene.

The new companion Lu Mingshu strutted through the estate, assisting Yin Shujun, who showed no signs of resistance.

By the next day, Mingshu’s name was known throughout the entire Yin residence.

After two rounds of conflict, each ending with Yin Shujun’s defeat, the troublesome girl finally settled down a bit. She stopped bothering Mingshu, though it was unclear whether she was truly intimidated or was plotting something else in secret.

As long as she didn’t provoke Mingshu, Mingshu remained unobtrusive. They ate, entered, and exited together, with Shujun consistently displaying a cold attitude towards Mingshu. Mingshu paid her no mind, continuing with her meals and drinks as usual, and regularly submitted reports on Shujun to Madam Li.

Madam Li was very pleased with Mingshu and made an exception by granting her a monthly allowance, encouraging her to keep up the good work.

With the five taels of silver in hand, Mingshu’s gaze towards Shujun became notably kinder.

In addition to the records she submitted to Madam Li, Mingshu kept a separate notebook to document the behavior and actions of others in the Yin household. Observing as a bystander, she found that Shujun did not match the malicious reputation she had been rumored to have. If Shujun were truly the heartless and vicious person described, she wouldn’t have been so flustered when Mingshu pretended to be bitten by a snake. Shujun should have been pleased if Mingshu had been harmed or injured.

Mingshu always felt that Yin Shujun’s sudden change in temperament was inexplicably strange, especially after their interactions, this feeling only intensified.

Her elder brother had advised her not to listen to rumors or take sides, and she had taken his words to heart.

Thinking of Lu Chang, she found herself somewhat distracted. When she came to her senses, she realized she had accidentally scribbled a sketch of a person on the paper. She glared at the sketch and muttered, “Not letting me go to the academy? Fine, I won’t go. Who cares about you, hmph! If you have the guts, don’t come back!”

Despite saying this, she… still missed her elder brother a bit.

“Achoo—”

Lu Chang sneezed, not sure if it was because of a sudden chill from the mountains or something else.

Perhaps it was Mingshu cursing him?

When he had sent her down the mountain that day, her eyes were filled with resentment. He guessed that she would hold a grudge.

Thinking of Mingshu, Lu Chang put down his book. In the dimly lit corridor, with only a lone lamp casting light on the thousand bamboo stalks outside the window, the mountain scene seemed even more tranquil and dull. Mingshu’s smile flashed before his eyes, somehow stirring a faint, unbidden smile at the corner of his lips.

Well, in a few days, he’ll have a break. He’ll go home then.

After a few days of calm, there was no progress in the relationship between Mingshu and Yin Shujun. They still disliked each other, but Mingshu’s relations with the other members of the Yin household had greatly improved.

As for popularity, Mingshu had always been the kind of person who was well-liked from childhood. Not only was she pleasant to look at and always smiling, but she was also thoughtful and polite in her speech, without any pretensions. This not only won her the favor of elders but also made her popular with her peers. This was somewhat different from Yin Liangjun’s popularity.

In just a few days in the Yin household, Mingshu had become a hero among the young people of the Yin family. Not only did the young women admire her, but even the young men would linger in the long corridor of the Runwen Pavilion after classes to watch Mingshu.

“That’s her, the fierce one who catches spiders with her bare hands.”

“I heard she taught our head maid a lesson in the toilet. Impressive!”

“That’s right, even the young ladies don’t dare to challenge her now.”

“She’s also extremely pretty…”

Mingshu walked past the various gazes and comments, almost bowing in acknowledgment to the crowd.

Her popularity brought her many benefits, and she naturally became integrated into the lower ranks of the Yin household. Whenever she wasn’t required to follow Yin Shujun, she would grab some melon seeds or peanuts, tuck them in a handkerchief, and either hide in the garden or sneak into the kitchen. She would chat with the maids and cooks, gathering all sorts of gossip about the Yin family, even learning about private matters like which daughter-in-law gave birth before seven months of pregnancy.

Of course, she listened and observed more than she spoke. She always approached conversations with curiosity and admiration, giving the impression of being genuinely interested, which made the gossipers more enthusiastic and willing to open up.

Meanwhile, Yin Shujun saw Mingshu’s behavior and considered her to be just like the talkative servants she despised, harboring a deep resentment.

On a sunny day, Mingshu, as usual, followed Yin Shujun back from the Runwen Pavilion, and no one spoke along the way.

When they reached a small stone bridge, a snow-white raccoon suddenly darted across their path. Yin Shujun stopped in her tracks. The raccoon was strikingly beautiful, with sapphire-blue eyes that resembled jewels. It stood by the bridge pillar, scratching its head with its paw, seemingly unafraid of humans.

Yin Shujun stared at it for a moment before suddenly walking towards the raccoon.

Mingshu noticed that Shuangyan, the maid closely following Yin Shujun, tensed up. Shuangyan was only around twelve years old, still quite young. Originally, she wasn’t supposed to be Yin Shujun’s personal maid but was assigned as a second-tier maid responsible for chores like boiling water and cleaning. However, after the previous senior maid in Yin Shujun’s room was mistreated and left, Shuangyan had been promoted to this position.

Her previous maids had all been mistreated, so no one in the entire household dared to go near her room. That’s why this young and inexperienced Shuangyan had been promoted to fill the vacancy, temporarily serving Yin Shujun.

Mingshu noticed that Shuangyan was gripping the hem of her dress, her face tense as she stared at Yin Shujun. However, Yin Shujun merely approached the raccoon, reaching out to gently stroke the fine fur behind its ears. The raccoon seemed to enjoy the attention, purring and half-closing its eyes. Yin Shujun smiled, but Shuangyan, trembling with fear, whispered urgently to Mingshu, “Mingshu, please… stop her.”

At first, Mingshu was puzzled, but then she quickly realized the situation.

Yin Shujun had a notorious reputation for mistreating animals. Mingshu had learned from her inquiries in the Yin household that Yin Shujun had once kept a raccoon and a rabbit in her room for many years and was very fond of them. However, two years ago, a servant had witnessed the raccoon and rabbit being disemboweled and killed under the flowers and trees in Yin Shujun’s small garden, with Yin Shujun squatting beside the dead animals, holding bloody scissors in her hands.

The rumors about Yin Shujun’s cruelty to animals had started circulating from that time. Since then, any animal that came near her had met a grim fate, solidifying her reputation for cruelty. As a result, there were no animals left around her.

“Is she… going to throw this raccoon into the river?” Shuangyan trembled, too afraid to stop Yin Shujun.

Yin Shujun had already reached out, skillfully grabbing the raccoon’s neck, intending to lift it up. The shadows from the trees fell on her face, and because of the rumors, her smile took on a sinister edge that made people feel uneasy.

Mingshu was about to step forward when an angry shout suddenly came from the bridge.

“Yin Shujun, let go of my cat!”

Yin Shujun’s hand recoiled suddenly, startling the raccoon, which let out a sharp “meow” and darted away. The person on the other side of the bridge ran up to Yin Shujun.

Mingshu turned to look and saw a number of people on the bridge. The person at the front was a handsome young man, around fifteen or sixteen years old.

He was Yin Shujun’s younger brother, Yin Haoyu.

Author’s Note:

The Yin family owes “Chaoyang District’s Outstanding Citizen and Best Gossip Collector,” Ms. Mingshu, a small golden statue.

Thank you to the little angels who cast explosive tickets or provided nourishing liquid between 2020-12-13 09:50:13 and 2020-12-14 09:56:54!

Thanks to the little angel who cast a grenade: Caocao… 1;

Thanks to the little angels who cast landmines: Ye Mi, Jinxi Shi Hexi, Mo Da Dogleg No. 1, 1.