I Am This Type of Woman

There was this difficult spot in life where forward was the rolling clouds and the pouring rain, and behind was the abyss and the hellhole. Du Jiu had braced wind and storm with his master, he had seen blood, he had experienced a lot of things, but what unfold in front of his eyes today made him hated himself for failing to read the room, otherwise he would not be caught in the midst of this humiliating scene.

T/N – Rolling clouds and pouring rain = rapid and unexpected changes of situation.

Ban Hua noticed him, she smiled, “Du Jiu, what brings you here?”

“Master Marquis ordered shuxia to deliver an account.” Du Jiu pretended he hadn’t seen anything. Keeping his head lowered, he was about to leave when Ban Hua stopped him.

T/N – It’s 折子, which could mean account / journal / records / logs, etc. Temporarily use ‘account’ until I know what exactly it is.

“Good timing, I don’t have to send anyone.” Ban Hua produced two straw grasshoppers, “Your master said he didn’t have the chance to play when he was young. Here, take these to him, I’ll help making up his childhood.”

Du Jiu accepted the straw grasshoppers in confusion, “Thank…. Thank you Junzhu….?”

His master did not play with these stuff even when he was a child. From which corner of the city did Junzhu buy this toy? Plus, the craftmanship was not bad and the grasshoppers were cute, children would love them.

But was his master a child?

However, the smile in Fule Junzhu’s eyes had him lowered his face cowardly, hiding the thoughts.

“Alright, you can go.” Ban Hua smiled in satisfaction as she turned into the gates. She was joyful and relaxed, the person kneeling behind has obviously been forgotten.

Ban family gates were slowly closing. Du Jiu stole a glance at Xie Qilin, Fule Junzhu’s former fiance, he decided to walk along the corner to stay away from Xie Qilin. Unfortunately, Xie Qilin had seen him when he was talking to Ban Hua.

“Guardsman Du.” Xie Qilin climbed up from the ground, called out to the escaping Du Jiu, “Zaixia has a message for Count Rong…..”

“Second Xie-gongzi, you should call our master ‘Marquis’ now.” Du Jiu interrupted, “If you have something to say, please talk to my master directly. Zaixia is uneducated, it’s not good if zaixia fails to convey it correctly, or misses some words, so please don’t you tell zaixia.”

Being around Fule Junzhu too often, he has started to sound like her. Was this good or bad?

T/N – Du Jiu mostly used the regular ‘you’你  instead of the respectful ‘you’ 您 . This isn’t very polite, especially as a subordinate talking to a young master of a prominent family.

“Farewell.” Du Jiu made a salute then turned and rushed away, leaving Xie Qilin to stare at his uncaring back.

Xie Qilin stood dazedly, looking up at the plaque of Duke Jingting residence. It felt unreal, he could not even remember the date of the day it was.

—

Ban Hua went into the inner courtyard, looked for her parents and told them about lending the doctors.

“You’ve done well.” Yin-shi smiled after listening, “Where on earth is a doctor who can fix this. Unless a god does his miracle, Eldest Xie Son can only be a defect.”

“I think so too, it’s better to lend.” Ban Hua put a hand on the cheek, “But this Eldest Xie Son is really unlucky…..”

Yin-shi’s eyes lowered, she smiled flatly, “Who can say if this is bad luck, or retribution?”

“Mother, Sister, if we lend them doctors and he’s still not fixed, will Xie family say that we deliberately told the doctors not to cure him?” In Ban Heng’s eyes, everyone in that family were despicable people with hearts smaller than needles.

“Who cares what they think. If they are shameless, we can also make it big so that everyone knows. Their son’s family jewel is damaged beyond repair, they can’t blame others for not helping.” Ban Huai laughed mockingly, “If words get out, everyone will laugh at them.”

“What nonsense are you saying?” Yin-shi glared, how could he say such filthy things in front of the children?

Ban Huai’s neck recoiled, “Isn’t that the truth. It’s already difficult to save Eldest Xie Son’s life, can’t expect him to become a real man again. Noone can blame us for that.”

“He’s better be alive.” Yin-shi’s smile did not look like a smile, “Someone like him should be kept alive, after all he used to be the dragon amongst people.”

“Furen, do you have a grudge against Xie Chongjin?” Ban Huai found her looking odd, very carefully asked, “Has he offended you?”

“You think too much. I see Xie family just a few times a year, what offense can happen?” Yin-shi waved the round fan in her hand. Perhaps because it’s getting hotter and hotter everyday that the spirit went downhill. “Why are you all sitting here, go have your dinner.”

“Oh.” Ban Huai obediently stood up, he walked out of the door to look for the servants for their dinner.

—

After the dinner, Ban Hua was about to go to her own courtyard when Yin-shi called.

“Hua Hua, you stay.” Yin-shi rose, “The moon looks good today, have a stroll in the garden with me.”

“But at this hour…..” Ban Hua looked at the flower and plants outside, “Won’t there be mosquitoes?”

Yin-shi’s stretched feet retreated, “Alright, let’s just stay in the room.”

The summer night was filled by the sound of insects calling one after another, cool breeze gently blew through the windows. Ban Hua sat by the window, watched the curved moon floating in the sky. She turned to Yin-shi, “Mother, is there something in your mind?”

Yin-shi smiled, sighed quietly, “Hua Hua, there are things I probably should not have said, but I can see that Rong Junpo is not a man without ambition. If in 4 years your fate can really change, in your future, there will be many more people coming across your path, and much more danger to face.”

Ban Hua smiled, “Are you worried that I will lose?”

“I am worried Ban family won’t be able to protect you.” Yin-shi shook her head, “Your brother is a muddlehead, and we don’t know who the next emperor will be. I am afraid you won’t have it easy.”

“Mother, what’s wrong?” Ban Hua took Yin-shi’s hand, “Haven’t we agreed that we will just enjoy life. Noone knows the future, we should not let the unknown future affect our happiness today.”

“You ah,” Yin-shi poked Ban Hua’s forehead, “You look brash, but you never lose your reasons. But if we say that you are smart, you are heedless in your actions. You are not like me, and not like your father, perhaps you are more similar to your grandmother in her youth.”

Ban Hua laughed, “Isn’t it good to be similar to Grandmother?”

“Your Grandmother is a good person, and she was more perceptive than everyone else.” Yin-shi smiled bitterly, “But if she could’ve been a little bit ignorant, she would have had a better life.”

Looking into her daughter’s pretty dark eyes, in the end Yin-shi did not talk about her speculations on the royal family. “That’s all, go to bed early.”

“Mother, you are hiding something.” Ban Hua’s gaze were fixed at Yin-shi’s, “Is it related to Maternal Grandmother?”

T/N – Here she referred to Yin-shi’s mother (Ban Hua’s maternal grandma), instead of the Grand Princess Dening (paternal grandma).

Yin-shi shook her head. She stood and pulled out a box, put it on the table. From inside the box she took a stack of paper, “These are the dowry your father and I prepared for you a few years ago, and also the private properties that your grandfather and grandmother left to you. We have not touched these for years, these were not given to you that time because you were still young.”

Ban Hua picked up a pile. Merely the first few sheets had made her dizzy. She actually had so many properties?

“Mother, why are you giving these to me now?” Ban Hua had no love for bookkeeping, she put the papers back into the box, “I am not married yet, am I?”

“Next year will be here soon.” Yin-shi looked at her daughter, “These are yours. You need to know which fields and estates are yours, otherwise one day when you suddenly want to know, who to ask?”

“In the past Chang-momo managed Grandmother’s properties, This Daughter thinks Chang-momo is good, let Chang-momo take care of my properties too.” Ban Hua replied. “My senior maids are loyal, but they are still too young, not as experienced as Chang-momo.”

“As it happens, I am thinking the same.” Yin-shi laughed, “I won’t be comfortable with anyone else, noone else is more appropriate than Chang-momo. But you can’t be lazy, you still need to learn what you have to know so no subordinate can deceive you.” Yin-shi sorted the list, closed the lid and pushed the box over to of Ban Hua.

Ban Hua forlornly accepted the box, as if it had been a box full of debt letters.

Other families generally valued their sons more than their daughters, if these young ladies could see Ban Hua now, their teeth would itch from irritation. Everyone wished for more for their dowries, but families would leave the good things for their sons only. What was the logic of spending too much on daughters who would fly out of the nest?

—

Ruyi found Junzhu coming out of Furen’s room with a red wooden box in her arms, she reached out to carry it for Junzhu while whispering, “Junzhu, Shizi sent a plate of fruit just now. He said it’s something he just got from a friend and he wants you to try it.”

“What’s that?”

“Seems to be lychee or something?” Ruyi considered it, “Nubi doesn’t know much, but heard it needed to be kept frozen all the way on the road, it used a lot of ice, and several horses have died when rushing it to the Capital. Shizi also said, it is very delicate and won’t last long.”

“Sounds to be lychee.” Ban Hua smiled. In her courtyard, a plate of lychees was waiting on the table. There was not much, but each of it was plump and brightly coloured, they were obviously selected carefully. The ice pieces at the bottom of the plate were still emitting wafts of cold vapour.

“Who brought these?” Ban Hua peeled one of the iced lychees and put it into her mouth, her whole body was instantly cooled down.

“Shizi’s maid, Qiulian.” Ruyi brewed a cup of heat-removing tea. “Does Miss want to see her?”

“En, let her in.” Ban Hua wiped the tips of her fingers with a handkerchief, “Have the servants prepare water, I want to bathe.”

“Yes.” The masters of Ban family loved bathing, so they prepared hot water everyday, afraid in case it was not ready when the masters called for it.

Not a moment later, Qiulian walked in.

“Has Shizi himself had some?” Ban Hua played with the ice at the bottom of the plate with a silver hairpin, the ice cubes swished and clucked.

“Replying to Junzhu, Shizi has also had some. Junzhu wasn’t here this afternoon, so this plate of lychees was left for Junzhu.” Qiulian was an honest child, she answered whatever Ban Hua asked.

“I know.” Ban Hua smiled, she rose to grab a few pieces of broken silver for Qiulian, “Go back and tell Shizi to go to bed early, don’t read too much novels.”

“Yes.” Qiulian was secretly shocked, how did Junzhu know Shizi had been reading novels lately?

Qiulian’s face told Ban Hua what she was smiling about, Ban Hua smiled too and explained, “The bookshop he frequents has just released new books. Based on his character, it would be strange if he isn’t reading.”

Qiulian could not help laughing, when she went back, she recounted this to Ban Heng.

“If she hasn’t been to the bookshop too herself, how could she know there are new books?” Ban Heng felt slightly guilty, but he did put down the book in his hand, “Prepare the water.”

Take a bath and go to sleep.

T/N – I have so many questions…….

…… What ‘account’ that Du Jiu brought to Jingting residence?

…… Why did Yin-shi hate Xie Chongjin so much?

…… What were Yin-shi’s guesses about the royal family?

…… What happened to Ban Hua’s maternal grandmother / Yin-shi’s mother?

…… Back to that ‘account’, since it’s not for Ban Hua, who did Du Jiu deliver it to?

—

T/N – According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), excess heat in the body can lead to sore throat, feverish, headache, fatique, bad breath, and constipation. Excess heat can be caused by sun exposure, irregular sleep, bacterial infection, too much spicy & fried foods, or certain sweet fruits, and so on.

Lychee is one of those sweet fruits, the heat reducing tea that Ruyi prepared was to counter lychee heat effect. Some herbal teas for reducing heat are chrysanthemum tea, honeysuckle flower tea, barley tea, luohan fruit tea, mung beans, white fungus, aloe vera. Most of these drinks taste good.

White fungus dessert, how to make it.