Love Like the Galaxy

Chapter Twelve:
Moving House

Cheng Shaoshang knew that Madam Ge had been dealt with without anyone informing her. Not only had the faint daily screams disappeared, she also didn’t see her Second Aunt on the day of the move.

Moving houses was a big event the whole family should be involved in. However, Madam Xiao didn’t expect any help from Old Madam Cheng or Cheng Shaoshang, so she gradually settled the new house on her own, moved the household utensils, tidied up the forest garden and plants, burned the fire walls and stoves of each residence, and moved the gold and silver inlaid items that Old Madam Cheng would use to her new residence.

On the day of moving to the house, Cheng Shaoshang was woken up before dawn. She was caught in a daze by A’Zhu, dressed warmly and fed, then put on a thick fur coat (newly given to her by Cheng Shi), and was escorted by a walking carriage surrounded by curtains.

Cheng Shaoshang looked around and saw the gold lover Old Madam Cheng, her crippled Second Uncle Cheng, and her shy cousin Cheng Yang. Even the fat, sleepy little Cheng Ou was bundled in Nanny Fu’s arms. A long line of people walked towards the door.

The rest of the people were fine, either thin or young, except for Old Madam Cheng, who was plump and tall enough to withstand two and a half Nanny Fu’s. Madam Xiao had long since made preparations, and specifically found some sturdy soldiers instead of servants to carry them. The walking carriage swayed like lilies in the wind, plantains hit by rain and… uh… Cheng Shaoshang was thankful to the flower farmers for their bumper harvest.

Cheng Shaoshang endured the deep winter’s chill, and even though she was breathing white, she deliberately poked her head out from the walking carriage and looked forward, feeling very happy in her heart. A’Zhu, who walked alongside her, looked at her and said, “Young Mistress, don’t worry about your grandmother, she is settled.”

Cheng Shaoshang didn’t respond.

At this moment, the sky seemed to be covered with a layer of blue-gray gauze, and the servants on both sides were either holding lanterns or torches in their hands. The cold morning air was dotted with flames, and it felt straight out of a dream. In such a situation, Cheng Shaoshang felt at a loss.

The original Cheng and Wan family households were only separated by a small door, and they passed directly from the front door to get closer. However, the relocation of the house was naturally not possible. Everyone walked out of the small door of the original Cheng house solemnly, and then walked around more solemnly to the main entrance of the original Wan Family manor.

The Cheng Shi couple greeted them with smiles at the open gate. Two rows of guards were standing majestically in the shape of wild goose wings and maidservants with lanterns in front of them flanked the couple. As soon as Cheng Shi saw the crowd heading his way, he quickly stepped forward and helped Old Madam Cheng out of her carriage while Cheng Cheng and his children were helped by servants.

“It’s such a cold day, Eldest Son will freeze!” Old Madam Cheng said, looking happy. “Why not start the gong earlier?”

“If the elders don’t come, who would dare start the gong?” Cheng Shi laughed and raised his fingers to show his sincerity. “Heaven won’t allow disrespect or unfilial piety.”

Cheng Shaoshang, who was shivering from the cold, rolled her eyes and said to herself, ‘What you’re saying now sounds good, as if no one saw the fight between you and your mother a few days ago.’

At this time, Cheng Shi waved his hand, and the drama of exorcising demons began with the ancient chanting and sound of gongs. Cheng Shi helped Old Madam Cheng lead the way in, and the demon exorcists were always singing and dancing not far ahead of them. The shaman, who was accompanying him, shouted loudly the blessings of driving away demons and welcoming in the new year. Although the day was not yet bright, the torches around shone like daylight.

Old Madam Cheng, who had come from a rural background and never seen anything in the world, had never seen such a show. When she arrived at the willow by the pond, Cheng Shi deliberately had someone break open the thick ice on the surface, and sent a bucket of “live fish” out to his mother for her to release them, and then everyone around clapped their hands together in a very appropriate manner. Old Madam Cheng felt extremely happy in her heart. She no longer remembered the Dong family, only knew that her son was still filial to herself…as long as she didn’t provoke the Xiao family.

This was also the first time Cheng Shaoshang had seen the residences of the high-ranking officials and nobles of this era. They couldn’t be compared to the scale of large parks in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou but the little gardens from her hometown couldn’t begin to compare with them. It was neither as soft and gentle as the Jiangnan gardens she had seen before, nor as closed off and towering as the vast courtyards of wealthy families to the north.

The houses were built tall and magnificent, with straight ridges and clear eaves. All the buildings were aligned with a cross axis and spaced sparsely from each other. There was an amazing sense of symmetry regardless of the main house and the secondary court, as well as the pavilions and towers. The square was just square, the circle was just round, straight was straight, and wide was flat and wide, without any sense of embellishment.

The entire house may not be grand and majestic, but it was full of a simple and robust classical beauty.

When they arrived at the main house, there was another slaughter of livestock to pay homage to this god, that immortal, and the ancestors of the Cheng family. They would kneel and then stand, and recited strange poems after Cheng Shi. Cheng Shaoshang was completely unaware of the superstition system at this time, only to find that there was no Guanyin Bodhisattva or the Earth Hidden Tathagata, and her heart was very strange. After suffering from a concurrent illness and weak health, she took the opportunity to lean beside A’Zhu to catch her breath, her breathing only slightly louder than her chubby little cousin who slept in Nanny Fu’s arms. This made Madam Xiao look back at her, dissatisfied.

This busy schedule lasted for two hours, and it wasn’t until the middle of the day that the entire ceremony was completed. Old Madam Cheng was still in high spirits, easily jumping up from the futon, and the women beside her all exclaimed they were inferior.

Old Madam Cheng turned her head and furrowed her brows slightly. The spacious hall made the Cheng family look even more sparsely populated. As a result of her temperament, she wanted to say a few words about her daughter-in-law, but Madam Ge was locked up. Her Third Daughter-in-law, Sang, was even further away. As for her Eldest Daughter-in-law, Xiao, if her son had a fit, what would he say? “Yuan Yi has four sons and you only have three. It’s better to blame yourself first when you criticize her. I think the ancestors of the Cheng family must be very satisfied with Yuan Yi.” Then everyone’s faces would not look good.

Old Madam Cheng tried to suppress her tongue and turned her head to ask Old Lady Hu, “Why don’t we invite a few guests? Our own family is so lonely.”

“Master hasn’t been rewarded by the emperor yet,” Old Lady Hu whispered back. “What would it do to invite guests now? Wouldn’t it be more glorious to wait for the official rank to be promoted and then hold a feast? … I can charge a few more for gift money, I asked about it secretly. In the future, you must not mention the gift money or I will be punished by Master.”

Old Madam Cheng frowned and nodded. Cheng Shaoshang stood next to A’Zhu, feeling on the verge of death (now that she was really tired), and thought that if she didn’t die of illness, she would definitely be eligible to be ranked among the top three in the Cheng family’s intelligence.

In the next few days, Old Madam Cheng couldn’t help but walk excitedly around the house, admiring the home she had long admired with joy. Thinking that Old Madam Wan once sat in this pavilion, even if the north wind howled, she wished she could sit all day. Thinking that Old Madam Wan once lived in the main room, she hugged the bed and didn’t want to get up. Both Cheng Shi and his wife were satisfied with the state of affairs, and the Cheng family was in unprecedented harmony.

Second Uncle Cheng was allocated a clean and elegant place, with a small two-and-a-half story attic next to it to use as a library – although there were no books. Without Madam Ge being noisy and cursing, Second Uncle Cheng’s face became rosy after a few days, and he was able to speak a few words during mealtime and took the cold jokes of Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shaoshang was given a beautiful courtyard, with flowers and trees in front and a bamboo forest in the back, a path paved with clean white round stones leading to one side, which was very charming, and next to it was a large empty house. It currently had no purpose, but perhaps it could be used to store her dowry in the near future – if she could get married. The only downside was that it was too close to Cheng Shi and his wife’s residence. If she wanted to do something, Madam Xiao would be there in no time to put a stop to it.

Cheng Shaoshang quickly found out there was nothing to do in her daily life. As she recuperated from illness, because her body was weak, she had no time to learn cultural knowledge and could only continue to be illiterate, reading bamboo slips to guess characters in her spare time.

A few days later, Cheng Shi excitedly told everyone at the afternoon refreshment table that the emperor had not only rewarded him with a new official rank, but also named him the Marquis of Qu Ling.

Cheng Shaoshang touched her father’s hand and smiled, “Father must have won a great battle at Qu Ling and made great contributions.”

Cheng Shi saw his daughter’s recently rosy complexion and his heart was filled with joy. He smiled and said, “That’s not true. Qu Ling’s battle was a small battle. In fact, it was at Yi Yang that your father made some great achievements. Oh, the great battle in Yi Yang, that’s what is called joy!” He stroked his beard and sighed, looking sideways. “How joyous, joyful!”

Old Madam Cheng, who was sitting on the upper bed, put down her cup and asked in confusion, “Then why make my son the Marquis of Qu Ling? Why not the Marquis of Yi Yang?” Cheng Yang, who was sitting to the side, lowered her head and said nothing. She gently filled her cup with buttermilk, behaving softly. Madam Xiao nodded secretly.

“Niao Niao, guess why,” Cheng Shi urged.

Cheng Shaoshang tilted her head for a moment. “Last time, Father told me that Yi Yang is an important town with a deep city and intense fighting conditions. This battle could be considered a peaceful one. Hmmm…” Her gaze lit up and she said, “His Majesty said he will leave the title of the Marquis of Yi Yang to others.” Madam Xiao stopped holding her chopsticks and stared at her.

“Our Niao Niao is so clever,” Cheng Shi couldn’t help but praise her. “The current Marquis of Yi Yang is General Han.” He turned his head to his mother. “Although we are only countryside officials, it is an unexpected pleasure. There is another reward. The Elder Brother of the Wan family has been promoted to the Marquis of Shi Yi.”

“So, what kind of official is my son now?” Old Madam Cheng couldn’t help but exclaim.

Cheng Shi and his wife looked at each other and knew each other well. Madam Xiao smiled and said, “How can it be so fast? Titles are bestowed one by one. General Wan has just been promoted. Alas, this time he injured his leg. I don’t know if he can fight again in the future…”

Cheng Shaoshang saw the gaze of Cheng Shi and his wife, and slowly placed the lacquer wooden spoon on the table in front of her. Old Madam Cheng was not pleased with Madam Xiao’s words and gave her a blank look, saying, “What’s wrong with this? The Wan family has so much money and such a high rank, so what if they don’t go to battle? I hope my son doesn’t have to fight anymore.” She lifted her cup and drank it all in one gulp.

“Grandmother, you should wait to have dinner until later,” Cheng Yang poured Old Madam Cheng a half cup of wine and respectfully said, “If you drink too much, I am afraid it won’t be good for dinner.”

“You are very filial,” Old Madam Cheng said, putting down her cup. She deliberately looked over at Cheng Shaoshang.

“Yes,” Cheng Shaoshang smiled, “I heard my cousin is not only filial but also very capable. I hear Second Uncle and Cousin Ou’s daily life has been taken care of by my cousin these days and no one says it is inappropriate.”

Old Madam Cheng wanted to speak but was cut off by Cheng Shi’s cold voice, “It seems that Madam Ge was right to send baby Yang Yang back to her maiden home just after birth.” His expression darkened. “Old Master Ge’s family upbringing is much more advanced.”

Cheng Yang’s eyes filled with tears and she knelt low, not daring to answer. Cheng Shaoshang suddenly had the interesting feeling of ‘Oh, I’m like a malicious female partner who instigates discord.’

Madam Xiao couldn’t bear to look down and said gently, “Yang Yang is a good child, and the girls from the Cheng family should all be like her.” She glanced at her husband, forbidding him to continue. Old Madam Cheng’s mouth shut with a snap.

Cheng Shaoshang lowered her head and took a sip of warm rice milk, laughing in her heart that was still a tomboy and not kind at all.

After finishing with refreshments, Cheng Shi and his wife bowed and retired, Cheng Yang continued to be filial, while Cheng Shaoshang honestly and unceremoniously followed her parents out of Cixin Residence – which was the name General Wan gave his mother’s residence back then.

The new house was huge, and to get to the couple’s residence from Cixin Residence took walking through five or six different corridors and crossing a white stone path. Halfway through the journey, Cheng Shaoshang, who was following closely, suddenly asked, “Father, are you going on another expedition?”

Cheng Shi, who was ahead, was startled and turned around. “What did you say?” He quickly looked at Madam Xiao, his eyes full of ‘I didn’t tell her.’

Madam Xiao waved her hand, held back her maidservants, calmly looked at her daughter and asked, “How do you know?” She had also kept it to herself.

“I guessed.” Cheng Shaoshang paused, furrowing her delicate brow. “The title and financial rewards have all come down. I believe that Father has made real contributions this time, but unfortunately, there is no official position. By Father’s expression, he doesn’t seem to have been ostracized or afraid of anything else. That’s because the authorities have something else to do with Father… Father, is there a risk? Now the family doesn’t lack anything, if you can push it, just push it.” In this family, besides A’Zhu, her favorite was her father.

“My daughter really is extremely intelligent!” Cheng Shi listened to his little daughter’s childish concern, and his heart warmed up and he chuckled. At the same time, taking a careful look at his wife, he quickly said, “Don’t worry, this time it isn’t a battle. It’s not until the following month after New Year’s Day. All right, you’re not fully recovered yet. Hurry back to your room and rest, don’t get cold and sick again.”

…

Back at the couple’s residence, Cheng Shi removed his thick brocade robe. “You have to treat Niao Niao better,” he complained. “She has been wronged for more than ten years. Always praising Yang Yang like that will make her unhappy.”

“She has been in this world for thirteen years and several months so far, and she was separated from us at the age of three. How can it be more than ten years?” Madam Xiao raised her voice. “Don’t tell me I shouldn’t praise Yang Yang!”

She took Cheng Shi’s robe and said, “Her birth mother is an unsuccessful idiot, and she has lost such an important person, but she doesn’t complain, is humble, and does a good job on her own every day. Now she is in charge of the daily life of Second Younger Brother and Ou’er. You don’t know, Ou’er doesn’t mess around these days and can probably recognize more characters than our daughter. Not to mention Second Younger Brother only praises his daughter. But look at Niao Niao…”

“What’s wrong with Niao Niao?” Cheng Shi said. “Yang Yang has been taught since childhood. Has Niao Niao been taught?  The bride of the eldest son of the Ge family is a well-known, kind, and virtuous person in the village, and Old Master Ge still has good foresight. He personally met his eldest daughter-in-law and spent half of his family’s fortune as a betrothal gift. How could it be worse if Yang Yang stayed by their side? How pitiful it is for our Niao Niao to follow such a good thing!”

Madam Xiao stayed silent for a long time, then said, “No matter how pathetic, you have to teach. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise, nothing.” Cheng Shi smiled and said, “She’s as smart as you want to be. She guesses what is right and is correct. So, if you marry a wife, you should marry a smart one. It’s good for the children!”

“What’s the use of intelligence alone? Integrity should be first priority…”

“Isn’t that me? I have integrity! Niao Niao is smart like you and her character is upright like me!” Cheng Shi patted his chest and laughed loudly.

Madam Xiao felt choked with anxiety and she gave her husband a blank look. She lowered her head, not knowing what to think, and sighed inexplicably for a long time.

Outside the door, Qing Cong stood in place with hot water. After listening to those words, she sighed.

Back then, Old Madam Xiao was not intelligent, but clever. She used to take people’s blame, guess their deeper meanings, and evade responsibility. She only had a little cleverness, no great wisdom, and used the cleverness on herself. She only cared about people and things related to herself, and only knew how to live a comfortable life and let herself be weak and delicate by nature. When a big crisis comes, she takes no responsibility.

…

Next Chapter: The Cheng Family Brothers