Chapter 112: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 112: 

 

After lying down for a while and feeling a bit more refreshed, Liu Mian Tang returned to the main hall. This time, she paid closer attention to Cui Xingzhou’s brother-in-law, Guo Yi.

Although Guo Yi did not possess the same ethereal charm as Cui Xingzhou, he exuded a certain distinguished elegance befitting a wealthy family. 

At the moment, he was smiling and toasting with a table of guests, who were said to be relatives from his mother’s family, the Gai family. A young woman had taken the opportunity to pull him to sit beside her.

Liu Mian Tang noticed that her sister-in-law, Cui Fu, was also glancing in their direction. When she saw her husband happily sitting beside the young woman, her expression darkened immediately.

Li Mama, observing the young woman’s charming smile, quietly told Liu Mian Tang, “That’s the new concubine, named Gai Yu Rao.”

Liu Mian Tang took a quick look. Although Gai Yu Rao was not exceptionally beautiful, her youthful appearance at seventeen, with a natural, radiant complexion, gave her a fresh, appealing charm compared to Cui Fu’s more mature look.

Liu Mian Tang considered offering words of comfort to her sister-in-law but decided against it. Her sister-in-law had a strong sense of pride, and now was not the time for such remarks.

Before leaving, Liu Mian Tang made sure to invite Cui Fu to visit the Prince Huaiyang's residence in the next few days.

“Now that both you and I are in the capital, it’s not as distant as before. Since this is my first pregnancy and my mother isn’t here, I feel quite uncertain. It would be helpful to have you around for advice and support,” Liu Mian Tang said gently, expressing her need for her sister-in-law’s presence.

Cui Fu immediately agreed, saying, “Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have come. I’ve already had my servants prepare double the amount of baby clothes and other necessities, including some items that Jin’er used when he was little. Don’t be too modest; it’s meant to bring good fortune for a smooth delivery and a successful confinement.”

Liu Mian Tang thanked her sister-in-law with a smile, appreciating her thoughtfulness. Despite Cui Fu's apparent disdain for her background, she had a caring side. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken such a burden upon herself during Liu Mian Tang’s wedding, both to ease the workload and to prevent her from becoming overwhelmed.

Liu Mian Tang felt a pang of guilt, realizing now that Cui Fu had been pregnant at the time as well. Considering the troublesome matters within the Guo family, she was determined to have her sister-in-law stay at the Prince Huaiyang’s residence for a few more days.

When Liu Mian Tang returned to the residence and discussed this with Cui Xingzhou, she was surprised to find that, despite his somber demeanor, he wasn’t particularly shocked.

He responded slowly, “I knew about this matter beforehand. Before sister left for home, I subtly hinted at it.”

Liu Mian Tang was taken aback by his prior knowledge and asked, “So, what are your thoughts on this?”

Cui Xingzhou, as he removed his shoes, said, “The Guo family’s decision to take in a concubine is none of our concern. However, whether our Cui family’s daughter continues to stay with them is our own business! My suggestion at the time was for sister to issue a divorce and sever ties with the Guo family. That way, she wouldn’t have to endure the constant influx of women into their household.”

Liu Mian Tang was surprised by Cui Xingzhou’s progressive stance on the matter. Unlike his usual reaction when the topic of divorce was mentioned, he seemed resolute and decisive regarding her sister’s situation.

This revelation made Liu Mian Tang regard Cui Xingzhou with newfound respect, recognizing a different side to him.

For a moment, Liu Mian Tang looked at him with a new perspective.

Cui Xingzhou, realizing he had set a poor example, quickly tried to amend his statement. He shot her a sidelong glance and continued, “Even if my sister is pregnant, she needn’t worry about remarrying. When she first married, I couldn’t decide for her, and she ended up with a family that turned out to be so unfeeling. If she decides to remarry, I’ll make sure to find a suitable match for her. But women from smaller, less reputable families need to be cautious. They shouldn’t think that each marriage is an improvement over the last. Otherwise, not only will they not get a divorce, but they might also find it difficult to leave their current situation.”

Liu Mian Tang found his tone irritating and, sitting up abruptly, glared at him, demanding, “Who are you talking about? Name names! I want to see if she can't even leave the house!”

Cui Xingzhou, seeing her irritated expression, found it somewhat amusing. He walked over, gently pinching her cheeks, and said, “Why are you taking this so personally? I’m not talking about you. Do you have something you’re hiding that’s making you so defensive?”

Liu Mian Tang, with her own secrets weighing on her mind, felt a bit uneasy under his scrutiny. Her wide eyes narrowed as she leaned into his embrace, mumbling softly, “You were the one making fun first... By the way, if you’re saying that, what does my sister think about it?”

Cui Xingzhou seemed dissatisfied with his sister’s response and said coldly, “She’s reluctant to part with the marriage, citing that she has not borne much fruit for the Guo family, having only one child. She can’t blame her mother-in-law for taking a concubine. She just hopes that Guo Yì won’t neglect his wife in favor of the concubine.”

Liu Mian Tang felt a pang of discomfort at this, but it was indeed a matter for the elder sister’s household. If she could tolerate it, even the brother’s intervention was limited.

It seemed that while Cui Feng might not get along with her mother-in-law, she still held deep feelings for her husband and wasn’t willing to let her brother’s decisive measures resolve things.

“Is that really the end of it?” Liu Mian Tang questioned, finding it uncharacteristic of Cui Xingzhou’s usual decisiveness.

Cui Xingzhou glanced at her with a slight smirk and replied, “There are no perfect solutions. If the inner chambers are full of spring, then the officialdom must endure its winter. If there’s anyone sensible in the Guo family, they’ll figure out what to do.”

He didn’t wish to elaborate further and simply advised her to make sure to extend her sister’s stay at the Prince's Mansion if she came to visit.

A few days later, Cui Fu indeed brought Jin’er over to the Prince's residence.

Cui Fu had truly intended to stay for an extended visit this time.

When she was pregnant with Jin'er, it had been a difficult period. Combined with her mother-in-law's rigid household rules, she had endured endless suffering.

Now that she was pregnant again, and feeling uneasy on top of it, she had no desire to stay at the Guo residence and watch her husband indulge in affections with his new concubine.

So, when Mian Tang subtly suggested that she stay longer to keep her company, Cui Fu immediately agreed.

In recent months, Cui Fu had quarreled with Guo Yi incessantly. Each time the door closed behind them, a tide of grievances would surge up from the depths of her heart, grievances she couldn't share with anyone else. Her only outlet was to vent all her frustration onto Guo Yi.

Had her husband been the type to empathize with the struggles of a pregnant wife, he might have taken care to offer comfort and persuasion.

But now that Guo Yi had a new woman in his life, he naturally started to compare. On one side was youthful vibrancy, untouched by the burdens of household chores and responsibilities, filled with romantic fantasies; on the other side was the accumulated baggage of years of quarrels, resentment, and frustration.

Naturally, Guo Yi no longer wanted to visit Cui Fu's chambers, and he conveniently used the excuse that she was pregnant and needed quiet rest. Under this pretext, he justified spending his nights in Yu Rao's courtyard instead.

Although in the past, her mother-in-law had brought in numerous concubines, none of them had ever dared to blatantly stay in the main house all night. This was the first time Cui Fu felt that her husband no longer belonged to her alone.

As for Yu Rao, emboldened by the support of Lady Gai, she acted fearlessly and didn't bother to respect Cui Fu as the legitimate wife. Feeling stifled and miserable, Cui Fu was eager not to return.

When she suggested visiting Huaiyang Prince's manor to spend time with her sister-in-law, Guo Yi readily agreed, even encouraging her to stay longer. In truth, he found a sense of relief, glad to be spared the daily arguments that erupted when Cui Fu dragged him into their room.

Cui Fu was further angered when she realized that he didn't even ask when she planned to return.

As soon as she left the Guo household, she covered her mouth and wept in the carriage.

Jin'er, though barely three years old, already understood a little of what was happening. Seeing his mother cry, he could only helplessly pat her knee.

However, by the time Cui Fu stepped out of the carriage, she had wiped away her tears, determined not to let Liu Mian Tang notice anything amiss.

Unfortunately, the hastily applied powder couldn't fully mask the traces of her sorrow, making her attempt to hide her distress seem somewhat futile.

Mian Tang pretended not to notice, warmly inviting Jin'er to come and have some snacks.

Jin'er, who adored his beautiful aunt with her bright, summer-flower-like beauty, cuddled up to her obediently while nibbling on a jujube cake. When his mother wasn't paying attention, he leaned in close to Mian Tang's ear and whispered a secret, telling her that his mother had cried in the carriage earlier.

Mian Tang gently stroked Jin'er's chubby little face and smiled, "Your mother just misses your uncle too much. Now that she's here, everything will be fine. You must be good and not upset her."

Now, Cui Fu and Mian Tang had plenty to talk about. Family connections were meant to be strengthened through interactions.

Having left Zhenzhou, Mian Tang, as a sister-in-law, appeared much more approachable than the other noblewomen Cui Fu encountered. Cui Fu had also come to understand Mian Tang's personality—straightforward and generous—making their time together relaxed and enjoyable. Their conversations grew more warmhearted, and they truly began to feel like family.

For example, when Cui Fu first arrived, it was obvious to everyone that she had been crying. Yet, Mian Tang never asked about it. Instead, the next day, she arranged for a stage to be set up in the prince's manor and invited a renowned troupe to perform an opera.

Cui Fu, lacking the energy to choose a play, let Mian Tang take the lead. As a result, the performances were all famous scenes such as Chen Shimei Beheaded by the Executioner's Blade and Wang Kui Betrays Guiying.

While the endings of these plays were satisfying and brought a sense of relief, after watching them a few times, Cui Fu began to see the pattern. She glared at Liu Mian Tang.

"Are you trying to shame me or give me advice? I can’t be like Judge Bao and have our family's Chen Shimei executed, nor do I have the guts to end my own life like Guiying and return as a vengeful ghost. What’s the point of watching all this?"

Mian Tang was completely absorbed in the performance, and during Guiying's heart-wrenching monologue, she couldn't help but wipe away her tears. Hearing Cui Fu's comment, she blushed, her eyes still rimmed with red, and replied with a nasal tone, "Sister, you're neither a destitute Qin Xianglian nor a courtesan like Jiao Guiying. You're the noble daughter of the Prince of Huaiyang's household—why shouldn't you live well? Why would you even think of such drastic measures? If you truly followed their paths, it would be enough to make someone die of laughter!"

For the past few days, Cui Fu had been trapped in a spiral of self-pity and grief, unable to break free. But after watching the many tales of heartless men on stage, the bitterness in her heart began to unravel. Hearing Mian Tang's lighthearted teasing, she felt a bit of brightness return to her mood.

Exactly!

She wasn’t some impoverished woman left with nothing after leaving the Guo family. Why should she act like one of those tragic opera heroines, hiding and weeping behind the scenes every day?

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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