Chapter 6: A Small Lesson

Old Madam Su first dismissed everyone else before having someone call Su Yunxi in. As Su Yunxi stepped into the room, she immediately felt a wave of refreshing coolness. Two ice basins had been placed in the corners of the room, providing a welcome relief from the sweltering heat. Upon seeing Old Madam Su, Su Yunxi hurried forward and knelt before her. "Old Madam, your granddaughter has erred. Please punish me." With her eyes lowered and a submissive expression, she appeared both cautious and sincere.

Old Madam Su snorted through her nose, clearly displeased. "You’ve grown up now, and your wings have hardened to the point where you dare to defy my words. It is simply audacious."

"Your granddaughter knows she was wrong. Please punish me, Old Madam." Beyond this, Su Yunxi did not say another word.

"If you know you were wrong, why did you not bring Yuan-ge'er? You are clearly paying lip service while acting in opposition, trying to fool me!" Old Madam Su slammed the table, flying into a rage.

Su Yunxi lifted her head slightly, her eyes already brimming with tears, her face filled with sorrow and helplessness. This appearance was enough to move anyone. "I beg Old Madam to see the truth; your granddaughter did not intend for this to happen. It is only because of Mother’s condition—the doctor said the other day that she likely does not have much time left. My heart is filled with grief, and hearing Mother call out Yuan-ge'er’s name in her sleep, I thought that she must be worried about him. She must want to see him constantly in her final days. Old Madam, Yuan-ge'er is still so young; he may not understand what is happening now. But I truly do not want him to grow up without even the slightest memory of his mother. I only thought that if we, his sister and brother, stayed by Mother’s side, Yuan-ge'er would be able to firmly remember her voice and appearance. I beg Old Madam to grant me this small act of filial piety." Having said this, she kowtowed heavily.

Even though Old Madam Su was filled with anger, she was somewhat moved. Her expression was conflicted. "Just because of filial piety, can you ignore my instructions? There is nothing wrong with being filial to your parents, but does that mean you can defy me?"

"Your granddaughter would not dare; I would never have such a thought. I would never dare to defy you, Old Madam. It is just that when you sent someone yesterday, Mother happened to be awake, and I was by her side, not daring to leave for even a step. At the time, the maids were afraid to come in and disturb us, fearing Mother would find out and worry about me. By the time it was truly late, I had already fallen asleep. When I woke up this morning and learned of what happened last night, I severely punished the person who was supposed to deliver the message. I know that no matter the reason, it is no excuse for my mistake, which is why I came here first thing this morning to ask for your forgiveness. Please, Old Madam, punish me." After speaking, Su Yunxi lowered her head deeply, her forehead touching the floor, appearing extremely devout.

Old Madam Su’s anger did not dissipate. "Hmph, your mother has not been ill for just a day or two. Do you think you can use this to deceive me and escape unscathed?"

Su Yunxi was overcome with grief. "Old Madam, what I said before was not a deception. The doctor did indeed say that if Mother cannot make it through this summer, she likely has little time left. Every time I think of this, my heart feels as if it is being cut by a knife. Old Madam, the greatest sorrow in the world is when a child wishes to provide care, but the parent is no longer there. Now, I ask for nothing else but to spend a little more time by Mother’s side—just a little more. I do not want to leave any regrets, and I certainly do not want Yuan-ge'er to have any. When Yuan-ge'er grows up and looks back on this time, will he blame me for being thoughtless and not letting him fulfill his filial duties before his mother? Old Madam, I beg you to understand my filial heart."

Old Madam Su felt stifled and deeply unhappy, but since Su Yunxi had spoken to this extent, if she continued to make things difficult, she would appear petty and lacking in benevolence. She waved her hand and said, "Enough. You are a young lady; why are you kneeling on the floor? Get up and speak."

"Thank you for your benevolence, Old Madam." Su Yunxi stood up, her face covered in tears, and because of her inner grief, she could barely stand steady. She allowed a maid to support her before sitting down.

Old Madam Su rubbed her temples. "Your filial heart is commendable, but it was truly wrong of you to take Yuan-ge'er away without explaining it to me first."

Su Yunxi lowered her head. "Old Madam is right to teach me; your granddaughter knows she was wrong."

"As long as you know you were wrong. For the sake of your filial heart, I will give you a small punishment as a warning: go back and copy the scriptures. Copy several volumes to properly temper your character."

"Your granddaughter will obey you, Old Madam. Once I have finished copying them, I will bring them for you to see." Su Yunxi looked cautious, clearly trying to please her.

This version of Su Yunxi made Old Madam Su feel much more agreeable. Her expression softened slightly. "Fourth girl, how is your mother’s condition, really? Is there truly nothing the doctor can do?"

"Reporting to Old Madam, Mother spends most of her day in a stupor now. Even when she wakes up, she lacks energy. The doctor said that Mother’s illness requires quiet rest. These past few days, I have been trying my best to take on the internal affairs of the Third Branch so that Mother can rest easy," Su Yunxi said carefully.

Old Madam Su nodded. "Speaking of these internal affairs, you are just a young girl; how can you manage to take care of your mother and handle those matters at the same time? Concubine Wen is capable and knows a few characters; why not let her share the burden? That way, you will have more time to be filial by your mother’s side."

"Thank you for thinking of me, Old Madam. I had thought of this before and mentioned it to Mother, but she opposed it repeatedly. She said that in no prominent family would a concubine be allowed to manage internal affairs; it would be truly improper. If word got out, outsiders would say our Su family has no rules, being foolish enough to let a concubine manage the household. It might even affect the marriage prospects of us girls later on. Once I heard that, I dared not bring it up again," Su Yunxi said, lowering her head cautiously.

Old Madam Su was furious, yet she could not vent it. If she were to lash out, wouldn't she be admitting that she was incredibly foolish for suggesting such an improper thing? Her annoyance toward Madam Wei grew even stronger. This daughter-in-law had been competitive and capable her whole life, but now that she was nearing death, it was only retribution. Thinking of this, Old Madam Su felt a little better. However, seeing Su Yunxi still standing there, she waved her hand impatiently. "Fine, go back and take good care of your mother; do not be negligent. As for the internal affairs of the Third Branch, I imagine there isn't much to do anyway; just try to let the people below handle things."

"Thank you for your reminder, Old Madam; your granddaughter will keep it in mind. You must be tired, so I will take my leave. If you have any orders, Old Madam, I will certainly come at the first opportunity next time."

"I hope you can do as you say," Old Madam Su muttered to herself with a cold snort.