Chapter 147: Rumors Arise Again
The members of the second branch gathered around the golden pig.
Zhou Yuanqi’s eyes sparkled, wearing an expression that clearly said, “Praise me now.”
But the others had mixed looks on their faces.
Second Master was holding back a laugh, struggling so hard it was almost painful; Zhou Yuanshen touched the golden pig as if patting Cheng Zhao’s head, also looking amused.
Cheng Zhao seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
“What use is this thing?” Second Madam voiced the question for Cheng Zhao.
“It’s valuable,” Zhou Yuanqi said, dissatisfied. “And the symbolism is good too.”
“Displaying it is too tacky, but locking it away in the storeroom would be wasteful,” Second Madam said.
If it were any other gold piece, it could at least serve as decoration on major occasions—somewhat useful.
“Mom!” Zhou Yuanqi’s face scrunched up.
The boy was clearly unhappy now.
Cheng Zhao found herself torn between “indulging the child to keep him happy” and “offering guidance, as family should prioritize education.”
Most of the time, she didn’t want to kill the mood, but Yuan Qi was still very young and at a stage where discipline mattered.
The family had a duty to teach him what was right, to show him what was correct and what wasn’t, rather than spoiling him endlessly.
When indulgence and discipline blurred, a child could easily go astray.
In the brief pause after Second Madam’s words, Cheng Zhao had already made her decision.
She smiled and said, “I was chubby as a child too. This golden pig looks a bit like me. It’s the most precious and auspicious birthday gift I’ve ever received.”
Then she asked Zhou Yuanqi, “Aren’t you sad to part with it? This must have cost tens of thousands of silver taels.”
“Twenty thousand taels,” Zhou Yuanqi replied, a hint of his earlier pride returning, as if he were about to puff up his chest.
Second Madam gasped. “You’ve cleaned out your grandmother’s coffers!”
“I’m going to be Prime Minister one day, and Grandmother is happy to give it to me. The other grandchildren are hopeless—she doesn’t want to leave it to them,” Zhou Yuanqi said.
“Your grandmother won’t live to see that day,” Second Madam said.
Zhou Yuanqi: “I’ll burn some paper money and tell her.”
Second Madam: “...”
“Truly precious! Thank you so much, Yuan Qi!” Cheng Zhao said.
Zhou Yuanqi smiled, showing a row of little white teeth.
Second Madam looked utterly resigned.
After dinner, Zhou Yuanqi left first, and Cheng Zhao said to Second Madam, “Better he gave it to me than to some shady merchant.”
Second Madam couldn’t help but laugh. “You won’t be able to raise a child properly either. Your heart’s too soft to scold him.”
Cheng Zhao said, “I actually thought about whether to say something to him back then.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Cheng Zhao replied, “His intention was to celebrate my birthday—out of affection and generosity, not to show off wealth. As long as his nature is good and his intentions are kind, it deserves encouragement. When he grows up, he’ll naturally understand right from wrong.”
No matter what she said, Second Madam always felt her daughter-in-law was “completely reasonable.”
Hearing this, Second Madam nodded. “Well said. He doesn’t really try to flaunt things; he buys whatever he thinks has use. He just has no sense of proportion.”
When he bought calligraphy books, it was because he wanted to practice, not to brag in social settings; when he bought makeup, it was because he thought his mother and sister-in-law would like it.
This golden pig was for Cheng Zhao’s birthday.
Zhou Yuanqi’s nature was kind and sincere, so there was no need to say much more.
Zhou Yuanshen carried the golden pig back to Nonghua Courtyard for Cheng Zhao.
The maids and older servants gathered around, eager to get a look.
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a big golden pig,” Suyue said. “Your maid’s eyes have been opened. Fifth Young Master is truly lavish.”
“No family would be extravagant enough to cast a pig out of twenty thousand taels of gold. I’ve never seen one either,” Cheng Zhao said with a laugh.
“Even thieves would have a hard time stealing it—it’s too heavy. It’ll become a family heirloom,” Qiubai added.
Cheng Zhao then said, “When he’s in his forties or fifties, I’ll bring it out to show him. The expression on his face then will be absolutely priceless.”
This was her “dirt” on his childhood.
The day she pulled out that old ledger would be amusing. By then, he’d definitely be a father, maybe even a grandfather.
They were in-laws and would be family for life; even in their middle age, the two households would still be bickering together.
Hearing this, Zhou Yuanshen glanced at Cheng Zhao.
He said nothing.
Nanny Li then remarked, “Fifth Young Master really went all out. With all his heart and mind, he truly respects you, his sister-in-law. What a wonderful child.”
“Yuan Qi is very good to me,” Cheng Zhao said.
Nanny Li stored the golden pig in the treasury. She placed it in the largest chest, nested it inside two layers of boxes, fastened three locks inside and out, and even sealed it with a strip of paper.
It was simply too precious.
That evening, as they were falling asleep, Zhou Yuanshen pulled her into an embrace.
“...You’re ten years older than Yuan Qi,” he said.
The comment came out of nowhere, and Cheng Zhao gave him a puzzled look.
“When he’s in his forties or fifties, you’ll be the Old Madam,” he said.
Cheng Zhao: “Yes.”
“That’s decades from now,” he said, as if lost in thought.
Cheng Zhao didn’t understand what he was so emotional about. When that day came, it would certainly be interesting—it was something she looked forward to.
Her eyes lit up slightly. “Decades from now, I’ll definitely have children and grandchildren all around me.”
Zhou Yuanshen tightened his arms around her. “That’s wonderful, Cheng Zhao.”
The May roses had bloomed, and the night breeze carried their fragrance, refreshing the mind and heart.
Zhou Yuanshen resisted the urge to kiss her and held her as he drifted off to sleep.
Cheng Zhao woke up in the middle of the night because she was too hot.
His body temperature was high, and his embrace was truly too warm.
A day later, Cheng Zhao’s period ended.
Zhou Yuanshen then let himself go unrestrained.
Cheng Zhao felt satisfied and didn’t bother complaining about being tired. The weather was warm, and their clothes were light, making her feel even more energetic and radiant.
Zhou Yuanshen gave Cheng Zhao a set of sapphire jewelry. One of the sapphires was huge—the largest that could be bought on the open market since anything bigger was reserved for the imperial palace.
A sapphire the size of a pigeon’s egg wasn’t allowed for the wives of officials outside the court; only those in the imperial harem had the right to wear them.
Zhou Yuanshen didn’t overstep any rules—he gifted Cheng Zhao an expensive piece of jewelry.
There was also a string of sapphire beads.
“...Compared to this, glass doesn’t measure up after all,” Cheng Zhao said.
Even the highest quality glass couldn’t compare.
Precious stones not only had good color but also shimmered more brilliantly in the light.
“Of course,” Nanny Li said.
Then she added, “This jewelry set will also need two or three locks. Just this one sapphire alone is worth as much as the golden pig.”
“I still prefer the golden pig,” Cheng Zhao whispered.
She simply liked gold—its color and shine appealed to her more than gems. That was her personal taste, and there was no reasoning behind it.
Nanny Li was amused by her.
A few days later, word spread within the Duke’s mansion that Second Madam had given Cheng Zhao glass beads as a birthday gift.
“No matter how fine the glass beads are, they’re really not valuable. For her daughter-in-law’s first birthday, Second Madam’s pretty clumsy.”
Neither Second Madam nor Cheng Zhao had expected that the gossip would latch onto this as a point of criticism.
When Cheng Zhao received the beads, she was genuinely delighted; Second Madam had prepared the gift with full joy.
The two of them were happy, yet the servants turned against Second Madam behind her back.
All this talk was meant to ruin the relationship between Cheng Zhao and Second Madam.
There was no need to guess who was stirring the pot.
So Cheng Zhao had people spread the word that her little brother-in-law had given her a five-jin gold pig. Since the boy was so young, his gift could also be seen as coming from her parents-in-law.
The gossip immediately stopped.
Second Madam still heard about it and was very angry.
“Mother, if you get upset, you’ll be playing right into their hands,” Cheng Zhao said. “They’re doing everything to drive a wedge between us.”
Second Madam let go of her anger.
But then she started to doubt herself again. “Isn’t that glass bead too light of a gift?”
Cheng Zhao was speechless.