APSIL -Chapter 7 Three People, Two Beds

The unexpected visitors had come in a hurry and left just as quickly, but they left behind one noble young lady in the Zhang household.

As Zhang Shou reluctantly prepared to show Miss Zhu around what was considered the finest “mansion” in the village, a rather pressing question suddenly occurred to him.

“How far is this place from the capital?”

Zhu Ying looked around curiously, still wondering why her father—who had never been someone to judge people by wealth or status—had settled her “fiancé” in such a place. Hearing his question, she thought it over seriously.

“About several dozen li. They should hurry on the way back. Otherwise, they’ll miss the city gates before they close at dusk.”

“So,” Zhang Shou said with a meaningful look, “the two maids you asked for won’t be able to arrive today?”

The young lady still hadn’t grasped where he was going with this.

He sighed.

“There aren’t any maids in my house. Are you really going to manage?”

Zhu Ying had never expected that to be his concern. Feeling that he was looking down on her, she puffed up indignantly.

“I have two hands and two feet. Of course I can!”

Zhang Shou found that rather difficult to believe.

Could a noble young lady really take care of herself?

If she couldn’t dress herself, Madam Wu could help.

If she couldn’t wash her face or arrange her hair, Madam Wu could help with that too.

But if she couldn’t wash her feet or bathe herself…

Was his mother supposed to serve her?

This wasn’t like bringing home a fiancée.

It was more like bringing home the Empress Dowager herself.

Seeing him remain silent, Zhu Ying immediately lifted her chin proudly.

“Since I was little, there hasn’t been anything I couldn’t do!”

Watching the two of them bicker—more like a jade-like young gentleman and a golden young lady than a fairy couple—Madam Wu finally managed to smile for the first time that day.

Still unsure how to interact with the Duke of Zhao’s daughter, she quietly slipped away, calling Aunt Liu from the kitchen to help prepare a room in the inner courtyard.

Though he remained skeptical, Zhang Shou decided not to provoke the young lady further and simply showed her around the house.

The residence consisted of only two courtyards.

Old Liu, Aunt Liu, and A-Liu lived in the east and west side rooms of the outer courtyard. The main hall was locked every evening.

For the past three years, since recovering from his illness, Zhang Shou had lived alone in the principal room of the inner courtyard.

Madam Wu occupied the eastern wing, while the western wing remained empty.

Since the estate was so small, the tour took only a few minutes.

Just as he had expected, Zhu Ying sighed in surprise.

“It’s… so small…”

Zhang Shou chuckled.

“Our home is rather humble. Please forgive us, Miss Zhu. Compared with the hardworking farmers here, though, this is already considered luxurious.”

Zhu Ying immediately fell silent.

He added with a smile, “Of course, we owe even this house to your honored father.”

She frowned.

“Are you planning to mock me with another poem the way you mocked Zhu Gongquan? Something about me not understanding the hardships of ordinary people?”

Zhang Shou shrugged.

“It’s easy to go from poverty to luxury, but difficult to return from luxury to simplicity. That’s only human nature. Your family’s wealth was earned because your father risked his life for it. Why would I mock you for that?”

Then he changed the subject.

“Your maids not arriving today is one thing… but what about your clothes?”

If the maid issue was something Zhu Ying could convince herself she could overcome…

This question struck directly at her weakest point.

Ordinary people didn’t care if they wore the same clothes for a day.

She absolutely did.

At home, she often changed outfits several times a day.

One set for horseback riding.

Another for visiting guests.

A different one for entering the palace.

Casual clothes for staying home.

Even feeding birds or boating in the garden required a change of attire.

What irritated her most was that Zhang Shou wasn’t trying to solve the problem.

Instead, he seemed determined to make things worse.

“And my family doesn’t wear silk robes—only ordinary cloth garments. I’m afraid you’d find them uncomfortable.”

He looked her up and down.

“Besides, you’re fairly tall. My mother is shorter than you, so her clothes wouldn’t fit.”

Then he smiled.

“How about I have Old Liu and A-Liu harness the cart and take you after your people?”

“Zhang Shou!”

Zhu Ying finally exploded.

“Are you really that eager to drive me away?”

I’m staying here to help you, she thought angrily.

If you keep living hidden away in the countryside, won’t people like Zhu Gongquan continue looking down on you forever?

Do you think it was easy for me to come up with an excuse to stay?

…Of course, if you were merely handsome but turned into a bootlicker the moment you learned I was the Duke of Zhao’s daughter, I wouldn’t have stayed in the first place…

At that moment, Madam Wu happened to come hurrying out of the main room.

Hearing their raised voices and seeing Zhu Ying’s aggrieved expression, she assumed they were quarreling.

Once she understood the reason, however, she laughed.

“A-Shou had two new summer outfits made recently. They’re silk garments.”

She smiled.

“I had them specially prepared for his birthday and hadn’t had the chance to tell him yet, so he hasn’t worn them.”

Looking between the two youngsters, she continued, “Your figures are about the same. Miss Zhu, you may wear them for now. I imagine your things from the Duke of Zhao’s residence will arrive tomorrow.”

Zhang Shou had worked so hard to make the young lady realize how impossible it was to stay here.

His mother’s words instantly ruined all his efforts.

He nearly fainted.

Zhu Ying, however, was overjoyed.

Just because Madam Wu had rendered Zhang Shou speechless with a single sentence and made it possible for her to stay, she already felt grateful.

Although Zhu Gongquan’s repeated use of the title Concubine Wu briefly crossed her mind, she quickly pushed it aside.

Her eyes brightened.

“All right! I’ll do as Aunt Wu says.”

Then she smiled.

“Since I’m staying here, please don’t keep calling me ‘Miss.’ Grandmother and Father both call me Yingying.”

Earlier, Zhu Gongquan’s remark that Madam Wu wasn’t a proper mother-in-law had wounded her deeply.

Hearing the young lady—whom she had first thought spoiled and willful—say this now filled Madam Wu with surprise and delight.

She had only begun to protest, “How could I possibly—” when she noticed Zhu Ying looking slightly displeased.

Quickly changing her words, inspiration struck her.

Pointing toward the smiling Zhang Shou, she said, “Then, Yingying, why don’t you call him A-Shou, just like I do?”

Seeing Zhang Shou instantly make a miserable face, Zhu Ying was secretly delighted, though she tried to appear perfectly composed.

“Then I’ll follow Aunt Wu’s example and call him A-Shou.”

She repeated it twice with a smile.

“A-Shou.”

“A-Shou.”

Now that she said it aloud, she couldn’t help thinking the nickname sounded rather rustic.

Like the pet names wealthy families deliberately gave children to ward off bad luck.

Watching the beautiful young lady happily call him A-Shou over and over again, Zhang Shou felt utterly helpless.

With his own mother undermining him, what could he possibly do?

What surprised him even more was Madam Wu’s next suggestion.

“A-Shou, tonight you can sleep with Mother.”

“Absolutely not!”

Zhang Shou rejected the idea without hesitation.

Seeing Zhu Ying staring in astonishment, Madam Wu explained awkwardly, “There are empty rooms in the house.”

“A-Shou used to sleep in the principal room of the inner courtyard, while I stayed in the eastern wing. The western wing is empty as well.”

“We can certainly give up the principal room, but we’ve never had guests before.”

“The problem is… we only have two proper beds.”

“There are two more beds in the front courtyard, but moving those over to receive guests would be far too discourteous.”

Zhang Shou glanced toward Zhu Ying.

The beautiful young lady looked completely dumbfounded.

He sighed inwardly.

You insisted on staying. Now you’ve finally realized how rough life in the countryside really is.

Still, he couldn’t truly regard himself as Madam Wu’s biological son.

There was no way he could share a bed with her.

Thinking quickly, and realizing there was little hope of persuading Zhu Ying to leave now, he softened his tone.

“Mother, she’s in an unfamiliar place and doesn’t even have her maids to attend her. She certainly won’t be used to it.”

“Why don’t you sleep with her in the principal room? That way you can look after one another.”

“As for me, I’ll sleep alone in the eastern wing.”

Then, before Zhu Ying could object, he added solemnly, “And don’t refuse just yet. The countryside isn’t like the city.”

“There’s no night watchman.”

“Late at night, the wind howls like ghosts crying.”

“And every now and then wild boars, wolves, or other beasts wander around.”

Hearing that, Zhu Ying almost lost her resolve.

But then she remembered that Zhang Shou still refused to call her by name.

She had declared so confidently that she would stay.

If she fled now, wouldn’t it be unbearably embarrassing?

So she simply snorted.

“Stop trying to scare me.”

“If there aren’t enough beds, then Aunt Wu and I will share one.”

“My archery is excellent.”

“If any ghosts or monsters really appear, I’ll shoot them away with a single arrow.”

“There’s no one in this village who can beat me!”