Chapter 51: Daily Life
After returning home, Jiang Chenghan did not mention to Yan Jingshu and the Dowager Lady Yan anything about what he had discussed with Xie Huan at the restaurant. Xie Huan did the same; both acted as if nothing had happened.
On the third day after the child's birth, the washing ceremony was held. No guests were specially invited; only the midwife who had delivered Yan Jingshu was asked to preside over it once more. The family completed the ritual in a simple yet warm and joyful manner.
[洗三 (xǐ sān): lit. washing three; fig. a traditional ceremony held on the third day after a baby's birth, symbolizing purification and good health]
In contrast to the washing ceremony, the full moon banquet was to be a grand affair with many guests invited. Not wanting the trouble of hosting at home, they again held the banquet at Xi Muyuan's Zhiyuan Restaurant.
Xi Muyuan had already headed south for trade after the spring began in the second month. Before he left, Yan Jingshu gave him another twenty thousand taels of silver, which included both the principal and profits. He happened to return just a few days before the full month banquet, so he did not miss it.
The full month banquet was naturally lively and celebratory, as need not be described in detail. By this time, Yan Jingshu's body had long been fully recovered. He even went with Jiang Chenghan to receive the guests. However, the Dowager Lady Yan and Xie Huan, one being advanced in age and disliking noise, the other being naturally aloof and unsociable, did not attend. They simply celebrated at home with Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu.
During this period, Xie Huan's school was also established. With his talent, he was fully qualified to be a teacher even at the prefectural school. However, Ningcheng was a crucial border defense city, where martial spirit flourished while literary pursuits were weaker. Even if all the people from the nearby ten li and eight villages were combined, let alone provincial graduates or presented scholars, there were only a handful of the lowest-ranked county scholars.
But Xie Huan's original intention in starting the school was merely to find an excuse to stay by Yan Jingshu's side. He had no other expectations, so he did not take it to heart. Coincidentally, the house he finally chose for the school turned out to be right next to the charity home, separated only by a one-meter-wide alley. Thus, the first batch of students was secured.
The Dowager Lady Yan had originally come thousands of li to visit and care for Yan Jingshu because she was worried about his pregnancy. She had planned to leave after Yan Jingshu gave birth, but she could not bear to part with her newborn great-grandson, and Yan Jingshu could not bear to part with his grandmother either. Thus, the date of her return was repeatedly postponed.
Even after autumn arrived, she still had not left. As autumn progressed, the weather grew colder day by day, making long journeys increasingly difficult. Consequently, the return date was pushed all the way to next spring.
As for the Duke of Anguo's residence in the capital, since the Dowager Lady Yan dared to come to Ningcheng, she had naturally arranged everything in advance. Her eldest grandson's wife, Shen Shi, was originally from a prestigious family. Previously, due to the grief of losing her husband, having her child away from her, and being constantly suppressed by her mother-in-law, she had been depressed and bedridden with illness.
Later, after the Dowager Lady Yan sent people to comfort and guide her, she gradually recovered from her illness. With her son by her side again, although managing the entire ducal residence was busy and complicated, her spirits were greatly improved. She was inherently intelligent and capable. With the assistance of An Momo and Steward Yan, assigned by the Dowager Lady Yan and the Duke of Anguo, she quickly became able to handle matters independently within two months.
Because of this, the Dowager Lady Yan felt assured leaving the ducal residence in her care and came to Ningcheng.
As for the Duke of Anguo, although he was quite capable in political affairs, he was utterly confused about family matters and easily swayed. Deceived by Xie Shi, he trusted and supported her wholeheartedly, failing to see her true nature, which ultimately led to the outcome of losing his wife and children.
The Dowager Lady Yan was naturally dissatisfied with the Duke of Anguo. But seeing how the series of changes in the family had caused his hair to turn white almost overnight, and how he seemed to have aged several years in an instant, he was greatly devastated by Xie Shi's deception. He showed no intention of remarrying or even taking a concubine or a tongfang, avoiding it as if he were being offered not a woman but some kind of monster.
[Tōngfáng (通房): a higher-ranking female servant in ancient China who had sexual duties to the master of the household but held a status lower than a concubine, with her position often being more informal and tied to her domestic service.]
Seeing the Duke of Anguo, only in his forties, preparing to live alone and cultivate his character, the Dowager Lady Yan did not interfere further and let him be.
Thus, the Dowager Lady Yan settled down in Ningcheng for a long time. Yan Jingshu was happy, and Jiang Chenghan was also happy, but not just because Yan Jingshu was happy.
Originally, last year, Jiang Chenghan had felt very guilty for leaving Yan Jingshu alone at home during the twelfth month. He had planned to take Yan Jingshu out for some fun after the warm spring flowers bloomed. Although Ningcheng was a border city, it had many beautiful sceneries not found in the capital, and they could even go hunting in the woods outside the city.
However, unexpectedly, Yan Jingshu became pregnant, so naturally, they could not go out casually.
He had thought that after Yan Jingshu gave birth, with no one at home to help take care of the child, it would be impossible for the two of them to go out alone for several years until the child grew up. Thus, he had to temporarily abandon this plan.
But now, with the Dowager Lady Yan here, they could rest assured leaving the child in her care.
Therefore, in the days that followed, during every ten-day rest period, if the weather was good, Jiang Chenghan would take Yan Jingshu out for excursions.
They would go to the mountains to soak in hot springs, visit a Taoist temple specifically to enjoy the pastries served there, go hunting together in the surrounding woods, and sometimes prepare food over an open fire during their outdoor excursions. It was only after winter arrived, when the weather gradually turned severe and cold, and they had pretty much seen all the scenery around Ningcheng, that they slowly reduced the number of outings.
At home, everything was peaceful and stable, but in the army, Jiang Chenghan's surveillance of the fake Zhao Dali did not slacken in the slightest.
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