Chapter 84

In the scorching summer, the pavilion built against the mountain was in the shade, making it particularly cool and pleasant. However, Lady Mu, lying on the cool bed, had been in a bad mood recently, not just because of the death of her former close friend. To be honest, people of her status were more or less prepared for such events. They had experienced many things, from the execution of Chancellor Hu Weiyong to Li Shanchang and Lan Yu, too many nobles had fallen from their peak in an instant.

Lady Mu shed tears several times for this, set up an altar in the garden to pay respects, and actively sent people to inquire about her friend's descendants to take care of them. She also wrote letters to remind her eldest son, Mu Chun, to be cautious at all times and advised her second son, Mu Sheng, to keep a low profile and be loyal to the emperor.

All that needed to be done had been done, and she had recovered over the past half year. Her husband had died less than a year ago, and she had never been so sad, even when they were often apart. The reason for her unhappiness was her daughter's future marriage.

In the blink of an eye, there were so few families of equal status left. The remaining families were either too high in status or too low. The suitable families were scattered, and there were too few well-rounded children of the right age. The idea of marrying a scholar's son was out of the question. The most promising one, Zhan Yu, was gone. Scholar families were not as stable as military families, and who knew if the emperor cared about the marriage between scholars and military families?

Most excellent scholars came from humble backgrounds, were proud and rigid in their behavior, and far less gentle and considerate than children from wealthy families. They were mostly too fickle and prone to infidelity. Besides, Lady Mu did not want her daughter to follow her husband to various places, enduring the hardships of official life. Most importantly, she did not know their backgrounds and could not trust their character.

Generally, mothers worry a lot about their children's marriages, fearing this and that, always finding endless excuses and concerns.

There were more children from the royal family, but due to her status, the emperor himself would have to arrange the marriage. Moreover, he had already allowed Ningxue, that stubborn girl, to choose her own husband. It was unlikely he would go back on his word unless she asked personally. The biggest concern for Lady Mu was the dynasty's practice of concubine sacrifice. Given Ningxue's personality, if she had no children, or even if she had one or two, she would likely request to be sacrificed, even though the principal wife was not required to do so.

"That stubborn girl is too headstrong," Lady Mu said angrily, fanning herself with a handkerchief held by her maid, Qiwen. She picked up a chilled grape, peeled and seeded, and handed it to Qiwen, who smiled sweetly and opened her mouth.

In fact, Lady Mu knew her worries were unnecessary. She was just too lonely and idle, and the hot weather made her irritable. If there were truly suitable families, she would not want her daughter to marry yet.

Lady Mu married into the Mu family at the age of fourteen and was not yet forty. She was naturally beautiful and well-maintained, still graceful and charming in her middle years, with a figure and waist that rivaled a young maiden. She wore a semi-transparent light spring shirt, with a milky white silk belly band underneath, and her bare feet were unshod, making her look very alluring.

Mu Sheng and his wife were in the capital, and Mu Ang, who disliked being confined, insisted on living in the outer courtyard. Now, the inner quarters were all women, so Lady Mu had no qualms about dressing lightly in the heat.

Finally, Lady Mu sighed, looking out the window at her daughter and the guest in the octagonal pavilion in the garden. She thought to herself that it seemed the Xu family's boy would benefit, as a great disaster had struck the capital, leaving his rivals almost nonexistent. Moreover, the boy was too cunning and smart, having been around for nearly a year, and while his character was well-known, others were still not entirely comfortable with him.

"We'll see. If you have the ability, wait another two years," Lady Mu said, her lips curling, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Qiwen, whose arm was tired, handed the fan to another maid and suddenly covered her mouth, giggling, which immediately caught Lady Mu's attention.

"What are you laughing at? Tell me," Lady Mu asked, closing her eyes out of boredom.

Qiwen waved her hand and laughed lightly, "I dare not say."

Lady Mu stretched out her hand, pinched Qiwen's cheek, and threatened, "If you don't say, I'll tear your mouth."

"I'll say, I'll say," Qiwen hurried to beg for mercy, smiling, "Everyone, you can go now."

After dismissing the other maids, Qiwen leaned close to Lady Mu's ear and couldn't help but laugh, "Mistress, it seems you are not just choosing a future son-in-law. Why are you more concerned than the young lady herself?"

Lady Mu was taken aback, then blushed, her fingers tightening, and she scolded, "You naughty girl, I've spoiled you to be so bold. How dare you mock me? How unreasonable."

Even though Qiwen was Lady Mu's trusted confidante, she dared not continue after teasing her. Instead, she changed the subject, sighing, "It's no wonder you worry about the young lady's marriage. Since the master passed away, life has been truly hard."

"Who says it isn't," Lady Mu sighed, not taking the jest seriously, and forced a smile, "Though you were groomed by the master, you don't have a formal status. If there's a suitable match, you should marry."

Qiwen looked sad, shook her head, and said, "I will stay with you, mistress, and be a living widow for life."

Lady Mu gently stroked Qiwen's cheek and smiled bitterly, "Why put yourself through that?"

Meanwhile, in the garden, Mu Ningxue was entertaining Xu Qinglian, and the two seemed to have hit it off, chatting and laughing as if they had been close friends for years.

Hongye, dressed in a light pink spring shirt and wearing a bamboo hat, was fishing by the pond, with maids sitting under the willow trees behind her. However, Hongye had little patience, often pulling the fishing rod out of the water and throwing it back in, her bare feet splashing in the water playfully.

Mu Ningxue resembled her mother in many ways, not caring much about formalities at home. She also had bare feet, wearing thick-soled white silk shoes. Without the shoes, she was taller than Xu Qinglian, who was not short, by half a head. Her posture was straight, making her look even more graceful and tall.

Initially, Xu Qinglian, wearing embroidered shoes, was slightly shorter than Mu Ningxue. Now, she had taken off her thick-soled shoes and sat on a stone bench, holding up the hem of her skirt to reveal white socks made of fine cotton thread. The unique design intrigued Mu Ningxue, who had never seen such socks before.

Xu Qinglian, not wanting to reveal that it was her brother's idea, said vaguely, "I saw him wearing similar socks last year and decided to try making a few pairs. At first, it didn't go well, so I asked him where he got them. He said they were from a village in the south, made on a loom with fine iron wires, which was hard to learn. I was不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat), so I tried his method carefully and finally got the hang of it after much effort. The thick soles were a result of my brother's mischief, adding a piece of wood to the bottom, which almost made me fall. But the maids said they looked good, and after some initial discomfort, I got used to them."

Mu Ningxue leaned down to examine the socks closely, nodding frequently. She rarely wore thick-soled shoes due to her height, but today, seeing the Xu sisters in them, she had put on a pair, curious about the different style and wanting to try them out.

After a while, Mu Ningxue suddenly asked, "Has he ever mentioned the practice of foot binding? I once met some officials' wives in the palace who mocked us for having big feet, just like the late empress."

Xu Qinglian smiled, understanding the sentiment, and said, "He has mentioned it. I remember the first time he saw a woman with bound feet in the village, he pointed at her house and cursed the cruelty and barbarity of the practice, calling their ancestors all sorts of names. When he got home, he was furious and gathered all the servants, declaring that any girl who dared to bind her feet would have her legs cut off. This scared off several families who had planned to bind their daughters' feet."

"Really?" Mu Ningxue was moved for the first time by someone's actions, standing up with shining eyes, "Thank him for speaking up for all the daughters in the world. Alas! Unfortunately, this cruel practice is quietly reviving in places like Suzhou and Hangzhou and even in the capital. Once, we had relatives from Hangzhou visit, and perhaps due to the rush of the journey, they didn't have time to wash their feet. Oh my, they walked with a wobbly gait, needing support, and I felt so sorry for them. The long bandages were both sour and smelly, and even with shoes on, they stank in the hot weather. I don't know how they endured it. I was lucky to be born into my family; if I had been born into a scholarly family, I would rather jump into the river and be reborn."

Xu Qinglian laughed, "My brother was very angry about this and said he would petition the court to ban foot binding. I explained that this practice was only common in some southern regions and almost unheard of elsewhere. But he coldly replied that a small breach can cause a great collapse, and with the support of officials, it might spread. I laughed at him for being overly worried."

Mu Ningxue's expression turned serious, and she brushed her disheveled hair, saying slowly, "He might be right. Foot binding originated in the Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty, especially among the daughters of small families in the south and the capital, Bianliang. Even after the Yuan Dynasty, it never disappeared. Now, with peace and prosperity, wealthy families indulge in luxury, and more poor families hope their daughters will be sold to scholars who like bound feet. Some scholars even promote this practice, which is disgusting. In the future, alas! I would never let my daughter bind her feet."

Xu Qinglian smiled mischievously and asked, "Who will you marry to have a daughter?"

Mu Ningxue, who had been speaking seriously, was taken aback and blushed, biting her lip in anger, "Certainly not to your family."