Volume One, Chapter Three: Their Moon Silver Should Rightfully Be Ours
“Yay—finally I can ride a horse!” Little Joy quickly wriggled free from Lady Shu’s embrace and dashed toward Shu Zijun.
“Mother never lets me ride the big horse. She says my legs are too short!” Little Joy pouted as Shu Zijun scooped her into his arms. She then put on a pitiful expression, looking up at him with a slight frown, but instantly brightened, “Daddy’s the best—Daddy’s the very best! Joy loves Daddy the most!”
Lady Shu glanced at Little Joy with a hint of suspicion. “Your mother? Where is she?”
Little Joy’s lower lip trembled, and tears welled up immediately. “Waa—Mother, Mother… I don’t know where she is. I haven’t seen her in almost a month. Waa—”
Startled by the sudden flood of tears, Shu Zijun fumbled nervously, calling out repeatedly, “Mother, mother, what should I do? What should I do?”
“What’s all this fuss about?” Lady Shu shot a disapproving look at her unfortunate son, then gently took the sobbing Little Joy into her arms, softly patting her back.
The earth-shattering crying gradually quieted. Little Joy looked up at Lady Yan with a plaintive voice, “Grandmother, I’m hungry.”
“Set the table, quickly bring breakfast!” Shu Zijun immediately shouted to the servants outside upon hearing this.
The young maids entered one after another, carrying dishes, and soon the table was laden with food.
Lady Shu personally washed Little Joy’s hands. Seeing her eyes linger on the crystal shrimp dumplings, she promptly picked one up and placed it in a small bowl in front of her. “Try this. Daddy got the chef from a southern merchant last year. They say it’s the most authentic Lingnan flavor.”
“Your father may be careless in other matters, but when it comes to food, he’s very particular.”
Little Joy nodded in agreement, “Just like Daddy, I like the best the most.”
“Delicious! Delicious!” Little Joy’s cheeks puffed as she stuffed her mouth, chewing rapidly while mumbling her praise indistinctly.
“These crispy spring rolls were brought in by the chef we just hired this year. He’s also excellent at southern cuisine. Try and see if you like them.” Seeing her enthusiasm, Shu Zijun quickly offered her a piece.
“Delicious, delicious!”
“Try the fish soup…”
“Delicious, delicious!”
“Try the sesame cakes…”
The mother and son eagerly fed her. By the time Little Joy rubbed her round belly, saying she couldn’t eat any more, neither of them had taken a single bite themselves.
Thinking about taking Little Joy horse riding, Shu Zijun hurriedly gulped down a few mouthfuls, dropped his chopsticks, and was about to stand.
“Madam, the matriarch heard the young master brought back a daughter. She sent me to inform you to bring her to see her after breakfast,” Jin Xiu, the matriarch’s attendant, entered briskly and bowed.
Little Joy frowned. “But Daddy wants to take me horse riding. I don’t have time now.”
Shu Zijun scooped up Little Joy in one swift motion and ran off, shouting from afar, “Just tell Grandmother you’re late. I’ve already taken my daughter out.”
Jin Xiu, unfazed by Shu Zijun’s antics, bowed politely to Lady Shu and withdrew.
Lady Shu sighed helplessly and rose to personally explain to the matriarch in the Compassion Hall.
“Why are you alone? Where’s that little girl?” the matriarch asked knowingly.
Lady Shu glanced at Jin Xiu, suppressing the urge to complain, and patiently replied, “Little Joy is out playing with Ah Jun. They’ve been apart too long and just can’t get enough of each other.”
“Has Ah Jun told you who that little girl’s mother is? Our General’s household is no ordinary family. Since the child was born, he must take responsibility.”
Lady Shu shook her head with worry. “Little Joy is very sensitive now. Whenever her mother is mentioned, she breaks down crying. We can’t get any information from her.”
“You know how Ah Jun is—like a clam, he won’t tell us anything if he can help it. Sigh, such a burden!”
The matriarch’s face darkened as she slammed her teacup heavily on the table. “A loving mother spoils her child! You don’t intend to sweep this under the rug, do you? What about the reputation of the General’s household?”
Lady Shu lowered her head, staring at the carpet’s pattern, silently thinking, “You scold as you please; as long as you’re satisfied.”
After a few more scoldings, the matriarch found Lady Shu’s indifference boring.
“Those more than a hundred guards the little girl brought—how have you arranged them?”
The entire General’s household had just over two hundred servants, and the guards numbered fewer than a hundred.
Yet this little girl had over a hundred guards?
Lady Shu immediately understood the matriarch’s intent—she was eyeing the influence of Little Joy’s maternal family.
Putting on an even more troubled expression, Lady Shu said, “Mother, arranging their lodgings and such is manageable, but their monthly wages…”
Suddenly having over a hundred extra people’s expenses was no small matter.
“That’s none of our concern!” the matriarch’s voice suddenly rose sharply.
Lady Shu replied with a businesslike tone, “Although these guards belong to Little Joy’s mother, Ah Jun is still Little Joy’s father.”
“Now that Little Joy has returned to our General’s household, all her expenses must be borne by us. We can’t let her mother continue to pay.”
Before the matriarch could respond, Lady Shu ordered, “Send for the head of the guards.”
Not long after, two tall, poised men entered. Their composed demeanor made all the women in the room momentarily dazed.
Are these the guards?
The two men bowed in greeting to the matriarch and Lady Shu.
Lady Shu asked directly, “What is your monthly wage?”
They exchanged a glance in surprise.
One respectfully answered, “Madam, my monthly wage is modest, almost negligible.”
The matriarch immediately looked disappointed but patiently asked, “Even if it’s little, there must be some. From now on, we’re family. Don’t be shy about telling us.”
The General’s household head guard earned twenty taels per month, and ordinary guards ten.
Even if the little girl’s mother was not wealthy, the guards’ wages shouldn’t be too low, right?
The matriarch stared as if awaiting an important answer.
The man looked at her in confusion, then answered honestly, “My monthly wage is not much, only a mere three thousand taels.”
His main income came from dividends; this monthly wage was just a fraction of that.
“Smack—”
“How much?!”
The sound of a tea cup shattering on the floor was almost simultaneous with the matriarch’s sharp cry, piercing to the eardrums.
Lady Yan’s mouth also dropped open in shock.
The General’s father, a first-rank military officer, had a monthly wage of only nine hundred taels!
A head guard earning three thousand taels a month?!
Is this reasonable?