Chapter 31: Beneath the Surface of Smiles
Most domestic conflicts stem from money. And the old saying, "It is not poverty but inequality that causes unrest," remains an unshakable truth.
It's not that wealthy families don't argue over money. If that were true, why would there still be undercurrents of tension between daughters-in-law in affluent households?
This time, the old madam started a quarrel with the old master over Yin Shi's dowry.
In truth, this wasn't their first conflict. Over twenty years ago, they had already fought over a similar issue.
Back then, when the old madam's biological third daughter and the concubine-born fourth daughter (now Lady Shen) were getting married, their dowries were not equal.
Lady Shen's dowry was considerably more generous than that of her legitimate sister.
Just the silver at the bottom of her chest was 1,000 taels more.
The old madam made a scene at the time.
But the old master beat her and told her, "You think this money is for Fourth Daughter? It's for the Shen family."
The old madam cried her heart out, feeling only that her Third Daughter was too pitiful.
Back then, the Yin family was just a small merchant family. But now, twenty years later, with the support of the Shen family, the Yin family's fortune is no longer what it used to be.
Nowadays, when the girls marry, each of them gets a standard 2,000 taels of silver as a dowry from the public funds. How much their parents add depends on their generosity.
But when it was Yin Shi's turn, the old master waved his hand and gave her an extra 10,000 taels on top of the 2,000 taels.
The old madam exploded.
But now, the Yin family is a major household in Huaixi. It's not like in the old days when the doors could be shut to smash plates and beat wives and children. Besides, the old madam is getting on in years, already holding great-grandchildren. The old master couldn’t beat her anymore; he could only order the maids and servants, "Lift her up for me!"
Despite the size and wealth of the family, the old lady still resorted to throwing tantrums and crying loudly on the floor.
How shameful!
The first, second, and fifth daughters-in-law, who were legitimate wives, all came forward.
The third and fourth daughters-in-law, born of concubines, hovered behind pretending to help. Especially the third lady, who put on a show but stayed behind the fifth lady to avoid being pinched or kicked by the old madam in the chaos.
In short, it was a mess of limbs and shouting.
The old master was furious. He slammed the table and shouted, "Dalang!"
Master Yin, the eldest son, quickly stepped forward, "Father!"
The old master glared, "Your uncle still owes us 500 taels. Go and collect it immediately!"
The old madam shot up, her neck stiff, and said, "Why bring that up! He's the child's maternal uncle!"
The old master sneered, "Even real brothers settle accounts clearly, let alone uncles."
The old madam was struck at her weak point and immediately lost steam, her voice softer, "Watch your words."
"Oh, I'm not speaking properly?" the old master laughed angrily.
The old madam covered her face and cried, "I'm just heartbroken for Third Daughter. Her dowry was so meager, and Fourth Daughter got 1,000 taels more along with so many goods. And now this little girl gets 10,000 taels, and that's just the silver. Are there more things? She's not our only child! How can this be so unfair!"
Her words echoed the inner thoughts of some of the daughters-in-law, especially the second and fifth.
Everyone knew that when Lady Shen returned home, her chests had increased noticeably, making the boat sink deeper in the water.
Who knew how much more the old master had secretly given her?
The old master sneered.
Whenever he did that, the old madam became frightened and stopped raising her voice, only sobbing quietly.
The old master commanded sternly, "Shut your mouth. Do you want to make a laughingstock of us?"
The old madam dared not cry out loud anymore and slumped against the first daughter-in-law.
The old master swept his gaze over the chaotic room and said, "Sit down. Since we're all here, let me say a few things."
Everyone hurried to find seats.
The first daughter-in-law helped the old madam to the seat of honor before sitting herself.
Once the maids were dismissed, the old master slowly began, "When Fourth Daughter got married, I gave her 1,000 taels more and some raw silk to take to the Shen family. At the time, I told your mother that this wasn't for Fourth Daughter, it was for the Shen family. Your mother didn't understand. She could afford to not understand, but you cannot."
Master Yin nodded, "Yes."
As the eldest son, he would inherit most of the family estate and knew these matters best. So earlier, when his mother acted up, he didn't support her and even gave his wife a warning look.
Only the families of the second and fifth sons were foolishly fanning the flames.
"Dalang has followed me around the world since childhood. He has seen much and understands," the old master said to his other sons. "You others don’t measure up."
"Back then, before marrying into the Shen family, how much land did we have? How many mulberry groves?"
"Just a few dozen acres of poor land, which I saved up for with great effort. At that time, our family relied entirely on me and Dalang running trade routes, earning hard money. Each trip took three to five months at least, sometimes a year or more. I'd leave when your mother was heavily pregnant and return to find you already born. If I didn’t come back, it meant I died out there."
The old madam quickly spat, "Pfui!"
The old master continued, "My dream back then was to own a mulberry grove. Now look how many good fields and mulberry groves we own! You all live comfortably at home. Who among you needs to travel and suffer as I did? Our shopkeepers now travel for us and bring back the silver."
"You think this vast fortune just fell from the sky?"
"Pfui!"
That spitting sound was aimed at the old madam, his face even slightly turned toward her. She felt both humiliated and angry but dared not speak up. Her face turned red, then white, then red again.
"Dalang," the old master called, "Tell them how we conducted ourselves after Fourth Daughter married into the capital."
Master Yin cleared his throat and addressed the group—mainly his mother and younger siblings: "After Fourth Sister married, we traveled with the visiting cards of Shen Uncle and later of our brother-in-law. It allowed us to avoid exploitation. When others knew we had strong backing, they dared not take advantage. And when we met friends or old classmates of Shen Uncle or Brother-in-law, it brought many conveniences."
"That’s how we gradually built up our fortune."
The old master knocked on the table and shouted, "The in-laws and son-in-law are both scholars! Your nephew Jiyun even ranked third in the national exams! Chosen by the Emperor himself! He's still young, with a brilliant future ahead. They're willing to maintain ties with us—do not take that for granted!"
"You think all these benefits come from just having a daughter? If you're stingy and unimpressive, do you think the Shen family would still associate with us?"
"I said it then, and I say it now: the extra dowry wasn't for Fourth Daughter, it was for the Shen family."
"Same with Shi-niang's dowry. Whatever she gets above her sisters isn't hers alone—it's for the Shen family."
"What are you all fighting over? Put away your petty thoughts. Stop hanging around brothels. Use your energy to travel with the shopkeepers, broaden your horizons, build relationships! It’ll benefit you far more."
All the sons and daughters-in-law lowered their heads in silence.
The old madam held her silence for a while, then burst into tears, "My poor Third Daughter—"
The old madam had three sons and one daughter who survived infancy. The Third Daughter was her only legitimate daughter.
In her opinion, when the Shen family proposed marriage, it should have been Third Daughter they chose. But the old master insisted Shen Bo choose personally.
They say one should marry a virtuous woman, but how could a concubine's daughter be more virtuous than a legitimate one? Yet men always say one thing and do another, falling for pretty faces. Shen Bo was immediately smitten with Fourth Daughter.
Poor Third Daughter lost a great match to her sister and became a widow early in life, suffering for half her years.
Master Yin couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Mother, it’s not that we don’t feel for Third Sister, but you saw what Shen Bo looked like. Third Sister, well..."
Why hadn’t Father married Third Sister to Shen Bo back then?
Shen Bo had endured hardships in exile, studied hard, and returned with both talent and humility. He had sharp eyes and a scholarly air that made others feel inferior.
The old master had admired him deeply and saved his father in the past.
When men admire other men, they often want to give them their daughter or sister.
But Third Daughter had unfortunately inherited her parents' plain looks. The Shen family proposed out of gratitude. How could the old master allow an unattractive girl to marry someone as outstanding as Shen Bo?
So he offered up the beautiful Fourth Daughter, who had inherited her mother's looks.
The old madam understood this deep down, but still couldn't accept that her only daughter suffered while the concubine-born one lived well.
Hearing even her own son speak against his sister, she wept even harder.
"Enough! Though her life is simple, Third Daughter has you sending money and gifts every year. Her brothers look after her. She will never lack food or clothing. She may even earn a chastity arch in the future. Stop crying! I'm old and can't bear to hear such depressing words."
Finally, the old master swept his gaze once more and concluded: "Shi-niang's dowry is different from the others. No more arguments! This is paving the road for your futures. If you can't tell what's important, then get out!"
Everyone murmured, "Yes."
"We dare not disobey."
The old master's gaze shifted directly to the third lady.
She wasn't skilled at hiding emotions, and though she tried to maintain a straight face, the twitch at the corner of her mouth gave her away.
"You two, from the third household," he called out, startling her.
She quickly bowed, "Father."
Her husband also bowed, "Father."
"The dowry matter is not your concern. This is my decision. Keep your mouths shut. Don't say anything to Shi-niang and disturb her peace."
"Jiyun is the type who won't tolerate narrow-minded people."
"Girls should be raised with care. Only then can they have clear eyes."
With that, no one in the household dared speak to Fourth Miss Yin Shi about dowry matters, lest they contaminate her with the stench of money.
Even the first lady, acting under orders, brought Shi-niang close to teach her house management personally but never discussed the dowry.
Yin Shi, who had been secretly worrying about her future living expenses and savings, passed a few peaceful months—the last tranquil period of her girlhood.
Then, in the twelfth lunar month, with snow falling and her cuddled up warmly in a pale blue fur-lined jacket beside a brazier, the old master summoned her to his study.
After all these years, this was the first time Yin Shi entered the old master's private study—his absolute domain.
He handed her a folded booklet and said calmly, "Take a look."
It looked quite thick.
This directly concerned her future standard of living.
Yin Shi accepted it cautiously and gently unfolded it.