Chapter 8: Forms of Address

  "My wife is no longer foolish." Ban Jin said hastily with a knock on his head.

  Mrs. Cheng in front of her raised her hand to stop her from speaking.

  "I don't want to be the seventh daughter, I don't want to be the seventh daughter." At this point, Cheng Liu'niang sat up, pushing over the Go board in front of her, making a scraping sound, accompanied by her shouting, the room was in an uproar.

  "Shut up." Madam Cheng scolded with a frown.

  Cheng Liu Niang was still afraid of her mother, pouting and no longer daring to shout.

  The room was quiet for a moment, and Madame Cheng took a deep breath, looking at the maid beside her.

  "How old is the big girl this year?" she asked.

  "I'm already fourteen years old." Ban Jin replied hastily.

  Madam Cheng glanced at her with a hint of disdain, and the servant woman also swept half a glance at Qiangwei with a hint of dissatisfaction.

  Rude and ill-mannered.

  "Madam, after Dragon Boat Festival, it will be fourteen years old," said the servant woman. "Half a year older than Fourth Daughter and Fifth Daughter."

  Madam Cheng carries a hint of nostalgia.

  "Yes, I remember they were pregnant one after another." she said.

  At that time, Zhou Shi, the second wife of the Zhang family, was pregnant. Everyone in the family breathed a sigh of relief. In order to bless the child and show her generosity, Zhou Shi also stopped giving medicine to the concubines. As a result, after Zhou Shi became pregnant for half a year, both of the two concubines in the second house were also pregnant.

  Still remember the joy of the whole family at that time, Old Master Cheng day by day flipped through books and calculated names, unexpectedly...

  Madam Cheng sighed.

  At that time, there were many happy ones, and later there were many angry ones. So, the second wife of this house was seen as not a member of the Cheng family, even her ranking was deliberately forgotten.

  "What's her nickname?" she thought for a moment and asked.

  "Jiaoniang, Jiaoniang, my daughter's name is Jiaoniang, it was given by the old lady from outside." Pan Jin replied happily.

  My daughter...

  Madam Cheng snorted in her heart.

  "Well, let's just call her Jiaoniang then, after all it's Old Lady Li's heart's desire." she said.

  Cheng Liu Niang let out a sigh of relief, great, she didn't have to change her name after all.

  "Madam, my daughter is the fourth in our family, so she's usually called..." Half of the words trailed off as he hesitated.

  The children of Cheng's family are not in order, and it seems that they are not like the children of Cheng's family. It doesn't sound good to say it out loud.

  "Didn't I just call you Jiao Niang? Can't you understand, you little hoof?" shouted Cheng Liu Niang.

  Seeing the woman, who was slightly younger than her own daughter, being so arrogant in front of Mrs. Cheng, Ban Jin guessed that she was not someone to be trifled with. As soon as she entered the house, she couldn't afford to provoke the woman, so Ban Jin hastily bowed her head to the floor and repeatedly apologized.

  "What more can a little fool want!" said Cheng Liu'niang with a hum, with a few points of comfort.

  The celery bent down and hesitated for a moment.

  "My wife is fine now, she's no longer foolish," she said with a forced smile.

  The people in the house did not express their approval or disapproval.

  "Yes, really, madam, my daughter is really better." said Ban Jin hurriedly.

  "Fools won't even talk, what's good about that!" said Cheng Liu Niang, tilting her nose and fanning herself with a small fan.

  "Really? Really? My wife can talk." Ban Jin hurriedly denied, and looked at Madame Cheng, "Madame, you still remember, at the door, my wife called out to her father."

  Madam Cheng suddenly remembered that at the entrance, under the lantern, the woman lifted her hood and bowed, calling out "Father".

  Stiff in manner, wooden in tone, just like a puppet on strings.

  "You're teaching well, teach your wife properly in the future." She said lightly, glancing at this little girl, "Are you a maid from the Zhou family?"

  Radish nodded and shook his head.

  "The slave was bought by Old Lady Zhou, but she gave her to you, so she doesn't count as a member of the Zhou family either," she said.

  That's not ours from the Cheng family either. Madame Cheng was too lazy to say more and looked at that servant woman.

  "It's still that courtyard, an old woman is assigned there, and a young maid for sweeping, the small kitchen is also assigned to one person." she said.

  My wife is right.

  "You go down, go back and serve... Jiaoniang well." Madame Cheng said, looking at Banqian.

  Half of the celery responded.

  "My wife is really clever, let's meet with the madam and the masters." she said.

  It's already troublesome enough even if I don't see you...

  Madam Cheng nodded.

  "She's not feeling well, let's just forget about it and take good care of herself." she said calmly.

  Bàn qín still wanted to say something, but the servant woman glared at her impatiently and stood up first.

  "Let's go," she said, urging him up from his half-reclining position.

  Half of the celery had to get up and leave.

  "Be more careful in the future, no one is allowed to go to that yard again. If I find out, I'll send you all to the Taoist temple for purification!"

  Mrs. Cheng's voice came from inside the house.

  Ban Jin was somewhat displeased, returning home, not only could he not formally see his father and mother, uncle and aunt, but even his sisters were not allowed to approach him, still being isolated outside the house.

  "My wife is really not stupid," she said.

  The maid who led her out raised an eyebrow and swept a glance over her, too lazy to even speak.

  Who is being treated like a fool here?

  Ban Jin returned to the house, Cheng Jiaoniang sat in front of the window looking outside thinking about something, or maybe just staring blankly.

  "Daughter?" Half-chin called out cautiously.

  Yesterday she suddenly fell down and fainted, which really scared her. Fortunately, the daughter woke up quickly and didn't become a fool again, but just became less talkative.

  "Tea," said Cheng Jiaoniang.

  Ban Jin happily echoed, and knelt down on a low table on the other side, poured a bowl of tea and brought it over.

  Cheng Jiaoniang's hands were not agile, and Ban Qin held a spoon to feed her. After eating just one mouthful, Cheng Jiaoniang frowned.

  "It's inedible, not tea." She said, and refused to eat anymore.

  "Daughter, tea is always like this." said Ban Jin.

  The girl's picky eating habits are getting worse and worse.

  "No." said Jingniang firmly and clearly.

  Helpless.

  In the past, for the sake of her health, Cheng Jiaoniang would prepare medicine for herself and only drink plain water or yellow wine, not even tea. Now that she's stopped taking medicine, must she still only drink plain water and wine?

  "Girl, really, you'll get used to it after eating it." She coaxed.

  Such good tea, I couldn't even get to drink it before.

  Jiang Niang had never compromised on food and drink, and after being persuaded by Ban Qin for a couple of sentences, she gave up. Looking at the half bowl of fried tea, based on the principle of not wasting, Xiaoyao drank it all in one breath.

  It's incredibly delicious.

  Looking back, Cheng Jiaoniang was still sitting upright looking out the window. Ban Jin poured her a cup of plain water and brought it over, also gazing outside.

  Outside the window, wisteria twines around trees, and green rocks are piled up. Through the gap, half of the lotus pond can be seen. If it weren't for the obstruction of the vines and rocks, it should be a perfect view. Of course, if it were really such a good view, it wouldn't have been left waiting for them to use.

  "Daughter, are you feeling sad?" Ban Jin said with a somewhat downcast tone, thinking about what had happened over the past few days.

  In the past when I was foolish, others' disgust and disdain were unknown to me. Now that I'm no longer foolish, being able to hear and see these things is truly embarrassing.

  "It's tough." Chiang Niu replied quickly this time.

  When she heard her say it was difficult, Ban Jin became a bit nervous again.

  "Girl, don't be sad. It's just because you've just come back and everyone is still unfamiliar with you. Once they get used to it, everything will be fine. You are the daughter of the Cheng family, these are all your relatives..."

  Half-heartedly consoling words, Cheng Jiaoniang didn't hear a single sentence, she looked out the window, only feeling sad.

  A sour and astringent feeling has been lingering in my heart since yesterday.

  What's even more distressing is that she doesn't know why she's feeling so down.