Chapter Sixty-Four: A Warning to Sixth Lady

The pillar of the fourth branch of the family passed away early. Although the old lady of the fourth branch was nominally their grandmother, for the children of the fourth branch, she fulfilled the duties of both parents.

All the granddaughters of the fourth branch were raised by her.

But this was only true for the grandchildren of the fourth branch; her greatness as a grandmother held no meaning for others.

This old lady, always following behind the matriarch of the third branch, often took advantage of the benefits intended for the first and second branches, yet she never spent a penny herself.

The communication fees for the men in their family were paid from the communal funds of the first and second branches, but when Old Lady Xue celebrated her longevity, no one saw the old lady of the fourth branch send anything of real value. The gifts she gave were mostly those received from others during festivals, some even moldy, but she would still send them to the first branch.

There was once an even more absurd incident: Old Lady Xue gifted a pair of southern pearl earrings to Fourth Daughter, and somehow the old lady of the fourth branch remembered them and returned them to Old Lady Xue as a birthday gift.

She truly was stingy to the extreme!

Moreover, the calculations were written all over her face, as if guessing that she couldn’t be expected to give much, and even if she did, she would be pained by what Sixth Daughter received.

She wanted to earn goodwill without spending money, so she could later boast to others about her generosity, claiming that even for a granddaughter beyond five generations, she let her pick whatever she liked for her birthday.

Xue Fanzhi had no intention of bullying the pillar who raised her grandchildren single-handedly, but this old lady insisted on playing coy.

Turning around, she said, “Isn’t a gift supposed to be a token of affection? Can one be asked for it? Oh, but since it can be asked for, that’s fine, I’ll choose something the older sisters have received before. At that time, Great Aunt, you’ll feel the sting!” If you seek reputation, don’t blame others for not wanting to carry your empty fame.

The old lady of the fourth branch had only spoken casually, guessing that Xue Fanzhi’s temperament wouldn’t allow her to ask for anything, but this stubborn girl actually threatened to pick something?

The old lady felt a vague ache in her heart and hurriedly said, “Eighth Daughter is right, it was Great Aunt who misspoke. Gifts are tokens of affection, whatever is given counts, one can’t pick, nor should price define the closeness of relationships.”

She feared that encountering good relatives in the future would make her forget about Sixth Sister and the others.

But Xue Fanzhi remained unmoved, smiling cheerfully, “I believe Sixth Sister will give me her best, so you can rest assured, Great Aunt. If anyone tries to drive you away, I’ll help you mediate!”

Drive away? That was a term the old lady of the fourth branch had never considered.

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But the next moment, her expression changed. This was Xue Qiu’s estate; once they were outside the five generations, it wasn’t up to Xue Qiu to decide whether they stayed or left!

The old lady’s face flushed with frustration, though she couldn’t quite say what she was frustrated about.

Seeing Xue Fanzhi leave after speaking, the old lady, worried that her granddaughter might truly be taken advantage of, hurriedly sent her close confidant to follow Xue Fanzhi, hoping that if Xue Fanzhi really made an outrageous request, someone would be there to shield them with excuses.

Xue Fanzhi paid no mind to the old lady’s little tricks. In her view, the old lady ought to learn respect, or else she shouldn’t blame her for being unkind.

This old lady wasn’t always the kindhearted guardian she appeared to be; she only cared for the grandchildren of the first branch, while those from other branches were squeezed relentlessly. When truly provoked, she’d stir up talk of dividing the family.

The person sent by the old lady was reasonably well-behaved; although they had a little authority to monitor, they didn’t actually shadow Xue Fanzhi, which showed there was still hope for the fourth branch.

Xue Fanzhi really did come to choose patterns, taking out her collection for Sixth Sister to see. “How about these? Is there anything you like?”

Sixth Sister had chosen a floral pattern known as the ‘Treasure Bloom,’ but after seeing Xue Fanzhi’s intricate designs one by one, she felt her eyes were overwhelmed.

She laughed, “You really are talented, having such a complete collection. Honestly, I can’t use them all.”

Xue Fanzhi asked, “Then what will you use?”

Sixth Sister blushed, “To be honest, I wanted to sew a beautiful dress to wear at your coming-of-age banquet, but with time so short, I can’t make one for you as well!”

Originally, she had intended to make one for Xue Fanzhi, but since she herself stayed at home and didn’t go out, no one mocked her for dressing poorly.

But grandmother insisted she attend to broaden her horizons, and she couldn’t wear an old dress. In truth, their grandmother favored Fourth Daughter, but for Sixth Sister, she was quite strict.

The season had passed, and she hadn’t made any new clothes this year.

Upon hearing this, Xue Fanzhi’s eyes lit up, not caring whether Sixth Sister had sewn a new dress for her.

She thought of the styles that would become fashionable later, which hadn’t appeared yet. She wanted to go back and sew herself a dress using a new pattern to see if it might catch someone’s eye. If it did, opening a ready-to-wear shop would be a good choice.

With this idea in mind, Xue Fanzhi chose a pattern from her own collection, and Sixth Sister selected a few as well.

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In the end, Xue Fanzhi chose ‘Treasure Bloom’ for the hidden embroidery on the dress, with a simple, elegant edge.

The two discussed how the dress should be cut and painted, spending much time in deliberation.

When Xue Fanzhi looked up, it was almost time for her to return home, but before leaving, she wanted to say something to Sixth Sister.

“Has anything interesting happened around you lately, Sister?”

This sudden question startled Xue Liuniang, who asked in return, “Interesting? What happened? What should happen?!”

Apparently, Xue Liuniang really was a well-behaved child, paying little attention to family affairs.

Xue Fanzhi struggled to organize her words; she worried that if she kept it simple, Sixth Sister wouldn’t understand, but if it was too complicated, she wouldn’t know where to begin.

At last, she decided to tell her about the matters concerning the young men in the family.

Xue Fanzhi asked, “Sister, you haven’t fallen for any of these men, have you?”

Her tone was mild, simply inquiring, without revealing any inner anxiety.

Xue Liuniang, however, was flustered. What was her sister about to say? She dared not press her.

She only shook her head, “If you want to ask something, just ask directly, Sister won’t be angry. As long as you’re happy!”

Xue Fanzhi then told her about the situation with Sixth Young Xie.

Then she said, “I’m just afraid some people might take advantage and trouble you. If you trust me, Sister, whenever someone brings you any message, tell me first. Please, please, don’t forget to tell me!”

She spoke with such emphasis—her seriousness was evident.