Chapter 13: The Matriarch Arranges for a Concubine, Old Master Hu Takes Charge of Everything

"Greetings, Mother."

"Jin, take a rest. There is always time for your studies."

After afternoon tea, the old lady, supported by her maid, strolled slowly toward the small courtyard. Fan Jin rose to meet her, smiling, "Mother, your complexion has improved much these days."

The old lady sat down and chuckled, "How could it not be good after enjoying so many fine things?"

The standard of living the old lady now enjoyed was something she wouldn't have dared to dream of before. Her breakfast alone consisted of the most exquisite pastries from the city’s famous shops. She drank bird’s nest soup and ginseng broth, meticulously prepared by the cook. Every ten days, the household would even hire a renowned opera troupe from the county seat to perform and provide entertainment. It was a life of luxury and comfort, everything appearing perfect.

However, there was one great regret weighing on the old lady’s heart. She was never one to keep things to herself. After dismissing the servants, Mother Fan took Fan Jin’s hand, looking as if she had something to say but was hesitating.

Fan Jin had already faintly guessed the reason. Over these past weeks, the old lady had been visiting the Guanyin Temple constantly, burning incense and donating nearly a hundred taels of silver. In her daily life, she never ceased ordering the cook to prepare nourishing broths for him and his wife. If he were to feign ignorance now, it would be quite unreasonable.

The old lady sighed and, after a moment of internal struggle, said, "It should be said that ever since Yingying married into our family, she has managed the household without complaint, serving me, an old woman, like a beast of burden, and she has been most attentive to you as well..."

"It is just that for so many years, Yingying has borne no children."

"It was fine before, but now that our family has prospered, we cannot let the family line end here, can we?"

Fan Jin nodded silently, saying, "I am an unfilial son."

Of the three ways to be unfilial, having no descendants is the most severe. The issue of the family line could not be overemphasized, especially in feudal society. There were many outside who were jealous of the old lady’s newfound wealth and were secretly wagging their tongues.

Fearing he might refuse, the old lady urged, "They say one must establish a family and a career. Now that you have a home, and your scholarly pursuits are going smoothly, it is time to consider the Fan family’s legacy!"

Fan Jin quickly replied, "This cannot be blamed on Yingying!"

"Ever since she married into our family, she has endured years of hardship, eating coarse food and bran, which has worn down her health!"

When Hu Yingying married into the Fan family, she was already thirty, and those years had been as bitter as gall. Though she looked rosy now, it was true that her chances of conceiving were slim. Moreover, it wasn't necessarily her fault that she hadn't conceived all these years. His predecessor had studied bitterly for years, likely damaging his own health as well. It was only recently, after the infusion of fortune and the extension of his lifespan, that he had truly recovered.

Fan Jin agreed with the old lady’s suggestion to take a concubine. Without a son, to whom would this vast family estate be passed? A daughter could not stand as the head of the household; he couldn't let the blessings of the Fan family serve as a dowry for someone else's family. Not to mention, he didn't even have a daughter yet. Furthermore, Fan Jin had never intended to be with only one woman for the rest of his life.

One shouldn't call him a scoundrel; wasn't this one of the few advantages for men in feudal society? In this regard, the era had its perks, at least for a man.

The old lady held Fan Jin's hand and said, "Mother naturally knows that Yingying has had a hard time. You must not prioritize the concubine over the wife..."

Fan Jin patted the back of his mother's hand. "Mother, rest assured. Yingying and I have shared life's hardships; how could I repay kindness with cruelty?"

Soon after, the mother and son decided on the number of concubines to bring in. Fan Jin then asked tentatively, "What about Yingying, and what of Father-in-law?"

The old lady waved her hand, "Your father-in-law is a man who understands the big picture. He will even help you arrange the matter of taking concubines."

Fan Jin was dumbfounded. A father-in-law helping his son-in-law take concubines—such a thing could only happen in this era. But upon reflection, it made sense. Hu Yingying’s failure to conceive was not just a burden on the Fan family, but on old man Hu as well. Having failed to provide the Fan family with a child, old man Hu felt guilty himself. In the past, when Fan Jin was a nobody, old man Hu had acted fiercely, fearing his daughter would be bullied by her husband’s family. But now that his son-in-law was a Juren scholar, everything had changed.

How many opportunistic people outside were sniffing around like flies drawn to the scent of Tang Monk’s meat? Even the pretty maids in the mansion were constantly ready to offer themselves to escape their slave status and become concubines. If some ambitious girl succeeded, she might whisper in his ear and incite the family to favor a concubine over the wife.

Since that was the case, it was better to take the initiative and handle the matter himself. This would satisfy his mother and leave a good impression on his virtuous father-in-law.

Wasn't it all for the sake of continuing the Fan family line? As long as his daughter remained the lady of the house, the inner chambers of the Fan mansion would remain under her control!

Because of this, old man Hu had privately analyzed the pros and cons with his daughter, instructing her not to obstruct the matter, lest she earn a reputation as a "jealous woman" and anger her husband. As long as the husband remembered their past bond, his daughter would always be the mistress of the Fan household, the legitimate wife.

What did those vixens matter? If they could bear children for the Fan family, so be it; otherwise, once they withered with age, it would be easy to find an excuse to cast them out.

Fan Jin felt relieved, though he wore a slightly furrowed brow. He sighed, "It is Yingying who has been wronged, having suffered so much with me all these years..."

After some posturing, Fan Jin pretended to deliberate and said with his hands behind his back, "Very well!"

"Mother, tell Father-in-law and Yingying: any children born to the concubines, if they be sons, shall be raised by Yingying after the age of three, and they shall acknowledge her as their mother!"

The old lady was moved, delighted, "If so, Yingying will surely be happy."

This was a win-win solution. In the eyes of the law, a son born to a concubine who acknowledges the mistress as his mother ceases to be an illegitimate child and becomes a legitimate heir. There would be no future trouble regarding the succession of the Fan mansion. Hu Yingying would have a son to comfort her in her old age, and her position as the lady of the house would be as stable as a mountain.

It was like Jia Huan in "Dream of the Red Chamber": although Zhao Yiniang was his biological mother, legally, Lady Wang was his true mother, and Zhao Yiniang could never use her son's status to overpower Lady Wang. Many who read "Dream of the Red Chamber" might look down on Jia Huan, but in reality, he was one of the legitimate masters of the Jia household. Even Jia Baoyu had to call him "Brother Huan."

If Lady Wang had no Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan’s status would not have been so awkward, and Lady Wang would surely have raised and cultivated him with all her heart. The reason Jia Huan’s position was so awkward was precisely because of Jia Baoyu’s existence. Almost everyone wanted to step on Jia Huan to curry favor with Jia Baoyu and Lady Wang.