Love Like the Galaxy

The day after New Year's Day was auspicious for all matters, including quarrels.

At the time of the incident, Shao Shang was practicing her calligraphy. She would write a stroke, glance at the copybook, then write another stroke, sweating faintly on her forehead from the effort. Over these days, she had begun to realize that these characters seemed closer to pictographs—each one resembled a tiny simplified drawing. The character for "water" was just a few wavy lines, like flowing water; "river" showed water beside houses and mountains; "eat" depicted the shape of lips and throat with a small bowl moving toward them.

She set down her brush and flipped through the wooden slips beside her desk—folk tales Cheng Song had brought her from the marketplace a few days prior. Each slip was about three inches wide and four or five inches long, with rough surfaces and small splinters along the edges—naturally, commoners' materials weren't as polished as the bamboo scrolls used in the manor. Yet Shao Shang found herself growing fonder of them because she could recognize over 95% of the characters written on them.

Moreover, she had begun to piece things together.

In formal contexts—copybooks, classical texts, genealogies, and even among scholars and officials—the older, more pictorial script was still predominantly used. But in folk circulation and minor official documents, the latter script—the one she was familiar with—had already gained widespread popularity. This script, even across different times and spaces, was likely something people everywhere could automatically recognize without issue. Still, she had to diligently study the older script, as it was necessary for reading historical records and documents.

Sighing, Shao Shang picked up her brush and continued tracing characters on the bamboo scroll. Beside her, A Zhu watched with affectionate eyes while roasting the bamboo slips one by one near the fire pit. In this era, common writing mediums included cloth, silk, brocade, and even bronze, but wood and bamboo were the most widely used. Madam Xiao ran the household frugally and forbade her children from extravagance, so the wooden and bamboo slips Shao Shang used for practice were washed clean, dried, roasted, then strung together with hemp rope for reuse. To make washing easier, the ink for practice was made from soot, resin, and bran paste—naturally lacking in richness and fragrance—which made Shao Shang treasure the pine-soot inkstick Cheng Yong had given her all the more.

Madam Xiao was the kind of superior who cared only about results, not effort—so arguments like "Do you know how hard she's trying?" were utterly laughable.

That morning, Cheng Shi rose early, swung his great blade a hundred times in the newly arranged training yard Madam Xiao had set up, then dragged his two younger brothers from their warm beds while they were still deep in sleep, declaring they would go "reminisce" with Sang Yu, Sang Shi's elder brother. Cheng Cheng immediately splashed cold water on his face and came out, but Cheng Zhi was reluctant—he had seen his brother-in-law often over the years, so there was little to reminisce about. Besides, he had originally planned to draw his wife the currently fashionable eyebrow style from the Capital City that day. Only after Cheng Shi glared at him did he realize his mistake and reluctantly follow his eager second brother.

Cheng Mu was still sleeping off her drunkenness, and even if she woke, she would likely remain groggy all day. Madam Xiao led Cheng Yang in assigning the day's tasks to the servants—normally, the lady of the house didn't need to handle such matters personally, but she was doing so specifically to instruct Cheng Yang.

Sang Shi personally prepared some snacks, gathered her three young children along with Zhu Ou and another child, and leisurely told them stories while guiding them in games and nursery rhymes.On the other side, Cheng Yong wanted to visit his teacher's fellow disciples, but Cheng Song argued that those Confucian scholars were likely still detained by the Emperor and suggested going to Uncle Wan for some wine instead. The two brothers couldn't agree, so they dragged their third brother over to divine the answer. Cheng Shao Gong had just taken out the tortoise shell and coins for divination when, before he could even calculate the direction, a maidservant came to report: "Madam Xiao summons the three young masters to the Female Lord's main hall." The three brothers were stunned.

Cheng Song sighed, "What have you two done wrong this time?"

Cheng Song angrily exclaimed, "We shouldn't have bothered with divination! Anywhere would be better than staying home today!"

Cheng Shao Gong turned to his attendant and said, "Quickly invite Third Aunt to come too." New Year's Day had just passed yesterday, and for Madam Xiao to summon them for reprimand so soon clearly indicated no small matter. Having the amiable Third Aunt present would make things safer.

Their residence was the farthest from Madam Xiao's Nine Dapple Hall, so they arrived last. As they approached the hall from a distance, through the wide corridor, they saw Madam Xiao seated imposingly at the center of the head position. To her left and right sat the early arrivals—Sang Shi and the visibly worried Madam Qing Cong. Cheng Yang knelt with her head bowed on the left side beside Mother Fu. Strangely enough, Shao Shang was kneeling alone in the very center at the lower end—was today's protagonist not the brothers after all?

Before they could even enter, they heard Madam Xiao furiously interrogating Shao Shang: "...What have you done?! I thought you were merely unlearned, but I never imagined you'd be so narrow-minded and covetous of others' belongings!"

Shao Shang was genuinely baffled. "Mother, please speak plainly. Since this morning, I've been practicing calligraphy without even stepping out of my room. What could I have possibly done?"

Sang Shi smiled gently. "Indeed, I don't know what's happened either. I had intended to offer you some sweets I made, but unexpectedly..." She inwardly cursed Cheng Shao Gong for not explaining clearly in his message, leaving her confused for half the day.

Madam Xiao demanded, "How could you snatch your cousin's belongings?" Then she turned to Sang Shi. "You don't know—after discussing household affairs with Yangyang today, she invited me to rest in her quarters. Who would have thought I'd witness this wretched child's servants causing a ruckus there, even trying to seize a rosewood desk!"

Both Cheng Yong outside the door and Shao Shang inside were shocked—a desk?!

As she spoke, Madam Qing Cong's maidservant led five or six bruised servants from the back hall, with Lian Fang at the forefront. Her makeup was smeared, hair disheveled, clothes torn at the collar, and her face streaked with tears and snot.

Shao Shang couldn't help laughing. "This morning, I merely asked you to bring back the desk Eldest Brother gifted me and even assigned you extra hands. How did it turn into this? Did you go rob a money shop instead?"

Sang Shi watched her with interest. Few could remain composed under Madam Xiao's wrath, yet this young girl seemed unfazed.

Hearing this, Madam Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "That desk was a gift from Zisu to you?"

Before Shao Shang could respond, Mother Fu beside Cheng Yang spoke up. "Perhaps the Eldest Young Master did gift the Fourth Young Lady a desk, but that rosewood desk might not be the one." Lian Fang tearfully insisted, "It is that desk! It is, it is!"

Mother Fu smiled faintly. "If the Eldest Young Master gifted it to the Fourth Young Lady, how did it end up in our Young Lady's quarters? That's hardly along the way." Beside her, Cheng Yang flushed red with anxiety and whispered, "Mother Fu, please don't say anymore."

Lian Fang cried out, "It was Changpu who told me to move it there!"The governess glared and retorted, "Nonsense! Changpu was just struck on the head by you and has been unconscious ever since. How dare you pin this crime on her?"

Seeing that Lian Fang was also badly beaten—her left eye swollen, cheek puffed up, and speech slurred—Shao Shang smiled and said, "Isn't this simple? Let our elder cousin see if the desk is hers, and it’ll be clear."

The governess’s eyes darted, and she chuckled, "Fourth Young Lady, you wouldn’t know. When we left the Ge family, they provided many items, some of which even our Young Lady doesn’t recognize."

Outside the door, Cheng Yong could no longer hold back and shouted, "Then bring it here! Whether it’s my desk or not, I’d certainly recognize it!" He strode into the hall.

The governess was startled, never expecting that Madam Xiao had summoned all three sons over a dispute between the young ladies. Unbeknownst to her, Madam Xiao had long made it a habit to gather all her sons when reprimanding one, ensuring that once one made a mistake, the others wouldn’t repeat it—a method that had proven effective. By now, Madam Xiao had calmed her anger and motioned for her sons to sit in order on the right side.

As soon as Cheng Yong took his seat, he cupped his hands and said, "Mother, I did gift a desk to Niao Niao—the rosewood one carved with a qilin’s head, given to me by Teacher Shangguan. You’ve seen it too. Why not bring the desk here to settle this matter?"

Madam Xiao hesitated, but Madam Qing Cong pondered briefly, then quietly rose and left.

Seeing the situation turning against her, the governess hastily smiled and said, "With a qilin’s head? Oh dear, this servant deserves death! In the earlier chaos, I didn’t look closely. If it’s carved with a qilin’s head, it must indeed belong to the Eldest Young Master. But how did it end up with us? Unless..." She glanced at Lian Fang. "Unless this wretched maid deliberately carried it over to flaunt before our Young Lady?"

Cheng Yong thought to himself how cunning this governess was.

Lian Fang wept, "No, no! It was Changpu who told me to move it! It’s all my fault, I acted on my own! I wanted to show off, but I was tricked!"

Cheng Yong said coldly, "Whether it was flaunting or trickery, summon that maid Changpu, and we’ll know."

The governess forced a smile. "Eldest Young Master, Changpu is still unconscious..."

Cheng Song, now furious, yelled, "A lowly maid, yet so delicate! Splash water on her, burn her, chop off two fingers—see if she stays unconscious!"

Madam Xiao slammed the table and scolded, "What are you shouting for? Is this for my ears?" Though her words were harsh, she already sensed there was more to the story. Glancing at Cheng Yang, who knelt uneasily at the lower left, her heart softened with pity, thinking she mustn’t let this honest child suffer unjustly.

Just then, Madam Qing Cong returned, dragging behind her a drenched maid—Changpu.

Despite her name meaning "sweet flag," the maid had a dull, thick-headed appearance, while Lian Fang looked clever and delicate. Yet it was the former who had played the fool to outwit the latter. Changpu fell to her knees with a thud and confessed everything. With Lian Fang chiming in, the full story soon came to light—It turned out that early this morning, Lian Fang had directed four or five sturdy maids to carry a writing desk from the front courtyard where the young masters resided. On their way back, they encountered Changpu. Lian Fang loved to talk, and Changpu loved to ask questions. The former deliberately boasted about how favored her Young Lady was, while the latter fawned and said, "My Young Lady has been wanting a new writing desk lately. Could she perhaps take a look at the design?" Flattered by the praise, Lian Fang fell right into the trap.

When they arrived at Cheng Yang’s residence, the lady herself was nowhere to be seen. Lian Fang immediately wanted to leave, but Changpu called over a dozen maids to surround them, smiling as she said, "Why not leave the desk here for now? Once our Young Lady has seen it, we’ll return it to you." Lian Fang naturally refused, and with one word leading to another, the two sides erupted into a brawl—tables and chairs overturned, chaos everywhere—just in time for Madam Xiao to witness the entire scene.

"So, it wasn’t Niao Niao trying to take Yang Yang’s things, but Yang Yang trying to take Niao Niao’s?" Cheng Shao Gong said coldly.

Madam Xiao immediately snapped, "Don’t twist the facts!"

Cheng Yang wept and said, "This is all my fault. I had no idea things were like this. I apologize to my elder brothers and to Shao Shang." As she spoke, she repeatedly bowed to everyone.

Madam Xiao said, "You’ve been with me since this morning. How is this your fault?"

Cheng Song said indignantly, "Then Niao Niao has also been practicing calligraphy since morning. Why does Mother—" Before he could finish, Cheng Yong grabbed him and signaled with his eyes to shut up.

Madam Xiao stewed in silence for a long moment before exhaling slowly. "Both groups of maids are at fault—they acted on their own! Changpu, whether Yang Yang wants this desk or not is her decision. Who asked you to take matters into your own hands?! Lian Fang, if Niao Niao told you to move the desk, then move the desk. What were you doing wandering around? This whole mess was started by you, and you deserve to be punished severely!"

Mother Fu, ever quick-witted, hurried forward to kowtow. "The Female lord is absolutely right. It’s our fault for failing to discipline them properly. We’ll teach them a lesson when we return." She even tugged at Cheng Yang, who promptly added, "Aunt, please forgive me. I didn’t manage them well…"

Madam Xiao comforted her with a few gentle words. Between Cheng Yang’s tears and apologies, the atmosphere gradually softened, and all unpleasantness seemed ready to be swept aside. Then Madam Xiao turned to her daughter—only to see Shao Shang kneeling silently in the center, head bowed, not saying a word, lost in thought.

Displeased, Madam Xiao snorted coldly. The three Cheng brothers quickly signaled their youngest sister to cry a little and say something conciliatory—but alas, someone with their head down can’t see gestures. Cheng Shao Gong grew anxious and whispered urgently, "Shao Shang!"

Only then did Shao Shang seem to snap out of her daze, lifting her head to look around blankly. What no one knew was that she hadn’t been spacing out—she’d been pondering a serious question:

Should she silently endure the cruel arrows of fate, or rise up against the boundless suffering of the world? Should she, like Cheng Yang, weep and plead guilty, sweeping everything under the rug to satisfy Madam Xiao? Or should she refuse to bow her head and demand justice for herself?

She chose a third path. Justice was useless—better to seize something tangible!

Author’s Note: Dear readers, don’t get too worked up. I’m not the type to advocate turning the other cheek either—everyone gets their own ending.

Also, to a few particular readers: light teasing is fine, even welcome, but please avoid crude, vulgar, or explicit language, or it might spark arguments.

Stay calm, everyone.Let me explain: Madam Xiao is the type of person who prides herself on impartiality. What she values is not blood relations but upbringing. Shao Shang was raised by the despicable Ge Shi, while Cheng Yang was raised by the noble Aunt Ge. Therefore, she naturally assumes the former has questionable character that needs correction, while the latter is trustworthy and likable.

Of course, there's also the matter of her prior friendship with Aunt Ge...