Chapter 62 Rudeness

As the winter sun slanted down, the snow was tinged with a warm orange-red hue.

Before we knew it, it was the day before we were to visit the Wei family's plum blossom viewing area.

In Fanghua Garden, Granny Xu and her maids were preparing equipment for tomorrow.

"Take these two sets of clothes with you, in case you get dirty."

"With this hand warmer, it's the coldest when melting snow."

This was the first time Li Qu had been invited out, and everyone at Fanghua Garden took it very seriously.

Li Qu is playing chess with Zhou Jin.

Seeing that Xu Mama was in high spirits, she couldn't help but remind her, "There are no other concubines. Sister Hu said it's just me and her."

"The Wei family arranged for her stepmother to entertain us. Everything was provided, so we didn't need to prepare much."

Concubines have their own circles, and mistresses have their own circles.

The matriarch of the Wei family would never lower herself to entertain a concubine like her, no matter how favored she was.

People would laugh at them for being servile and losing the dignity of an aristocratic family.

They would also be ostracized and looked down upon by other matriarchs.

Zhou Jin felt that Li Qu's words had a hidden meaning.

He looked at her, but she remained expressionless.

It felt like I was just daydreaming.

He snapped out of his thoughts and reminded her, "If the bell doesn't fall soon, it will be dark."

She stared at the chessboard with a worried expression, raising her hand to pick up a piece, wanting to place it here and there, hesitant and indecisive.

He chuckled and pointed out where to place the piece: "Put it here."

She frowned and looked at him accusingly: "This isn't fun."

"Yes, playing chess with Aqu is truly torture."

She laughed in annoyance, looking for something to throw at him, but finding nothing, she simply smeared the chessboard with her paddle: "Let's play Gomoku, Jinlang will definitely lose to me."

"Oh?" He became interested. "How do you play it?"

She briefly explained the rules, then confidently made her first move: "If I win, I want Jinlang to escort me to the Wei family tomorrow."

He followed suit and placed his piece, saying, "I've never played this before, so it's not fair to me."

She declared boldly, "I'll give you three chances to adapt."

She was focused on the chessboard and missed the mockery in his eyes.

She was indeed happy after winning three games in a row.

Then came a series of defeats.

Once she understood, she pursed her lips and stared at him quietly, everything understood without a word.

He couldn't suppress the upturn of his lips as he picked up a chess piece from the board: "A-Qu taught me so well, I always win by accident."

She was originally sitting cross-legged on the couch, but when she saw his smug smile, she stretched her right leg over the low table and gave him a soft kick: "If you don't want to give me a concubine, just say so. I hate you, Jinlang."

His heart warmed, and he grasped her ankle, gently squeezing it in his palm: "Is this a game that A-Qu invented herself?"

She tried to break free from his hot palm, but he wouldn't let her.

The maid tidying up the room pretended not to see the interaction between her masters, but was actually secretly laughing.

She was furious that she had walked into the lion's den, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

She simply stretched out her other leg for him, leaned back slightly, placed her hands on the couch, and wiggled her toes, saying smugly, "Of course, I'm very clever."

His gaze fell on her nimble toes, and he released his grip on her ankle, wanting to pinch her toes.

Taking advantage of the moment he loosened his grip, she nimbly pulled her legs back.

His hand missed its target. When he looked up at her, he saw her laughing triumphantly: "I told you, I'm very clever."

He chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.

Spring seemed to have arrived early in Fanghua Garden, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.

Granny Xu was all smiles every day, her face practically screaming, "This old servant is a huge fan of the CP between the concubine and the third master!"

*

The night was cool and clear, and the icy world under the moonlight shimmered with a silvery light.

The charcoal brazier inside was warm, and people were sweating profusely from the steam.

He held her toes tightly, unable to let go: "A-Qu, do you still dare to hide?"

She ignored him and tried to kick him.

He pinched her soft flesh, making her laugh uncontrollably, and she was forced to surrender: "I won't hide anymore, I won't hide anymore, I will never hide again next time."

He kissed her feet with satisfaction, bit her toes, and listened to her soft moans of pain as she protested.

“Aqu”.

He felt that she was like a mystery wrapped in layers.

The more you peel back the layers, the more surprises you discover.

full of pathos.

The moon's shadow gradually moved westward.

*

The next day, the sun shone brightly, and the sunlight gradually melted the snow that had accumulated on the treetops and among the flowers.

Li Qu is dressed in her finest attire today to accept the invitation from the Wei family.

Aunt Hu was with her.

To the surprise of Aunt Hu and Madam Wei, Zhou Jin actually rode his horse and personally escorted Li Qu to Madam Wei's gate.

Having been informed by Aunt Hu, the head of the Wei family greeted them personally at the door with a smile.

"Third Master's presence is an honor to our humble abode!"

The head of the Wei family was a round, fat man with a protruding belly.

Zhou Jin dismounted, glanced at Li Qu who was being helped down from the carriage by Granny Xu, and said succinctly, "This is her first time traveling, so please take good care of her."

"Third Master, rest assured, it is an honor for our household to have the young mistress grace us with her presence."

The matriarch of the Wei family was welcoming the noble lady, who was of high status, and her daughters into the mansion from the west side of the main gate.

The young ladies, their faces veiled, were dignified and graceful.

The ladies, dressed in their finest attire, chatted and laughed, flattering each other, their smiles radiant.

They caught a glimpse of Wei opening the side door and welcoming in a concubine from who-knows-which family. Some were glanced at and then passed by, while others were met with utter disdain.

The disparity in status between wives and concubines was obvious.

*

When Aunt Hu's mother, Aunt Zhao, saw that Li Qu and her daughter's carriage had arrived, she took the help of her maid and went down the steps to greet them.

Aunt Hu slightly lifted the veil and whispered in Li Qu's ear: "This is my stepmother."

Aunt Zhao is getting old, and you can see crow's feet at the corners of her eyes when she smiles, but her eyebrows and eyes still have their charm, showing that she was a beauty in her youth.

Li Qu peeked at Hu's attire through the veil and understood why Aunt Hu was so wealthy.

This concubine, surnamed Wei, was gleaming with gold from head to toe, as if she were a nouveau riche.

Li Qu leaned slightly to the side and whispered to Aunt Hu, "Your mother must have a lot of private property."

Aunt Hu: "My father treated my mother well to begin with. After I married into the Zhou family and gave birth to a Zhou family child, Wei treated my mother even better."

Aunt Zhao approached.

Li Qu stepped forward first, curtsied, and said, "Greetings, Aunt Zhao."

It's Aunt Zhao, not Aunt Zhao's mother.

Aunt Zhao was clearly taken aback, then smiled so much that her crow's feet deepened, and returned the greeting: "Greetings, young mistress."

Aunt Hu was twenty-eight years old and was usually a steady and reliable mother.

Seeing her mother now, she seemed to have returned to her lively and mischievous self as a young girl.

She smiled and lifted the veil, bowing to Aunt Zhao: "Aunt."

After getting up, she winked at Aunt Zhao and said, "This is Aqu. Aunt, you don't need to be so polite."

When Aunt Zhao saw her daughter like this, the maternal light in her eyes intensified, but her tone was very serious: "There are people watching outside, you must not be impolite."

Aunt Hu then lowered her veil and said with dissatisfaction, "The first wife can stand at the door to greet and see off guests, but the concubines can only follow the rules and hide themselves!"

"When you're old and faded like me, and no one cares about you anymore, you can stand at the door and welcome other people's concubines in to play."

"Hmph!" Aunt Hu threw a tantrum like a little girl.

"What are you humming about? This is for your own good! If others covet you and ask the lord for you, you'll have no choice but to accept being handed over to that cripple!"

"I am a woman of the Wei family, who dares to insult me!"

"If you don't stop eating, I'll make everything you don't like today!"

Aunt Hu then smiled and fell silent.

Li Qu listened from the side, her expression indifferent beneath the veil.

The three entered the mansion through a side gate, and a sedan chair escorted them to Meihai.

Zhou Jin withdrew his gaze from Li Qu's side, tossed the reins to Huai Qiu, and looked at the Wei family head: "I heard that Lord Wei has purchased a batch of fine horses?"

The head of the Wei family was pleasantly surprised. He had sent an invitation to Zhou Jin but hadn't expected Zhou Jin to accept.

Since Zhou Jin returned to Hezhou, he has never accepted invitations from aristocratic families.

Upon hearing this, the head of the Wei family gestured for him to enter: "I heard that Third Master is interested in buying horses, so I'm just joining in the fun. I do have a few exceptional steeds that can travel a thousand miles. I would like to invite Third Master to take a look."

Zhou Jin put one hand behind his back and headed towards the gate: "Do you have anyone with a slightly shorter frame?"

The head of the Wei family immediately spoke up: "There is indeed one, a maroon color, with white hooves, glossy fur, and extremely beautiful."

Thinking of something, he asked again, "I heard that Third Master was looking at horses everywhere, intending to buy some. Could it be that he was going to give them to his female relatives?"

Zhou Jin made no attempt to hide his preference for Li Qu: "Yes, she's a skilled rider, and I need a peerless steed to please her."

"I've been searching for a month or so without success. If you have it, Lord Wei, I will be eternally grateful."

The head of the Wei family forced a strange smile onto his face.

Everyone is speculating about Zhou Ye's intentions, saying that he wants to buy horses and expand his army in order to rebel.

So, it turns out he was just trying to buy horses to woo women?

"If we can't find one that satisfies Third Master today, Wei will definitely keep an eye out for him next time."

Thank you very much.

The two exchanged pleasantries as they entered the Wei family's main gate, leaving the heads of other families who had come to the banquet speechless.

"How did this Fatty Wei manage to persuade this true god to come?"

"I don't know!"

"Could it be that Third Master has taken a fancy to the Wei family's horse?"

"Make way, make way. Instead of wasting your time guessing, why don't you just go over and listen?"

For a time, the Wei family's plum blossom viewing banquet in the morning and the horse racing bureau in the afternoon became unprecedentedly lively.

*

Here, Li Qu and his group arrived at the Plum Blossom Appreciation Pavilion in the Plum Blossom Sea.

The proud old woman pressed down on the sedan chair, Hongguo lifted the curtain, and Cuiguo helped Liqu out of the sedan chair.

Once Li Qu had regained her footing, Granny Xu stepped forward and removed the veil from Li Qu's head.

In an instant, the dazzling diamond headpiece attracted everyone's attention.

The sedan chair bearers were stunned.

Aunt Zhao was also full of amazement.

Aunt Hu let her trusted nanny remove the veil and said with a smile, "If Sister Li doesn't go out today, that's fine, but if she does, she'll definitely attract praise from the young master and jealousy from the young ladies."

"She already possesses a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers, why should she wear such a magnificent and dazzling headdress?"

"It made us all pale in comparison."

"When visiting elders, one should dress up properly to show respect," Li Qu said with a smile, looking at Aunt Zhao.

Aunt Zhao stepped forward and took Li Qu's hand: "Good child, if you don't mind my lowly status, I will accept calling you 'Aunt'."

As she spoke, she slipped the gold and ruby ​​bracelet she was wearing onto Li Qu's wrist: "It does match your attire today, don't be offended."

Li Qu quickly curtsied and thanked her, saying, "Thank you, Aunt Zhao."

Aunt Hu laughed from the side.

Aunt Zhao led Li Qu and Aunt Hu to the second floor of the Plum Blossom Pavilion.

"Looking out from the railing, the red plum blossoms are in full bloom, and the pink color spreads from near to far to the horizon, which is extremely breathtaking."

Aunt Hu led Li Qu to the second-floor railing.

Li Qu, holding onto the railing, took a deep breath: "The fragrance of plum blossoms lingers for miles."

As she spoke, she turned to respond to Aunt Hu's expectations and praised, "Truly stunning."

Aunt Hu was overjoyed and said to Aunt Zhao beside her, "With Sister Li's personality, who wouldn't like her when they're with her?"

Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile.

From the moment Li Qu addressed her daughter as "Aunt Zhao" from the very first meeting, she understood why Master Zhou had chosen her, a girl of ordinary birth, from among all the beauties.

This is a beautiful, blooming flower that understands and confides in you; who could resist it!

Upon entering the house, a couch was set up by the window.

Enjoy plum blossom tea and cakes while staying at the hotel, and chat about plum blossom-related topics – a delightful and fitting experience.

There was no one else in the room, and Aunt Hu chatted with the two of them about this and that, which was quite comfortable.

Until the trusted nanny of the Wei family's mistress requested an audience.

"Madam, please have Aunt Zhao take the young madam and Fourth Aunt to Pinmei Residence to appreciate the plum blossoms."

Pinmei Residence is a courtyard situated on higher ground, covering a vast area. It is a sacred place for viewing plum blossoms and is where the mistress of the house entertains guests.

When Aunt Zhao got off at her lodging, she spoke respectfully to the nanny beside the mistress: "May I ask, nanny, you were worried that we might offend the mistresses and young ladies of the various families, so you specially arranged for us to be in this plum blossom viewing pavilion?"

"Why has the Madam suddenly summoned you?"

The old woman smiled politely: "It is Madam Chu who wishes to see the young mistress."

Aunt Hu leaned close to Li Qu's ear and explained, "The eldest sister of the Second Master and the Third Master married into the Chu family. She is the Madam Chu that this old woman is talking about."

Concubine Zhao was even more puzzled: "If Madam Chu wants to see the young mistress, why did she ask us to go with her?"

The old woman replied respectfully, "This servant does not know."

"May I ask, Granny, do you know why Madam Chu has summoned the young mistress?"

"This servant does not know."

Aunt Zhao looked at Li Qu.

Li Qu remained seated on the couch.

She was a guest today, though not a guest of the matriarch of the Wei family. She did not live under the matriarch's control, and therefore did not stay at the same place as Concubine Zhao treated this nanny with the same respect.

She smiled at the old woman and said, "Thank you for your concern, Grand Aunt."

"Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling well these past two days, and to avoid offending the ladies, I won't go to join in the fun."

"Please convey my greetings to all the noble ladies."

A group of high-ranking matriarchs, upon seeing her as a mere concubine, said they didn't believe there was no conspiracy behind it.

The old woman hadn't expected Li Qu to refuse.

Suppressing his amazement at her appearance, he advised, "Madam Chu is stubborn by nature. It might not be good if you, young mistress, don't go."

Then I definitely can't go.

Li Qu smiled as before: "I am feeling better now. I will go to pay my respects to Madam Chu and personally apologize to her."

Seeing Li Qu's charming smile and gentle demeanor, yet her assertive attitude, the old woman knew she couldn't persuade her to leave, so she bowed and withdrew.

After everyone had left, Li Qu looked at Aunt Zhao and said, "I wonder if there are any other places in your household to appreciate plum blossoms? Let's find another place to chat so we won't be disturbed again."

Aunt Zhao then arranged for them to move to Wangmei Residence.

Aunt Hu couldn't help but ask Li Qu, "Do you have a grudge against the eldest aunt?"

"She never associated with concubines or the like."

"They happened to run into us at the manor and didn't even give us a second glance."

Li Qu shook her head: "We have no connection."

"That's good. She has a bad temper, and you'll probably suffer if you offend her."

The group, surrounded by maids and servants, walked outside.

Aunt Hu suddenly remembered something and asked Aunt Zhao, "Aunt, is the plum wine I buried at the beginning of the year still there? Let's dig it up and take it to Wangmei Residence together."

Aunt Zhao reminded her, "There's a horse race this afternoon, so you can't go to the racecourse if you've been drinking."

"They didn't say I'd drink it, but I'll take it home and drink it."

The group wandered through the plum grove, following Aunt Hu through a maze of twists and turns, to dig for plum wine.

As expected of the Wei family's residence, the large entourage of maids and servants made their movements impossible to miss for those with a keen eye.

Just as the plum wine was unearthed, another large group of people arrived.

*

"cough!"

With a soft cough from the old woman, everyone on Li Qu's side, from the outer maids to the inner personal maids, turned their heads to the side.

After seeing who was behind them, the crowd slowly opened a gap from the outside in.

Aunt Zhao, who was in the center of the crowd, was the first to notice Chu Yingyang and the others.

He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Miss Chu, and all the ladies."

Li Qu watched as Aunt Hu cleaned the mud off the wine jars. Belatedly, she turned her head to the side, then slowly turned around to look at Chu Yingyang, who was at the head of the group.

The other person had an ordinary expression but an imposing presence.

She also bowed respectfully, leaving no room for criticism: "Greetings, Miss Chu, and all the ladies."

Aunt Hu finally stood up, looked at Chu Yingyang and the others, and bowed as well.

The haughty young ladies glanced indifferently at Li Qu and the others, but involuntarily their gazes eventually fell on Li Qu.

It just had to fall on her; the diamond jewelry she was wearing was too dazzling.

It's so sparkly, it's hard not to attract attention.

Chu Yingyang sized Li Qu up and down, his eyes finally filled with disdain as he approached her step by step.

The people behind her followed closely.

Li Qu's maids and servants were forced to retreat step by step by the other party's imposing aura.

Granny Xu, along with Hongguo and Cuiguo, involuntarily gathered around Li Qu.

Granny Xu took the lead and stood at the right front, a good balance between offense and defense.

Aunt Hu stood behind Li Qu, bent down and grabbed a handful of soil in her hand, just in case.

Aunt Zhao stepped forward to mediate: "Miss Chu, let's talk this out. What are you doing...?"

Chu Yingyang didn't take Aunt Zhao seriously at all.

Her trusted nanny shoved Aunt Zhao aside, saying, "Who do you think you are, daring to offend our young lady!"

"Auntie!" Aunt Hu immediately ran towards Aunt Zhao with concern.

Aunt Zhao was helped up by her daughter and the maid beside her, and quickly signaled the maid to go and inform the mistress.

The maid had only taken a couple of steps when she was stopped.

The visitor is not friendly.

Chu Yingyang stood an arm's length away from Li Qu, scrutinizing her face, and said calmly, "So, you bewitched my third uncle with just this face?"

Li Qu remained respectful as always: "Third Master is wise and intelligent, a dragon among men. How could I possibly bewitch him? I am terrified."

She sneered: "I heard that you usually stay in the inner quarters, are weak and timid. On the day of the winter solstice, as soon as we met, you were so frightened that you ran into the cold wind and rain and unfortunately caught a cold."

"I have even more people around me today, why aren't you running away yet?"

This is a sequel to the chance encounter in the wintersweet grove of Xuequanzhuang.

Li Qu lowered her eyebrows: "That day, I was afraid of offending Miss, so I avoided her. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me."

Chu Yingyang glanced at Li Qu lazily and turned away.

An old woman came up behind her and raised her hand to slap Li Qu's face.

With lightning speed, Granny Xu reached out and grabbed the other person's wrist: "What are you doing!"

The old woman clearly hadn't expected that Li Qu's men would dare to obstruct her.

Chu Yingyang didn't expect Li Qu to dare to have someone stop him.

She looked at Li Qu, who was being protected by Xu Mama and two maids, raised her right eyebrow, and suddenly chuckled, finding it amusing.

She didn't speak, but simply moved her fingers, and immediately a group of maids and servants surrounded her.

The main force consisted of seven or eight burly old women.

Looking around again, they realized that their escape route had been blocked by the enemy.

They clearly came prepared.

Li Qu remained calm: "If Miss Biao wants to punish me, she must give me a reason."

The old woman who was being stopped by Granny Xu suddenly shook off Granny Xu's hand, causing Granny Xu to stumble.

Li Qu reacted quickly, grabbing Xu Mama to steady her, and then patted Xu Mama's purse before hiding her behind her.

Xu Mama silently retreated behind Li Qu.

The old woman straightened her clothes and said, "To break the winter plum blossoms of the eldest daughter of the Chu family is a grave crime of insubordination!"

"You're just a lowly concubine who hasn't even been formally enrolled in any family; it's a blessing for you to be slapped like this!"

"Dare to resist, and you will be guilty of one crime at a time!"

"Bewitching the master and sowing discord between the Third Master and the eldest aunt is even more unforgivable."

“The eldest aunt summoned him and he refused to see her. He was arrogant and had no manners. His crime is compounded.”

"This old servant is the head maidservant by the side of the eldest aunt. She is a daughter of the Zhou family and is called Aunt Yan by everyone. She is ordered by the eldest aunt to teach the concubine Li the rules."

Li Qu: "I was unaware that the winter plum grove at Xuequan Manor belonged to Miss Chu."

"I have never done anything to sow discord between Third Master and Eldest Aunt."

"I was indeed unwell when summoned by my eldest aunt, and I was afraid of offending her and the other distinguished guests, so I declined."

"I am terrified by what you say about my crimes, Granny."

Nobody listens to her nonsense.

Chu Yingyang looked at her with lowered eyelids, while the ladies behind her sneered condescendingly.

A noble lady can easily find any excuse to punish a lowly concubine.

Who's going to argue with you about who's right and who's wrong?

ridiculous.

Aunt Hu said angrily, "Whether you're from the Chu family or the Zhou family, how dare you cause trouble for the Wei family!"

Aunt Yan completely ignored Aunt Hu.

Whether it's the Chu family, the Zhou family, or the Wei family, they can't afford to offend either.

Let alone punishing a concubine of the Zhou family who is not listed in the genealogy on the Wei family's territory, what if they ordered the Wei family to take action?

"All unauthorized persons, please step aside. Don't blame us old servants for being blind if you accidentally hurt anyone."

Aunt Yan rolled up her sleeves and glared fiercely at Li Qu: "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup!"

Li Qu: "If I am guilty, I may report to my mistress and elders, and my lord will decide my fate."

“You have all pushed me to this point; your behavior is extremely rude.”

"Please forgive my rudeness!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she stepped aside slightly.

Xu Mama behind her threw a handful of pepper powder at the fierce Aunt Yan.

"ah!"

Caught off guard, Aunt Yan's eyes, mouth, and nose were stung by the spiciness, and she immediately burst into tears and snot, a pitiful sight.

The green and red fruits react extremely quickly.

But then Li Qu said softly, "To catch the thief, first catch the king."

Cui Guo shoved away Aunt Yan, who was screaming, and threw handfuls of pepper powder at Chu Yingyang, who was closest to her.

"ah!"

The pampered young ladies surrounding her retreated in panic.

Someone tripped over the hem of their skirt, fell to the ground, and dragged those around them down with them.

Even though Chu Yingyang was on guard and covered the attack with her sleeve, she was still irritated by the pepper in the air and sneezed repeatedly.

The image of a refined noblewoman was completely lost.

She didn't know who was pushing her, and before she knew it, she was pulled to the ground.

The red fruit is like a ruthless pepper-sprinkling machine, still poisoning us.

Unfortunately, this wave of poison couldn't distinguish between friend and foe, and even though Li Qu and her servant were on guard, they were still affected.

The scene was completely chaotic.

*

The matter was so far-reaching that Madam Wei was unable to handle it, so she sent someone to inform her master, Zhou Jin, and the old lady of the Zhou family.

When Zhou Jin heard the news that Li Qu had gotten into a fight, he seemed to have expected it, and his expression remained normal: "She didn't suffer any losses, did she?"

The old woman who came to deliver the news thought she had gone deaf.

"Concubine Li allowed her servants to commit violence, leading to..."

"Did she suffer any losses?"

He glanced at the head of the Wei family beside him.

All I see is disdain for your servants for not understanding human language.

Enraged, the head of the Wei family kicked the old woman, asking, "Is Third Master's beloved concubine, Aunt Li, injured?"

The old woman scrambled to her feet and said quickly, "Mistress Li, it seems she's been injured in the eyes by chili powder..."

Zhou Jin's expression suddenly turned cold.