Chapter 6, Post 6

At dawn, the head monks of various temples in Lin'an would strike wooden fish drums and announce the day's arrival along the streets.

Morning light streamed into the room through the carved window lattice. The crabapple blossoms in the apricot and peach courtyard were in full bloom, and the pink and white petals were blown by the wind and fell softly onto the windowsill.

Meng Yutong got up early and was busy searching around the house.

She moved several sandalwood boxes out and placed them on the bed, then knelt beside the bed and took out the jewelry pieces one by one from the dressing case:

A pair of mutton-fat jade openwork bracelets depicting the Three Friends of Winter were given to her by her grandmother when she came of age; a gold filigree double-pronged hairpin inlaid with turquoise; and a pearl and coral necklace were left to her by her mother.

The jewelry left by my mother all bears the unique floral and plant patterns of Qinzhou. The technique of intertwining plants is superb, and it is easy to tell at a glance that they came from the same route.

These pieces of jewelry were indeed precious, but they also held extraordinary significance for her, and she couldn't easily sell them. Apart from these few pieces, the rest of the jewelry wasn't worth much, so she put them all back into the sandalwood box.

He emptied the silver coins from the other small box and counted them. The majority of the silver coins were his private savings accumulated from monthly allowances and rewards, totaling about five hundred taels.

She lowered her eyes in thought. Yesterday, when she returned to the manor, she asked Bai Zhi to inquire about the rent for shops on the street. If it was a good location on the Imperial Street, the annual rent would be about five or six hundred taels. She was afraid that the money she had wouldn't last long.

"Granny, do you know how much silver my mother saved for me?"

After pondering for a while, Granny Gui said, "When Madam came from Qinzhou, she brought quite a dowry with her. Over the years, she has also saved up a lot of money by helping to manage the household in Lin'an. It must be at least three or four thousand taels."

"However, Qin Yiniang controls all the household expenses now, and that money will not be taken out until the young lady gets married."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yutong's eyes lit up, but she then fell silent again.

My mother was from Qinzhou in Longxi. Years ago, my father was in danger when he went to Qinzhou to collect medicinal herbs, but he was rescued by my mother, and the two fell in love at first sight.

When my mother returned to Lin'an with my father, she brought several boxes of gold and jade ornaments from Qin Prefecture as her dowry.

I heard that my maternal grandparents' family was also in business, but they were far away and lost contact over the years.

In her previous life, when Meng Yutong got married, her dowry money was almost entirely handled by her grandmother. She had asked Aunt Qin about the dowry her mother had left her, but Aunt Qin said that her mother hadn't left any money, so she didn't ask any further.

It's likely that the money has already ended up in her pocket.

In her past life, Aunt Qin took advantage of her illness to plot those despicable schemes, even daring to embezzle the money her mother had painstakingly saved. This time, she absolutely could not let her succeed.

"Has something happened to you, young lady?" Granny Gui asked softly, noticing Meng Yutong's deep gaze and silence for a long time.

Meng Yutong's eyelashes fluttered, then a faint smile spread across her face: "Don't worry, Granny, I'm just doing some casual thinking so I can keep an eye on things."

Before she could finish speaking, Bai Zhi hurried in, carrying an exquisite gold-flecked invitation card: "Miss, this is an invitation from the Ji family. They say it's Madam Ji's birthday the day after tomorrow, and they invite you to their residence for a banquet."

Meng Yutong took the invitation, her fingertips touching the cool paper, her eyes pausing slightly.

This has never happened before.

She clearly remembered that after marrying into the Ji family, her mother-in-law spent years in seclusion, chanting scriptures and reciting Buddhist prayers, rarely showing her face even during festivals. Why would she suddenly hold such a grand birthday banquet now?

Granny Gui exclaimed anxiously, "Oh dear! Madam Ji never celebrates her birthday in previous years! But the old lady is still at the estate overseeing that batch of medicinal herbs, and there's no definite news about when she'll return."

"How should we prepare this birthday gift? Aunt Qin will definitely be pushing hard to make the Second Miss look good. What should we do? Should we send someone to the estate to ask the Old Madam for advice?"

“No need to disturb Grandmother,” Meng Yutong got up and walked to the table. She picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote down a prescription on the paper. “Angelica dahurica, go and get some medicinal herbs according to this prescription. Also, buy some fine brocade fabric. Choose light blue or sky blue colors, and the patterns should be elegant, preferably plum blossoms, orchids, pine trees, and cypress trees. Make a fragrant pillow for her later.”

Bai Zhi agreed, took the prescription, and quickly left.

Before I could put down my pen, a fragrant breeze wafted in from outside the door.

Meng Yurou entered, supported by her maid. Her pale yellow dress accentuated her graceful figure.

She had a long face and slender, slightly upturned eyes, which gave her a smiling appearance even when she wasn't making any expression.

"What are you busy with, sister?" Meng Yurou's eyes swept over the scattered silver coins on the table, and the corners of her lips curled up even higher. "Auntie asked me to send you the outfits for your birthday banquet."

Behind her, a maid brought out a set of clothes, a dark purple robe with gold trim and large peony flowers embroidered on it, paired with a red gold filigree crown inlaid with rubies, which dazzled in the sunlight.

Nowadays, young ladies value elegance and refinement; dressing like this is clearly meant to embarrass her.

"Please thank Auntie for me," Meng Yutong said with a slight smile as she accepted the robe, her fingertips tracing the intricate gold embroidery on the hem. "However, the Ji family is a refined family. My grandmother told me that Young Master Ji prefers simple and exquisite plant patterns. Isn't this peony a bit too flamboyant?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yurou's eyes lit up, and she immediately stepped forward to affectionately take her arm: "Not at all, the peony is grand and bright, and it suits you even better, sister. You must wear it the day after tomorrow."

"I heard that the eldest son of the Ji family will also be attending. Speaking of which, sister, you haven't met Young Master Ji yet, have you? You two should meet him."

Meng Yutong preferred quiet and rarely attended banquets in the past. In addition, Aunt Qin was warm on the outside but cold on the inside, so she did not want to deal with her. Therefore, Aunt Qin always took Meng Yurou out.

"My sister seems particularly interested in her future brother-in-law," Meng Yutong replied indifferently, withdrawing her hand.

"Sister, you're too kind. I'm just concerned about you."

Meng Yurou blushed, a hint of annoyance flashing in her slender eyes, but she quickly put on a smile again: "I was just thinking that if you could make an appointment with someone like Young Master Ji sooner, it would be good..." She paused deliberately, covering her lips with her handkerchief, "...so that things won't turn out this way later..."

"To avoid what might happen in the future?" Meng Yutong raised her eyes, a faint smile in them, which made Meng Yurou's heart tighten for no apparent reason.

She deliberately spoke vaguely, hoping to upset Meng Yutong and make her unhappy in front of the Ji family, so that they would see that Meng Yutong was actually a petty and jealous person.

Given Meng Yutong's personality, she would definitely keep it to herself and harbor resentment.

But to my surprise, she was different today than usual, asking the question so directly.

"Oh dear, look at my mouth." Meng Yurou pretended to pat her cheek lightly. "Sister, don't take it to heart. It's just..." She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "I heard that Young Master Ji is very cold-hearted, and ordinary girls can't get close to him. With your quiet nature, I'm afraid you won't be able to win Young Master Ji's favor."

“Sister, you’ve certainly done your research,” Meng Yutong said slowly, smoothing out the wrinkles on her sleeves. “It seems Aunt Qin has put in a lot of effort. But I advise you, sister, to stop focusing on others. Your own marriage hasn’t been arranged yet, has it?”

Meng Yurou's expression changed slightly, and her long, slender nails unconsciously dug into her palms.

She hated Meng Yutong's nonchalant and aloof demeanor the most. Despite being an orphan without a mother's protection, she always acted like a legitimate daughter.

"Sister is joking," she forced a smile. "Auntie is only thinking of you."

Meng Yutong lightly stroked the ruby ​​on the crimson gold crown with her fingertips, and suddenly chuckled softly.

It turns out that Meng Yurou had harbored such thoughts from that moment on.

Unfortunately, she miscalculated. The Ji family values ​​promises and would never go back on their word once the marriage was arranged. Even in her previous life, when Ji Yun had someone else in his heart, didn't he still marry her?

“Sister Yu Rou.” She suddenly looked up, her eyes clear as a mirror. “We have been sisters for many years. Let’s have a private chat today.”

She gently placed the crown back into the brocade box. "I had no choice in this marriage. If you are willing, you can persuade my grandmother to break off the engagement..."

"Sister, are you treating me like a three-year-old child?" Meng Yurou narrowed her slender eyes, covering her mouth with a mocking smile through her handkerchief. "The Ji family is of illustrious lineage, and Young Master Ji is even more refined and elegant, unparalleled in the world." She suddenly paused, "Sister, is your refusal so blatant because you have another suitable match in mind?"

The late spring wind swept through the windowpane, making the medical books on the table rustle.

Meng Yutong reached out and pressed down on the book page. A ray of sunlight from the window slanted across her relaxed brows, making her eyes appear as clear as glass.

"Why do you think women should get married?"

“Of course…” Meng Yurou was stunned by her calm gaze and subconsciously said, “To find a good man to rely on and to secure a peaceful life.”

"Mountains crumble, people run away," Meng Yutong stood up, pushed open the window, and the spring breeze carrying the fragrance of crabapple blossoms rushed in. "Look at this crabapple tree, does it need anyone to rely on to bloom?"

Meng Yurou stood there, stunned. The person in front of her was clearly wearing a worn blue shirt, with only a plain silver hairpin in her hair, yet at this moment she seemed to be draped in the glow of the sunset, making it impossible to look away.

Startled by her words, Meng Yurou scoffed, "So, according to you, sister, you're not planning on getting married?"

Such unconventional behavior makes one wonder what Meng Yutong has learned from her grandmother over the years.

Meng Yutong smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that, sister. I will dress up nicely the day after tomorrow and will not disappoint Auntie's wishes."

"Then I won't disturb you any longer as you prepare, sister." Seeing that Meng Yutong agreed to wear the clothes, Meng Yurou cursed herself for being stupid in her heart, then gave a perfunctory curtsy and turned to leave.

They left much faster than they had come.

As Granny Gui watched her retreating figure, she couldn't help but feel worried: "Does the young lady really intend to wear that dress? This old servant thinks that second young lady has no good intentions."

“Wear it, of course we’ll wear it,” Meng Yutong said with a slight smile. “Not only will we wear it, we’ll wear it with great fanfare.”

It would be good to also get Aunt Qin to return her mother's dowry.

Granny Gui looked at Meng Yutong, who had a calm expression, but her feelings were complicated. She felt that the young lady in front of her seemed to be a little different from before.

She doesn't seem to intend to do things the way the old lady prefers.

She wanted to disrupt the status quo that the old lady had planned for her.

She used to listen to the old lady the most. When the old lady arranged her marriage to the Ji family, she didn't even know who the Ji family was or who the young master Ji was. But even so, she agreed without thinking.

When the lady was still alive, the young lady valued her the most.

After the lady passed away, the young lady held the old lady in the highest esteem.

But after hearing what she said today, it seems that Miss no longer has anyone in her heart.

A hint of worry crossed Granny Gui's mind. Did the young lady not intend to rely on the old lady?

But seeing the unprecedented ease and brightness in the young lady's eyes, Granny Gui was unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

A note from the author: