Chapter 125 Third Brother is Osmanthus-Scented "Grandpa Zhen's title is gone..."

The next morning, Lin Daiyu got up. It was already daylight. The bed was slightly cool, and she thought that her third brother had been gone for a long time.

She hadn't noticed at all, which meant he had deliberately woken her up last night. This kind of thinking was quite unlike his tall, strong, and honest third brother.

After breakfast, Lin Daiyu arranged the day's activities.

In the morning, I'll go to the storeroom to see how to organize things. When the sun is at its best, I'll make clothes that fit my third brother properly and do some calligraphy while I'm at it. If I have time in the afternoon, I'll continue organizing the dowry.

After returning from Linjia Village, the couple's married life gradually became more regular.

Mu Chuan would stay at the military camp for two or three days, and then come back to stay for two days: "I've been away for quite a while, and I've only just taken office. Next year I'll go during the day, and I'll just stay at the military camp for three to five days every month."

Lin Daiyu also felt sorry for him traveling back and forth and working hard, but she couldn't bear to part with him. She was so conflicted that she laughed first: "I always want you to come back, just don't get too tired."

Their married life was very relaxed, but their family life... Lin Daiyu felt quite embarrassed going out alone for the first time.

Although her third brother said that there was no need to pay special respects to her parents-in-law, as the Mu family did not have such a custom, and her parents would not be able to stand it either, and it would be awkward for everyone to pay respects, Lin Daiyu had been strictly controlled for the first ten years or so. Not to mention eating, sometimes she could not even add or remove her clothes as she pleased.

So the first time she went out on her own, she went to the west courtyard where her parents-in-law lived, intending to let them know first.

Of course, there was progress; she wore men's clothing that her third brother had made for her.

Who knew that as soon as she entered the west courtyard, her father-in-law and mother-in-law were not dressed properly either.

The old woman was wearing a short jacket, with only a wooden hairpin in her hair and an apron over her shoulders. This outfit was... Last time I went to Linjia Village, more than half of the married women in the village dressed like this.

And what about the father-in-law? He was also dressed in a coarse, earth-blue cloth outfit, and the pipe in his hand had been changed. Mu Chuan had originally made him a white jade mouthpiece, and the long stem had a gilded pipe bowl.

Nowadays, this is just the simplest wood and brass combination, nothing special.

Lin Daiyu wanted to laugh but dared not, for the whole family had to disguise themselves when they went out.

No wonder her third brother didn't make her pay her respects to her parents-in-law every morning and evening, nor did he make her ask permission from her parents-in-law before going out.

Fortunately, Huang Guihua is a thoroughly extroverted person. She laughed twice and said, "I'm going to try the braised pork offal and baked buns in Erdaokou. Your father-in-law is going to watch a big show under the overpass."

Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't have anything to do... I'd like to go to the bookstore."

Huang Guihua laughed again: "Although we've changed our clothes, we still need to bring the servants and maids we should. Even though we don't cause trouble, if we really encounter someone who doesn't know what's good for them, we can't let them bully us."

Lin Daiyu nodded: "I also brought the Marquis's waist token."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had clearly reached an understanding. Knowing he was awkward, Mu Dazhuang was always very careful with his words in front of his daughter-in-law, so he found a good excuse: "There are many new and interesting things in the capital, many of which I have never seen before."

Lin Daiyu chuckled, "I've never seen it either."

Since they were leaving anyway, Huang Guihua took Lin Daiyu's arm. She had already explored the area around the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence thoroughly.

The bookstore is located between the Imperial Examination Hall and Shuntian Prefecture. Huang Guihua said, "It's closer for the two of us to go through the east gate, and it's more convenient for your father-in-law to go through the back gate."

"Is Chun Tao home alone with You Sheng?" Lin Daiyu asked. They went out, leaving her sister-in-law alone, which made her feel quite embarrassed.

Huang Guihua understood perfectly well. She laughed and said, "Never mind her. She was afraid of being beaten and scolded by her mother-in-law's family before. She'll feel uncomfortable if there are too many people around."

She then lowered her voice and said, "She went out too, just wandering around the area in front of our house. We'll pretend we don't know anything for now, and bring her along when she's better."

Lin Daiyu smiled too; how could life not be easy?

Of course, once you're outside, no one will be blind to your presence.

Ahead were strong and powerful servants clearing the way, beside them were sturdy and fierce old women, and behind them were three carriages. Anyone with eyes would know to stay far away.

Lin Daiyu found it amusing: "I've actually become a playboy now."

Granny Shen said with a smile, "If you want to be a playboy, you can't come out with the general. Everyone in the capital knows him. If you want to go out, just ask us to accompany you."

Lin Daiyu smiled and nodded. It's always comfortable to be genuinely loved and cared for.

Siqi arrived at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence early in the morning. Not only did Sun Shaozu want to invite her, but even Jia She sent someone to ask her, "Have you made any connections with the Marquis of Zhongyong?"

That's certainly not the case.

When Sun Shaozu first married the girl, he sent out invitations, but the Marquis of Zhongyong did not come. Sun Shaozu then made up his own excuse.

Later, when the Marquis of Zhongyong got married, he did not send an invitation to Sun Shaozu, and Sun Shaozu found another excuse for himself.

But when Sun Shaozu sent gifts again for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion didn't even send a reply. Now Sun Shaozu could no longer deceive himself.

Siqi stood by the gatehouse of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence and said politely, "My lady is your lady's cousin. It's Mid-Autumn Festival now, and my lady instructed me to deliver some festival gifts to your lady. When we lived together, the Marquis's lady loved this osmanthus honey the most. This is a top-quality honey newly produced by the Osmanthus Xia family this year, and my lady specially asked me to deliver it."

The gatekeeper had been instructed that the general should ignore the Sun family, but this person was using the lady's name. Although the lady had been married into the family for a month, she had not yet given instructions to the gatekeeper about who should see whom.

The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please wait a moment, I'll send someone in to ask."

Siqi breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the small stool, but couldn't help thinking about her son-in-law again.

To be honest, the Sun family, like the Jia family, only appears prosperous on the surface. Otherwise, why would the son-in-law have been seeking a position for so many years, and even though he is almost thirty, he still has no job at all?

But the Sun family has its advantages over the Jia family; at least the son-in-law knows how to find a job. Think about the men of the Jia family… can they even be considered men?

Siqi was lost in thought for a while when she heard someone talking inside. A short while later, the gatekeeper came out and said, "Madam is not here. Would you like to come back another day?"

Siqi subconsciously felt that this was a lie. How could the gatekeeper not know when the lady of their household went out?

But if I were to actually ask, I'd offend someone. Besides, my son-in-law is getting more and more impatient, and if I can't build a relationship soon... he might just take action.

How many times can she stop her?

Siqi smiled and stood up: "I'll keep that thing. I'll go now—"

Siqi swayed twice and then fell to the ground. Going back so soon was not an option. The young master must know that the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion did not intend to associate with the Sun family. The coachman and others who brought her here were also from the Sun family. She could only stay in the gatehouse.

Before the gatekeeper could help her up, Siqi sat down on the ground and laughed, "It's an old problem, I'll be fine after a rest. Do you have any hot water, brother?"

Siqi was already anxious and scared, and the fall made her break out in a cold sweat from the pain. The people in the gatehouse didn't bother to investigate whether she was telling the truth or not. Siqi sat there and slowly drank two cups of hot water, barely managing to "recover".

On the way back, Siqi was thinking about what to say. When she arrived at Sun Shaozu's place, Siqi even raised her voice a little, appearing very confident.

"Madam Hou went out, and I met with the maid who was with me before. She drank two cups of tea before calling me back, and I put my things down."

Sun Shaozu hummed in agreement, then said hesitantly, "It is indeed a bit impolite to come directly to her door like this. After all, she is a member of the Marquis of Zhongyong's household, and it is really inappropriate to send a maid to pay her respects."

Siqi breathed a sigh of relief; she had managed to fool them this time.

When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, Mu Chuan made arrangements for the military camp, prepared good food and mooncakes, and gave the soldiers a day off before returning home.

He woke up early in the morning and immediately jumped out of bed to take a small box from the dresser in the room.

It was already quite chilly in the mornings and evenings, and Lin Daiyu was sleeping with her third brother, who was as hot as a furnace. The blankets weren't covering her body very well, so when he went out, Lin Daiyu felt cold.

"Third Brother, what have you been doing again?" She propped herself up halfway, saw the small box in his hand, and asked with a smile, "For me? Why didn't you hide it under your pillow?"

Mu Chuan rolled his eyes at her: "Under the pillow? Didn't you find out beforehand?"

Every night when I sleep, I always end up with a pillow that's no longer a pillow and a blanket that's no longer a blanket.

Lin Daiyu looked into his hand and saw a golden mooncake inside, with a hook on it.

“The pendant under Yingluo’s head.” Mu Chuan poured out the mooncake, and even without holding it, Lin Daiyu could tell that it was heavy.

"Where am I supposed to carry this? It's making my neck hurt." Lin Daiyu laughed as she took the item. "It's really heavy."

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Try turning it open?"

Only after he mentioned it did Lin Daiyu realize that it was a box with a fine line running down the middle, which would have been completely unnoticed if not pointed out.

"Five-nut mooncakes," Mu Chuan smiled again, "We have walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and more, plus candied fruit peel."

Lin Daiyu laughed. These weren't walnuts or peanuts at all; they were filled with various colored gemstones. She wondered how they were made, as they were perfectly sealed together without a single gap. No wonder she hadn't noticed anything else inside when she held them earlier.

“You gave me this… Third Brother is quite mischievous, he’s been mischievous since he was a child.”

Mu Chuan deliberately glared at her: "When you're free, you can empty the stuff out of there and see if you can put it back in." A 3D puzzle, how fun!

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu noticed it too, and she quickly twisted the lid shut, saying, "It's a big holiday, don't spill it."

Mu Chuan then asked, "I prepared gifts for you, have you prepared gifts for me?"

"Of course there is," Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then wrapped herself in the quilt and was about to get downstairs when Mu Chuan picked her up, quilt and all, before her feet even touched the ground. "Tell me where it is, and I'll carry you to get it."

"It's the robe I made for you last time. I've washed it several times, it's soft and comfortable."

As soon as she said that, Mu Chuan carried her to the cabinet, and Lin Daiyu opened the cabinet in that position and took out a robe.

Mu Chuan put her back on the bed, shook his robe, and put it on.

It's a bit small... Although it's a cross-collar robe, the neckline is very low, almost straight up and down, and the size is also a bit small. Even when it's pulled up to the tightest, half of the chest is still exposed.

But Mu Chuan couldn't say it was inappropriate, since these were intimate garments, and it was the first time he had received such clothing. What if his wife was unhappy?

Perhaps she didn't measure it correctly by the hand span last time, or maybe she forgot to remember one hand span?

"Hmm, not bad." Mu Chuan simply tied the belt loosely. "Make me another one."

Lin Daiyu lowered her head and laughed. What was there that Mu Chuan didn't understand?

He moved closer and sat down beside her, whispering, "My dear wife, my chest is a little cold. You should warm it up for me."

He grabbed Lin Daiyu's hand and tried to press it to his chest.

But nighttime is different from daytime. At night, it's dim and people are bolder. But in broad daylight, the sun is shining in through the window, and his honey-colored chest seems to be glowing.

How could Lin Daiyu dare to put her hand on it?

Seeing that his wife was reluctant, Mu Chuan had another idea. He reached out and touched a small jar of honey by the bedside.

"This is osmanthus honey bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress. She said it was specially made to soothe your throat because you might have talked too much while teaching the princess to write."

Mu Chuan's voice was deep and deliberate, quite different from his usual joking tone. Based on Lin Daiyu's understanding of him, she knew he was up to something.

"Give it back to me, don't spill it—"

It spilled.

Mu Chuan opened the bottle, tilted his hand, and the honey flowed down his chest. The sweet aroma of honey mixed with the rich and mellow fragrance of osmanthus and wafted out.

This was indeed Lin Daiyu's favorite flavor.

"Oh dear, what a waste," Mu Chuan said regretfully.

Lin Daiyu glared at him fiercely and threatened, "If you get it on the robe I just made for you, I will never make clothes for you again."

Mu Chuan puffed out his chest and leaned closer, his voice growing deeper: "That depends on how fast you eat."

After serving Lady Zhongyong breakfast, Mu Chuan got up to wash and get dressed. He couldn't help but frown and sniffle twice: "Why do I smell like osmanthus?"

Lin Daiyu laughed heartily: "Serves you right!"

"For the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are three things that are appropriate: mooncakes, osmanthus flowers, and lanterns."

Although the Rongguo Mansion is in such a state, the masters and servants are still quite united. Especially at this time, they must not show weakness and must find joy even in hardship.

A group of people sat in Grandmother Jia's room. Because they had moved from the large flower hall at the back to the main room where she usually sat and slept, the space was a bit smaller, and everyone was crowded together, making it even more lively.

“Especially these osmanthus flowers,” Grandmother Jia said with a smile. “Do you know the Xia family who owns the osmanthus trees in the outskirts of the capital? The osmanthus flowers in the palace also belong to their family. It’s not easy for ordinary people to get osmanthus flowers from the Xia family.”

Yuanyang took the lead in flattering Grandmother Jia, who pointed to the vase on the table and said with a smile, "The most precious osmanthus is the golden osmanthus, with flowers as golden as gold and a rich fragrance. If you see one osmanthus on one street, you can smell it at the other end of the street."

"Next are silver osmanthus and red osmanthus. Silver osmanthus has a lighter fragrance, while red osmanthus is more reddish. Each has its own characteristics. There is also the four-season osmanthus, which can bloom four times a year, hence its name. However, because it blooms four times a year, its color, flower shape, and fragrance are not as good as the first three."

“This one is the silver osmanthus.”

A discordant "pfft" came from inside the room. Yuanyang quickly said, "If it's for indoor decoration, Osmanthus fragrans isn't very suitable. The fragrance is too strong and gives people a headache."

The others laughed, which masked Madam Xing's mockery.

Now that the Jia family's garden is gone and much of their house has been demolished, Grandmother Jia is increasingly reluctant to leave the courtyard. If she were to see the devastation, she would rather be dead.

Just as Grandmother Jia was about to suggest that they enjoy the moon and solve riddles in her courtyard that evening, the person she had sent to Jia Zhen's house that morning rushed in in a hurry.

"Grandma, something terrible has happened! Master Zhen has been stripped of his title. When I arrived, the government was still putting up seals on their door."

"Ah!" Grandmother Jia exclaimed and stood up, then sat back down, feeling dizzy. "Is it a raid? Why were they raiding our house?"

"It shouldn't be a house raid, since we didn't see Grandpa Zhen wearing a wooden cangue."

Even so, everyone in the room stood up in panic, their faces paler than the last.

The Jia family, with two Dukes, still has the Duchess alive, yet the Ningguo Mansion's line has ended. What about the Rongguo Mansion?

How much longer can the Rongguo Mansion hold out?