Chapter 35 A Match Made in Heaven
After losing Liu Xiang, Yanru tossed and turned for two nights before, without waiting for Zheng Sirui, she joined a merchant with his female companions and hurried off to the capital. The days were long and filled with work, the nights were long and filled with dreams, and youth was precious. She had no time to grieve over her old lover, emptying her heart and soul, only pursuing the pursuit of marriage.
Qian Peilan was very satisfied with Xue Jia's conditions. First, he came from a wealthy family. He was a merchant, and his ancestors had military merits to his name. He had one foot in the business world and one foot in the imperial court. Second, he was an only son, so he had no one to share the family property with. His parents showed no favoritism and were wholeheartedly committed to helping him, without having to worry about sibling rivalry. Third, from what Yanru had said, Peilan suspected that his words and actions might be a bit foolish, but that was fine. They were looking for a son-in-law, not an emperor looking for a prime minister. Being foolish was fine. Being foolish meant being clueless, and being clueless meant being simple-minded. Being simple-minded made it easier for Yanru to control him. Then, all she had to do was coax him into giving her enough, keep him under her thumb, and the Xue family's gold, silver, and jewelry, as well as the valuable goods from Java and Persia outside the Great Wall, would easily become her You family's possession, easily captured.
"My dear daughter, believe me, that boy surnamed Xue is truly a perfect match for a good husband!" Before leaving, the warmth and touch of her mother's palm still lingered on her hand, and the earnest words still made Yanru hesitate. Xue Jia was frivolous and ugly. One look at him would require three catties of wolfberry and two catties of borneol to clear the liver and brighten the eyes. Yanru had a terrible headache. As the saying goes, even if you want to hang yourself, you have to find a big tree. When she arrived in the capital, she planned to look for a better one. On the one hand, she would keep Xue Jia hanging on, not meeting him, but only accepting some small gifts from him, and asking Xue Jia's servants to pass some ambiguous and ambiguous words to tease him; on the other hand, she would test her classmate Wen Yue to find out if the eldest son of the Wen family who was studying at the Imperial College had any engagements.
"If I can get a student of the Imperial College, then getting another one will be as easy as catching a turtle in a jar, as easy as taking something out of a bag." Yanru felt as if flowers were inserted in her heart about her own charm, and she felt that she was particularly good and beautiful no matter what.
A classmate wanted to be Wen Yue's sister-in-law, and Wen Yue was absolutely willing. She even arranged to burn incense at Tiekan Temple. Yanru seized this hard-earned opportunity, eager to get in the water but afraid to get her feet wet. She feared that taking such an active role would make her seem unreserved. What if it worked out, and the Wen family thought she'd become someone else's daughter-in-law, and it would be difficult to control her husband's family? So, she made up her mind and put on a show on the day of the appointment. Wen Yue, who lived in the next room, called the maid three or four times before personally waiting for her. Yanru made up a few excuses, nuzzling and dragging her feet for an hour before finally climbing into Wen Yue's carriage.
Coincidentally, that day, Wen Yue's mother heard that her daughter was going to choose a sister-in-law for her. She thought it was funny and got excited. She sent her personal maid, under the pretext of fulfilling a vow, to accompany her son to "inquire about military intelligence." Wen Yue's brothers and entourage waited and waited, and finally saw their daughter's carriage arrive late. The maid immediately understood the "good intentions" of Miss You. When she returned home, the maid reported to her mistress what she had seen and heard during the day. When Mrs. Wen heard about Yanru's behavior, she was so frightened that her tongue stuck out two feet long when she heard about her unpunctuality and her coughing to act weak, waiting for the wind to blow her veil to throw a coquettish eye, and her love of bowing to act coquettish. She called her son that night to warn him, "Miss You from Jinling is too petty. If you really like her, I will send you to the military camp, so that even the eggs you eat can only be bitten by flies."
The show collapsed before it even began. Yanru was defeated and heartbroken, but she could only comfort her family: "If there is charcoal, burn charcoal; if there is no charcoal, burn wood. If there is a nail, hang it up; if there is no nail, forget it. Xue Jia is Xue Jia. Mother is right. Idiots are easy to control. I have him in my hands and will hold him tightly from now on. That idiot's property belongs to the You family! Grandma said that traveling merchants are most afraid of others coveting their money. From now on, I have to pretend to be careful and don't let idiot Xue find out that I am after their money, otherwise the rabbit I have caught will run away again!"
Cheer up! She pinched her nose and got on the green carriage with a green tent pulled by a mule in the Xue Mansion again. This time she was smart and did not let Xue Jia decide. She chose the meeting place by herself - East Lake. The scenery here is good. You can enjoy the natural scenery, as well as the buildings and historical relics of the previous dynasties, which can be used for Yanru to show off her knowledge. The most important thing is that there are many tourists and vendors in East Lake, and it is close to Bu Yibo's Fan Garden. Yanru agreed. Although she and Bu Yibo had only met once and talked for less than two incense sticks, Bu Yibo and she hit it off at first sight. They understood each other and were truly a pair of like-minded friends regardless of age. East Lake is near Bu Yibo's garden and can be regarded as his territory. If she had any problems here, would Bu Yibo still not help?
Xue Jia was waiting for her in the pavilion by the lake. When he saw her, he immediately bowed and said, "It's been a long time since I last saw you, Miss You. Last time, I was frivolous and offended you. Although I sent you a gift to make amends, I still need to apologize to you in person."
Look, he's changed, and he's also solemnly admitted his mistakes to me. He's not hopeless, and I'll teach him a lesson and he'll become a man again. Yanru comforted herself, feeling delighted. "It's okay. Admitting one's mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue. Besides, I've accepted your gift and have already forgiven you."
Give her a knee, and she really wants to get on my nose? Xue Jia rolled his eyes secretly, but didn't get angry, simply praising Yanru. Yanru was afraid that she had accepted too many gifts from Xue Jia recently, losing the "otherworldly" style of the goddess of painting. She stopped talking about vulgar things and just pointed around, trying to show off. Unable to put her finger on it, she picked up the painting "Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring" and talked about it endlessly, from the drum dance to Yecheng, and then to the Bronze Sparrow Tower, secretly interpolating Ji Mingxiu's own painting experience to herself. She said that she felt pity for Cao Cao's concubines and, regardless of worldly reputation, disguised herself as a woman to visit the dancers in the dance studio who could perform the drum dance, and then relayed the story to Ji Mingxiu. This inspired Ji Mingxiu to add dancers to his painting of the Bronze Sparrow Tower in Yecheng, creating a stunning masterpiece.
The Xue family praised him, "Miss You, you're amazing, so amazing! I know Cao Cao, he likes the man who married someone else, right? He and his son both like other people's wives, how shameless! Oh, yes, is he good at feng shui and fortune telling, and he puts two bronze birds in his yard, so he's so powerful in this life? He can even catch the emperor and become the emperor? When my family opens a pawnshop, I'll make two bronze birds and put them in there to attract wealth!"
"Pawnshop?!" Yanru stuttered and pinched her thigh hard to make sure she had heard correctly.
"Yes," Xue Jia pretended to be modest. "What a coincidence! I'm nearby. I said I'd say goodbye to you today and go check on the progress of the decoration. What a coincidence! Would you be willing to come with me?"
Yanru was not afraid of being left alone or being plotted against. She nodded her head incessantly, eager to go and find out what was going on at the Xue Mansion. Xue Jia had a rather large boat and moored it at the dock. Yanru was invited aboard. The boat was spacious and elegantly furnished, with incense burning and tea brewing. Yanru leaned against the window sill, fanning herself, and listened as Xue Jia pointed at a row of shops on the opposite bank, as arrogant as a crab that had just landed: "See that one? The biggest shop belongs to our Xue family. I originally wanted to open a pawnshop. You know, a pawnshop is a place where merchants can store money and goods. But if you take a big step, it's easy to get into trouble. So I thought, okay, let's start with a small pawnshop. Once my reputation gets out, I'll open a pawnshop!" Xue Jia spoke in a high-pitched voice, spitting out his saliva as he shook his head and wagged his tail, full of passion. At this point, the conversation turned gentler, "So, right now, I need someone who's seen a lot, knows how to appraise treasures, and understands painting and calligraphy, to be the backbone of my pawnshop. It's best if he's somewhat famous, so that the pawnshop's reputation can spread."
Yanru understood his implication and coughed twice, then said in a pretentious tone, "Oh, that's true. My mother's embroidery shop also started out as a small shop. Later, I met Teacher Ji at Qiushui Academy and became his goddess of painting. When I went out with him to appreciate paintings and treasures, I always brought my mother's embroidered fans and handkerchiefs. Many young ladies liked them and asked me to help them find some designs. As time went by, my mother's embroidery shop became famous. Now it's become an embroidery shop. Every alley in Jinling is filled with my mother's embroidery shops! Compared with Master Xue's family business, it's a little pale in comparison, but it's enough for my sister and I to live on for ten lifetimes."
"Really? Really?" Xue Jia called it a coincidence and fate, but as for where the fate was and where the coincidence was, it seemed... he couldn't tell. Yanru joked with him a few times, holding a fan and smiling coquettishly, thinking: Anyway, in that row of shops, my shop is located at the front, and the sign is big. Who would not think that the whole street belongs to me. This idiot's home is in the capital, can he really go to Jinling to find out about my situation? The wind with a fishy and sweet smell of water blew on her face, but it didn't calm her down, but made the flames in her heart burn more and more. The surface of the lake rippled slightly, and Yanru stared at the bottomless water, as if she had turned into a turtle and fell into the lake to swim - Tsk! It was so refreshing. The first time she'd gone out with Liu Xiang, they'd also been boating on the lake, but the boat back then was so tiny, with only a bamboo awning, barely enough for them and a pipa. Now, the boat Xue Jia had taken her on was so huge, bigger than her and Yanbao's room, with carved doors and windows, and a ceiling painted with clouds and swallows. Amazing!
"Miss You, look—" Xue Jia called her back, holding a small box and shoving it in front of her. The yellow satin made the oil on Xue Jia's face shine golden. Yan Ru leaned over and saw two jade forbidden belts, two pairs of gilded lotus flower hairpins, and a pair of small jade bracelets.
Yanru licked her lips, as if she'd been hungry for three days. Suddenly, she spotted a pot of braised pork. "Is this for me?" she asked shyly. Before Xue Jia could respond, she snatched the box from her arms. After Xue Jia confirmed her, she forgot her reserved demeanor and slipped the jade bracelet onto her hand—it was the perfect size! She formed a flower on her hand, admiring the bracelet in the sunlight. She turned to retrieve the Jade Forbidden Steps, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Xue Jia watching her with interest.
It was almost exposed! How could a goddess of painting sent from heaven fall in love with a mortal? Yanru was afraid that Xue Jia would see through her true nature and that the hooked husband would be about to drop it, so she pretended to be an appraiser, racking her brains and talking nonsense: "I hear the sound of jade bracelets tapping in my sleeves. When these bracelets are worn by a woman, they really echo the words in ancient poetry. And this forbidden step is really great. Today on the boat again, it reminds me of Qu Yuan's poem: I give away my jade ring... to the river, and I leave my jade pendant... to Lipu."
She pretended to show off her non-existent literary talent, but when she turned around, Xue Jia's ugly face came close to her, and his simple facial features exploded before her eyes. He looked three parts like a human and seven parts like a ghost. She was so scared that she wanted to throw away the forbidden steps in her hand to defend herself. Xue Jia gave her a chance. He took her hand, including the forbidden steps, and said affectionately: "When I first saw you feeding the fish in Fan Garden, I was deeply moved. Later, I got close to you at the horse farm. It's not that I'm frivolous, it's just that I like you too much... Indeed, I admit that I used to be a playboy, but since I met you and spent the three times with you, I really have a mutual affection with you. And, you know, our fate is not just the first time we met in Fan Garden."
As he spoke, he took something from a shelf beside him. Yanru took a closer look and felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her from the blue sky - it was a white kite with a portrait of a woman carefully drawn on it, and the eyebrows and eyes were exactly like Yanru herself.
Xue Jia half-closed his eyes, appearing somewhat affectionate. "Is that a girl on it? Last year, I was at home... admiring a painting when suddenly a kite with a broken string dropped from the sky. I looked closely and saw a girl on it. Just one look made my heart surge. Later, when I saw the girl in Fan Garden, I thought she looked so familiar, as if she had appeared in my dreams many times. Miss Wang said it was because Master Ji's painting in the hall depicted a girl. When I returned home that night and saw the kite again, I realized that the person on the kite was a girl! What a match made in heaven! You and I must have met a long time ago!"
Yanru was speechless, trembling. Seeing a saddle reminds her of a horse, seeing an object reminds her of a person. Liu Xiang, Liu Lang. Last year, he had painted a kite for her and let it fly with her, wishing her freedom. Now, time had passed, and she was once again boating on the lake when the kite appeared before her again. But she and Liu Lang had changed, and there was no going back to the way they were before.
She was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears.
Xue Jia thought that she was acting like this because of his love words, and he was so upset that he struck while the iron was hot. He hugged Yanru in his arms, pouted his lips, and wanted to kiss her lips.
A bloody mouth, reeking of rot and chives, closed over Yanru, scaring her three souls away and bringing back her seven spirits. Even the lure of money couldn't make her compromise. Subconsciously, Yanru reached out and pressed against his chest, shouting, "Master Xue, please be respectful and stop doing this!"
Her voice was so loud that Xue Jia had no choice but to stop. Yanru, pale as a flower, jumped behind a screen, still in shock. "Master Xue, I've told you before, I'm not a prostitute. Don't treat me like a prostitute. Although, I have you in my heart... but! Please respect yourself. If you really want to marry me, find a matchmaker and go to Jinling to propose! I come from a respectable family, so I must submit three letters and six engagements!"
Xue Jia seemed displeased, but after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back and discuss this with my mother."
It was getting late, and it was time to leave. Xue Jia personally boarded the green carriage with a emerald tent to take Yanru back to the academy. In the car, Yanru hugged the box tightly, not only for self-defense, but also because she was afraid that the things inside would be lost, which would be a big loss for her family! Fortunately, Xue Jia was in a good mood, humming a little tune and chatting with Yanru. After rushing all the way to the gate of Guanyan Academy, Xue Jia felt that since the window paper had been opened, some physical intimacy would not be a big deal, so he held out his hand for Yanru to get out of the car with him. Yanru knew that if she didn't give him some sweet treats, Xue Jia would be unhappy, so she thought it was no big deal to suffer a little loss. She got out of the car delicately with her skin touching his hand, said a few words, and turned to go into the academy.
"Yanru!" Coincidentally, a carriage covered in blue satin was about to enter the gate when the driver suddenly pulled the reins. Wen Yue hurriedly jumped down and grabbed Yanru's arm. "Yanru, what's your relationship with that man? That carriage with a green tent pulled by a mule just now doesn't seem to be his."
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[Mumbling]: Ah! Why has Liu Xiang been losing followers since he went offline! Ah!
Xue Jia is too ugly, look at the cat, sisters.
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