Chapter 2: She is very beautiful and serene, like a lotus...
"Shall I go see Pei Langjun for you?"
The sunlight filtered through the carriage's lattice windows, illuminating Shen Youran's frightened face. She took a deep breath and waved her hands repeatedly, "How can this be allowed? No, no..."
"This plan is feasible. Listen to me," Shen Yunshu held her frantically waving hands, pinning her panicked sister down, and said slowly to her, "We already look alike. I'll put on some heavy makeup for you later. You'll be on the bridge and he'll be below, at least three meters away. The young master of the Pei family won't be able to see anything. Besides, he's going back to his post in Lingzhou soon, and won't be back for half a year. He won't remember this one meeting very clearly..."
Shen Youran was still panicking: "What if he wants to come to the bridge to talk to me..."
"No," Shen Yunshu soothed, "My appearance, virtue, and temperament have long been recognized by Old Madam Pei. The fact that Mr. Pei is willing to come today means that he has learned everything about me from Old Madam Pei. Today, he just wants to know what I look like..."
"But isn't Mr. Pei going to stay in the capital for a few days? If we can't see each other today, explain it to him clearly. It won't be too late to see him again someday when your face has healed."
"If I suddenly break the contract today, even if I have my reasons, the Pei family will probably think too much. What if they think I'm deliberately playing tricks on you? This marriage will be in jeopardy." Shen Yunshu said, "Besides, I don't know when he will return to Lingzhou. What if he leaves before my face recovers? I won't be able to see him again in half a year..."
"Why can't you wait for him for half a year?" At this point, Shen You suddenly realized that his elder sister had been in Beijing for two years. She had never been eager to get married before, but two months ago, she suddenly told her father that she was old enough to get married. Not long after that, she won the favor of Mrs. Pei at the celebration banquet of the Pei family, which led to the look she gave her this morning.
He was in such a hurry, as if he was being chased by someone.
In fact, Shen Yunshu was in a hurry to get married, and there were indeed reasons that forced her to do so. However, she couldn't tell anyone the reason, not even her father and sister.
So facing Shen Youran's questioning, Shen Yunshu could only avoid the topic and instead tempted her softly, "If you promise to help me, I won't force you to practice calligraphy and embroidery this morning."
She always knew how to control her own sister.
Sure enough, as soon as the words fell, the pair of almond-shaped eyes on the jade-white face opposite suddenly widened.
She was obviously moved.
So Shen Yunshu continued to tempt her: "Save the piano and flower arranging in the afternoon."
Her almond-shaped eyes rolled around, and Shen Youran pushed for more conditions with her: "The tea ceremony tonight..."
Shen Yunshu immediately agreed with her: "I won't learn anymore."
It was rare for her sister to allow her to be lazy. Shen Youran pondered for a moment and thought that just standing on the bridge would give her a day of leisure, which was really a good deal.
"Then let's make a deal beforehand. If we don't get together, you can't blame me."
"Don't worry, if it doesn't work, I'll find another way." Seeing that her sister finally agreed, Shen Yunshu took out the peach blossom powder for facial makeup from her dressing table and calmly put makeup on her while thinking about how to make her sister's face look like her own.
Although Shen Yunshu didn't often wear makeup, she was an expert in painting, especially miniatures. She knew how to use light and dark contrasts to alter the contours of facial features, so her already similar eyebrows and eyes didn't need any makeup. Seeing her sister's cheeks were rounder and her chin wasn't as delicate as hers, she mixed a little black powder with a pale peach blossom powder and applied it to her cheeks and chin. She also dabbed a little on the sides of her nose and between her eyes...
Willow branches brushed against the roof of the carriage, and the carriage stopped not far from Hongqiao. At this time, Shen Youran's makeup was completed. Shen Yunshu asked the coachman to get off first, and then closed the curtain tightly. The two sisters exchanged clothes. Shen Yunshu took off the scarlet jade inlaid tourmaline hairpin in her hair and the dangling pearl earrings on her ears, and turned to make up her sister. Finally, she dressed her up properly and handed the mirror to her with satisfaction.
"Take a look, how about it?"
Shen Youran looked at herself in the mirror, and when she saw her face reflected in the mirror, she couldn't help but exclaimed, "It's like that!"
At first glance, it does look very much like my sister's face, but if you look closely, you won't see any resemblance.
Shen Yunshu lifted the bamboo curtain and took a look outside. She saw a tall and graceful figure under the green willows at the other end of the rainbow bridge. The figure was dressed in brocade clothes and had her hair tied up with a jade crown. Although she couldn't see the front, Shen Yunshu had seen the nanny next to her. She was someone close to Old Madam Pei.
I think that young man is the eldest son of the Pei family.
The nanny looked up and said something to Pei Langjun, who turned his head to listen. Shen Yunshu saw a profile of a man with a straight nose and a cold and elegant appearance.
The birds singing on the branches were as clear as silver bells. Shen Yunshu's heart was moved and she was very satisfied with the appearance of Pei Langjun.
She took Shen Youran's hand, pointed out Pei Langjun's location to her, and urged her to get out of the car.
When the time came, Shen Youran couldn't help but feel uneasy, but she couldn't go back on her word. She lifted her skirt and got off the carriage. She imitated her sister's usual walking posture, looked straight ahead, and walked onto Hongqiao slowly.
*
A gentle breeze blew, causing ripples on the river surface. A graceful and elegant woman slowly walked up the rainbow bridge built by huge trees, and then stopped at the highest point of the arch bridge, looking over with a pair of black almond-shaped eyes.
Nanny Jiang beside Pei Huaijin said to him at the right time: "My dear, that is the eldest lady of the Shen family, Shen Yunshu. Look at how beautiful Miss Shen is. There are not many like her in the whole capital..."
Nanny Jiang had seen Shen Yunshu at a tea party before. She was the most beautiful among all the beauties at that time. Unexpectedly, today with her heavy makeup on, her fair skin and beautiful face looked even more stunning. She stood gracefully on the red bridge across the water, with houses with black tiles and white walls behind her and swaying green willows in front of her. Her sleeves and skirt moved in the wind, and she looked like a person walking out of a painting.
Pei Huaijin listened to Nanny Jiang praising the other party, and was also satisfied with the appearance of the lady from the Shen family on the bridge.
He had just arrived in the capital the day before yesterday and had been busy reporting on his work for the first two days. Last night, after returning home, he was called by his grandmother. After some concern, she suddenly asked him if he had met a girl he liked during the two and a half years he had been working in Lingzhou.
He told his grandmother that he was busy with official duties and had no interest in marriage, and there was no girl he liked.
His grandmother asked him what kind of girl he liked. He looked up and saw his grandmother's sparkling eyes, and he guessed her intention.
He is twenty-one this year and is about to be transferred back to Beijing from Lingzhou. It is indeed time for him to get married.
He didn't know what kind of girl he liked, but as the eldest grandson in the family, he wanted to marry a virtuous woman. His expectations for his future wife were not about appearance, but about her being gentle, virtuous, intelligent, and diligent in managing the household.
As for love, you can cultivate it slowly after getting married.
He told his grandmother about his request. After listening, his grandmother clapped her hands and smiled, saying, "Grandma, I just know a good girl who is a perfect match for you..."
The "good girl" that my grandmother mentioned was Shen Yunshu, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue who was on the bridge today.
Yesterday he heard his grandmother praising the eldest lady of the Shen family, saying that she perfectly met all his requirements for a future wife. Today, he saw her calm and beautiful face, like a lotus, and naturally he was satisfied with every detail.
Having made up his mind, he nodded to the girl on the bridge, indicating that they would meet here today and could go home.
But the other person was still staring at him, with no intention of leaving. He thought that the other person had not seen enough, so he stood there and let the other person continue to look at him...
*
On the bridge, Shen Youran stood by the railing, leaned forward, and subconsciously squinted his eyes, trying to see clearly what his future brother-in-law looked like.
Then he remembered that a dignified elder sister would never squint at people, so he quickly opened his eyes wider.
The face of her future brother-in-law was still blurry in her eyes.
Her eyesight was not very good. Her parents divorced when she was young and she was forced to follow her father. Because she missed her mother, the four-year-old girl cried so much that her eyes were damaged. She could not see people or objects more than three meters away and could only see a vague outline.
However, even though I couldn't see the clear facial features of my future brother-in-law, just based on his jade-like outline and pine-like tall posture, I could guess that he must be very outstanding in appearance.
He and his elder sister are truly a perfect match.
But...when will it end?
Seeing that the other person is still standing there and not leaving, would it be impolite if I leave first?
As she was hesitating, she suddenly smelled a rich and tempting aroma of food. Turning around, she saw an old man pushing a sheep-horn cart across the bridge. The fragrance was emanating from the bamboo basket on the cart.
When the old man saw her looking over, he greeted her with a smile, "Miss, would you like some ring cakes?"
Ring cakes are made by rolling dough into thin strips and then frying them. They are salty, fragrant, crispy and fall apart in the mouth. Shen Youran used to have this for breakfast often. She didn't like it very much at first, but later her elder sister said that this kind of fried food makes people fat and didn't let her eat it. Now she hasn't eaten it for two years. When she suddenly smelled the aroma today, she found it very tempting.
Thinking that she had helped her sister so much today, it shouldn't be too much to buy her a portion of ring cake.
Shen Youran was about to buy one when she suddenly remembered that the eldest son of the Pei family was still watching her under the bridge. She shuddered and quickly straightened her expression, saying to the old man, "No need for now..."
The old man didn't get angry when he was rejected. He pushed the cart and walked past her leisurely.
Shen Youran's greed was aroused, and she only wanted to end the meeting quickly. After the young master of the Pei family left, she would still have time to catch up with the old man selling ring cakes and buy one before he went far away.
So she clasped her hands and kneeled to bow to Pei Jia Dalang, indicating that the meeting was over, and then turned around and walked under the bridge.
Although it ended a little hastily, Pei Huaijin under the bridge did not stay any longer after seeing her leave, and left with his hands behind his back.
But after sitting in the carriage, he seemed to have sensed something, and lifted a corner of the bamboo curtain with his fingers and looked out.
Then the girl who was supposed to disappear on the bridge lost her earlier elegance and grace. She ran across the arched bridge at full speed, her skirt lifted. Her silver-red folded skirt drew arcs in the air like trumpet creepers. In the blink of an eye, she caught up with the old man pushing the cart...
The author has something to say:
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Male Protagonist: The wife I want to marry should be gentle, virtuous, intelligent, and diligent in managing the household...
Female lead: (holding a dice) (takes a bite) Whatever you want, it has nothing to do with me anyway...
As for the heroine's eyes, just assume she's nearsighted [smirk]
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