Chapter 3: This is the first time I've met this interesting person who is both quiet and active...
When Shen Youran walked under the bridge, she turned around and glanced at Pei Huaijin. Seeing that he left without looking back and quickly got on his own carriage, she no longer cared and ran across the bridge with her skirt lifted. She soon caught up with the old man selling ring cakes and bought a ring cake as she wished.
"Miss, this one is ten cents." The old man handed her the wrapped ring cake.
Shen Youran subconsciously touched her waist and remembered that she was wearing her sister's clothes. She had given her sister her purse, which usually contained small change and copper coins, along with her clothes.
"My purse fell into the carriage. Please wait a moment, I will go and get it." She pointed to the carriage on the other side of the river and was about to go back to get the purse, but unexpectedly she was stopped by the old man.
"Miss, it's not that I don't trust you, but I'm just running a small business. What if you don't come back..." The old man saw that she was dressed elegantly and didn't dare to offend her. He said cautiously, "Why don't you put the ring cakes down first? I'll wait here for you to bring the money."
"Alright." It's not easy for an old man to run a business, so it's understandable that he would be on guard. Shen Youran put the oil-paper bag back into the bamboo basket, lifted her skirt, and ran back to get her purse.
When she returned breathlessly, before she could take out the copper coins, the old man gave her the ring cake with a smile, saying that someone had just come to pay for her.
"Ah?" Shen Youran looked around and didn't see anyone he knew. "Who paid for me?"
"A woman in a tan jacket came and paid."
A woman with a brown beard?
Wasn't the nanny who was standing with the young master of the Pei family under the bridge just now wearing a brown jacket?
Since she helped pay the money, it must be because he saw her coming to buy the ring cake.
Since she saw it, the young master of the Pei family must have also...
Shen Youran felt a chill in her heart: Big sister is dignified and quiet, she would never behave so improperly. If I just ran away without caring about anything, wouldn’t that ruin the impression of my sister in their hearts?
What should I do?
The old man pushed the sheep-horn cart and walked away slowly. Shen Youran held the oil-paper bag in his hand. He had lost his appetite long ago and returned to the cart with a droopy face.
Seeing her sister change from her earlier excited demeanor and now huddled aside like a quail, not daring to look at her, Shen Yunshu approached her and asked with concern, "Didn't I allow you to eat the ring cake? Why are you suddenly unhappy?"
"Big sister, I..." Shen Youran's fingers scratched the oil paper unconsciously, and she mumbled, "I might ruin your marriage."
"Why do you say that?"
Shen Youran told her about her recent misbehavior, her tone filled with guilt and worry. "It's all my fault. I was greedy and rushed to buy ring cakes before they left. What if Pei's eldest son has a bad impression of you because of this and refuses this marriage?"
"Oh, it's no big deal." Shen Yunshu stroked her sister's hair, which had become loose from running. Her tone was relaxed, without any intention of blaming her. "If he rejects me because of this, it's his loss. A blessed woman will not marry an unfortunate man. If he doesn't choose me, I'll just choose another good man."
Moreover, she just thought Shen Youran was cute when she saw her happily going to buy the ring cake. If Pei Jia Dalang didn't like this lively and cute look, it meant that he was old-fashioned and boring. She wouldn't feel sorry to lose such a man.
*
The morning glow gradually faded away, and when the sky brightened, Pei Huaijin returned home and went straight to his grandmother's Chunxuan Hall to have breakfast with the old lady.
"What do you think of her?" the old lady asked him with a smile, "Does the eldest lady of the Shen family suit your taste?"
"The girl that Grandmother likes is naturally excellent. When she is quiet, she is like a delicate flower reflecting on the water. When she moves..." Pei Huaijin's mind flashed with the image of that swift and graceful figure, and the corners of his lips could not help but curl up slightly. "She is also quite interesting."
He had seen many dignified and graceful ladies, but this was the first time he had seen someone who was both quiet and active.
Seeing that he showed no dissatisfaction, the old lady was naturally delighted. "Since that's the case, I'll send someone to ask the eldest lady of the Shen family about her wishes. If both of you are willing, I'll arrange for a matchmaker to formally go to the Shen family to propose marriage..."
Pei Huaijin nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Grandma."
"As for your mother..." The old lady paused as she thought of something, then said, "Your mother wants you to marry the girl from the Meng family. Actually, the girl from the Meng family is also very good, but her family background is a little low and her personality is also soft. If she were to be your wife, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to support the family in the future. Your mother has also met the girl from the Shen family. Comparing the two, she naturally knows who is more suitable for you..."
Meng Wanxin, a daughter of the Meng family, was the daughter of a distant aunt of Pei Huaijin's, and was considered his cousin. Two years ago, she came to Beijing with her elders to visit relatives, and then stayed in the capital, staying in the Pei Mansion, living in the courtyard of Pei Huaijin's mother, Zhu.
Zhu was not in good health. She had only one son and one daughter. Her daughter got married three years ago, and her only son went to Lingzhou to be an official. In the past two years, Meng Wanxin had been serving her medicine and bringing her tea and water without asking anyone else for help. Naturally, Zhu liked her.
Pei Huaijin seldom returned home while serving as an official. When he did return, he was busy with many matters. He did not have many opportunities to interact with this cousin. He only knew her appearance and personality, and had no other impression. Today, when I heard from my grandmother, I learned that my mother still wanted to marry the cousin from the Meng family to him.
However, since he had already decided on the girl from the Shen family, he naturally would not consider his cousin from the Meng family anymore. After having breakfast with his grandmother, he went to visit his grandfather.
Pei Huaijin's grandfather was once the Minister of Personnel and the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion. After retiring, he was promoted one level according to the rules and was granted the title of Taifu. Now in his sixties, when he should be enjoying his retirement, he has contracted the Suzaku Lifei syndrome. Sometimes he is lucid, sometimes confused. When he is confused, he is as childish as a child. Although he is taking good care of himself, the time he is lucid is getting less and less.
When the old man was conscious, he was still thinking about the marriage of his eldest grandson. That was why Pei Huaijin arranged this marriage so quickly because he wanted to watch his grandfather get married while he was still conscious.
On the other side, the old lady did not delay and went to the Begonia Garden of her eldest daughter-in-law Zhu. She sent away Meng Wanxin, who was serving beside her with a gentle look, and told her eldest daughter-in-law that Pei Huaijin had fallen in love with the eldest daughter of the Shen family.
Zhu knew the good qualities of the Shen family's daughter, but selfishly she preferred Meng Wanxin in front of her, and couldn't help but be a little picky about the Shen family's daughter: "My daughter-in-law heard that the Shen family's eldest lady came to the capital two years ago. Her parents divorced many years ago, and she originally stayed with her mother in Mushroom Prefecture. Why would she rashly come to the capital to seek refuge with her father whom she hadn't seen for many years? She was already sixteen years old when she came to the capital. If she just wanted to find a good marriage in the city, it would be fine. But I'm worried that she couldn't get married in Mushroom Prefecture, so she came to the capital..."
The reason why this beautiful young girl cannot get married is nothing more than her moral failings and bad reputation.
Although Zhu's speculation was unpleasant to hear, it was reasonable.
However, since the old lady had already taken a fancy to Shen Yunshu half a month ago, she had naturally sent people to Muzhou to inquire about her. She also had a prepared explanation for Zhu's concerns: "Shen Yunshu's mother remarried Lu Huai, the then-magistrate of Muzhou, eight years ago. Lu Huai has been promoted continuously in recent years. He has been the prefect for three years and is about to go to Beijing to serve as an official. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Shen Yunshu coming to the capital two years ago. After all, it won't be long before their family will be reunited in the capital..."
When Zhu heard that Shen Yunshu's stepfather was also going to Beijing to serve as an official, and her biological father was the Minister of Revenue, she knew that if she married Pei Huaijin, the two fathers-in-law would naturally be of great help to Pei Huaijin's career, which was far beyond the reach of Meng Wanxin's father, a small state official. Zhu's heart could not help but lean towards Shen Yunshu.
"In that case, the eldest lady of the Shen family is indeed blameless." Zhu changed her attitude and said apologetically, "I have been staying in the backyard all year round, so I can't see things as clearly as you. Moreover, my health is not good. If Dalang's marriage is settled, I will have to trouble you to take care of the six ceremonies at the Shen family in the future..."
"Jin'er's marriage can be handled by me, but since this marriage has been decided, you, the girl from the Meng family, must also make plans early. After all, she's seventeen years old this year. Her mother left her here, naturally hoping that you can help her find a husband in the capital. If you're reluctant to marry her off to another family, I think Xiaoqi is not bad. Although he likes to play a little, he has a good heart. He's the only son of the third wife, so if the girl Meng can marry him, she won't suffer any loss..."
The Xiaoqi mentioned by the old lady is Pei Huaian, the son of her third brother-in-law Pei Yuanzhou.
The third master, Pei Yuanzhou, lost his wife at a young age and subsequently abandoned his official career to pursue business, taking his young son, Huaian, with him to venture out into the world for over a decade. Fortunately, he possessed a natural talent for business, and over the years the Pei family's business flourished, with a large portion of the assets acquired through his own efforts.
It's just that he made a lot of money in business, but his children were not well-educated.
Pei Huaian is now sixteen years old. He neither likes to study nor enjoys his work. Instead, he is extravagant and has made a lot of bad friends. He drinks today and watches flowers tomorrow. He wanders the streets all day and never goes home.
Zhu secretly felt sorry for the good boy being raised like this by his father, and naturally looked down on him.
Today, the old lady mentioned marrying Miss Meng to Xiao Qi. Although Zhu Shi felt it was not a good match at first, she thought carefully. Although Xiao Qi was not very good at anything, he was still as wealthy as his father. Moreover, Xiao Qi had a beautiful appearance. The last time he came to pay his respects to Haitang Garden, the maids in the house blushed when they saw him...
Zhu's mind quickened. After the old lady left, she called Meng Wanxin in and explained the matter to her in a tactful way...
*
After the gentle breeze and drizzle, the crabapple blossoms in the yard bloomed more vigorously, hanging heavily on the branches, and the fragrance of flowers could be smelled all over the yard.
Shen Youran sat at the stone table under the crabapple tree, with the zither placed horizontally on the table. Opposite her sat Shen Yunshu. Under the other's oppressive gaze, she played a song full of loopholes.
After the song ended, he withdrew his hand, lowered his eyelashes and did not look at Shen Yunshu.
Shen Yunshu frowned, tapped the table with her fingers, and squinted her beautiful eyes at her: "Didn't you play this piece two days ago? How come you made so many mistakes today?"
Shen Youran knew that she had not performed well today, so she did not talk back and let her sister criticize her.
"Never mind. Playing the piano is meant to calm the mind, enlighten the mind, and cultivate one's character. You're distracted today, so it's not suitable for you to practice. Dan Ruo, please take your daughter's piano away..."
Shen Youran was delighted, thinking that she could be lazy again today, but she didn't expect to hear her sister say, "Qinghe, bring your daughter's four treasures of the study, and practice three thousand words this morning."
"Three thousand?" Shen Youran looked up in surprise. "Wasn't it enough to write a thousand words a day before?"
"Four thousand words then."
"Wasn't it three thousand just now? How come it's four thousand again?"
Shen Yunshu looked at her pale sister and said slowly, "If you say anything more, I'll write 5,000."
The pressure from her sister's bloodline made Shen Youran no longer dare to bargain. She could only mutter softly, "Four thousand is four thousand. My sister's mouth is a lie. Yesterday she said she didn't blame me, but today she punished me to write so many words..."
Yesterday she met Pei Langjun on behalf of her sister. Although something went wrong in the end, her sister did not blame her. She even exempted her from her studies as agreed and let her have fun all day.
I didn't expect that he would come to torture her so early this morning.
If the Pei family's marriage doesn't go through, then wouldn't she have to write four thousand words every day?
Four thousand words...
When Shen Youran was distracted, he pushed the pen a little slowly after the tip touched the paper, and the first word was written in a mess.
Shen Yunshu sighed, stood up, walked behind her sister, and held her hand holding the pen. "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. I don't care about what happened yesterday anymore. You don't have to worry about it all the time. Just concentrate on practicing calligraphy..."
Whether it was playing the piano or practicing calligraphy, the original intention was to temper the temper of her third sister.
In her opinion, her third sister is smart, and can quickly master music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She is also very straightforward, kind-hearted and innocent. However, she was spoiled too much by her father and was not restrained from self-cultivation since childhood. This is why she developed a lazy character. Not only does she lack patience, but she also doesn't like to use her brain.
Shen Yunshu wanted to stay at home and teach her sister for a while longer, but last month her mother wrote to her saying that her stepfather had received the transfer documents and would soon be going to Beijing to serve as an official. When she held the letter in her hand, a thin layer of sweat broke out on her body.
After her mother remarried in Muzhou, she gained a stepbrother and several younger brothers and sisters. Since she came of age, her stepbrother Lu Yi has been secretly coveting her. For the sake of her mother, she dared not make it public. She changed her surname to "Lu" to put an end to Lu Yi's thoughts. However, Lu Yi obstructed her and asked her to continue to consider herself a girl of the Shen family. She had no choice but to flee from the Lu family and came to the capital two years ago to live with her father whom she had not seen for many years.
Unexpectedly, her stepfather was promoted and the whole family would move to the capital. Naturally, Lu Yi would also come along. Time was running out for her; she had to settle her marriage before her stepfather and his family moved in.
If the marriage with the Pei family fails, there are still many good unmarried men in the capital from the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, the Earl of Rong'an, or the General of Zhenhu. She has made up her mind to get engaged as soon as possible.
Therefore, she didn't have much time to teach Shen Youran here, so she thought of supervising her strictly from today, hoping that her sister would make more progress when she got married.
Shen Youran let her sister hold her hand and write a graceful and elegant word, then turned her head to look at her. At such a close distance, she could still see a few rashes on her snow-white face that had not yet subsided.
"Sister, whether it succeeds or not, the Pei family should have sent someone to talk to us today. How come you are so calm?"
"You also know that the Pei family will send someone today, so let's just wait, why rush..."
Shen Youran was filled with admiration for his calm demeanor. Just as he was about to wonder when he would be able to cultivate such self-control, he heard someone running into the yard.
It was Tinglan, the maid sent by the eldest sister to the front yard to wait for news. She ran up to them breathlessly and said excitedly, "Madam, Third Madam, someone is coming from the Pei Mansion."
When Shen Youran heard that someone from the Pei Mansion had come, she immediately put down her pen and went to the front yard with her sister, eager to know whether this marriage would be successful.
However, how could Shen Yunshu miss this good opportunity to hone her sister's patience? She pinned Shen Youran to the spot with a glare: "I can go by myself. You concentrate on practicing calligraphy. When I come back, there must be at least 500 words on this paper..."
Then he left Tinglan here to supervise and left calmly.
Ahhh bad sister!
Shen Youran held the pen and punched the air, but in the end she didn't dare to disobey her sister's order. She lowered her head and gritted her teeth as she began to practice calligraphy.
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