"Miss Sun, I didn't lie to you, did I? How is Fifth Aunt's cooking?"
Wei Jingnian, still carrying a food box, smugly caught up with the two from behind.
Sun Miao'er pondered the tips Yunniang had taught her, her mind seemingly filled with a spinning wheel, repeatedly shuttling and treading.
She gave perfunctory replies, walking and stopping intermittently, her mind elsewhere.
"Young Master, wait for me!"
The old butler trotted up from behind and grabbed Wei Jingnian's arm.
Wei Jingnian sensed something was wrong. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't dodge. He smiled bitterly and said, "Uncle Wei."
"The old master said that since you rarely come here, he asked you to have dinner in the back before going back." The old butler's face was full of triumph. Luckily, he caught up with him. If the young master had run away again this time, the old master would definitely not have let him off easily.
Wei Jingnian had managed to get rid of everyone in the courtyard that morning, but now there was no way to escape. He turned around with a stiff upper lip and said, "Let's go, Uncle Wei. These two young ladies are my friends."
"The old master said, the more people, the more lively it is," the old butler said with a smile.
So the group went back to the backyard. When they entered, they found Old Master Wei lying under the vines in the yard, basking in the sun, with two teenage maids fanning him. He looked quite content.
"Ah Nian is here?" Old Master Wei closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse and heavy, like the rumble of thunder before a July downpour.
Wei Jingnian cupped his hands and said, "Grandfather, are you well?"
Old Master Wei waved his hand, signaling the maid to leave, and slowly opened his eyes. "I heard you went to see Fifth Brother?"
"Yes," Wei Jingnian replied truthfully. "I have some questions about weaving and would like to ask Fifth Grandmother."
Old Master Wei glanced at her sideways and said slowly, "What could she, a mere woman, possibly know? Never mind, I can't control you. What do you want to eat today? Tell the servants to make it for you."
"Third Auntie made some snacks, Jingnian can just eat some." After saying that, Wei Jingnian lifted the food box higher and placed it in a conspicuous position.
Old Man Wei's gaze swept around the courtyard before finally settling on the two girls his grandson had brought. His eyes lit up: "You brought friends back without even telling us beforehand. Does your father know?"
“Miss Wang is the daughter of Wang Shicheng, a wealthy man.” Wei Jingnian introduced them one by one. “Sun Miao’er, Miss Sun, is Jingnian’s friend.”
Old Master Wei closed his eyes again, nodded slowly, and said in a deep voice, "Good, it's a good thing to make a few close friends at such a young age!"
After saying that, he suddenly sat up from the recliner. Although he was old, he was steady and no less than a young man.
"The third sister still loves making pastries, but I don't know if they'll suit your taste. I remember you loved her pastries when you were little."
As he spoke, Old Master Wei chuckled to himself, revealing a few gold-plated teeth.
Sun Miao'er and Wang Xueru greeted him in unison, "Greetings, Old Master Wei."
"Don't be so formal. You are the younger generation. It is my honor to have you come to my old man's courtyard." Old Master Wei spoke kindly, unlike his previous serious tone.
After all, they were in Old Master Wei's courtyard, and Sun Miao'er was quite reserved at the moment. Having not dealt with such a scene for a long time, she was actually a little unaccustomed to it.
Wei Jingnian didn't speak. He grew up in this courtyard with the old man when he was young, but as he got older, he was arranged to study in the front courtyard. He became more distant from the old man and was no longer as close as he was when he was young.
"Call them all over."
Before long, several concubines arrived in the courtyard.
Some were massaging the old man's legs, while others were pouring him tea.
Sun Miao'er glanced over and saw that Yunniang had also arrived. She was standing obediently behind Old Master Wei, massaging his temples.
At this moment, Yunniang was completely different from the one who taught her spinning at noon. Among these four concubines, she was not outstanding at all.
A short while later, the old butler came in from outside, looking hurried, and whispered something to Old Master Wei.
Old Master Wei suddenly opened his eyes and asked coldly, "What is he doing here?"
Then, remembering that there were outsiders present, she calmed her tone and said, "Let him in."
Before long, Wei Rongchang entered the courtyard. The first thing he did was to block his son from the group of aunts.
"Father, are you well?" Wei Rongchang said respectfully, but there was no affection in his eyes.
Old Master Wei didn't even glance at him, and sneered, "With an unfilial son like you around, how can I live in peace?"
Wei Rongchang remained expressionless, his tone cold: "Father, you're being too serious. It's getting late. I'll take Jingnian back."
"Go back?" Old Master Wei stood up, put his hands behind his back, and strode up to Wei Rongchang. "Jingnian has already agreed to stay for dinner in my courtyard. Are you disrespecting your old man?"
Wei Rongchang replied with a half-smile, "Your son wouldn't dare!"
"Dare not? What is there that you dare not do!" Old Master Wei coughed several times in a row as he spoke excitedly.
This worried the concubines behind him, who rushed over, saying, "Master, don't get upset."
"Master, please say less. It's autumn now, and the old master's health is poor; he can't afford to get angry," the second concubine blurted out in her anxiety.
Wei Rongchang shouted, "Who do you think you are! Who gave you the right to speak here?"
The second concubine's eyes turned red from the scolding, and she could only lower her head and pat Old Master Wei's back.
Old Master Wei clutched his chest, grabbed his cane, and roared furiously, "You unfilial son! When did it become your place to lecture your father's people!"
"Father, grandfather, please say less and each of you should back down!"
Seeing that Old Master Wei was about to make a move, Wei Jingnian quickly stepped forward to stop him, whispering, "My grandson's friend is still here, let's eat first."
"I will not sit at the same table as prostitutes," Wei Rongchang said sternly.
His words were clearly referring to the Eighth Concubine, whom Old Master Wei had bought from Duhuanlou years ago through the Jin family's connections. Back then, Wei Rongchang almost had to call on the entire clan to make a decision about this matter, but Old Master Wei had such high prestige that the clan members couldn't do anything about it.
Wei Rongchang felt hatred. He hated his father for being so muddle-headed and blinded by lust. If it weren't for his father, his mother wouldn't have passed away so early, leaving him and his sister to walk on thin ice in this family.
His father, from beginning to end, only had eyes for those women who came and went.
Upon hearing this, the Eighth Concubine's face stiffened, and the words she wanted to say to ease the tension remained stuck in her throat.
These concubines were all seen as thorns in Wei Rongchang's side. If it weren't for the fact that Old Master Wei was still alive, they would have no place in the Wei family.
Sun Miao'er sensed the icy atmosphere around her. It seemed that the affairs of this wealthy family were no less complicated than those in the countryside. It was pitiful for Yunniang, with such a temperament, to be forced to wallow in the inner quarters and live a life of dependence on others.
But she would rather do this than betray her teacher's teachings and use white cotton yarn as a means to make money and climb the social ladder.
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