Chapter 27 Reward Him
If Xie Yunshuo knew what Qiu Ze and the others were thinking, that he and Jiang Si were a good match to some extent, he would probably be speechless and even find it absurd.
In his estimation, in Jiang Si's heart, the two of them were the most unsuitable match in the world.
His idea was similar. There can't be two tigers in one mountain, and that referred to him and Jiang Si.
But he didn't know that after returning home, Jiang Si's mood improved a lot and her attitude towards him changed.
I now like him a little bit, not much, but better than before.
No matter what, Xie Yunshuo's performance in the Jiang family was remarkable, and he made Jiang's father, mother, and younger brothers and sisters like him.
He did not embarrass her, nor did he expose their relationship.
Speaking objectively, he did a good job in this regard, and Jiang Si would not treat him too harshly. She has always been a person who can distinguish right from wrong and clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments.
If he does well, she will thank him.
After returning to the general's mansion on the day of their visit, the two of them reported to General Xie and Xia Rongyi, then returned to the yard, each in their own room, as if they were strangers.
After a silent dinner, everyone went back to their room to rest, just like before leaving.
The two of them didn't have any special ideas, but the close confidants who served them felt that their time in the Jiang family was like a dream.
Perhaps because the first three days of the wedding had passed, Xie Yunshuo finally didn't have to stay at home and pretend to accompany his bride. On the second day, he went out early in the morning before dawn.
When Jiang Si woke up and heard about this, she said calmly, "It's hard for him to act for three days.
You Lu and Wu Chan looked embarrassed and didn't know how to comfort their daughter.
No matter how strong a woman is, she will inevitably feel sad and upset when encountering what the girl has encountered. The girl is also a human being, and her heart is not made of stone. How can she not feel pain?
However, Jiang Si just lay on the bed, closed her eyes for a while, and then sat up, as usual.
"I still can't stay in bed. I'll go to Zhixingzhai to say good morning to my parents-in-law. I still have work to do when I get back."
Seeing that she acted as if nothing had happened, the two maids asked curiously, "What else does Madam need to do?"
They didn't notice that Jiang Si had any grievances about Xie Yunshuo leaving without saying goodbye and going out alone. They secretly admired him and felt sorry for him.
She said she had something to do. If they didn't know that their girl really didn't care about Xie Yunshuo, they would have thought that she was using tedious work to fill her free time so that she wouldn't have time to think about other things.
I have been very busy these past few days. Although I didn't do everything by myself, I was busy with osmanthus flowers, making cakes and brewing wine.
Xie Yunshuo happened to be away, so why didn't the girls take a walk in the garden or take a nap, just to take a day off and relax.
Jiang Si reminded him, "You forgot, I also said I wanted to make sachets. The dried flowers and herbs for making sachets are already prepared, and we need to make a few more."
She thought it through so clearly, and she really had something important on her mind.
Wu Chan said hurriedly, "Yes, yes. Madam also said that she wanted to make two calming sachets for the eldest lady. We helped Madam make them and we finished them in one morning."
Jiang Si nodded, dressed herself, put on some light makeup, and went out to pay her respects to her parents-in-law.
Xie Yunshuo left home early, and it was unknown whether she had been to the main courtyard. She led the maid alone, walking through the avenues and corridors of the general's mansion.
All the servants who came and went, whether they were older stewards or younger maids, whether they were men or women, were all respectful and did not dare to neglect them.
Servants act according to their master's mood. Jiang Si knew that they treated her so attentively because her mother-in-law had restrained them.
No one is allowed to disrespect her as the new young lady.
Jiang Si didn't care why her mother-in-law treated her well. As long as she was treated well, she was satisfied.
Jiang Si chose a new outfit to wear today: a dark purple long jacket embroidered with grapes, a light lilac lining, and a dull ochre skirt.
The maids who were passing by and waiting for the young lady to pass by lowered their heads. After Jiang Si walked away, they turned their heads back and looked at her reluctantly twice.
The two whispered, "The new wife is so tall and beautiful. I dare not even look up in front of such a beauty."
"Who wouldn't? And the young lady is so young, yet she wears such a dark color, and looks so beautiful in it. Even the ladies rarely wear colors like ochre; they look gray and like dirt."
"But the young lady wears this color so beautifully. I never thought that purple and ochre could be matched together."
The two of them couldn't help but feel excited, and they praised Jiang Si's appearance and clothes one after another.
Beautiful women love beautiful clothes. There are many noble ladies in the capital who wear perfect, luxurious and complicated clothes. However, having power does not mean they can have a good brain.
Dressing beautifully is not a skill, but being able to wear simple clothes while showing one's judgment and taste is a rare talent.
Jiang Si's character and personality were clearly revealed in her words, actions, and clothing. Even the two maids could observe that she was different from others.
Others can naturally see it too.
When Jiang Si arrived at Zhixingzhai, her mother-in-law was talking to her third daughter, and Xia Rongyi was teaching Xie Qinghan how to read the account books and record prices.
Someone announced that the young lady was coming. Xia Rongyi and Xie Qinghan looked up at the graceful woman who came in slowly through the veil and bead curtain.
Xie Qinghan has always disliked red dresses and preferred military attire since childhood. She dressed simply and always wore blue and dark-colored clothes. She did not like to dress gaudy and fancy, especially with her hair covered in pearls and jade.
It doesn't matter to her whether other people wear it or not, she herself would never dress like that.
Therefore, when she saw her eldest sister-in-law appear, her eyes immediately lit up.
I praised sincerely: "Sister-in-law, this dress is really beautiful, like a wisteria in full bloom growing out of the soil."
Especially such dark-colored clothes make Jiang Si look white with a rosy glow, and the surface of her skin seems to be covered with a layer of lustrous light.
More transparent than white fat, brighter and purer than white jade.
Xia Rongyi looked at her, but from another angle.
An idea suddenly occurred to her - Jiang Si was only sixteen years old, and if you ignored her fresh face, her aura, demeanor, and expression all looked like a mistress.
Calm and capable, yet with just the right amount of sharpness.
Xia Rongyi couldn't help but think deeply and far.
This will take another ten or twenty years, when Jiang Si has gained experience and knowledge. When she sits there, her demeanor alone will be enough to intimidate many people.
Although the most important things for being the head of the family are brains and skills, a person's temperament cannot be ignored.
Xia Rongyi didn't say it, but she knew it in her heart. Without mentioning her abilities, just looking at her appearance, she could tell that this daughter-in-law was not simple and had potential.
Jiang Si smiled and sat on the other side of Xia Rongyi under the guidance of the nanny.
She spoke to her mother-in-law and third sister, and did not show any intention of mentioning Xie Yunshuo at all.
Xia Rongyi took the initiative to talk to her.
"Yun Shuo is going to Jing'an Temple outside the city with a friend today to burn incense and seek divination, so he left early. You can sit in the main courtyard for a while, have breakfast and lunch at mother's place, and then go back later."
Although she didn't say it clearly, Jiang Si could feel that it was her mother-in-law comforting her.
Xie Yunshuo went out for something without telling her, so Xia Rongyi wanted to keep her by her side so that she wouldn't have to go back to the yard alone and feel resentful.
She was helping Xie Yunshuo to calm Jiang Si down so that she wouldn't get angry.
Xia Rongyi originally thought that she would agree immediately, but Jiang Si stood up and said, "Thank you for your concern, mother-in-law. I still have some things to do. After breakfast, I will go back to Xian Yiju. Lunch still needs to be prepared, just in case Yun Shuo wants to come back."
Hearing her words, Xia Rongyi's smile clearly showed a hint of relief.
In the past, she had to treat Jiang Si well, but now, she really liked this daughter-in-law a little.
Before, she often heard Wei Ning and others criticize the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, saying that she was arrogant and aggressive, but now she saw that Jiang Si was much better than many young women.
She said, "You're quite thoughtful. However, everything can be done slowly. You're newlyweds, so there's no need to rush many things. Take your time. When everything is settled, I'll teach you how to manage the household affairs."
Jiang Si humbly agreed.
In fact, what she said was not entirely true. She just had something to do and it was more convenient to go back to her own yard.
As for whether Xie Yunshuo would come back for lunch or not, it had nothing to do with her. She just said it deliberately for her mother-in-law to hear.
Xie Qinghan asked, "What else does my eldest sister-in-law want to do? The sweet-scented osmanthus cake you sent me tastes really good."
Xie Qinghan often felt bored at home. Finally, he found a sister-in-law who he liked, so he wanted to get together with her.
Because Xia Rongyi was in a good mood, she said, "If you're curious, go to Xian Yi Ju and work with your sister-in-law, and learn from her."
She had developed a fondness for Jiang Sixin and didn't mind her daughter spending more time with her. Seeing Xie Qinghan so restrained that she rarely smiled every day, she, as a mother, was also unhappy.
It just so happened that Jiang Si got along well with her, so she felt at ease letting her follow her.
The two asked Jiang Si what she was doing, and Jiang Si told the truth.
"I also dried some osmanthus flowers earlier and will go back to mix them into sachets. I already have all the spices I need. It's not a difficult thing, I just need to think about how to mix them."
After hearing about this, Xia Rongyi felt more at ease.
Xie Qinghan excitedly said that she would go along to help. She nodded and said, "Go ahead, just don't cause trouble for your eldest sister-in-law."
Therefore, after breakfast, Jiang Si returned to Xian Yi Residence, bringing with her Xie Yunshuo's third sister.
She liked this little girl; they had similar personalities and were attractive to each other.
She also admired her talent for martial arts and respected her. Jiang Si was very willing to let her take Xie Qinghan with her.
When the two returned to the yard, Jiang Si ordered people to serve snacks and scented tea to Xie Qinghan, and also presented her with a bowl of yogurt with osmanthus honey.
Knowing that she was going to make sachets today, Youlu and the others had already packed all kinds of spices and herbs into wooden boxes, filled a table with them, and placed them in the west room.
Xie Qinghan had no interest in eating or drinking, and followed Jiang Si wherever she went like a puppy.
Seeing so many spices on the table, she looked around curiously, but she didn't see any notes on them and didn't recognize many of them.
She thought that the fact that it was placed like this without any mark meant that there was someone in the house who could identify herbs.
She pointed to something that looked like a piece of dried ginger and asked, "What is this?"
Jiang Si glanced at it and said, "Atractylodes lancea."
Xie Qinghan pointed to one that looked like a thin green tea leaf and asked, "What about this one?"
Jiang Si: "Midiexiang."
Xie Qinghan was very surprised: "Sister-in-law actually knows so much?"
She thought Jiang Si had a maid who knew about spices, but she didn't expect that she was the one who knew about them.
There was no need to write down the names, she knew all the herbs and spices on the table.
Jiang Si smiled and explained, "I don't like needlework, I just like reading miscellaneous books. I've read about herbs and flowers, Lu Ban's carpentry, and all sorts of things, but I just know about them, not really know how to do them. It's just a pretense."
Xie Qinghan shook her head. She knew that her sister-in-law was being modest.
On the table next to the desk, there were some cloth and needlework, some of which had been embroidered with flowers. They were all delicate patterns and the brocade was soft.
The maids brought in a basket of dried osmanthus flowers, placed them in a stone pestle, and slowly pounded and kneaded them into crumbs.
The fragrance of flowers is already rich and refreshing, and once crushed, the smell becomes even more intense and diffused.
Xie Qinghan was like a bird that had been kept in a cage for too long. Once released, she started chirping and found everything new to her.
She asked again: "Sister-in-law, why do osmanthus flowers need to be ground into powder?"
The maids sealed the bottom of the sachet, and Jiang Si spread layer after layer of osmanthus powder into it.
"You can put more in this way, and the fragrance is stronger. But it won't last as long, so there are pros and cons."
Xie Qinghan nodded repeatedly, feeling that he had gained a lot.
She fiddled with this herb, then that dried flower, holding them in her palms and sniffing them.
She said, "Sister-in-law, I can no longer tell which scent is which, they all smell good."
Jiang Si laughed.
Xie Yunshuo, the third sister, is so frank, cute and talkative.
With her in this room, she didn't feel bored at all.
Jiang Si asked her, "What kind of fragrance do you like, Third Sister? I'll make you two. You can wear them on your body or hang them by your bed."
Xie Qinghan picked some, all of which had the fragrance of plants and trees, light and pleasant.
When Xie Yunshuo came back, it was already early afternoon, and Xie Qinghan was still staying in Xian Yiju and was reluctant to leave.
The aunt and sister-in-law were having a great time together, and their expressions and gestures when they spoke were so familiar that they seemed like real sisters.
It was already afternoon. Xie Qinghan had lunch with Jiang Si at Xian Yi Ju and accompanied her to make more than a dozen sachets.
When Xie Yunshuo came back, Jiang Si called him and Xie Qinghan also called him brother. Then the two of them talked and laughed again, as if Xie Yunshuo was the outsider.
But Xie Yunshuo was not surprised.
He had thought before that he left early today without telling Jiang Si, and he was afraid that she might be angry.
But in fact, before leaving, he thought about whether to tell her. After thinking about it, he felt that Jiang Si didn't care, so he didn't let anyone tell her and let her sleep well.
Furthermore, if he told her specifically, Xie Yunshuo would always feel that he was being too sentimental, so he would give up.
Today's trip was a plan that Xie Yunshuo had agreed to have with his friends, but it was delayed for half a month because of his marriage.
So they agreed that on the fourth day after their wedding, the four acquaintances would go to Jing'an Temple to pray and draw lots, then visit the temple fair and climb up to see the distant view.
Although his friends were all dandy noblemen whom others avoided, many of them were actually good people.
Today he was accompanying his best friend Xie Yucheng to pray for his bedridden grandmother.
The four people who had made the appointment rode their horses out of the city before dawn.
After leaving the city and not going out for many days, and staying away from Jiang Si, Xie Yunshuo regained some of his former freedom.
As he went out and mounted his horse, he was still wondering whether Jiang Si would be unhappy or angry because he couldn't wait to leave home on the fourth day after his marriage.
I thought about it, but it was only fleeting.
Reason told him not to care about her, and then he no longer thought about anything related to Jiang Si.
Fortunately, after meeting friends, everyone was so absorbed in reminiscing about the past that they stopped thinking about it.
Xie Yucheng saw that he didn't show any obvious signs of high spirits like a man after getting married, so he knew that something was wrong.
Several people exchanged glances and hints with each other. There was no need to guess, as they knew that Xie Yunshuo's marriage would not be smooth.
Xie Yucheng asked him openly, "How is Yun Shuo getting along with our new sister-in-law? How many times have they quarreled?"
His slightly sarcastic words made the others look at him in different ways, and some wanted to persuade him not to be so blunt.
Some people were as curious as he was.
Xie Yunshuo's expression was indifferent: "It's just like that, not too good, not too bad either. We really don't get along, and we ignore each other."
Just this one sentence made the fact clear: he and Jiang Si were not on good terms, but they did not have a big fight either.
However, judging by Xie Yucheng's attitude, many people expected that the two of them would quarrel endlessly at best, or even get red in the face at worst, after their marriage.
Xie Yunshuo had thought so before, so at this moment, after getting out of the unpleasantness of the past few days, he realized that the reality was not that bad.
He once thought the same as them.
He knew that he had a hot temper, would respond to soft words but not harsh ones, and would become stronger when facing a strong opponent. If Jiang Si spoke without thinking, he didn't think he would tolerate it.
He knew that Jiang Si was even more inconsiderate.
But looking back, he found that what happened in the past two days was not worth mentioning. Xie Yunshuo thought, perhaps he was remembering not to cause unpleasantness, as it would be detrimental to the Xie family if it got out.
Perhaps Jiang Si's sharp tongue only makes people feel suffocated, and does not make people angry.
Thinking this way, his mind became much clearer. Looking up again, he saw the sky was blue, the air was clear, the wind was gentle, and the flowers were lush and the leaves were green.
When they arrived at Jing'an Temple, Xie Yucheng got a good fortune stick and asked everyone to try to interpret the fortune stick.
Xie Yunshuo prayed for his grandparents and parents, and all of them were good. Someone encouraged him to do so.
"Yun Shuo, since you're already married, why not ask for a marriage fortune and ask the gods if you and your sister-in-law will ever put aside your past grudges and fall in love with each other."
Xie Yunshuo was unwilling: "There's nothing to ask for."
But the more he did this, the more people started to make fun of him.
"Since you're here, just ask for one."
"No matter what, she is the legal wife."
With the three people urging him, Xie Yunshuo had no choice but to shake out a lot from the wooden barrel of marriage lots.
Everyone gathered around him to look at the fortune stick, which contained only one sentence: "Ask your heart, who can open it? Only this person."
They only looked at the vague words on the fortune sticks and had no idea what they meant, so they took them to the host to interpret the fortune sticks.
The host slowly said, "This fortune is like a lock with only one key; no one else can open it. It means that if you were to replace your husband with someone else, no matter who it was, they would be far inferior to the current one."
Xie Yunshuo didn't understand what he meant, but he didn't refute it.
This sign means that no matter how incompatible he and Jiang Si are, or how much their tempers clash, she is actually the only woman suitable for him.
He didn't believe it and thought the fortune was fake and inaccurate, but he didn't say it out loud.
Because the fortune that Xie Yucheng had asked for his family was a good one, if someone said that the fortune was inaccurate, it would mean that he had asked for the wrong one for his family.
As the three of them talked and laughed, he didn't refute, explain, or take it seriously.
No matter what, he couldn't believe that Jiang Si was the only right person for him.
Just wait and see, when he returns home today, not only will no one pay attention to him, but he may even be ridiculed by Jiang Si.
For example, he couldn't wait to go out and have a good time just three days after getting married.
Xie Yunshuo believed that if his assumptions were put into reality, the situation would only become more serious and would not get any better.
However, when he returned home to Xian Yi Residence, he heard that Xie Qinghan had come, so he went into the main house to see her.
I found my aunt and sister-in-law making sachets and asked them, "How did you make so many?"
Because Xie Qinghan was present, the two of them didn't want things to get too awkward, so he asked Jiang Si the questions.
Jiang Si was busy with her work as she slowly answered, "There are eight to soothe the spirits, sent to my grandparents, my father-in-law and my mother-in-law. My third sister's is for relieving liver qi and depression. There are also two for you, for refreshing the mind and repelling mosquitoes."
Xie Yunshuo was so surprised that he stood there in a daze, motionless like a wooden stake.
He was so surprised that he couldn't recover for a long time.
Because the scene he imagined, where Jiang Si spoke coldly to him and ignored him, did not happen.
On the contrary, he actually had a share of what she made this time.
Although they were just two small sachets, they were not embroidered or sewn by her.
She just picked out some fabrics, selected some spices, and tied them up with a cord, but the weight of these two sachets was like giving two boxes of gold ingots to a greedy person to Xie Yunshuo.
He looked at the sachet in her hand, which was said to be able to invigorate the mind and repel mosquitoes. He felt a little confused and didn't know what to think.
Is it guilt?
She felt guilty for judging Jiang Si by her own standards and thinking that she was being unreasonable. However, after he left without saying goodbye, she not only did not mind or get angry, but also helped him make sachets.
And the sachet I gave him was different from the ones I gave others. I specially considered his needs and knew that he was out and about a lot, so I made one for him to help him repel mosquitoes.
Is it an accident?
He used to think that Jiang Si was careless and would not prepare these thoughtful little things, but everything she did was beyond his expectations.
Xie Yunshuo's gaze slowly moved from the sachet to Jiang Si's face. He saw that she was calm and serious, a look he rarely saw in her.
His thoughts were like the surface of a lake in the rain, with waves rising and falling. Jiang Si probably noticed that someone was looking at her. She raised her head, caught Xie Yunshuo's gaze, and glared at him subtly.
Since Xie Qinghan wasn't looking over here, Jiang Si didn't have to act.
Xie Yunshuo was stunned for a moment, then returned to normal.
In fact, he was a little bit unbelievable just now, but when he saw her eyes like that, he felt the reality.
I felt strangely better.
She really hadn't changed and still couldn't stand him.
But the sachet in her hand was a death certificate, and it was indeed made specifically for him. No matter what she thought in her heart, at least she was not the person who refused to share one of the four pieces of osmanthus cake with him the day before yesterday.
Xie Yunshuo was a little doubtful, so what should he do?
He had originally planned to keep everything as usual and go back to his study to have dinner alone after returning home, but now because Xie Qinghan was here, everything was disrupted.
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