As the gentle breeze from Tongqian Alley gently stirred the willow catkins, drifting them leisurely toward the Prime Minister's residence, I was concentrating on drawing the final, vibrant red check mark on my account book. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows across the open account book. The red check mark, like a flickering flame, added a unique touch of color to the quiet afternoon.
Jiang Yan sat aside, wearing reading glasses on his nose, immersed in the world of proofreading ancient books. He looked focused, and from time to time he picked up a brush to circle and dot on the pages. Inadvertently, a little ink stain stained the tip of his nose, like a playful black mole, causing the clever little Nian Tang to laugh secretly. She sneaked behind Jiang Yan, stretched out her little hand and gently wiped his face. Jiang Yan's originally clean face instantly had several ink marks, and he looked very funny. Seeing this, Nian Tang could no longer hold back and laughed out loud. The crisp laughter echoed in the room, like a string of smart notes.
"Grandma! Dad's arguing with someone at the door!" Cheng Yan rushed in breathlessly on his chubby little legs like a little cannonball, not even having time to wipe the snot bubbles hanging from his nose. His eyes were wide open, his face full of anxiety and tension, and he looked as if the sky was about to fall.
The tip of my pen paused slightly, and I pondered silently. Jiang Siyan, now Minister of Rites, was known throughout the court for his good temper, gentleness, and elegance, rarely getting into arguments. Who else could have caused him to become so enraged at the Prime Minister's residence except the fearless mischievous scoundrel of the young marquis who had snatched his candied haws?
I gently lifted the door curtain and walked out with steady steps. As expected, I saw Jiang Siyan standing like a towering mountain, firmly blocking the door with hanging flowers, his expression serious and stern. Opposite stood a young man in a lake blue brocade robe, with an upright figure but a slightly cramped face. A closer look showed that it was Lin Wanyue's son Lin Wenxuan. When this kid was a child, he often followed his mother to make trouble in my yard, throwing stones into my yard, and making me angry. At this moment, his face was full of ingratiating smiles, and his hand was tightly holding a gold-painted gift box, which shimmered in the sun, as if telling the purpose of his visit.
"Brother Siyan, I come here with full sincerity..." Lin Wenxuan broke the silence first, with a hint of flattery and expectation in his voice.
"Mr. Lin, please go back." Jiang Siyan's voice was as cold as ice, like the biting wind in the cold winter, penetrating people's hearts. "My daughter will never marry a snob." His eyes were firm and sharp, like two sharp swords, shooting straight at Lin Wenxuan.
The smile on Lin Wenxuan's face froze instantly, as if it were frozen in time. His face was full of confusion and puzzlement, and he stammered, "Brother, what do you mean? Your daughter and I are a perfect match, and this marriage..."
"A match made in heaven?" Jiang Siyan sneered disdainfully and raised the card in his hand. The card swayed gently in the wind, as if mocking Lin Wenxuan's ignorance. "The card your family sent last month to propose marriage was still on old stationery from three years ago. Mr. Lin, I'd like to ask, has your family pawned your shop or your land so that you can't even afford a new card?" Jiang Siyan's tone was full of questioning and disdain. Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Lin Wenxuan's heart hard.
Lin Wenxuan's face turned red, as red as a ripe tomato. He tried to explain himself hesitantly, "It's just a temporary shortage of funds..." His voice became smaller and smaller, as if even he himself felt that this excuse was weak and feeble.
"Zhou Zhuanzhuan wants to marry my Jiang family's daughter?" Jiang Siyan took a step forward, his tone fierce, frightening Lin Wenxuan so much that he subconsciously shrank back. Jiang Siyan's eyes were sharp, and he continued mercilessly, "My daughter has been pampered since she was a child. She wears the finest brocade and uses the softest Hetian jade. Does marrying her mean she'll have to live with you in poverty? Or is this so-called 'sincerity' your mother taught you just a trick to get something for nothing?" Jiang Siyan's words were like a cannon of fire, and every word hit Lin Wenxuan so hard.
Just as these words fell, the corner door creaked open, as if a new act had begun in a farce. Lin Wanyue, supported by her maid, rushed out in a hurry. The pearl hairpins in her hair swung violently with her rapid steps, making a noisy tinkling sound, just like her panicked heart. Her eyes were red like a frightened rabbit, and she looked pitiful, but in my eyes, she was full of hypocrisy.
"Si Yan, how can you talk like that! I used to..." Lin Wanyue tried to defend herself, with a hint of tears in her voice, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"Back then?" Jiang Siyan interrupted her mercilessly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, as if he could see through her inner hypocrisy. "Back then, when my mother was splashed with tea by you at her coming-of-age banquet, and you spoke ill of her, saying that 'a concubine's daughter is not worthy of using official kiln teacups', did you ever think about today?" Jiang Siyan's voice was full of anger and questioning, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
Lin Wanyue was choked and speechless, her face swirling red and white like a palette. She could only cover her face with a handkerchief, pretending to wipe away nonexistent tears, her eyes occasionally glancing in my direction, as if seeking a glimmer of sympathy. I folded my arms, leaning leisurely against the porch pillar, deliberately cleaning my ears slowly, ignoring her performance. Jiang Yan had quietly followed me out at some point and stood quietly beside me, like a solid barrier, blocking Lin Wanyue's attempt to pounce on me.
"Sister... Sister Su..." Seeing that the tough approach was no longer working, Lin Wanyue immediately changed to a gentle approach, her voice full of pleading, "Just for the sake of those days..."
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