"Oh, right, sister!" Su Heng seemed to suddenly remember something, put down his chopsticks and moved forward, "I just passed by the corner gate and saw that old beggar still huddled under the outer wall of the prime minister's residence! Do you want me to ask some servants to drive him away? He's an eyesore!" He clenched his fists, with his usual "little bully" expression on his face, as if he was ready to pick up a weapon and stand up for his sister at any time.
"Don't go." Su Jinli stopped him immediately, her tone light but firm, "He's an old man in his twilight years, and he hasn't done anything harmful. Why are you chasing him away?"
"But sister!" Su Heng raised his voice, "He is from the Wang family! Have you forgotten how Wang Erlang plotted against you back then?"
"So what about the Wang family?" Su Jinli looked up at her brother calmly. "The Wang family is defeated, and he's fallen on hard times. Isn't this the best outcome?" She paused and looked at the housekeeper standing nearby. "Uncle Liu, go to the storehouse and get two strings of cash, and some freshly baked steamed buns and dried meat. Take them to the old man at the door."
"Sister!" Su Heng stood up anxiously, the chair legs scraping harshly on the blue brick floor. "Why did you give him money? He was just trying to get close to Xiaoyue'er. Maybe he was just trying to extort money from me!"
"He's not trying to extort money, he's genuinely hungry." Su Jinli sighed. "Think about it, the Wang family was once a wealthy family, but now their descendants have ended up begging on the streets. Isn't that enough? We live a stable life now, so let's just…" She paused, then slowly said, "Let's just put the past behind us."
"What kind of ending is this!" Su Heng stiffened his neck, his face full of disapproval, "In my opinion, he should be allowed to..."
"Young Marquis," Jiang Yan suddenly spoke, interrupting Su Heng. He put down his chopsticks, his gaze gentle yet undeniable. "Listen to your sister. She knows what's going on."
Su Heng looked at his sister, then at his brother-in-law, and finally sat down deflated. He picked up his chopsticks and took two mouthfuls of rice, muttering, "I just can't stand anyone trying to bully me..."
Su Qingyao curled her lips and covered her mouth with a handkerchief, saying, "Alright, you're the only one with a loud voice. It's not the first day you've known that Jinli is kind." She turned to Su Jinli and softened her tone, "Since you want to give him some money and things, do as you wish. Just don't let anyone know it's from the Xiangfu, so as to avoid any more trouble."
Su Xiang held his great-grandson and rocked him gently. He nodded, "Qingyao is right. Uncle Liu, please do this in secret."
"Yes, sir, madam." The butler bowed and retreated.
The argument about the "Wang Family Beggar" finally came to an end at Su Jinli's insistence. Dinner continued, but the atmosphere at the table was somewhat subtle. Su Heng stopped talking, concentrating on his meal, occasionally glancing at his sister from the corner of his eye like a large, sulky dog. Su Qingyao, on the other hand, picked up the ivory plate again and adjusted the shade of rouge by the candlelight, as if the previous argument had been a passing draft. Prime Minister Su teased his grandson, occasionally picking up food with his chopsticks, but his gaze would often fall on Su Jinli, a look of concern and relief from an elder.
Jiang Yan seemed oblivious to the subtle atmosphere, continuing to eat at his leisurely pace, though he served Su Jinli more frequently. He picked up a piece of boneless mandarin fish and placed it in her bowl, whispering, "Try this. The chef made a great sauce today."
Su Jinli smiled at him, picked up the fish, and put it in her mouth. A sweet and sour taste blossomed on her tongue, but it wasn't as delicious as usual. She looked at her warm family, but something inexplicably tinged inside her. Was it pity? Perhaps a little. Was it relief? It seemed neither. More than anything, it felt like a calm after a lifetime of hardship, like looking at a dried-up river, remembering its once surging waters, yet remembering them only vaguely and distantly.
After dinner, the family dispersed. Su Xiang carried his great-grandson back to the east courtyard. Su Qingyao took Nian Li to see her newly developed rouge. Su Heng muttered about going to the training grounds to ride his horse, saying it was to cool off.
Su Jinli and Jiang Yan walked side by side along the corridor back to their dormitories. The evening breeze blew, and the goat-horn palace lanterns below swayed gently, casting flickering shadows on the blue brick floor.
"Are you still thinking about that?" Jiang Yan held her hand, his fingertips feeling the cool night breeze.
Su Jinli shook her head, then nodded. "I just feel... that things in life are unpredictable." She looked up at the night sky. A crescent moon hung in the dark blue sky, and a few sparse stars twinkled. "Back then in the Wang family, I thought I would be so depressed for the rest of my life, but I didn't expect..."
"Nothing unexpected." Jiang Yan stopped, turned around and looked at her seriously. "Jinli, you deserve all the good in this world. Those bad things should be left far behind." His eyes shone startlingly bright in the night, like a sky filled with stars. "Look, we have sons and daughters, grandchildren around us, and time to support each other. That's enough."
His words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling the haze in Su Jinli's heart. She looked at the man who had been with her for half her life. From the newly crowned champion who squatted on the street to snatch her sugar paintings, to the gentle grandfather with gray hair, his eyes had never changed, always filled with cherishment and love for her.
"Yeah." She nodded vigorously, a relieved smile on her face. "You're right."
The two continued walking forward, their footsteps particularly clear in the silent night. When they reached the Moon Gate, a small figure came running towards them. It was Su Yue, who had just finished washing up. She was still wearing pink pajamas, her hair loosely tied up, like a kitten just out of the nest.
"Grandma! Grandpa!" Xiaoyue threw herself into Su Jinli's arms, holding an oil-paper bag in her hands. "Look! This is the sugar-painted phoenix that Grandpa Zhang drew for me!"
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