Family banquet
Xie Chengnan had kept the gift a well-hidden beforehand; even Cang Xie was unaware. Heaven knows how nervous he was when he saw his young master being publicly humiliated by his father-in-law, and as a mere guard, he couldn't offer any help. Now that he had finally entered the Qiu residence, Cang Xie breathed a sigh of relief. "I know you still care about Miss Qiu. You asked me to manage the valuables in the mansion months in advance. I originally thought you were afraid of revealing your family's wealth to outsiders, but it turns out it was to show filial piety to your parents-in-law." Cang Xie had improved quite a bit recently and could now make a few jokes with a straight face.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm saying you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Xie Chengnan paused slightly, his eyes gradually deepening. "Some things, you still have to fight for them."
Cang Xie looked puzzled; the young marquis's words were profound, and he understood them less and less.
Lin Yi finally entered the Qiu residence without incident, but instead of properly admiring the magnificent architecture, he seized an opportunity to approach Xie Chengnan and ask, "Don't you have any food or drink at home? Where did you get the spare money to prepare gifts?"
"You don't need to worry about that. It was obtained without stealing or robbing."
He made it sound so easy, but Lin Yi had seen how destitute the Xie family was, and those dozen or so boxes of gifts for the bride's return visit were probably all he had left.
Although she wasn't very familiar with Anguo's etiquette, she knew that the more elaborate the return gift, the more it would enhance her and her enemies' reputation. Lin Yi never imagined that Xie Chengnan, who disliked her and the marriage proposal, would be so generous in this matter.
"Thank you," Lin Yi said sincerely.
"No need for thanks. Although our relationship was just a charade, we did go through the proper wedding ceremony. In the eyes of outsiders, you are my lawfully wedded wife. If I were to return empty-handed, it would be a disgrace to the Xie family."
"These are two different things. I will not accept your gift for nothing. If you want to do anything in the future, just ask. There is only one thing: you must not harm our enemies."
Xie Chengnan couldn't help but smile: "That's natural."
Following Qiu's parents into the inner courtyard, Lin Yi was still somewhat reserved. Compared to her, Xue Ya was much more relaxed, busying herself around serving tea to the masters.
A crabapple tree in the courtyard was in full bloom, its fragrance carried on the breeze. Every time a petal fell, it sent forth a refreshing scent. Further ahead was the main hall.
Inside the main hall, directly opposite the entrance, hangs a plaque with the four characters "仁心如水" (Renxin Rushui, meaning "Benevolent Heart Like Water") written in a vigorous and elegant style. The inscription is by Emperor Zhaowen—it was actually written by the current emperor himself. Although the Qiu family does not interfere in politics, their position in the court is evident.
Madam Qiu pulled Lin Yi to sit down at the table, her eyes filled with thoughts of the child she hadn't seen for several days: "A-Ye, it's been so long since you've been home. What would you like to eat? I'll have someone make it for you."
Qiu Baiji said, "It's only been six days away from home, what's so long? You just keep spoiling her, look what you've made her into!"
Madam Qiu glared at him. "You talk as if you don't miss your daughter. I wonder who's counting the days on their fingers every night?"
The Imperial Physician was somewhat embarrassed, his old face flushed red, and he said angrily, "Do you really want to expose my shortcomings in front of the children?"
Lin Yi chuckled and came to his rescue: "I just want to eat my mother's steamed sea bass."
Madam Qiu beamed with joy upon hearing this: "I knew you were craving this, so I had someone go to the market to buy some early on. They're all freshly killed and are steaming in the pot right now."
"Thank you, Mother."
This was the first family banquet held after the marriage between the Qiu and Xie families, and everyone who was supposed to be there was present.
In such a setting, Xueya and Cangxie were not allowed to sit at the table. Some dishes were prepared for them in advance in the kitchen, and the two of them took their plates to the pavilion to eat.
Lin Yi glanced at everyone present. Of course, only Xie Chengnan was from the Xie family. On the Qiu family's side, besides Qiu's father and mother, there was a thin woman and a boy of about seven or eight years old.
"Qing is back. Is she settling in well at her husband's house?" the thin woman asked with concern.
The woman had a gentle appearance, but her overly thin face gave her a somewhat bitter look.
Lin Yi thought for a moment and realized that this person must be Qiu Baiji's concubine. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt Xue. I'm getting used to it."
"If you suffer any injustice over there, be sure to tell your family. Don't be embarrassed."
"The Yong'an Marquis's residence is very good, and Qing has not suffered the slightest grievance." Lin Yi replied gently with his eyes lowered.
“You’ve become much more obedient since you got married,” Qiu Baiji said in surprise.
Lin Yi was wondering how to explain when he heard Aunt Xue cover her mouth and laugh, "In that case, Master and Madam can rest assured."
After saying that, she reached out and touched the boy's forehead beside her. "Qingye has finally returned home, so take Yulin out to play more. This child misses you a lot when he can't see you."
Yu Lin was Aunt Xue's child and Qiu Qing's half-brother.
Aunt Xue was cautious but actually petty. She paid special attention to her son's education. Lin Yi remembered most clearly that she often used Qiu Qingye as a negative example to spur Qiu Yulin to study medicine diligently.
Lin Yi actually admired this kind of person. Even though what they thought in their heart was exactly the opposite, every word they said was sincere and heartfelt. If she hadn't read the original work, she would have really believed it.
After some superficial pleasantries, the last dish, steaming hot fish, was served, and the family dinner officially began.
As soon as the fish was served, Qiu Baiji picked up a piece of the fish belly with his chopsticks and placed it into Qiu Qingye's bowl with utmost ease. Everyone present showed no surprise, clearly having done this countless times over the years and being used to it by now.
Lin Yi took a bite, and the fish was still steaming hot, making her eyes slightly moist.
The fish meat is snow-white and delicate, and the seasoning is just right, preserving the fish's natural sweetness.
Lin Yi really liked the taste and couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
She had eaten this dish at the school cafeteria, but the cook there was probably in a rush, and the fish wasn't prepared properly. It tasted fishy and had large and small scales mixed in. Since then, Lin Yi has rarely eaten fish, attributing it to her dislike of it.
It turns out it wasn't that I didn't like the food, it was just that I wasn't cooking it right.
During the meal, Qiu Baekje rarely spoke; it was mostly Madam Qiu who asked questions and Lin Yi who answered. Afraid of being exposed, she dared not say much, only offering perfunctory responses, and spent most of the time eating in silence.
Knowing she loved fish, few people touched the steamed fish at the table. Lin Yi ate most of it herself. When her stomach was full, she felt a pang of emotion, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Xie Chengnan with some concern.
I wonder what he would think if he saw this scene of a loving mother and filial daughter, a happy family.
She glanced at him worriedly, only to see Xie Chengnan leisurely sipping his soup, looking quite relaxed, as if everything was normal.
Sure enough, not everyone was like her. She grew up in an orphanage, where the company of relatives and the love of her parents were luxuries she could only dream of. Therefore, she always felt envious whenever she saw other children with both parents by their side. And after that envy came the daily loneliness and bitterness. She had thought that Xie Chengnan, having experienced the joy of having both parents in his childhood and then suddenly losing his loved ones, would suffer even more than she had, having never experienced such a thing.
But she was overthinking it...
After returning to the Minister's residence, Lu Yanran threw a huge tantrum.
The maid Wan Tao was also indignant: "Miss, the Qiu family has wronged you so much, we can't just let it go. If you ask me, we should tell the Minister and have him impeach them before the Emperor."
"Alright, Father hates those who abuse their power for personal gain. If he hears you say that, he'll definitely not let you off the hook." Lu Yanran said it was fine, but her face was still full of resentment.
Wan Tao still said unwillingly, "Are we just going to put up with this? That would be too frustrating!"
"Hmph, even without my father's help, I'll take care of her one day."
“But Miss, the gifts sent by the Marquis of Yong’an’s family for the return visit are quite substantial. I heard that even those dozen or so fine horses are included. How much silver must that cost?” Wan Tao said sourly, puffing out one cheek.
Lu Yanran rolled her eyes at her: "Who knows what's inside that box?"
Wan Tao immediately chimed in, "Miss is right. Perhaps the Imperial Physician Qiu was afraid of losing face, so he put on a good show with his son-in-law."
Although Lu Yanran said she was disdainful, she was still a little jealous. Who wouldn't want to be matched with a good man and get married in a grand manner?
If the Yong'an Marquis's mansion hadn't fallen into decline, it would have been a good match for her. But what good are these lavish gifts now? They have no power or influence, just the title of Marquis. She wouldn't even look at them. A mere dozen or so boxes of return gifts—the amount will surely be much greater when she returns home for her wedding.
Lu Yanran originally wanted to spread the word among the noble ladies in the city about Qiu Qingye's rude behavior during her homecoming, but the sudden appearance of that group of return gifts made it impossible for her to talk about it. Not only could she not talk about it, but she also had to keep her mouth shut to avoid making those people think more highly of Qiu Qingye.
Although she didn't say anything, the news still spread throughout the streets and alleys.
Some people witnessed that the gifts prepared by the Marquis of Yong'an's family for his return visit were pulled by more than ten fine horses, stretching for an entire street.
Others say the box was filled with gold, so much so that it was impossible for a person to lift it, and even the horses were bent over from the weight, their hooves barely able to move.
Some even say that the box was actually empty, and the real return gift was the dozens of horses, but those horses were all old, weak, and sick, and couldn't walk fast carrying the empty box...
The melon vendor cut open a ripe watermelon, not even spitting out the seeds, and munched on it with relish. He handed a piece to the butcher at the next stall, saying, "Tell me, the Xie family has fallen on hard times, so how come they still have so much gold and silver? The return gifts alone filled more than twenty carts!"
The butcher took a bite, and more than half of the melon pulp was gone: "You saw it with your own eyes?"
“My wife saw it.”
"If you ask me, you're just worrying about things that aren't your business. No matter how poor he is, he can't be poorer than you. He's a marquis, after all. Even if his thighs are thin, they can't be thinner than his arms."
"But she married the daughter of her enemy; is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"
"What's wrong with Miss Qiu? Although her reputation is a bit bad, at least she's pretty."
"That's true, she's much prettier than my wife." The melon vendor suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He turned around and saw the not-so-pretty woman he had mentioned standing behind him with a spatula in her hand and her hands on her hips.
"What did you say?!"
The vendor immediately cowered: "I...I mean, that Miss Qiu has a bad reputation and is ugly, not as beautiful as you, Madam..."
His wife didn't believe him, so she grabbed his ear and dragged him home.
Seeing this, the butcher shook his head and continued sharpening his knife, ready to slaughter the pigs and sheep.
A young man in a black robe walked through the street, overheard a few words, and asked, "What has Qiu Qing been up to lately?"
The black-clad guard behind him immediately stepped forward and whispered beside him, "Since marrying into the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, Qiu Qing has not left the mansion for the past few days. Today is the sixth day, and she and Xie Chengnan have returned to their parents' home."
The elegantly dressed young man strolled leisurely down the street, appearing as if he were just an ordinary gentleman taking a casual stroll.
"Anything else?" He stopped in front of the stall, picked up a light purple tassel, and examined it closely in his hand.
The tassel vendor, recognizing the man's distinguished bearing and suspecting he might be from a powerful family in Mingzhou, enthusiastically recommended the tassel: "Young master has a discerning eye. This is top-quality silkworm silk, and look at that pendant—it's genuine Nanyang jade. If you wear a sword, you can hang it on the hilt as a tassel. However, the color of this tassel… how about we replace it with a black one?"
"No need to change it, just keep this one, wrap it up."
The black-clad guards behind him immediately stepped forward and pulled out a few pieces of gold.
The vendor accepted the gold, put the tassel in a brocade bag, and handed it to the young man, beaming from ear to ear: "Take care, sir! Come again next time!"
Once they reached the street, the guard said, "She seems to be quite affectionate with the young master of the Marquis of Yong'an."
"Hmph, I wonder what trick they're up to this time." The young master gently stroked the tassels inside the brocade bag. "Keep an eye on them."
"yes."
He suddenly stopped and asked, "Have you heard anything about her?"
The guard was taken aback, then realized who he was asking: "Miss Zhan's bathing period has ended, and she is currently on her way back to Mingzhou to report. She should arrive in less than a month."
"Send a group of men to meet them, but make sure they don't show themselves and protect them secretly."
"yes."
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