Chapter 5 Chapter 5
Chapter 5
If I don’t marry a prefect, I’ll marry a poor man.
This was probably the most absurd thing Madam Qian had ever heard. She thought she was so angry that Cui Liuniang had cut her off, and soothed her, "Don't worry. When you were one month old, a fortune teller predicted your fate. You were destined to be rich or noble in this life, and to marry a powerful and influential person. How could Cui Liuniang compare to you..."
Although the Qian family's wealth is not as great as that of the Park and Lu families, they still have confidence in the Cui family.
Worried about what might have happened to Young Master Lan, Madam Qian hurriedly sent a trusted confidant with instructions, "Go find out how much the saddle is worth. Make sure you redeem it before the Cui family makes a move..."
When she was young, Mrs. Qian was in poor health and took medicine for many years before she had a daughter. Fortunately, the Taoist fortune teller said "either rich or noble" and made up for her regret of having no children in this life.
Having spent nineteen years in anticipation and pride, she now firmly believes that the prefect's youngest son is the 'precious one' destined for her daughter.
Qian Tong had heard this kind of talk so many times that his ears were callused.
She was simple-minded and stubborn, so there was no point in saying more. He didn't expect her to listen to him much. Qian Tong turned to ask Butler Cao, "When will father be back?"
Housekeeper Cao replied, "The master said he wanted to collect more dowry for my wife. After leaving the Lan family, he rushed to collect the debt. He said he would not return home if he did not collect it today..."
This time, when discussing marriage, the Qian family took out all the money they could actually raise, leaving only the bad debts that had not been collected.
Whether you can get it back depends entirely on your efforts.
Considering the Qian family's head's personality of not wanting to offend anyone outside, he probably won't be able to come back today.
Qian Tong didn't want to wait any longer, so he called out to Madam Qian, who was busy delivering the money. "Mother, don't bother. I've already sent a message to Master Lan. I know I'm of humble status and unworthy of him, so I won't delay his marriage."
This time she finally listened.
Mrs. Qian's mind was in a mess when she was suddenly hit by her words. She was stunned for a few breaths before she came to her senses. Her face changed and her voice was quite high, "What?!"
Qian Tong ignored her surprise and said to Housekeeper Cao, "Please ask Uncle Cao to run and tell father the news so that he can come back soon."
The Qian family has taken root in Yangzhou for generations. By the time of my father's generation, there were four brothers. The eldest brother died of illness when he was less than 30 years old. The current head of the family is Qian Minjiang, the second son of the Qian family.
He is also Qian Tong's father.
There is no need to rush. With these words, the head of the Qian family rushed back without stopping.
When he entered the room, he was holding a stack of account books in his arms and a watch with a gold frame and a lens made of natural crystal.
He hurried all the way, sweating all over his back. When he saw Qian Tong, he scolded him, "What nonsense! Do you know how much effort your mother and I have put into arranging this marriage? If you don't marry, the Cui family is waiting..."
Qian Tong met his gaze, calmly saying, "If the Cui family wants to marry me, then let them marry me. What does it have to do with me?"
"You..." Qian Minjiang was so angry that he stammered, his expression filled with disappointment. "You were born rich and powerful by a Taoist priest, and you will definitely marry into an official family in the future..."
The saying remains unchanged.
She came prepared today and stood there quietly, accepting the bombardment from the two men in turn.
Mrs. Qian's lips were worn out with blisters, and she was about to lose her temper several times, but she patiently persuaded him, "Tong'er, Young Master Lan's style is a bit dissolute, but the prefect's wife has promised us that when you enter the mansion, all the beautiful women in the courtyard will be driven away. Just bear with it for now, and you will have a good life in the future..."
Qian Tong lowered his head slightly, his expression unchanged.
"Will she listen to what you're saying? She's always had her own ideas, and you've spoiled her like that. The prefect's wife is here today, so why did you let her go? If the Lan family really marries the Cui family, what will our Qian family do..."
"How did you become my favorite..."
The afternoon sun shone from the west, slanting in through the threshold. Qian Tong stared at the moving light and shadow under his feet, and from them he made out a few leaves of the green bamboo outside the house. The noise in his ears gradually faded away, and only the chirping of birds on the branches could be heard.
In the eyes of everyone, her personality is just like her appearance, she should be a well-behaved and sensible girl.
But she wasn't.
The couple talked until their mouths were dry, but she didn't seem moved at all. "It doesn't matter what my parents say. I have made up my mind."
It was not until the head of the Qian family was so angry at her stubbornness that he threatened to use family rules that the servants in the yard realized the seriousness of the situation.
The news spread quickly, and the third and fourth brothers from next door came over one after another with their third and fourth wives and several concubines. At first, they tried to persuade the head of the family not to get angry, but after learning the whole story, they all turned around and persuaded Qian Tong.
Seven or eight mouths were talking to her ear, analyzing all the pros and cons clearly for her.
Everyone is doing this for her own good.
Qian Tong raised his head, surveyed the crowd, and said with a smile: "This scene is quite familiar. I experienced it two years ago." It was also this group of people who controlled her life and forced her to submit. At that time, she could only listen to them.
But this time, they won't win.
When she mentioned what happened two years ago, everyone in the room, including Mrs. Qian, shut up and no one said a word.
Mrs. Qian cried out distressedly, "Tong'er..."
Qian Tong didn't come here today to hear their words of guilt, but was just waiting for a result.
Just as the room was quiet, an old woman walked in. She was wearing a simple robe, her hair was meticulously combed, and her face was dignified and solemn. She walked up to the head of the Qian family, bowed her head, and then raised her head and said, "The old lady has sent a message. The marriage plan with the prefecture is cancelled. The promise she made to Miss Yu Qi two years ago remains unchanged."
What promise did the old lady make two years ago?
The head of the Qian family was the first to think of the old lady who had promised her in front of everyone that she could decide who to marry except for the four major families.
If she doesn't marry the good magistrate, who should she marry?
Qian Minjiang sat down on the soft couch. Unable to disobey the old lady, he could only growl at Qian Tong: "You are confused!"
Just assume she's confused.
After hearing what he wanted, Qian Tong was about to get up and say goodbye when the Third Lady beside him suddenly spoke up: "Brother, let's just talk about this inside the house. The prefectural government has kept us hanging for two years. If they really wanted to get married, they would have agreed long ago. Young Master Lan is a playboy and soft-hearted. He is always coaxed by a group of young ladies and has no idea what to do. Our sister Tong has suffered a lot in the past. If you ask me, what she said is right. At this critical juncture, it is better for us to stay out of the limelight and not try to climb up those high-ranking families. Find someone who knows us well and has good character, and live a down-to-earth life with us. We didn't rely on anyone for many years of war, but we survived it, didn't we?"
She leaned forward slightly and asked Qian Tong in front of her: "My nephew came to your house last year. Sister Tong, have you seen him?"
The path is difficult when going up, but it is easy when going down. Since he is not allowed to be the governor, the next person to be chosen is a matter of debate.
Mrs. Qian Si also spoke up, "Even if she doesn't want to marry into a wealthy family, our Tong Jie'er should find someone of equal status. I'm afraid the cousin that Third Sister-in-law mentioned isn't suitable. I have someone in mind who has good character and good looks. Most importantly, he's close to her..."
——
backyard.
Song Yunzhi and Shen Che have been taken to the guest room.
One of them sat in a pearwood armchair inside the house, while the other stood straight, staring at the spring scenery in the yard, both of them were silent.
The Qian family's house is their ancestral home. Originally, it only had three courtyards in the middle. Later, relying on their salt-mining skills and long-term cooperation with the imperial court, they continued to expand it, and its area became larger and larger, now occupying one-third of the streets on the east side.
The house is roughly divided into three parts, separated by a long corridor and window walls.
The residence with a Buddhist temple in the center is where the old lady lives. The six-courtyard house on the west side by the river is more remote and is where the third and fourth sons of the Qian family live. The row on the east side near the street market is where the head of the family and his family of three live.
Because she was the only daughter of the head of the family, Qian Tong was given the west wing on the east side, which had three entrances. She also had a large door on the south wall specifically for her to enter.
White walls and black tiles, ink leaves white space.
The hall is surrounded by mountains, rocks and flowing water, and a row of corridors are dotted with large and small lattice windows. When people look inside, they can see a different scene in each basket, sometimes a blooming white magnolia, sometimes a branch full of pink peaches.
The skylight at the corner is filled with swaying bamboo shadows.
Looking up, I see the bright sun shining on the crabapple blossoms.
There is not a single luxurious thing to be seen anywhere, yet luxury is everywhere. I wonder how much manpower and effort it takes to maintain these flowers, plants and trees.
From the moment he stepped through the back door, Shen She's mood had undergone a thousand changes, from surprise to sigh, envy, sadness, and then back to anger...
When he was led to this wing room and saw the pearwood furniture all over the room, Chen Che's desire to eradicate evil reached its peak. His mouth was bitter and bitter. "I begged His Majesty to grant me a garden, but His Majesty said that at the beginning of the founding of the country, many meritorious officials were waiting for his reward, so he asked me to wait a little longer. I waited for five years, but the garden I didn't wait for is now here."
With the Gu in his body, the other party didn't even bother to close the door after bringing the person here. Song Yunzhi faced the courtyard, clenched his fists, and stood outside the threshold, not moving for a long time.
Although the prince of Changping Marquis's Mansion had seen everything, Chen Che did not add fuel to the fire. He said indignantly: "Brother Song, your courtyard is not even 10% as good as this one."
The two entered through the back door today, and the place they stayed in must have been the most ordinary guest room in the mansion. However, the furnishings inside were made of the finest pear wood. I wonder how luxurious the main house where the female thief lived was.
A merchant from Yangzhou could be so rampant that he lived a life even more comfortable than the royal family.
This is not normal.
"I'm afraid Lan Tianquan has already become corrupted after arriving in Yangzhou. We can't wait any longer. We must find a way to get rid of this female thief as soon as possible to prevent her from continuing to exploit the people's wealth."
Prince Song said, "Money and copper."
Chen Che: “What?”
Prince Song: "Her name is Qian Tong."
Chen Che was stunned for a moment, then stood up from his armchair, "Qian family, that salt merchant?"
Song Yunzhi nodded, looked around the yard, turned and went into the house, sat in another armchair, and placed the bronze sword in his hand on the wooden table.
Chen Che sneered, "When Your Majesty first founded the country, the four great families of Yangzhou looked down on you and unitedly refused to support you. Your Majesty, with a heart of benevolence and righteousness, waited to settle accounts with them after ascending the throne in order to restore people's livelihoods, giving them a five-year chance to survive. These profiteers still don't know how to restrain themselves, and their extravagant lifestyle has become so extreme. Has the Qian family forgotten that their salt seal is about to expire?"
It's not that I don't know how to restrain myself.
The war lasted too long and the days of peace were too short. The rich merchants were constant but the emperors came and went. They were just waiting and watching to see how long the current emperor could sit on the throne.
Chen Che's mission this time was to come here to investigate the evidence of merchants exploiting the people, but his purpose was far more than that.
Those who enter the tiger school must wield a sharp weapon to be able to kill with one blow. Song Yunzhi was not swayed by his emotions, "Since I have come, I will make the best of it."
The two of them waited in the guest room for a sumptuous lunch, and then sat there until dusk. As the night deepened, there was still no sign of the young lady. Chen Che couldn't help but ask the servant who was looking after her, "When will she come?"
The servant said politely, "Please wait a moment, my master will come to see you once he finishes the things at hand."
I waited until the moon rose above the branches.
Today, as soon as the two of them got off the boat, they were in dire straits and hovered on the brink of life and death several times. No matter how dangerous the situation was, it could not withstand the exhaustion. Chen Che could not hold on any longer and dozed off in the armchair.
Song Yunzhi didn't bother him. He drank a few cups of tea to dispel his sleepiness.
There are not many lights in the yard at night, but the bright moon on the branches is brighter.
After finishing another half cup of tea, he raised his eyes and looked towards the corridor opposite, and saw a circle of moving light and shadow, hazy and heavy, slowly moving towards the wing room.
As I got closer, I could hear the sound of footsteps spreading all the way to the door.
The orange light became clearer after crossing the threshold, and moved up a few degrees, illuminating the face of the young lady. She smiled at him and said apologetically, "Sir, I've kept you waiting."
She changed her clothes and they were no longer the same clothes she wore during the day.
It was replaced by Song brocade.
Song Yunzhi watched her walk in coldly, and stopped in front of Shen Che. He brought the lantern in his hand closer, shining the light directly into his eyes, and ordered the maid behind him, "Young Master Song is sleepy, take him to rest."
Shen Che suddenly woke up from his sleep.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he was almost blinded by the light in front of him. He subconsciously slapped him with his palm, but the young lady withdrew the lantern in time, stood opposite him, and accepted his angry glare.
Shen Che shielded his eyes and scolded: "You female thief, I will kill you sooner or later..."
It was getting late, and Qian Tong didn't have time to listen to him finish his scolding. He interrupted and said, "I want to talk to your brother alone for a few words."
Chen Che had long suspected her purpose and retorted, "My brother and I have lived and eaten together since we were born. Is there anything shameful you say that I cannot listen to?"
He really can't listen.
Qian Tong was not angry at his ignorant younger brother, and threatened: "Your brother hasn't taken the medicine yet."
This trick really worked. The angry Young Master Song shut up in time and looked at his brother worriedly.
Song Yunzhi also wanted to test what she was going to do, so he gave Shen Che a reassuring look and said, "It's okay, you go out first."
After a day of experience, Chen Che no longer had the confidence he had before and was a little worried. "Brother, this girl is not simple. You must be careful."
Prince Song is indeed very capable, but there is one thing: he has not had much dealings with young ladies and has fallen into the hands of a female thief once, so he must not take it lightly again.
Qian Tong felt that he was too suspicious and made himself look like a monster.
She's not that scary.
After Young Master Song left, she sat down next to her lover, placing the lantern in her hand at their feet. The light of warm light penetrated into the light green brocade on her body, which was tinged with gold, just like fireflies on a summer night, circling out dots of floating light. Her cheeks were also reflected with spots of starlight. In the night, she was bright and clean, her beauty was harmless, and she looked no different from an ignorant girl.
The huge contrast made Song Yunzhi dazed.
The young lady twisted her neck and kept looking at him. After catching the abnormality on his face, she curled her lips and asked, "Do you think it looks good, sir?"
Song Yunzhi turned his head in time.
Qian Tong also lowered his eyes, looking shy, but his words were extremely bold. "Even if you say it's not good-looking, I won't take it seriously. After all, people's hearts are hidden. How can I know if you are not saying one thing and thinking another? I would rather believe your eyes."
What happened to his eyes?
Song Yunzhi wanted to ask for clarification, and then he saw her take out a piece of rice paper from her sleeve and handed it to him, "Young Master, answer according to the contents on it tomorrow."
Song Yunzhi asked cautiously, "What answer?"
Qian Tong: "Problem."
Song Yunzhi looked at the rice paper in her hand, which was covered with dense handwriting.
His intuition told him that it was not a good thing. Song Yunzhi stared at her, "What do you want?"
"If you answer the question tomorrow, you will be blessed with endless wealth and glory." Qian Tong didn't answer him directly. Instead, he gently brushed the rice paper against his sleeve. His gentle voice was filled with temptation. "Do you like this courtyard? It will be yours from now on."
Her family had promised her too many candidates and she couldn't get away with it. In order to make Mr. Song legitimate, she weighed the pros and cons and agreed to hold a marriage examination.
Tomorrow.
Tonight she came to deliver the answer in advance.
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