Chapter 5 Behind the artificial hill, "Suspecting that Jinglang has homosexual tendencies."...
Lou Yanxu panicked, desperately pulling at her skirt to cover herself, her toes curling up beneath. "You... how did you get here?"
She was in so much pain that she had no choice but to go behind the artificial hill to check. She thought that no one would easily come here, but she didn't expect to run into Xu Congjing.
She was extremely embarrassed and instinctively wanted to escape, but she was afraid that her bare feet would not be able to cover her, so she huddled up and secretly tucked her stockings into her skirt.
He politely turned his head away, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly, and apologized in a low voice. Then, without changing his expression, he took the jade from the cat's mouth.
Lou Yanxu looked at her cat with resentment, thinking to herself that she would starve it tonight.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard footsteps. Sheng Jin cried and sobbed, her shrill voice drowning out the sound of wind shattering stones, "Mother, Jinglang must have seen me intentionally hitting her, what should I do?"
Zeng comforted him gently, "It's a small matter; he'll forget about it in a few days."
"It's all that Lou family girl's fault, I will definitely not let her off easily!"
Lou Yanxu, with her back to Xu Congjing, put on her shoes and socks. Upon hearing this, her hand trembled. It was not appropriate for the two of them to reappear at this moment, so they had no choice but to hide behind each other.
The mother and daughter were unaware of what was happening. They only heard Zeng say resentfully, "You don't need to get involved in this matter. Your mother has plenty of ways to deal with her."
“I noticed that he didn’t appreciate your serving of food to Situ today, which shows that he doesn’t really care about you.” She gently advised her daughter, “Although women should be reserved, you are engaged to him after all. Don’t be too rigid. Find a loophole and things will fall into place naturally. We will have plenty of good days ahead of us.”
Sheng Jin was troubled, her voice deep and nasal, "I am willing, but Jinglang is a gentleman who is self-disciplined and does not allow maids to serve him in the courtyard. Although I am engaged to him, I often suspect that he has homosexual tendencies."
Lou Yanxu leaned against the artificial hill, occasionally recalling the night he hoarsely begged to be her mistress. She glanced up at him, but he turned his head to look at her, his eyes suddenly flashing with emotion. He gave her a reproachful look, and she blushed and lowered her head in alarm.
Madam Zeng slapped Sheng Jin on the shoulder and sighed, “Nonsense! A person as celestial as an immortal is not necessarily good at caring for others. Fortunately, he is virtuous and has not been entangled with other women. In the future, when you become the mistress of the house, you will not have to engage in intrigue and backstabbing in the deep courtyard. That is a good thing.”
“Mother is right.”
After a while, Sheng Jin asked again, "But there is still one thing I don't understand."
"The Xu family originally chose Rong San Niang as the candidate, but she suddenly eloped with her lover, which is really strange."
Zeng smiled coldly, "How could Rong San Niang possibly have the same good fortune as my Er Niang?"
A moment later, Sheng Jin exclaimed in a low voice, "You did it..."
Lou Yanxu had heard about this matter. After the young lady eloped, Madam Xu looked left and right but could not find a suitable match. Then, on the day before her wedding, Xu Congjing personally spoke up and arranged for Shengjin to marry her.
Whether his beloved was Rong San Niang or not, he seemed quite composed, as if he had known all along.
His marriage to Sheng Jin was probably not so simple.
She listened intently and heard Sheng Jin's voice tremble slightly, "If Jing Lang finds out about this..."
"Second Sister, remember this: it is your graceful appearance and intelligent mind that won his heart. What other people are like or what their circumstances are has nothing to do with you."
Madam Zeng interrupted her sharply, not allowing her daughter to feel timid. Seeing that the wind was getting stronger and plum blossoms were falling all over the ground beside the octagonal gate, Madam Zeng kept nagging as she pulled Sheng Jin through the passageway to Rongyi Hall.
Lou Yanxu calmed herself down and wiped away her sweat.
Xu Congjing glanced at her skirt, opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated for a moment before swallowing his words. Knowing their awkward positions and that some things might be inappropriate to say, she sheepishly asked about his hand injury, "Your hand..."
As if he had expected it, he immediately interrupted, "It's alright."
Lou Yanxu nodded blankly. He peeked around and, seeing no one, slipped away. She breathed a sigh of relief, only to see him return, saying seriously, "I have no homosexual inclinations."
They both found these secrets ambiguous when they talked about them. She nodded timidly, her voice trembling, and vowed never to spread rumors or slander.
His figure disappeared from sight, and Lou Yanxu dared not linger any longer.
A breeze swept through the corridor, her cloak draped loosely over her shoulders, her jade-like neck turning red with cold. She strode back to the Green Wave Pavilion, her mind preoccupied with thoughts, her sorrow rising everywhere.
The day after tomorrow, when Lou Yanxu came to Rongyi Hall to pay her respects, Madam Zeng kept her there temporarily. A maid brought over a small brocade box containing hairpins and artificial flowers made of piled gauze.
"We're attending the birthday banquet for Madam Wan of the General of the Army's residence in half a month. Prepare some birthday gifts and adorn your hair with a few fashionable gauze flowers. You mustn't embarrass the Marquis's family." Madam Zeng's tone was indifferent. "How has Eldest Brother been these past two days?"
"Thank you, Aunt Jun." Lou Yanxu bowed her head to accept the gift. "Don't worry, Aunt Jun, my husband is fine today."
Although Sheng Yan's injuries appeared severe, they were mostly superficial wounds. Furthermore, the Marquis's residence was providing him with various wound medicines, and he had already gone out today.
Madam Zeng glanced at her and said, “You are the eldest son’s wife. Don’t be too dull. Pay more attention to everything. You must take good care of his life and not neglect his career.”
“He holds an important position and is bound to need to bribe officials. As his wife, you should do your part to help him.” Seeing that Lou Yan was obedient, she scoffed, “The wives of noble families in Chang’an are all from prominent families, while you come from a merchant family. Apart from helping with money, you probably have nothing else to offer.”
Lou Yanxu sneered inwardly. She had no money left, only a few boxes of dowry. The Marquis's family had no shame in scheming to take advantage of their daughter-in-law's dowry, but they were afraid of gossip, so they used a few piled-up gauze flowers as bait, and used her background as a means of belittling her and the pressure of being a wife to force her to hand over her family's wealth.
They really put a lot of thought into it!
She sat down silently. Madam Zeng noticed her expression was off and suddenly showed a kind look. "I'm not saying this to blame you, but because I'm worried about you. You've won over Dalang's heart, and the two of you can live happily together. Why not?"
"But my husband has always looked down on the small amount of money in the Lou family, so I'm afraid this will offend him."
Sheng Yan was arrogant and thought he had risen to the position of Minister of Works through his talent. Little did he know that it was all thanks to his parents' gifts and flattery that he had managed to win over officials. It was because of this that the Marquis's family had accumulated huge tax debts and had no choice but to turn to the Lou family, which ruined his marriage.
But his political achievements over the years have been mediocre, and he has not been promoted to the right again. How could Zeng not be anxious? That's why she wanted to use the same old trick again and treat her daughter-in-law as a money bag.
Lou Yanxu didn't really want to spend the money. Firstly, the Marquis's mansion was selfish and self-serving, so spending the money would be like throwing money into a bottomless pit, and she wouldn't get any benefit in the end. Secondly, the Lou family was not as wealthy as before. The things she brought were meant for emergency use, but once she gave them to Zeng Shi, she couldn't refuse them every time afterward, and she was forced to give them all back.
Madam Zeng's face paled slightly, but she was still unwilling to give up. "These social niceties don't concern Dalang at all. Just do it quietly."
"Daughter-in-law wouldn't dare!" Lou Yanxu's eyes reddened, and she suddenly stood up, kneeling on the ground. "If my husband agrees, I will never refuse, but it is really inappropriate to act in secret. If my husband finds out, I'm afraid he will not let me off easily."
Madam Zeng snorted dismissively, "Look at you, you poor thing. If he's angry, just soften up and coax him. There's no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight between husband and wife."
Lou Yanxu remained silent. Just then, Sheng Yan returned home, and Xu Congjing strolled leisurely behind him, his dark cloak stained with snowflakes. Lou Yanxu met his gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed, before looking away and lowering her head.
"Greetings to Mother." Sheng Yan smiled, supporting his waist as he slowly stepped forward to pay his respects, then glanced sideways at his wife, "What did she do to upset you?"
"Auntie Jun is giving me some pointers." Lou Yanxu was still kneeling. Before Madam Zeng could speak, she spoke slowly and deliberately, "After some consideration, I realized that I come from a humble background. My only asset is money, which can help my husband's career. I hope my husband will grant my request."
Madam Zeng's face darkened instantly. This was, after all, dishonorable. Not only would her son be unhappy, but Xu Congjing was a shrewd man who could see through her scheme to swindle her daughter-in-law's dowry. The wedding date between the Xu and Sheng families was still undecided, and there was a risk of unforeseen circumstances, so she dared not allow Xu Congjing to find fault with her in any way.
Sheng Yan shared the same attitude, and said irritably in a low voice, "What do you, a woman, know about officialdom? You come from a merchant family and are extremely narrow-minded. Don't use these underhanded tricks to tarnish my official position!"
Lou Yanxu lowered her head, her gaze falling on the plain-patterned bricks, her expression calm. "My husband is right to teach me a lesson."
She was meek and submissive, and anyone who saw her would think it was the fault of the Marquis's family. Xu Congjing was in a really difficult situation. Madam Zeng chuckled and urged Sheng Yan to take her away, "She is new to Chang'an and is bound to be inconsiderate. You have important matters to attend to, so go ahead and do your work. I will take good care of her."
After seeing the two off, Madam Zeng frowned and slammed the gold bracelet on the table with a clatter. "Honestly, you can't even speak tactfully. Are these things something you can talk about in front of outsiders?"
Lou Yanxu looked up blankly, her eyes clear, "But didn't Xu Situ just say yesterday that we're family?"
"You!" Zeng was furious. She flipped a teacup and threw it at her. "You can't even tell the difference between polite words. You're as stupid as a pig!"
Lou Yanxu trembled, and as usual, she lowered her head to listen to the reprimand. The more Madam Zeng looked at her, the more she felt that she was a blockhead, so she exempted her from the morning and evening greetings and was unwilling to see her again.
She acknowledged and withdrew.
Snow covered the terrace, and the morning sun broke through the clouds and sprinkled on the bluestone road. Green buds welcomed us, and we, leaning on the railing, bypassed the ice shards and walked through the narrow path back to Bibo Pavilion.
The warmth from the radiator hit her face, and Qingrui brought her a bowl of mutton soup to warm her up. She said indignantly, "How shameless! Which wealthy family is trying to steal their daughter-in-law's dowry!"
"My lady is truly brilliant. Madam is so concerned about her reputation that she wouldn't dare utter a single truth in front of Minister Xu." Qingrui busied herself around, smugly pleased with herself. "She's the one who's as stupid as a pig. Now it's all good; we don't have to put up with her every day."
Lou Yanxu closed her eyes and leaned against the daybed, listening to Qingrui's chattering in the distance, without uttering a word.
A cold wind swayed the beaded curtain. Qingrui, afraid that she would catch a cold, took out a blanket and brought it to her, muttering in a low voice, "But why does this Minister Xu keep running to the Marquis's mansion every few days? Is he here to beg for alms?"
Lou Yanxu lifted her eyelids and scolded, "You, you never know how to speak properly!"
Qingrui pursed her lips and remained silent, but her eyes sparkled and her eyebrows smiled. Zeng was concerned about her reputation and wanted to curry favor with Xu Congjing, so his frequent visits would only benefit her.
As the sun began to shine obliquely, around 3:45 PM, Lou Yanxu finished her short rest and went to the Eight Treasures Pavilion to choose a birthday gift.
Madam Wan usually loved landscape paintings the most. Lou Yanxu strolled around and stopped in front of the ancient painting "Five Peaks". In this painting, five peaks stand side by side, majestic and imposing. She couldn't help but reach out her hand and hold it in mid-air, but unexpectedly her fingertips were pinched.
"Whose young lady is this? She's so pretty!"
This lecher is so arrogant. Lou Yanxu withdrew her hand and stepped back, turning to leave, but was stopped.
The man's hand covered her beautiful face. She frowned and turned her head away. Just as Qingrui was about to step between the two, the playboy was kicked to the door.
Lou Yanxu looked up.
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