"A shop on Yuhua Street." Jiang Jinzhao's fingertips turned slightly white. "It's just right for you to open a restaurant." There was a new scab on the wrist bone exposed by his sleeve, which was caused by the burn when he blocked the teacup for Jiang Yuyao the day before.
Jiang Songyi stared at the words "Yuhua Street" on the deed, suddenly remembering that in her previous life, this shop had become Jiang Yuyao's dowry. She sneered and held out her hand, "Brother, you're really good at borrowing flowers to pay tribute to Buddha." Her fingernails scratched fine marks on the deed, which closely resembled the pain in Jiang Jinzhao's heart.
"Song Yi!" Mrs. Xu came out from the corridor and saw her children were in a stalemate. She tried to smooth things over, "Your eldest brother asked someone to do this for you."
"Mother," Jiang Jinzhao suddenly interrupted, "it's the son's responsibility to compensate his sister." He still had a white jade hairpin in his sleeve, which he had saved up for half a year to buy. But when he met Jiang Songyi's sarcastic look, he didn't dare to take it out.
Jiang Songyi clutched the deed as she turned, her skirt sweeping the moss on the stone steps. In her previous life, when she'd knelt in the rain, begging her elder brother for justice, Jiang Jinzhao had also lowered his eyes and remained silent. How could a deed warm the bone-chilling chill?
"Miss!" Hongying suddenly ran in from the moon-shaped door. "Guard Ling from the Prince's Mansion has brought a food box." "Inside the gilded lacquer box lay a few pieces of snow-skin milk cakes, and underneath was a piece of gold-sprinkled paper—"Meet on Yuhua Street in three days at 9:00 PM."
Jiang Songyi picked up a piece of milk cake and suddenly laughed out loud. In her previous life, her master always said her cakes were too sweet, but now he was willing to invite her to see the shop. Mrs. Xu could see it clearly. The joy in her daughter's eyes was a hundred times more genuine than when she received the land deed.
The next morning, Jiang Jinzhao was leaving with his bookcase on his back when he ran into his sister feeding birds in the courtyard. The pearls in her hair swayed in the morning light, shattering the last words of "take care" from his throat. Only after the carriage had pulled out of the alley did he dare to look back at the eaves of the Marquis's mansion.
Jiang Songyi was counting the silver on the deed when he heard the sound of horse hooves outside the wall. Su Sheng came over the wall, his brocade robe torn, clutching a stack of banknotes. "I want to be the boss!"
"Mr. Su, are you robbing a bank?" Jiang Songyi glanced at the official seal on the banknote and suddenly remembered the Ministry of Revenue corruption case in her previous life. Su Sheng was frightened by her gaze and said stubbornly, "I... I brought all my private money!"
When the eldest princess chased in, her golden hairpin was tilted: "You little brat, you even dared to steal your father's private seal!" She pulled her son's ear and turned around, only to see Jiang Songyi looking at the banknotes in the sun, his profile serious enough to make people's heart flutter.
Three days later, on Yuhua Street, Xinyi Daoyi stood beneath an elm tree, watching Jiang Songyi, her skirt lifted, surveying the shop. The pearls in her hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, complementing the jade pendant at her waist. In a teahouse across the street, Su Sheng bit into a candied haws and muttered, "My cousin clearly has other intentions."
"It's better than some people climbing over the wall." The eldest princess held her son's neck and said, "If you dare to sneak out again, I will break your legs!" She looked at the two people standing side by side in the shop, and suddenly remembered the story of the late emperor who met a flower girl during his private visit.
Jiang Songyi stroked the wood grain on the counter when she suddenly heard a clear voice behind her: "What do you think, County Lady?"
"Very good." As she turned, her hair brushed against Xinyi's fingertips. "It's just this plaque."
"No hurry." The prince slipped a scroll out from his wide sleeves, "Try making three days of cakes first." When he unfolded it, it turned out to be a painting of "Dwelling in Taibai Mountain". In the strokes of the brush, one could vaguely see the bamboo baskets that the master and apprentice used to collect herbs.
As the setting sun stretched their shadows, Jiang Jinzhao was copying a policy paper by the window of the academy. His ink smudged over the words "brother and sister," and he suddenly remembered the day Songyi took the land deed, her fingertips trembling like butterfly wings in the wind.
…
As the sun was setting, Jiang Jinzhao stood in the corridor, watching his sister hurried home. He glanced at the carved food box in Jiang Songyi's hands and asked casually, "What did you bring for Mother? I can smell the fragrance from far away."
[Why is the nose so pointed if you are born in the year of the dog? ]
Jiang Songyi continued walking, the hem of her clothes brushing against the blue bricks, bringing with it a wisp of fragrant air. "A new pastry recipe I learned at the Princess's Mansion." She suddenly stopped, her pearl hairpin swaying gently as she turned back. "Big brother never likes sweets, so I don't have to share some."
Jiang Jinzhao's Adam's apple moved slightly as he watched her walk away, a sharp pang of bitterness rising on his tongue. What had he said to her half a month ago when she'd come to his study with the peach blossom pastry? The words "Dong Shi Xiou Pin" slipped out of her mouth, and her eyes welled up.
.
Fine golden light filtered in through the carved window lattices. Xu was leaning on the Xiangfei bamboo couch, checking accounts. Hearing the rustle of the beaded curtain, she looked up and saw the tassel of the jade pendant at her daughter's waist swaying gently. Upon closer inspection, she saw a dragon pattern.
"Isn't this the prince's personal belonging?" Xu put down the wolf-hair brush.
"They said it was a reward for my hard work running errands." Jiang Songyi opened the food box, and a sweet aroma filled the room. Seeing his mother beaming after tasting a piece of rose pastry, he noticed several sets of brand new riding clothes piled beside the couch.
Moon-white satin embroidered with silver bamboo, Xiang yellow with scattered flowers and dark cloud patterns, and lilac with round butterflies, all tailored to her taste. Beside them were mother-of-pearl inlaid saddles, gold-threaded reins, and even three or four pairs of deerskin boots.
"Didn't mother say that aunt had already prepared the riding clothes?" Her fingertips brushed across the smooth satin.
Mrs. Xu smiled softly while holding the handkerchief: "Your eldest brother specially asked the embroiderer to make it."
Jiang Songyi looked out the window at the deepening dusk.
What evil wind is blowing today?
"Is it prepared just for me? Or is it for everyone in the house?"
"It's all yours." Xu pushed the teacup toward her. "Zhao'er is apologizing to you with a shameful face."
[So the cat got his tongue? Why can't he apologize himself?]
That made sense. Xu's words of persuasion were about to come to her lips, but she changed her tune and called out to the maid, "Hanmei, move these to the storeroom." She turned and winked at her daughter, "You can't even say a soft word. We don't want you."
Jiang Songyi laughed muffledly while holding her handkerchief.
Xu flipped through the account book again. "The Fourth Prince is getting married the day after tomorrow, and the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion has actually sent an invitation to our house. That legitimate daughter of the Yu family is quite capable. After marrying up with the Fourth Prince, she dares to send wedding invitations everywhere - Song'er, do you want to go and see the fun?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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