This was the first time that the six young misses of the Su Family had heard their mother encourage them to learn from Su Rong. In the past, their mother always scolded them angrily, exclaiming that they should not copy their younger sister, who was a ne’er-do-well. She feared that if it weren’t for Su Rong’s arranged marriage, she would have trouble finding a suitor. But now, their mother had done an about-face.
For a moment, they were all speechless, looking at their mother with an expression that suggested they didn’t quite know what to say.
Their mother seemed to recall her previous statements and quickly made up for the deviation,"Things have changed, back then I didn’t realize your sister held such a high status. As a Nanchu Princess, she doesn’t have to stifle her personality. Otherwise, she might feel overly cautious and it would be difficult for her to secure her status in the future."
After some consideration, the six young misses nodded in agreement. One of them said, "But, seventh sister is seventh sister, we are ourselves."
Their mother disagreed, "This is what you’re not understanding. Your seventh sister will be the one to support you in your marital families in the future. Though she will be moving to Nanchu, far away from here, she will be a Queen, and who would dare not to respect her? You are her sisters and no one will dare to look down on you. Besides, your elder brother is also promising, he too will support you with his power in your maternal family. Therefore, there is no need for you to restrain yourselves too much. Equality is better than submission. After all, a person cannot suppress their true character for their entire life. The essence of marriage is finding someone you like and who likes you back. Before marriage, both families should fully understand each other’s character. The best outcome is full honesty, where both sides like and accept each other and are able to get along. Only then can a good marriage be formed and you can live happily."
Seeing her daughters nod in understanding, their mother switched gears and added, "However, I am not suggesting that you should be careless and free-spirited, like a kite drifting in the sky, landing anywhere, whenever you want. I rather mean that you should not overly constrain yourselves, be rigid and lifeless – making a husband dislike you, leading to disharmony between husband and wife. Nor should you solely seek to please your mother-in-law and father-in-law."
The six young misses finally nodded their comprehension, replying in unison,"We understand, mother."
Their mother was very pleased,"That’s good."
Su Rong had pulled Ye Guixue aside to whisper as their mother was lecturing her sisters, "Mother always bends the truth, let’s not listen." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Ye Guixue looked at her with a hint of amusement, "Your mother is praising you."
Su Rong rolled her eyes,"The times she scolded me outnumber the times she praised me, the scorn could even dwarf the city wall. I’ll take one praise, but if I keep listening, she will start lecturing me again."
Ye Guixue chuckled, "Your mother is refreshingly honest, quite admirable."
Su Rong admitted this point, mumbling under her breath,"Isn’t that so? If I wasn’t so attached to her, I would have run away from home when I was young."
Seeing that her hairpin was slightly askew, Ye Guixue reached out to adjust it, his smile tender and affectionate.
Having finished her reprimands, their mother noticed this scene, felt a weight lifted from her heart, and gestured,"Let’s go."
Watching this intimate scene from the second-floor teahouse across the street were Zhou Gu and Xie Lin. Zhou Gu hadn’t initially wanted to step outside, but Xie Lin persuaded him to relax before anything drastic happened with the ongoing court case while the emperor was ill.
Xie Lin originally wanted to take Zhou Gu for drinks, but after Zhou Gu had outdrank him last time, he decided to bring him to the teahouse instead. He had gathered beforehand that Ye Guixue was going to the Xie Residence in the east and the Su family was headed to the west market. Thus, he intentionally chose a teahouse not in the west market. However, the group had changed their route and had ended up here, conspicuous under the windows of the second-floor teahouse.
Although the streets were crowded that day, this group was particularly eye-catching - the men handsome, the women beautiful, the older women dignified and charming, and the little girl they were leading looked like a carved jade sculpture. As they walked around the streets, they attracted much attention.
After observing for a while, Xie Lin commented with a sigh, "Starting from today, I’m afraid all the major households of Capital City will be aware that the Su family has six eligible daughters. Once Su Rong achieves success in his exams, I fear the threshold of the Xie Residence in East_four Hutong will be worn out by matchmakers."
Even though they were concubines’ daughters, everyone knew that the Su family’s mother treated them exceptionally well, as if they were her own. Just look at the clothes and accessories of the Su family’s concubines’ daughters, none of them were inferior compared to any legitimate daughters in the capital.
After he finished speaking, Xie Lin noticed that Zhou Gu was silent. Turning to him, he found Zhou Gu’s gaze fixated on the sight of Ye Guixue and Su Rong standing together, with Ye Guixue adjusting Su Rong’s hairpin. At a distance, the two seemed intimate - one with dipping eyebrows and a slight smile, allowing him to adjust her hairpin, and the other with a gentle temperament and tender eyes.
He took a sharp breath and remained silent too.
Even after the group had passed by, Zhou Gu’s gaze remained on them.
Feeling responsible, Xie Lin apologized, "Sorry, brother, I didn’t know we would run into them here."
"Isn’t it normal?" Zhou Gu said quietly.
"What?" Xie Lin didn’t understand.
Zhou Gu withdrew his gaze and took a sip of his tea, "I said isn’t it normal? They are now engaged. It’s normal for Ye Guixue to adjust her hairpin, isn’t it?"
Xie Lin nodded, "Indeed, it’s normal."
If he had a fiancée and her hairpin was crooked, he would also adjust it for her.
Zhou Gu held the teacup, his fingers turned pale due to the clenched grip. However, he didn’t crush the teacup. He placed it to his lips and sipped it lightly to moisten his somewhat hoarse throat. Then, suppressing his emotions, he said calmly, "I haven’t given up."
Xie Lin was aware that Zhou Gu hadn’t given up. The day at the Duke Residence when Zhou Gu had dashed to see Su Rong interrogating Wang Su, he knew Zhou Gu couldn’t let go.
Zhou Gu put down the teacup, "One day, my childhood education and manners will be thrown to the dogs. Shouldn’t that day be sooner rather than later?"
Xie Lin looked at him,"What do you mean by..."
"Ye Guixue will soon leave Capital City." Zhou Gu said.
Xie Lin was confused, "So?"
Zhou Gu had a cold look in his eyes, "So, the results of the imperial examination will soon be released. I will also be leaving Capital City. Perhaps, I will leave before he does."
Xie Lin didn’t understand, he suddenly felt that he probably wasn’t worthy of being Zhou Gu’s sworn brother, finding himself unable to catch up with his thoughts. Zhou Gu’s words left him in a fog, unaware of the relationship between Ye Guixue’s departure from Capital City and him leaving the city. Was it because he wanted to kill Ye Guixue on the road?
It can’t be!
If he killed Ye Guixue, wouldn’t Su Rong draw her sword against him? With Su Rong’s character, that would eliminate any possibility between them.
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