Chapter 17 Chapter 17 We are a family
As the night deepened, the sound of drums from the Fengdu city walls ceased, and the silver moonlight sprinkled across the quiet courtyard of the Dongyang Marquis's Mansion.
Ji Yang returned, dusty and exhausted. As soon as he took off his outer robe and walked in, he was greeted by the aroma of food. He walked a few steps into the courtyard and saw that the light on the small table was still on and Wan Niang was bringing the last plate of hot food to the table.
"Where is the person?" he asked casually, his tone cold, but his eyes had already swept across the room, but there was no sign of Jiang Ci.
Wanniang bowed with her hands down and said in a gentle tone: "Replying to the governor, the young lady has been embroidering a dress these days. In the evening, she said that the light in the room was good and it would be inconvenient to distract her, so she asked the maid not to call her yet."
Ji Yang was rolling up his sleeves and preparing to sit down, but when he heard this, he paused and his mind suddenly flashed through the scene in the early morning - she was standing on the steps, looking at her back carefully, and the feeling of her fingertips sliding across the surface of her robe.
The corners of his mouth moved slightly, as if a smile was about to escape, but he suppressed it again. His eyebrows raised, but his tone remained indifferent as usual:
"Okay, I understand."
Late in the night, the lights were still. Jiang Ci put away the last needle in his hand and carefully hid the end of the thread. The cloak was unfolded, the stitches were fine and the cloud pattern was flowing, which looked particularly beautiful under the candlelight.
As Wanniang heated up the tea, she smiled and took a closer look, "Miss, is this embroidered for the governor?"
Jiang Ci shook his head gently, his voice soft and light: "No, I made it for my elder brother."
Her tone was devoid of pity, but rather a subtle touch of consideration. "I saw the cloak he was wearing a few days ago; I'm afraid he's been wearing it for years. My eldest sister-in-law is long gone, and my mother-in-law is a female general accustomed to fighting on the battlefield. She's straightforward and unconcerned with details, so her son is used to being free. His clothing and expenses are all taken care of by the servants, so she doesn't pay much attention to them."
Having said this, she looked up at the sky outside the window. Her tone remained calm, yet a hint of warmth lingered in her voice. "Since we're family, someone should always worry a little more about him. Besides, the governor has always cared most about his eldest brother and his nephew. I do want to please him, but my eldest brother is kind and it's rare for us to talk to him. He treats me as a family member, so I should treat him sincerely as well."
Wanniang looked at her serious and gentle appearance and said softly, "The girl has a kind heart."
Jiang Ci smiled at the words, but didn't respond. Instead, she walked to the clothes rack and took down the piece of dark blue cloud-patterned cloth she had chosen earlier. She pinched the edge of the cloth and looked thoughtfully at the table where the light flickered.
"Wan Niang, what kind of amulet would the governor like?"
Her eyes fell on the fabric, and her mind flashed back to the various amulets she had seen at the market that day. Round, square, with tassels, embroidered... the styles were endless, but none of them made her feel like he would like them.
Wanniang thought for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Didn't the young lady ask me to clean up the room a few days ago? At that time, I found a tiger pillow deep in the cabinet. It looked like a child's. The color was old, and some places were frayed. I'm afraid... it's been there for more than ten years."
Jiang Ci was startled at the words, then stood up, walked over to the cabinet, and gently opened it. Sure enough, in the corner, he saw the tiger pillow. The color on the pillow had faded, and the embroidery had fallen apart, but the tiger's eyes were round and adorable, and its expression was still innocent and cute, as if it still carried the remaining joy of a child.
She gently closed it back into place and whispered to Wanniang, "Then I'll make one with a tiger head, okay?"
Wanniang nodded, with a hint of warmth in her eyes: "Great, the governor will definitely like it."
Jiang Ci spread paper on the table, ground ink, and began sketching. She began by drawing a tiger's head, its lines flowing smoothly, its expression imposing but not angry, with a touch of childish charm. Then she cut the fabric according to the pattern and sewed, stitch by stitch, without rush or impatience.
Wanniang changed the wick for her and added oil. The moonlight outside the window faded, and time flowed like water.
Didn't rest all night.
As dawn approached, Jiang Ci rubbed his sore eyes, stretched his neck, and asked in a low voice, "Wan Niang, have you found out when the governor will go to war?"
Wanniang took the cloak and hung it up to dry, then replied, "I heard from the people in the mansion that they will leave in three days."
Jiang Ci responded softly: "Okay."
Jiang Ci called her stepmother to carry the tray and spread out the cloak she had embroidered herself neatly, ready to send it to her eldest brother's courtyard. As she stepped out of the courtyard, she bumped into Ji Yang, who was about to leave for the military governor's office.
Ji Yang caught sight of the cloth on the tray, paused, and whispered to Yue Bai, "Look, that embroidered cape is clearly made for me."
The corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up slightly, and he walked forward with a bit of arrogance.
Jiang Ci stopped and bowed: "Greetings, Governor."
Ji Yang stood straight, his hands on his hips, already assuming that what would happen next would be her shyly offering him the cloak, perhaps even putting it on him. He waited.
But who would have thought that after Jiang Ci finished his greetings, he turned around and wanted to leave, with no intention of staying.
Ji Yang's face froze, and he called her in a low voice: "Jiang Ci, where are you going?"
Jiang Ci paused, looked back, and replied softly, "Oh, I just found out a few days ago that it's my eldest brother's birthday. I couldn't prepare any decent gifts, so I embroidered a cloak, thinking that since he's often in and out of the courtyard, it might be useful."
Ji Yang was stunned, his face darkening as if he had been slapped hard in the face. He stared at the cloak and asked again, "Is this... for my eldest brother?"
Jiang Ci said calmly, "Yes."
Ji Yang's eyes twitched, he stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a cold tone: "Give it to big brother. This kind of pattern is obviously what people like him like, it's flashy." There was obvious disdain and sourness in his voice.
After he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and walked out without looking back.
Yue Bai glanced at his lord from the side and saw that his face had turned ashen. He didn't dare to say anything, but just quietly quickened his pace.
The morning light is dim and the bamboo shadows are swaying in the courtyard.
Jiang Ci and Wan Niang slowly walked into the east wing courtyard where Ji Xu lived. Before entering the house, they stood in front of the courtyard waiting to see him.
In the room, Ji Xu had just finished washing up when he heard the servant come to report "The Second Madam is here", and he paused for a moment.
He turned around, straightened his clothes, fixed his hairband, and brushed the wrinkles off his sleeves with his knuckles. He looked up and asked the servant beside him, "Am I... decent like this?"
The servant replied with a smile, "The eldest young master is already handsome and elegant, and all the women in Fengdu are fascinated by him. Now he is even more energetic and bright."
Ji Xu smiled and nodded, then pushed the door open and walked out.
In the courtyard, Jiang Ci saw him come out, bowed gracefully, and said softly, "Brother, I'm sorry to bother you. I just learned a few days ago that your birthday has passed, and I haven't been able to prepare a gift. I was really worried. I hurriedly made this cloak as a token of my gratitude, as a gift to make up for it."
She winked at Wanniang, who then presented the cloak on the tray. The cloak was woven with fine dark blue patterns, the edges and corners meticulously finished, the dark patterns like waves, and the stitches smooth and delicate, clearly a work of great care.
Ji Xu was slightly startled by this, a hint of surprise quietly floating in his eyes. He was about to ask someone to take it, but suddenly turned his eyes to look at Jiang Ci, his eyes smiling, his tone gentle but with a hint of softness that was not clear:
"Put it on for me, and I'll try it."
Jiang Ci was slightly startled, his eyebrows twitching slightly, as if he subconsciously wanted to refuse, but he continued in a gentle voice, his tone tinged with a hint of persuasion:
"I am very happy with the thoughtful gift you embroidered with your own hands. Besides, we are a family, so why should we be so distant? If my sister-in-law treats me as an outsider, then I will call Baiyang over."
After saying this, he paused deliberately, his voice soft and low, as if with some kind of grievance, just the right measure to make it impossible to refuse.
Jiang Ci looked up at him and finally nodded. He reached out to take the cloak and gently put it on him. His fingers smoothed the wrinkles on the collar, his movements gentle and soft.
Ji Xu lowered his eyes and stared at her drooping eyelashes. At that moment, it seemed as if a glimmer of light shone through the dead silence, and a hint of warmth quietly emerged.
At this moment, Shen Ru'an stepped into the courtyard carrying an exquisite food box.
She did not stop, but suddenly froze when she saw the scene clearly. Among the bamboo shadows in the courtyard, Jiang Ci was helping Ji Xu put on clothes, and Ji Xu lowered his head to cooperate, with a smile on his face, gentle and focused, as if they were the only two people in the whole courtyard.
Shen Ru'an's knuckles tightened around the handle of the food box, nearly snapping it. But she quickly regained her composure, forced a smile, and approached.
"Second cousin's wife is very skillful and her needlework is so outstanding. The color and pattern of this cloak really complements cousin Zixu very well."
Jiang Ci immediately loosened the edge of his cloak and took a half step back. Ji Xu, however, naturally took the edge of the cloak, tied it himself, and replied in a steady tone, "Yes, I like it very much."
He turned to look at Shen Ru'an, his eyebrows and eyes gentle: "Cousin is here early in the morning? But what's the matter?"
Shen Ru'an's smile did not fade, but his voice trembled slightly: "Yes, I thought of sending some breakfast to my cousin. I was afraid that you would be bored during your illness, so I personally made almond soup."
Ji Xu frowned slightly and said softly, "Leave this matter to the servants. It's not appropriate for you, a girl waiting to be married, to always be walking around in a men's courtyard."
Shen Ru'an snorted lightly when he heard this, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a smile, with a hint of coquettishness and disapproval in his tone:
"Humph, I heard from my cousin Zixu that my second cousin's wife and I are family, so there's no need to be estranged. Why is it that when it comes to my cousin, we become estranged?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Ci casually, a playful smile on her lips mixed with a hint of coquettishness: "When we were little, didn't you, me, and my second cousin all sleep in the same bed? Now you treat me like an outsider?"
Ji Xu looked a little embarrassed, and quickly spoke to ease the atmosphere: "That's not what I meant... Let's not talk about this for now. Since you've made the soup, why don't you sit down and eat some together."
Shen Ru'an put the food box on the table, his eyes turned, and he gently asked her to stay: "Second cousin's wife must not have had breakfast yet, why don't you sit down and have some with her? Try the almond soup I made, it tastes very refreshing."
As she spoke, she looked at Jiang Ci with a smile, her eyes like a deer, and her expression was well-behaved and gentle.
Jiang Ci just smiled faintly, his tone gentle and appropriate:
"Thank you for your kindness, cousin. I'm just a little bit unfinished sewing, and I'm afraid it'll delay you. It's rare for you to be home, so you should chat with me, brother. I won't bother you any more."
After saying this, she bowed slightly and turned away with Wanniang.
The two walked out of Ji Xu's yard. Wan Niang took two quick steps and approached Jiang Ci, asking in a low voice, "Why didn't you stay just now? Miss Shen Ru'an has already given you the soup and repeatedly asked you to stay, so it's not considered impolite."
Jiang Ci looked down at the new sprouts emerging from the cracks in the rocks beneath his feet and said slowly, "I can't explain it clearly."
She paused, her tone calm, yet concealing a hint of contemplation and alertness: "It's just... I don't know why, but I always feel that cousin Shen, although she looks gentle, never makes people feel relaxed when talking to her."
Wan Niang was slightly startled after hearing this, then nodded: "Young lady, you are right. I also feel that there is a hint of temptation hidden in her smile, which makes people feel uneasy."
Jiang Ci smiled lightly, his eyes as calm as water: "The human heart is something that cannot be seen clearly or understood accurately, so we can only pay more attention to it."
In Ji Xu's courtyard, Shen Ru'an poured a bowl of soup with gentle and appropriate movements. He pushed it in front of Ji Xu, then gently picked up the spoon and asked in a seemingly nonchalant tone:
"My cousin is much better now. When I came here, I heard from my mother that Madam Ji wanted to wait until you were fully recovered before arranging your marriage. Do you...have you found someone you like?"
Ji Xu paused slightly with the spoon in his hand, his smile gentle and indifferent: "I've been ill for all these years, so I don't have time to care about these things. Now that Yun Fan is by my side, I'm very content."
Shen Ru'an was unwilling to give up, but still said softly: "But if there is a close friend to accompany you, to share your worries and fatigue, and to look after you and Afan, it might not be a bad thing. Cousin, have you really never thought of remarrying?"
Ji Xu lowered his head, scooped a spoonful of soup, frowned, and asked instead of answering: "Cousin, do you know that sometimes when a person gets used to silence, he no longer craves the hustle and bustle."
Shen Ru'an stared at him, her smile slightly fading: "But no matter how cold the night is, it can't be as warm as a caring word from someone else."
She gently wrapped her fingertips around the edge of her sleeve, and her tone was like a young girl's coquettish voice: "Is there no girl who can make your heart beat even for just a moment?" She still asked unwillingly.
Ji Xu paused with the spoon in his hand, and ripples appeared in the soup.
He slowly lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the dark blue cloak draped over his legs. After a long while, he smiled.
"I think it's pretty good now."
The smile on Shen Ru'an's lips remained unchanged, but her hands, hidden under the table, tightened little by little, her nails digging into her palms. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, and she only responded:
"Really... then that's great too."
As soon as Jiang Ci returned to the courtyard, a servant hurried over to report: "Second Madam, a carriage arrived outside the mansion gate. They said it was sent from Liangzhou and that it was something your father had sent."
Jiang Ci was stunned when he heard this, then his eyes lit up and he walked out quickly with a hint of joy.
Arriving outside the mansion, they saw a heavy, stable carriage parked at the side door, the driver carefully untying the ropes. The curtains were lifted, revealing a crammed interior filled with items: bags of Liangzhou specialties, boxes of fine porcelain, and even the familiar aromas of spices and fabrics from Jiang Ci's childhood. On top of it all sat a heavy bookcase.
Jiang Ci gently brushed the dust off the box and instructed, "Move this bookcase into the house first. The rest are not urgent. I'm staying in the governor's house now, so it's inconvenient for me to clean it up. I'll tidy it up after my yard is repaired."
She added, "Have the driver drive the carriage around to the backyard, enter through the side door, and temporarily place these in the side yard."
Wanniang responded and went to give orders, while Jiang Ci quickly returned to the room, washed his hands, and spread out the paper and pen on the table.
She dipped the pen in ink and wrote:
"Father, personally. I have been in Fengdu for over a month. Everything is fine. Don't worry..."
She wrote with great earnestness and steady penmanship, recounting her recent situation in detail, without any bitterness or exaggeration. She simply added at the end, "My daughter has become independent in a foreign land. I wish to do my best to contribute to the well-being of Liangzhou."
She folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Wanniang: "Give this letter to the coachman. Zichuan's journey to Fengdu is arduous, so please ask him to stay at the mansion tonight and set off again tomorrow."
Wanniang nodded, picked up the sealed bag and left in person.
Not far away, Shen Ru'an and Ji Qiu stood under the corridor where the moon's shadow slanted down. Looking through a locust tree, they watched Jiang Ci with a gentle smile as he instructed the servants to move things.
"Jiang Ci is so lucky," Ji Qiu whispered sarcastically, "She really doesn't treat herself as an outsider. Last time, I thought the fire would force her to move to the side courtyard, but who knew she would be sent to the Governor's Courtyard? When will this end for me?"
Shen Ru'an just chuckled, with a sharp look in his eyes: "No hurry, if you want to replace someone, you have to make room for them first, right?"
She held a letter she had already written in her hand and said gently, "I was just worrying about how to send this letter... and now, they've delivered it to my door."
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