Chapter 76: They all came for Rong's family, and none of them were worried about Jin Niang
"The young lady and her cousin are back."
After dinner, Rong went back to the side courtyard to rest. When she heard the servant come to report, she was shocked.
Heng'er had only been out with Ying'er and the others for over an hour, so how come he was back so soon? Could something have happened?
She immediately stood up and asked, "Where are they now?"
The servant replied, "My cousin and my mistress are waiting for you in the library."
It seemed Ying'er and the others were deliberately avoiding alerting her mother-in-law and Cheng. However, this caution only made Rong even more worried. Without giving it time to dwell on it, she hurried to the library.
The distance from the side courtyard to the library wasn't far, but Rong had been running through all the possibilities in her mind, her heart in her throat. It wasn't until she stepped into the library and saw Su Ying and Wan Yi sitting peacefully that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at Wanyi first.
Wanyi stood up and called out, "Second Aunt."
Rong stroked her face, then lifted her hands and examined them carefully from top to bottom, saying, "I'm glad you're okay."
Then he turned to Su Ying and did the same. Seeing that she was also fine, he asked, "Since you are fine, then Heng Ge'er should be fine too. But what happened to Jin Niang?"
Although Rong was worried, she remained calm. Since Heng'er allowed Ying'er and Wanyi to go back first, he would naturally be fine. But he was nowhere to be seen at this moment, so something must have happened to Jinniang, forcing Heng'er to stay by her side.
Su Ying briefly told Rong what she had seen and knew, and concluded by saying, "For the rest, we can only wait for my cousin to come back."
She added with a worried look on her face, "Although Sister Jinniang's face is unharmed, she has scratches on her forehead and jaw, with the back of her hand being the most seriously injured. Wanyi and I didn't want to alert everyone upon our return, so we went through the corner gate and into the library. What do you think is the best way to proceed?"
Because Wanyi was there, Su Ying didn't want to say it clearly, but Rong knew her intention. She was afraid that Cheng would take the opportunity to cause trouble.
She shook Su Ying's hand and said softly, "I understand. You two go and rest first. I will talk to your grandmother. This matter cannot be kept secret, and it should not be kept secret. You don't have to worry about it anymore."
As soon as Wanyi returned to the East Courtyard, she alarmed her mother, Cheng.
When Cheng Shi saw that Jinniang hadn't returned with her daughter, she immediately questioned her. Wanyi didn't want her mother to cause any more trouble, and since she hadn't personally witnessed Jinniang's injuries, she couldn't speak without reason. She simply stated what she had seen. She simply said, "My brother has taken Jinniang to see a doctor. I don't know anything else."
As expected, after hearing this, Cheng rushed to the old lady in a hurry, shouting all the way.
"Mother-in-law, tell me, what is this?"
As soon as she entered the house, she saw Rong Shi solemnly talking in low voices with her mother-in-law. She didn't even want to look at Rong Shi, and went straight to her mother-in-law and cried, "I told you, there are so many people at the Lantern Festival, and accidents happen every year. I can't go, I can't go! But Heng-er won't listen. Going is fine, but how are the staffing arranged? I don't manage the household, so it's not appropriate for me to ask. I just heard Wanyi say that the three girls are riding in a carriage, and there are only three servants and a steward with them. How can you be frugal in this matter? Are you afraid that if you save too little, no one will praise you for your good housekeeping?"
Every word Cheng spoke was directed at Rong, not a single one of them was out of concern for the injured Jinniang. All she said was about the little power she had lost as steward.
"Okay, Jiahui."
The old lady had just discussed the follow-up arrangements with Rong when Cheng barged in, interrupting their conversation. Seeing her, like a common woman who would get involved even when she was being unreasonable, the old lady couldn't help but sigh.
Cheng Jiahui was chosen by the eldest son Du Keqin himself.
Every year on Buddha's birthday, the Du family would hold a vegetarian feast at the Bodhi Temple. Because the second son was frugal and weak, the eldest son usually went on his behalf.
On the Buddha's birthday that year, Keqin, upon returning home, came to pay his respects to her. After reporting his affairs, he confided his own concerns to her: "As usual, I was in the side hallway, talking with the monk in charge of reception. Unexpectedly, a wind arose, and a handkerchief fell before my eyes."
He didn't dare to reach out to pick it up, so he could only step back a few steps and avoid it. He heard footsteps approaching, as if someone quickly picked up the handkerchief and then turned back and left.
After the voice faded away, Du Keqin turned around and saw a little maid handing a pale blue handkerchief to a young lady not far away. The young lady was charming and was about to take it, but when she saw him looking at her, she spat lightly and walked away shyly.
My son passed the imperial examination in the spring and is now serving in the Imperial Academy. He has always been well-behaved and taciturn. If he is not truly moved, he will never take the initiative to speak.
Seeing that he was at the age to discuss marriage, the old lady asked him, "Have you ever found out which family she is from?"
Du Keqin said, "Apart from our family, there are only the Duke's family here today."
The old lady was initially worried. Although the Du family was a prominent family in the capital, marrying the daughter of the Duke's family would be considered too high a priority, and facilitating the marriage would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, she personally sent someone to investigate and finally discovered the truth.
The young lady of the Duke's family has not yet reached the age of marriage, so her trip was a grand affair. According to what my son said, the woman only brought a maid with her. I guess she must be a young lady from the side branch who is often brought by the Crown Prince's wife to accompany her daughter.
In this way, it will not be difficult.
The old lady, believing it to be fate, sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. Upon hearing that he was the eldest son of the Du family and an editor at the Hanlin Academy, the girl's family was delighted and immediately agreed, sending a reply. Soon after, the betrothal gifts were accepted, and the marriage was settled.
I originally thought that even if it was a side branch, seeing that the young lady of the Duke's Mansion was both talented and beautiful and had a good reputation, the young lady of this side branch should also be well-educated, dignified and generous.
Unexpectedly, on the second day after the wedding, her son brought Jiahui to serve tea, and she noticed something was wrong.
Jiahui followed behind Keqin, looking nervous, and she even stepped on the hem of her skirt several times. Before her husband finished bowing, she knelt directly, and when he bowed, she hurriedly stood up and bowed again.
The same thing happened when she served tea; the teacup shook slightly because of her trembling hands.
From then on, the old lady knew that Jiahui knew little about etiquette and was not calm enough when faced with things.
Later, during their daily interactions, she discovered that Jiahui was a little unfamiliar with housekeeping and didn't know the answer to many questions.
The old lady thought that if she didn't know the etiquette, she could be taught, and if the housekeeper didn't know how to do it, she could be brought up. As long as she had good intentions and her son liked her, it wouldn't be a big deal. So she patiently trained her, step by step, and cultivated her into the mistress of the Du family.
However, this habit of panicking when faced with difficulties was, after all, something she had been born with, and could not be changed. On ordinary days, Jiahui acted like a mistress, but once something went wrong, her true colors were immediately revealed.
It was precisely because of this that she was even more certain of the Rong family she had chosen earlier in her youngest son Kejian's marriage. Knowing their background and family traditions well, even though they hadn't met in years, she was confident that the Rong family would be a good match. Later, marrying Rong Ruolan into the family truly confirmed her judgment.
The old lady looked at Cheng in front of her, and then looked at Rong who had quietly retreated to the side since Cheng came in.
Then he slowly spoke to Cheng, "I heard that Jinniang was injured, and some scars are still on her face. Instead of complaining about this and that, why don't you think about it? If she is really disfigured, how are we going to explain it to her family?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
