045
Qin Sang's return was indeed not a coincidence.
Even Qin Sang, Xie Sui'an realized that he had underestimated her all along. How could she be some clueless woman from a remote town? She already had a plan in mind!
Her whole family suffered a tragedy, leaving her all alone. If there were other hidden reasons behind what happened back then, then her return this time would not simply be because she came back to enjoy a life of luxury under her grandfather's favor.
Looking at that fair and rosy face, seemingly innocent and pure, Young Master Xie felt extremely annoyed. He abruptly stood up from his chair: "Fine, since you enjoy chatting about everyday things so much, then you can continue your conversation. I'm leaving!"
Xie Wu asked, "Where are you going?"
Xie Sui'an strode out the door without looking back: "Let's go have some fun!"
Xie Wu said, "I just told you you were drinking and carousing and you weren't happy! Be careful, or your second uncle will beat you up again when you get back!"
Xie Suian waved his hand and disappeared into the courtyard.
Jinyun and the others were joking around with the maid sweeping the courtyard at the gate. When they saw him come out looking indignant, they quickly put away their smiles and went to greet him: "Young master was happy when he went in, why are you angry now?"
Xie Sui'an stormed forward, heading towards the side gate.
As soon as Qin Sang looked away, she heard Xie Wu scoff, "His temper is still so fiery. He'll probably drive his wife crazy when she gets married."
The others present, except for Xie Wu, were all quite young. Upon hearing this, they simply covered their mouths and laughed. Xie Wu then proceeded to praise Qin Sang's appearance, asking her where she had lived before, whether she still had family at home, and whether the journey had been arduous.
The conversation went smoothly, and Qin Sang roughly figured out who each of the people who came was from whose family.
Xie Zhongxu came from a poor family. He became a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations and married a wealthy woman. In the following decades, he rose through the ranks to become prime minister. However, he did not change his nature and always had only one wife in his harem. It was not until his old lady passed away that he reluctantly took a concubine in order to continue the family line.
This Lord Guozhu had three sons and three daughters. Xie Sui'an's father was the second son of the Prime Minister, so Xie Sui'an had an uncle, Xie Run, the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family. Xie Run was gentle and upright, and he and his wife were deeply in love. They had two daughters and one son. The lively and cheerful Xie Wu was the third daughter of this kind Xie Run, and Xie Sui'an's cousin.
In addition, Xie Run's eldest daughter has already married, and his second son, Xie Jingze, obtained his official rank through his own efforts in his early years and is now serving as a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue. He is the most promising talent among the third generation of the Xie family.
As for Xie Sui'an's branch of the family, her father, Xie Ning, was a straightforward, cold-hearted, and arrogant man. He had three or four concubines and had quite a few children, but he only had one legitimate son, Xie Sui'an, and his younger brother who was only 6 years old. His legitimate daughter, Xie Xiao, did not show up today. The people who came to see Qin Sang were some of her half-sisters.
Xie Ning doesn't usually discipline her children, and Xie Sui'an's mother has a gentle personality, so it's no wonder that Xie Sui'an has an outgoing personality; he's been spoiled.
Moreover, he was not as good at studying as his cousin since childhood, so he was more lenient with himself, not seeking fame or fortune, but only wealth and comfort, hoping not to be a burden in the future.
The girl inside the hall who looked to be about the same age as Qin Sang, and who spoke softly yet was quite clever, was Xie Sui'an's half-sister, born to a concubine, named Xie Lin.
She's quite good-looking, but she's a bit stingy in her speech. Perhaps because she's ambitious yet born out of wedlock, her personality is somewhat awkward.
The other two were even younger: one was a descendant of a cousin from Prime Minister Xie's hometown, and the other was a nephew or niece from Old Lady Xie's maternal family.
In short, Xie Zhongxu's descendants are not as numerous as those of century-old families or nobles who have lived in the capital for a long time, but he is working hard to expand the family's influence.
So, the arrival of Qin Sang is a good thing, as it adds to the family.
Especially with her stunning beauty, she would be an excellent pawn in the social scene of Kyoto, a city teeming with the wealthy and powerful. If she could use her beauty to climb the social ladder in the future, everyone present would benefit from her.
That's how it is among the children of large families; there's competition and rivalry, but also solidarity and cooperation. They often have two faces, one inside and one outside, which is the norm.
Naturally, Qin Sang had learned about the relationships among the people in the mansion little by little from Shen Que and some guards on his way from Li County to the Prime Minister's mansion. Now that he was here, he could sit down with them one by one.
Perhaps finding Qin Sang to be exceptionally kind and beautiful, Xie Wu began treating her like his own younger sister after just a few cups of tea. He immediately instructed his maid to bring over several boxes of things, much to the envy of the others.
Xie Lin immediately covered her mouth with her handkerchief and said, "I didn't expect Sister Wu to be so generous. This garnet bracelet is so clear. I begged my mother for a long time but couldn't find such a good item. My maternal grandfather also searched for a long time but couldn't find it either. I heard it was a tribute from a foreign country and it's very hard to come by. Sister, you gave it to the new sister so easily. It's true that people who are good-looking are naturally favored."
Xie Wu ignored her jealousy and said bluntly, "Sister Qin Sang is fair-skinned, so wearing this pigeon blood red pearl will bring out its quality. It's just that we both look like our grandfather, with dark skin, and we weren't born with the good skin of our grandmother. So stop being so jealous."
Qin Sang glanced at Xie Lin and noticed that the girl's eyes were almost red, and she clenched her handkerchief tightly with her fingers.
Actually, neither of them was dark-skinned; they were just of average skin tone, and some were even fairer than average due to proper care. It's just that they were so lucky to be born into bodies with such ethereal beauty.
After some pleasantries and tea, the gathering ended with Xie Lin leaving in a huff, and everyone was gone.
Having already spent so much time socializing on her first day, Qin Sang ordered Ying'er to close the main door, while she casually lay down on the couch in the side room to rest.
In fact, she knew that this was all considered good. After all, Xie Zhongxu had only been established for three generations. You know, there are some noble families that have been passed down for dozens of generations. Their population and family relationships are like a spider web and an ancient tree, intertwined and difficult to understand.
Qin Sang lay down and fell asleep immediately.
When she opened her eyes again, the setting sun was already casting its rays. Lingding frowned and gently shook her from the side: "Miss, it's time to get up and dress. The mistress sent someone to inform us that we need to have dinner."
Qin Sang struggled to sit up, and after a moment of confusion, she asked, "Dinner?"
Lingding hummed in agreement: "They said it was a family dinner."
Qin Sang rubbed her forehead.
I just finished entertaining the younger generation, and now I have to entertain the older ones. Being a person is really tiring.
Seeing this, Lingding said, "Miss, you can act more demure, talk less, and eat more vegetables, then you won't be so tired."
Qin Sang nodded: "That makes sense. Come on, let's change your clothes."
The mistress summoned the aunt who would lead the way, and it was still that same Aunt Kong. She was serious and unsmiling.
Qin Sang was dressed simply, but even so, she was frequently spied on by maids and servants on her way to the main hall. However, no one dared to gossip about her to her face. Aunt Kong gave her a cold glare, and even those who were spying lowered their heads.
"May I ask, Aunt Kong, will Grandpa Prime Minister also be attending today's family banquet?" Qin Sang asked politely and obediently.
Aunt Kong simply said no, and refused to say another word.
Qin Sang had no choice but to ask again, "Were there only women?"
Aunt Kong: "If the men of the household have business to attend to and cannot come back, they will not dine together. But if they do come back, the mistress will instruct that they should dine together."
Qin Sang nodded, thinking to herself that Xie Sui'an probably wouldn't be with them; he'd gone out drinking and carousing.
That's fine, it saves her from having a disagreement with him and revealing her mild-mannered nature. She wanted to make a good impression on her elders when meeting them for the first time.
After passing through several corridors and courtyards, Qin Sang finally heard the sound of people laughing and chuckling.
After walking through the carved and openwork wall, you arrive at the courtyard gate. As soon as you peek out, you can hear the noise inside gradually subsiding.
Qin Sang glanced up briefly, then lowered her head shyly and followed Aunt Kong into the courtyard.
Some people gasped, others said, "They're here," but Qin Sang just kept her head down and followed Aunt Kong forward.
They stopped in front of a middle-aged woman wearing a light blue long dress and a gold-embroidered blouse. The woman spoke first, her tone calm and gentle: "What a pretty girl."
Aunt Kong then introduced Qin Sang: "This is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Prime Minister's family."
Qin Sang curtsied in a junior's greeting: "May you have a long and happy life, Madam."
Qin Sang knew that this was the Prime Minister's eldest daughter-in-law, named Wang Huiwen.
Before she could even look up at Prince Huiwen's face, Aunt Kong reached out to another woman standing to the side, wearing a turquoise long dress and a dark blue vest: "This is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Second Master's family."
Qin Sang continued to bow, thinking to herself that this must be Xie Sui'an's mother, Cen Biyun. She couldn't help but feel a little more curious and quickly glanced at her.
She bears a striking resemblance to Xie Sui'an, with well-defined features and delicate eyes. Even though she is getting older, one can still see the unparalleled charm she possessed in her youth.
And she spoke gently: "I had heard An'er say that the new maid was very beautiful. Now that I see her, she is indeed extraordinary. All the women in this courtyard combined can't compare to her."
Qin Sang said shyly that she was too kind, and then Aunt Kong introduced her to Song Jinhe, the wife of Xie Jingze, who was the most promising member of the eldest son's family.
This woman also appeared dignified, but there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes, making her seem somewhat unapproachable.
Before any men had been seen, Granny Kong led Qin Sang through the courtyard and identified most of the women. Wang Huiwen then pulled her aside and asked her a series of questions, which Qin Sang answered one by one. Afterward, Xie Wu pulled her to see her newly bought parrot.
Xie Wu whispered, "They just love to lecture us, asking endless questions. It's so annoying! Hey, why aren't you wearing the bracelet I just gave you? I gave it to you, so wear it. Don't worry about what others say, I'm here for you."
Qin Sang said shyly, "I'm afraid that if the Madam sees me receiving so many gifts on our first meeting, she'll say I'm ostentatious and ignorant."
Xie Wu said, "It's nothing, I'm just happy to give it to you. My mother is a generous person, just like me, she won't say anything."
Qin Sang added, "I think Second Master's wife is very beautiful..."
Xie Wu couldn't wait to say, "That's right. My second aunt was famous in the capital back then. I heard that many families came to propose marriage. If it weren't for our grandfather's power, how could my second uncle have gotten such an advantage?"
Qin Sang then looked at the pretty little girl who was focused on playing cat's cradle: "That one, is that Xie Xiao?"
Xie Wu then called out loudly, "Xiao Xiao, come here!"
To everyone's surprise, Xie Xiao slightly raised her eyelids, without moving an inch: "What? I'm busy."
That arrogant and disdainful attitude was exactly the same as Xie Sui'an's!
But as soon as the little girl finished speaking, she got a clod of mud on her forehead.
The loose soil scattered, leaving a mark on her forehead. She cried out "Ouch!" and dropped what she was holding, then ran off in one direction, gritting her teeth and looking like she was determined to die: "Xie Sui'an! You're asking for it!"
Qin Sang was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed with admiration: "Good girl, I like her."
"What's going on? Slow down... Hey, how can a girl act like a girl?" Xie Sui'an hid next to Qin Sang, grabbing her shoulder as a shield, while also lecturing her younger sister: "Xie Xiao, can't you act like a lady? Who would dare to marry you if you're so shrewish!"
Xie Xiao was furious. She picked up a landscaping pebble from the ground and aimed it at Xie Sui'an with all her might.
Qin Sang was shaken back and forth by Xie Suian, feeling utterly helpless. She could only wink at Xie Xiao, then bow slightly and say, "Hurry up and hit him!"
With a "thud," Xie Xiao's aim was excellent, and she struck Xie Sui'an in the chest.
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