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There was absolutely no intention to win anyone over; she simply thought Xie Sui'an was childish and deserved a beating. Seeing Xie Sui'an get hit, Qin Sang innocently leaned closer to Xie Wu, looking terrified.
Everyone was watching the spectacle. Xie Sui'an clutched his chest, pretending to be injured, while Xie Xiao clapped her hands, rolled her eyes at him, and continued playing cat's cradle.
"You're making a scene even with strangers around today, scaring them." Xie Suian's mother came over in time, gave her son a reproachful look, smiled at Qin Sang, and then tried to pull Xie Suian away.
Xie Sui'an suddenly moved closer to Qin Sang, and made a move to lean on her.
This action startled not only Qin Sang, but also his mother, whose lips parted slightly and whose expression changed drastically.
"What are you thinking? I noticed something was off about you this afternoon," Xie Wu said, pulling Qin Sang aside and speaking mercilessly to Xie Suian. "Why are you still like this? You like to get close to pretty girls? Come on, you can lean on my shoulder."
Xie Sui'an: "Tch, you're not even good-looking, who would want to rely on you... Oh!"
Xie Sui'an was hit on the back of the head. His mother glared at him, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him aside: "How old are you? Still acting like a child. You're just making a fool of yourself..."
Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Xie Wu shout towards Xie Suian's direction, "My mother said that Qin Sang is going to be our eldest son's wife. Hehe, you're still a step below us, so don't try to take advantage of my sister!"
Xie Sui'an broke free from his mother's hand and turned around, about to argue, when suddenly everyone in the crowd looked towards the door.
"Oh, Brother Jingze is here too!" Xie Wu exclaimed first.
The newcomer stepped through the door. Although he bore a slight resemblance to Xie Sui'an in his features, he was more composed and possessed a clear and bright demeanor, as calm and composed as a pine breeze and a bright moon.
Xie Jingze truly deserves to be called the pillar of the Xie family's third generation.
"Mother said there would be a family dinner today, and since I didn't have much to do, I came back to join in the fun." He stepped in, his gaze shifting to the only unfamiliar face present. He paused for a moment before saying, "This is the newest sister, Qin Sang?"
Qin Sang lowered her eyes and bowed, saying, "May Brother Jingze enjoy boundless blessings."
Xie Jingze nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before bowing to the two elders and reaching out to pull Xie Sui'an closer: "It's been a long time since I've seen you. Come, I have a lot to say to you."
Xie Sui'an felt a sense of restraint, as if bound by invisible shackles. He chuckled and obediently followed along.
Her mother also let out a deep breath, looked at Qin Sang, and smiled slightly.
Qin Sang looked away, only to find that Young Master Jingze's legal wife was looking at her with an indescribable gaze.
That meaningful glance.
Qin Sang roughly understood why this lady always had a faint sorrow in her eyes. It was probably because Xie Jingze was a young, promising, and handsome man, so exceptionally outstanding that she felt jealous and feared other women might covet her husband.
She had to admire the Prime Minister's arrangement; an adopted granddaughter? It was a good thing.
Several more important people from the household arrived one after another, and the banquet was finally announced to begin.
Since it was a family banquet, the men and women were not seated separately, but there were still two tables. Qin Sang was new and was arranged to sit next to the First Madam.
The dishes on the table were truly plentiful, many of which were things that had never been seen in Lixian County before. There were all kinds of pastries, braised dishes, pickled vegetables, some wild game, and desserts. Qin Sang had pretended to be reserved at first, but then she thought that it wouldn't hurt to have a big appetite, so she started to eat without any restraint.
Several young women couldn't help but show disdain when they saw how much she ate.
The two elders were very considerate, constantly urging her to eat more, showing great kindness.
"Try this braised duck. It's one of our kitchen's specialties. You can't get it anywhere else," Xie Wu said solicitously.
Unexpectedly, Xie Lin said softly, "Yes, Sister Xie Wu should introduce the new sisters to her more. Otherwise, if I go to Princess Yuan Zhao's birthday banquet in half a month and don't know anything and haven't eaten anything, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
Although Xie Lin was born out of wedlock, her mother was quite favored, and she was raised by a wealthy merchant family. She never lacked money from a young age, so she naturally felt superior in this respect. She especially looked down on Qin Sang, who was helpless but had become so popular right away. She spoke without restraint, subtly belittling Qin Sang as poor and stingy.
Xie Sui'an's mother, Cen Biyun, was the legal wife, but she was often overshadowed by the wealthy concubines in the family. It would be a lie to say that she had no resentment at all. Upon hearing this, she put down her chopsticks and said with a slightly cold expression, "One should not talk while eating or sleeping. No one should gossip at a banquet. Noble families have their own rules."
Seeing that she had put down her chopsticks, the other younger members of the family dared not move, and all stole glances at Xie Lin, whose face was flushed red.
Qin Sang thought Xie Lin would leave in shame and anger, but to her surprise, although he blushed, he remained silent for a moment and then obediently apologized: "Yes, Mother is absolutely right."
Qin Sang couldn't help but think highly of her, thinking to herself that a woman from a prominent family who could bend and stretch was a true hero.
Since Xie Sui'an was not at the table, Qin Sang enjoyed her meal quite comfortably.
The Prime Minister did not come. His wife had passed away years ago, and now the Prime Minister only has a concubine by his side, who also did not come.
The prime minister's two outstanding sons were too busy with official duties to pay attention to a nobody like her. Apart from the two wives, everyone at the banquet was a junior, so the atmosphere was quite relaxed.
The meal lasted until dusk, when the moon rose high in the sky and the lanterns in the garden were lit, before everyone finally dispersed.
During this time, Xie Sui'an was unable to speak to Qin Sang alone again. However, on her way back to the hospital, Qin Sang traveled with Xie Jingze and his wife for a while.
Xie Jingze acted like a gentle older brother, telling Qin Sang to treat the Prime Minister's residence as her own home, without needing to be reserved or humble, nor to be overly tolerant. He told her to come to him if she felt uncomfortable.
Qin Sang felt fortunate that most of the people in the Prime Minister's residence were amiable. Although she noticed that Xie Jingze's wife had a deeper worry between her brows before leaving, it did not dampen her good mood upon her arrival today.
When I returned to the courtyard, the maids had already prepared bathing supplies, which was very proper and thoughtful.
Despite the late spring chill in April, a charcoal fire was lit inside to ward off the cold, making the room warm and cozy.
Qin Sang thought this was excellent, much better than in Li County, and was so happy that she almost forgot about home.
However, he did ask Lingding to prepare paper, pen, and ink, and sent a letter to Grandmother Qin to let her know that everything was alright.
Behind the dormitory was a private bathroom with a large, newly made bathtub. The water was sprinkled with rose petals and infused with essential oils, creating a pleasant fragrance.
She didn't let anyone else in, only letting Lingding and Ying'er accompany her while she bathed.
"How was your day with the maids?" Qin Sang asked with her eyes closed, her face glistening with sweat from the steam. Her delicate features were covered in a layer of white frost, making her skin appear even whiter and rosy.
Lingding carefully washed her hair: "It's alright, but we are from out of town after all, so it's normal that people might not look down on us."
"Well, don't hold a grudge against them, but don't be too humble either. We're new here and have no connections, so it's one thing to be arrogant, but if we just keep our heads down and endure it, we'll easily be bullied. In such a large family, interpersonal relationships are very complicated. We also brought a lot of gold and silver from Li County, so we can use it to bribe people if necessary. That way, the three of us will have an easier time."
Ying'er nodded.
"Of course we need to make arrangements," Lingding said. "But with our limited funds, we might be able to manage in Li County, but in a money-making metropolis like the capital, people might not even consider us a threat."
"Hmm, that makes sense," Qin Sang agreed. "So, we need to find some work to make some money?"
Lingding paused, then asked, "How do I find a way to make a living?"
He continued, “Men can take the imperial examinations and earn a salary, but aren’t we women only able to rely on marriage and the dowry or some land and shops given by our husbands’ families to make a living? A girl born into a noble family shouldn’t have to go out to do business… Doing business can make money, but it won’t sound good to her if word gets out. The Prime Minister should make plans to find you a husband this time he brought you back to the capital…”
Qin Sang laughed and said, "Those who say merchants are lowly are all secretly doing business. Who would complain about not having enough money? Money makes the world go round, and without money, you're the one doing the work. Who really cares about these empty titles of nobility and lowliness for farmers and merchants? Don't be so pedantic. Since you're determined to change your ways and come to the capital with me, I won't let you suffer. Tomorrow we'll go out and explore, see what kind of business we can do in this capital city that's full of gold."
Lingding had clearly never heard such a straightforward and refreshing statement about doing business before, and immediately felt that her choice was indeed correct, and said with a smile, "Okay."
Qin Sang continued, "The people in the Prime Minister's residence seem to be doing well so far, but there are always villains causing trouble everywhere. We can't be completely careless and unprepared. Since the three of us came from Li County together, we should be of one mind and one heart and not keep each other in check, lest someone take advantage of us."
Ying'er lowered her eyes, glanced at her forlornly, and said softly, "Of course."
Qin Sang reached out and took Ying'er's hand: "I know she once tried to kill you, so naturally you resent her. But now we're in the same boat, so don't hold it against her. Time will tell, so give her a chance."
Lingding blushed and glanced cautiously at Ying'er.
Ying'er kept her eyes down, but eventually nodded.
Seeing this, Qin Sang changed the subject again: "The Prime Minister's residence is really big."
Lingding then chimed in, "Indeed, today when I led people to move things over from the side gate, I saw that the roadside was full of beautiful flowers, and the gardeners were still planting new varieties. Every plant and tree was carefully chosen. Moreover, the servants did not speak loudly while walking. The rules were very strict, which frightened me so much that I dared not say a word."
Qin Sang: "The Prime Minister has been in office for fifteen years, so he still has some rules to follow. However, I did not see the Prime Minister today... Well, Your Excellency is busy, so please obey my summons."
Lingding: "Mm."
Qin Sang: "There's something else. Today I noticed that the young mistress of the main branch of the family seemed to have some inexplicable hostility towards me. It wasn't exactly hostility, but I felt that the way she looked at me was a bit off. Be careful tomorrow and find out about this young mistress's habits and tell me about it."
Lingding: "Yes."
Qin Sang: "Well, that's all I can think of for now. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow. There's plenty of time."
Lingding said, "Oh right, there's one more thing I forgot to mention. When you went to Chunxin Hall, Young Master Sui'an had a lot of things brought over, saying that you could use them all. I haven't had anyone pack them up yet; they're all piled up in the storeroom."
Qin Sang sighed and got out of the water: "Let's go see what good things Master Xie has sent."
"..." Lingding: "Miss, you haven't finished washing your hair yet."
“Oh,” Qin Sang lay back down, “then you can continue.”
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