Chapter 36: The Qian family's affairs are other people's private matters, and Cui Ying shouldn't comment on them...
Bodhi Hall.
The large wooden clock made of blood sandalwood chimed three times, startling the thrushes in the corridor, which cried incessantly and flapped their wings, bumping against their cages a few times.
Cui Ying entered the room and saw it filled with the fragrance of clothes and the rustling of hair. Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan sat around their grandmother, while Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin sat on empty chairs on either side. Xiao Ye was nowhere to be seen, and it was unknown where he had gone to fool around.
The most eye-catching thing was a rosewood chair placed alone in front of the daybed, with a slender young woman sitting on it, wearing a wide-sleeved silk robe with a light brown floral pattern. Even though he only saw her profile, Cui Ying recognized her at a glance as Xiao Heng's wife, Madam Qian.
"I'm late."
Cui Ying stepped forward with a smile, bowing her head as if to apologize to her grandmother.
Madam Wang smiled and said, "It's not late at all. Your sister and the others just arrived. Come and sit down."
Cui Ying did as she was told and sat down intimately next to Wang Shi. Wang Shi took her hand and looked at her, then looked at the woman on the rose chair and said, "This is your third sister-in-law. She had something to do at her family home and couldn't attend your wedding. Now that she's back, she should meet you."
Cui Ying then stood up and gave Qian Qiuchan a graceful curtsy, her posture respectful: "Greetings, sister-in-law."
Qian Qiuchan immediately stood up with a smile, gently taking Cui Ying's arm with both hands. Her eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and amazement, and her voice was crisp and bright: "No wonder our ancestor used to think about you every day, mentioning your name every few days. It turns out that in the past six months, you have grown into such a beautiful young lady. You are indeed of royal blood, a golden branch and jade leaf. Just your overall demeanor is different from ordinary people. Now that you have entered our family, it can be said that our ancestor has finally put his mind at ease."
Cui Ying always let such flattery go in one ear and out the other, but she didn't show it on her face. She just raised her eyebrows and replied, "Sister-in-law, please stop joking. You are a beauty that is hard to find even with a lantern. Third Brother is really lucky."
Qian Qiuchan was naturally beautiful with delicate eyebrows and bright eyes, and she accepted Cui Ying's praise without hesitation. Her smile became even brighter, and she held Cui Ying's hand even more affectionately.
After a warm exchange of pleasantries, Qian Qiuchan presented Cui Ying with a gift—a heavy red envelope and a pair of gold filigree floral bracelets in a brocade box.
The bracelet was exquisitely crafted, with intricate floral patterns made of overlapping gold wire. Kingfisher feathers and various gemstones and agates were cleverly inlaid among the branches and leaves according to the pattern. It should have been radiant and dazzling, but strangely, the bracelet seemed to be covered with a thin layer of dust that could not be washed off. Its luster was dull and hazy, giving it an indescribable sense of antiquity.
If an expert were present, they would immediately recognize that this is not a newly made object, but an ancient artifact unearthed some years ago.
Qian Qiuchan smiled and said, "These are a pair of precious bracelets that my brother acquired by chance when he went out to inspect Guazhou a few days ago. They are said to be old objects from the previous dynasty. I thought they were unique and exquisite, and rarely seen in the world, so I kept them and didn't want to use them. But I happened to meet you and my sister-in-law today, and I felt that they were destined for you. So I'm giving them to you as a gift. I hope you won't find them too shabby."
Upon hearing this, Cui Ying knew that his sister-in-law was using the gift-giving as an excuse to show off her brother's power and influence, claiming that he received gifts from his subordinates wherever he went.
Having understood her thoughts, Cui Ying deliberately scratched her itchy spot, carefully examined the pair of bracelets, and exclaimed in amazement, "They are truly fine pieces. The craftsmanship is even more exquisite than my best bracelet. Sister-in-law, you are very thoughtful."
Qian Qiuchan beamed with joy, and indeed delighted, she personally slipped the two bracelets onto Cui Ying's wrists.
As they were talking, a maid came to ask for permission to serve the meal.
Madam Wang ordered a meal to be served, and invited the Xiao sisters, Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan, to dine with her. Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin then returned to their respective residences.
After breakfast, Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan also greeted each other and took their leave. Qian Qiuchan was very attentive and personally saw her two younger sisters out.
Cui Ying also wanted to take his leave, but Wang Shi stopped him by the hand.
Only the grandmother and grandson remained in the hall. Only then did Madam Wang's smile fade, and her cold gaze fell on the pair of gray bracelets on Cui Ying's wrist: "What filthy thing was dug out of some grave? It's tainted with the aura of the dead, unclean and filthy. Wearing it will bring bad luck. Go back and take it off, put it far away, and keep it at the bottom of the chest. If you like this style, there are plenty of new bracelets of excellent quality in my storeroom. Go and pick the brightest ones to wear."
Cui Ying obediently agreed without saying anything more, curtsied, and prepared to leave.
After leaving the Bodhi Hall and walking around the corridor, Cui Ying immediately spotted Xiao Shu hiding under the banana leaves, puffing out her cheeks and fanning herself fiercely with a round fan.
Cui Ying knew she was waiting for her, so she deliberately moved closer by walking lightly, tilting her head and smiling, "Oh, what a coincidence, Fifth Sister, why don't you walk with me?"
Xiao Shufei glared at her and said in a muffled voice, "I've been waiting for you for ages."
Her gaze fell on the bracelet on Cui Ying's wrist, which she hadn't had time to remove, and her already furrowed brows instantly twisted into a knot: "Things taken from the hands of a dead man, only people who are used to petty theft and shady dealings would treasure them. What respectable family wouldn't find them unlucky?"
Cui Ying glanced around and chuckled in a low voice, "Go ahead and speak louder. If someone with ulterior motives hears you, you'll be in trouble."
Xiao Shu raised her chin slightly: "I'm not afraid of trouble, but can't I even speak the truth?"
Ying didn't respond to her comment. Instead, she reached out and grabbed her arm, and they slowly walked along a secluded path shaded by dense foliage. The thousands of green willow branches swayed on their shoulders.
“I’m fine, I’m just a cousin-in-law,” Cui Ying said, “but she is your sister-in-law. I don’t know what grudges you two have, but I shouldn’t show it. If your brother finds out, he’ll be caught in the middle and in a dilemma.”
Xiao Shu sneered: "My brother won't make things difficult for me."
She observed Cui Ying's expression and felt suspicious: "I say, Third Sister, you've been married into the family for so long, surely you still don't know about this injustice done to my family?"
Cui Ying was taken aback: "What wrongful debt?"
Xiao Shu was stunned: "You really don't know?"
Cui Ying was even more confused: "Should I know?"
She has always been interested only in the strange and unusual stories of the common people and the popular tales. She never bothers to inquire about the secrets and rumors within aristocratic families. Moreover, although the rules of the Duke of Wei's mansion are not particularly strict or oppressive, the eldest princess established a family rule early on—relatives should never quarrel with each other, and even less should they speak ill of others behind their backs.
The only thing Cui Ying knew about Qian Qiuchan was that her father was originally just a low-ranking postmaster, but after she married into the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion, he rose to become a seventh-rank Taipusi Registrar, and her brothers also went from being idle at home to becoming seventh-rank Censors.
As for how Qian Qiuchan went from being the daughter of a post station official to becoming the young mistress of a marquis's mansion, Cui Ying had no idea.
The two walked in the shade, with thousands of green silk threads hanging down and cicadas chirping noisily.
Xiao Shu suddenly raised her hand and, as if venting her anger, snapped off a supple willow twig. She twisted it fiercely in her hand and said resentfully, "My father has a deputy general named Luo who has followed him through thick and thin for many years. He knows my father inside and out. Originally, my father planned for my brother to marry Deputy General Luo's eldest daughter. The two families had even exchanged betrothal gifts. I've met that Miss Luo before. She's a beautiful and elegant woman, and I find her quite pleasing to the eye."
"On one occasion, my brother personally went to celebrate the birthday of the Luo family's patriarch. During the banquet, he drank a couple more cups of wine than usual, and then took a nap in the study of the front house. When he woke up..."
When Xiao Shu got to the crucial point, she clenched her fists in anger, gritted her teeth, and tried her best to keep her voice low: "There was a disheveled woman by my side who claimed to be a cousin who was temporarily staying at the Luo family's residence and that my brother had taken her virginity while drunk."
“But my brother was dressed neatly and showed no signs of drunken misbehavior. Moreover, the Luo family’s front and back residences were heavily guarded. Unless someone deliberately sneaked in, a cousin from another family could not get close to my brother at all.”
"Later, the Luo family immediately blocked the news, intending to suppress the matter. But the cousin was suicidal, threatening to jump into a well or hang herself, claiming that she was my brother's person in life and in death. My brother was about to be promoted and did not want to ruin his future. After returning home, he discussed it with my parents and grandmother and finally canceled the engagement with the Luo family girl and married the cousin who lived in the Luo family instead."
Recalling those past events, Xiao Shu's eyes filled with hatred, and she coldly scoffed, "My good sister-in-law now is that cousin from back then."
“My grandmother and mother are both old and feel that what’s done is done, and that harmony in the family is the most important thing. But I can’t swallow this insult. My brother is such a good person. He’s been shrewd and capable in the officialdom for most of his life and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. Yet he’s been caught up in this mess and married a scheming piece of trash.”
After listening for a while, Cui Ying was so shocked that she couldn't speak. If Xiao Shu hadn't said it herself, she would have thought that this was a plot that only appeared in storybooks.
She hesitated, weighing her words repeatedly, before finally managing to squeeze out a stiff sentence: "Perhaps...perhaps by accident, your brother and sister-in-law's relationship is actually quite good?"
Xiao Shu rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the heavens: "Haven't you noticed that ever since she came back, my brother hasn't even come inside the house? After he finishes his shift, he goes straight to the villa outside the mansion and doesn't even want to stay in the front study."
Xiao Heng was deliberately avoiding any interaction with Qian Qiuchan.
It was all other people's family business, and Cui Ying didn't want to comment or follow Xiao Shu's lead. So she plucked a few willow branches, picked some fresh flowers, and started weaving a wreath to relieve her boredom.
Xiao Shu was still immersed in resentment and felt indignant on behalf of her brother: "I wasn't so upset before, but ever since you married into our family, I've felt that God is really unfair. We are both Grandmother's grandsons, so why can Seventh Brother marry a princess? My brother can only accept his fate and marry such a scoundrel. If I may be struck by lightning, I really wish you had been born a few years earlier, or my brother had been born a few years later, then perhaps Seventh Brother wouldn't have had any problems."
Upon hearing this, Cui Ying was even more speechless, so she could only use Xiao Ye as a shield, laughing and saying, "You have two older brothers. It's true that there's a big age difference between me and my third brother, but not so big a difference between me and my sixth brother. Why don't you go and stand up for him?"
"You mean Xiao Ye?"
Xiao Shu paused, her mind flashing back to the image of Xiao Ye with his big buttocks sticking out, head buried in the grass searching for crickets, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.
"Can he even be considered a person?"
...
When we returned to Qiyun Pavilion, the sun was high in the morning, and the wind was still and the flowers were frozen.
Cui Ying entered the room wearing a flower wreath, bringing with her the fragrance of flowers. She was so hot that she didn't even bother to give any orders. She picked up the mutton-fat porcelain pot that held plum juice and drank half of it from the spout, which finally relieved her heat.
Xiao Qiyu was still sitting behind his desk, his white undergarment contrasting with his pale face and light-colored lips, making him appear more scholarly than a typical scholar. He seemed lost in thought, not turning a single page of the scrolls, his eyes dark and deep, like the glare of a lurking beast.
Cui Ying guessed that he hadn't noticed her, so she tiptoed over and suddenly yelled "Wow!" to startle him.
But Xiao Qiyu merely glanced at her and uttered two words indifferently: "Boring."
Deep in his eyes, Cui Ying's current appearance was reflected.
A young woman in the prime of her life, dressed in a flowing red dress, her black hair adorned with a vibrant floral wreath, beneath which her eyes sparkled and her lips curved into a slight smile.
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Author's note: From now on, when the young couple is enjoying the gossip and watching the drama unfold... [glasses emoji]
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