The next day was special; it was the day the bride returned to her parents' home.
Xu Rong didn't care about Xiao Shan's side and got up early to go see Madam Xiao.
The homecoming ceremony was a necessary part of the visit. Xu Rong thought that Madam Xiao would have nothing to say. She had already noticed that Madam Xiao's daily attacks were mainly focused on the Ruan family—this did not mean that she was lenient with the Wei family, but rather that since the Wei family had voluntarily surrendered, Madam Xiao paid less attention to her defeated opponents.
Just as she was speaking to Xiao Xin, a maid came in and said to Madam Xiao, "Madam, the Fourth Young Master is ill, and the Marquis is urgently sending someone to summon the imperial physician."
Madam Xiao's attention immediately shifted to her: "Why are you sick? You were perfectly fine yesterday."
The maid said, "It seems that he kicked off the blankets at night and caught a cold. The Marquis reprimanded the wet nurse and the maid on night duty for this."
She gave a detailed account, and Lady Hou listened carefully before saying, "I understand, you may leave."
The maid bowed and took her leave. Xu Rong was about to follow her when Madam Xiao said, "Wait, I still have something to ask you."
Xu Rong then waited for her to ask.
"I heard that Shan went looking for you yesterday?"
Madam Xiao's attention to Consort Ruan's lineage is truly comprehensive. Xu Rong nodded: "Yes, the eldest young lady came to sit for a while."
Madam Xiao said slowly and deliberately, "She is willing to be on good terms with you. What have you been saying all this time?"
She asked bluntly, but there was no point in hiding it, so Xu Rong said, "The eldest young lady is kind enough to speak to the Marquis on behalf of the second young master so that he and the fourth young master can go to study under a master together."
Madam Xiao paused, her hand holding the teacup still. "Is that so?" She raised her eyes, looking at Xiao Xin with a strong sense of inquiry. "Such a good thing, I presume you've accepted?"
Xiao Xin remained silent and expressionless in front of his stepmother, only coldly replying, "No."
Madam Xiao was a little surprised, but she didn't let it go and looked at Xu Rong again: "And you?"
She wasn't the one asking for a degree or a tutor, so why was she chasing after her asking? Xu Rong's heart stirred. Unless Madam Xiao believed that Xiao Shan was after her, she could not give Xiao Shan the exchange conditions she needed.
Xu Rong smiled and met Madam Xiao's gaze: "Of course I'll listen to the Second Young Master. We shouldn't trouble the Eldest Miss like that. When we get back, I'll go and tell her to thank her for her kindness."
"No."
Madam Xiao picked up her teacup, her satisfaction evident in her eyes and brows. "Your mother must be waiting for you at home today as you return to your parents' home. You should go and do your important business. I'll send someone to talk to her about these trivial matters later."
Xu Rong glanced at Xiao Xin, and seeing that he didn't react, she didn't object and naturally agreed: "Then I'll trouble you, Madam."
Madam Xiao seemed to be in a good mood afterward, and did not make things difficult for them. She readily sent them away by carriage, and even gave them a few words of advice, telling them that it would be fine for them to stay at the Marquis of Ji'an's residence a little longer, and that they did not need to rush back.
After getting into the carriage and traveling for about the time it takes to eat a meal, Xin Cheng's excited voice rang out from outside: "Miss, we've arrived at our residence!"
Before anyone could respond, he called out again, "Young Master Marquis is waiting at the door; he must be missing the young lady!"
Xu Rong didn't think much of it while sitting in the car. It was a marriage within the same city, she was marrying a fake husband, and her family wasn't her real family either. There was nothing to be excited about. But after Xin Cheng, the little girl, made such a fuss, these three days seemed to have been a long time, like a long-awaited return. She couldn't help but shake her head and laugh.
It's kind of wonderful, you could say.
Xiao Xin sat beside him, his eyes unconsciously following the direction.
The interior of the car wasn't very bright, and the curtains swayed slightly, allowing a few rays of sunlight to sneak in and dart into her slightly curved lips. The shadows outlined her delicate features, and the interplay of light and shadow created a captivating beauty that was hard to look away from and impossible to look away from.
"Sister, sister!"
Suddenly, a loud voice shouted from under the car, "I've come to pick you up! Were you bullied by someone?"
With his shout, the vehicle jolted and then came to a stop.
Xu Rong laughed and lifted the carriage curtain first: "What nonsense are you talking about? Nobody is bullying me."
Then he looked down at Xu Huazhang and saw that he was in good spirits, with his arms and legs intact and waving excitedly. It seemed that he hadn't caused any trouble.
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xin nimbly jumped down and waited by the car. Bai Fu came over to help Xu Rong out of the car, but Xu Huazhang looked around and became dissatisfied. He said to Xiao Xin, "Why didn't you help my sister?"
Newlyweds should be loving and affectionate; don't assume he doesn't understand just because he's not married yet.
"Brother Zhang—"
Xu Rong was both amused and exasperated. She tried to stop him, but before she could speak, Xiao Xin's arm reached out to her.
Her palms were outstretched, looking steady and strong, but Xiao Xin's eyes didn't look at her. Instead, they drooped downwards, and his lips were slightly pursed. Beneath his indifferent expression, there was a subtle unease.
In Xu Rong's mind, shaking hands was no big deal. She paused for a moment, thinking that he was probably just putting on an act to avoid conflict with Brother Zhang, so she readily placed her hand in his palm and was helped out of the car by his strength.
Believe it or not, although he was thin, men and women are naturally stronger, and he was better at supporting people than the maids.
Xu Huazhang was satisfied, with a look of triumph on his face.
Xu Rong suppressed a laugh and scolded him, "What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to greet someone?"
Xu Huazhang scratched his head, looking awkward, but still obediently addressed Xiao Xin as "Brother-in-law."
Xiao Xin paused for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "--Hmm."
After the family reunion, the group walked through the side gate into the mansion.
Madam Xu was already waiting at the main gate of the courtyard. Upon seeing Xu Rong, she immediately displayed her life's greatest skill—crying.
Xu Rong couldn't cooperate with this, so he could only hand her a handkerchief. Madam Xu cried until both her and Xu Rong's handkerchiefs were soaked, and her emotions finally calmed down.
She started asking a barrage of questions, nothing more than how she was doing at the Marquis of Changxing's residence, whether she had been mistreated by Madam Xiao, whether she had been bullied by others, and whether Xiao Xin treated her well.
Xu Rong only reported good news—reporting bad news to Madam Xu was useless; besides crying, she was lucky if she didn't cause any trouble.
Xiao Xin couldn't get a word in edgewise as the mother and daughter talked, and he had nothing to say. After sitting there silently for a while, Xu Huazhang, who had been listening, couldn't stand it any longer and stood up, saying, "Mother, it's so boring for you and sister to talk about these things. I think even brother-in-law is getting bored. Why don't we go and talk about our own things?"
He reached out, grabbed Xiao Xin, and left.
He didn't like listening to gossip, and Madam Xu couldn't control him. She raised her voice and gave him a few words of advice, but seeing that the two of them had quickly walked away, she had no choice but to sit back down.
“Your younger brother is more sensible than before,” Madam Xu said to Xu Rong. “I just hope he stays this way, so I can ask someone to help him find a wife.”
This is truly a loving mother; as long as her son stops climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles, he's an exceptionally well-behaved child.
Returning to the Marquis of Ji'an's residence was certainly more comfortable. Xu Rong leaned back against the soft cushions and casually asked, "What kind of daughter-in-law does Mother want?"
“The first requirement is composure,” Madam Xu said without hesitation, clearly having already considered it, “someone who can control your brother and prevent him from fooling around with him.”
"Next, her appearance must be decent. I don't expect her to be a stunning beauty, but at least she should be to your brother's liking, so that he won't be so unruly and always want to run away."
Xu Rong nodded, both of these points were reasonable, showing that Madam Xu could be clear-headed at times: "Anything else? Are there any requirements regarding family background?"
"They're probably similar to our family. People like us wouldn't marry outside our social circle anyway."
Madam Xu's so-called circle is actually the circle of nobles and hereditary lords.
Xu Rong shook his head slightly. The requirements had suddenly become too high, which was equivalent to having no shortcomings in any aspect. Whether it was possible to be so lucky was another matter. The problem was that Xu Huazhang did have a shortcoming—his reputation was not very good.
That last incident escalated to the point that he was even imprisoned in the county jail. Although it wouldn't exactly leave a criminal record, it would still make a decent family uneasy.
Upon seeing this, Madam Xu's anger subsided—she wasn't entirely without guilt to begin with, but she steeled herself and said, "A less prestigious family background is acceptable, but she must be a legitimate daughter; I absolutely do not want a daughter born out of wedlock!"
Xu Rong raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Mother, are you saying this to me?"
Xiao Xin was a son born out of wedlock.
She doesn't judge people by this standard, but Xiao Xin himself wouldn't be completely indifferent. If Madam Xu were to be foolish enough to show such disdain in front of him, it wouldn't be asking for trouble.
Madam Xu realized what was happening and quickly said, "Rong'er, I didn't mean that at all—I won't say it again from now on!"
She carefully explained, "Xiao Erlang's background is decent. What I'm talking about are those second-rate families. If your own family is just average, what kind of concubines will you take? Although it is said that the legal mother raises the child together, daughters are more or less like their mothers. Your brother has inherited the title, so he can't be treated so unfairly."
That makes sense. Xu Rong asked, "Then it's fine if Mother approves of a concubine's daughter?"
Madam Xu: "..." She struggled for a while, and then Xu Rong picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it back down. Only then did she whisper, "It would be best if it were the legitimate daughter. The order doesn't matter."
Xu Rong understood; she was just being generous in words but didn't actually want to suffer any loss.
“Zhang Ge’er is still young. It will take two or three years for Mother to inquire about him slowly.” Xu Rong said, but still added on behalf of Xu Huazhang, “Zhang Ge’er already has a title. He doesn’t need to climb the social ladder. The most important thing when choosing a wife is that he likes her and is willing to marry her.”
Madam Xu was pleased to see that she was thinking of her brother, and quickly said, "That's right. I asked him too, but he couldn't tell me."
Then there's no need to rush. Xu Rong sat up slightly. Madam Xu's mention of concubines reminded her of her own situation, so she asked, "Mother, are you aware of the matter concerning the two concubines in the Xiao family?"
Although Madam Xu is unreliable, she is still quite old. She came from the same era as Marquis Xiao and Madam Xiao, and she might know things that the young maids can't explain.
Madam Xu looked bewildered: "What's wrong? Did someone try to trip you up?"
She became nervous, and Xu Rong said, "No, I'm just wondering why they look so alike."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu relaxed, saying with a mix of realization and disdain, "Isn't this all the work of Marquis Xiao?"
She actually knew.
Xu Rong was slightly speechless: "Mother, you knew about something so important but didn't tell me."
"Is it serious?" Madam Xu was still confused. "Xiao Erlang's birth mother is easy to deal with, she shouldn't be able to make things difficult for you. The other one, Madam Ruan, is formidable, but she has nothing to do with you. Let her fight with Madam Xiao. Besides, it all happened so many years ago. It caused quite a stir back then, but nobody mentions it anymore."
Taking advantage of Xiao Xin's absence, Xu Rong quickly approached her: "Mother, tell me now."
Madam Xu didn't hide anything, saying, "Those things happened almost twenty years ago. The Xiao and Zhang families had only been united by marriage for a short time, and the scale of that wedding is still unmatched to this day—"
She spoke without getting to the point, spending a great deal of time describing the grand event of the marriage between the top wealthy families. Xu Rong listened patiently, afraid of missing any useful information, without interrupting her, until she finally got back to the point: "Alas, who knew that the good times wouldn't last long? Not long after the marriage, Lord Xiao wanted to take a concubine."
"The woman I took in was from a respectable family. It's absurd to say, but I spotted her on the street and followed her home. After getting acquainted with her, I came back and confronted Madam Xiao."
"How could Madam Xiao agree? But she also has her faults. She has been in the household for more than half a year and has not let Lord Xiao encounter a single other woman. She has even dismissed the original maids for him. Lord Xiao did not say anything before, but now that he wants to make a decision for himself, she cannot say anything that she will definitely object."
"I don't know the details of the discussion inside, but after a period of back and forth, we still managed to bring that respectable woman back."
Xu Rong understood: "Is she the second young master's birth mother?"
So that's how Mrs. Wei entered the house.
Madam Xu nodded.
"And what about Aunt Ruan?"
“That would be even more absurd,” Madam Xu shook her head.
Xu Rong believed these words. If Madam Xu could agree to let her daughter marry her brother, it was absurd. It must have been truly absurd.
Madam Xu continued, "That happened less than a year after Lord Xiao took Lady Wei as his concubine. He then took another concubine, Lady Ruan. Do you know who Lady Ruan is? She was the daughter of a disgraced official whose family had committed a crime and was to be sent to the brothel!"
Xu Rong suddenly felt the name was familiar—after a moment she remembered that Bai Fu had mentioned it before, but not in such detail.
Then, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, she no longer needed to listen to Madam Xu and asked directly, "Is this Ruan Shi the one that Lord Xiao truly loves? Did Concubine Wei only catch Lord Xiao's eye and get taken in because she looks like Ruan Shi?"
Madam Xu nodded repeatedly: "That's right. Who would have thought at the time? Everyone thought that Lord Xiao had fallen in love with Madam Wei at first sight. When Madam Xiao found out, she was so angry that she was dumbfounded—I don't know exactly how angry she was, but she didn't leave the house for a long time."
That must have been incredibly frustrating.
The husband had already caused enough trouble by bringing home a woman he liked, but little did he know that it was just a smokescreen, and that true love was hidden behind it all.
A barrage of attacks.
Lady Wei suffered a similar fate; no wonder she fell out of favor. Once true love entered the family, she was relegated to the sidelines.
From being favored by Lord Xiao to entering his household to falling out of favor, it was less than a year. She probably hadn't even recovered yet. Originally just a commoner woman, she retained that timidity.
Madam Xu's assessment of Madam Wei was similar: "I've never heard her cause any trouble. She's always been well-behaved. When Madam Ruan was about to enter the house, Madam Xiao took her anger out on her. Madam Wei was pregnant at the time and was punished to the point of premature labor, but she just let it pass without saying a word."
Xu Rong exclaimed in surprise, "What?"
This crossed her line, and she pressed, "Is that the second young master? Was he born prematurely?"
Madam Xu nodded: "It was very dangerous at the time. It was because of this that Madam Xiao was suspected of plotting to harm her husband's offspring. In the end, she had no choice but to give in and let Madam Ruan into the family."
Madam Xu wasn't a good storyteller, but by piecing together her fragmented narratives, Xu Rong could still imagine the fierce power struggle within the Changxing Marquis's household back then.
I'm afraid the sky above the mansion is shrouded in a layer of blood.
**
Most of the time spent returning home was spent listening to Madam Xu's stories, something Xu Rong hadn't expected. Her only consolation was that she hadn't directly asked Xiao Xin yesterday; that would have been like dancing on his sore spot, every step hitting a painful point.
After having lunch at the Marquis of Ji'an's residence and resting for a while, they began their journey home.
Xu Huazhang had been with Xiao Xin the whole time, and it was unclear how they got along. When Xu Huazhang returned, he was quite happy and said to Xu Rong, "Sister, brother-in-law has agreed that I can visit you anytime I want."
Xu Rong nodded, and she couldn't help but look at Xiao Xin.
She looks quite good—she's a bit thin, but not weak.
She finally felt a little better.
They traveled in silence. Xu Rong didn't really want to talk, and Xiao Xin was quiet to begin with. The two returned to the Changxing Marquis's residence amidst the rumbling of the wheels.
When they got off the carriage inside the side gate, Xiao Xin got off first, then turned around and extended his hand to her.
His movements were so natural that Xu Rong originally wanted to say that since Xu Huazhang wasn't supervising them, they didn't need his help, but when she saw his eyelashes flutter twice in the sunset, she didn't want to say anything for some reason.
Why bother with such trivial matters?
She placed her hand in his palm, palms touching, and he helped her down.
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