Xu Rong said she had said enough, but for several days in a row, she couldn't help but steal glances at Xiao Xin.
She would look at him when they went to pay their respects, she would look at him while eating, and she would even ponder his back as he left the house.
This was an unexpected turn of events, one she had never anticipated, and one she did not wish for to happen. To dispel this ominous feeling, she even took the opportunity to visit Mr. Wei.
Wei was surprised and delighted by her arrival, and even a little overwhelmed by the honor. She offered her a seat, poured tea, and brought out two plates of fruit. Xu Rong noticed that her situation was a little different; these things were all done by a maid.
Xu Rong didn't think that Lady Wei would take the initiative to discipline the maid, so such a change could only have been brought about by Xiao Xin.
When the master establishes himself, the servants' attitudes will naturally change, sometimes without needing to do anything special.
What hadn't changed was Wei Shi; she still didn't seem aggressive at all. Xu Rong picked topics to chat with her, and she responded gently to whatever he asked.
What does Auntie do every day?
"Do some needlework."
He took out the several handkerchiefs he had just finished embroidering and showed them to her. They were really well embroidered, the kind that could be sold. Xu Rong praised them a few times, and Wei Shi smiled shyly: "They're not as good as you say. I used to sit still and embroider for half a day, and it was only enough to supplement my household income."
Xu Rong's heart skipped a beat. It turned out that Madam Wei had actually sold embroidery before, but after she entered the Marquis's mansion, under the control of Madam Xiao, it was unlikely that these things would be able to circulate again. It could only have happened when she was still a commoner.
"How is things at your aunt's house?" Xu Rong asked.
Speaking of which, the Emperor wiped out Aunt Ruan's entire family, but not the Wei family. Yet, no one has ever mentioned it, as if Lady Wei had no family at all.
Xu Rong had never paid attention to this issue before, but now she felt it was necessary to learn about it.
Madam Wei lowered her head and put the handkerchief back in its place: "I don't know if it's good or not. My younger brother is a troublemaker. Not long after I got married, he caused trouble again. My parents were afraid that he would be beaten to death by a nobleman, so they took him back to their old home in the countryside."
"Didn't you receive the email?"
She asked a lot of questions, but Madam Wei just gently shook her head: "They can't even read, how can they write letters? Besides, I'm a daughter. Once I'm married, I'm like spilled water, I'm no longer considered a member of the Wei family."
It sounds like there's no problem.
Xu Rong nodded slowly, feeling something unusual: Wei Shi's actions were not casually done. Families that could send their daughters to the Marquis's mansion as concubines usually had some ambition to climb the social ladder. If Sister-in-law Zhi Tao hadn't been stopped by the man, she would have tried to take advantage of the situation even though she knew it was a dead end.
The Wei family, however, has managed to refrain from contact for so many years.
Unless they know that Lady Wei fell out of favor soon after entering the household, given her personality, there's no point in expecting her to actively fight for any benefits; even if they associate with her, it won't make a difference.
From this perspective, it makes sense.
Xu Rong kept these thoughts to herself, without showing any emotion on her face, and didn't ask any more questions. This wasn't a place where she could keep secrets; she didn't want to cause trouble by asking questions that were already in the open.
She sat for a while longer, chatted about other topics for a bit, then said goodbye and turned her attention to Xiao Shan and Xiao Yi.
These two people could be seen most of the time when they paid their respects. Xu Rong looked at Xiao Shan first. Her appearance was very obviously inherited from Aunt Ruan. The resemblance was so great that she even looked a bit like Madam Wei. From head to toe, she had no trace of Lord Xiao.
She's a young woman, which is normal.
Xu Rong looked at Xiao Yi again. Xiao Yi didn't have the traditional look of Marquis Xiao Lun. He also resembled Aunt Ruan and had a chin that looked a lot like Xiao Xin's.
Xu Rong actually knew all of this before, but she never expected that one day these obvious appearances would become a great mystery in front of her.
...That's good.
Everyone is a suspect; apart from Xiao Lun, anyone could have delivered a cuckolding blow to Lord Xiao.
At this point, Xu Rong actually breathed a sigh of relief, because by reverse deduction, Xiao Xin's suspiciousness level dropped to one-third.
Lord Xiao was indeed a terrible father, but Xiao Xin truly couldn't bear the consequences of losing him. If there were any problems with his bloodline, everything he had could be wiped out, including the academic achievements he had earned entirely through his own hard work.
This is the cruelty of the evil feudal society.
Another cruel aspect is that once a girl grows up, she must get married.
That year, Xiao Shan turned seventeen.
She still couldn't find a husband.
As far as Xu Rong knew, Lord Xiao had been working hard for her. He couldn't find a suitable match in the capital, so he went to places outside the capital to find one. However, Xiao Shan was unwilling to marry far away. Her emotions became increasingly unstable. Just this morning, when she paid her respects, she even cried in front of Madam Xiao.
Madam Xiao ignored her, preoccupied with her own thoughts, and after a few sarcastic remarks, she chased her away.
Xu Rong followed her out, but she seemed preoccupied and glanced at Xiao Shan again. Xiao Shan, still sobbing, followed her back to the North Courtyard.
Xu Rong had no choice but to serve her tea and fruit.
Xiao Shan had no appetite and clutched her handkerchief, complaining sadly, "They said they cared for me, but it was all a lie, boohoo..."
Xu Rong offered a perfunctory reassurance: "Young lady, how could that be? The Marquis and your concubine both love you the most."
Whenever Xiao Shan was lazy and didn't pay her respects or arrived late, Lord Xiao would personally speak up when he found out. This treatment was much better than that of Xiao Lun.
"What do you know?" Xiao Shan retorted, unappreciating the sentiment, and even she started complaining, "Now that Second Brother is successful, of course everything is going smoothly for you, but me, boohoo..."
She started crying again.
Xu Rong silently popped a fruit into his mouth and ate it, then glanced at her twice.
Actually, she found it a bit strange because Xiao Shan had previously hinted at her feelings for Xu Huazhang rather subtly. She had blocked her twice, but since Xiao Shan hadn't explicitly stated it, she had saved face, and the matter gradually faded away.
The combined effect of Xiao Shan's favoritism, Aunt Ruan's influence, and Lord Xiao's bias seems to be far more destructive than just this.
"It's all fake, boohoo..." Xiao Shan started muttering again, crying her heart out.
Xu Rong wanted to test her a bit, but if she responded, the conversation would inevitably lead to her marriage, which would involve Xu Huazhang, thus getting herself into trouble. After weighing the options, Xu Rong had no choice but to give up.
Finally, Xiao Shan cried herself out and stopped, but she still lingered and didn't want to leave. She spent most of the day at Xu Rong's place until Xiao Xin returned.
Xiao Xin was only a year older, but his prestige among his younger siblings seemed to have doubled. As soon as he entered the room, he glanced coldly at Xiao Shan's face, and Xiao Shan couldn't sit still any longer. She grabbed her soaked handkerchief, stood up, and took her leave.
As Xu Rong watched her brush past Xiao Xin, her thoughts were stirred again, and she couldn't help but take another look at the two of them. Of course, she could only see Xiao Shan's back, and most of her gaze fell on Xiao Xin.
Xiao Xin placed the examination basket on the table and sat down.
He has already passed the preliminary exam results; today is the second round of exams.
Xu Rong stared at him for a while, then suddenly realized—she was staring at him again!
It's still that straightforward and misleading viewpoint.
But you can't entirely blame her. He didn't remind her, and he even showed it to her right under her nose. How could she not look?
This is practically entrapment.
Xu Rong turned his eyes away in vain and pushed the teacup towards him: "Second Young Master, have some tea."
He then feigned disbelief, asking, "Second Young Master, did your exam go well today?"
Xiao Xin sipped his tea and nodded, "Mm."
His behavior was much more normal than Xu Rong's—although it was actually abnormal, how could he not ask or react in this situation? But Xu Rong didn't want to think too much about it, and she was also afraid that he would ask, because if he did, she wouldn't be able to answer.
Blood ties are the most important bond between people, and to doubt that someone is not their biological child is the most serious humiliation.
Even the closest relationships shouldn't be asked lightly, especially since she and Xiao Xin weren't that close.
Several more days passed in a blur. In mid-April, the Changxing Marquis's residence, shrouded in an atmosphere of restlessness and gloom, finally received some uplifting good news: the results of the provincial examination were released, and Xiao Xin ranked first for the third time.
In other words, he achieved a grand slam in the "small three-crown" (a type of Chinese slam).
When Xu Rong found out, she felt it was a bit unreal: she was quite calm when Xiao Xin passed the preliminary examination, but this was the third time. She had passed the first two examinations and was expected to perform normally in the provincial examination. Who knew he would perform at the highest level again and pass the preliminary examination?!
When Xu Rong encouraged him before, he hadn't dared to boast so much.
Regardless of the reactions outside, the Marquis's residence was truly shaken.
From then on, Xiao Xin was a true scholar, and he began to enjoy privileges such as not having to kneel before the county magistrate—although he didn't have to kneel before, he earned it himself.
If you count the sons of powerful and wealthy families throughout the capital, you'll find quite a few like that.
Lord Xiao personally ordered a banquet to celebrate.
Previously, when Xiao Xin took the county and prefectural examinations, he did not receive this treatment; Lord Xiao merely summoned him for a few words. This time, it is clear that Lord Xiao truly values him.
In mid-April, a warm breeze was blowing. Lord Xiao and his wife, along with Chang Shuyin, who had not been seen much since her confinement, and Xiao Lun, were all present. Since it was a family banquet, Aunt Ruan and Madam Wei also came. They each got a seat at the lower end of the table. At first glance, it looked like a prosperous and lively family.
Lord Xiao was in good spirits and mood. During the meal, he encouraged Xiao Xin with several words and also mentioned that several colleagues had come to ask him for advice on raising children, asking how he managed to raise his two sons, one in literature and the other in martial arts, to be so outstanding.
This was a rare compliment from even Xiao Lun, which was unusual for Marquis Xiao, so Madam Xiao smiled faintly as well.
The atmosphere was harmonious, and Aunt Ruan smiled and said to Madam Wei beside her, "Sister, you've finally made it through. The second young master is promising, and he's married a capable wife. Life will only get better and better from now on."
“No, no,” Madam Wei waved her hands in a panic. “What am I? This is all the good fortune of the Marquis and his wife.”
She knew what was good for her, and Madam Xiao's face, which had been somewhat downcast, turned back to her original expression, and she glared at Aunt Ruan.
Ultimately, this is the real thorn in my side.
Unlike Madam Wei, Aunt Ruan seemed oblivious to Madam Xiao's glare. Instead, she patted Xiao Shan, who was sitting on her other side, and said affectionately, "I don't have my sister's good fortune. This girl, however, has always been a worry for me."
Xiao Shan felt a little uncomfortable and said reproachfully, "Auntie."
"On such a fine day, why are you saying such strange things?" Madam Xiao seized the opportunity to scold, "It's not like the Marquis hasn't put in a lot of effort for Shan'er. You all have high standards, looking down on this and that. Who can you blame?"
Her words were quite harsh, but Aunt Ruan held back her rebuttal. Instead, she smiled and said to Lord Xiao, who sat at the head of the table, "Madam is right. It's all our fault. Actually, there is a suitable marriage that is right in front of us. We only ask that Your Excellency and Madam give the word, and it will definitely be settled."
Xu Rong raised her eyes.
Madam Xiao was surprised. After waiting for a while, seeing that Lord Xiao did not respond, she said, "Which family is it? It must be a family with distinguished ancestors and virtuous lineage for generations."
Her words were sarcastic, but Aunt Ruan seemed oblivious, her smile widening as she said, "What Madam says is correct. If I say it, Madam will recognize it too."
She looked at Xu Rong, "Second Madam, your younger brother is about the same age as Shan'er, and they haven't discussed marriage yet this year, have they?"
Thump.
It was Ms. Wei who knocked over the cup. She hurriedly cleaned it up, then cast a worried glance over, but dared not speak.
Madam Xiao didn't have time to scold her; her gaze shifted back and forth between Aunt Ruan and Xu Rong, as if she hadn't figured out how to handle this unexpected situation.
Xu Rong smiled and replied, "Yes."
Her hand moved down, just in time to stop Xiao Xin from getting up and making trouble—but because she didn't expect Aunt Ruan to bring this up in this situation, she was distracted and didn't aim properly, and ended up pressing her hand hard on his thigh.
...It feels very solid.
I could also feel the movement of his muscles tensing up and then slowly calming down.
...
At once.
Vivid and striking.
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