Chapter 21: Aunt Zhao's Deep Regret
The golden osmanthus in the yard was in full bloom, covering the ground with golden liquid. Yu Jing said she wanted to climb up and pick a flower for her sister-in-law. Yu Zhong and Chen Qi couldn't stop her, so they just looked up at her under the tree, afraid that she would fall.
Xie Yuduo is back.
"Yujing, you've climbed so high, are the flowers below not fragrant?"
"Second brother! The branches above are more beautiful!"
Seeing him coming, Shen Qi asked curiously, "Hey, didn't you say you wouldn't be back at noon?"
"Dad came over today and told us to go to my uncle's house later this afternoon to introduce you to some relatives, so I came back to tell you. Big sister, do you want to go?"
Yu Zhong smiled and said, "I haven't been to my uncle's house in the past few days since I came back. I'm going back to the provincial capital in two days. If I don't go today, my sister-in-law will scold me for being heartless the next time she sees me."
Xie Yuduo nodded, and seeing Yu Jing preparing to get down from the tree, he reached out to take it and asked her.
"Are you going then?"
The jade mirror slid safely from her brother's arms to the ground. She hugged the fragrant osmanthus branch and shook her head vigorously.
"I won't go! If I see that cousin-in-law Zhao, she'll tell me I'm ugly and not as pretty as my second sister!"
Chen Qi asked: "Aren't you going to your uncle's house? How come you met your aunt?"
Yu Zhong explained to her.
"That's my uncle's neighbor next door. My mother's family and our second aunt in the west courtyard are cousins, and we run into each other often, so I call her cousin."
Xie Yuduo frowned: "Why bother with that old dog? Our Jade Mirror is watching!"
Shen Qi glanced at him.
Over the past two days, he'd been incredibly gentle with Shen Qi, leading her to believe he was naturally good-tempered. But outside his room, he was indifferent to everyone, neither hot nor cold. Just as Old Lady Wu had said, he was a quiet man.
But even when facing someone as difficult as Second Aunt, I have never seen him speak such bad words.
Yu Zhong also shook his head and said with a smile, "This cousin's aunt is really annoying. When I was a child living at my uncle's house, she always compared me with her own daughter. I didn't expect that she wouldn't let me go even when she came to Yu Jing. Let's go early and come back early this afternoon, and try not to run into her."
My uncle lives in the suburbs of Pingshan County, which is a bit far away.
After lunch, Xie Yuduo drove the horse, and Chen Qi and Yu Zhong sat in the carriage together. It took about a meal time to arrive.
In the car, Yu Zhong carefully instructed Chen Qi.
"Our eldest uncle's surname is Lin. He runs a small business on the edge of town. He's my mother's only relative from her mother's side. In the early years, he was very close to our family. Even though my mother is gone, the two families still have a lot of contact.
My eldest sister-in-law is a nice person, but she's old and tends to nag. If she says something rash, don't take it personally. I also have a cousin at home named Baisheng, whom I haven't seen in several years.
Chen Qi nodded as she listened, taking it to heart.
My uncle's house is in an alley near the city gate. It's difficult for the carriage to enter, so we park it outside.
Perhaps it was because the father of the Xie family had already informed them, and Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin also anticipated their arrival, so they had prepared tea and welcomed them in.
Uncle Lin was about fifty or sixty years old. He took Xie Yuduo to the front yard to discuss business matters.
The eldest sister-in-law was also very affectionate. She took Chen Qi's hand and called her nephew's wife, and then took the eldest sister's hand and asked her about the recent situation of her children at home.
After sitting at home and talking for a while, the eldest sister asked, "Brother Baisheng is not at home, what are you busy with recently?"
"Oh, don't mention it! Ever since he grew up, he's been sent to your shop as a clerk, and he's also been selling things with your uncle, but he always felt he couldn't make enough money.
Two years ago, he went sailing with his friend, but he came back within half a year, saying he was exhausted. He stayed at home until the spring of this year, when he followed his neighbor to the north to sell grain. I don’t know when he will be back home yet. I’m really worried about him!”
The eldest sister-in-law sighed.
"Tell me, he and Duo'er grew up together, how come they are so different now?"
Yu Zhong comforted her: "Just wait for two more years and gain some experience, and you'll be fine."
"What worries me more is his marriage! He's two years older than Duo'er, and he's been to so many families, but he still hasn't found a good wife. Look at Duo'er, I heard he only went to one marriage, and now he's married such a great wife! It's truly rare!"
She turned to Chen Qi again.
"Daughter-in-law Duo, please help me keep an eye out for any good girls in your town. Someone like you would be fine. As long as she's good-looking, even if her family is poor, it doesn't matter. We won't despise her!"
Chen Qi looked at her elder sister's embarrassed expression and thought to herself that her elder sister was right. This Aunt Lin was really a nice person with a bad mouth and she didn't realize it. So she didn't argue and just smiled.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. My cousin is a well-traveled man, so I think his standards are high. You should be more selective. If the girl can't find a good match, it will be a big problem."
The sister-in-law thought that Chen Qi was really praising her son and kept on chattering. The elder sister couldn't stand it anymore, so she said that she had something to do at home, called Xie Yuduo, and prepared to go home.
Before they walked out of the alley, a woman about forty years old came towards them, grabbed Xie Yuduo and shouted.
"Hey, Erlang, you're here! You're a rare guest. I haven't seen you in years. Why don't you come over to my house and visit me?"
Seeing Xie Yuduo's impatient face, Chen Qi's elder sister's smile froze, and she guessed that this was the cousin Zhao who loved to praise people's ugliness.
Aunt Zhao held Xie Yuduo tightly and refused to let go, saying affectionate words, but her eyes never left Chen Qi. She looked her up and down twice, which made Chen Qi feel creepy.
"No wonder! Duo'er had such high standards, and finally married a wife who is both talented and beautiful. Look at her whole demeanor, she is not much different from the girls in our city! Take a closer look, she looks a bit like my third sister! Yuzhong, don't you think so? I said it a long time ago..."
Before she could finish, the eldest sister said, "Aunt, you must be seeing things. Third sister is not that fair, and she is not even as tall as my younger sister. How can they look alike?"
Chen Qi knew that her elder sister was a gentle and good-tempered person who seldom argued with others. It was already out of line for her to directly interrupt her elders, and she must be very angry.
Aunt Zhao felt a little embarrassed by Yu Zhong's criticism, and hurried to talk about other things, but she kept talking about Chen Qi's appearance.
Sometimes she praised Chen Qi for her good looks, and sometimes she said that other girls were not bad either. She also said that her third sister used to be very close to her cousins Xie Yuduo and Lin Baisheng, and they played together every day when they were young...
"I'm leaving. I have things to do at home."
Xie Yuduo didn't wait for the other person to finish speaking. He walked over and took Chen Qi's hand, and didn't let go until he helped her into the carriage.
Although the local people are simple and honest, it is still unusual for a couple to hold hands on the street.
Before her elder sister came over, Chen Qi asked quietly, "Why don't you wait for her to finish?"
Xie Yuduo frowned again.
"Why bother with her? She's full of nonsense."
Chen Qi glanced at him sideways, and he seemed to be open-minded.
In fact, when Chen Qi heard Aunt Zhao speak just now, she had tasted the taste of it——
Perhaps in her eyes, her third sister and Xie Yuduo were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match made in heaven.
Somehow, the two of them didn't get together, but Chen Qi got a great bargain, which Aunt Zhao deeply regretted.
Seeing Chen Qi coming today, I found some faults in her words to prove that—
"She is really not as good as my third sister."
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