Chapter 24 If you know you'll offend someone, then don't say anything.
Although the matter between Zhou and her daughter was unpleasant, fortunately it wasn't brought up at the full moon celebration banquet.
The next morning, Zhou and her daughter were put on a carriage to return to the Li family.
Zhao Xian waved with a smile: "Mother-in-law, remember the date in three months."
Because of the slap she received yesterday, both Mrs. Zhou and her daughter wore veils.
The veil was thin, covering Zhou's cheeks but not her weariness.
The more cheerful they were when they arrived, the more indifferent and defeated they are now. They can't even muster the strength to stay upright; they're like wilted eggplants, completely deflated.
Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Madam Zhou still raised her eyes and glared at her, her anger instantly gathering: "You also remember, you promised me you wouldn't spread those things."
Zhao Xian shook her head. "I didn't agree. Whether these things get out depends entirely on what my mother-in-law does. If you think it through, everyone will be fine. If you don't, those few thin pages of paper can cause trouble for everyone."
Zhao Xian met Zhou's furious gaze with calm eyes, and Zhou finally gave in first, "The dowry that has already been used..."
"Discount, not a penny less."
Zhou choked, her breathing became heavier, and she finally stopped struggling.
Mrs. Zhou loved her daughter, and she also had a ten-year-old son; she dared not risk a fight to the death.
Li Lianniang handed the clothes she had made for her brother and father to the servants of the Jiang family who were accompanying her, and then looked at Zhou Shi and her younger sister from the Li family.
"May my mother and sister rest in peace. When my sister gets married in the future, please let me know in advance so I can prepare a dowry and won't have to see her off."
--
As soon as Zhou and her daughter left, Zhao Xian felt as if she had fulfilled some long-held wish, and her whole body relaxed.
The feeling of comfort was indescribable.
As she turned to walk toward the sedan chair, she suddenly paused for a moment.
Li Lianniang, who was supporting her, stopped when she noticed what was wrong and asked, "Mother, what's wrong?"
Zhao Xian shook her head.
Is Jiang Liangxu some kind of femme fatale? First, there was Princess Rongyang who couldn't forget him, and then there was that scandalous gossip from over a decade ago.
Could it be that there are other women who are after him?
Aren't his two sons the main characters?
Noticing her mother-in-law looking at her, Li Lianniang smiled and asked, "Mother, do you have any instructions?"
Zhao Xian turned her head back. She had tried, but she couldn't remember Jiang Liangxu's face; it was very blurry.
I wanted to ask, but it felt strange.
The original owner's memories seemed to have a built-in scanner; they would only trigger certain events precisely when the owner was looking at someone.
Some also have hidden attributes that peripheral characters cannot trigger.
This is quite troublesome; who knows whether you'll encounter a human or a ghost next time.
Seeing her mother-in-law staring at her again, Li Lianniang widened her eyes and asked, "Hmm?"
"...Isn't the housekeeper tired?" This thought, reminiscent of the female protagonist in a tragic novel, popped up again.
Li Lianniang shook her head subconsciously, then suddenly seemed to realize something and lowered her voice: "I'll go back and get the storeroom key and bring it to you, Mother."
It turns out that her mother put her in charge of the household to support her, but now that her stepmother has left, she should know better.
Zhao Xian was confused: "Why are you giving this to me? You, the housekeeper, should take it."
"Isn't Mother going to take back my power to manage the household?"
When did I say that?
Li Lianniang pursed her lips and gave an embarrassed smile, "It's my misunderstanding, daughter-in-law."
Zhao Xian sighed, "We're family. We should speak frankly and not speculate. You're not a mind reader, so how would you know what others are thinking? Not speaking clearly can easily cause trouble, conflicts, and misunderstandings."
Zhao Xian patted her hand and said earnestly, "If you have any complaints, are unhappy, or feel uncomfortable, you should speak up, no matter how big or small it is. You can't wait for others to understand. What if you encounter a stupid person who will never understand?"
The core of angst-filled stories is that they don't say anything, expecting the other person to understand on their own, which is utter nonsense.
"Pfft." Li Lianniang was amused by the last sentence.
Holding Zhao Xian's hand, Li Lianniang naturally leaned her head on Zhao Xian's shoulder.
Since their last close encounter, she no longer felt distant from her mother-in-law; on the contrary, she was even more willing to get closer to her.
"Your daughter-in-law will follow your teachings. Then please don't complain about your nagging in the future."
It's not that she doesn't want to speak up, it's that no one has ever told her these things. Her feelings have never been important; no one is willing to listen, and no one cares.
Over time, she stopped knowing how to express herself.
Zhao Xian thought for a moment and then reminded her, "Get to the point."
Enough with the nonsense.
Stop spouting useless nonsense like "I didn't" or "It wasn't me."
--
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned to Haitang Residence, where Cui Tingyue came to pay her respects; they had been waiting for a while.
Knowing they had returned from outside, they greeted them at the door and asked, "Where did Mother and Sister-in-law go?"
"Go and see your sister-in-law's mother and sister off."
The servants had been warned about what happened in Jiang Wei's study yesterday and had not spread the word.
Sending Zhou and her group away sooner will save us some trouble.
Before she could even catch her breath after entering the house, Li Lianniang began her report: "Mother, there are several new fabrics this year, which are light and comfortable. The nanny reminded us that we need to start preparing for the summer clothes at least two months in advance, and I have already instructed the embroidery workshop to begin production."
Li Lianniang now talks about the Jiang family all the time, interspersed with things related to Jiang Shuxiu.
Zhao Xian nodded as she flipped through the account books: "Not bad, you'll be able to handle things on your own soon."
Although Zhao Xian had handed over the management of the household to Li Lianniang, she was a novice and liked to consult with Granny He and Zhao Xian on everything.
The two then discussed the matter of hosting banquets at the homes of several high-ranking officials and presenting gifts.
Cui Tingyue was unusually quiet today. Usually, although she doesn't interrupt, she listens attentively, but today she was often lost in thought.
Li Lianniang reached out and nudged her arm: "What are you thinking about? I've called you several times."
Cui Tingyue snapped out of her reverie, lowered her eyelids, and nervously touched the embroidered words on the handkerchief with her fingers. "No, I wasn't thinking about anything. I just didn't get enough rest last night."
Li Lianniang: "You do look unwell. Why don't you go back to Zhuqin Garden to rest?"
Cui Tingyue neither nodded nor shook her head, rubbing her fingers together, revealing her inner turmoil.
Li Lianniang immediately applied what Zhao Xian had taught her to Cui Tingyue: "What's wrong? Just say it. We're family, is there anything we can't talk about? Tell me and your mother can help you make a decision."
Upon hearing the words "family," Cui Tingyue pursed her lips, opened the handkerchief in her hand, and a string of bells shaped like lilies of the valley appeared. She looked up at the two of them and said, "Mother, sister-in-law, I want to apologize to you."
Li Lianniang had never seen this string of bells before and was puzzled: "Why is this? You haven't done anything wrong, why are you apologizing?"
Her mother-in-law asked her to take Cui Tingyue with her to manage the household, but at first Li Lianniang was resistant and unwilling.
But as she spent more time with Cui Tingyue, they got along better and better, and the initial barriers between them were long gone.
Cui Tingyue also helped her a lot in managing the Jiang family affairs; they cooperated very well.
Holding the bell, Cui Tingyue said, "This is the heirloom my father gave me. Last time I thought I had lost it outside, so I asked my elder brother to take me out to look for it, but it has always been in the mansion."
Zhao Xian raised an eyebrow slightly, lying.
She clearly had her maid return it to her last night, only saying that it was found in the eldest young master's study, concealing the fact that it was hidden in the scroll jar.
Cui Tingyue bowed and said sincerely, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry for hurting you before. I want to apologize to you."
Her apology left not only Zhao Xian bewildered, but also Li Lianniang bewildered.
Li Lianniang went to help the person, while Zhao Xian looked puzzled.
Cui Tingyue refused to get up.
Seeing the younger sister of the Li family rush into her older brother's arms, she suddenly thought of all the trouble she had caused her older brother in the past, and wondered what her sister-in-law would think.
She didn't realize anything was wrong when she was in the middle of it, nor did she think she had overstepped her bounds with her elder brother. She only knew Jiang Wei in the Jiang family, so she could only look for him, right?
Stepping outside of the incident, when she looked back, she saw that her sister-in-law was pregnant at the time, yet she asked her elder brother to take her to light the eternal lamp for her father and brothers.
Couldn't she ask the guards to go herself?
He also caused his sister-in-law to have a difficult childbirth because he took the female doctor with him.
Her older brother comforted her when she first arrived, addressing her nightmares and fear of blood.
The more Cui Tingyue thought about it, the more ashamed she felt.
And then there's the matter of these bells. She, an unmarried girl, bypassed the matriarch of the household to find the young master of the mansion to take her out.
"Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so selfish, I'm so sorry..."
"Godmother, Tingyue really lost her mind before, please forgive Tingyue."
Zhao Xian and Li Lianniang looked at each other, wondering why they had suddenly started crying.
Beautiful people look good even when they cry, and their tears soften people's hearts, prompting them to comfort them repeatedly.
Zhao Xian was filled with questions; this wasn't right.
Shouldn't she be the one to doubt Jiang Wei and then demystify him?
How come she started repenting after her belongings were taken back?
"Good girl, don't cry." Zhao Xian got up and hugged Cui Tingyue, gently patting her back.
"Mother, mother——"
The atmosphere inside the house was somber, while outside, a sound like a pig being slaughtered rang out.
Cui Tingyue hurriedly pulled away from Zhao Xian's embrace and wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief.
Li Lianniang helped her up and said, "Go to the tea room and wash your face."
As soon as the two left, Jiang Heng rushed up to Zhao Xian: "Mother, shouldn't you go to the Lu family to propose marriage?"
"No rush..."
"urgent."
"This matter..."
"This is great! The horoscopes are even compatible. You can't delay too long; it'll damage Yingying's reputation. Let's hurry, let's do it today. It's an auspicious day for the proposal."
He interrupted Zhao Xian as soon as she opened her mouth, so she simply stopped talking and watched him talk to himself, slowly blowing on his teacup.
"Mother, why are you not saying anything? Are you regretting it? You and Father both thought the Lu family had a good family background and traditions before, why have you changed your mind now?"
"I happen to be on my day off and have some free time at home, let's go, let's go, let's go."
Granny He reminded him from the side, "Second Young Master, you must let Madam speak first, you can't keep interrupting her."
Jiang Heng immediately stood up straight. "Mother, please speak."
Zhao Xian glanced at him and asked, "Aren't you going to interrupt me?"
Jiang Heng shook his head.
"Let's not rush into proposing marriage."
After Zhao Xian finished speaking, she waited a while. Although Jiang Heng frowned, he did not interrupt her again before continuing, "Come with me to Guluo Temple. We will discuss the marriage proposal when we get back."
Huguo Temple is not a place that just anyone can go to. In addition, I have already consulted Master Lingkong to have my birth chart checked, so it is not appropriate for me to go there again.
In the vicinity of Jin'an, apart from the royal national temple Huguo Temple, Guluo Temple is the most popular temple with the most incense offerings.
Jiang Heng didn't understand: "Why? We can propose marriage first and then go to Guluo Temple."
Zhao Xian shifted her gaze from Jiang Heng's face to his shoulder: "Yesterday, while chatting with some wives of officials, I heard something. The heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion was beaten, and the Prefect of Jin'an is sending people everywhere to search for the assailant."
Recalling the day he came back, she punched him lightly. Although he cried out "Ouch!" at the time, he just laughed it off.
If it were the Jiang Heng of my memory, he would have screamed and howled in an exaggerated manner, causing the original person to feel pain in his body.
Something unusual must be going on.
Jiang Heng said dismissively, "He must have offended someone. The heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan is used to running rampant in Jin'an and is often impeached by the censors. This time he was beaten, so he may have kicked a hornet's nest."
"Oh, that iron plate is quite hard; it even dared to hit the heir of the Marquis's mansion."
Jiang Heng shifted his body slightly to avoid his mother's gaze on his shoulder. "Why did you suddenly decide to go to Guluo Temple, Mother?"
Knowing he was changing the subject, Zhao Xian went along with it, saying, "Going to the temple is of course for praying for blessings. Your elder brother has to work and can't be free. The women in the household are going out, and you're on your day off at home. You're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, so why can't you go and escort them?"
"Go, go, go. Mother has said so, so we must go."
Without delay, Zhao Xian immediately instructed Granny He to tell the servants to pack their things.
Jiang Heng only has four days of rest, and this is already the third day; time is running out.
She also wanted to resolve the issue of the birth dates of the male and female leads in her sweet romance novel as soon as possible.
Furthermore, she wanted to find a way back. Since there was no chance in the Jiang family, she decided to see if there were any enlightened monks or similar figures who could offer her assistance.
"Peony, go ask Tingyue if she wants to come along. She went to light the eternal lamp for her family last time. I wonder if it's done yet. If it's not, then we can go together."
Jiang Wei had to go on duty, and it was uncertain whether he would be able to return from Guluo Temple today. Li Lianniang had to manage the affairs of the household, and Jiang Shuxiu was still young, so it was not convenient to take the child out. Therefore, there were no plans to take her out. Zhao Xian left He Mama to her.
To everyone's surprise, only Zhao Xian and Jiang Heng went out in the end; Cui Tingyue, with red eyes from crying, declined.
--
The Lu family, the chief secretary of the Privy Council.
Since hearing Zhao Xian mention yesterday that her son Xiao Jie had been engaged, Madam Lu has been troubled and increasingly resentful since returning to the Lu family.
Her Yingying is not bad, and has never done anything wrong. Even if Madam Jiang does not want to go through with this marriage, she should at least send someone to tell her the reason. What is the point of dragging it out like this?
After much thought, she decided to ask Madam Jiang for clarification. She couldn't let things remain so unclear and delay Madam Jiang from finding other suitable men for her daughter.
Unexpectedly, the servant who went to deliver the visiting card failed to deliver it and returned to report that he saw Madam Jiang and the Second Young Master Jiang leave for Guluo Temple.
"They went to Guluo Temple?" Madam Lu, who had been filled with worry, suddenly relaxed. "Quickly, prepare the carriage. We're going to Guluo Temple."
Turning her head, Madam Lu instructed the maid beside her, "Go and call Miss here. We're going to Guluo Temple to offer incense today."
She went to the door to ask questions, but others thought her daughter was desperate to get married, which made people look down on her.
But the situation was quite different outside; it was a chance encounter.
--
Guluo Temple is not too far from Jin'an, but it still took half an hour to travel by carriage.
Upon learning that she was a female relative of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the abbot of Guluo Temple personally came to greet her, saying, "Greetings, Benefactor Zhao."
"Greetings, Abbot." The original owner of this body was no stranger to Abbot Zhao Xian.
The original owner of this body would occasionally come to offer incense, and she was a generous pilgrim, considered one of the most distinguished customers of Guluo Temple.
However, she looked at the abbot in front of her for a while, but he didn't say anything profound or mysterious that she couldn't understand.
Their gaze was solely one of devotion.
Could it be that his cultivation level is insufficient to see that his soul has been transmigrated?
Zhao Xian glanced at Shaoyao, who understood and took out the sesame oil money she had prepared.
The abbot led me into the main hall, where I bowed to the Buddha statue of Shakyamuni and sprinkled some incense money into the donation box.
Zhao Xian dismissed Jiang Heng, took out a piece of Xuan paper with two birth dates written on it, and handed it to the abbot: "I would like to trouble the abbot to help me match these two birth dates. I need them urgently."
She deliberately emphasized the words "urgently needed".
The abbot clasped his hands together and said, "Please, Benefactor Zhao, come to the dining hall for some vegetarian food. I will reply to you this afternoon."
Peony was a little confused. Hadn't the birth dates of the Second Young Master and the Third Miss of the Lu family been matched?
Madam Lu arrived just in time and saw Zhao Xian handing the abbot something that looked like paper. She quickly put on a smile and said, "Madam Jiang? I just saw a carriage with the character 'Jiang' on it and wondered if it was you. What a coincidence!"
As they spoke, they reached Zhao Xian.
Lu Zhaoying curtsied and said, "Greetings, Madam Jiang."
"Madam Lu?" Zhao Xian was somewhat surprised to see the mother of the heroine from a sweet romance novel here.
Looking at Lu Zhaoying, who was bowing politely, she smiled and said, "What a coincidence, isn't it? We met here. My rascal is here too."
Lu Zhaoying called out to someone, and upon hearing her teasing tone, she lowered her head slightly in embarrassment.
Madam Lu was puzzled. It was clear that Zhao Xian did not dislike her daughter, and she did not seem to object to her son and Yingying.
But why...?
The abbot stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, a vegetarian meal has been prepared in the dining hall. Please come and have some."
When Jiang Heng returned and saw Lu Zhaoying, he was very surprised. Almost instantly, the joy in his eyes burst forth, and he couldn't hide it.
But he pretended to be mature and stepped forward to bow to Madam Lu: "This humble one, Jiang Heng, greets Madam Lu."
Mrs. Lu looked at her son-in-law with obvious satisfaction.
The group went to the dining hall together.
After the vegetarian meal, Jiang Heng and Lu Zhaoying disappeared.
Zhao Xian had read sweet romance novels, but she didn't care.
Madam Lu noticed this as well, and both sides tacitly remained silent.
Zhao Xian originally wanted to go back to her meditation room to rest and wait for the abbot to match her birth dates with her own.
But Madam Lu seemed to want to chat with her, and Zhao Xian didn't want to send her away.
We rambled on about a lot of nonsense.
Madam Lu could no longer hold back. "Madam Jiang, there's something I really have to say, even if it might offend someone. Please don't be angry."
Zhao Xian paused as she was about to serve tea, thinking: If you know you're going to offend people, then don't say it.
However, Madam Lu had already spoken: "What grievances do you have against the Lu family? Or is there something you're unhappy about with Yingying?"
This left Zhao Xian bewildered. "No, no."
"Since there isn't one, and the two children's horoscopes are compatible, why don't you send a matchmaker to propose marriage?"
Zhao Xian: "..."
Just then, a maidservant relayed a message: "Madam, there is a young monk outside the door. He says he has come to deliver something on the abbot's orders."
Zhao Xian turned her head and said, "Let the little master in."
A young monk of thirteen or fourteen years old entered the room, put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, the birth chart that Benefactor Zhao asked the master to match has been completed. This is the interpretation."
The young monk presented Zhao Xian with a folded piece of paper held in both hands.
Jiang Heng stepped into the house and asked, "What kind of birth charts are we matching?"
As he spoke, he snatched the divination slip from the little monk's palm and opened it. "Isn't this my and Yingying's birth charts? 'A perfect match made in heaven.' We really are a match made in heaven."
Jiang Heng's shamelessness made Lu Zhaoying, who was a step behind her when she entered the room, blush with embarrassment.
After saying that, Jiang Heng realized something was wrong, "Mother, didn't we check that Yingying and I were compatible according to our birth dates?"
It was sent to Huguo Temple to have Master Lingkong combine it, so why is it being combined again now?
Madam Lu was also surprised. "Madam Jiang, why is that?"
Zhao Xian glanced at Shaoyao, who saw the little monk out and then closed the door.
"Take a look for yourselves." With that, Zhao Xian took out a red booklet from her sleeve and placed it on the small table.
Now that she's discovered it, she doesn't need to hide it anymore.
Jiang Heng was quick-tempered and had a fast reaction time. He picked up the red booklet and opened it. Upon seeing the comments on it, he immediately said unhappily, "How is this possible? It's utter nonsense."
Zhao Xian picked up the cup of tea again, "This is Master Lingkong's interpretation of your birth dates."
Jiang Heng immediately retorted: "Impossible. Yingying showed me the annotation, and it clearly says 'A perfect match made in heaven,' just like this one."
Lu Zhaoying and Madam Lu were extremely curious about the comments on the red booklet.
Lu Zhaoying calmed Jiang Heng down, took the red booklet, and turned pale when she saw the comments on it. She then handed it to her mother, saying, "Mother."
“What a calamity…” Madam Lu quickly stopped speaking, but after looking at those words over and over, her eyes were full of doubt: “That’s not right, we also have Master Lingkong’s commentary, it’s not this one.”
Zhao Xian sat up straight and said seriously, "Is it on you? Let me see."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Red envelopes are dropping!
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