Chapter 94 The wronged eldest brother
After the family banquet ended, everyone returned to their respective courtyards.
Li Lianniang did not ride in a sedan chair. As her pregnancy progressed, she would feel bloated after eating a little food. If she didn't walk around to digest, she would have trouble sleeping at night.
Jiang Wei drank some wine during the banquet, and then asked the wet nurse to take Jiang Shuxiu back first, while he accompanied Li Lianniang back slowly to digest their food.
Li Lianniang: "I've never heard my husband mention my grandfather before. I hope I didn't leave a bad impression on him today. What are his likes and dislikes? Tell me, my husband, so that the things I prepare won't offend him."
Now that she is in charge of the household, she needs to know the preferences and taboos of her family members in order to make proper arrangements.
My grandfather's return was sudden this time. Although all the courtyards were cleaned, the places that hadn't been lived in for a long time were still a bit deserted.
Seeing that she seemed very concerned, Jiang Wei said, "No, Grandfather is easygoing and won't blame you, don't worry."
Upon hearing the word "easygoing," Li Lianniang was not very convinced. He had scolded her father-in-law in front of everyone upon meeting him, which did not seem like the behavior of someone who was easygoing.
However, according to my mother, my grandfather said that because Jiang Wei and Jiang Heng got married too early.
This was the first time she had ever heard of a man being scolded for getting married too early.
"We don't mention my grandfather because he doesn't come back often. He spends most of his time traveling. It's said that when my father was young, he was only traveling in the State of Jin. After my parents got married, he went far away, even to neighboring countries. It was common for us not to see him for several years. It seems like my second brother and I last saw him seven or eight years ago. We don't know when he will come back, so we usually don't mention him when we haven't seen him."
Li Lianniang nodded, "I see." "Tell me about Grandfather's preferences."
Jiang Wei: "He loved painting and drinking."
Li Lianniang waited for a while, then asked, "Is that all?"
"It's gone."
Li Lianniang: "..."
“However, we were all quite surprised that Grandfather would return before I came of age.” Jiang Wei helped Li Lianniang up. “So don’t worry, my wife. Even if you’ve done something wrong, Grandfather won’t blame you. He’s rarely home and knows he’s in the wrong.”
Back at Yunzhu Garden, Jiang Wei went to sleep in a side room because he had been drinking.
I felt really thirsty in the middle of the night, but I couldn't find any water to drink.
His head hurt terribly, it was throbbing and aching.
As she rubbed her eyes, she opened them and found herself outside, with Qingfan leading the way with a lantern.
He felt something was off, but his feet didn't stop. He kept walking until he saw the three characters 'Haitang Residence'.
The maid at the door lifted the curtain high, waiting for him to go in.
The lanterns swayed under the eaves, making the area inside the door appear pitch black, like an unseen abyss that would swallow him whole if he went in.
At this moment, his steps faltered, and a hint of fear arose within him.
His fists clenched unconsciously, but he still stepped inside.
Stepping inside, the low, suppressed sobs made every step he took feel heavy, as if he were walking on a thousand pounds, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.
Step by step, he walked from the shadows to the light. When he looked up and met his mother's reddened eyes, Jiang Wei didn't dare to breathe and said softly, "Mother, what brings you here so late?"
"Still no news of your father?"
Her voice was hoarse and choked with sobs. She tried to hide her tears, but it seemed as if she hadn't completely concealed them.
Jiang Wei put his hands behind his back and shook his head.
It's been a year, and there's always been a voice in his heart telling him that his father is dead and can't be found.
But he couldn't say it, he dared not say it.
Seeing his mother turn away to wipe her tears, Jiang Wei clenched his teeth tightly, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
The woman's shoulders trembled for a while, and she raised her hand behind his back as if wiping away tears, her voice choked as she said, "Send someone to the city guard camp first thing tomorrow morning to check. Heng'er should be back today, but it's already late at night and there's still no sign of him."
Jiang Wei's lips moved as he spoke, and lies came out of his mouth: "My second brother isn't coming back for his vacation this time either; he's rotating shifts with someone else again."
His mother turned her face back to him, her eyes even redder, her cheeks still wet with tears. The sound of her slamming her hand on the table was deafening, making Jiang Wei's heart tremble.
Then his mother's voice was heard shouting: "How many times has this happened? This is the third time he hasn't returned home during his leave. Does he not plan to come back to the Jiang family in the future? Is he blaming me because of the Lu family that was exiled?"
Jiang Wei opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but he didn't know what words of comfort to say, and couldn't bring himself to speak.
He dared not tell his mother that his second brother was not in the city guard camp; he had been exiled with the Lu family.
Both he and Jiang Heng knew in their hearts that their father was probably no longer alive, but they couldn't say it. As long as they didn't expose the truth, their mother would have something to hold onto.
They also knew that without their father, the Lu family couldn't be saved.
Jiang Wei was a little annoyed with Jiang Heng at this moment. Why did he act so impulsively and leave so abruptly? If he were here, he could still say things to comfort his mother.
With one hand clenched tightly behind his back, Jiang Wei, facing his mother's questioning gaze, said expressionlessly, "No, my second brother won't blame Mother. He... he's just still young..."
With a crash, the teacup was thrown hard to the ground and shattered into pieces.
His mother's screams pierced his eardrums and entered his already throbbing head: "Since you knew he was young, why didn't you try to persuade him? Why didn't you stop him? You are his older brother, are you going to watch him die?"
...
Jiang Wei didn't know how he got out of Haitang Residence. He only felt a gust of wind pass by, which made him feel cold all over. Only then did he realize that his back was soaked with sweat.
The Jiang family mansion was large, but there were only a few places he could go. For some reason, at this moment, Jiang Wei did not want to go to the study or deal with those trivial matters.
He envied Jiang Heng, who could run away whenever he wanted and had his older brother to clean up his messes, yet he also hated him for causing him so much trouble for no reason.
He arrived at Yunzhu Garden without realizing it. He hadn't been back here for quite some time, and when he did return home, he would go to his study.
Thinking of Li Lianniang's face, Jiang Wei couldn't help but rub the bridge of his nose. Not wanting to be bothered again, he turned his feet and decided to go back to his study.
"Miss, it's getting dark. Stop working, or you'll ruin your eyes."
"It's almost time. Tomorrow will be my husband's coming-of-age ceremony. Luckily, we'll make it in time." The woman's gentle voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a calming power.
Jiang Wei froze as he turned around.
"The eldest son has come of age? There's not a word from the household about it. The madam hasn't even arranged for a coming-of-age ceremony for the eldest son."
"Shh, Danruo, keep your voice down." Chi Lan lowered her voice considerably. "Didn't you see that Miss prepared the birthday gift for Young Master quietly without making a sound?"
"Why? Isn't this a good thing?"
"Have you forgotten about the master's disappearance last year?"
"Master is just missing, not... Pah, pah, pah! The eldest son is also unlucky; his birthday happens to be the same day that Master disappeared. Does that mean that if Master doesn't come back, the eldest son's birthday won't be celebrated either? Coming of age is the same as a woman's coming of age, or even more important. Aren't we going to do that?"
A look of confusion flashed across Jiang Wei's eyes. Would he be twenty tomorrow?
That's right, I'd completely forgotten about it.
A sudden coolness touched my cheek as I looked up, and a dense downpour began.
Rain pelted his face, streaming down his cheeks, leaving him disheveled, yet somehow concealing certain marks.
...
"Young master, young master, wake up."
"Young Madam, we can't wake the young master no matter what we do."
What a noisy noise! Who is it? Annoying.
"Husband, husband, wake up! It's time to get up. Today is your coming-of-age ceremony. We can't delay. Wake up!"
Jiang Wei slowly opened his eyes, his voice somewhat hoarse, "The coming-of-age ceremony?"
When Li Lianniang saw him open his eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief. In the morning, the maid had come to report that the eldest young master could not be woken up, which had worried her. She scolded, "Yes, hurry up and get up. We still need to pay our respects to our parents."
Jiang Wei raised his hand and rubbed his temples.
Seeing him like this, Li Lianniang suppressed her joy and asked with a worried and puzzled expression, "What's wrong? Do you have a headache? Are you feeling unwell because you drank some wine yesterday?"
"No." Jiang Wei sat up and immediately noticed Li Lianniang's protruding belly. He gently placed his hand on it, but his fingers suddenly felt a vibration, very subtle, like her belly bulging out slightly, just once.
However, that one glance made Jiang Wei look up in shock, meeting Li Lianniang's hearty smile. "It seems the child knows it's his father and is greeting him."
"Young master, young mistress, Xiu'er has arrived."
The maid's voice had barely rang out when Jiang Shuxiu's voice came at the same time.
"Mother—"
Distracted, Li Lianniang got up and went outside. After taking a few steps, she turned back to Jiang Wei and said, "Husband, hurry up. Xiu'er is already up. After breakfast, we still need to pay our respects to Grandfather and Father and Mother. There are still many things to do today."
As he spoke, he instructed Chi Lan beside him, "Have the small kitchen prepare another bowl of hangover soup."
Before long, the cheerful voices of the mother and daughter could be heard outside, chattering about the guests they were going to entertain that day.
Jiang Wei stood up, his gaze falling on the crimson brocade robe on the shelf. He should wear this today.
While having breakfast, Jiang Wei looked around the house. It was Yunzhu Garden, but it was completely different from the one in his dream. He was a little confused.
As you leave Yunzhu Garden, you can see red silk banners and red lanterns hanging all along the way, as if there is a joyous occasion in the mansion.
It was a color he had never seen in his dreams.
"Brother, sister-in-law, wait a minute."
After passing the back garden, a cheerful young voice rang out from behind.
Jiang Wei stopped and looked back. He saw Jiang Heng grinning from ear to ear, carrying a woman who was covering her face with her hand as she ran towards them.
The word 'foolish' suddenly popped into Jiang Wei's mind, and he laughed foolishly.
As the two approached, Lu Zhaoying, who was in his arms, slowly moved her hands away a little and said with an awkward smile, "Big brother, sister-in-law."
As she spoke, she reached out and patted Jiang Heng, scolding, "Put me down quickly."
That's so embarrassing.
Jiang Heng carefully put the person down, his smile looking incredibly silly.
Jiang Wei glanced at the group of people and continued towards Haitang Residence.
As they approached the door, they encountered Cui Tingyue, who had also come to pay her respects.
Cui Tingyue naturally helped Li Lianniang up, and the two chatted and laughed like sisters.
Jiang Wei realized that this was yet another one that was different from the one in his dream.
When he saw his parents' faces, he suddenly smiled. What was he doing? Was he trying to confirm something from his dream?
But that's obviously impossible.
But I still have some doubts. Why would he suddenly have such a dream? Such a terrifying dream.
Jiang Wei didn't have time to think too much, because there were still many things to do today. Before the guests arrived, they also had things to do, such as offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and to their ancestors.
When Grandpa Jiang returned, the opening of the ancestral hall this time was even more formal than the last time when Cui Tingyue's name was recorded in the family genealogy, because the real patriarch was here.
After all that was done, a servant came to announce, "A guest has arrived—"
They continued to busy themselves with entertaining guests.
The Jiang family has held countless banquets, large and small, and everything has been done in an orderly manner.
Similar to the coming-of-age ceremony for women, the coming-of-age ceremony for men also requires a host and a person to assist in the capping ceremony.
They invited Jiang Wei's mentor and his fellow disciples.
Apart from the ceremony, it is not much different from a banquet.
Seeing Jiang Wei's mentor place the crown on him, Zhao Xian suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the book, after Jiang Liangxu disappeared, Jiang Wei was not even entitled to a birthday, let alone a significant ceremony like coming of age.
Before losing her memory, she was prejudiced against the male protagonists in angst-filled novels, and instead of showing him affection, she mostly ignored him.
Only after regaining her memories did she realize how negligent she had been, and that she had been blaming Jiang Wei all along.
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The author's note: Jiang Wei's experience is not a rebirth, but merely a dream, and he will not recall any past or present lives because of it.
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