Chapter 58 You mean no harm? This is what I, this young lady, am doing today…
After selecting her accompanying guards, Cui Tingyue was helped into the carriage by her maid.
Learning to manage the household from Li Lianniang, Cui Tingyue realized the benefits of being in power.
During the six months she spent at the Jiang family's house, she actually knew about her sister-in-law's hardships. Her adoptive mother didn't like her sister-in-law at that time, and her elder brother felt guilty towards her because of the deaths of their father and brothers. She often heard the servants gossiping about her sister-in-law in private, showing no respect whatsoever.
At that time, her mindset was different. She didn't think it was wrong at all. Instead, she thought that her sister-in-law was incompetent and that's why she ended up in this embarrassing and awkward situation.
It wasn't until her adoptive mother let her sister-in-law take charge of the household that she learned the meaning of the words "head of the household".
And the difference between her relying on kindness to live under someone else's roof and the young lady from another family who is listed in the family genealogy.
It's laughable that she was actually quite pleased with herself back then, thinking that because of that favor, she was better off than her sister-in-law and that it was more important to her.
Cui Tingyue knew that Jiang Wei didn't mean anything by it; he was genuinely just concerned about her. But she knew she should avoid any appearance of impropriety.
There aren't many people as soft-hearted as her adoptive mother. At least, it wasn't until she truly became the adopted daughter of the Jiang family that someone started to help her integrate into the circle of young ladies in Jin'an.
What she heard most often was praise for her sister-in-law's good fortune in having such a good mother-in-law.
She was no different.
Dong'er and Xiyu sat on either side of Cui Tingyue. Dong'er held up a map of Jin'an South Market. "Miss, look, we'll start from here, browse the market first, and then go see the snow lion sculpture..."
Watching the carriage leave, Jiang Wei felt that she had truly grown up. He still remembered when he first went to the Cui family to pick her up, she was very insecure and would panic at the slightest noise.
The thought that she lost her father and brothers because of him, and was subsequently bullied by her clansmen and her wet nurse, filled him with a deep sense of guilt that he could not shake.
Strangely enough, after his mother decided to adopt Cui Tingyue as her goddaughter, the guilt that had been constantly weighing on him faded away.
Jiang Wei once suspected that his mother had ordered Cui Tingyue not to send anyone to look for him.
It was only later that they discovered that this was not the case; she genuinely had not sent anyone to look for him again.
Surprisingly, he didn't feel so tired anymore, and he no longer had that annoying and exhausting feeling he used to have.
On the contrary, after the incident in Changzhou, he resolutely went there, as if he knew that they would no longer have conflicts, and he could rest assured.
Jiang Wei reached out and helped Li Lianniang into the carriage: "Let's go too. We need to hang prayers on the Chinese scholar tree. It will take at least 45 minutes to get there."
The wet nurse carried Xiu'er into the carriage behind.
After everyone in the family left, Zhao Xian lay back on the bed and slept straight through until the afternoon.
I woke up to the faint sound of pages turning; it was almost inaudible unless you listened very carefully.
When I got up, I saw Jiang Liangxu sitting on the soft couch, quietly reading a book. Hearing the noise, he looked up.
"You didn't go out?"
"woke up."
The two spoke at the same time.
After a good night's sleep, Zhao Xian felt much more relaxed, but she still remembered some of the drunken moments she couldn't recall.
Her gaze fell upon the red plum blossoms beside her pillow, and her heart stirred with mixed emotions. She vividly remembered his words: "Ah Xian, you are my wife."
Jiang Liangxu lowered his eyes and continued reading the book in his hands until he finished the page. He then closed the book and put it aside, got up and went to the dressing table. He took out an eyebrow pencil from the makeup box, supported Zhao Xian's cheek with one hand, and bent down to carefully draw her eyebrows. "Have you rested enough?"
Although his questions seemed normal, Zhao Xian always felt that there was something more to his words, especially after she caught up on a nap. It reminded her of many details, and how she was so tired at the time, yet Jiang Liangxu wouldn't give up and told her to rest while he took care of things himself.
Zhao Xian's cheeks flushed slightly, and she said softly, "Mmm."
She tried to turn her face away to avoid his gaze, but his hands were supporting her chin and face, making it impossible for her to move.
"Is the charcoal fire inside too strong? Madam seems a little hot."
Zhao Xian glanced at her face in the bronze mirror, her cheeks flushed from remembering what happened on the bed. She glared at Jiang Liangxu, feeling guilty and annoyed. "Shut up, don't say another word."
Jiang Liangxu asked, somewhat puzzled, "What did I say?"
"Just shut up, I don't want to hear you talk right now."
Jiang Liangxu raised an eyebrow and stopped talking, but judging from her guilty look, he could guess the reason.
Zhao Xian put on the earrings, and a piece of paper slowly appeared in front of her, waving it as if to attract her attention.
Upon closer inspection, the paper read: "Do you want to go out of the manor to play? By the time you have eaten and go out, the lantern festival by the city moat should be starting soon."
Seeing the message being passed on paper, Zhao Xian smiled helplessly. The annoyance she felt was due to embarrassment, not genuine anger.
After having a meal, we set off from the Jiang family's house to the place where we could see the lanterns. When we got off the carriage, it was already dark. From a distance, we could see the lantern frame as tall as an archway, with rows of lanterns that were particularly dazzling and splendid in the darkness.
"Wouldn't someone have deliberately cut down the lantern frame and caused the accident?" There are many similar plots in novels and TV dramas, and usually, these plots are about a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.
Jiang Liangxu helped Zhao Xian down from the carriage: "In all these years, we have never encountered such a person."
Why?
"It's probably because anyone caught disrupting these kinds of activities would face the extermination of their entire family. Everyone should think twice about it."
Zhao Xian: "..." So ruthless.
Jin'an is located under the emperor's nose, so it is naturally crowded. Today, being the first day of the lunar month, it is even more bustling with people.
Zhao Xian tried to break free, but Jiang Liangxu held her tightly. "There are so many people today, it would be difficult for me to find you if you get separated from me."
As he spoke, he clasped his hands together with his fingers intertwined.
Following the crowd, they headed towards the covered walkway with the most lanterns.
On another street not far away.
The stall owner handed over a bamboo cage containing a rabbit: "Young master, you're amazing! You hit the target with all nine arrows again, winning the grand prize of a rabbit."
The man in the dark blue brocade robe reached out and took it, then turned to Cui Tingyue beside him, "You're too kind, young lady. I've won again."
Cui Tingyue looked up and glared at the man beside her. She was wearing a veil and didn't care if she was seen being impolite.
"Congratulations." He said the two words through gritted teeth, almost tired of saying them.
This person is so annoying; he keeps going against her.
He would throw at whichever jar she threw at, but his aim was better than hers. The stall owner required that he throw at all nine jars, three of which were thrown at the jar, and only those who hit all the jars could win the first prize.
She didn't even know him, yet she came to oppose him and deliberately only compared herself to him, which made him even angrier.
Cui Tingyue turned and left. She had tried ten times and still hadn't won, and there was this annoying person involved. She figured she might as well just quit.
"Please wait a moment, young lady."
Having already walked some distance, Cui Tingyue heard the man's voice behind her, but she showed no intention of stopping.
Unexpectedly, the man was faster than her and blocked her way.
"Please wait, young lady."
Cui Tingyue stopped in her tracks, her tone unfriendly, "What are you doing, young master? If you take another step, I'll call the patrolling soldiers."
Hearing her mention patrol soldiers, Han Mu chuckled and said, "I meant no harm."
Cui Tingyue almost couldn't help but sneer: "You mean no harm? That's the most interesting thing I've heard all night."
Han Mu knew she had misunderstood, so he quickly said, "Seeing that you like rabbits so much, I would like to exchange these rabbits for something with you."
The rabbits he was referring to were the six bamboo cages carried by the guards behind him, each containing a rabbit, which he had taken right in front of Cui Tingyue.
To Han Mu's surprise, Cui Tingyue refused without hesitation: "No change."
Han Mu: "?" He hadn't even said what to change yet.
"Young lady, it's just a change of one thing..."
Cui Tingyue didn't want to hear the other person finish speaking and said bluntly, "I won't change it."
Han Mu frowned slightly: "Miss doesn't like rabbits anymore?"
She stayed at that stall the longest, all for the jackpot. He offered her six rabbits in exchange, but she refused.
Cui Tingyue pursed her lips: "May I ask which ear you heard me say that I like rabbits?"
Han Mu was surprised. If she didn't like rabbits, why was she aiming for the top prize? "Does the young lady just like pitch-pot?"
"No, I just wanted to throw the ball into one of those bamboo cages that holds the rabbits." The size was perfect for her first snow.
Han Mu changed his mind: "Then I will exchange these six bamboo cages with you, young lady."
Cui Tingyue: "No change."
Han Mu: "Why?"
“I took a liking to this cage because I wanted to catch it by throwing it. If I didn’t catch it myself, why wouldn’t I just buy it from the start?” Cui Tingyue rolled her eyes. She didn’t lack the money to buy the bamboo cage.
She was already annoyed by her missed shots, but he kept showing off his skills and deliberately trying to discourage her. Several times, he even threw arrows at the same time as her, causing her arrows to miss.
You think you can trade with her for something? Dream on.
Upon reflection, the other person's sudden approach and strange behavior, coupled with their desire to exchange items, suggested they might have ulterior motives.
The more Cui Tingyue thought about it, the more suspicious she felt about this person. She left without stopping, accompanied by her maid and guards.
The man was very suspicious; he even sent his guards to complain to the patrolling soldiers.
After Cui Tingyue walked away, a man dressed in a blue silk robe with bamboo patterns came out and patted Han Mu on the shoulder, "Did you get the things back?"
"No."
Han Mu shook his head. The other party refused to change anything and wouldn't even let him say what he wanted to change.
"Pfft... You made the snow lion so ugly, and it's in the most obscure place, yet you still got a reward. Fate."
Han Mu slapped the man's hand away: "And you say that if it weren't for your terrible idea, would my aunt have taken it seriously?"
They insisted on having him sculpt the snow lion. In Jin'an, there's a traditional custom of sculpting snow lions, where the sculptor receives a reward. The more rewards a sculptor receives, the more effective the snow lion he sculpts is at warding off disasters and bringing good fortune.
Each snow lion that receives a tip must give away a sachet to ward off evil and disaster.
The man laughed and said, "Although I asked you to sculpt the snow lion, you still tampered with it. Everyone else thought the snow lion was unsightly and didn't even look at it, or they would just curse and leave. Only that girl kindly gave him some money as a reward."
Han Mu got angry just thinking about it. "One penny? Didn't you hear what she said? She said I messed up that lump of ice like that, ruining it. That was a consolation payment for the ice."
She spent a penny, and although she didn't explicitly say the snow lion was ugly, she had already insulted it, and he still had to give her a sachet as a gift.
The man burst into laughter: "Hahahaha... Who told you to make the snow lion look like that?"
Han Mu said coldly, "They may have cursed, but they didn't give us any money."
Other people's sachets are for good luck, but his is different; his aunt had a specific purpose in mind.
Han Mu thought of taking the sachet back and pretending that nothing had happened.
But she said that his snow lion sculpture was not only not majestic, but also sickly, and they couldn't just leave it at that.
But she didn't want the rabbit, not even if you offered her the cage in exchange.
Just as Han Mu was pondering whether he should resort to some underhanded means to get the sachet back, he realized he had to.
A patrol of soldiers walked towards him.
Upon learning their purpose, the man beside Han Mu laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight: "Hahaha... What did you do to make the girl misunderstand that you're a womanizer?"
Han Mu: "..."
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