Chapter 14 Let's be frank, you're unreliable...
Jiang Heng returned to the city guard camp in the afternoon and had lunch with Zhao Xian at noon.
Before leaving, he tricked Zhao Xian out of five hundred taels of silver, and pitifully said that Zhao Xian had ignored him these past few days and that he was very sad and upset.
He was the one who came back and argued with her, but in the end he acted aggrieved.
"We lost a lot of money."
Zhao Xian belatedly realized that if Jiang Hengzhen really found out the truth, that promise...
With a smile, Granny He said, "It seems that the Second Young Master and Madam have reconciled."
"No, I didn't." Zhao Xian simply didn't want to argue with him. She was in her mid-twenties; could she possibly argue with a high school student? No.
But getting married in high school is too early. Let's wait and see, heh.
--
Jiang Wei and Cui Tingyue were gone for several days. Zhao Xian made a show of inviting them back three or four times, but did not mention that the item had been found.
Since it's already hidden, it's hard to explain if it's brought up again.
Besides, she couldn't very well tell them that the item was found in Li Lianniang's room, could she? What would be the point of her hiding it then?
She also wanted to see if Jiang Wei would slap her if he found the things in her study.
Four or five days passed in the blink of an eye, but Zhao Xian and Li Lianniang were not idle.
Although the date for the full moon celebration has not yet been set, the families who will be hosting the banquet must prepare invitations in advance. The invitations for royalty and nobility are different from those for ordinary officials.
Zhao Xian intended for Li Lianniang to take over the management of the household after her postpartum period, so she involved her in these matters.
Moreover, she didn't want to see Li Lianniang wallowing in self-pity because of Jiang Wei. It would be better to keep her busy and occupied so that she wouldn't have time to think about men.
Money and power, aren't they more appealing than men?
Peony entered the room and announced, "Madam, young mistress, Miss Cui has returned."
Zhao Xian glanced at Li Lianniang, who was carefully checking the account books without even looking up.
"Where is the eldest son?"
Peony replied, "Miss Cui said that there was something going on at the Dali Temple, so the young master went there directly."
As Zhao Xian ate her snacks, she felt much more relaxed now that someone was sharing the household chores.
She had actually had doubts about Jiang Wei before. Wasn't he supposed to be at the Dali Temple? He could just skip work whenever he wanted. He truly lived up to his role as the male lead, doing whatever he wanted without any punishment.
"Madam, Miss Cui is still waiting outside to pay her respects."
Zhao Xian put down the pastries and wiped her hands with an embroidered handkerchief: "Let her in."
A hint of surprise flashed in Peony's eyes; she had thought that the madam would not see Miss Cui: "Yes."
Cui Tingyue placed her hands in front of her, her fingertips twirling an embroidered handkerchief. Dressed in plain white, with a pale face and a white flower in her hair, she floated in like a ghost.
"Tingyue greets Madam, sister-in-law." Her voice was weak and feeble, as if she were about to pass away at any moment.
Zhao Xian leaned tightly against the back of the chair. Had Jiang Wei abused her? That couldn't be right.
Hearing the sound, Li Lianniang looked over and nodded at her.
Zhao Xian was afraid she would fall: "Sit down, sit down and talk."
Peony brought a stool and placed it behind Cui Tingyue, who then sat down.
"So, have you found the belongings?"
Cui Tingyue, her face pale, shook her head weakly.
Zhao Xian knew she couldn't find it, but the procedure still had to be followed: "Have you searched everywhere?"
"We searched along the way several times, and we also searched in Guluo Temple, but we couldn't find it. Brother Wei has already instructed someone to put up a notice for the lost and found, hoping that whoever found it will return it."
Zhao Xian carefully observed Cui Tingyue, who looked heartbroken and was completely immersed in her grief.
After entering the house, aside from greeting Li Lianniang politely, he didn't look at her again.
He didn't even glance at the room, probably not even noticing that the furnishings had changed.
If she had arranged for the string of bells to be placed in Li Lianniang's room, she should have looked around when she entered the room, but she didn't even lift her eyelids, let alone look at the gauze on the pillar.
Her behavior suggests either she's exceptionally composed, or... she genuinely doesn't know the item was left in Li Lianniang's room.
Zhao Xian didn't know which one it was exactly.
"In that case, you can relax and you will definitely find it."
Cui Tingyue was not comforted; she had heard these words countless times. But since the item had not been found, there was nothing she could do but blame herself.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Xian didn't say much. To be honest, if Cui Tingyue really orchestrated this herself, then her acting skills were superb, far surpassing those of her own artists.
"After searching for so many days, your body must be exhausted. Go back and rest. You didn't lose it on purpose, so I don't think your father would blame you if he knew in the afterlife."
For some unknown reason, a single sentence touched her, and tears instantly welled up in Cui Tingyue's eyes, rolling down her cheeks.
The beauty's tears evoke both heartache and pity.
"Oh, don't, don't cry." Zhao Xian quickly handed over a handkerchief.
After much persuasion and encouragement, they finally managed to stop the person from crying.
Cui Tingyue's sadness seemed genuine; she truly didn't know where her belongings had been lost.
Let the peony take the person back, lest they collapse on the way.
After Cui Tingyue left, Zhao Xian glanced sideways and met Li Lianniang's gaze. The latter handed over the account book: "Mother, everything is organized. Please take a look."
Zhao Xian took it and flipped through it. "Our Lianniang is really amazing. She organized it even better than I could."
"It's all thanks to my mother's good teaching."
"Humble." Zhao Xian closed the ledger.
She felt sorry for Cui Tingyue; her crying was so heartbreaking and pitiful.
But looking at Li Lianniang's face, Zhao Xian quickly calmed down.
Fortunately, when changing the furnishings in the room, she specifically instructed Granny He to do it discreetly.
Li Lianniang was unaware that the belongings had been found in her room.
Zhao Xian already had doubts about the plot in the book, and she didn't want Li Lianniang to find out and cause any further trouble.
--
Although Jiang Wei had returned, he did not go home. He only instructed his servants to come back and fetch a change of clothes, saying that he had something to attend to at the Dali Temple.
When he finally had time to return home, Li Lianniang had already finished her postpartum confinement, and Zhao Xian had moved back to Haitang Residence.
During her postpartum period, Zhao Xian couldn't be exposed to the wind, so she used to run to Li Lianniang's room.
Ever since she moved back to Haitang Residence, Li Lianniang has been taking the children there frequently.
Li Lianniang helped with household affairs, while Zhao Xian took a break to play with the children.
"Madam, the eldest young master has returned and is on his way to Haitang Residence."
Before Jiang Wei even arrived at Haitang Residence, his servants had already informed Zhao Xian of his whereabouts.
Before long, Jiang Wei entered the room, greeted her, and said, "Your son greets his mother."
Zhao Xian was teasing Jiang Shuxiu when she heard the sound, so she looked up and hummed in response.
Li Lianniang got up, poured Jiang Wei a cup of tea, handed it to him, and then sat back down to continue looking at the account books.
The room was quiet, and no one paid any attention to Jiang Wei.
Jiang Wei's face was expressionless, and he wasn't a talkative person. He went up to look at his daughter, and as soon as he reached out to pick her up, Jiang Shuxiu burst into tears.
He abandoned her twice; she refused to be held by this father.
His daughter's rejection caused a slight change in his expression.
Without making a sound, put the child back in the cradle.
As soon as she was put down, Jiang Shuxiu stopped crying, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on Jiang Wei's expressionless face.
He lifted his robe and sat down, then coughed lightly, placing his hand to his lips: "Ahem... Mother, is the date of Xiu'er's full moon celebration set? My colleagues asked, saying they wanted to come and ask for a cup of celebratory wine."
If his colleagues hadn't jokingly mentioned it, he wouldn't have realized that Lianniang was almost out of confinement.
He was so busy searching for Cui Tingyue's belongings while also dealing with matters at the Dali Temple that he was completely overwhelmed.
Li Lianniang raised her eyes, her lips slightly parted, about to speak.
But then she saw her mother-in-law wink at her and say to her husband, "A full moon celebration? We can't do it."
Jiang Wei was slightly taken aback: "How could it not be done?"
Zhao Xian teased Jiang Shuxiu with two purses. Jiang Shuxiu wasn't interested in the flat purses at all, not even glancing at them, but the bulging ones were different, and her eyes followed them intently.
She would be dissatisfied if her purse contained only ordinary pastries and candies, but it would be different if it contained gold and silver jewelry.
A bit of a penny-pincher.
Zhao Xian glanced at Jiang Wei and said, "You should be asking me that, as his father."
“We need to host a banquet for your baby’s full moon celebration. Your father isn’t home, so as the eldest son, you have an unshirkable responsibility to entertain the guests in the front yard. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to find you at the celebration.” Zhao Xian took out a small gold bracelet from her purse, her eyes widening as she looked at Jiang Shuxiu, and put it on her wrist.
While teasing Xiujie, it did not affect Zhao Xian's performance at all.
He added, “The guests invited to the banquet will all be your father’s colleagues and ministers in the court, or your colleagues. Without a male host to entertain the guests, what will people think of our Jiang family? I don’t want to lose face, and also lose face for your father in the court.”
Jiang Wei thought about how he had taken Cui Tingyue out of the manor. Although Zhao Xian hadn't said it explicitly or reprimanded him harshly, her words conveyed the same meaning.
He was embarrassed, his face turning red and then pale.
After a long pause, he spoke: "The situation was urgent at the time, and those belongings were very important to Tingyue."
Zhao Xian nodded calmly and said, "I understand, and I'm not blaming you. It's just that this kind of thing doesn't matter to family members, as long as we keep the servants quiet. But if outsiders see this, and you leave the guests hanging, won't they think you're disrespectful? Will they still entrust you with important matters in the future?"
Jiang Wei looked shocked, but his brows furrowed with displeasure, as if he were protesting Zhao Xian's distrust of him: "Mother's worries are unfounded. Your son would not be so reckless."
Zhao Xian remained silent, only looking at him with a faint smile.
That distrust was evident in his expression.
Jiang Wei thought about the incident of taking Cui Tingyue out of the manor. He realized that he had acted impulsively this time, so he didn't argue much and sincerely said, "This time, I was too anxious. I know I was wrong. I promise my mother that I will not do it again."
Zhao Xian didn't know if he truly knew he was wrong or was just pretending, but his statement "It won't happen again" was definitely a lie.
Because there are many such stories in the book.
Whether it was due to a curse or not, before Jiang Wei and Li Lianniang divorced, he was devoted to everything Cui Tingyue did, and could be summoned away with just a word.
The meaning of "torture for the sake of torture" is still being elevated.
"By the way, I have something to tell you." Zhao Xian picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea. "From now on, the public funds will no longer cover Miss Cui's medicine expenses; it will be deducted from your allowance."
Jiang Wei was about to agree, feeling that since the other party was the daughter of his benefactor, it was perfectly reasonable for him to pay for the medicine.
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Wei suddenly realized something was wrong. "Why? Didn't Mother want to take Tingyue as her goddaughter?"
Zhao Xian feigned a troubled expression and sighed, "Just pretend I didn't say that."
A note from the author:
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