When they arrived at their destination, they were clearly a bit early, since the temple fair usually starts around 5 PM, and it was only 1-3 PM.
"Sister, Princess Wu, why don't we find a teahouse, listen to some opera while enjoying some tea? We're out sightseeing anyway, so if we rest enough, we'll have more energy to explore when the temple fair starts." After hearing Song Shi's words in the carriage, Song Shucheng decided to cheer up and make a good impression on the Wu sisters.
Wu said, "Alright, we came out too early, let's find a teahouse to listen to a play and rest for a while."
Song nodded, and then they each got into their own carriages and instructed the drivers to head to a better teahouse nearby.
The group arrived at a very grand-looking teahouse. When they entered the lobby, they saw that there weren't many tea drinkers inside.
When the shop assistants saw the elegantly dressed women and men enter, they immediately went to greet them and greeted Song and the others.
"Hey buddy, can we watch a show here?" Wu asked.
"Madam, this is a teahouse, not a theater. If you want to watch a play, you'll have to go to a theater." The waiter was clearly disappointed.
“Then let’s have some tea. What do you say, sister?” Wu said, turning to Song.
"Hmm, I'm too lazy to move anymore," said Madam Song.
The waiter immediately welcomed them into a private room. Madam Song instructed the two carriage attendants to order some tea and snacks and have them sit in the main hall.
Madam Song and Madam Wu led Song Shucheng and Wu Ruyue into a private room, ordered the best tea and snacks, and the four of them began to drink tea and chat.
Song Shucheng glanced at Wu Ruyue from time to time, while Song Shi and Wu Shi began to discuss the recent actions of the Fourth Prince and Lan Qin's attitude. Although Lan Qin had mentioned the matter between Lan Qin and the Fourth Prince to the two of them, she hadn't explained it thoroughly, only advising them to be cautious and try to avoid Nian Shi's sharp edge.
After sitting for a while, Wu Ruyue got up and went to the window to look outside. She saw that there were few pedestrians on the street, because the vendors had not yet come out; they were probably still preparing for the temple fair that night.
Song Shucheng quietly walked over to Wu Ruyue's room, looked at her soft, boneless shoulders and asked, "Ruyue, are you bored?"
“Brother Shucheng, look at those women, children and the elderly. Life must be really hard for them,” Wu Ruyue said, looking at the vendors doing business on the street.
Song Shucheng followed Wu Ruyue's gaze to the window and saw a girl of about thirteen or fourteen selling roasted sweet potatoes with her parents. The wind was biting cold, and her dark face was chapped from the cold. She was wearing a cotton-padded jacket that had lost its original color due to coal dust, and her hands were tucked into her sleeves.
“Sister, you have such a kind heart. If we feel sorry for her, why don’t we buy some of her roasted sweet potatoes? Sister loves them, doesn’t she?” Song Shucheng thought Wu Ruyue felt sorry for the girl selling roasted sweet potatoes, so he said.
“I don’t eat that kind of stuff.” Wu Ruyue frowned slightly. “There was a girl who used to be very close to me. Her father was from Tongli, but unfortunately he was born out of wedlock. She married the second son of a prefect. As a result, because she didn’t give birth to a son, she was forced to agree to her husband taking a concubine. In the end, she was poisoned by a concubine who had given birth to a son.”
Song Shucheng was slightly startled. He thought Wu Ruyue had just expressed sympathy, but upon hearing this, she seemed to be lamenting the many misfortunes of women's fates. He could only say, "Your best friend has met the wrong person. Is Sister Ruyue worried that Shucheng might be that kind of person?" Song Shucheng thought Wu Ruyue was testing him to see if he would be loyal and devoted to her, so he asked this question.
"Is it really just bad luck to marry the wrong person? Actually, very few of the women who were close friends with Ruyue ended up happy after marriage. They were either fighting with concubines or turning a blind eye to their husbands taking concubines," Wu Ruyue said. "So, for a woman to marry, it's better to..."
"Ruyue, Shucheng, what are you talking about? Can we go now?" Wu asked. After discussing the situation in the inner quarters with Song, she checked the time and decided it was about time to leave.
The two immediately stopped their previous conversation and followed Madam Song and Madam Wu out. The group arrived at the entrance of Dashilan in the west of the city, where they saw various lanterns being hung everywhere, and the flow of people was increasing.
"Sister Song, we must stay together and not separate. There will be many people later. We don't want to get separated," said Madam Wu. She saw that Song Shucheng had already consciously walked beside Wu Ruyue, and it seemed that the two were still talking, so she did not disturb them.
Thus, Madam Song and Madam Wu walked hand in hand at the front, with their two maids following behind. Next, Wu Ruyue and Song Shucheng walked side by side, followed by their two coachmen.
The streets were filled with all sorts of vendors, and for these women who rarely left their homes, everything seemed new and exciting. Madam Song and Madam Wu bought some snacks from the street vendors, intending to bring them back for Lanqin to try.
Wu Ruyue wasn't very interested; she just followed behind watching the excitement. Song Shucheng couldn't figure out Wu Ruyue's mood. She was sometimes bright and cheerful, and sometimes silent. Her attitude towards him was hot and cold, which made him unsure of how to deal with her.
“Sister Wu, look at those masks! They’re so realistic. Why don’t I buy you a few to play with?” Song Shucheng said to Wu Ruyue when he saw the realistic masks on a stall.
Wu Ruyue nodded, and Song Shucheng immediately stepped forward to tell Song and Wu to wait. He then went to buy a masked figure for Wu Ruyue.
"Ruyue, why don't you go and take a look too? Go and pick something out yourself. How can you let Shucheng choose by himself? He doesn't even know what kind of things you like," Wu said reproachfully.
Wu Ruyue had no choice but to follow, leaving Song Shi and Wu Shi behind, watching their retreating figures.
"Sister, do you think your sister looks down on our Shucheng?" Although Madam Song was chatting and laughing with Madam Wu, she had actually been paying attention to Wu Ruyue and Song Shucheng's every move.
"Sister, what are you saying? They seem to get along very well. Ruyue is just a little shy, please don't mind her," said Madam Wu.
“Look at them, they’re a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. If Ruyue agrees, why don’t we arrange their marriage?” said Madam Song.
Madam Wu actually wanted to send Wu Ruyue back to Huizhou. She was afraid that if she stayed in the Fourth Prince's residence for too long, her mind would change again, so it would be better to send her back.
“Alright, I had the same thought. Let’s write to Father right away and get their consent. Then, Sister, you can have Uncle and the Secretary propose marriage. That way, it can be settled,” said Madam Wu.
“Alright, in that case, please have my sister write back immediately to seek the opinions of the two elders,” said Madam Song.
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