Even after Grandma Jiang had been gone for a long time, Jiang Segu remained in the same sitting position, motionless, rarely even blinking.
Aunt Lan sighed and stepped forward, "Young lady, things are often this cruel, you..."
"The matter is not yet settled. There are so many people in the world with the surname Xia, and Grandmother and the Xia family may not necessarily be from the same family!"
"You're a smart girl; you must know why Second Grandmother mentioned your great-grandmother at the end!"
Jiang Segu shook his head again, "My second aunt is just trying to sow discord, I can't fall for it!"
Aunt Lan then fell silent.
The early summer nights, though not very hot, were quite oppressively stifling.
Because of the sweltering heat, Jiang Segu didn't sleep well all night, and his complexion was somewhat sallow the next day. He only drank two mouthfuls of porridge for breakfast.
After finishing her breakfast, she sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
Aunt Lan and the others were all worried, so Qiaohe cleverly asked Qinghong to go find Gu Songhan.
The girl is always happy whenever her son-in-law comes.
However, as soon as Qinghong left, a large number of people holding purses and handkerchiefs gathered at the entrance of the Marquis of Changping's residence.
They all kept saying they wanted to see Jiang Segu and marry her.
The noise attracted the attention of the neighbors.
The one who arrived late asked the one who arrived early, "What happened?"
"These people are all Jiang Liu's lovers. I don't know why, but they all came to see Jiang Liu on this day!"
As soon as the man finished speaking, the seven men gathered at the entrance of the Marquis of Changping's residence started arguing.
"I am the one that Miss Azi loves most. Yesterday, after Azi left the palace, she even came to my house to drink and chat with me!"
"What kind of liking is that? At most, you're just using me for amusement! I'm different. When Azi has nothing to do, she often comes to my place to play the zither and dance for me!"
"Pah! You think you're worthy? Ah Zi likes me, that's why she cooks for me! Has any of you ever eaten Ah Zi's cooking?"
"Screw you all, Azi likes me! That's why she came to my house to confide her grief when her parents passed away!"
These words were like a bolt from the blue!
The onlookers whispered among themselves, "No wonder none of the people who went to pay their respects saw Miss Jiang at first; it turns out she went to meet her lover!"
"Oh dear! What an utterly unfilial person! Instead of staying at the funeral hall when her parents pass away, she goes to meet with men in secret. What face does such a person have to live in this world!"
Some clear-headed people said, "We can't just believe one side of the story. Maybe these people are ganging up to smear Jiang Liu Guniang?"
"Yes, what if what these people are saying is all lies?"
"Who says I'm lying! I have a purse that Azi embroidered for me herself!"
The man held up the purse in his hand and pointed to the character "恣" on it, saying, "Look, this is the small character of 'Azi'!"
Another man said, "It's the same as not having one!"
Seven or eight men waved their sachets and handkerchiefs at the onlookers...
The gatekeeper had already informed the master of the mansion.
Jiang Segu soon received the letter as well.
It really happened!
She calmly instructed Qiaolian to pack up the handkerchiefs and purses, and then asked Qiaolian to call Cailan over. She herself, dressed up by Aunt Lan, became an ordinary maid.
"Qingying, do you know how to silence someone?"
Qingying nodded.
"If Cailan misbehaves later, silence her by pressing her acupoint!"
Qingying nodded again.
When Cailan was summoned, she was surprised to see Jiang Segu's attire, but still greeted her, "May I ask what business you have with me, Miss?"
"I just want Cailan to do me a favor!"
Then she gestured to Qiaohe and Qiaolian to dress up Cailan.
Watching the two women apply makeup to her, change her hairstyle, and even put Jiangse Valley's pearl flowers on her head, Cailan felt a wave of fear.
"Young lady, what are you doing?"
"It's nothing, you don't need to worry. You don't need to say anything later, I'll step in and get you out of this."
Then he gave Qingying a look.
Qingying understood and stepped forward, her movements swift and decisive as she raised her hand to strike.
After being touched, Cai Lan was shocked to find herself unable to speak. Terrified, she lost her composure, her legs went weak, and she tried to kowtow to Jiang Segu while making muffled noises.
Jiang Segu pretended not to see it, raised his hand and waved, "Come on, let's go see what's going on up ahead!"
***
The area in front of the Marquis of Changping's residence was bustling with activity at that moment.
Under the urging of the seven men, almost everyone believed that Jiang Segu was a promiscuous and shameless girl.
The thin, short gatekeeper who wanted to be Jiang Segu's manager was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.
He stepped forward and loudly defended her, "My sixth daughter has never had any improper relationship with any man. You must stop talking nonsense and slandering my sixth daughter's reputation!"
If you continue to spout such nonsense, I will have someone summon the officials from the government office to take you away and question you!
"Are we talking nonsense? Neighbors, think about it carefully. What respectable girl would lean on a man's arms on the day her parents are buried!"
Thus, everyone recalled the scene on the day that Third Master Jiang and his wife were buried, when Gu Songhan helped Jiang Segu back to the Prince's Mansion!
For a moment, she began to believe the men's words even more.
Just then, Jiangse Valley appeared!
However, she was helped out by Qingying!
Upon seeing her emerge, the gatekeeper was initially taken aback, but then instinctively bowed to her, saying, "Sixth Miss."
Upon hearing that Jiang Liu-guniang had come out, everyone looked towards Cailan.
Cailan shook her head, speechless.
In fact, no one really cared about Jiang Segu's appearance, so they all thought that the beautifully dressed Cailan was the master.
"Who dares to come to my door and slander my daughter's reputation!"
Jiang Segu spoke in a sharp voice, his eyes as cold as frost and snow.
Seven men rushed up to the group, speaking tenderly to Cai Lan.
They uttered sentimental phrases like "a day apart feels like three autumns," "I will never regret growing thinner," and "the pain of unrequited love," leaving Jiang Segu and his companions speechless.
"How dare you! What do you take the Marquis's residence for? How dare you utter such foul language here!"
A man holding up a handkerchief said, "Azi, when you gave me this handkerchief, did you say, 'A plain handkerchief conveys my heart's secrets, whether it's horizontal or vertical silk threads'? Do you remember?"
Another man said, "Azi, you also told me that a letter, like lingering snowflakes, can be bound together into two carp!"
Jiang Segu truly had no idea when he had become so knowledgeable, and how he could compose so many poems expressing his admiration.
Just then, a bold man stepped forward and tried to pull Cailan away, saying, "Azi, why aren't you saying anything!"
Qingying raised her hand and knocked the person back.
"You men are so shameless! You've made my daughter speechless with anger!"
Jiang Segu said, hands on his hips.
The man who had been knocked back and fell to the ground felt he had lost face. Clutching his chest, he said, "You servants, how dare you be so disrespectful to your son-in-law!"
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