Chapter 129 Miss Xue also failed. "I couldn't do such a thing..."
It was Lin Daiyu's first time climbing a mountain, and the aftereffects were quite severe. The two stayed at the villa for another day, and Mu Chuan massaged her legs twice a day, which helped her a little.
"Don't worry," Mu Chuan comforted her while pressing on her back. "Just keep calling out, I'll tell them to move away, they won't hear you."
"Third Brother is so considerate—ah! Be gentle."
Mu Chuan smiled and continued.
Another day passed before the two set off back to the capital. Although her legs ached easily, it wasn't Lin Daiyu who exerted much effort while riding the horse. As usual, Lin Daiyu rode with her third brother, leisurely returning to the capital.
After the Double Ninth Festival comes the Cold Dew, which is not only the last solar term of autumn, but also the time to burn winter clothes.
This sacrificial ceremony was held in the small ancestral hall of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
Mu Chuan not only prepared things for his own grandfather, but also for Lin Ruhai and his wife, and even added some cotton to their winter clothes.
This was the first time Lin Daiyu had ever held such a grand sacrificial ceremony.
Back in the Rongguo Mansion, although no one would stop her from performing the ancestral rites, and Grandmother Jia would order people to prepare a clean room, she always acted like a thief, hiding it away. There were probably no more than a handful of people in the Rongguo Mansion who could remember the anniversary of her parents' death. How different it is now, where she can freely enter the ancestral hall and even have people come to choose the style of winter clothes.
This thing even comes in different styles?
"My mother likes wide sleeves and flowing skirts, and my father's family mostly wears Taoist robes and cloaks," Lin Daiyu instructed. "Also, prepare square shoes and Dongpo scarves, and more cloud-shaped shoulder capes."
That day, Mu Chuan returned from the military camp and gave Lin Daiyu a small wooden box: "This is a bracelet I made for you."
When Lin Daiyu opened it, she saw a pair of jade bracelets inside, with a three-dimensional relief of carp on them. What was even more remarkable were the red spots on the carp's body. She immediately remembered the story she had told her third brother before, about how the bracelet had fallen into the lake when she was a child, and how her father said that a fish had taken it and later fished it back for her.
"It must have been so kind of you, Third Brother, to find such a wonderful thing." Lin Daiyu took off the bracelet she was wearing and put on the new one Mu Chuan had given her, then teased in a affected tone, "But is such a wonderful thing just something I have alone, or does everyone have it?"
She glanced at people sideways, her face full of a teasing smile, a look that was truly endearing. Mu Chuan replied, "Only you have it, and it's only for you."
Lin Daiyu was wearing narrow sleeves today, and it was warm in the room. She rolled up her sleeves slightly, revealing a small section of her wrist: "I like it, thank you, Third Brother."
In the Rongguo Mansion, Madam Wang sighed, "These are my favorite pair of bracelets. Let's pawn them. The end of the year is expensive, and it's almost Master's birthday. The old lady wants to eat red rice every day. Sigh... the rent this year is so meager again."
Wu Xing's wife lowered her head and didn't dare to speak. She took the bracelet with both hands and went out. Madam Wang sighed again, got up and called a maid to accompany her to see Tan Chun.
Tan Chun fell ill the day after returning from the hostage residence. However, she was young and healthy, and after four or five days of rest, she felt that she was getting better. But she didn't want to get better, and she didn't want to go to the hostage residence without a name or identity.
Tan Chun said she had no appetite and couldn't eat. In less than a month, she lost weight, her hair became a messy, mushy mess, her face peeled, and even her cheeks became sunken.
When Madam Wang entered, Tan Chun was lying there in a daze. Hearing the noise and seeing that it was Madam Wang, she struggled to get up and pay her respects.
Madam Wang didn't approach her; she'd been sick for a month, who knew what was wrong with her?
"Lie still and don't move around." Madam Wang stood at a distance, holding a handkerchief in front of her nose to barely block it.
Tan Chun responded and lay back down.
"Why isn't your illness getting better?" Madam Wang frowned. "Last time the doctor came, he said you were worrying too much. What worries could a young girl like you have?"
Tan Chun shook her head and said softly, "I don't know either. I always feel weak, I don't have much of an appetite, and I don't want to go out. I just want to—"
She suddenly stopped. The words sounded familiar. Wasn't this Sister Lin?
She used to have a cough that lasted for a month, so she stayed indoors all day, only eating five out of ten meals, and was listless all day.
In an instant, Tan Chun almost burst into tears. So this was the kind of life she was living.
Lady Wang watched as Tan Chun drifted off after saying just a few words, her mind already racing with her own thoughts.
Even if she recovers from her illness, she will need to rest for two or three months before she can be sent back to school.
But she had to go to the hostage residence, and Madam Wang frowned.
"I won't hide it from you now that our family is in such a state. I pawned another pair of bracelets today and have already asked Aunt Wu to change your medicine."
Tan Chun, her eyes red, said, "Madam, please don't waste money on me. I'll recover with some rest. I just need to drink more millet porridge."
Madam Wang thought she was moved and smiled, "You were raised by my side since you were a child, how could I not love you? Just relax, take good care of yourself, and don't think about anything else."
These words sounded familiar; Tan Chun used to advise Lin Daiyu in the same way, but now she realized that it was all nonsense and completely useless.
"I understand, my dear wife. Don't worry about me. That would be the fault of us children."
When Madam Wang went out, she saw Aunt Zhao bringing medicine to Tan Chun with her maid.
Madam Wang frowned and scolded, "Is this how you take care of a young lady? Come with me."
The maidservant bowed and continued carrying the medicine inside. Aunt Zhao followed Madam Wang into the courtyard.
When Madam Wang stopped, Aunt Zhao understood; she was about to be reprimanded in public.
This isn't the first time, anyway.
"I entrusted the girl to you because I thought you were her birth mother."
I thought it was because she had nowhere to stay and was trying to cause me trouble. Taking advantage of the fact that she couldn't see clearly because she was looking down, Aunt Zhao was already cursing in her heart, and there was no respectful expression on her face.
For every word Madam Wang said, Aunt Zhao would silently retort in her heart.
However, Madam Wang was not a eloquent person. She could say a lot of profound truths, but she could only scold people with five or six sentences.
"If you are not good enough and ruin a good marriage, I will definitely not forgive you."
After Madam Wang finished speaking, she left. Only then did Aunt Zhao straighten up, looking at Madam Wang's back as if she were a fool.
Putting aside the "good marriage," the Rongguo Mansion is almost gone, so how can she possibly get away with it?
Besides, she wasn't close to Tan Chun, and Tan Chun was right when she said that she always gave the best things to her son first. So whether the Madam wanted to use Tan Chun to threaten her, or wanted to use her to threaten Tan Chun, she was dreaming.
Aunt Zhao gave a cold laugh and turned to go back to her room.
As the year drew to a close, the emperor ordered the generals of the five major battalions of the Beijing Garrison to lead their elite soldiers to hold an ancient version of a military parade in the outskirts of Beijing.
Zhong Jun had already discussed this with Mu Chuan at the beginning of the year, so he wasn't surprised. However, he felt quite unaccustomed to not seeing his wife for half a month.
Lin Daiyu wasn't used to it either. Staying at home made her feel increasingly empty. After all, the ceiling height of her house was designed to accommodate the physique of her strong and robust husband, so she often went out for a stroll.
That morning, Sun Shaozu, who had nothing to do, came to find Siqi again.
He'll be thirty next year. If he can't fill the vacancy now, what future can he have? Military officers need military merit to get promoted, and this is his last chance.
Before the age of thirty, it's still acceptable to barely start as a centurion; after thirty? Then all that's left is to lose face.
Of course, people of Sun Shaozu's caliber wouldn't know about things like the emperor leaving the city for a military review involving five battalions.
“The weather is getting colder, and even I don’t want to go out, let alone Lady Zhongyong,” Sun Shaozu instructed Siqi. “Since you’re staying at home, you’re bound to be bored. Go with the lady to keep Lady Zhongyong company and help her pass the time.”
Siqi was suffering inside and out; she had finally reached this point.
But Siqi didn't dare to say that she had to send an invitation before visiting. She was cautious at first, but then she gradually increased the distance. Her mistress and the Marquis's cousin had become the Marquis's close confidante.
When a close female friend visits, there's naturally no need to send an invitation.
Siqi agreed and said with a smile, "I'll go back and ask Madam if she needs anything prepared. I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
Sun Shaozu nodded, put his hands behind his back, and went out.
When Siqi went back and told Yingchun, Yingchun said, "What did I tell you? You shouldn't have mentioned Miss Lin's name in the first place."
Siqi felt extremely aggrieved. Who was she doing all this for?
Her eyes reddened and tears started falling. Once they started, she couldn't stop. But she couldn't cry loudly for fear of being heard by outsiders. So she squatted down on the ground, hugged her knees, and held back her tears until her face turned red.
Yingchun continued to berate her: "Don't you know what kind of person I am? Everyone has their own way of living. You used her as an excuse, and now what are you going to do? I was never likable to begin with, so I'll just continue to be likable. I know you're strong-willed, but why bring up Miss Lin for that little bit of fame?"
Siqi was crying, and Xue Baochai was also crying, but she was a little better than Siqi. Siqi could only squat on the ground to cry, while Xue Baochai could lie on the bed and cry.
Seeing that Tan Chun was too ill to get up, Prince Teng naturally took Xue Baochai with him.
When Lord Meng first met her, he felt that she was a bit old. However, Xue Baochai was indeed beautiful. Although her round face was not very attractive to young men, it was liked by older men.
So Lord Meng hesitated for a moment, but still had her change into maid's clothes and took her inside.
But what happened next was completely unexpected for Xue Baochai.
Cuoge has been living in the capital for almost a year. It doesn't matter how the Emperor of Great Wei plans to treat him. What matters is that Mu Chuan is not yet thirty and has an astonishing deterrent effect.
Although neither Hua Azan nor Cuoge had openly discussed it, their words and actions were indeed in accordance with Mu Chuan's preferred manner.
Humility, prudence, politeness, knowing when to advance and retreat, and kindness are also essential.
So when Xue Baochai came in, the emperor saw that she was still an unfamiliar maid, and the emperor had just chosen a wife for her, and they were waiting to get married next spring.
Chogner smiled kindly and said, "Madam, just put the tea on the table."
Big, Big Sister?
Xue Baochai couldn't remember how she put down the teapot. By the time she came to her senses, she had already rushed onto the carriage and was heading back to the Rongguo Mansion.
Fortunately, the Xue family now lives in a servants' quarters, so they can come and go as they please.
Aunt Xue looked at her daughter, who was lying on the bed crying, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong! Why are you crying!"
Xue Baochai's mind was filled with the words "elder sister".
That prodigy had wrinkles around her eyes and dark red skin; she looked well over forty. How did she become the eldest sister?
Fortunately, Tan Chun had already set an example. Xue Baochai cried out, "Mother, I can't do it. When Father was alive, when did I ever suffer such injustice? Father taught me to read and write, taught me to be knowledgeable and reasonable. I can't do it, I can't do it!"
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