Chapter 34 Ye Jiuzhao's marriage was preordained by fate; her destined partner was found by heaven. ...
On the way, Lan Shexiang took out some nice things from the storage box and handed them to Su Jinxiu, including a white fox fur scarf, a headband embroidered with exquisite patterns, and a Zhaojun headdress.
Su Jinxiu held the white fox fur scarf, bowed slightly in a pretentious manner, and said softly, "Thank you for the gift, Miss Lan."
Lan Shexiang chuckled at her expression, pinched her cheek, and said reproachfully, "You, always putting on this act with me." She paused, then changed the subject with a hint of familiar concern: "Your husband has been at Bailudong for some time now, is everything going smoothly?"
Su Jinxiu said frankly, "Yes, everything is fine."
"So, does that mean they won't come back for holidays or festivals?"
Su Jinxiu paused for a moment, lowered her eyelids, and said in a calm voice, "Yes, it was agreed before that I would not return until I passed the imperial examination in the spring." She paused, and a seemingly carefree smile appeared on her lips. "It's better not to come back. It would be too much trouble and a waste of money to travel back and forth."
She said those words, but only she knew that her heart was filled with a completely different scene. The lights of that night of reunion felt empty without his figure. She longed for him to return, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.
Lan Shexiang was incredibly perceptive; how could she not hear the insincerity in her words? She held Su Jinxiu's slightly cool hand and said softly, "If he doesn't return, you can come to the Lan residence for New Year's Eve."
Su Jinxiu felt a warmth in her heart and replied with a smile, "Okay."
Just then, the carriage stopped, and Mingshan's voice came from outside the window: "Miss, we have arrived at the Ye residence."
Su Jinxiu instructed him, "Don't go through the main gate, go around to the back gate."
Su Jinxiu had previously taken on several jobs for the Ye family, so she knew the way well and gently knocked on the side door.
The servant recognized her, so she said, "Excuse me, could you please inform Granny He?" After saying that, she took out some loose silver from her bosom and handed it to him, saying, "It's cold, young man, take this and buy yourself a cup of hot wine to warm yourself up." The servant smiled and agreed repeatedly, then turned and hurried away.
A moment later, Granny He hurried over.
"It's freezing cold, why isn't Granny wearing more clothes?"
Having obtained Lan Shexiang's consent, Su Jinxiu immediately put the valuable white fox fur scarf around the nanny's neck upon meeting her.
"Oh my!" Granny He stroked the glossy white fox fur, her face beaming with joy, and quickly asked, "Miss Jinxiu, what brings you here today?"
Su Jinxiu's face showed some anxiety and guilt. She said in a low voice, "Granny, there has been a mistake! I only realized after returning home that the brocade robes I sent to the manor a few days ago were not embroidered well enough in some places. If outsiders see this, wouldn't it ruin my reputation? I wonder if you could do me a favor and take me to the Second Young Master's courtyard to retrieve them. I will take them back immediately to re-embroider them and make sure it doesn't delay the affairs of the manor."
This was not a big deal, so Granny He said, "Come with me."
The two walked through corridors and across bridges until they reached a stone archway inscribed with the words "Jingxin Garden." Granny He, whose white fox fur scarf provided warmth and comfort, now showed no restraint and led her directly into the young master's inner courtyard.
The courtyard and its corridors were paved with bluestone slabs, and the bamboo groves beside it were covered in snow, creating a serene and elegant scene befitting a scholar. Su Jinxiu looked around, pondering in her heart, but walked steadily and calmly, her head bowed and eyes lowered.
Upon entering the second young master's bedroom, Su Jinxiu suddenly asked, "Granny, the brocade robe here was made during the summer. I wonder if the second young master's size has changed? Could you please take his measurements again?"
Granny He said, "Zhao-ge'er is probably studying in the study."
Su Jinxiu gently stroked the old woman's hand, and when she released it, there were two silver ingots in the old woman's palm.
Granny He hurriedly said with a smile, "Oh dear, if these winter clothes don't arrive in time, we won't be able to wear them. I still need to ask the young master myself to put my mind at ease."
After this roundabout journey, Su Jinxiu met Ye Jiuzhao, the second son of the Ye family.
At that moment, Ye Jiuzhao was sitting by the window, holding a book in his hands, with a burner of sandalwood incense burning on his desk. When he saw Granny He leading in a strange woman, he frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Su Jinxiu with a hint of inquiry.
Su Jinxiu curtsied and said softly, "Su Jinxiu of Huayun Pavilion greets the Second Young Master."
Ye Jiuzhao put down his book and asked calmly, "What is it?"
Granny He quickly explained, "Young master, this Miss Su is the embroiderer who previously embroidered brocade robes for the manor. She said she wants to confirm the sizes of a few garments with you again."
Su Jinxiu looked up and glanced at Ye Jiuzhao. She saw that he was slender and tall, with fair skin, regular features, and a gentle temperament. He did not seem like an unreasonable and unruly person. She secretly pondered in her heart, but on the surface she still looked respectful and humble.
Granny He assumed that Su Jinxiu's elaborate arrangements were because she secretly harbored feelings for her young master, so she smiled, closed the door, and waited outside.
A white fox fur scarf and two ingots of silver with snowflake patterns—that's how they sold their own son.
After measuring Ye Jiuzhao's waist behind the screen, Su Jinxiu turned around and said bluntly, "Second Young Master, I'm here on behalf of the Lan family."
Ye Jiuzhao paused, his gaze scrutinizing her: "What do you mean by that?"
Su Jinxiu didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "As you know, Second Young Master, your marriage to the Second Miss of the Lan family is an arranged marriage by your parents and a matchmaker. You two have never met before, yet you are to be married. However, she already has someone she loves in her heart. I wonder what your opinion is on this?"
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Jiuzhao let out a cold snort and slammed the scroll in his hand heavily onto the antique shelf beside him. The scroll slid off with a crisp sound. His face showed displeasure: "Am I really so eager for this marriage? She has someone she loves, and I also have someone I cherish day and night! If she intends to break off the engagement, I would be more than happy to see her!"
Seeing that he shared the same idea, Su Jinxiu was secretly delighted. This was truly the best possible outcome. She then said, "In that case, it would be best if we parted ways amicably and each went our own way. However, I would appreciate it if you, Second Young Master, could understand the difficulties women face. If you were to mention breaking off the engagement to the Lan family first, people would surely gossip about Miss Lan's character, which led to this situation. I hope you will be lenient and allow the Lan family to send someone to discuss it with us."
After saying this, she bowed deeply and remained standing for a long time.
Ye Jiuzhao said calmly, "The young lady of the official family is always so preoccupied with formalities, unlike her, who is intelligent, kind, and simple." He looked at Su Jinxiu, who was still bowing, and softened his tone a little: "Get up. I agree to this matter."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu's face lit up with joy, and she quickly stood up and said, "Second Young Master, then I thank you in advance! I wish you and your beloved a happy marriage soon, a long and blissful life together, and eternal love!" She rattled off a long string of blessings, which made Ye Jiuzhao's ears turn slightly red. He waved his hand somewhat awkwardly and said, "Thank you. You can go back now."
Su Jinxiu hurriedly ran back outside the courtyard. As she got into the carriage, she slipped and almost fell. She lifted the curtain, and Lan Shexiang, seeing her joyful face, knew that things had gone well.
After Su Jinxiu settled down, she recounted her conversation with Ye Jiuzhao in detail. Lan Shexiang listened and smiled slightly: "That's just right, so it's not like I've let him down. Indeed, heaven has eyes and will not separate lovers."
Su Jinxiu was smug at the moment, feeling that she had done a great deed and had performed immeasurable merits.
When she returned to Huayun Pavilion, as soon as she entered, Manshu stepped forward to take off her cloak, which was covered in frost, and hung it by the stove to dry it gently. After a short rest, she joined the other women in the pavilion in needlework.
The current task is to finish the coming-of-age ceremony for Princess Qingping. Prince Jing dotes on his daughter and placed the order half a year ago. The delivery is due in the middle of the month, and these embroideries are just about to be completed.
As they were getting into the swing of their embroidery, the newly arrived embroiderer Hanfei suddenly spoke up: "Sister Jinxiu, we've been so engrossed in our embroidery that we've become completely isolated from the outside world. The silk thread in the workshop is almost gone, especially for those rare varieties. If we don't come up with a solution soon, we'll be late for the project."
Su Jinxiu's heart tightened, and she hurriedly checked the inventory. Sure enough, several kinds of precious silk threads were almost gone. She remembered that the embroidery shop had said a couple of days ago that it would be closing early due to the end of the year, and asked everyone to stock up on materials in advance. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
While discussing the matter with Linlang, he regretted his carelessness, but Linlang laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? We can just hire a fast ship to go south and buy the goods. It's freezing cold here, so going south will help us escape the cold. It's killing two birds with one stone."
Su Jinxiu thought about it again and realized that it was indeed an idea, so she asked about the origin of the silk threads. Linlang listed the names of the various prefectures one by one, and when she inadvertently mentioned the name "Jiangzhou," a glint of light flashed in Su Jinxiu's eyes.
Linlang immediately understood and teased, "Oh, what's that expression on your face? It seems that even though Jiangzhou is separated by thousands of miles, we have no choice but to go to see a certain top scholar."
Su Jinxiu blushed slightly at her teasing and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. I just heard Sister Chisu mention that the silk thread from Jiangzhou is of the highest quality and is the first choice for purchasing."
As soon as she finished speaking, Manshu and Linlang looked at each other and laughed. Only the newcomer Hanfei was completely confused, tugging at Manshu's sleeve and asking, "Sister, what are you laughing at? Tell me quickly."
Just as Manshu was about to whisper something in his ear, Su Jinxiu quickly stepped forward to stop her: "Don't listen to their nonsense!"
As he spoke, he began to tickle Manshu's itch, and the room was immediately filled with laughter and joy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com