Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Go and ask him
The mother and son of the Luo family had a token of love and a marriage certificate as proof, and they were making a scene outside the house, as if they were going to finalize the marriage today.
Shuyun was worried and went to Jingfangyuan first. She heard Wang Huilan and Aunt Fang discussing this matter outside the house.
Wang Huilan protected Xiao Shuzhen and intended to let Shuyun marry into the Luo family, but she was worried that this ridiculous marriage would become the gossip of the nobles in Beijing, so she was hesitant.
Shuyun stood outside the house in a daze. After hearing these words, she suddenly understood. She wiped the warm tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips and sighed softly with relief.
Now, among the other two people who can make decisions in the Marquis' Mansion, only my brother treats her as before. Shuyun left Jingfang Garden and went to Yanfu Residence instead.
Shuyun appeared in Yanfuju, but Biluo told her that her brother had not returned yet.
Outside the mansion, the Luo family mother and son were still quarreling. Shuyun was at her wit's end. On the way back to Chanxueju, she ordered Qiongzhi to go to Yunshuang Pavilion to find Boss Shuang to buy insect repellent spices. "You don't need too much, just enough to make a sachet."
Qiongzhi took the order and left. Shuyun suddenly stopped her and warned her, "If Boss Shuang asks about my recent situation, tell her everything is fine and don't let her worry. Don't stay outside the mansion, return quickly."
"Okay." Qiongzhi trotted out of the house.
Shuyun did not delay and hurried back to Chanxueju to take out the sachet that she had not finished embroidering yesterday. Yesterday she had a leisurely time and she originally wanted to make a complicated and beautiful style, but now she was in a hurry, so she embroidered a simple twined branch pattern.
In less than half an hour, Qiongzhi not only brought back the insect repellent incense, but Boss Shuang also gave Shuyun a new rouge from the store and a hundred taels of silver note. "This is last year's dividend, and the girl has been keeping it with Boss Shuang."
"Boss Shuang asked me to tell you something," Qiongzhi said, putting down her new rouge and handing her the banknote. "If you have any trouble, just come and see her."
Shuyun felt warm inside. She accepted the banknote, smiled, took the insect repellent incense, and put it into the embroidered sachet. She glanced out the window. It was still early, so she took the sachet and went to Shou'an Hall.
Because Old Madam Cui disliked Wang Huilan's family, Shuyun rarely came to Shou'an Hall except to pay her respects every day. Sometimes when she came to play with Xiao Shuyi, she would just greet Old Madam Cui in Shou'an Hall, sit for a while and then leave.
There was a hollow incense burner on the table in the room, with wisps of smoke coming out of the burner.
Mrs. Cui picked up the pen and wrote with great speed.
After the last stroke was completed, Mrs. Cui put down her brush and looked up at the young girl who had appeared in the room.
Old Madam Cui was writing just now. Shuyun did not disturb her. She and the fourth girl Xiao Shuyi stayed beside the old lady, quietly watching the flowing and powerful words on the rice paper.
Shuyun asked how she was, and Mrs. Cui came to sit on the Arhat couch, taking the Buddhist beads from the plate and holding them in her hands.
Shu Yun walked forward and took out the sachet she had just made from her sleeve. She said, "After the beginning of summer, there have been more mosquitoes, so I made a sachet to repel them. I hope Grandma won't dislike it."
Mrs. Cui looked at the sachet handed to her and took a while before accepting it.
Just as she put down the sachet, Old Madam Cui glanced outside Shou'an Hall and asked, "Why is there so much noise outside?"
The nanny understood and stepped forward, saying, "Madam, it's the Luo family mother and son who are outside the mansion. They say... they have an engagement and want to marry Miss Shuyun."
Old Madam Cui looked over, and Shuyun calmly explained, "Grandmother, this marriage was arranged long ago by the Tian and Luo families. The Luo family's son married the Tian family's daughter. Now that my background has been revealed, the Luo family came to our house and arranged the marriage for me."
Shuyun changed the subject and said, "But Grandma, I find it strange."
"The Tian family is a farming family, and the Luo family father and son make a living by fishing. They are from the same village, and neither of them can read. Yesterday, the Luo family's young master even got the marriage certificate wrong, which shows that he is illiterate. Commoners usually marry their daughters verbally, and after the betrothal, they immediately set a date. Why would they write a marriage certificate?"
Xiao Shuyi listened quietly and nodded.
Shu Yun continued, "Let's put aside the verbal agreement and marriage certificate. Just because the Luo family hasn't offered the betrothal gift before, this marriage doesn't count. It's been almost two months since Sister Zhen'er was recognized, so why did the Luo family only come to us recently and insist on consummating this marriage?"
Old Madam Cui slowly turned the Buddhist beads, glanced at Shuyun, nodded approvingly, and ordered someone to go down and check it carefully.
The two girls left Shou'an Hall. Smoke was lingering over the table. On the Arhat couch, Old Madam Cui leaned against a jade pillow, looking lost in thought.
*
After coming out of Shou'an Hall, Xiao Shuyi invited Shuyun to sit in her yard and have a cup of tea.
Xiao Shuyi brewed a pot of Junshan Silver Needle tea, poured the tea and handed it over, jokingly saying, "Sister Yun made a sachet for Grandmother, which made me jealous."
Shu Yun smiled and said, "Yes, I will make one for Fourth Sister tomorrow. Fourth Sister made me the tea I like, and I drank this tea, so how could I forget Fourth Sister?"
Xiao Shuyi said bluntly, "Yesterday I heard that the Tian and Luo families came to the mansion, but I didn't expect that the young master of the Luo family would come again today. If he comes every day, who knows what kind of trouble he will cause. It will be bad for Sister Yun's reputation. My father is far away in the frontier, and the eldest brother is like a father. Sister Yun, why don't you go to him for advice?"
Shuyun put down the teacup and said, "At first, I went to Yanfu Residence, but my brother had not returned yet."
Xiao Shuyi glanced at the sky outside the window and reminded, "Brother is off duty at this hour, Sister Yun should go."
Shu Yun hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Grandmother has already started investigating. Besides, the Luo family hasn't proposed, so the marriage is just nonsense. My brother is busy, so it's better not to bother him."
Xiao Shuyi smiled, picked up a tea cake and took a small bite.
Not necessarily. If I don't go to see him today, it will probably take some effort to see him again in the future.
*
Yan Fuju.
Biluo entered the room and saw the man sitting upright, his deep facial features hidden in the light and shadow, as if covered by a layer of frost.
Biluo's heart sank, and she lowered her head and replied, "Miss Yun went to see the old lady. She seemed in a good mood after coming out of Shou'an Hall, not as anxious and worried as when she came to see the young master. Miss Yun went to sit for a while in the fourth lady's courtyard, and then returned to Chanxueju."
Xiao Ye's eyes darkened, he sneered, picked up the kettle, poured himself a cup of tea, and probed the wall of the cup with his fingers.
Hot tea became cold tea.
He smiled, drank the cold tea, and rubbed the rim of the glazed green lotus cup with his fingertips. "Very good."
*
Wang Huilan left the house and returned with a sullen face. She had thought that the Luo family mother and son had been driven away and things had quieted down, but she had never imagined that they would make such a big fuss that everyone in the city knew about it.
The marriage certificate in the hands of the Luo family mother and son had "Tian's daughter" written in black and white. The marriage was originally arranged with Zhen'er, but now the Luo family has changed it to Shuyun, which is considered tactful. If the Luo family submits the marriage certificate to the government, things will only become more chaotic. But if the Luo family gets what they want, Wang Huilan can't stand this humiliation, and she can't swallow this anger.
Xiao Shuzhen cried until her eyes were red and swollen when she heard that the Luo family was unwilling to give in, fearing that she would marry into the Tian family. Wang Huilan had suffered so much for this pregnancy, and now she had finally achieved her goal, becoming the mistress of the Marquis's mansion. However, her own daughter had not enjoyed any wealth and prosperity. She would never let her daughter suffer again, so she went to Quhe Hall to comfort her for a long time.
Wang Huilan: "Zhen'er will marry the son of an official in the future. How can she be married to a country fisherman?"
Xiao Shuzhen's eyes were red, and she bit her lip and whispered, "Mother, why don't you send Sister Yun back? If she wants to get married, it's the Tian family's business and has nothing to do with our mansion."
Wang Huilan lowered her eyes to look at her, her expression suddenly cold, and she said sternly, "Zhen'er, this is not your place to worry about. Just follow Madam and learn etiquette."
Xiao Shuzhen was terrified, "Zhen'er said something out of turn."
Coming out of Quhetang, Wang Huilan's eyes were dark and unclear. After all, she was her biological daughter, and her thoughts were very similar to hers when she was young.
After passing through a stone archway, two servants pushing a cart came towards them on the main road. When they saw Wang Huilan, they moved away from the cart blocking their way and bowed their heads, "Madam."
Wang Huilan didn't care at first and walked straight past. Suddenly she felt something was wrong and looked back at the fighting cart.
There were a few scrolls with some stuff underneath.
Wang Huilan asked, "Where did it come from? Where is it going?"
The servant was about to leave with his cart when he heard the noise and stopped. He replied, "The tiles in the East Pavilion need repairing. It rained heavily a few days ago, and water seeped into the pavilion, soaking the Marquis's collection of paintings and military books. They were just about to be taken out to air, but the eldest son ordered them to be put in the storeroom first and returned to their original location after the East Pavilion was repaired."
The East Pavilion is the study of Marquis Anlu. Without the order of Marquis Anlu, Wang Huilan is not allowed to enter, even if Marquis Anlu is not here at the moment.
Wang Huilan casually picked up a scroll, an ordinary painting of troops on a battlefield, one corner of it wet. She put it back and picked up another.
The picture of a beautiful woman wearing a hairpin with flowers, has almond eyes and rosy cheeks, a pair of eyes raised up, full of affection, and an indescribable gentle charm.
The paper is yellowed and has been there for some time. The person in the painting is neither the original wife of Marquis Anlu nor Wang Huilan. Her eyes and face look very much like Shuyun.
Wang Huilan was enraged. Her fingertips dug deep into the scroll, poking a hole in it. Flames of hatred burned in her eyes. She clenched her teeth and, with great restraint, rolled up the scroll and put it back into the cart.
The gloomy atmosphere around was creepy. The servant lowered his head and pushed the cart away quickly, completely disappearing from the main road.
Biluo walked down from the corridor and headed towards the cart. She glanced in the direction the cart was coming from, but because of the road and tree shadows, she could no longer see Wang Huilan.
She lowered her eyes to look at the scroll that seemed to be being turned over, and said gently, "Be careful, let the things dry out in a day or two, and then send them back. If anything is missing, you will be punished."
The servants responded repeatedly and carefully pushed the cart away.
Biluo turned around and returned to Yanfuju to report.
Sometimes, she really couldn't guess what the eldest master was thinking.
*
When Wang Huilan saw the scroll, she was angry and annoyed, and carefully recalled what happened that year.
A ridiculous idea suddenly popped up in her mind. Wang Huilan couldn't believe it and laughed angrily.
I was so stupid that I cried.
Wang Huilan called Nanny Wu and asked her to go to the Luo family to pass on a message that the only marriage they wanted was Shuyun, and asked the Luo family to prepare the betrothal gifts in the near future and invite a matchmaker to the Marquis' Mansion to propose marriage.
No matter how much the betrothal gift is, it must be at least ten taels of silver.
Wang Huilan ordered Nanny Wu not to make it public, but the news still reached Shuyun's ears.
Shuyun was making sachets in the house. She had promised Xiao Shuyi that she would not go back on her word. When she learned that she was going to marry into the Luo family, she was shocked. The embroidery needle deflected and pierced her fingertip, causing her excruciating pain.
She sucked the blood beads on her fingertips, feeling extremely anxious. She asked Qiongzhi to pack up her embroidery tools and went to Yanfu Residence alone.
Xiao Ye stood by the window and saw the girl in green rushing over in a panic. He slowly drank the tea in the cup.
Before Shuyun stepped into the house, Xiao Ye left the house first and saw her coming towards him with an anxious look on her face.
Seeing the man in a tight suit, Shu Yun's heart froze, "Brother, are you going out?"
Xiao Ye nodded and looked at the flustered girl, whose cheeks were rosy and whose delicate nose was covered with a thin layer of sweat.
Xiao Ye handed her a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, and said calmly: "If you have anything to say, wait until I come back and talk to you. Go back, sister."
Xiao Ye walked past her and left. Shu Yun held the dark blue handkerchief in her hand, watching the man's back as he walked away, her heart gradually sinking to the bottom.
As if remembering something important, Xiao Ye took a few steps and turned back, looking at her anxiously, and reminded her: "Grandma has been suffering from insomnia recently. Sister, please don't disturb her and disturb her rest."
The author has something to say:
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See you on Wednesday [wave hand][wave hand]
Rank one: The heroine's life story is a love-hate entanglement, very bloody and pitiful, including but not limited to robbery, treason and hatred [please] [escaping with a pot lid on her head]
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