Chapter 37 Chapter 37

Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. The streets have already started preparing for the festival a few days ago. Now it is the 15th day of the lunar month, and the streets are even more lively. Lanterns are like a sea, shining brightly. The moon is also particularly round tonight, hanging in the night sky like a round disk.

Every home is exceptionally lively tonight, with every family having a family reunion dinner.

In the Song Mansion, Madam Song made this banquet extra lively, because in two days would be the day of Song Xuan'an's autumn examination, and she wanted to spend two more days with him before he was imprisoned in the tribute courtyard.

These days, Song Xuan'an locked himself in the study and studied non-stop. She felt a little distressed when she saw this and even wondered if she was being too difficult for him.

He wanted to marry Jiang Jingchun, but she didn't let him succeed in one go, which was not an easy thing to do.

He was such a slacker in the past, so no matter how hard he works these days, it will not be enough.

Forget it, forget it. Things had come to this point and Mrs. Song didn't want to think about it any further. Before the family dinner was about to start, she asked someone to go to the study and call him over.

By the time Song Xuan'an arrived, most of the Song family members had already taken their seats, except for his grandfather, Song Ge Lao. After a while, the old man finally took his seat.

Song Ge Lao has two sons and two daughters. He is now almost sixty years old and is quite famous in the court. Jiang Nan also regards him as a mentor. The main branch of the Song family is now controlled by Song Xuan'an's father Song He. Today, the two branches of the Song family gathered together for a family dinner. Several young people first said some auspicious words to Song Ge Lao, and then waited for him to speak before the younger generations started eating.

Mr. Song Ge has a relatively good temper, and since today is a family dinner, the meal was even more casual.

He knew that Song Xuan'an had been working hard for the autumn examination recently, so he said, "Xuan'an has been working hard these days."

Song Xuan'an was still reciting his books in his head and hadn't reacted to Mrs. Song calling him until Mrs. Song pushed him, then he responded.

Song Xuan'an didn't hear clearly what he just said, so he asked again, "What did grandpa just say?"

Before Song Ge Lao opened his mouth, his father started to scold him, "Just eat, why are you thinking about other things? You can't even hear your grandfather talking to you."

Song He didn't like his younger son very much, because he was always doing nothing serious. Compared to him, he naturally liked his older son more. First, because he was the son of his concubine, and second, he was better than Song Xuan'an and was more obedient and sensible.

Comparing the two, how could he not cherish her?

Seeing Song He scolding Song Xuan'an, Mrs. Song on the side said, "It's just a moment of absent-mindedness, but you can make a big fuss about it."

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Song Ge, who was standing by, stopped them first, "Okay, you quarrel during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Why is it so difficult to have a good reunion dinner?"

Only after hearing Master Song speak did the two finally keep quiet.

Elder Song looked at Song Xuan'an and continued the previous topic. He said, "This autumn examination is just a stepping stone for you. Even if you fail, it doesn't matter. You can donate money to become an official and inherit your ancestors' fame."

For Mr. Song Ge, there are already capable young people in the family. Song Xuanjing is good, and the children from the second house are also good. For Song Xuan'an, it is not a big deal if he fails the exam. Why would he be driven to such a state for fame?

But before Song Xuan'an could even open his mouth, Song He said, "How can it be the same? Father, do you still think that now is the same as before? The emperor now values ​​the imperial examinations, and it is clear that he wants to select young men from poor families. How can he donate an official position as he wanted to do in the past? Besides, didn't Ajing pass the imperial examination in one try? Everyone can pass the exam, so why is he so useless?"

When he said this, everyone present looked unhappy, especially Song Xuan'an.

He hadn't said anything yet, but his grandfather's words had irritated him so much that people who didn't know him would think he had done something stupid.

What's more, the exam hasn't even started yet, but he already started saying such sad words.

Song Xuan'an couldn't finish his meal, so he stood up and said, "Just wait and see if I'm useful or not."

His father looked down on him, and he didn't need his father to look up to him.

Song Xuan'an admitted that he was a little unfocused in the past, but he wasn't as bad as he said he was, was he? He had been working so hard these days not because he wanted to cram for the last minute, but because he attached great importance to it.

In the past, he would just take the exam casually. If he passed, it was his own ability. If he failed, that was fine. He really didn't care. But since he had set his goal, he could not allow any mistakes or failure.

Song Xuan'an left before he even finished his meal. The atmosphere here froze for a moment. Finally, Mrs. Song's cold voice broke the silence, "Do you really need to be like this? We finally have a chance to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, but you have to go and make people angry."

Mr. Song Ge also scolded him.

This family dinner ended up being a bit unpleasant.

After the banquet was over, Song Xuanjing went to look for Song Xuan'an.

Madam Song had not allowed him to disturb his studies in the past few days, so Song Xuanjing had not found any opportunity to look for him. But tonight she was busy with a family dinner, and now that it was over she was still talking to the wife of the second house, so she had no time to stare at him.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather has become cooler. The nights have become a little cooler, and the osmanthus flowers in the yard have quietly bloomed, emitting a faint fragrance.

Song Xuanjing knocked on the study door, and Song Xuanan came to open the door soon.

His face still looked bad, probably still troubled by what happened just now. After opening the door and seeing that the person coming was Song Xuanjing, he finally managed to calm down a little and said, "Brother."

He stepped aside to let him in.

Song Xuanjing entered the study, and the two of them walked to the table and sat down. He asked Song Xuanan, "Father didn't mean what he said today, so don't take it to heart."

It would be strange if he wasn't angry when Song He said that to him.

Song Xuan'an didn't want to mention that matter anymore, and asked, "Brother, why did you come to see me today?"

Song Xuanjing glanced at the servant behind him, and the servant handed over the things in his hand.

Song Xuan'an took it and looked at it, and found that it was a wolf-hair brush. The pen shaft was smooth and delicate, and there were delicate patterns carved on it. The color looked even warmer under the candlelight, and it emitted a soft light.

Song Xuanjing said to him, "You will go to the tribute court in two days. You have everything, and I have nothing to give you. I spent a long time searching for this wolf hair brush. I hope you will pass the imperial examination."

When Song Xuanjing said this, his eyebrows were smiling and he looked very gentle.

He is just like that. Even though Mrs. Song has never treated him well, he seems to have no grudge against Song Xuan'an. The two brothers have a close relationship, so naturally he has to give Song Xuan'an a gift before the autumn examination to give him a good start.

Song Xuan'an held the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and a smile appeared in his eyes. He said, "Okay, thank you, brother, for your good words."

Song Xuan'an asked the servant to keep the pen safely, and then he chatted with Song Xuanjing for a few words before leaving.

Song Xuanjing walked out of the door and turned back to his own yard. He lowered his head to look at the ground. The moonlight fell at his feet, and the clear light spread all over the ground. After coming out of Song Xuan'an's study, he still had a faint smile on his lips.

There were no lanterns lighting up the surroundings, only a full moon. Song Xuanjing looked up at the moon. Perhaps because of the dim environment, that warm face actually had a bit of weirdness.

The Mid-Autumn moon is inlaid in the dark night sky like a jade plate. The silvery moonlight penetrates the clouds and covers the earth.

Inside the palace, Wang Shun turned his gaze away from the sky. He had been admiring the moon for so long that his eyes felt a little sore.

Wang Shun now has no children and no wife. This year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, his subordinates came to give him some gifts, and then they all returned home to reunite with their families, leaving him alone to celebrate the festival.

He was the only one at home, and he was too lazy to even ask anyone to arrange a banquet. He just asked someone to cook a few dishes and set up a table in the yard.

He enjoyed his meal while admiring the moon.

Although he was the only one sitting there, there were three sets of bowls and chopsticks in front of him.

He withdrew his gaze from appreciating the moon and scooped several spoonfuls of soup into the bowl opposite him. As he scooped the soup, he said, "Ayu, you said yesterday that you wanted to drink this fish ball soup, so Daddy will make it for you. You have been unwilling to come to see Daddy more in all these years, and you only come when you are hungry. Eat more this time, and after you eat, Daddy will make it for you next time."

He scooped several spoonfuls of fish soup into the empty bowl opposite him and continued his action until it overflowed.

Seeing this, the personal servant beside him hurried forward and said, "My lord, it's enough. It's too much. If it's full, you won't be able to use it all."

The servant was an old man beside Wang Shun, and he was also acting out this ridiculous drama with him.

Wang Shun let the servant take the spoon from him without resisting. His eyes were fixed on the empty space opposite him, passing through the air and landing on nothingness.

After a long time, he suddenly asked, "Wang Fu, you said A-Yu, is he still blaming me now? If I hadn't forced him, he wouldn't... wouldn't have been killed by them..."

Seeing the sadness in Wang Shun's eyes, Wang Fu also burst into tears. Wang Yu was only 19 years old that year. He went out to do work for Wang Shun, and Wang Shun was waiting for him at home. He was waiting at home to perform the coming-of-age ceremony for him when he returned.

But later, the young master died, the day before his coming-of-age ceremony.

Wang Fu was sad, "Your Excellency is right, it was all their fault, they killed the young master."

Hearing this, Wang Shun actually smiled, and there was a hint of moisture in his smile.

He said, "Wang Fu, you are right. They were the ones who killed Ah Yu."

"I will not let them go, nineteen years old...I will make them be buried with my nineteen-year-old son."

He is now almost sixty-one years old, and it has been nearly twenty years since that incident. Now, he is old and frail, and this is probably the last thing he wants to live.

While the two were talking, someone came in from outside. Wang Shun wiped the corners of his eyes, and his tears were wiped away completely. He became the emotionless Prime Minister as usual.

The man who came was a secret guard. He bowed and reported, "Sir, the young lady sent a message. She said that Jiang Jingchun did not return to the Jiang family to celebrate the festival today. I think she wants to break off all ties with the Jiang family."

Wang Shun's expression didn't change when he heard this. He asked again, "Has the Jiang family been in chaos recently?"

"Jiang Jingchun moved to Chen's house and there is no trouble for the time being."

Wang Shun said, "Okay, then let her stay here for now. If anything happens, we can look for her later."

After hearing this, the guard stopped talking and respectfully left.

Wang Fu was a little worried and asked, "If Jiang Jinghui returns to the Jiang family, will she really not betray you?"

After all, those people are her biological parents, who knows if they will betray him in the future.

Wang Shun smiled and said affirmatively, "No."

He was not confident in Jiang Jinghui, he was confident in the way he had raised her over the years.

She had been under his control since she was three years old, and he had raised her for seven years since she was brought to his side at the age of nine. Thirteen years was enough, enough to tame her.

She will be his best weapon against the Jiang family.

*

Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing had a family dinner with Shen Tao at Chen's house and then went out.

On August 15th, the long moon shines brightly.

The capital city is already a prosperous city, and it becomes even more lively during festivals. There is no curfew today, and even after late at night, there are still sounds of people laughing and playing everywhere.

Jiang Jingchun and Chen Muqing were strolling outside, laughing and joking, carrying large and small things in their hands, admiring the lanterns and watching the variety shows. The lively atmosphere can really move people's emotions, and when you are in the crowd, you can't think of any bad things.

The girls had a great time, and without the pressure and restraint they walked much more lightly.

Chen Muqing bought a tiger lamp, and Jiang Jingchun bought a rabbit lamp and a cat lamp.

Chen Muqing looked at her strangely, and asked her, "Why did you buy two cups?"

Jiang Jingchun casually ignored it and said, "They are all pretty. I couldn't decide which one I liked, so I took them all back."

Chen Muqing didn't take it seriously after hearing this. The two continued to stroll. Chen Muqing suddenly asked, "Xiaochun'er, what if Song Xuan'an really doesn't pass the exam this time?"

Jiang Jingchun still gave the same answer, "I believe him."

Chen Muqing found it strange. What was so great about Song Xuan'an that made her trust him so wholeheartedly? She stroked her chin and thought carefully, but she really couldn't figure it out.

She asked, "What if? Do you understand what the word 'what if' means? You have to plan for yourself. You can't just throw everything at the table without considering a way out."

The retreat...

Jiang Jingchun doesn't want to deal with these complicated things now. Things will work out when the time comes. If she really fails the exam, she can deal with it then.

But Chen Muqingfei wanted her to think of a way out for him. Jiang Jingchun thought about it and said, "At worst, I can wait for another three years. If I fail the exam again, I won't wait for this idiot."

Hearing Jiang Jingchun say this, Chen Muqing suddenly said, "When did you fall so deeply in love with him that you even waited for three years."

Jiang Jingchun laughed, "What's the big deal about three years? It's been three years already, so what's the harm in one more."

In fact, what Chen Muqing said was right. She had always regarded Song Xuan'an as a friend. She could not accept her and him, and she felt that friends could not be like that. But now, with a slight change of mindset, she realized that there was nothing impossible.

They knew each other, *understood each other, and they had been together for many three years.

Chen Muqing also smiled. It was not a bad idea to think this way. In fact, it didn’t matter to them whether they got married or not. As long as she was willing to wait for him, they could be together.

The two did not continue discussing the matter and continued strolling on the street. After strolling for a while, they were almost tired and planned to go home, but they ran into Jiang Jinghui and Jiang Runchu who were out strolling together.

The four of them bumped into each other on the bridge and had a casual look at each other.

Jiang Jingchun didn't even plan to fight with the two men, but when she was about to pass by them, Jiang Jinghui called her.

"Sister, why didn't you go home today? Mother missed you very much. She seemed to be in a bad mood when you were not around."

Jiang Jinghui pretended to be sentimental and said this.

When Jiang Jingchun heard her words, he indeed paused and turned around to look at her.

Last time she deliberately told her about that, and seeing her crying so sadly, she was so proud of herself, and now she is acting like nothing happened here.

Jiang Jingchun looked at her pretending but was not angry. She suddenly asked her, "What do you hate about me?"

When she said this, the other three were stunned for a moment, especially Jiang Jinghui, whose eyes gradually faded, but when she thought of Jiang Runchu still beside her, Jiang Jinghui regained control of her emotions. She pretended to be innocent and said, "What is my sister talking about? How could I dislike my sister?"

Jiang Runchu, who was standing by, also frowned and said, "Jiang Jingchun, if you are unhappy, why don't you take it out on Jinghui?"

Jiang Jingchun was almost laughing at the two of them singing the same tune. She was too lazy to talk to the idiot Jiang Runchu, so she just said to Jiang Jinghui: "Come here, let's talk."

Jiang Runchu was standing aside, and Jiang Jinghui was pretending. There was nothing much they could say to each other, so it would be better to let the two of them talk it out clearly.

Jiang Jingchun still can't figure out why Jiang Jinghui hates her so much. What has she done wrong to her that makes her hate her so much and treat her like this?

The two men went to the wonton stall on the other side of the river and sat down, while Jiang Runchu and Chen Muqing waited on the side.

Chen Muqing thought of what Jiang Runchu had said just now, and couldn't help but scold him twice, "I've never seen a brother like you, you've made up your mind and ten cows can't pull you back."

She quickly added, "Oh, no... Anyway, you never considered Xiaochun as your sister. Mr. Jiang is just nicer to his own sister. It doesn't matter what happens to others."

Jiang Runchu was so angry that his face turned blue and his jaw was clenched. He was too lazy to say more to her, and the more he talked, the more excited she became.

The two of them were annoyed with each other, but because they had to wait for the two people at the wonton stall, they had to wait together, and their faces were uglier than the other.

Jiang Jinghui and Jiang Jingchun had already sat down at the wonton stall, and Jiang Jingchun ordered two servings of wontons.

The wontons hadn't come yet, but Jiang Jingchun got straight to the point. She said, "There's no one else here, so don't pretend."

When Jiang Jinghui heard Jiang Jingchun's words, the smile in her eyes became even brighter, but this smile was completely different from before. This smile was like a poisonous snake, which made people's scalps cold. She smiled and said to her, "How thoughtful, Xiaochun, you are so considerate of your sister."

Knowing that there were others around, she would not reveal her true identity and even came to the wonton stall to hide.

Jiang Jingchun felt uncomfortable with her sinister look, so she asked directly, "I don't think I have ever offended you, why do you hate me so much?"

She really didn't understand her.

At this point, there was really no need to pretend any longer. Jiang Jinghui finally answered her question, "I have seen you before, when I was seven years old."

Seven years old. That was a long, long time ago.

When Jiang Jingchun heard this, she frowned and began to recall, but there was no image of Jiang Jinghui in her memory.

"Oh, you don't remember me being a commoner. I was just a little beggar at that time."

Jiang Jingchun's life was so wonderful, how could she remember a little beggar like her?

When Jiang Jinghui was three years old, she was kidnapped by human traffickers and was taken out of the capital. She grew up among human traffickers. When she was only three or four years old, she knew nothing. But when she was about six years old, she could not stand the torture of the human traffickers and ran away from that devil's den.

After running away, she became a little beggar and wandered back to the capital.

Perhaps it was because she had lived in a harsh environment since she was a child. Although she was only a few years old, she was more worldly-wise than adults and knew much more than her peers.

She has no special abilities and is good for nothing except stealing.

When she was seven years old, that was the first time she met Jiang Jingchun.

At that time, Jiang Jinghui was squatting on the side of the road with a broken bowl in her hand, her eyes roaming between every passerby. She was looking for her prey, wondering which fool's wallet would be easier to steal.

Just then, she saw a beautiful woman leading a child out of the pastry shop opposite.

The child looked about the same age as her.

Perhaps because they were of similar age, her eyes could not help but fall on the girl. The beautiful woman was very nice to her. As long as the child frowned or pursed her lips, she felt that she was unhappy somewhere and was afraid that she was not feeling well.

She saw the child pick up the cake and put it in his mouth.

Jiang Jinghui was so thirsty that her mouth was dry and she was eager to see it.

Just a few days ago, she couldn't resist and stole a piece of osmanthus cake from a cake shop, but was accidentally discovered by the owner, who beat her nearly to death. In the end, she still didn't get to eat that cake.

She stared at the child and the cake in her hand. She saw her frown, and then she gave the cake to the beautiful woman next to her. The beautiful woman threw the cake to the servant, and the servant threw the cake on the road.

The little girl was dressed beautifully, and when she walked there was the sound of jingling bells and clanging of gold and jade. When she passed by her, she exuded a sweet fragrance, which lingered for a long time after she passed by.

Jiang Jinghui couldn't help but smell herself...

So stinky.

She hasn't had a bath for four or five days, and fleas are almost popping out when she scratches her head.

Their figures gradually disappeared in the crowd, and Jiang Jinghui immediately crawled over and picked up the cake on the ground, as if she had picked up some rare treasure and was afraid that someone would find it and snatch it away. She hurriedly stuffed the cake into her mouth without even shaking off the dust.

It’s delicious. It’s obviously so delicious, why don’t you like it?

Later, Jiang Jinghui often heard people talking about that child, and she also often saw her willful figure appearing everywhere in the capital.

She heard from them that she was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family and the apple of Mrs. Jiang's eye.

Oh, Jiang Jinghui didn't know at that time that she looked so much like her. After all, she had been unkempt for so many years, and only occasionally lifted her hair by the river to take a look at her face. But her face was dirty and covered with black soil and mud, and she couldn't recognize what her real appearance looked like at all.

It wasn't until she was nine years old that she was taken home by her parents.

After she was washed thoroughly, she found that she looked so much like her and she was also so beautiful.

The wontons had been served, and the hot steam was blurring the faces of the two people. At this moment, the person in their eyes seemed a little unreal.

Jiang Jingchun asked her why she hated her, Jiang Jinghui was still smiling, but the smile seemed even more illusory in the mist.

"Why? Because while I was eating mud, you were eating candy. Is that enough?"

"A fake daughter treats you like a real daughter, and a real daughter treats you like a beggar. Jiang Jingchun, tell me, how do you want me to stop hating you?"

Having said this, her eyes finally revealed extreme hatred as she looked at Jiang Jingchun. She hated her so much, as if she was the instigator of everything that happened to Jiang Jingchun.

But when Jiang Jingchun heard this and saw her look, he also smiled.

She just smiled, just like how Jiang Jinghui smiled at her in the temple that day, Jiang Jingchun also smiled extremely sarcastically, and she returned the same look she gave her that day to her today.

She said, "Is the blood of you Jiang family members particularly dirty? Otherwise, why do you always like to blame others for your mistakes?"

The smile in Jiang Jinghui's eyes completely disappeared, not even the resentful smile. After listening to Jiang Jingchun's words, she looked at her expressionlessly.

However, Jiang Jingchun ignored Jiang Jinghui's emotions, just as she ignored her pain that day in the temple. She continued to look at her and talk.

"Do you think I should feel sorry for you? If it were in the past, I would definitely think so. But I still have to thank you. Thank you for telling me the truth that day, so that I could see your true face. You suffer your own pain, but I didn't stuff mud into your mouth, so neither of us should say that we owe each other anything. Besides, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. Please be kind and go and cause trouble for them if you have the ability. Why do you only pick on me and bully me?"

Jiang Jingchun found out the whole story and felt it was even more ridiculous. She didn't want to talk to her anymore, so she stood up and turned to leave. But then she thought of something and turned back. She said, "Oh, by the way, no one cares about them, so you don't have to think that I will snatch them away."

They were living a good life, so she was too lazy to get involved in their affairs.

Jiang Jinghui stared in the direction Jiang Jingchun left for a long time.

She was quite smart and didn't let her lead her into the trap again. Now she has even learned how to fight back.

I have to say that Jiang Jingchun is quite capable when it comes to making people angry.

Jiang Jinghui withdrew her gaze, and with a gloomy face, she took out the money for the wontons from her wallet and put it on the table.

Dead kid, he just left without paying.

Yes, she was only mad because she didn't pay, not because of anything else.

Jiang Jingchun said that she was afraid that she would snatch Jiang Nan and the others away from her, but that was not the case. She wished they would die too.

It's true that she disliked Jiang Jingchun, but she also knew that Jiang Nan and Li Wanning were the culprits who abandoned her.