Chapter 8: Beauty Like a Painting
The footsteps outside the house faded away completely, and Shen Yanzhi left.
Song Qingyuan then turned and went into the room. The room was quiet. She walked to the dressing table and took out a small rosewood box from an inconspicuous compartment at the bottom.
The box was opened, and a yellowed deed paper lay quietly inside.
"Brother, this is the title deed to Zuixianlou."
Song Qingyuan handed the land deed to Song Mingjing. His voice was flat, but it was like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake.
"I want to turn it into a place for scholars to debate and for the children of nobles to have fun."
Song Mingjing paused while gnawing on the duck leg. He stared at the priceless title deed, his brows furrowed. He threw the greasy bone on the table, took the handkerchief handed to him by Zisu, and wiped his hands slowly.
"How did this thing end up in your hands?"
"I saved the princess of the eldest young master's mansion a few days ago, and she gave it to me." Song Qingyuan said lightly.
Song Mingjing stopped wiping his hands abruptly. He stood up suddenly, two balls of fire flashing in his eyes: "What did you say?!"
He took three or two steps to Song Qingyuan, raised his palm as big as a palm fan high, but finally just lightly placed it on her head, patting it with anger and heartache.
"Is your courage made of iron?"
This roar seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
After cursing, his eyes turned red despite being a seven-foot-tall man, and his voice became hoarse: "It's my brother who is useless. I let you suffer like this outside..."
Song Qingyuan felt a little warm in his heart.
The third brother felt sorry for the original owner who suffered from postpartum depression and was willing to risk her life to fight for a future for her child.
The poor woman thought she was dead, but her husband's family would always treat her two children well because they saved their lives.
"Brother, I'm fine. I haven't suffered at all." She pulled Song Mingjing's sleeve and looked up at him. "I just want to do something now, for myself and for the children."
"What are you doing! What are you doing as a girl?" Song Mingjing became even more anxious when she heard this. She took out a thick stack of banknotes from her arms and stuffed it into her hand.
"Here's twenty thousand taels, take it first! I heard when I came here that your mistress is really too much! She even won't let you accept the gifts from your family?"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and he paced back and forth in the room.
"I'll change it into banknotes for you from now on. Let's see who dares to stop me! Just go buy whatever you want to eat. Don't work yourself to death. Look at your hands!"
He grabbed Song Qingyuan's hand, spread it in his palm, and said with a look of annoyance: "It's so rough!"
Song Qingyuan lowered his head.
Her palms are delicate, her fingertips are round, and her hands are as white as the finest mutton-fat jade.
Well, it looks pretty good.
She suppressed her laughter and pulled her hand back: "I made the cakes because I wanted to give them to my brother. I'm not wronged."
Changing the subject, she calmed down and said seriously, "Brother, the children are growing up day by day. They will eventually start their own families. I can't always be a burden to you. I want to reorganize all the shops that came with my dowry, but my current status makes it inconvenient for me to show my face in public, so I need my brother's help."
Song Mingjing saw a light in her sister's eyes that she had never seen before. It was not resignation to her fate, but the determination to fight against this fate.
His heart was shaken, and all his anger and worry turned into a surge of pride.
"Okay! I'll help you!" He patted his chest and said loudly, "With me here, let alone you now, even if you are old and can't walk, I will support you!"
Under candlelight, the brother and sister sat head to head and wrote down the renovation plan of Zuixianlou in detail on paper.
An hour later, the two little guys came out of the inner room rubbing their eyes. When they saw their uncle, they rushed over with their short legs. The room was suddenly filled with laughter.
After playing for a while, Song Mingjing carefully put the land deed and the fully written plan into his arms, and walked away, looking back every few steps.
Song Qingyuan stood in the corridor, watching his third brother's tall figure disappear into the night.
The evening breeze was cool, making her clothes flutter.
She squeezed the heavy stack of banknotes in her sleeve. This was the first confidence she had gained in this world.
Yixuanyuan
Cui Jingyue leaned on the chaise longue, twisting a freshly peeled lychee with her fingertips. The bright red juice made her nail polish look even more gorgeous.
"The person has left?"
She didn't even raise her eyelids, and her voice was lazy, as if she was just asking about the weather today.
Nanny Cui came in from outside and bowed and said, "Princess, the Third Master of the Song family has left."
"Hmm." Cui Jingyue put the lychee into her mouth and chewed it slowly. After a while, she asked again, "What did you bring? Or did you say what you wanted?"
In her opinion, since she had given Zuixianlou such a big gift, the other party must express their gratitude.
Either they offer a return gift with tears of gratitude, or they take advantage of the situation and make other requests.
This is common sense.
Aunt Cui shook her head and said respectfully, "Mr. Song came here empty-handed and didn't ask for anything."
Cui Jingyue's hand holding the litchi stopped in mid-air.
She finally raised her eyes and looked at the old lady in front of her. A hint of inquiry and displeasure flashed in her beautiful phoenix eyes.
"Nothing?"
"yes."
Cui Jingyue suddenly lost her appetite and threw the lychee into the ice jar beside her, making a crisp muffled sound.
She sat up straight, and the hem of her brocade skirt slid down the edge of the couch like a blooming peony.
"I gave them a mountain of gold, and they couldn't even be bothered to offer a decent word of flattery? They sent a brute to show around and then leave?"
Nanny Cui lowered her eyes and didn't dare to answer.
She had served the princess for many years, but from this morning on, the princess became unlike herself.
Cui Jingyue sneered, tapping the table lightly with her slender fingers. "This is interesting. That Song Qingyuan seemed like an honest and decent man when he saved my son, but I didn't expect him to use such a trick to play hard to get."
In her eyes, not wanting something means wanting more.
"Mammy, send someone to investigate." Cui Jingyue leaned back on the couch, her voice returning to its lazy tone, but the meaning behind her words was icy. "I want to see what kind of drama they are planning to play with the building I gave them."
The things she gave away were like canaries released from a cage. No matter how far they flew, the chain tied to their feet had to be held in her hand.
The night was dark, but a small light was on in Song Qingyuan's courtyard.
She didn't rest, but worked in the small kitchen. Having gained encouragement from her third brother during the day, she was in a good mood and wanted to make some novel snacks for the children.
She was bringing out a plate of freshly baked sweet-scented osmanthus sugar steamed chestnut flour cakes and preparing to let them cool down when she looked up and saw a tall figure standing at the gate of the courtyard.
It is Shen Yanzhi.
No one knew when he had arrived. He just stood quietly in the moonlight, looking at her with an unclear expression.
Song Qingyuan was slightly surprised, but her face showed no sign of panic. She placed the cakes steadily on the stone table, straightened her sleeves, and then walked forward, bowing and saying, "May your Highness be well."
Shen Yanzhi's gaze fell on her, or more precisely, on her hands that had just finished their work and were still stained with a little white powder.
Under the lamp, those hands were as white as jade, with slender fingers, and there was a sense of leisure and ease in their movements.
"What are you doing?" His voice was cold, breaking the silence of the night.
"Your Highness, I'm making some cakes for the children." Song Qingyuan answered calmly, then turned sideways, revealing the plate of exquisite chestnut flour cake on the stone table. "I've tried a new recipe. If Your Highness doesn't mind, would you like to try it?"
She didn't act coy or flattering at all, as if she was just asking casually.
This frankness actually surprised Shen Yanzhi. He walked over and glanced at the cakes. The cakes were decorated with candied osmanthus flowers in the shape of small petals, which was very cute.
Song Qingyuan took out a clean jade plate, picked up a piece with a bamboo clip, and presented it with both hands.
Her fingertips shone softly in the dim light, and when Shen Yanzhi took the plate, his fingertips brushed against her fingertips subtly.
But she seemed unaware of it, withdrew her hand and stood quietly aside.
Shen Yanzhi took a bite and found the chestnut powder to be delicate, sweet but not greasy, melting in his mouth, with a faint sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance lingering in his throat. This is indeed a rare and fine craftsmanship.
He looked at the woman in front of him who had her eyes lowered and was as quiet as a painting, and suddenly felt that this remote courtyard where he had never set foot did not seem so lifeless.
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