Within Yinyu Hall, Yuan Yunzhong, clad in a fine cloth Taoist robe, stood tall and statuesque under the eaves.
In the courtyard, several servant boys were panting as they practiced boxing.
Standing behind him, Shao Qing reported, "Young Master Hong has arrived!"
Yuan Yunzhong said nothing and snapped off a branch that was slanting into the veranda with a "crack".
*
In the hall, Song Jiyun was quite surprised to see the Store Managers and master craftsmen talking in pairs and groups.
According to custom, when Young Master Hong planned to visit her, he should have sent someone in advance with a card to arrange the time and place of the meeting.
His sudden arrival was quite impolite.
She pondered for a moment, then asked Zheng Quan in a low voice, "Do you know why he is here?"
Zheng Quan also responded in a low voice, "He said it’s about the ceramics."
That was even more inappropriate.
He had not sent any message with the servant boy who delivered the samples yesterday.
She mused, "Ask him to sit in the Flower Hall for a while. I’ll take care of things here first before joining him."
Quietly, Zheng Quan left the hall.
Song Jiyun, seeing that the others had almost finished their discussions, then said to them, "If there’s nothing else, we can disperse. Everyone should go back and prepare for the bidding."
The crowd halted their discussions, each expressing that they would prepare well for the bidding and took leave in pairs.
Song Jiyun saw them out and then went to the Flower Hall.
Hong Xi was wearing a sapphire blue, bamboo-patterned Hangzhou silk robe, sitting in the Taishi Chair in the Flower Hall with Zheng Quan, drinking tea.
The soft morning light streamed in, casting his face in a jade-like glow.
"Eldest Young Master Hong," Song Jiyun greeted him with a smile.
Hong Xi quickly put down his tea cup: "Miss Song!"
He bowed to Song Jiyun and then looked up with a starry gaze, "Miss Song, I apologize for calling on you unannounced and disturbing you. It was an urgent matter, and I couldn’t help it. Please do not hold it against me."
Such a Hong Xi was even more handsome than Song Jiyun remembered.
"You are too polite, Eldest Young Master Hong!" She exchanged pleasantries with Hong Xi, and they took their respective seats as the maids served refreshments. Hong Xi then began explaining his reason for the visit: "Last night, the steward from Tianzhuang presented my grandfather with several jin of fine Dense Liquor. My ancestor drank it excessively and only saw the Gourd Bottle you sent this morning."
Speaking thus, he opened the brocade box by his side and smiled, "My ancestor particularly liked the Cornelian cherry painting you made. He instructed me to tell you to make fifty Gourd Bottles of ’Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness,’ and another fifty Offering Plates exactly as per your painting."
He also handed her several silver notes, "This is a deposit of Five Hundred Taels of silver."
Song Jiyun’s expression was subtly complex.
Yuan Yunzhong, that jinx, had actually predicted correctly that the Hong Household is governed by Hong Xi’s grandfather.
She inwardly cursed, yet her face showed nothing, and she did not accept the silver notes, instead she mentioned, "About the delivery date..."
Hong Xi smiled, "Crane Mountain Academy will be hosting three scholars and about a dozen students. The ’Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness’ Gourd Bottles just need to be ready for them. For the others, I will discuss with my grandfather and arrange to deliver them afterward as they are produced. As for the fifty Offering Plates, they are intended for collection to be gifted during family occasions in the future."
Song Jiyun then allowed Zheng Quan to take the silver notes and instructed him, "Later, take these to the Kiln Factory’s accountant to be recorded."
Zheng Quan checked the silver notes in front of Hong Xi and, finding that the amounts matched, nodded at Song Jiyun before vaguely mumbling an affirmation.
Hong Xi then smiled and said, "I’ve also brought some things for Miss Song." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Song Jiyun was surprised.
The steward standing behind Hong Xi waved his hand outside, and seven or eight servant boys, holding brocade boxes, walked in one by one.
"I know Miss Song has put a lot of effort into making porcelain for our family," said Hong Xi apologetically, "No form of thanks could suffice, but please do not refuse; allow me to express my gratitude and alleviate some of my guilt."
Song Jiyun had not expected Hong Xi to act this way. She waved her hands repeatedly and said, "It is we who should present a generous gift to visit you and Old Grand Master Song for looking after our business. How could we possibly let you spend like this!"
Remembering Yuan Yunzhong’s words, she added, "Our family is still in mourning and should not travel much outside. If we have acted inappropriately, please forgive us, Eldest Young Master Hong."
After speaking, she signaled Zheng Quan to return the brocade boxes to the Hong family.
Seeing this, Hong Xi chuckled and said, "Not all of these are for Miss Song, some are for Madam Song and the Second Miss and Third Miss of the Song Family—I should have visited much earlier, but there has been no opportunity."
With a tone half joking yet half serious, he added, "Miss Song wouldn’t be reluctant to introduce me to Madam Song, would she?"
If this conversation had happened before Yuan Yunzhong’s remarks, Song Jiyun might have hesitated for a long time. But having heard his words, she declined politely without a second thought, "I understand and appreciate the kindness on behalf of my mother. However, as my father has just passed away, my mother is greatly distressed and dismisses anything not related to my father’s funeral. I regret that you will be disappointed!"
Hong Xi was visibly surprised, but he quickly controlled his emotions, smiling and saying, "Then all the more reason to accept the gifts, else I would have to retreat in shame."
Had Song Jiyun refused again, it would have seemed discourteous.
Unwilling to offend, she thanked him profusely and directed Zheng Quan to accept the items.
Unexpectedly, Hong Xi then said, "I’d like to invite Miss Song to visit Wensi Building for flower viewing and tea drinking!"
Wensi Building was the largest academy in Liang County, owned by Mr. Wen, a scholar well-respected by all.
He had created a small garden behind the academy, divided into several small compartments, transforming it into a tea house that was popular among scholars and gentries.
Song Jiyun widened her eyes in astoundment.
Ever since she became known as Song Jiyun, this was the first time she had received such an invitation.
Wasn’t there a strict custom of "no personal contact between unrelated men and women" in ancient times?
She couldn’t help but size up Hong Xi.
Hong Xi did not avoid her gaze but stared back steadily, his dark eyes twinkling like stars, radiating an unmistaken earnestness and sincerity, as if nothing else mattered to him in the world except her response.
His demeanor resembled that of someone about to confess his feelings!
Jiyun’s heart skipped a beat, and she paused in bewilderment.
Hong Xi went on to say, "I heard that Mr. Wen from Wensi Building has procured a rare ink chrysanthemum from Hangzhou and plans to hold an elegant gathering in a few days. Thinking of all that has happened to the Song family recently, everyone must be exhausted. I wanted to invite Miss Song, Madam Song, and the other Misses to relax a bit and have a look."
Had she misunderstood him?
Song Jiyun was uncertain, but since she had no intention of becoming intimate with the Hong family, she naturally declined politely, "Thank you, Eldest Young Master Hong! It’s almost the seventy-seventh day of mourning for my father, and this batch of custom-made porcelain also needs urgent arrangement, I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you."
"I was thoughtless," Hong Xi apologized repeatedly, sounding disappointed, "I heard that the new official of Liang County will also be there at that time. That was why I thought of inviting Miss Song to accompany me."
Jiyun frowned inwardly, yet she could not deny that his words had indeed moved her.
She had never met this new official of Liang County!
She smiled at Hong Xi, her bright and clear eyes sparkling like gems, raised the tea cup, and with the lid gently swept the floating leaves, saying, "Thank you for sharing this news with me, Young Master Yuan and I can go together!"
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