After the washing-of-the-third ritual was the full-month celebration.
However, some families did not hold a full-month celebration, but a hundred-day celebration instead.
Of course, there are also families that celebrate both.
Yuan Yunzhong did not know which ritual Fourth Young Miss of the Song Family would have, but he still had someone make a longevity lock inlaid with pearls and gemstones for Fourth Miss Song.
When the longevity lock was brought back, a small image of Song Jiyun appeared in his mind, prompting him to have another made for Song Jixue. As for Song Jiyu, he sent over a pearl hairpin.
Song Jixue, having received her gold lock, sheepishly peeked around outside Yuan Yunzhong’s study.
Yuan Yunzhong summoned her inside, taught her painting, and asked her, "Do you plan to take over the family business in the future?"
Song Jixue was immediately displeased and said, "My family business will be inherited by my eldest sister."
"I know!" said Yuan Yunzhong, swiftly painted a black dot, then carefully added a few strokes to create a pair of vividly lifelike shrimps. "Your eldest sister managing the household alone is so hard. Don’t you want to help your eldest sister when you grow up?"
Song Jixue was immediately awed by Yuan Yunzhong’s painting skills and said, "Of course, I will help my eldest sister! My father said when he was alive, ’When sisters are united, they can cut through metal.’"
As she spoke, she confidently made a stroke.
It was also a black dot.
Then she carefully added a few strokes.
But one couldn’t make out what she was trying to depict.
Yuan Yunzhong sighed internally.
Song Jixue, undeterred, said, "I’ve just started learning fine brushwork. When I’m as old as my eldest sister, I will definitely be able to paint as well as her."
Yuan Yunzhong neither agreed nor disagreed and painted her a small mountain.
Song Jixue tried to copy it for a long time; from the left, it was a blot of ink, and from the right, it still was a blot of ink.
Which meant that whether it was fine brushwork or landscape painting, she lacked talent.
Yuan Yunzhong asked her, "Do you want to learn pottery making?"
Song Jixue stared for a long time and then retorted, "Can you do it?"
It seemed he could not!
Yuan Yunzhong asked, "Then what can you do?"
Song Jixue, furious, stomped away.
But halfway through, she turned back, snatched the drawing of the shrimp that Yuan Yunzhong had made, and then ran off again.
Yuan Yunzhong felt somewhat disheartened and thought that going on like this, Song Jiyun might really have to stay in the Song Family for the rest of her life.
He sent someone to inquire about Song Jiyu.
Song Jiyu was skilled in needlework and had a very gentle temperament. These days, she had been helping Madam Qian take care of Fourth Young Miss of the Song Family. Unlike Song Jixue, who was always running around, getting her to sit down and learn something was like asking for her life.
Yuan Yunzhong went to drink with Magistrate Jiang.
Magistrate Jiang was busy with preparations for next year’s spring farming.
Upon seeing Yuan Yunzhong, as if a sleepyhead had found a pillow, Magistrate Jiang hurriedly pulled him into his study and said, "You might not believe this, but in Liang County, nine out of ten households make porcelain. The good farmland remains uncultivated; the grain depends entirely on what’s transported from Nanchang Prefecture. I plan to stimulate production—the County Yamen will invest money and lend oxen to them..."
Yuan Yunzhong did not want to listen to this. He asked, "Will you still be here next year?"
Magistrate Jiang was choked up, somewhat irritated, and said, "What are you here for?"
The drinks were obviously not happening!
Yuan Yunzhong left without a word and returned to the Song family.
But no sooner had he entered the inner courtyard than he heard voices bustling from Madam Qian’s side.
Is not the month of confinement supposed to be a time of quiet recuperation?
Yuan Yunzhong hurried over.
From a distance, he saw Madam Zeng and Li Sanliang, a couple, blocking Madam Qian’s doorway, jumping up and down, arguing with Nanny Zheng, Zheng Quan, and Steward Wu.
Yuan Yunzhong frowned, and said harshly, "What on earth is going on here?"
Upon hearing the voice, Steward Wu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects to Yuan Yunzhong. Just then, he heard a loud "smack" as Song Jixue burst out from the main yard of the Qian household and, with red-rimmed eyes, yelled at Madam Zeng, "I did want to strike him! So what? You want our family to pay silver, but you must first return the silver your family borrowed from us long ago!"
That was when Yuan Yunzhong noticed a blue bruise on Song Jixue’s cheek.
Her complexion was usually fair, and at that moment, her face looked as if it were marred by a birthmark, evoking a sense of regret and pity for such a blemish on white jade.
Yuan Yunzhong, looking at her face, which bore some resemblance to Song Jiyun’s, immediately changed his expression, scooped up Song Jixue, and demanded, "Who did this?"
He was usually not given to light-hearted conversation, and everyone just felt it difficult to talk to him, somewhat fearing him in secret.
But as his face turned cold and his eyes glinted with frost, not to mention his aura turned as sharp as a sword drawn from its scabbard, full of menacing intent, it seemed as if the next moment could spray your blood five paces away.
Only then did everyone realize that his previous disposition could actually be considered quite amiable.
He frightened Song Tianhui, who Madam Zeng had been protecting in her arms, into tears.
Song Tianhui, sobbing, said, "It wasn’t me! It was Song Jixue who kicked me first!"
Upon closer examination, Yuan Yunzhong noticed not only a large bump on Song Tianhui’s forehead, but also several bloody scratches on her face, so disheveled that it was hard to bear looking. He then observed Song Tiancong, also held close by Madam Zeng. His collar was torn, his hair disheveled, and his eyes as swollen as extinguished lamps, hardly better off than Song Tianhui.
Yet Yuan Yunzhong continued to look sternly at Song Tiancong and sneered, "So it was two against one, huh!"
Of course, Song Tiancong did not agree with this assertion.
But he was so terrified that he could hardly speak.
Song Jixue’s tears kept spinning in her eyes.
Since the death of Song Youliang, no one had held her like this.
She wrapped her arms around Yuan Yunzhong, holding back her tears as she cried out loud, "Brother-in-law, they said our family should get lost!"
Brother-in-law?
Gently stroking her head, Yuan Yunzhong said slowly, "No one dares to tell you to get lost."
Song Jixue insisted, "And they must return the money to our family!"
She, feeling like she had found her protector, shouted at Madam Zeng and Li Sanliang, "You borrowed silver from my father four times. Once it was three thousand taels, another time five thousand taels, another time ten thousand taels, and another time six thousand taels, a total of twenty-four thousand taels of silver. Return my family’s silver, and I, I will pay your medical expenses."
Yuan Yunzhong was taken aback.
"Nonsense!" Seeing Yuan Yunzhong, who looked like a wrathful deity, Song Sanliang feared that Yuan Yunzhong would indeed settle this matter of silver, so he hurriedly said, "You little girl who cannot even count one to five properly, what nonsense are you talking about?"
In Yuan Yunzhong’s arms, Song Jixue confidently retorted Song Sanliang, "I saw it, I remember, and I can count clearly; I learned abacus rhymes when I was three."
Yuan Yunzhong’s eyes flickered slightly.
Gently patting Song Jixue’s back, signaling that she need not prove herself further, he then instructed Zheng Quan, "Madam needs to rest, we won’t see any non-urgent visitors!"
Zheng Quan had long wanted to show Song Sanliang and his group a thing or two, but the master-servant relationship had restrained him from taking action.
Upon hearing this, he immediately clenched his fists and approached Song Sanliang.
"What, what are you going to do?" exclaimed Song Sanliang and his people.
But Yuan Yunzhong was already carrying Song Jixue toward Yinyu Hall, even instructing Nanny Zheng, "Tell Madam I am here for her!"
Nanny Zheng nodded repeatedly.
Turning back, Yuan Yunzhong told Zheng Quan, "Don’t kill anyone; the Spring Festival is nearly upon us, no need to stain the grounds of the Song Family."
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