Is there still plenty of time?
Yes! There is still plenty of time!
Song Jiyun smiled at Yuan Yunzhong in a way that seemed like she was fooling him, and after ushering him to the door, she turned back.
Madam Qian was in the storage room, organizing some of her dowry items.
Song Jiyun went over, sat her mother down at the small round drum-shaped table in the storage room, and even poured her a cup of tea. She said, "Mother, Young Master Yuan was here just now, and I couldn’t ask in detail. Now that it’s just the two of us, you have to tell me why you suddenly changed your mind."
As if Madam Qian had anticipated her daughter’s questions, she smiled, gestured to the embroidery stool beside her for her to sit down, took a sip of tea, and then spoke slowly and methodically, "Yun Duo, what plans do you have for the future?"
"Are you talking about the family matters?" Song Jiyun, confident in her thoughts, spoke at length, "We still have three years of mourning to observe; the priority is to ensure you give birth to Xiao Si safely..."
"I’m not talking about these things," Madam Qian interrupted Song Jiyun’s speech, spoke gently, "I mean you. What do you plan to do in the future?"
"Me?!"
"Hmm," said Madam Qian, "You’re not getting any younger, even though it’s not great to talk about these things at this time. But I still want to ask you, do you plan to marry or do you plan to take a husband into our family?"
"I haven’t planned for either!" declared Song Jiyun dismissively.
Madam Qian pursed her lips and laughed, saying, "You child, always so firm in your decisions."
Song Jiyun then embraced Madam Qian’s arm, resting it on her shoulder, and said, "Mother, I know what worries you. You’re concerned that I have trampled both Ninth Master Song and our grandmother’s faces into the dust, offended almost everyone in the Song Family, and if something happens to our family in the future, we could expect no aid or even a word on our behalf."
Madam Qian nodded emphatically, feeling there was no daughter in the world more thoughtful and empathetic than hers.
She caressed her daughter’s dark cyan hair lovingly and said softly, "These people are wicked to the core, and they surely won’t let things go easily. I can deal with other things, but I fear they will scheme within your marriage affairs. A few families could join hands and spend years, even more than a decade, setting a trap to deceive you into marriage."
Song Jiyun had already figured out what her mother was thinking.
She laughed and asked, "You want Young Master Yuan to be your son-in-law, don’t you?"
Madam Qian said, "What I fear most is that, no matter how careful we are in picking someone, we might end up with a man in cahoots with the Ninth Grand Master and your paternal uncle. No matter what Young Master Yuan’s flaws may be, as long as he can stand by us at crucial times, that’s better than anything."
Also, Young Master Yuan was good-looking.
If it came to pass, the children born would surely be attractive too.
But this was a reason she could never bring herself to mention to her daughter.
So, she only mentioned the third reason, "With his background, you’ll have an easier time keeping him under control."
Song Jiyun’s eyebrows twitched, wondering if her mother would change her mind if she knew Yuan Yunzhong was the sort of person who could have the governmental authorities search their house.
Madam Qian continued, "I’m having him stay in our house for a while to carefully observe his character and moral conduct. We don’t ask for much, just that he listens to you honestly. You are competent, and with that, our future days shouldn’t be too difficult."
But what if he didn’t listen to her?
Suppressing a smile, Song Jiyun briskly said, "Fine! If Mother thinks this method is good, then we’ll have Young Master Yuan stay with us for a while."
Madam Qian was very pleased to see her daughter agree with her method.
In a quiet voice, she said to her daughter, "If Young Master Yuan turns out to be unsuitable, then we can find someone else."
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but smile.
So, her mother’s fondness for Yuan Yunzhong also had its conditions.
He was just a backup after all.
Deciding to be direct, she doused her mother’s enthusiasm with cold water, "Young Master Yuan was planning to leave today. He asked for a Hand-pressed Cup as a keepsake and wanted me to have it fired overnight. I didn’t sleep all night just to make the cup for him. Although he decided to not leave for now, I should still send the cup to him."
Madam Qian’s eyes lit up with joy as she said, "He used the kaolin clay left by your father to make a cup? What kind of cup did he make? Show it to me!"
Shouldn’t her focus be on the fact that he had her fire it up overnight?
Song Jiyun glanced at her mother and saw that she was genuinely overjoyed, so she silently took out the cup she hadn’t managed to give to Yuan Yunzhong earlier.
Madam Qian examined the cup from every angle and Song Jiyun said, "It’s ugly, isn’t it?"
"Not at all!" Madam Qian replied with a beaming smile, "Back in the day, when your father coaxed you into making a cup, you made one that looked pretty much like this."
A dark cloud seemed to hang over Song Jiyun’s head.
That was supposed to be artistic creation, right?
Seeing her daughter unmoved, Madam Qian stood up to look for the cup, "I remember your father treasured it like a precious object, even saying that he would keep it for your dowry when you got married."
As she spoke, she was inevitably reminded of her late husband and grew somber.
Song Jiyun quickly supported Madam Qian and said, "You shouldn’t trouble yourself over this, be careful or Xiao Si might get upset."
Thinking her daughter was just shy, Madam Qian sat down amiably and started talking about Yuan Yunzhong again, "You know, if Young Master Yuan is already making cups, he might also take an interest in porcelain firing. If that’s the case, it would be wonderful. He could help manage the kiln factory for the family in the future."
Song Jiyun felt her mother was being too optimistic.
Yuan Yunzhong, that person, getting involved in porcelain firing? Managing a kiln factory?
Song Jiyun couldn’t bring herself to clarify with her mother, so she simply chatted with Madam Qian for a while and then went to Yinyu Hall.
Yuan Yunzhong, looking every bit the grand master, was lying in a Drunken Master’s Chair reading a book in the study.
The corners of the study had ice basins placed in them, the desk bore refreshments for cooling, the tea table strewn with chilled fruit, and Liu Zi was nearby, diligently fanning away.
Upon seeing Song Jiyun, he looked up and let out an "Ah," saying, "Miss Song graces us with her presence. May I know what brings you here?"
Song Jiyun leaned against the window canopy and said, "My father’s death was sudden, and my eldest uncle presided over the funeral rites, leaving the shopkeepers and master craftsmen without proper instructions. I’m planning to host a banquet at home in the next two days to invite them over for a sit-down and talk. If Young Master Yuan isn’t too busy, come and lend me a hand!"
Yuan Yunzhong, hearing this, walked over beside her, standing on the other side of the canopy, scrutinizing Song Jiyun from head to toe, he said, "Miss Song, are you asking me to pour tea for you?"
That is usually a servant’s job.
Challengingly looking at him, Song Jiyun said with a light laugh, "What? Young Master Yuan is unwilling? Our family’s bowls are not so easily handled!"
Yuan Yunzhong raised his eyebrows and smiled, his eyes shimmering like stars, and in a low voice he said, "I shall willingly oblige, and dare not ask for anything in return!"
His voice, like a bowed string instrument, was distant yet clear.
Song Jiyun paused for a moment and tossed the brocade box she was holding to Yuan Yunzhong, saying, "Here’s your cup!"
Then she left with her head held high.
Yuan Yunzhong opened the brocade box.
A grayish-white cup lay quietly on the dark cyan Zhang velvet.
He couldn’t help but pick up the cup, scrutinizing it carefully against the sunlight.
In just one night, a cup was truly fired.
It seemed, Song Youliang really was a rare porcelain master in Jingde Town, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in centuries."
It turned out this Miss Song was not just good at causing a ruckus!
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