Outside Yinyu Hall, the surroundings were bathed in a brilliant radiance.
Song Jiyun bid farewell to Shao Qing who had accompanied her outside.
Enthusiastically, Shao Qing said to her, "Miss Song, when you have time, do come over more often. Our family... Young Master Yuan is very interested in the designs on those porcelains."
"Sure!" Song Jiyun exchanged pleasantries with Shao Qing for a few sentences before turning to leave.
Along the roadside were lush camphor trees and clusters of purple jasmine at the corners of the walls, blooming vividly under the bright moonlight.
Song Jiyun walked back slowly, her mind occupied with the tasks of the coming days.
The Hong Family had granted their family such a great favor. She wondered if the Eldest Young Master Hong was purely offering timely help, or if he had other intentions?
If it was purely timely help, no amount of gifts would probably be enough to repay Young Master Hong!
If there were other intentions, she wondered what Young Master Hong was seeking?
Then there was the matter with the Kiln Factory.
The cost of burning coal was too high, and although manageable for an occasional order, it was unsustainable in the long run. She needed to find out soon how much wood was needed to fire a kiln of sweet white porcelain.
There was also the matter of next year’s bid for the orders from the Imperial Kiln Factory.
The evening breeze touched her face, devoid of the usual heat, yet her lips felt as if they were pressed against something, tense.
Song Jiyun returned to her room and washed her face with cold water, looking at herself through a mirror.
Her lips were still plump, coated with a clear, moisturizing lip balm that sparkled, like petals dewed with moisture.
She put the mirror back on the desk and stood quietly for a while before heading to rest. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
*
She woke to a bright sunny morning the following day.
As the sun rose, the dew drops on the flowery bushes quickly vanished, leaving no trace under the sunlight.
After breakfast, Song Jiyun called Steward Wu over for a discussion, "The house by Uncle Three’s has been turned into a private school for the Song Clan, and my granduncle will also separate from the Song Clan soon. The old lady will definitely be upset when she learns about it. You need to take on more responsibilities, visiting the old lady more often, whether there is a reason or not, to prevent her from causing trouble for madam."
Steward Wu was overjoyed upon hearing this, looking at Song Jiyun with great admiration.
For many years, the Great Master and Third Old Master had taken the Second Old Master’s goodwill for granted, even complaining that it wasn’t generous enough. Second Old Master had been considerate of the old lady, enduring all along. But once Second Old Master passed, Great Master and Third Old Master showed their true colors and even wanted everything for themselves.
Finally, they had got rid of these two despicable individuals.
What the Second Old Master had not accomplished, the young lady had done without a stir.
With the young lady in the Song family’s second branch, whether Second Madam gave birth to a son or a daughter, why worry about the family business not being preserved?
Understandingly, he assured Song Jiyun, "Don’t worry, someone is looking after the old lady. We absolutely won’t let anyone cause trouble for Second Madam and Miss Song. Besides the usual servants on duty, I’ve also assigned a few Protectors to guard the place. Without your or Madam’s command, no one will be allowed to enter at will."
Song Jiyun nodded with satisfaction, went to inform Madam Qian, then accompanied by Zheng Quan, headed to the sedan hall.
The sedan was already prepared.
Apart from a few robust sedan chair bearers, Steward Wu, along with several servant boys carrying large and small packets, was also waiting for her in the sedan hall.
Seeing Song Jiyun arrive, he assigned a trusted Steward to load the gifts for the Hong Family onto the vehicle while he presented a gold-speckled red gift list to Song Jiyun for approval, "Please see if anything else needs to be sent."
Song Jiyun looked it over and found it exceeded the usual friendly exchange gifts by thirty percent.
"Very good," she said, feeling increasingly that Steward Wu was skilled at managing domestic affairs.
Suddenly, voices bidding greetings came from outside.
Song Jiyun looked up and saw Yuan Yunzhong, wearing a moon-white Hangzhou silk robe with an iris pattern and branch folds, accompanied by Liu Zi, walking towards them.
Under the sunlight, the robe’s finely woven leaves shimmered subtly, enhancing the inherently elegant garment with an effortless luxury, which set off his handsome features, dazzlingly brilliant like pearls and gems.
It was her first time seeing him dressed this way.
Not bad, it looked quite good!
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but blink.
Yuan Yunzhong had already walked into the sedan hall.
In the cool and spacious hall, his face, as beautiful as jade, looked as clean as the bright moon.
Song Jiyun felt a slight warmth at the corners of her mouth.
However, Yuan Yunzhong casually glanced at the bright red guest list in her hand and said, "From the Hong family?"
Song Jiyun quickly suppressed that different feeling and asked, "Why have you come here? Is there something wrong?"
Yuan Yunzhong stared at her intently, his lips tightly pressed into a straight line, his posture even more erect.
In an instant, the sedan hall was filled with a tense atmosphere, as if swords were drawn.
Song Jiyun could sense his anger but couldn’t understand why he was angry.
She carefully observed Yuan Yunzhong but saw the jade-green bamboo hairpin in his jet-black hair as she looked up.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
He was dressed so formally, was he preparing to visit Young Master Hong with her?
But she had not invited him!
Had Yuan Yunzhong mistakenly thought that her mention of going to the Hong family the day before was an invitation to him?
Song Jiyun was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say.
Fearing to hurt Yuan Yunzhong’s pride, she organized her words.
But even before she could speak, Yuan Yunzhong had already turned and stepped into the next sedan, saying indifferently, "If the Hong family asks, it wouldn’t be good to let you handle everything!"
Was he... explaining this to her?
Song Jiyun was quite surprised.
Although she had "forced" Yuan Yunzhong to become the Song family’s son-in-law, it was all an act, and Yuan Yunzhong was not obliged nor responsible to accompany her in acting all the time.
Song Jiyun’s fingertips tingled slightly.
But Yuan Yunzhong had already instructed Zheng Quan, "Lift the sedan! Getting to the Hong Mansion earlier will also allow us to return earlier."
Zheng Quan looked at Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun hastily nodded.
If Yuan Yunzhong could act this way, she wasn’t someone ungrateful.
Zheng Quan immediately arranged for another sedan.
Everyone went to the Hong Mansion at the end of the street.
The Hong family had already received the notice yesterday, and this morning they had sent someone to wait at the door. As the Song family’s sedan settled at the great door of the Hong Mansion, the Grand Steward of the Hong family, along with seven or eight attendants and servant boys, opened the gate, and Young Master Hong was already waiting in the courtyard.
The Grand Steward of the Hong family personally came forward to steady the sedan.
Song Jiyun and Yuan Yunzhong entered the grand gate of the Hong Mansion side by side.
The color in Young Master Hong’s eyes shifted slightly.
Because she was supposed to visit the Hong family and was still in mourning, Song Jiyun couldn’t wear mourning clothes. Instead, she changed into a moon-white plain Hangzhou silk with aqua green shadow pattern and folded-branch flower edges Beizi vest. Her jet-black hair was adorned with two aqua green hydrangea silk flowers. Her face was as lovely as a lotus, and her eyes as clear as autumn waters, reminiscent of the profuse blooms of spring, beautiful yet with an elegant simplicity, like the lush vibrancy of spring, making all the scenery around her fade in comparison.
The man by her side, striking in appearance yet exuding high-born elegance, seemed like a scion well-nurtured by family heritage with every move reflecting grace and nobility.
Standing together, Song Jiyun not only failed to overshadow the man’s brilliance but instead complemented him like dew on a pearl, enhancing each other, shining even brighter.
Who is this person?
Hong Xi’s gaze hardened, lingering on Yuan Yunzhong.
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