Chapter 20 Looking for someone to go have a drink with tonight.
That night, everything was silent.
After making sure that the child was asleep, Song Baoyuan returned to the bedroom alone. Feeling tired, she sat in front of the dressing table and pressed her temples.
After a while, the door was pushed open and Aunt Yao tiptoed in holding a wooden basin filled with clean water and covered with a face towel.
Song Baoyuan thought it was Qiao Yue, so she didn't look up. But because she hadn't said anything, she opened her eyes in surprise and looked.
"Mammy, why is it you? Where is Qiaoyue?"
Madam Yao set the basin aside, wet a face towel, and handed it over. "Qiao Yue is a lazy girl. I just ran into her in the corridor. I told her I needed you, young lady, and she immediately asked me to bring her some water."
Song Baoyuan took the towel and wiped her face.
She moved slowly because she had already guessed why Mammy came to see her, but she hadn't figured out how to respond.
"I shouldn't have disturbed the young lady's rest." Madam Yao sighed softly, "But the young lady has been avoiding not only her husband but also me lately."
"I didn't." Song Baoyuan retorted subconsciously.
Aunt Yao asked without hesitation, "Really?"
Song Baoyuan pursed her lips and turned away, "I know what Madam wants to say."
Madam Yao walked around to her, not allowing her to avoid her gaze. "This old servant wants to tell you something today, young lady, you may not know. Do you know, young lady, that Master and his brothers are doing well in their hometown of Jiangning? Why did Master alone move to the capital, where he has no relatives?"
The topic was brought up unexpectedly. Song Baoyuan hesitated for a moment before answering, "Because, because of the quarrels between brothers, Dad couldn't stand it anymore, so he chose to go it alone."
"Does an independent business need to travel thousands of miles to the capital?"
Song Baoyuan was stunned immediately.
"Young lady, you only know one side of the story." Madam Yao frowned unconsciously. "Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, with merchants being the last. If the government can just accuse us of any crime, all the wealth we've built up over our lives will immediately go into the government's pockets. It's just a loss of money, but the real fear is that the government, to prevent any criticism, will wipe out the entire family, and we might even lose our heads!"
"Back then, Jiangning was full of corrupt officials who embezzled public funds. When it came time to put the money to good use, they targeted the city's merchants, and our Song family was the first to be targeted."
Madam Yao kept shaking her head as she spoke of those days. "At that time, the master had anticipated the impending disaster for the Song family and advised the entire family to make early preparations. However, the other masters disagreed, believing that this was a ploy by the master to seize the family fortune. The master also wanted to stand by the entire Song family, but it just so happened that he learned at that time that the mistress was pregnant, and that meant you, my lady."
Song Baoyuan looked confused. Her parents had never told her about these things.
"For the sake of your safe birth and successful upbringing, the master would rather start over and leave Jiangning. At that time, the mistress had been exchanging letters with Madam Jiang, who had married and moved to the capital, and was your biological mother. She wrote that the capital was prosperous and offered many opportunities. Although the merchants were weak, it was somewhat more equitable than the rest of the country. So, the master and the mistress discussed it and decided to move... no, to escape to the capital."
Nanny Yao sighed, "If it weren't for the master's foresight and his decisive departure, not only would the young lady not have been born, but the master and the mistress, like the rest of the Song family, would not have survived that year."
Song Baoyuan opened her eyes wide in shock. So the uncles and even grandfather that her father had mentioned to her are no longer alive?
"Mammy, why are you suddenly telling me this?"
Madam Yao looked into her bewildered eyes and asked another question instead of answering, "Young lady, do you know why the Master and the Madam adopted a young man?"
Of course Song Baoyuan knew.
Jiang Keyu's father had once passed the imperial examination and became a favorite of the late emperor. However, when Jiang Keyu was nine years old, his father was wrongfully imprisoned. Her mother sought redress for her husband, but not only was she met with rebuffs, but she also exhausted herself.
Although the late emperor, out of consideration for their old friendship, issued an edict not to harm Jiang's family, as soon as the news of Jiang's father's death in the imperial prison spread, Jiang's mother and Jiang Keyu were immediately expelled from the Jiang family, and no one dared to help them.
"Because my mother and my mother-in-law were close friends, and my mother-in-law entrusted me with her husband before she died, my mother and my father took him in because of their old friendship."
"No." Nanny Yao suddenly said seriously, "Master and Madam adopted a young man for you, young lady!"
Song Baoyuan was stunned.
"Young lady, you were so young back then, you don't know how hard it was for Master and Madam to start their own business in the capital. They endured more cold stares and hardships than you, young lady, have ever eaten. It was precisely because of their overwork and damaged health that they were unable to give birth to a brother who could enter the government and support each other, as they had envisioned."
Madam Yao's nose was sore. "Master has always had good judgment. He took the risk of adopting you when everyone else was avoiding him because he was impressed by your talent. He spared no effort to protect and cultivate you because he wanted to leave you with someone to rely on. You don't find business difficult because Master and Madam have already paved the way for you! And now, with your status as a Junior Official in the Dali Temple putting pressure on us, no one dares to make things difficult!"
Song Baoyuan lowered her eyes. No matter what she talked about, she couldn't avoid Jiang Keyu.
"Miss, there are no perfect people in this world, so how can there be a perfect marriage? We should always look at the bright side of things."
Nanny Yao spoke earnestly, her brows etched with worry, "Master and Madam have worked so hard to create opportunities for Miss, and she's found a supporter. Now, Miss is living a life many would envy. Why is Miss distancing herself from her husband like this?"
"Madam, I..." Song Baoyuan turned away and clenched her palms, "I have emotions too."
"But it's been almost a month, the young lady has had enough of her temper."
Madam Yao was helpless. "When a couple is not harmonious, the ones who suffer the most are the children. Is it true that today, with the young master crying and the young lady crying, is this the result you want, young lady?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the sound of a child crying immediately surrounded Song Baoyuan's ears, making her panic and helpless.
Madam Yao wiped her eyes, slowly walked up to her again, and took her hand. "I know you've been wronged, but that's life. You're already luckier than most people."
Song Baoyuan bit her lip and remained silent.
"Listen to Madam's advice. Tomorrow, Miss will personally go and call Mr. back from the study."
*
Sunny day.
The prison of Dali Temple is dark, and most people who come out of it will squint their eyes because they are not used to the light.
Jiang Keyu stopped at the door and slowly looked up after a brief dizziness.
"Jiang Shaoqing, are you okay?" The jailer who came out with him asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Take these." Jiang Keyu handed over the matters in her hands on the spot and reminded, "Be careful."
"Yes, Jiang Shaoqing, take care!"
Jiang Keyu recovered, walked away quickly, and returned to the inner hall of the Dali Temple alone. He leaned back on the chair, facing the window, rubbed his temples, and wanted to take a short rest.
Feeling a little tired, he half-opened his eyes and looked out the window aimlessly, his eyes gradually losing focus.
“Ahem!”
An uninvited guest came to the door, throwing a bright yellow orange in his hand.
Jiang Keyu came back to her senses and looked at Chang Yunbai, who was in a leisurely posture, and couldn't hide her surprise, "Why are you here?"
"Come and take a look." Chang Yunbai looked around, surprised. "It's rare to see Jiang Shaoqing not looking at files during work hours, but instead staring blankly?"
Jiang Keyu leaned back slightly, feeling depressed, "I've seen enough."
"What's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Chang Yunbai walked closer and saw that he didn't look well.
"No." Jiang Keyu said lightly, "What are you doing here?"
"Come and see you're not good enough." Chang Yunbai raised his eyebrows, looking dissatisfied. "Who made you angry? Why are you so fierce and angry at me?"
Jiang Keyu frowned, and became visibly impatient. "No."
"Is it that the higher-ups are deliberately making things difficult for us, or is it that the lower-ups are not doing their job properly and have offended our Jiang Shaoqing?"
"Have you said anything?"
"Okay, okay!" Chang Yunbai clasped his hands together and took two steps back in compromise.
Jiang Keyu didn't believe that he came for no reason, "What's the matter?"
Chang Yunbai curled the corners of his lips, walked around to his side, and put his arm around his shoulder. "I heard you have a day off tomorrow, let's go have a drink together tonight."
"No……"
Jiang Keyu's subconscious answer was stuck in her throat.
Chang Yunbai had anticipated his rejection. "It's been a long time since we went out for a drink together. Just say..."
"OK."
Jiang Keyu changed her words unexpectedly. Chang Yunbai, who was about to give a long speech, was suddenly stunned, and suddenly felt frustrated that he had energy but nowhere to use it.
"You agree now?" He looked confused. "I wasted all my time thinking of all these excuses."
"You can finish your talk outside."
Chang Yunbai was curious, squinting his eyes and leaning forward, "Don't you have to go back to accompany the child?"
Jiang Keyu closed her eyes and said calmly, "They have their mother here."
"Aren't you afraid your wife will be tired?"
He closed his eyes, so Chang Yunbai couldn't see his emotions, but only noticed his momentary silence.
Jiang Keyu leaned to the side and said, "She doesn't have so much to do recently."
Chang Yunbai felt something was wrong and was about to ask again, but Jiang Keyu spoke first and changed the subject, "Since you are so free, do me a favor."
"What?"
"Find a master for Jiang Chengyou. He needs to be patient and able to withstand the hardships."
Chang Yunbai sat down on the chair arm, "Haven't you already found Lao Zhuang? He meets your requirements perfectly. What's the matter? Cheng Cheng is too naughty, so he's quitting?"
"He..." Jiang Keyu's index finger tapped silently on the back of the chair. "He is a waste of talent as Jiang Chengyou's teacher. I feel like I am wasting his time."
Chang Yunbai nodded when he heard this, "Yeah, okay, I'll go pick some for you."
*
"Farewell?"
In the front hall of the Jiang residence, Song Baoyuan felt guilty about Zhuang Yingxu who suddenly came to say goodbye to her, "Why do you want to leave so suddenly? But Chengcheng..."
"No!" Zhuang Yingxu said hurriedly, dispelling her worries. "Although the young master is a bit naughty, he's not lawless. Besides, he's actually very smart. With more guidance, he will definitely achieve great things in the future."
"Sir, you're so kind." Song Baoyuan was confused. "Then if it's not Chengcheng's fault, why did you suddenly want to leave?"
Zhuang Yingxu paused, his eyes filled with surprise, "Didn't Brother Jiang tell Madam Song yesterday?"
Song Baoyuan was stunned. "Um, yesterday, maybe it was too late yesterday, I was busy and forgot."
"Oh, I see." Zhuang Yingxu nodded. "Actually, there's nothing special about it. Last night, after Madam Song left, Brother Jiang and I had a long chat. He talked about my Spring Examination that year. He felt sorry for me and hoped that I would try again."
"So, sir, have you decided to go back and prepare for next year's Spring Examination?"
Zhuang Yingxu raised his eyes, a faint smile on his face, "Mrs. Song, do you think this is feasible?"
Song Baoyuan was confused, "I think?"
She lowered her eyelashes, smiled sincerely, and said, "The imperial examination is difficult, as everyone knows. Regardless of the outcome, your talent and knowledge are convincing."
Her smile is gentle and addictive.
"If..." Zhuang Yingxu realized belatedly that he had been looking beyond the mark and quickly lowered his head. "Can I ask Madam Song one more question?"
Although Song Baoyuan was puzzled, she nodded.
"If, if someone very important to you, denied you, what would you do?"
"I'll reflect on it." Song Baoyuan said without hesitation.
Zhuang Yingxu looked up in surprise.
“Reflect on whether you have been blinded and have given too much importance to people who are not worthy.”
When Song Baoyuan heard this, she was stunned for a moment.
Zhuang Yingxu suddenly smiled, "Mrs. Song is right."
Song Baoyuan shook her head, not understanding why he asked this, but she did not delve into it. Instead, she was eager to put the sudden thoughts out of her mind.
"Although the teacher hasn't been here much, I've heard from my husband and Chengcheng that he's a good teacher. I wanted to persuade him to stay, but since he has more important things to do, I don't want to hinder his future."
"Brother Jiang said the same thing yesterday." Zhuang Yingxu sighed with emotion and regret, "It's true that husband and wife are of one mind."
Song Baoyuan maintained a polite smile, her lips stiff, and did not respond.
*
The moon is bright tonight, and there are crowds of tourists on both sides of Guandu River, which blends with the ripples on the river surface to form a beautiful picture.
Because it was not a special day, there were few cruise ships on the river.
Jiang Keyu arrived as promised. When he boarded the boat, he was the only one there besides the boatman. He treated himself to a drink and drank alone at the bow.
Chang Yunbai arrived soon, followed by four female musicians holding pipa, zither and harp, which immediately made the whole boat lively.
"What's wrong with you today? Why are you daydreaming again?" Chang Yunbai snatched the wine jug from his hand, "and started drinking it by yourself."
Jiang Keyu glanced at the musicians who had clearly defined roles and sneered, "You seem to be in a good mood."
"I just saw that you were in a bad mood, so I asked them to liven up the atmosphere."
"Don't use me as an excuse."
Chang Yunbai shrugged, without comment, and turned back and said, "You play your own music."
Then he told the boatman, "Sail away later!"
"Who are you waiting for?" Jiang Keyu looked towards the shore.
Without waiting for Chang Yunbai to answer, he first saw Gao Luoshu, who was slacking off and looking around in the crowd.
"This!" Chang Yunbai shouted.
Gao Luoshu followed the sound and asked from the shore, "I heard there's free wine today?"
"You have great potential." Jiang Keyu reached out and pulled him onto the boat. After whispering some slander to him, she pressed his back and pushed him into the boat.
Gao Luoshu didn't care about his rudeness. He went straight to the wine jug on the table and took a long sip. He seemed to be drunk instantly and was so excited that he wanted to cry. "You have no idea what kind of life I've been living out there. I haven't tasted such a fairy wine for a long time."
Jiang Keyu rolled her eyes at him unhappily, "Who was the one who got drunk and acted like a dog at my house last time?"
"You're the dog!" Gao Luoshu turned around and glared at him, "I didn't blame your family."
"Yes, he wanted to crawl out of my house, but he kept saying that I couldn't stay and cause trouble." Jiang Keyu always found this incredible. "When he's drunk, he knows more etiquette than when he's sober."
Gao Luoshu uttered a dissatisfied "huh", but surprisingly did not refute. He directly picked up the wine jug and poured it into his mouth.
"What's going on with you two?" Chang Yunbai stepped forward to stop them. "Everyone hasn't arrived yet."
"Who are you waiting for?"
"Second brother."
Jiang Keyu, who was standing by the boat railing, was stunned for a moment and turned around to look.
Sheng Qinyin had stood on the shore at some point. Unlike usual, she was wearing a skirt and smiling like a flower. Now she was wearing men's clothes, just like when they first met many years ago, when she was a thin and fair young man.
"Come up."
Chang Yunbai came over to greet him, and Jiang Keyu naturally made way for him, walked into the boat, sat next to Gao Luoshu who was drinking secretly, and drank a glass with him.
"Hey? You look so handsome today, almost as handsome as your third brother!"
When he saw Sheng Qinyin, Gao Luoshu immediately started teasing her.
Seeing that the other person looked unnatural and looked at the person beside him with extreme caution, even if he was slow-witted, he could still sense that something was wrong.
"What's wrong?"
The boat slowly began to leave the shore. Jiang Keyu glanced at Chang Yunbai and finally understood his intention.
"What's going on?" Gao Luoshu was confused about the situation, and the wine tasted different in his mouth.
"oops!"
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Chang Yunbai stepped forward to liven it up, "We are not enemies, have you forgotten that we are brothers?"
He stood behind Sheng Qiyin, nudged her shoulder with his elbow, and said with a smile, "Xiao Si already knows she was wrong. She specifically begged me to ask you out."
Sheng Qiyin was pushed forward a step, her hands clasped behind her back, "Second brother, I really know I was wrong."
She lowered her head. "It's just that my family keeps urging me to get married. It's so annoying. So whenever something happens, I overthink it and get stuck in a rut. I know I went too far this time, it was outrageous, but I definitely won't do it again! As long as you forgive me this time, you can do whatever you want."
Jiang Keyu looked at the surging river and said indifferently, "It's not me you should apologize to."
"I know!" Sheng Qiyin's eyes were red. "But you have to forgive me first and let me into your house. Only then will I have the chance to apologize to Sister Song and Chengcheng."
Gao Luoshu glanced left and right, his face full of confusion. "What happened? Why is it related to immortals... and your wife?"
Jiang Keyu ignored everyone.
After waiting for a long time, Sheng Qinyin glanced sideways helplessly and met Chang Yunbai's gaze.
"Ahem!" Chang Yunbai raised his voice exaggeratedly, "You're just moving your mouth. Here's a toast to your second brother!"
Gao Luoshu tactfully filled a glass of wine and handed it over.
"Second brother, I'll drink first as a sign of respect." Sheng Qinyin drank it all in one gulp without saying a word, "Cough cough! Cough!"
His face turned red from coughing instantly.
Chang Yunbai patted her back and said, "Drink slowly."
"It's okay." Sheng Qiyin picked up the wine jug directly, "If Second Brother doesn't forgive me, I can keep drinking."
Chang Yunbai stopped her and winked at Jiang Keyu.
"Okay."
Jiang Keyu casually raised her hand and returned the toast.
This matter is now exposed.
"That's right!" Chang Yunbai clapped his hands and slumped down in a nearby chair. "What's there to be grudged about between brothers? Let's not go home until we're drunk today!"
*
At three quarters after midnight, except for the young master's room, the lights in the Jiang Mansion were still on.
Song Baoyuan stood in the yard in thin clothes. The evening breeze blew her scattered black hair, which made her pale face look even more tired.
The servant who had gone out to look for him finally returned. "I went to the Dali Temple, but the young master wasn't there, and neither was Lu'an. I also asked the people who hadn't left the Dali Temple yet, and they said that the young master left after his shift, and they didn't know where he went."
Song Baoyuan glanced at the moon in the sky, waved her hand, and the servant left.
"Don't worry, Madam." Qiao Yue consoled him, "My dear husband, he's grown up, nothing can happen to him. I guess something happened that delayed him."
"But in the past, if my husband came back late due to some matters, he would always send Liu'an back to inform me." Qiao Yin whispered, "This is the first time that there is no news and no one is around."
Song Baoyuan sat down on a nearby stone bench, thought for a moment, and then ordered, "Send someone to check the places where my husband usually goes."
"yes."
*
The cruise ship has no destination and is slowly sailing on the Guandu River.
Jiang Keyu walked out of the cabin, holding a wine jug in one hand and a wine glass in the other.
Chang Yunbai, who was following behind him, stumbled and leaned on his shoulder to stand steady. "Keep drinking!"
"You're still drinking?" Jiang Keyu scoffed. "If you drink yourself unconscious and jump into the river, I can't stop you."
Chang Yunbai looked confused and waved his hands, "How come you can drink so much? You drink just as much as we do, so how come nothing happened to you?"
He looked angry. "That's not fair. I've never seen you drunk before!"
"You'll never have a chance in this life."
Jiang Keyu pushed him away, and he lost his support and fell down.
Jiang Keyu lowered her head and gave him a light kick. He turned over and changed to a comfortable sleeping position.
The sound of the pipa continued, and at this moment it sounded more like a lullaby.
The sound of a wine jug falling to the ground was heard in the cabin, and then Gao Luoshu and Sheng Qinyin walked out one after another, both with flushed faces.
"Be careful not to step on your eldest brother." Jiang Keyu kindly reminded.
As soon as he finished speaking, the two men fell to the left and right.
Jiang Keyu was shocked. Although she was clear-headed, she was still a little slow to react. When she reached out to help, the two had already adjusted themselves and were lying safely.
It seemed like when we returned to the academy, we secretly drank some wine and lay on the grass together to look at the stars.
Jiang Keyu sighed silently, found an open space to sit down, and continued drinking one glass after another, looking at the moon in the sky.
I feel a little annoyed, but I don’t know what to be annoyed about.
It's just annoying anyway.
"Second brother."
The girl's soft call was like a dream, like a poor homeless kitten caught in the rain on the street.
Jiang Keyu paused and slowly turned around.
Sheng Qiyin's hat fell off, her long hair half spread out, her cheeks flushed, her eyes flickered, and she murmured softly, "Second brother."
Seeing that she was half drunk and half awake, Jiang Keyu glanced at her and then looked away. He didn't care and continued to drink alone under the moon.
"Second brother."
"Second brother."
"I like you."
The pipa stopped inexplicably.
Jiang Keyu's hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, her eyes paused slightly, and her body froze.
After a while, everything returned to normal. Jiang Keyu put the wine in his hand into his mouth, still looking at the moon without looking back.
The sound of the pipa started again, as if nothing had happened.
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