Chapter 034 Chapter 34
After Zhao Xian and his sister delivered the engagement letter to the Shen family, Lord Zhao brought them to visit. Normally, Yan Yingqi did not meet outsiders casually, but seeing that Zhao Xian was a first-rate writer, he called Yan Jingzhao to the side and invited his own students to come over, and the few of them sat down and talked.
At lunch, Xie prepared a fine banquet and sent it over. Xie couldn't help but say to Guan: "The master appreciates talented people. If you become the head of the family in the future, you must do the same."
Guan thought to herself, don't I know this? Afraid that her mother-in-law would say more, she quickly said, "Yes, Madam, I know, I know."
Seeing her like this, Xie was too lazy to say anything more. She rolled her eyes in her heart and went on with her arrangements. After instructing the servants, she asked Guan to go back first, and she said to Mother Song, "I'm really scared of her."
"Ma'am, don't worry. Grandma is much more well-behaved now." Mother Song tried to persuade them to do things in a positive way.
Conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have existed since ancient times. Xie has a mild temper and is not the type who likes to conflict with others. However, Guan seems to be too disregarding of her elders. Even if Xie is a concubine, she is still Yan Jingzhao's biological mother and needs to be respected.
Xie was upset after hearing what Song's mother said: "The Guan family is from a unique family of scholars. They look like they can hold up the front, but in fact they are all smart and thrifty. It's better for me to save ten taels of silver by saving ten taels of silver at the end of summer and earn a hundred taels of silver from the lotus roots, fish and shrimps in the lotus pond, and give twenty taels to the first wife."
"How can she compare with you?" said Mother Song.
Xie shook her head and said, "Forget it. She is already a grown-up person when she came to our house. I can't change her. When I get older, I won't have to see her anymore."
After saying this, she added that Yao Niang had returned from school. Xie put on a smiling face and asked someone to set the table in the inner room.
"Mom, I want to tell you that my fourth sister was sick today and didn't come to school. My eldest sister had a happy event and didn't come either. The school was too quiet, so I wrote two more pieces of calligraphy." Before anyone arrived, the little mouth was already chattering.
Xie asked someone to rub a handkerchief for her to wipe her hands, and then asked with concern: "What happened to the fourth girl? I thought she was always in good health, how come she is sick again? These few days are the time when she can sleep well."
Yao Niang whispered in Xie's ear: "I suspect that Fourth Sister likes Shen Linfeng. Now Shen Linfeng is likely to become our eldest brother-in-law. Isn't she depressed?"
Xie was incredible: "Is this true or false? How do you know?"
"Mom, you always treat us like children. In fact, we know everything. I even know that my second sister likes Zhao Xian." Yao Niang was determined to shock people today.
Xie's eyes widened: "How do you know everything?"
Yao Niang spread her hands, "Second sister is restrained by nature, while Master Zhao is free and open-minded. Mother, you always said that father appreciates talented people, so is there any possibility for them?"
Xie shook her head: "It's hard to say. Who knows whether Zhao Xian is married or not? Besides, although our two families are somewhat related, we are from different nationalities and traditions. Your second sister's marriage will definitely be after your eldest sister's. By next year, Zhao Xian will probably have been taken advantage of by someone else. The key is the Zhao family, which is nothing in your father's eyes."
"That's right." Yao Niang felt that she had a lot of worries as she grew up. It was clearly about choosing a husband, but it seemed like she was choosing the employer for her life for the next few decades.
After the mother and daughter finished their meal, Xie said to her, "Mother Gu is very good at tailoring. She made all your clothes when you were little. She is very skillful. Let her teach you now. Don't act like a lady. Be humble. Do you understand?"
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Don't worry."
In Xie's view, housework is work for servants, and there is no need to work as hard as Qianniang to learn it. But there is one thing: you don't have to do it day and night, but you must know how to do it.
Of course, Mother Gu was happy to teach Yao Niang, but she had to be humble and said, "My sister is very good at embroidering flowers and painting. Your humble skills are nothing."
Yao Niang laughed and said, "That's not the way to say it. Tailoring is not an easy job. Xuanyuan, Leizu, Huangdi, and Youchao are all masters of tailoring. Even in the palace, there is an official position called Shangyi who is in charge of clothes. Mom, don't underestimate yourself."
Gu's mother loved and feared the third daughter, who was raised by her own breasts. She loved her because she was sweet-mouthed and eloquent, but she was afraid because she was sensible and dared to manage them directly, unlike some other daughters of noble families who were timid or became confused after getting married.
She is always reasonable and doesn't handle things in a stubborn way. She is very opinionated.
Servants often think that if they know something, they can control their masters to submit. Xie had suffered many losses in the past, and now she understands this truth. She originally planned to teach Yao Niang, but Yao Niang was obviously smarter than she thought, so she did not teach her.
You start with learning to tailor tops, then learn to tailor skirts, and finally learn to tailor pants or long gowns. Once you have learned these, you can tailor an ordinary piece of clothing. Then you can learn to make patterns on the clothing, such as making horizontal slits, pleats, and pleats. It takes a lot of effort to learn this.
It just so happens that Yao Niang and her classmates are about to disband this year, so naturally they have time.
However, Yao Niang asked Mother Gu: "Do you think that the wedding banquet of my eldest sister can be held this year?"
Mother Gu thought for a moment and said, "Not so soon. Even if we officially discuss the marriage, it will take until next year. Now both sides have to match their horoscopes first. Also, will anything bad happen during this period? We even have to prepare the dowry and betrothal gifts before announcing it to the public. After the announcement, the whole family will prepare for the wedding. The dowry, marriage, and etiquette of the eldest daughter are not things that can be done in a short time."
"No wonder mother said we can't announce it to the public now." Yao Niang also understood.
After studying for a while in the afternoon, Yao Niang said to Qing Dai, "I see the fruits are fresh today, you can take a plate to the fourth young lady for me, and then see how her illness is. If it is serious, come back and tell me, if it is normal, tell me that I sent a plate of fresh fruits to her to moisten her throat."
The fourth girl, Yingniang, was sulking. She was no longer the person she was when she was little who could curse at others at will. Her mother had even told her several times to pay attention to her speaking habits, otherwise she would be the one to suffer.
Especially when it comes to other people's feelings, she originally just liked Shen Linfeng at first sight, but later, her elder brother invited him over several times and praised him, so everyone she quietly fell in love with Master Shen.
It would be fine if Shen Linfeng married the third sister, but the eldest sister is like a straw bag to my brother. She is like a flower stuck in cow dung, and she wants her mother to run around for her. Is she so blessed?
She couldn't show it yet, but she hated Yan Ningxin more and more in her heart.
Because she just realized now that there was actually no point of contention between her and Yao Niang. After all, Yao Niang was from the third wife's family. Just imagine, if there was no Yan Ningxin, Shen Linfeng would definitely be her future husband.
"Fourth Miss, Third Miss heard that you had caught a cold, and said this fruit is warm, sweet and moist, so she asked me to bring it to you."
Yingniang was not ill at all, she was just feeling upset. Seeing the fruit sent by Yaoniang looked tender and crisp, she smiled and said, "I was feeling a little uncomfortable, but I am much better now. Thank you, Third Sister, for caring about me."
Qing Dai smiled and said, "I'm glad you're okay. The third lady was very worried."
"I can go to school with you tomorrow, so please don't worry, Third Sister."
Qingdai then bowed and left.
Yingniang was a little worried, but she was not worried about her future. She was the legitimate daughter, and with her mother as the mistress, her future would definitely be better.
But Aunt Yin was worried, but she couldn't say anything about the second young lady's marriage, and she couldn't even ask too many questions, for fear that the eldest lady would be angry with her for talking too much.
But seeing her daughter in a daze, she couldn't help but ask, "What is the second young lady thinking about?"
"Where are you from, Auntie?" Qianniang raised her head.
Aunt Yin smiled and said, "I made two pairs of shoes for Madam and sent them to her."
In fact, Yin Yi Niang rose to power by playing both sides. When she first entered the palace, Yan Yingqi would not go to her room. Whenever Yan Yingqi and Princess Linzi were at odds, or when Xie was stubborn, she would always find a way in between.
But even so, Yan Yingqi still didn't like her very much.
Zhen was also quite wary of Aunt Yin. Although she accepted her kindness, she didn't actually say much to her.
Qianniang glanced at Aunt Yin and said, "Aunt, you don't have to be like this. The eldest lady always has shoes like yours. I still have a few feet of black satin left over from this spring. If you like it, take it."
Because Yan Yingqi seldom went to Aunt Yin's place, some of her good materials were not easy to obtain.
"I'm sorry to say that. At your age, you should wear brighter clothes. The young lady here might be from the Shen family. Even if it's not, the master will definitely find a good marriage for her. It's just that men and women have different perspectives..." Aunt Yin said with a smile.
Qianniang didn't understand: "What do you mean by that?"
Aunt Yin glanced outside and said, "I heard that the old master originally had his eyes on a nobleman from Henan named Wang Mian. How can Wang's family background compare with that of Mr. Shen? The old master was attracted by this man's talent, but women want to rely on a lifetime of wealth and honor. You are now the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, but in the future you will become the wife of a minor official. The gap is too big, and not everyone can bear it."
Qianniang smiled and said, "Aunt, that Prince Wang is also the descendant of a famous official, his family is also quite wealthy, and he is also the top scholar in Henan. If you still don't want to give up on him, when the time comes to select a son-in-law, others will be too late to snatch him away."
"That's only the case with poor merchants. There's no need for that in our family. Hey, why are you so absent-minded?" Aunt Yin saw that her daughter was distracted and was afraid that she was thinking about something.
Qianniang shook her head: "I was just thinking that my eldest sister and I will go to the birthday banquet of the old man of the Tong family in a few days. Why don't the third and fourth sisters have to go?"
Aunt Yin smiled and said, "Good girl, this is a good opportunity. The third and fourth girls are still young, and the most important thing now is the eldest girl and you. It's always good to go out more."
Qianniang smiled perfunctorily.
Who would have known that after coming back from this trip, Qianniang and Yaoniang mentioned Shen Mo in a subtle way: "When we played polo before, she was quite rude to Big Sister, but now it's different, she treats Big Sister well like a real sister, and even asked Big Sister to go to the powder shop tomorrow, which is completely different from before."
I still remember that after the polo match, Shen Mo disliked Yan Ningxin.
Yao Niang spread her hands: "It's better for them to be good than bad."
It is better for an aunt and a sister-in-law to be close. She also envied Qianniang for having a good relationship with Yu, unlike herself and Guan, who had an ordinary relationship.
Qianniang was no longer troubled: "That's right."
Somehow Qianniang asked about the Zhao family again: "Didn't Miss Zhao go to the capital with us?"
"I heard that she went to the capital, but she probably doesn't want to see us old friends again. Dad said that Master Zhao has made great progress in his studies and might pass the imperial examination this year." Yao Niang felt that Qian Niang was too concerned about the Zhao family. She didn't know whether they could be together, but she was so concerned? Qian Niang had actively followed Zhen out before, but now she couldn't hide it anymore.
Qianniang smiled and said, "When I was in Jinling before, I knew that Mr. Zhao was a first-rate scholar. When we girls write poems, we always express our love for each other. His poems are always full of heroic spirit, which makes us admire him very much."
Yao Niang looked at her and asked tentatively: "Second sister, do you have him in your heart?"
Qianniang was stunned for a moment, then kept silent, but Yaoniang already understood everything.
Even sisters cannot talk about everything. For girls from big families like them, there are many things they cannot say directly to each other, otherwise if something goes wrong one day, they won’t know how it happened.
Then Yaoniang changed the subject and said that cutting clothes was really difficult, and Qianniang said, "It's difficult at first, but practice makes perfect."
The two exchanged a few words and then dispersed.
Qianniang recalled that even on such a hot day in Yan's house, Zhao Xian would go to Yan's library to borrow books under the scorching sun, and he never overstepped the boundaries when he saw them.
Such an ambitious, polite and cheerful young man, who has always been able to make good friends even though he lives under someone else's roof, is completely different from her.
She would hear news from him again when the examination was held next year. When her elder sister got married, her father might also start considering her marriage. If she couldn't, she would just feel bitter.
Suddenly, Yao Niang felt that her sisters were different, not so pure anymore. They all seemed to have someone they liked. The second sister was so excited when she heard that Zhao Xian was coming. The fourth sister admired Shen Linfeng, but she didn't seem to have any admiration for others at all?
Some men are indeed handsome, but it's just admiration. However, she would lose her mind when she thinks of having someone she likes. It's better for her to be like this.
As autumn turned to winter, Yao Niang was finally able to sew a simple undergarment. At the end of the year, Mr. Yu had to prepare for the imperial examination and no longer taught them, so Yao Niang and the others finished school. Now, apart from painting and playing the piano as usual, she was also learning needlework and tailoring.
There were also banquets in winter. Yao Niang and Ying Niang went out with Zhen Shi. Zhen Shi often did this now, and she would take two people with her every time she went out.
Today was a banquet at the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion. Compared to her increasingly nasty and indifferent attitude towards Yan Ningxin, Yingniang's relationship with Yaoniang was much more harmonious than before. She even took the initiative to say after getting on the carriage, "You don't know, this Xuanping Marquis's Mansion is very special. Lord Xuanping is the commander of the Central Army of the Five Armies Commandery, and his brother was originally the commander of the Jinyi Guard."
"I know this. I am also from Jinling. But I heard that although Xuanping Marquis Mansion is good, it is no longer as good as it used to be."
The people above stepped down, and the tea cooled down as they left.
Yingniang smiled and said, "No matter how it is not as good as before, it is still a marquis's mansion after all."
The hometown of Xuanping Marquis Mansion is also in Jinling, and there is hometown friendship between the two sides. Here Yao Niang also met Shen Mo. Shen Mo is obviously very good at socializing. When they saw Yao Niang, they hurried over to greet her.
"Sister Shen." Yao Niang and Ying Niang greeted together.
Shen Mo smiled and said, "Why didn't your elder sister come? She and I have always gotten along well. I thought I could see her today."
Yao Niang said, "Big sister has something to do at home today. If Sister Shen wants to see her, please let us tell her."
"It's nothing. Look, the wife of Duke Cheng is here. She is the most enthusiastic. Her family's polo club is really fun. I saw that your elder sister is good at polo, so I want to invite her to come out and play next year." Shen Mo said.
The Prince of Qi is now looking for her, and if her brother can marry the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, it will be of great benefit to his future.
Yao Niang nodded politely after hearing what she said: "Don't worry, I will definitely go back and tell Big Sister."
Shen Mo didn't want to ignore the other two girls from the Yan family, so he moved closer to them and said, "Come to think of it, my mother's family is also from Jinling? I grew up in my grandparents' home when I was a child, and only returned to my own home when I was eight years old."
"Really? I wonder which family in Jinling it is?" Yao Niang and Ying Niang were both curious.
Shen Mo then asked: "Do you know anything about Jinling Han's?"
Yao Niang smiled when she heard this: "Among the local noble families, the Han family ranks first. How could I not know that? I heard that the prime minister of Qin during the Warring States Period, the generals of the Eastern Wu period, and the people who were made marquises and ministers during the Eastern Jin period all came from the Han family. When my brother got married, the old lady of the Han family came in person."
"That's my grandmother." A hint of joy flashed across Shen Mo's face.
Of course Yao Niang wouldn't trust any fellow villagers now. Last time, there was a daughter or granddaughter of the prefect of Shuntian, who also said that she was from Jinling. On her birthday, she sent Yao Niang an invitation, and Yao Niang personally selected expensive gifts and sent them to her. She was really sincere in her response. Unexpectedly, this person accepted her gifts and then said bad things about her behind her back. Not only that, when she was invited to a banquet, she gave her a hairpin she made herself, which was a piece of broken copper and iron that was not worth a tael of silver.
But she still had to flatter him: "Sister Shen, you are really a famous family among famous families."
Shen Mo treated them as his own family and even started to talk to them: "I envy your elder sister. Her mother is a descendant of the dragon and phoenix, and her father is from a famous family in Jinling. That is the most famous family among the famous families."
Even though there were many internal conflicts, Lian Yingniang said a few good things about Yan Ningxin in front of her future in-laws: "My elder sister is from a good family, so she doesn't care much about those things. She is the easiest person to get along with in our family."
These are the Yan sisters. On the way back, Yao Niang praised Ying Niang a few times: "I never thought you would speak up for your elder sister. Now you have grown up."
"I won't be like sister Mao. Originally, the elder sister was speaking for the younger sister, but the younger sister just wanted to compete with her elder sister and said bad things about her elder sister everywhere, which ruined her reputation as well." Yingniang is not a complete child now, and Zhen has also given her a lot of advice in private.
Yao Niang also knew what Ying Niang said. The eldest daughter of the Mao family was a good person. Even though she and the second daughter were only cousins and their relationship was not very harmonious, she still spoke for the second daughter in public. After all, the second daughter was unique in visiting relatives and friends with her fiancé. But the second daughter of the Mao family went around saying that her cousin was unwelcome because she could not get married.
As a result, both sides became very tense after hearing the news. The reputation of the girls in the Mao family was completely ruined, and the eldest daughter Mao married and moved to another province.
Now that Yingniang is able to do this, Yaoniang is relieved: "That's good, that's good. This year's New Year will definitely not be a good one. In February next year, my eldest brother will take the exam, and my third brother will also take the county exam, and in April, my second brother will take the provincial exam."
"Fortunately, we are all women and don't have to take the imperial examination." Yingniang felt her scalp tingling when she heard this. She didn't really like studying, especially art.
Yao Niang disagreed: "But men can get promoted through the imperial examinations, and become generals or ministers in the future. They don't have to rely on others like us women."
"Third sister, please talk less about your lofty ideas. You always wish you were Wu Zetian. Your personality is too strong. Second Mother is so kind. You should learn from her." Ying Niang said unhappily.
Yao Niang said, "You are just a paper tiger." She didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said. If there were people who thought it was wrong, they might be the men who thought they were incompetent and blamed women for being too capable.
Fortunately, the two of them are no longer as competitive as before, so naturally they cannot be close to each other. They are just like ordinary peers. Anyway, they go out together to go through the motions and protect each other's Yan family. After that, they go back to their own mothers and rarely interact with each other on weekdays.
At the end of the year, Shen Linfeng came to visit, and Zhen specially let Yan Ningxin take a look at the corridor where Shen Linfeng walked. Although she knew that the two had met before, now that they had matched their horoscopes, they could announce it to the public after he finished the imperial examination and the beginning of spring.
But in fact, Yan Ningxin met Shen Linfeng privately when she went to Tong's house. Shen Linfeng was very frank. He had no concubines and as long as she married him, Yan Ningxin would definitely be the only mistress of the Shen family and would not be a threat at all.
Although Yan Ningxin had no feelings for Shen Linfeng, she knew that Shen Linfeng was definitely the most suitable person for her. Shen Linfeng had an outstanding family background, was both talented and handsome, and even had a cleaner private life than her brothers. Her eldest brother, Yan Jingzhao, had two concubines and a female confidant outside, and the family just married a little star. The second brother also had many concubines, and even the third brother, who was not very old, had a concubine.
For these young men from noble families, having women is as easy as drinking water. Shen Linfeng is really rare. It can be seen that although he is surrounded by peach blossoms, he is actually very indifferent to love between men and women.
So be it, she accepted her fate, Yan Ningxin said in her heart.
Her status can help her father to help Shen Linfeng's career go more smoothly, and by supporting the Shen family, the Shen family can make her cousin's path to the throne of the crown prince smoother.
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