CHAPTER 345: CHAPTER 176: IS HE TRYING TO WIN FAVOR?

"Indeed, I was so preoccupied with picking plum blossoms in the forest just now! Sister-in-law, look, these are the ones I picked myself, aren’t they beautiful?" Shi Yulin said with a beaming smile, pulling her hand and pointing to the plum vase on the case nearby.

"They are beautiful, you have a great taste, fourth sister!" Sang Wan smiled and complimented a few words, then hurriedly added with a laugh, "Next time you want plum blossoms, just have the maids do it, don’t do it yourself again. It will hurt if you prick your hand!"

Shi Yulin lifted her chin and said, "I’m not afraid! The maids don’t know which ones are good! They don’t have the eye for it!" This made everyone burst into laughter.

The sisters and sisters-in-law chatted and laughed while roasting and eating meat until Shi Fengju came looking for them, which was when they realized it was already noontime. They hastily bid each other farewell and returned to their respective courtyards. As they couldn’t help but tease the elder brother and sister-in-law with winks and jests, Shi Fengju scoldingly laughed off the "nonsense", while Sang Wan was too shy to say anything but hung her head and smiled silently.

"I was wondering where you had gone off to! Turns out you were here with those girls!" Shi Fengju said with a laugh, "Miss Wan, do you like roasted meat? How about this, after the New Year, I’ll take you to our manor, and we can have a good time roasting some game, how about that?"

"Sure, after the New Year I’ll be waiting for you to treat me!" Sang Wan replied with a laugh, then hastily added, "I thought you would be dining with Young Master Zhuang outside at noon, so I forgot about the time and didn’t go back!" She said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Shi Fengju smiled faintly and suddenly asked her in a low voice, "Are you afraid that your eldest sister would come looking for you?"

Sang Wan was startled, feeling awkward, yet she nodded honestly and pitifully: "You’ve seen through it! Yes, I did sneak out! I can’t stand up to her when she comes looking for me!"

Shi Fengju’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but hold her hand and speak gently, "If she comes looking for you, just push it onto me! That brother-in-law of ours is really hateful! Always has to stir up some trouble to annoy others! Just yesterday, Fenghua said he wanted to come back, but I told him not to rush, to delay it for a few more days if possible. The moment he returns, the brother-in-law will undoubtedly pester him daily!"

"That can’t be!" Sang Wan said, surprised, and laughed, "Brother-in-law and third brother don’t really have much in common; why would he seek out third brother?"

Shi Fengju gave a slight sneer and said, "In our Shi family, only third brother is a scholar. Only third brother can relate and converse with someone from a scholarly family like him! He looks down on me, so naturally, he makes every effort to elevate third brother! Of course, if third brother were to flatter him, admire him and heed his guidance and advice, he would be even more satisfied!"

Sang Wan muttered an embarrassed "oh" and fell silent, looking somewhat downcast.

At first, Shi Fengju didn’t understand the reason for her reaction, but then it dawned on him that his remarks criticizing ’scholarly families’ had made his young wife uncomfortable.

Feeling somewhat regretful and not knowing how to explain, Shi Fengju stopped and held her back, smiling, "The plum blossoms are really quite lovely this year. Since we’re passing by, how about I pick a couple of branches for you?"

Sang Wan shook her head and smiled, "Why pluck the beautiful blossoms, which are nice to see right here? They are best appreciated in the garden. Unlike roses, lilies, and the like, placing them indoors would only lose their natural elegance and charm!"

Shi Fengju laughed and said, "Do you like roses and lilies? We should have a lot in our greenhouse. I’ll have some sent to Ningyuan tomorrow!"

With a "tch" and a smile, Sang Wan chastised him, "Don’t add to the chaos with these things! For the New Year, each courtyard has already been allocated which flowers to display and arrange in vases; it’s almost time to start decorating! With your word given, what would the servants in charge of the flowers and greenhouse think? If they don’t know any better, they might assume it was my idea!"

Shi Fengju frowned slightly in complaint, "Why are there so many reservations about using one’s own things? We’re becoming more like outsiders, while outsiders seem to be the ones living it up!"

Knowing he was referring to Ren Zhixian, Sang Wan took his hand and said with a tender smile, "It’s not about reservations; it’s about respecting the elders. If their homes are not yet decorated, naturally ours shouldn’t be either. Besides, as the lady of the house, I must be fair and just to win the hearts of the people. No matter what, others are still outsiders; they cannot become the masters. And why bother stooping to the level of such people?"

Shi Fengju gave her cheek a playful tweak and laughed, "Madam speaks the truth; there’s no need to stoop to such a person’s level!"

"Stop that, your hands are cold!" Sang Wan was startled and quickly dodged, thinking to herself how fortunate it was that only her trusted attendants were with them!