CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER 160: POSSIBILITIES (5)

Tong Xiyan sighed and stood up as well: "I’ll go with you to take a look." She felt that Xiao Yanzheng was quite temperamental and there wasn’t much to talk about. Thinking that Lady and her eldest sister should have said most of what they needed to, she decided it would be better to return and chat with her elder sister.

Tong Xiyu waved her hand, refusing, "No...no need, I can go by myself." Tong Xiyan frowned and glared at her, "I know this place better than you, what if you get lost? Don’t end up not finding the handkerchief and losing yourself instead."

Tong Xiyu muttered and said nothing.

As both of them were about to leave, Xiqiu had no choice but to stand up as well and said, "In that case, I’ll go with you." Xiao Yanzheng stopped her and said, "Let Fourth Miss and Eighth Miss go, it’s been a while since we last met, stay with me and chat for a while. We’ll head over to find the lady of in-laws later."

Xiqiu looked at Tong Xiyan, who nodded and said, "If that’s the case, you stay here and keep Second Miss company."

Seeing this, Xiqiu no longer insisted and, together with Xiao Yanzheng, escorted Tong Xiyan and Tong Xiyu to the door. Xiao Yanzheng then instructed her maid to take Siliu and Sixing to the side room for tea: "If there’s anything, we’ll call for you."

Sixing and Chunyan looked at Xiqiu, who nodded slightly and said, "Go!" The two of them then followed Xiao Yanzheng’s maid to the side room.

Xiao Yanzheng held Xiqiu’s hand and said with a smile, "Day in and day out, we meet but don’t get to talk." Instead of returning to the left-side anteroom, she led Xiqiu into the right-side bedroom, seating her by the black-painted round table adorned with luck, longevity, and wealth motifs, before going to the cabinet behind the bed. After searching for a while, she returned with a thick book in her arms and said, "Look at this." She seemed very happy.

Xiqiu’s eyes fell on the book, but Xiao Yanzheng interrupted her, "I’m not asking you to read." She then opened the pages and took out paper cut patterns, "Look at these, I collected and drew each one, then cut them out by hand... Well, do you like them?"

Xiqiu took them in her hands, examining them closely, and saw a spirited apricot blossom. She nodded and said, "Thank you, they are very beautiful!" Xiao Yanzheng’s eyes lit up and she shook out a dozen or so paper cuts of various shapes from the pages, "If you like them, I can cut more next time."

Xiqiu gathered the paper cuts while saying, "Drawing them already takes so much effort, yet you went ahead and cut them out too."

Xiao Yanzheng sighed, "I have nothing to do on most days and can’t go out, so I have to stay in the room and do these things to pass the time."

Xiqiu smiled knowingly at her, comforting her, "This is also good, at least it’s peaceful. Besides, the Grand Dowager is concerned about your health. If you don’t go out, she can be more at ease."

Xiao Yanzheng nodded helplessly without arguing, "I know, it’s just that staying cooped up at home every day feels quite stuffy. I used to occasionally go out with a few sisters-in-law, but after my last illness at the Wujin Bo Mansion, mother has prohibited me from going out. I haven’t stepped outside for quite a while now."

Xiqiu was at a loss for words, so she just smiled and held her hand. Xiao Yanzheng, seeing her like this, suddenly laughed, "You don’t have to feel sorry for me, I know I’m overthinking things. Girls in other families don’t necessarily go out every day either, and they’re just like me, stuck at home."

She was already at the appropriate age for coming of age this year. By custom, an engagement should have been arranged by now. Perhaps after marrying, she would have more freedom and things might improve.

Suddenly, Xiao Yanzheng thought of something and asked Xiqiu, "I heard your family’s Third Miss is engaged to Ren Jun?" Pausing, she remembered that Xiqiu might not know who Ren Jun was, so she explained, "He’s the Third Young Master of Count Wujin."

Xiqiu nodded, "Engaged last month, for next October. Why do you ask?"

Xiao Yanzheng displayed a look of sympathy, "Tell Lady that such a marriage shouldn’t happen. Ren Jun spends all day idling around brothels. If it weren’t for Fourth Brother’s restraint, who knows what he’d turn into. Marrying someone like him could ruin a life."

Xiqiu responded in a resigned manner, as she couldn’t tell Xiao Yanzheng that Madam Wang, knowing full well of Ren Jun’s behavior, still went to all lengths to secure this marriage. To them, Ren Jun’s behavior wasn’t important; what mattered was that he was the Third Young Master of the Wujin Bo Mansion.

"Thank you for the warning. I will tell my mother when I return."

In the main hall, the Grand Dowager, Madam Qian, Madam Ruan, and Countess each sat on a side, playing leaf cards. Nanny Wu sat beside the Grand Dowager, occasionally pointing at a card to remind her, while the Marchioness accompanied Countess, but didn’t speak.

"Grand Dowager, you are truly my lucky star!" Madam Qian suddenly placed the nine of bamboo thrown by the Grand Dowager into her own hand and laid her cards on the table, "I’ve won!" She happily added, "It’s your birthday today, you ought to hand out red envelopes."

The Grand Dowager acted in mock distress, covering her forehead, and said to Nanny Wu, "Go! Tell the kitchen to take away the cod we were supposed to eat at lunch! It’s better than having people eat and grab what I’ve lost so much of."

Nanny Wu quickly nodded in agreement, "I think it’s best to change the tea too. Replace this Golden Jun Mei with Laojun Mei, so as not to waste such good tea."

Madam Ruan covered her mouth with a handkerchief, laughing heartily, "See, an older ginger is truly spicier; in half a day’s work she’s even rearranged half the dinner table!"

The table burst into laughter.

Madam Qian clutched her stomach from laughter, shuffled the cards, and said, "If the lady of in-laws doesn’t return soon, we might just get kicked out by the Grand Dowager!"

The Grand Dowager feigned annoyance at her, smiling broadly, "Even if the lady of in-laws comes, she’ll help me take on your sharp tongue." Madam Qian laughed heartily, subtly mentioning, "The lady of in-laws is truly fortunate, with so many daughters, unlike my full house of sons, who give me a real headache to watch!"

The Grand Dowager’s eyes flashed slightly, "No need to envy, daughters have their own advantages, as do sons. If they aren’t filial, even having both sons and daughters isn’t necessarily fulfilling."

Fearing that mentioning Fourth Master could upset the Grand Dowager, Madam Qian sidestepped the topic with a smile, "That Fourth Miss I see is quite nice, graceful and good-looking. Has a match been arranged for her?"

The Grand Dowager looked over at the Marchioness thoughtfully, "I don’t think so, she’s the legitimate younger sister of the second family. If she were engaged, she should have mentioned it." The Marchioness, unconcerned about these matters, simply shook her head with a smile, "She seems quite young, so she likely isn’t."

Madam Qian nodded slightly, "If she truly isn’t, then I should have a good chat with the lady of in-laws."

"Oh?" The Grand Dowager paused what she was doing and asked, "Is it for a nephew from your mother’s family?"

Madam Qian nodded, "It isn’t settled yet. Since there are no outsiders today, I don’t mind you all having a laugh. My nephew is handsome and has achieved academic honors, with quite a few families proposing marriage. It’s just that I’ve always been holding out for a match of equal standing. Too high a status, she might press him with her background; too low a background, she might seem too petty!"