Chapter 4

Volume 1 Chapter 005: A Visit

Wen Ruoqing bowed to his parents and then said to his father, “Father, General Yan has arrived.”

Father and son exchanged a knowing glance. Wen Cunshan understood that his son had come to rescue him from the situation, and he quickly left the study with Wen Ruoqing. The two of them hurried like the wind to the pavilion at the Pine and Cypress Studio in the outer courtyard and sat down. Only then did Wen Cunshan size up his son.

“What do you have to say about this matter?”

“I’ll follow Father’s wishes.”

“And if I said I want you to marry that Yin girl?”

“Then I’ll marry her.” Wen Ruoqing said decisively.

Wen Cunshan was somewhat surprised. His three sons were each more stubborn than the last. He had thought it would take considerable persuasion, but he had not expected him to be so obedient. It seemed he had already thought the matter through clearly on his own.

“…Your mother, I’m afraid, will not agree…”

Wen Ruoqing smiled. “Father, how about bringing the Old Dowager back?”

Wen Cunshan thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s the only way.”

The Wen family’s Old Dowager spent years at Fuyun Nunnery outside the city, observing a vegetarian diet and worshipping the Buddha. If she did not return, Madame Jiang would have no mother-in-law above her to keep her in check, and she would likely fight to the death to block this marriage. Wen Cunshan normally deferred to Madame Jiang in everything, but now he could only pin his hopes on his old mother—who in turn made him defer to her in everything—returning to turn the tide.

While the ducal mansion was in chaos, the Gu household was not at peace either. Wenzhu Courtyard was in an uproar.

Gu Rui had taken Bixia to Madame Tang’s courtyard. Matron Li led a group of young maids huddled in a corner of Wenzhu Courtyard, gossiping.

“Matron, do you think the young miss from the cousin’s family can really marry into the Duke of Dingguo’s household?” a young maid asked innocently.

Matron Li disapproved. “In her situation, even if she does marry in, what good can come of it? They’re not marrying her because they truly favor her. Once she’s brought back to the ducal mansion, who knows which corner she’ll be tossed into to fend for herself. With her character and background, she’s not even fit to be a concubine, and she schemed so calculatedly to get in. How will she ever hold her head up in that household in the future?”

Qiyun thought for a moment and said, “Ending up like this—doesn’t the young miss from the cousin’s family know it herself? Why rush to jump into this pit of fire? Could it be that she didn’t do it on purpose, and just happened to encounter the situation?”

“What do you know? The young miss from the cousin’s family is about to turn nineteen and still has no prospects. You have no idea how anxious she must be inside. I was at the spring hunt that day too. The moment she heard that the heir of the Duke of Pingguo and the Sixth Young Master Wen were searching below the cliff, she rushed out. Think about it—in that kind of weather, grown men were falling from their horses one after another. Could she really come out unscathed? It’s obvious she went to intercept someone. Fall a little, faint a little in front of them—whoever’s soft-hearted is the unlucky one.”

Qiyun sighed. “I heard that in the Duke of Dingguo’s household, the men never take concubines. Once she enters that door, she’ll be the principal wife. Even if life is hard afterward, at least she’ll have that title. You could say she’s shot up to the heavens in one step.”

Matron Li scoffed. Seeing that some of the young maids wore expressions of envy, she lectured them, “What use is a pretty face—especially when everyone knows how she got it? A woman needs marital affection and harmony between husband and wife. This young miss from the cousin’s family will never in her life earn her husband’s family’s respect or her husband’s love!”

Meanwhile, Gu Rui was inside the room comforting her tearful mother.

A relative of their household had gotten into this mess, and Gu Niansong had also lost face. Two days earlier, he had flown into a rage in front of Madame Tang. After venting his complaints, he ordered Yin Huaizhou expelled from the Gu family school and forbade Yin Chenbi from coming to the door again.

Madame Tang held her daughter’s hand and wept. “You know your cousin. Though she has a somewhat petty air about her, she still knows shame. How could she deliberately do such a thing? Your father acting like this—what are she and her brother supposed to do? My poor sister is so ill. If the Wen family comes to propose, that’s one thing. But if they don’t—”

Gu Rui quickly said, “The Wen family has always valued honor and kept their word. I don’t think they would abandon cousin’s reputation.”

“Ah, how did such a thing happen? It’s all my fault. If only I had stopped Chenbi that day.”

“Mother, please don’t say that. No one wanted this to happen. Perhaps it’s simply cousin’s destiny in marriage arriving…”

Madame Tang wiped her eyes. “Do you really think so?”

Gu Rui was about to respond when the managing matron from her mother’s rooms lifted the curtain and entered, beaming with joy. “Madame, someone from the Duke of Dingguo’s household just came. They want to ask the Master to act as guarantor and go to the young miss from the cousin’s family to propose marriage!”

Madame Tang was overjoyed and quickly sat up in bed. “What did the Master say?”

The matron’s tone faltered. “The Master refused. He said he will not be the matchmaker for this, and asked the Wen family to find someone else.”

Madame Tang could not help grinding her teeth. “That dead old man, he’ll be the death of me!”

Gu Rui was also speechless. Madame Tang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan and was about to get out of bed and put on her shoes. “I have to go see.”

Gu Rui quickly tried to dissuade her. “Mother, please don’t. You know Father’s temper. Going won’t help. Since the Wen family has already come to the door, they must be determined to marry cousin. If Father won’t propose, they will surely find someone else. Mother doesn’t need to worry about the Wen family changing their minds. But as for cousin’s side, shouldn’t someone go inform them so they can prepare, lest the Wen family arrives and they are caught off guard and lose propriety?”

“Yes, yes, you’re right.” Madame Tang nodded repeatedly, then hesitated. “But your father won’t let me leave the house now, and he won’t let Chenbi come either. Who can we send with the message? No, sending a servant is ultimately inappropriate. How can we manage it? It would be best if I could go myself, to see what her family lacks. Also, Chenbi’s dowry needs to be discussed with my sister and prepared as early as possible.”

Gu Rui pondered. “Father is still angry. Mother really shouldn’t go out at this juncture. How about Han and I go instead?”

The next day, Gu Rui set out with Gu Han in a carriage. They passed through the western city gate and waited briefly by the official road. Before long, Cui Jin arrived on horseback with Wen Ruoqing.

He had received Gu Rui’s letter saying she was going to visit her cousin, so he had deliberately dragged Wen Ruoqing along. He had not told him in advance, lest he make excuses.

At this moment, the sunlight was bright and beautiful, and the spring scenery was splendid. Along the official road, gentle breezes brushed the willows, and orioles sang and swallows chattered. The carriage drove westward. At the foot of the western hills, broad rice paddies and irrigation ditches gradually came into view. Under the shade of willows and poplars, Cui Jin and Wen Ruoqing followed at an unhurried pace on horseback. When they saw the carriage ahead turn a corner and drive past an orchard in full shade toward a small farmstead on the hillside, Wen Ruoqing suddenly understood.

Cui Jin secretly watched his expression from the side. Seeing that his face was as usual, he thought to himself, “This fellow really can hold it in.”

Wen Ruoqing was actually feeling rather emotional. This road was the one he had to travel to and from the border. The dust beneath his feet had a familiar scent. The scenery around him was commonplace. The small courtyards of gray tile and stone walls scattered at intervals not far from the road were also vaguely familiar—it was just that he had never imagined that one day he would be connected to a certain person in one of these small courtyards.

The carriage drove up the slope and entered the Yin family’s small courtyard. Gu Rui, supported by Gu Han, stepped down from the carriage. She first glanced back at the figures on horseback under the distant shade of the trees, then looked around.

The small courtyard was clean and tidy. In the center was a row of three main rooms built of gray tile and stone walls, flanked by slightly lower side rooms. In the left corner of the courtyard grew two loquat trees, their waxen green leaves silent and still. On the right side of the courtyard, in a small flower bed, red and white roses bloomed profusely. Beside the flower bed, a branch of magenta bougainvillea had climbed onto the nearby grape trellis, bright and lovely, adding a touch of radiance to the courtyard.

Yin Chenbi was inside the house, accompanying her mother for an afternoon nap. Hearing the commotion, she tiptoed out of the room. Seeing Gu Rui standing in her courtyard, as lovely and fresh as an orchid in a secluded valley, she immediately smiled.

“Why have you come? You didn’t even send word ahead. Han is here too—you two are truly rare guests.” As she spoke, she ushered the two toward the bluestone stools in the courtyard and quickly picked up a cloth from the winnowing basket on the stone table, wiping the stools again and again.

Gu Rui smiled. “Sister, your courtyard is so comfortably arranged. Unlike my home—after staying there a while, I feel stifled.” Gu Han nodded vigorously beside her.

“If you like it, come often in the future. Come to think of it, you’ve only been here once, when you were ten,” Yin Chenbi said with a smile. “Unfortunately, the loquats have just started to form. It’ll be another month before they ripen. But the early cherries can be tasted. Wait here a moment.”

With that, she ran like the wind into the western side room and came out with a bamboo basket of cherries. She went to the well, drew water, and washed them.

Bixia, behind Gu Rui, quickly went to help. Yin Chenbi pushed her away. “Bixia, go sit down. I can manage. Today they’re grafting peach trees in the orchard. Huaizhou and Mumian and the others all went to help.”

Mumian was the little maid who did odd jobs at Yin Chenbi’s home. Gu Rui knew this. But hearing that her cousin Yin Huaizhou had also gone to help with farm work, she could not help feeling a pang of regret.

Yin Chenbi was quick and efficient. In no time, she had washed the basket of cherries and brought them over. The bright red fruits were exquisite and lovely, still beaded with crystalline water droplets, looking very tempting. Gu Han, without waiting for his cousin’s invitation, picked up several and began eating.

Only then did Yin Chenbi sit down. She took up the needlework from the winnowing basket on the table and began working as she asked with a smile, “Is Aunt well? Huaizhou said he left in a hurry and did not get to pay his respects to Aunt. He felt it was very rude.”

Gu Rui studied Yin Chenbi. She saw that she wore an old blue cotton dress for everyday wear, her raven-black hair simply coiled on her head and fastened with an ebony hairpin. Her features were serene, and there was no trace of resentment in her expression. Gu Rui smiled. “Mother is well. She’s just worried about you and Cousin Huaizhou—are you both all right?”

“What’s not to be all right about? Don’t worry. It’s just that my matter has implicated Aunt. I feel truly terrible about it. I only hope Uncle will calm down soon and stop blaming her.”

Gu Han’s fall from his horse had been the cause of the entire incident. He had not shown it on his face, but he felt deeply ashamed inside. Now, hearing his cousin speak like this, he felt as if sitting on pins and needles. He set down the cherries and said, “Is Cousin at the orchard ahead? I’ll go find him.”

Yin Chenbi quickly stood up. “Follow the small path outside the courtyard. You’ll reach it in a quarter hour. Han, be careful. Don’t fall.”

After Gu Han left, Gu Rui finally smiled and said, “I came today specifically to congratulate you, Sister.” She gestured, and Bixia presented a brocade box. “Inside this box is a congratulatory gift from Mother and me to you.”

Yin Chenbi’s hand, which had been threading a needle, paused. She then pressed Bixia’s hand down and looked at Gu Rui with questioning eyes.

“I heard the Wen family will come to propose in the next couple of days. Sister, please accept it.”

Yin Chenbi’s hand trembled slightly. She hesitated for a moment, then finally accepted the brocade box.

From outside the open courtyard gate in the distance, Cui Jin saw Yin Chenbi accept Gu Rui’s box and could not help looking at Wen Ruoqing.

Wen Ruoqing’s face showed no expression. He stood quietly for a moment, then took his leave of Cui Jin and turned to go.

Shortly after, the sound of Madame Yin rising came from inside the house. Yin Chenbi quickly set down her needlework and ran in to attend to her. Gu Rui also stayed to talk with Madame Yin for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, she sent someone to the orchard to call Gu Han back. The siblings got into the carriage, and Cui Jin still followed at a distance behind.

In the carriage were two baskets of washed cherries, two baskets of mandarin oranges, and two jars of fruit wine. Gu Han stretched lazily and smiled. “Cousin’s place is quite comfortable. It’s so different from our home.”

It really was too different! Gu Rui thought silently. She felt that the cousin sitting in her own small courtyard was utterly different from the cousin she usually saw at their home. Every time her cousin came to their house, though she smiled at everyone, there was always a lingering deliberateness and caution between her brows. Those fine clothes and rich adornments, though bright and luxurious on her, were far less natural and at ease than her own old clothes at home. For her, was marrying into a prestigious household like the Wen family good or bad? Those daily routines of brewing wine, tasting tea, and reciting poetry—could her cousin adapt to them?

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Thank you to the little angels who cast霸王票 or irrigated nutrient solution for me during 2020-07-04 22:25:46~2020-10-10 20:37:04~

Thank you to the little angel who cast a landmine: Qiming Touteng 1;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: Shili Yousi 10 bottles; 27575899 5 bottles; Momo Ya 2 bottles;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!