Recently, Ning Yan had been tasked with teaching the false young lady to write. The real Miss Sheng had never been a great talent, but at least she could produce a passable regular script. So the impostor had to learn enough to keep up appearances.
But the false young lady was only a village girl. Though she could recognize some characters, Ning Yan found her writing ugly, which gave her a headache. Now, seeing her staring intently at the stone inscriptions, Ning Yan thought it was just a pretentious act of refinement, rather laughable.
“This was written by Liu Heshū, the *tanhua* (third place in the imperial exam) of the capital in former years. He inscribed this commentary on the Diamond Sutra to pray for his wife during childbirth. Because of its vigorous and powerful brushwork, once carved into stone, it became a model eagerly copied by academy students.”
Just as Sheng Xiangqiao was absorbed in looking, a cool voice suddenly came from beside her. She trembled slightly, turned her head, and realized her cousin Cheng Fourth Young Master had somehow come to stand next to her. He wasn’t looking at the inscription, but instead studied her with curiosity: “What’s this? Are you interested in it?”
Sheng Xiangqiao smiled shyly: “Recently, Grandmother instructed me to cultivate my temperament more in the household. Everything else is troublesome, but literacy is simpler. Ning Yan said she would buy me some copybooks, but I don’t know what to practice. Seeing the fine characters on this stele, I thought I should look more closely.”
She had stopped taking the medicine that made her voice hoarse, so her tone was gradually returning to normal. But since she always spoke softly in public, the change was subtle enough that no one noticed.
Hearing her words, her cousin said nothing. But someone behind him laughed, mocking sharply: “With your handwriting, trying to copy Liu Heshū’s characters—isn’t that a bit like pulling seedlings to force them to grow?”
Sheng Xiangqiao glanced up and saw that the speaker was none other than her fiancé, the heir Jin Lianyuan. She lowered her head and obediently bowed to greet him.
Though not as graceful as her cousin, Jin Lianyuan was still tall and handsome, with the bold brows and sharp eyes characteristic of the Jin family. This gave him extra charm beyond his noble birth, making him popular among the ladies.
It had been some time since he last saw his imperial-bestowed fiancée. He had only heard that she had recently tried to jump into a well, then shut herself away in repentance, constantly stirring up trouble—truly not an easy girl to handle!
So he couldn’t resist coming along with his friend Cheng Tianfu, partly to put this unruly girl in her place. He didn’t want anyone thinking he was some useless coward.
This troublesome girl at least had some sense—she didn’t argue arrogantly as before, but behaved properly and saluted.
Thinking of how this little girl had once tangled herself up with a male actor, the heir Jin Lianyuan still felt a knot of resentment. He half-snorted through his nose and sneered: “I hear from Miss Cheng that you’ve become quite something now. If you truly had any backbone, you should follow through—jump into the well and be done with it!”
In the capital, countless charming young ladies were far superior to this “worn shoe.” Jin Lianyuan would have been glad if Sheng Xiangqiao had jumped into the well—it would leave him free and unburdened.
Such a noble heir was someone Sheng Xiangqiao knew she could not afford to offend. So she chose not to respond, pretending not to hear, her head lowered.
Jin Lianyuan’s barbed words landed on soft cotton. Sheng Xiangqiao had changed her strategy—no longer answering back. Even if he wanted to quarrel, she gave him nothing. He quickly found it dull, muttered a few more lines, and then the atmosphere fell flat.
Seeing that the heir had vented his spleen, Sheng Xiangqiao lifted her head and said to Cheng Tianfu: “Cousin, I heard today’s vegetarian banquet was prepared by a famous chef. Some dishes require careful timing to taste properly. The ladies said they weren’t in a hurry and would wait for the flowing banquet at the end, leaving us younger ones to eat first. If there’s no objection, I’d like to go ahead and take the first seat at the flowing banquet.”
Before Cheng Tianfu could reply, Jin Lianyuan sneered again: “After a few days apart, you’ve certainly learned to eat well. But this vegetarian banquet is for those who donate. Tell me, how much have you contributed that you think you can eat?”
Sheng Xiangqiao looked up in surprise, finally meeting his gaze: “Isn’t… my aunt making the donation? Why must we, the younger ones, also give silver?”
Jin Lianyuan snorted: “The wooden Buddha’s golden body requires contributions. Everyone who enters the temple must give. What, you came to eat vegetarian dishes without bringing incense money?”
Afraid of revealing her poverty, Sheng Xiangqiao said nothing, though her troubled expression betrayed her. She was penniless—if everyone had to donate, she would have to borrow from her aunt.
At that moment, Cheng Tianfu turned to his servant Qing Yan and ordered: “Give my cousin ten taels of silver.”
Qing Yan immediately drew a note from his purse. Sheng Xiangqiao accepted it silently, turning it over in her hands, uneasy. It was a single banknote—would she have to break it into smaller coins to pay the incense money?
“This note… isn’t it too much?”
Cheng Tianfu seemed to read her thoughts and added calmly: “Ten taels of incense silver may not be much, but it shows sincerity to the Buddha. Among the young ladies, it won’t be shameful.”
The implication was clear: don’t be stingy—donate the full amount.
Sheng Xiangqiao froze, whispering: “This… is cousin lending me the money?”
With his back to the others, Cheng Tianfu’s cold eyes curved slightly as he gave her a quiet, genuine smile: “Of course not. This is your two months’ allowance.”
“…”
Sheng Xiangqiao’s face went pale, sucking in a sharp breath. The Cheng family truly was a clan of shrewd merchants—raising sons this cunning! Her two months’ allowance, gone before it even warmed her palm, handed straight to the Buddha?
The little village girl felt her guts twist in pain. Cheng Tianfu was even more hateful than the Xue couple!
Meanwhile, Jin Lianyuan, seeing his friend generously rescue his fiancée, assumed Cheng Tianfu was protecting his dignity as heir. He glared at Sheng Xiangqiao once more, then patted Cheng Tianfu’s shoulder: “Sorry to make you spend on my behalf.”
Cheng Tianfu clasped his fists politely and said: “It’s only right—after all, she is my cousin…”
Jin Lianyuan thought to himself that although his future wife was disgraceful, this elder cousin was truly admirable—worthy of being a lifelong friend!
There were many young ladies in the temple, some of whom had been secretly corresponding with Jin Lianyuan for some time. Today was the perfect chance to meet and ease their longing. So the heir had no desire to linger with the troublesome girl. He left with Cheng Tianfu, laughing and chatting shoulder to shoulder.
After that, Sheng Xiangqiao completely lost her spirit. Even the delicious vegetarian dishes could not bring a smile to her face. When she placed the silver note into the merit box, tears welled faintly in her eyes.
In the dining hall, she unexpectedly ran into Miss Cao Yushan again. Seeing Sheng Xiangqiao, Miss Cao cheerfully approached and whispered:
“I was hoping I’d run into you today. Look, I brought the honey walnuts I mentioned before—thin-skinned, sweet, and crunchy. Try them, aren’t they just as good as I said?”
She happily pulled a small pouch from her sleeve and handed Sheng Xiangqiao a handful of honeyed walnut kernels.
The weary Sheng Xiangqiao tasted one, finding it sweet, crisp, and fragrant with the wok’s roasted aroma—truly a fine snack. At last, her spirits lifted a little, and she asked for two more handfuls.
The two little girls bonded instantly over their shared love of food, feeling as if fate had destined their friendship through snacks.
Nanny Zhao watched coldly from the side, thinking that village girls like this impostor only knew how to befriend declining noble daughters like Cao Yushan.
The Cao family, once a ducal household, had achieved little in recent generations. Their sons held unimpressive posts, and Cao Yushan was notorious for her gluttony, always carrying a pouch of snacks at her waist. If she grew any fatter, marriage prospects would be difficult!
Still, it was not a bad thing for the impostor to make new bosom friends. At least it helped prevent others from seeing through her disguise. So Nanny Zhao let them be.
During the meal, Sheng Xiangqiao asked how much incense money Cao Yushan had donated. Miss Cao admitted honestly: “My monthly allowance isn’t even enough to buy snacks. I only gave one tael.”
Sheng Xiangqiao paused: “Only that much?”
When she heard Sheng Xiangqiao had donated ten taels, Cao Yushan looked at her as if she were a god of wealth: “For us unmarried girls, where would we get so much allowance? It’s enough to show sincerity. The monks mainly rely on the wives’ donations. I heard the Tian family’s young lady gave five taels—that was already considered generous. But you, destined to be the heir’s consort, gave so much. Oh dear, are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?”
Sheng Xiangqiao had to breathe slowly to ease the pain in her chest. Now she was certain she had been tricked—she had truly donated an entire silver note, ten taels, just like that. No wonder that little monk holding the donation box had kept chanting “Amitabha,” nodding his head like a pecking chicken.
Fourth Young Master Cheng truly lived up to his reputation—vengeful to the smallest slight! This was his way of settling both the grudge of extorting her on the country road and the resentment of seizing her monthly allowance.
Thinking of this, Sheng Xiangqiao couldn’t help but glance again at her cousin seated at the nearby table. His elegance was unchanged, every line of his face handsome, smiling as he chatted with his friends. But in Sheng Xiangqiao’s eyes, he was nothing but trouble!
After enjoying the delicious vegetarian banquet, Cao Yushan was in high spirits, her chatter flowing freely. Her father oversaw the Imperial Household Department, responsible for the royal family’s food and daily needs. Though his rank was low, it was a lucrative post, and he heard plenty of palace gossip—such as who attended recent banquets and what anecdotes circulated.
Seeing Sheng Xiangqiao staring fixedly at the next table with a look of sorrow, Miss Cao misunderstood, thinking she was gazing at her fiancé, the heir.
Recalling the heir’s reputation for flirtation, Cao Yushan’s sympathy stirred. She decided to give her new bosom friend a warning.
“Miss Sheng, since your marriage is set, you should be embroidering a sachet for the Daughter’s Festival, shouldn’t you? Have you finished it yet?”
High-born young ladies often passed the time with such needlework, even in carriages or sedan chairs. Sheng Xiangqiao really had brought along her embroidery. Hearing the question, she asked Ning Yan to fetch her sewing kit and showed Cao Yushan the half-finished sachet.
When Miss Cao saw it, the piece of mock chicken in her mouth nearly fell onto the embroidery.
“Miss Sheng… is that *dogtail grass* you’re stitching?” she asked hesitantly, her round cheeks puffed.
Sheng Xiangqiao smiled: “It’s orchid grass—‘a gentleman is like an orchid.’ Don’t you think the meaning is good?”
Well, Miss Cao was tongue-tied. The sentiment was fine, but the stitching was far too rough. And the heir’s character was hardly in keeping with the lofty image of an orchid in a secluded valley.
Swallowing her mock chicken, Cao Yushan said: “Don’t blame me for not warning you. Though you’re not yet the heir’s consort, the line of girls hoping to enter the household as concubines is already long. Look at the sachet the heir is wearing now—isn’t it exquisite?”
She lowered her voice: “The pearls on that sachet are rare treasures from the South Seas. His Majesty once bestowed a batch, but Prince Cining’s household wasn’t on the list…”
Sheng Xiangqiao turned her head to look. Sure enough, hanging from Jin Lianyuan’s glittering belt was a delicate sachet, embroidered with plump pink pearls forming a peony in full bloom.