Ming Yuelin arrived early, and she was the only one in the classroom at the moment.
Shi Jianli sat down beside her. “I heard from Xianyue last night that you had returned.”
“I came back once I’d had my fill of fun.” Ming Yuelin leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I heard about what happened yesterday. Qiao Jingchuan is a scoundrel, and Third Sister is shameless. Pear Sister, are you heartbroken?”
With Pear Sister’s ethereal beauty, Qiao Jingchuan still couldn’t appreciate her and instead entangled himself with Third Sister. She didn’t know whether it was genuine affection or not, but there was certainly an element of currying favor with the Anguo Gong Manor involved.
Shi Jianli shook her head. “Why should I be heartbroken? I can always find another husband. I only agreed to the engagement because he was good-looking, and those who inquired about him said he had decent character.”
Now that the truth had come out, she hadn’t lost anything. The betrothal gifts hadn’t been presented yet, so it wasn’t much trouble.
Seeing that her expression didn’t seem forced, Ming Yuelin felt relieved. “It’s good that you’re not heartbroken. When does Aunt plan to break off the engagement for you?”
“In a couple of days. My aunt isn’t in good health, so let her recover first.”
Ming Yuelin nodded. As the other sisters arrived, she stopped discussing the matter further. “Next month, my cousin will come to our family to study.”
“Coming to visit you?” Shi Jianli had met Ming Yuelin’s cousin twice before.
It was common throughout the dynasties for children of influential families with close relationships to stay and study in the family schools of prestigious clans. However, the Duchess Yuan Yuhe was from the Runan Yuan Clan, a genuine descendant of an established noble family.
The Yuan family had a profound scholarly tradition. If one were to study, it should be Ming Yuelin going to the Yuan family. Aside from visiting, Shi Jianli couldn’t think of any other reason for the Yuan cousin to come.
“Yes, she said it’s been a long time since she last saw my mother. She’s coming with my second cousin.” Ming Yuelin replied to her, then greeted the younger sisters who had just entered.
Ming Yuelin was the second among the girls. The eldest sister, Ming Yuechu, was her father’s daughter from a concubine. At nineteen, she had married last year.
Ming Yueshu was the third, two months younger than her. The fourth sister, Ming Yuesi, was four months younger. Both the third and fourth sisters were from the second branch, and all three were the same age.
There were two even younger sisters, but the age gap was quite significant.
When Ming Yuesi entered, she glanced discreetly at Shi Jianli, exchanged greetings with her, and sat in the back.
The boys also filed in one after another. After exchanging greetings, they all took their seats.
In this dynasty, the separation between men and women wasn’t strict, so coeducation was common.
Ming Zhouhe strode through the door and directly sat beside Shi Jianli. After looking at her several times, he turned to speak with the second brother beside him.
Seeing that he didn’t speak to her, Shi Jianli didn’t ask why he seemed hesitant. It was easy to guess it was about yesterday’s incident with Qiao Jingchuan.
Ming Zhouhe was Shi Jianli’s maternal aunt’s son, her own cousin. He was the third in his family and also the person Ming Yueshu had referred to yesterday as “sold into a noble household as a favor to Third Brother.”
Apart from the two main branches of the family, the deceased old Duke had several sons from concubines. After the current Anguo Gong succeeded to the title, they branched out separately. Although their children weren’t ranked together with the main lineage, they still attended school together.
Because of this, there were quite a few children in the Anguo Gong Manor’s Family School.
Soon the teacher arrived. Ming Zhouhe routinely collected the assignments of all the sisters from the main lineage and handed them to the teacher.
He had to submit his cousin’s assignments, and to avoid appearing partial, he simply collected everyone’s.
The Family School held classes for two hours daily. Today, one hour was devoted to classical texts and another to music.
After classes ended, Shi Jianli bid farewell to Ming Yuelin and walked out of the school with her maid.
After bidding farewell to his brothers, Ming Zhouhe quickened his pace to catch up with her. Once they had walked some distance and the crowd thinned, he lowered his head to study her expression.
Shi Jianli looked up at him, her brow smoothing as she smiled and asked, “Cousin, what are you staring at?”
“Checking if you’re heartbroken.”
She shook her head.
“Truly?”
“Truly. There was never much affection between Qiao Jingchuan and me to begin with—how could there be heartbreak?”
“That’s good then. I was thinking, if you were heartbroken, I might as well marry you myself.”
Shi Jianli gazed at the sincere eighteen-year-old youth before her and pressed her lips together in mild exasperation. “Cousin, don’t joke like that. Have you forgotten Zhao Aniu’s family from the Farmstead?”
She couldn’t comprehend the connection between her heartbreak and his offer of marriage.
Her cousin and Second Cousin from the main branch were born just half a month apart, both in summer. Their names were derived from the phrase “Warm winds dispel sorrow, daylight scenes clear and harmonious, after the newfound clarity.”
Her cousin was named Zhouhe, while Second Cousin was named Zhouqing.
Ming Zhouhe seemed to recall something and rubbed his arm. “Alright, I’ll stop joking. I’m glad you’re not heartbroken.”
He crooked a finger at his attendant behind him, who handed a wax-paper package to Lanxing.
Ming Zhouhe said, “It’s the mint cakes from that shop you like. I had Xuanyuan buy them.”
“Thank you, cousin.”
“Not heartbroken, but are you angry? I’ll go beat up that Qiao Jingchuan to vent your frustration.”
His cousin was so beautiful and wonderful—Qiao Jingchuan must be blind to have chosen Ming Yueshu, that perpetually pretentious and weepy creature.
Shi Jianli pondered briefly. “That could work.”
Otherwise, Qiao Jingchuan might think she was easy to bully.
Ming Zhouhe laughed heartily. “That’s more like it! No one gets to disrespect a sister of Ming Zhouhe.”
Chatting and laughing, they walked toward the main courtyard of the western residence—Qionghua Courtyard.
“Mother.”
“Aunt.”
The cousins entered together, greeting her simultaneously.
Qiao Ruoying beamed and motioned for them to sit.
The moment Shi Jianli sat down, her aunt grasped her hand. “Lier, your aunt has failed you,” she said remorsefully. “I found you such a worthless man.”
“One truly can’t judge a book by its cover! He always seemed humble and polite—I thought he was decent. Who knew he’d be so opportunistic?”
Aside from having a well-born father, what did Ming Yueshu have over Lier in looks, temperament, character, or knowledge?
Shi Jianli shook her head. Seeing her aunt in good spirits, she felt relieved. “Please don’t say that. You’ve worked harder than anyone for my sake.”
“Isn’t this actually a good thing? Better to learn he’s unworthy now than after marriage.”
She truly hoped her aunt wouldn’t fall ill over this—she had only recently recovered from a cold.
“You’re right. I’ll find you someone better. If Ming Yueshu wants him, she can have him. We don’t care for what can be stolen.” Qiao Ruoying sniffed disdainfully.
“Tomorrow I’ll send the matron to retrieve the Betrothal Agreement.”
If she went herself, wouldn’t that be giving them too much face? Her previous courtesy was only because Qiao Jingchuan would have been Lier’s husband, and she’d been happy to hear him call her aunt.
Used to being overlooked when these two conversed, Ming Zhouhe deftly poured tea for them.
He thought to himself: since they were retrieving the Betrothal Agreement tomorrow, he’d go along. Once it was reclaimed, he’d give Qiao Jingchuan that beating.
“Ming Yueshu too—all her lessons on propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame have gone to the dogs. How dare she carry on with an unrelated man who is already betrothed and even spout such nonsense? Thankfully, she isn’t my own daughter, or I’d truly be furious to death.”
“She’d better put an end to these ideas, or she’ll tarnish the reputation of all the young ladies in the household.” And make things difficult for her, the legal mother.
If a concubine-born daughter resorted to snatching a marriage, the legal mother would be seen as failing in upbringing.
“Aunt, let’s not talk about her—it always upsets you.” Getting angry too often is truly bad for one’s health. Shi Jianli tugged gently at her sleeve and softened her voice to ask, “What’s for lunch today? Is there my favorite steamed duck with fermented rice?”
“Of course there is. I knew you and He’er would come after your lessons.”
After finishing lunch, Shi Jianli felt a bit drowsy and walked slowly back to the Tangli Courtyard.
With her eyes lowered, she passed through the Covered Corridor. At a dimly lit corner, several figures loomed ahead.
She looked up and saw a man in the lead, dressed in a Jilan Collared Brocade Robe.
The man stood tall and graceful like jade, a Black Jade Hairpin securing his crown. His demeanor was bright and refined, a Chaotic Cloud Pattern Gilded Diexie Belt fastened at his waist. Though his entire aura was noble and gentle, it inexplicably gave the impression of hidden sharpness.
Shi Jianli’s gaze swept over his strikingly handsome face. She stepped aside and greeted him, calling out, “Eldest Cousin.”