Xu Lingyuan felt both a pang of heartache and the urge to laugh. She pinched Huabao's cheek. "You act like a little tyrant at home, but outside you're a timid kitten."
Huabao was also angry with her mother now, turning her face away and pouting.
Xu Lingyuan shook her gently. "Alright, how about today Mother makes an exception and lets you have a date-sugar candy just this once?"
Only then did Huabao take her mother's hand again—a gesture of reconciliation.
The two returned to the West Cross Courtyard. Xu Lingyuan told a maid to take Huabao to bathe and change clothes, but Huabao refused to move again. When Xu Lingyuan asked what was wrong, Huabao finally said sheepishly, "I think I'll still go to the schoolroom this afternoon."
Huabao didn't bathe, only changed clothes, and swept away her earlier anger, heading off to the schoolroom happily.
Xu Lingyuan walked Huabao to the entrance of the West Cross Courtyard. Watching her leave, she lowered her eyes to her own belly, thinking that it would be nice if she could conceive again and give Huabao a sibling for company.
But she and Lin Congji had been married six years and had only Huabao. Though Second Madam had said nothing, Xu Lingyuan minded it greatly. Still, she was a proud and reserved sort, and she had never spoken of these thoughts to anyone—including her husband.
Xu Lingyuan was about to go inside when she caught sight of a vivid figure from the corner of her eye. Recognizing the newcomer, she immediately curved her lips into a standard smile—though the smile barely reached past her lips.
"Cousin-in-law." Xu Lingyuan turned and curtsied.
Qi Wanling smiled and gave Xu Lingyuan a light steadying hand. "We're all family. What need is there for such formality?"
Xu Lingyuan rose and led Qi Wanling toward the main hall inside. "Cousin-in-law, I truly apologize for today's matter. There are rules for seating at banquets—otherwise my mother and I would certainly have arranged seats of honor for you and your younger sisters."
Qi Wanling walked ahead, her eyes sweeping over the West Cross Courtyard one by one, comparing it to her own East Cross Courtyard. She kept smiling as she spoke. "It was my own foolishness, forgetting the rules. The fault is mine."
She turned. "You arranged everything properly, sister-in-law. It was I who failed to consider."
Chatting as they went, the two arrived at the main hall and sat down. Xu Lingyuan didn't know why Qi Wanling had come, but she didn't need to trouble herself guessing. Whether for good news or bad, Qi Wanling loved to come to her—either to show off or to complain. There was never anything new.
Qi Wanling took a sip of tea and looked at Xu Lingyuan. "You've been busy these past few days preparing for the second son's marriage, haven't you?"
Xu Lingyuan set down her teacup and shook her head. "I'm managing. I must also thank the Duchess and you, cousin-in-law, for sending people to assist."
Qi Wanling smiled and said it was nothing, but soon something else mixed into her smile. She leaned against the table edge, drew close to Xu Lingyuan, and lowered her voice. "The second son is pitiable too, tangled up with a woman like that."
Xu Lingyuan could tell that what mingled in Qi Wanling's smile was pity and contempt.
Seeing Xu Lingyuan say nothing, Qi Wanling continued, "The daughter of a mere Senior Sixth Rank Vice Director of the Treasury actually dreams of marrying into a ducal household—and by such filthy means, no less. I certainly don't want to live under the same roof with that sort of person day in and day out."
By rights, it wasn't impossible for a sixth-rank official's daughter to marry into a ducal household. The Cheng family's shortcoming was simply that they had shallow roots in Chang'an—they had official rank but no clan backing.
In Chang'an, where pedigree and office were matched, the Cheng family was a lone tree with no forest around it. And without a forest, where would the shade come from? If they offended the old aristocratic clans, crushing them would be little harder than pinching an ant to death.
Qi Wanling's tone was contemptuous: "The Cheng family's fortunes are declining, upheld by only one man struggling alone at court—how could they possibly compare with a ducal house of a hundred years? I imagine they've set their sights on precisely this, which is why they're scheming by every possible means to marry their daughter in."
Xu Lingyuan drank her tea and did not concur.
Qi Wanling had said so much herself, and seeing Xu Lingyuan lower her eyes to her tea, she thought perhaps her words had made her uncomfortable. Yet she felt what she had said was the truth, and moreover it was spoken in favor of Erlang—how could Xu Lingyuan behave like this?
Thinking this way, a trace of gloom rose in her heart.
When the maidservant came to pour tea, Qi Wanling studied the person across from her carefully. Without powder or rouge, without gold or jade, she still possessed an air that made one reluctant to look away. But so what? Dalang and Xu Lingyuan might appear harmonious, yet she knew all too well the various matters hidden within.
Even so, it was still far better than her and the Shizi. The Shizi was everywhere dallying with women, out of the Emperor's favor, and the position he held through patronage was far away in Weinan County—which only made it more convenient for him to indulge in a dissolute life.
Dalang came from a zhuangyuan background, and now at thirty, standing at the age of establishment, he had already entered the Prime Minister's cabinet and enjoyed the Emperor's deep favor. Most importantly, Dalang did not follow vulgar trends and kept himself pure—even facing a woman he did not love every day, he absolutely would not dally with others.
Thinking that the Shizi might have kept women in Weinan County, Qi Wanling's sense of imbalance grew. Though every family had its own difficult scripture to recite, it was clear that Xu Lingyuan and her husband's scripture was simpler than her own family's.
At this thought, her eyes shifted, and she let out a soft sigh: "Before we know it, Erlang is about to be married. Time passes so quickly. Every time I see newlyweds, I feel exhausted for them. Husband and wife—isn't it just face-saving affection? What it's like behind closed doors, who really knows?"
Her gaze rested for a moment on Xu Lingyuan's calm face. Seeing the fire was not yet hot enough, she continued to add fuel:
"If you ask me, it's better for a husband and wife to have feelings before they marry. Unlike me and the Shizi—we'd only met a few times before we married. Look at us now; the man's heart isn't with me at all."
Xu Lingyuan smiled and said nothing.
Seeing that she was impervious to attack, Qi Wanling found it rather dull. But before leaving, she still decided to stir up a wave. As if casually, she said: "Oh, by the way, sister-in-law, when you arrange the seating, you must be sure to separate my second sister and third sister."
Finally, a ripple appeared on Xu Lingyuan's face.
Qi Wanling continued, putting on a troubled look: "My second sister has recently been making a fuss about wanting a divorce. Perhaps she regrets it."
She waved the handkerchief in her hand. "This sister of mine acts on every whim, and my third sister quarrels with her, telling her to go ahead and divorce. The two of them argue endlessly. If they're seated together, something will surely go wrong."
As she spoke, she walked to the door, then suddenly turned back as if remembering something, with an apologetic smile, looking very sorry: "Sister-in-law, I forgot… I'm sorry, it's been so long, my memory, ah…"
Xu Lingyuan rose and said with a smile: "Cousin-in-law, let me see you out."
She escorted Qi Wanling to the door—Qi Wanling with a face full of apology, Xu Lingyuan with a face full of smiles. But the moment she turned around, the smile on Qi Wanling's face deepened, and Xu Lingyuan's smile vanished.
Once inside the room, Wantang was indignant: "This Shizi's wife, coming specially to gossip in front of others!"
Xu Lingyuan slowly let out a breath. "It's fine. Let her say what she wants."
Wantang and Fusang exchanged a glance and did not dare say more.
Zhao Lijia had made a fool of herself.
After she and the Second Madam finished their meal, they chatted in the room. When noon came, she had the habit of taking a nap, but the Second Madam was chatting with her with such keen interest that she could not bring herself to interrupt. She mustered all her energy to fight off drowsiness, and then she pitched headfirst into the Second Madam's arms and fell asleep.
The Second Madam was startled, thinking she had fainted, and was about to call for Doctor Cen, but then she heard Zhao Lijia's soft snoring and saw her rosy cheeks, and realized she had simply fallen asleep.
With Han Guang and Tieyi explaining from the side as well, the Second Madam was both startled and amused.
When Zhao Lijia woke up, she felt extremely comfortable. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to see the Second Madam not far away reading a book, while she herself was sleeping on a luohan bed, the small table on it having been moved aside for her convenience.
She remembered how she had pitched straight into the Second Madam, and her vision went dark. Then shame assailed her whole body, and she turned red all over.
The Second Madam put down her book, covered her mouth and laughed for a while, then said to Zhao Lijia, who was sitting there dazed like a peach, "You're awake."
Zhao Lijia hurriedly got off the luohan bed and had Hanyi Tiesuang, who were waiting nearby, restore the luohan bed to its original state, while she tugged at her skirt and walked over.
She stood before the Second Madam, pursing her lips in embarrassment, her eyes darting about, and finally she could not help laughing. "Auntie, I…"
The Second Madam pulled her to sit down. "Lizhi is so blessed."
Zhao Lijia did not understand, and the Second Madam could not resist touching her face again, saying with a smile, "Being able to fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow is something many people dream of. Isn't that a blessing?"
Zhao Lijia understood and smiled too. The Second Madam said, "Only people without worries can do that. This shows that you, Lizhi, are very happy and free of worries. This is a good thing. Auntie hopes you can keep it up in the ducal mansion as well."
Zhao Lijia said sweetly, "With Auntie here, that's for certain."
The Second Madam was charmed into not knowing north from south.
Sweet-tongued Zhao Lijia emerged from the inner room. The afternoon spring light was like a spoonful of melted honey. Sunlight filtered down through the newly sprouted tender leaves, scattering shifting dappled spots of light over her, and the spring light glazed her green jacket and pink skirt with a layer of shine.
After a nap, she felt comfortable all over. She stretched, then raised a hand to block the sunlight, watching it slip through the gaps between her fingers.
But as the sunlight slipped through her fingers and into her eyes, what came into view was the cold handsome face of her third cousin.
Zhao Lijia immediately lowered her hand to her side, nervously clutching the hem of her skirt. She had slept a long time, and it was already past the hour of Wei, which happened to be when her third cousin got off duty!
The person opposite stood on the arched bridge over the pond, looking down at her from above. He wore a dark crimson official robe, a golden belt around his waist, and a futou on his head, exuding an air of authority.
At this moment he was squinting at her, and Zhao Lijia truly did not know what there was about her to look at. Could it be that she really looked like a criminal fugitive on the run?
Judging by her third cousin's gaze, this criminal must surely be vicious and evil, otherwise there was no explaining the way he looked at her.
Seeing that the person above showed no sign of coming down, and that she would have to cross this bridge to leave anyway, Zhao Lijia stopped being coy. She had done nothing wrong.
She stepped onto the bridge and stood three paces from Lin Zeyan, bending her knees in salute. "Third Cousin."
The person before him lowered her head, revealing a slender, fair stretch of the back of her neck. Lin Zeyan saw her thick eyelashes flutter twice, like two little fans, casting a small fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes. She seemed a little nervous, deliberately lightening even her breathing.
But what appeared in Lin Zeyan's mind was another version of her.
"Lin Zeyan, come here."
His undergarment hung on her leg. He went over, but she hooked the undergarment with her foot and flung it onto his face. It slid down, revealing his smiling face.
What was he smiling at?
Lin Zeyan's face instantly clouded over, and his sharp gaze shot toward the confused face before him.