Chapter 68.1 - To Reap What One Has Sown (Part I) (1/2)
The next morning, Jiang Ruan rose up very early and ate the green rice[1] congee that Bai Zhi had brought. When Lian Qiao noticed Shu Xiang at the door peering inside the room, she asked, “What’s the matter?”
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[1] Bigeng ( 碧梗粥) – Bigeng rice is a kind of high-quality rice. Its origin is in Yutian County, Hebei Province. It is a tribute in the Qing Dynasty. It has the characteristics of slender grain, slightly greenish, and is fragrant when cooking aka Japonica rice, sometimes called sinica rice, is one of the two major domestic varieties of Asian rice.
“Just now, nubi came across Second Miss,” Shu Xiang smiled. “She received several bolts of satin and invited Eldest Miss to come visit her courtyard and pick out two bolts.”
“I see, go and return to your work now.” Lian Qiao told her. After Shu Xiang left, Lian Qiao told Jiang Ruan the whole story. At last, she asked, “Second Miss is really strange. Now that Second Young Master is still laid up in bed, she has such a mind to invite Young Miss out.”
“Thus I’m afraid that we have to be prepared,” Jiang Ruan said lightly, fiddling with the embroidery in front of her. “Lu Zhu, go ask around to see if anyone else is coming today.”
Jiang Su Su wouldn’t invite her over without any reason, especially at this very moment. Since the pit was clearly meant for her, it was better to calmly deal with it.
Lu Zhu returned after a short time. “Miss, this maidservant asked others in the courtyard. Today, the capital’s Grand Councillor Li is coming for a visit.” She watched Jiang Ruan’s expression with unease. “This maidservant feels that it is strange. Do you want to decline it, Miss?”
“There is no need,” Jiang Ruan replied before Lu Zhu could finish speaking. She looked at Jiang Ruan in astonishment, only to see Jiang Ruan smile with her alluring eyes narrowed slightly. “Such an old friend, I have long wanted to pay him a visit.”
She spoke in a cheerful tone, but somehow, Lu Zhu felt cold all over. She took another look at Jiang Ruan’s bottomless eyes, but they were fuzzy like looking at flowers in the fog.
After a pause, Lu Zhu asked, “In that case, would you like to freshen up, Miss?”
“Naturally.” Jiang Ruan smiled. “Lian Qiao, Bai Zhi, you two stay in the courtyard to embroider on my behalf. Call Shu Xiang in.”
In Yan Hua Yuan, Jiang Su Su was dressing up meticulously. Last night, she learned from Hu Die about Xia Yan being a matchmaker for Jiang Ruan. She didn’t understand why Xia Yan would introduce such a good marriage to Jiang Ruan. Grand Councillor Li was considered to be an important minister in the imperial court, while Li An was a young talent. She thought that if Jiang Ruan could marry into the Li family “with ease” while her own reputation was ruined, what kind of life she would have in her future husband’s family. Jiang Su Su’s heart was filled with resentment. Today, she was determined to wear her best attire. She had never met the legendary Second Young Master of the Li family. If she could make him fall for her instead, thus destroying Jiang Ruan’s marriage, she would be extremely thrilled.
While tying Jiang Su Su’s hair into a knot, Hu Die said, “Miss, you’d better not go out. Furen gave an order for you to stay in the house today. If something goes wrong…”
“Who let you speak like this to your mistress?” Jiang Su Su was impatient. “I know my own business. I will send you away if you speak out of turn again.”
Hu Die’s hand stilled and she spoke no more.
Li Dong and his son had arrived at the Jiang fu and were currently inside the main hall talking to Jiang Quan. Xia Yan also came out to greet them. Li Dong’s eyes roamed all over Xia Yan in an intimate fashion while speaking in an ambiguous tone, “Minister Jiang is fortunate in his love affairs, having such a lovely wife.”
Xia Yan was startled and forced herself to smile in reply. Jiang Quan was furious, but Li Dong was known as a dissolute man. Unfortunately, he had no other alternative. While enduring his anger, he welcomed them, “I’m taking the liberty of inviting you today. It’s a pity that we have never gotten together after being colleagues for so many years.”
“Alright!” Li Dong leaned back. The small eyes on his meaty face narrowed ferociously. “An honest man does nothing underhanded. Perhaps Minister Jiang has something to discuss today. What is it about, I wonder? “
Jiang Quan didn’t expect that the other party was truly obstinate and would speak in such an ill- manner. He had a high self-constraint, but he had never met such a person. As he must not offend him, he couldn’t spit out his frustration and was unable to speak for a moment.
Xia Yan saw this situation and promptly stepped forward to mediate with a smile. “It’s not for a special thing, actually. We’ve heard that both the young masters in Minister Li’s fu are handsome as well as talented. Our fu’s daughter is no longer young. We’d like to arrange her marriage, and so felt it important to let them see each other.”
Jiang Quan couldn’t help but look at Xia Yan when she spoke so bluntly. It was uncomfortable for him to believe that this woman, who had always been as lofty as a lotus flower, would say such shameless words now. He was somewhat uneasy.
As soon as Li Yang, sitting on one side bored stiff, heard this, he grinned. “Furen, so you want to pick a match for your fu’s young lady?”
Since Xia Yan had already spoken out, Jiang Quan was resigned to the fact that the Jiang fu had no face in front of the Li family. He simply clammed up and refused to talk. Xia Yan shot a glance at him and smiled. “Exactly.”
Li Yang followed with a smile. “I wonder which one of us Furen prefers, me or my second brother?”
“Second Young Master Li is a young talent, while Eldest Young Master Li has a stately look. Of course, both are a good choice.” Xia Yan smiled and pulled a lock of loose hair behind her ears. “But now that Eldest Young Master Li is here, it’s predestined to be with Eldest Young Master.”
Li Dong stared at Xia Yan closely. “Furen, you were born with a gilded tongue, you can speak so well. I wonder if the young lady looks as beautiful as a flower, like you? “
Xia Yan turned stiff upon hearing the flirting underlying his speech. It was the last straw for Jiang Quan. Just when he was about to lash out in anger, suddenly a delicate female voice rang out. “Mother!”
Li Yang’s eyes immediately brightened. He turned to see a beautiful girl standing at the door. Her goose egg-shaped face was rosy. She wore a V-neck silk sleeve shirt with yellow Camellia pattern interwoven with golden branches, a floor-length pale white moonlight pleated skirt, with different colours on each pleat, draped in primrose jacquard, and jade brocade with patterns of plums, bamboos, and chrysanthemums. Her black hair was elegantly styled in a loose bottle gourd bun. A delicate silk bat flower ornament was inserted into her beautiful cloud-like hair. Her lily-white wrist was adorned with a coral bracelet, while a wavy half-moon sash was tied on her waist with a pouch of scattered flowers motif hanging upon it. She looked like a fairy, unrivalled in her beauty.
Camellia pattern
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Bat flower (Tacca chantrieri)
She lowered her head shyly as if having just seen a stranger in the hall. After mulling over it a bit, she stepped inside. Her fair-complexioned little face was suffused with a red glow at the moment. Walking closer, a cinnabar-like red mole was visible below those limpid eyes. She truly looked like a goddess descending into the world.
“Father, Mother,” she paused, “Su’er didn’t know that we have guests.”