Сокровищница Цзянху

Глава 7

fourteen

Fortunately, Xu Wei did not come to the mansion. You Tong was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't sleep well all night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his thin shadow.

Everyone says you shouldn't do anything against your conscience, but You Tong did indeed do something against her conscience regarding Xu Wei. After all, it was a marriage arranged by her mother, and he wasn't a spoiled brat who bullied women; there was no reason for him to back out. Moreover, judging from Wen Yan's words, Xu Wei truly had a sincere heart towards her, while she had deceived him, causing him to travel a thousand miles for her funeral. Even with her hardened heart, she couldn't help but feel guilty and uneasy after such a blow.

The next day, feeling rather listless, You Tong simply feigned a headache and stayed in bed all day. Wen Yan came to visit her, bringing a lot of odds and ends, saying they were sent from the capital. You Tong knew that her fiancé must have specially sent them to please her, and she found it quite amusing, while also feeling a touch of envy.

Feeling embarrassed to have Wenyan stay with her, Youtong felt better on her own the next day. It was the Little New Year, and the household was busy preparing for the Kitchen God Festival. Apart from the young ladies, everyone was running around in a frenzy. In the evening, the old lady sent someone to call her over, saying that they wanted to have dinner together.

The Cui family was large, and each household had its own small kitchen. Even Youtong's kitchen was open for cooking, making it very inexpensive to boil water or cook sweet soup on ordinary days. But since today was the eve of the Lunar New Year, the whole family naturally wanted to gather together. Youtong changed her clothes, wearing a peach-colored short jacket with silver trim and a matching embroidered pleated long skirt. She looked beautiful and festive, which made Huiying, who was serving her, praise her repeatedly: "Miss usually dresses too plainly. Today, you truly look incredibly wealthy and elegant."

You Tong laughed and said, "How can you dress like that every day? You reek of money. People who don't know you would think you're some nouveau riche."

Huiying said seriously, "That's different. If others dressed like this, it would naturally be considered vulgar, but you are different, Miss. Even in plain clothes, you exude an air of nobility. Otherwise, how could you be the Ninth Miss of the Cui family? Your status and lineage cannot be faked in the slightest."

You Tong just smiled and didn't say anything, thinking to herself that if she knew that the Ninth Miss in front of her was just a fake, how could she say such flattering words?

Because she was dressed so formally, her hair naturally couldn't be too plain. So Huiqiao styled her hair into an elaborate cloud-like bun, adorned with pearl hairpins. Then, she brought out a jewelry box and picked out two gold hairpins to put on Youtong's head. Youtong felt a little dizzy when she saw the gold hairpins and quickly stopped her. Instead, she picked a newly opened wintersweet branch, cut off the plum blossoms, and carefully inserted them into her hair bun, making her even more beautiful than the flowers.

Finally, unable to resist Huiqiao's persistent persuasion, she put on two jade bracelets and then, led by Huiying and Huiqiao, went to the main hall of the courtyard.

Youtong arrived early, so she had some tea and snacks inside. Zheng Mama, who served the old lady, was an expert at making pastries. The hibiscus cake and walnut shortbread served to the guests were exquisite. Even Youtong, who had become picky about food in Qiantang, couldn't help but eat a couple more pieces. Since this kind of banquet wasn't a place to eat, it was better to fill her stomach first, lest she be starving later.

The others arrived one after another. Wen Yan immediately came over and sat down with her, the two chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere. Wen Qing, however, arrived late, dressed simply, and looked completely indifferent. Upon seeing this, the Third Madam's face darkened, but because the Old Madam and her sisters-in-law were present, she couldn't lash out. After giving Wen Qing a fierce glare, she went to talk to the Old Madam.

The clan school had already closed, and the young children of the Cui family all came over to kowtow to the old lady, saying auspicious words one after another to make her happy. You Tong glanced around and was surprised not to see Cui Weiyuan. Just as she was wondering what important business he was away on, Wen Yan beside her whispered in confusion, "Strange, where is Fifth Brother?"

You Tong picked up her cup and gently blew on it. The steam rose up, obscuring her bright eyes. "Who knows? Perhaps it's something important." Just as she finished speaking, a servant announced from outside the door, "Fifth Young Master and Young Master Xu have arrived."

You Tong's heart suddenly trembled, and a strange feeling welled up inside her, as if she had anticipated something. She secretly looked up and froze. All the blood in her body rushed to her head in that instant, and her mind was filled with a booming sound, so loud that she couldn't hear the voices of the people around her. She didn't know how long she was stunned before she gradually came to her senses, slowly took a sip of tea, and then slowly put down her cup and sat down with her head down.

This time, the young master Xu was Xu Wei. He looked better than when You Tong saw him in Huzhou last time, but he was still thin. He wore a silver-gray satin-trimmed robe, his hair was neatly tied on top of his head, his eyes were dark and bright, his nose was straight, and he had a smile on his lips. He looked like a refined and cultured man, not at all like the legendary invincible general.

Xu Wei bowed to the old lady, then greeted the other elders present, and finally nodded to his brothers and sisters. The old lady smiled broadly, and while instructing the servants to quickly bring over chairs, she inquired with concern about the health of the Xu family elders.

Xu Wei answered all the questions, and finally sat down with Cui Weiyuan. Whether by coincidence or design, he happened to sit next to Youtong and politely nodded and smiled at her.

You Tong's heart nearly leaped out of her chest at the sight of his smile. She forced a stiff smile in response, then lowered her eyes and adopted a serene, monk-like demeanor. But Xu Wei wouldn't let her off the hook. After the servants had served tea, he asked in a low voice, seemingly unintentionally, "This must be Miss Jiu. I am Xu Wei."

You Tong responded softly with a "Yes," without daring to look at him. After thinking for a moment, she continued in a low voice, "I've heard Tenth Sister mention Young Master Xu's name before."

Xu Wei nodded to her, but didn't say anything more. You Tong just kept her head down, not looking at him, her mind a mess, completely blank.

Wen Yan suddenly leaned close to You Tong's ear and whispered, "Look at Eighth Sister, her eyes are practically glued to Brother Xu. With so many people around, isn't she ashamed?"

Upon hearing this, You Tong looked towards Wen Qing across the room and saw her staring intently at Xu Wei, her eyes filled with deep, undisguised affection. Unfortunately, Xu Wei seemed oblivious, continuing to talk to Cui Weiyuan and occasionally exchanging a few words with Wei Feng and Wei Cheng in the distance, but he wouldn't even glance at Wen Qing.

Even someone as carefree as Wen Yan noticed something amiss, let alone the others in the hall. Although the old lady didn't speak, her gaze towards Wen Qing inevitably carried a hint of sternness. However, Wen Qing's mind was entirely focused on Xu Wei, and she didn't notice anything amiss.

The third wife finally couldn't sit still any longer and quietly reached out to pinch her hard.

Wenqing cried out in pain, immediately drawing everyone's attention, including Xu Wei, who looked at her with surprise. Wenqing, being a young woman, was easily embarrassed and blushed deeply. She touched the spot where the Third Madam had pinched her, her eyes glistening with tears as if they were about to spill over.

Xu Wei turned his face as if he hadn't seen her, and his gaze met You Tong's furtive look. A slight smile played on his lips, and a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. You Tong's heart trembled, pounding wildly. She dared not look at him again, and instead lowered her head to take a large gulp of tea.

The meal was unpalatable. As soon as the old lady left, You Tong hurriedly wanted to say goodbye and leave as well, but Wen Yan wouldn't let her. She insisted on pulling on Wen Yan's sleeve and making her drink with her, saying that there would be fireworks that night and refusing to let her go back to rest.

This pulling and tugging only attracted more attention, so Youtong had no choice but to resign herself to following her. Since the elders had gradually left, leaving only the younger generation, the atmosphere in the room became less formal. Apart from the absent Sixth Young Master Cui Weitai and Wen Qing, who had been dragged away by the Third Madam, almost all the younger generation of the Cui family were present. It was also the first time Youtong had seen so many "brothers and sisters," and since most of them looked similar, she couldn't tell who was who at all, and was completely overwhelmed.

Fortunately, she didn't attract much attention. The young boys all gathered around Xu Wei and talked, while the girls followed Wen Yan's lead, chattering away, and it was unclear what they were talking about that was so funny.

Perhaps because she had something to hide, You Tong felt that Xu Wei would glance at her from time to time, his gaze seemingly carrying a clear understanding of everything. This made You Tong even more uneasy.

The Cui brothers were very interested in Xu Wei's military life, especially the third young master, Wei Qing, who looked on with longing. When he heard about the thrilling parts, he stood up excitedly and shouted, "A true man should go to the battlefield to protect his country, fight bravely against the enemy, die on the battlefield, and return wrapped in a horse's hide."

"Third Brother, you mustn't let Third Aunt hear what you're saying, or you'll be in big trouble." Wen Yan couldn't help but interject when she heard Wei Qing talking so loudly. "Third Aunt is hoping that you will become the top scholar and bring glory to the family. But you're just thinking about fighting and killing. If Third Aunt finds out, we'll see how you handle it."

Although many scions of prominent families entered officialdom through hereditary privilege, the Cui family was no longer what it used to be. Despite their high social standing, their influence in the court was far less than that of other aristocratic families. Among the younger generation, only the eldest son, Wei Mao, and the fifth son, Wei Yuan, had entered officialdom. For a son like Wei Qing, the eldest son of the third branch, the only way to rise in the ranks was through the imperial examinations. Therefore, the third wife was extremely strict with Wei Qing and specially invited a retired scholar from the capital to come back to the mansion to teach him. Except for sleeping and eating, Wei Qing was mostly confined to the study and rarely even left the house.

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, clearly aware of Wei Qing's situation.

Wei Qing was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, but she couldn't confront Wen Yan directly. Her face flushed with anger, she could only pull Xu Wei aside and change the subject, saying, "Brother Xu, have you fully recovered yet? Last time, Fifth Brother said you had lost a lot of weight while you were sick, but I didn't expect you to be this thin. You're just a woman, a real man shouldn't worry about not having a wife. Look at all our sisters in the family, who isn't as beautiful as a flower? There's bound to be one who's prettier than that Miss Yu. Not to mention others, just take my Eighth Sister, her looks are top-notch. If you just ask, Grandmother won't disagree."

He meant well, but Xu Wei's expression immediately changed, and he said seriously, "Third brother, don't joke around and ruin Miss Yu's reputation. Besides, although Miss Yu is not yet married, I consider her my wife. She is no ordinary woman. As long as I haven't seen her body today, I will consider her still alive. How can we talk about marriage now?"

You Tong listened intently, her heart pounding. She stared at Xu Wei for a long time, as if she didn't recognize him. Xu Wei's gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, pausing slightly when it passed over You Tong's face.

“But—” Wei Qing wanted to say something more, but Cui Weiyuan quickly pulled him back and said first, “Third Brother has been drinking and is prone to talking nonsense. Brother Xu, don’t take it seriously.”

Xu Wei smiled and said, "It's alright," then stopped looking at You Tong and started talking to the Cui brothers again.

Author's Note: We finally met. As for why Lao Xu and Xu Er recognized You Tong, please allow me to explain later.

My computer still can't connect to the internet, so I'm continuing to send it using my colleague's computer. I'll try my best to write another chapter tonight.

Xu Wei giving gifts

fifteen

Xu Wei only stayed at the Cui family's house for one night, and hurriedly took his leave early the next morning, saying he was returning to his camp. You Tong couldn't describe the feeling in her heart; she seemed relieved, yet also vaguely disappointed.

Xu Wei rode swiftly back to the military camp. Xu Cong, the second son of the Xu family, had already received the news and was waiting in the main tent. Upon seeing him enter, he immediately went up to him and said with a smile, "Am I right? That Ninth Miss looks exactly like your sister-in-law in the painting. Did you see her clearly when you went there this time, brother? If you really like her, why not go to the Cui family to propose marriage? The Shen family hasn't been settled yet, and with our relationship with the Cui family, maybe the old lady will betroth the Ninth Miss to you."

Xu Wei's face held a half-smile, its meaning unclear. He took off his cloak and sat on the couch for a while before finally saying in a deep voice, "No rush. This marriage between the Shen and Cui families won't be so easy."

Xu Cong said anxiously, "Didn't you say that the marriage proposal had already been made? Given the impatient nature of the Shen family patriarch, he might come to formally arrange the engagement before the New Year, and then it will be too late."

After thinking for a moment, he stroked his chin in confusion and said, "Brother, you're acting very strangely today. In the past, if I mentioned arranging another marriage, you would immediately turn on me. Today, not only were you not angry, but you also discussed it with me in a serious manner. Could it be that you really like that Ninth Miss so much? I thought you were truly devoted to Sister-in-law until death."

Xu Wei smiled without saying a word, a gentle expression involuntarily appearing on his face. He said in a low voice, "How could you possibly fathom the feelings I have for your sister-in-law?"

After saying that, he waved Xu Cong out and closed the tent door. Then he took out a scroll from the drawer under the desk and carefully opened it. The person in the painting was none other than You Tong.

The painting depicts You Tong at her coming-of-age ceremony, dressed formally in a bright red blouse with piping trim. Her hair is styled in a high bun adorned with two jade hairpins featuring phoenix patterns, and she wears round jade earrings. However, her expression is not that of a typical young lady with shyness, but rather one of confidence and determination, with bright eyes and a spirited demeanor…

"Just as I expected—" Xu Cong suddenly appeared again, peeking out from outside the tent with a heartbroken expression. "I knew it, you can't fit anyone else in your mind. But no matter what, your sister-in-law is no longer alive. It's no use just staring at this portrait now. You might as well hurry up and marry Miss Cui the Ninth. At least she looks the same, so you'll have something to remember her by."

Xu Wei retorted angrily, "Am I that kind of person? Besides, who said your sister-in-law is not alive?"

Xu Cong was shocked and quickly slipped into the tent, exclaiming in surprise, "Brother, do you mean that sister-in-law is not dead? This... how is this possible? Didn't the Yu family say—no, if sister-in-law is not dead, how could you be so sick?"

Xu Wei smiled bitterly, "When I first heard the terrible news, my mind was in complete turmoil, and I couldn't distinguish right from wrong. It wasn't until I arrived at the Yu family and heard about her drowning that I realized something was amiss. Your sister-in-law—she was resolute, intelligent, and quick-witted; she was not someone who would die young." At first, he only had suspicions, but when he later learned that her two trusted maids had also disappeared, he vaguely confirmed something. He was not without anger at the time, but afterwards, he was left only with regret.

You Tong had no idea that ever since their engagement, he would spend half a month each year in Qiantang, secretly visiting her, watching her diligently practice martial arts, painstakingly manage her deceased mother's inheritance, and silently contend with the mother and daughter of the Yu family. Several times he wanted to intervene, but each time he ultimately gave up…

Everyone assumed she was the well-behaved eldest daughter of the Yu family, but only he knew her true nature: resolute, decisive, and with a strong sense of right and wrong. How could such a woman decide her entire life based on her deceased mother's dying words? After all, they had only met once.

If he had known this would happen, he should have… Now he regrets it.

But how could she tell others about these things? Her unconventional personality was probably unacceptable even to Xu Cong, let alone her parents.

Xu Cong became increasingly confused as he listened, scratching his head and asking in bewilderment, "Brother, do you mean—is there something fishy about sister-in-law's death? Oh, I know!" Xu Cong slapped his forehead as if suddenly enlightened, "Sister-in-law must have been harmed by that vicious second young lady of the Yu family. Didn't you always say that woman was ruthless and vicious every time you came back? Sister-in-law was alone in the mansion, and that old man Yu was useless, so it was inevitable that she would fall for her tricks."

Xu Wei said calmly, "After your sister-in-law drowned, the second young lady of the Yu family died suddenly from an illness."

"Ah...this..."

"I know what I'm doing. You can leave now." Xu Wei looked at Xu Cong's sneaky expression, as if he wanted to dig deep, and finally couldn't help but tell him to leave. After Xu Cong slunk to the door, he quickly added, "Don't let Mother know about Miss Jiu's matter."

Upon hearing Wen Feng's name, Xu Cong immediately perked up, "Big brother, are you really not going to consider Miss Jiu?"

Xu Wei glared at him fiercely, and he quickly slipped away.

Speaking of which, Xu Cong also made a great contribution. If he hadn't mentioned unintentionally the other day that the ninth young lady of the Cui family looked very similar to the eldest sister-in-law in the portrait, Xu Wei would not have taken the opportunity of the Lunar New Year to rush to the Xu family to find out the truth. He would not have expected that things would be so coincidental, and that this ninth young lady, whom he had never met before, was actually You Tong.

Although it is unknown why she came to the Cui family, given her personality, she would not have walked into a trap for no reason and come to this deep mansion to suffer. Considering that her two trusted maids have disappeared, You Tong was most likely forced into it.

The Emperor is gravely ill, and the political situation in the capital is unstable. The patriarch of the Shen family, always cautious, has chosen a young orphan from the Cui family—a girl with no parents—for his third son, instead of accepting the many daughters of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. This is undoubtedly a way of demonstrating to the people of the capital that he intends to remain aloof. As for the Cui family, having declined in recent years, they have no reason to hesitate to curry favor with the newly powerful Shen family.

Unfortunately, the Cui family was far away in Longxi and was unaware of the situation in the capital. He had just come from the capital and vaguely heard that the third young master of the Shen family had been making a scene at home since returning from Qiantang, wanting to annul the engagement. The marriage between the Shen and Cui families was likely to be fraught with difficulties.

But this was actually a good thing for Xu Wei; with the marriage between the two families falling through, he could now intervene openly. Otherwise, he couldn't very well claim that the eldest daughter of the Yu family had come back to life.

Xu Wei didn't intend to directly expose You Tong's identity. If she could escape marriage once, she could escape a second time. If she had no feelings for him, why should he force her to stay by his side? But this time, he could no longer silently protect her as before.

Upon realizing this, Xu Wei became restless and began rummaging through his belongings to find something. However, the central army camp was spotless, without even a scrap of wood. After thinking for a long time, Xu Wei finally calmed down, laid out paper and ground ink, and began to write down the gift list while pondering the matter.

Alright, he then gave the order to prepare according to the list from above, and to buy about ten more identical boxes. As for what to put inside, he told the servants to arrange it.

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the young masters and ladies of the Cui family each received a wooden box, which was said to be sent by Xu Wei through a messenger. The old lady praised Xu Wei for being polite and sensible, while Wen Yan immediately opened the box without any hesitation. Inside were more than a dozen lifelike silk flowers. In this twelfth lunar month, apart from winter plum blossoms, there were no fresh flowers to be found in the courtyard. It was rare to find silk flowers that were made so well that they were indistinguishable from real flowers. Wen Yan was delighted at the sight of them and immediately picked out two pale yellow silk flowers and asked the maid to help her put them on.

Wenqing hugged the box tightly, her face showing both joy and nervousness, and refused to open it.

Wen Yan was too lazy to argue with her and turned her head to look at You Tong's box.

You Tong felt a vague unease, but unable to refuse, she casually opened the box. There were no silk flowers, no sachets, but instead, a dozen or so small wooden dolls, each one endearingly adorable. Wen Yan exclaimed, snatching one away, shouting, "Brother Xu is biased! These dolls are much cuter than the silk flowers!" She was so engrossed in playing with the doll that she didn't notice the small jade tiger at the bottom of the box.

You Tong smiled as she picked up the box, her wide sleeves brushing against it as she silently grasped the little tiger in her palm. Cui Wenfeng was born in the year of Yi Mao, was fifteen years old, and belonged to the Rabbit zodiac, while You Tong was a little tiger born in the year of Jia Yin…

Author's Note: I'm about to sacrifice myself...

New Year's Eve Incident

sixteen

On Lunar New Year's Eve, heavy snow began to fall. When I opened the door early in the morning, the outside world was already a scene of ice and snow.

This was quite common in Longxi, but for You Tong, who had grown up in Qiantang, it was a unique sight. Suddenly, she became interested and, imitating the ancients, brushed the snow off the plum blossom petals, put it in a fine white porcelain jar, and instructed Hui Qiao to bury it under the plum tree after the snow melted.

They only managed to collect a small half-jar of snow, but it froze You Tong's snow-white little hands until they were as red as carrots. Hui Ying brought over hot water to warm them up, while scolding Hui Qiao for not stopping them, saying, "Miss Jiu is about to get married. What will happen if her hands and feet get frostbite? Miss likes to use spring water to make tea, so she just let us collect it. Why did you have to do it yourself?"

Huiqiao retorted defiantly, "You're always scolding me. Of course we wanted to help, but it's not that Miss wouldn't allow it. Perhaps—perhaps Miss wanted to save money for the young master. If we maids were to be so clumsy, wouldn't we be ruining Miss's good intentions?"

Why did this conversation suddenly turn to Shen San? You Tong frowned and remained silent.

Upon hearing this, Huiying's tone softened, and she whispered, "It's rare for Miss to have such a kind heart. When the young master finds out in the future, he will surely be happy and touched."

Joy and emotion? Upon hearing this, You Tong raised an eyebrow and gave a cold, ambiguous laugh. Seeing that she didn't speak, Hui Ying assumed she was just shy and continued her incessant chatter. Hui Qiao, on the other hand, remained quiet and didn't say anything more. For some reason, You Tong's laugh just now had made her feel uneasy.

After warming her hands, Huiying applied a thick layer of skin-care cream to Youtong's hands, then wrapped both hands with a silk handkerchief, waiting for the cream to seep into her skin before removing it. "As expected of the secret recipe from Jingli Zhenxuetang, the effect is truly remarkable," Huiying said with satisfaction, gently touching Youtong's fingertips.

Huiqiao interjected, "That's why it costs one tael of silver per jar. It's expensive, and I've heard that even the empresses and princesses in the palace love to use it. You can't buy it without connections. It's just that Fifth Young Master is always so thoughtful, even keeping the sisters' cosmetics in mind."

You Tong was slightly surprised, "Did Fifth Brother send this?"

Huiqiao said, "That's right, it was delivered on the night before the Lunar New Year, didn't Miss take a look at it?"

At the time, she was preoccupied with the jade tiger that Xu Wei had given her, so she didn't pay attention to other people's gifts. Even if she had seen them, she didn't take them to heart, so how could she remember them?

The thought of the jade tiger brought a surge of warmth to You Tong's heart, and she unconsciously clutched her chest. Whether out of fear of being seen or for other reasons, after receiving the jade tiger that day, she inexplicably made a cord and strung it on, hanging it close to her body inside her clothes. Every time she thought of Xu Wei, her chest would burn.

Seeing that it was getting late, Huiying and Huiqiao helped Youtong change her clothes and went to the old lady's house to pay their respects and have a meal.

The weather was so cold that, on any other day, the old lady would have already sent word to exempt everyone from paying their respects. But today was the New Year, so the ladies and young women of each household dressed up neatly and came to pay their respects to the old lady.

Moon Shadow Hall was close to the old lady's residence, and the snow on the road had already been mostly cleared by the servants. You Tong wore the white fox fur cloak that Cui Weiyuan had sent last time and covered her hands with her hands. She hadn't suffered much along the way.

As she entered, she ran into Wenyan. Upon seeing Youtong, Wenyan called out from afar and came running over. She stared at Youtong's cloak with wide eyes and said enviously, "Ninth Sister's cloak is so beautiful. I had one two years ago, but the fur wasn't as shiny. Later, I accidentally burned a hole in it while I was warming myself by the fire, and Fifth Brother was so angry that he said he would never buy me another one."