Before You He got married, You Jin had got someone to send a letter to Mrs. Han in Dingyuan. Two days after You He's third day return, a reply from Mrs. Han came.
In the letter, Mrs. Han expressed her gratitude to You Jin and Mrs. Su for taking care of You He. She had also mentioned many things that happened in Dingyuan in the past few months after You He disappeared: Yue Wen Tao married the daughter of a wealthy family in the county. Although he didn't marry into the female's family, he lived in his father-in-law's house just like Yue Chang Shou back then. Yue You Ting got married the year before last and gave birth to a son who looked nothing like Chen Ma Zi. However, last month her tryst with Zhou Jun Peng was encountered by someone. People also noticed Yue You Ting's son looked like Zhou Jun Peng, as if they were carved out of the same mold.....adding these up, one needn't be detailed.
At the end of the letter, Mrs. Han had specially instructed: "Everything is very chaotic at home now. No matter whether it is You He or You Jin, don't come back at all. Also, don't send letters back. This is to avoid revealing clues and be discovered by Yue Family."
Listening to You Jin reading out the letter, Mrs. Su felt very emotional: "Why did a perfectly fine family become such a mess?"
You Jin put down the letter. A mocking smile hung on the corner of her mouth: "Mother really thinks that family was perfectly fine?"
In You Jin's view, Yue Family was already a mess of filth; only glamorous on the outside! This was most likely just the beginning!
After her birthday in April, it was now mid-May. Since the beginning of spring, You Jin had never been free even when excluding You he's matter.
In March, she went to the tea village in the south. She had found the scholar named Zhou that Xiao Lin Yu mentioned. The matters at tea village side was entrusted to Scholar Zhou to help. The letter sent two days ago said it was mostly sorted. In two days, she should make a trip to the tea village.
And Xiao Lin Yu in the capital, didn't know what was up. He wrote letters to her every few days. Every time she received his letter, You Jin always mentally chanted 'People die for money, birds die for food' a few times before secretly suppressing the helplessness and frustration in her heart. Did this elder brother think that she was a little too idle and play pen pal with him every day?
Every time she imagined Eldest Young Master Xiao with his legs crossed in the capital and maybe having his lovely wife and beautiful concubine in his arms as he wrote letters to her every day just for fun, You Jin felt a burst of fire with nowhere to vent. Truly, same people, different fate!
At this time far away in the capital, Xiao Lin Yu put the ink-dried letter paper into an envelope, sealed the letter with his special wax seal, and handed it to the study attendant to take it to Luohe Prefecture. He sneezed heavily for no reason.
Due to the reluctance of both Xiao and Bai Family, the wedding was finally set on August 19th. It was currently May, only three and a half months before the wedding of the next Patriarch of Xiao Family. Naturally, the whole Xiao Family arranged it in full swing. Even the current Patriarch of Xiao Family, Xiao Hai Chao's normally stern look on his face recently carried a hint of joy.
Out of the whole house, the only exception was probably the groom-to-be. Since returning to the capital half a year ago, Xiao Family's old Ancestor ordered him not to leave the capital because of the approaching wedding. Under the arrangement of his family, he met his fiancée Bai Yer a few times.
In the past, Xiao Lin Yu only thought that Bai Yer would be qualified to be the mistress of Xiao Family. But after half a year of contact from time to time, Xiao Lin Yu discovered a problem: when he was with Bai Yer, he always subconsciously felt very restrained. In addition, Bai Yer looked at him with more and more disgust. This always made him feel very confused. Was such a marriage really what he wanted? Does he really want to spend his whole life with a woman who despises him?
Dafeng Dynasty treated merchants preferentially and merchants' families could also participate in the imperial examination and become officials in the court. But since ancient times, literati were noble. They had always looked down on merchants. Let alone, literati like Bai Family with a legacy of poets and writers? But this marriage was decided by the former head of Xiao Family who had passed away. Unless Bai Family withdraws first, it is absolutely impossible to withdraw from this marriage.
But Bai Family's old Master was a different kind of literati. He was a close friend of rich and powerful Xiao Family's old Master back then. How could he possibly reject the marriage that was formed with his old friend before his death? Even when Bai Yer had cried so much that her eyes were red and swollen and knelt down in the main courtyard until she fainted. Her knees were red and swollen for several days before she could recover. Still, old Master Bai didn't even open the door. He only told his personal housekeeper to pass a message: " A gentleman honors his promise."
Bai Yer was spoiled and delicately raised since she was little. On top of that, she had read too many romantic narratives about love in poems and books. She already had someone who she wants to grow old with forever. How can she marry someone who smells like money all over? Wasn't that sunny spring's snow her falling into the mud?
Bai Yer, who woke up after being in a coma for half a day, knew that it would be impossible to get her grandfather to budge on this matter. Now that the two familie's agreed wedding date was only three months away and if it drags on, she and Darling Xu will really miss their fate in this life!
In fact, in all fairness, Bai Yer's ideal person was far inferior to Xiao Lin Yu in terms of appearance or family background. It can only be said that love makes people blind. It was just a concubine born of an eighth rank official. Xu Zhi Tong whose appearance can only be regarded as fair and elegant, was unparalleled in the world as an exiled immortal in Bai Yer's eyes.
The teary-eyed Bai Yer recalled her first encounter with Xu Zhi Tong. In the misty and rainy early spring, at the Bodhisattva Temple's flower flying ridge, outside the winding corridor, a scholar in white sat under a pear tree in full bloom. Completely fascinated with an unknown book, he didn't even notice the pear blossoms floating in the wind covering his head. But for some reason, he suddenly looked back, and found her, who staring blankly at him. Ignoring her own embarrassment, he gave a scholarly salute from afar in a graceful manner instead.
The first glance at the first meeting was already shocking. Afterward, she learned from the other party that he was a concubine-born son of an eighth-rank official family in the capital. Although he was not loved by his legitimate mother since childhood, he was excellent in poetry and books. At seventeen, he was already a Xiu Cai. Compared to the incompetent legitimate son, he garnered more of Official Xu's favor.
There were often poetry gatherings in the circle of nobles in central the capital. It wasn't that Bai Yer hadn't attended those in the past. She didn't know Xu Zhi Tong before. But after a quick glance on flower flying ridge, she unexpectedly encountered him several times. It was only until late spring in April, the two talked to each other about their feelings and made a private engagement for life.
"Darling Xu..." Tightly grasped in her hand was an average quality jade pendant in the shape of a lotus flower. This was the only relic left by Xu Zhi Tong's deceased concubine mother. It was also a gift from him as a token of love. Thinking of Xu Zhi Tong who was still waiting for her outside the manor, Bai Yer felt sad again.
***
Xiao Lin Yu waited for many days without and never got a reply from You Jin. He seemed a bit out of place in the manor of joyous family members. So instead of hiding in the study every day to read, he made appointments with three-five friends every few days to gather in the teahouse in the capital to talk about poetry and books. It made the boring time fly by.
In May, the capital city was already getting a bit stuffy. The girls put on the summer clothes that were in fashion this year. The streets were very lively with people bustling around. Sitting in the water-facing suite on the second floor of the teahouse, Xiao Lin Yu sighed leisurely as he watched the sparkling inland river under the sun.
"You are sighing more and more in the past two years." A man sitting beside Xiao Lin Yu, who was about the same age as Xiao Lin Yu, poured him a cup of green tea: "But since we met, you looked young but acted mature."
Picking up the teacup, he took a sip and looked at the children on the other side of the river who were playing with joy. Xiao Lin Yu felt a little envious and remarked, "It's just that there are some things I can't figure out. When you got married last year, didt you have any other thoughts back then?" Feng Hua had been Xiao Lin Yu's friend for many years, but compared with the older leftover man, Feng Hua was now a soon-to-be father.
Hearing his question, Feng Hua knew that he had second thoughts about this marriage and helplessly shook his head: "For people like us, we have no say in marriage. It's just an exchange of benefits." Feng Hua and his wife were also joining of two surnames. Although it can't be said to be very loving, since the wife married in, she was filial to her parents-in-law and dedicated to serving him. The young couple can be regarded as honey-flavor oil.
Hearing what Feng Hua said, Xiao Lin Yu unhurriedly sighed. So what if he was so rich? He had no freedom!
The two sat in the teahouse for half an hour before saying goodbye. After sending Feng Hua away, Xiao Lin Yu was left alone in the suite on the second floor. Quietly listening to the noise on both sides of the riverside, he only felt a little dazed. Inadvertently, voices came from the suite next door.
"Bai Family is well-known in the literati circle. Although Official Bai is only a civil servant of the fifth rank now, the reputation of Official Bai cannot be underestimated. If Brother Xu can confidently board the boat of Bai Family this time, you will be able to show your full talent. Naturally, there was something to show for it!" A young man's voice became louder and louder; don't know whether he was envious or jealous of 'Brother Xu' he was talking about.
A lower male voice sounded, as if responding to that man's words just now: "Bai Yer is utterly devoted to me now. As long as we sort her out, it won't be a problem to get under Official Bai's wings." Although he spoke calmly, faint arrogance and complacency in his voice had already exposed his current pride.
"When the time comes, Brother Xu will have a beauty as well as gaining both fame and fortune. Really make others envious!" A third unfamiliar voice uttered.
How smart was Xiao Lin Yu? On top of that, the words of the people in the next room were quite obvious. At this time, Xiao Lin Yu was sure that Brother Xu and his fiancée have some secrets. The frustration within suddenly decreased a lot. He called in the guard at the door: "Go and find out who the people in the suite next door are. Especially the one with the surname Xu, find out his origin."
"Yes." The guard cupped his hands and exited. Shortly later, he brought back the news.
"A concubine born of the Astronomical Directorate's Recorder, Xu Chang Shen's family?" A concubine born of an eighth-rank little official's family had some involvement with Bai Yer? Sitting at the round table, Xiao Lin Yu didn't know what to say for a while. It wasn't that he didn't notice Bai Yer's deep-seated dislike for him when she met him those few times. He never expected the legitimate daughter of a noble literati family would give him such a big green hat before she married into Xiao Family!
Don't know if the people in the room next door were drunk or if Xu Family's concubine born son was trying to show off his strength; he told all about his and Bai Yer's private tryst and provoked those young and energetic literati and students into lewd laughter. In the end, they arranged to find a good place to 'cool down their anger fire'.
Sitting in the tea house as he watched the water reflect the bright sunlight which gradually turned into a setting sun, the formerly befuddled for a long time Xiao Lin Yu now had bright and firm eyes. As if he had made some decision, he brought people back to Xiao's manor.