Chapter 145: Discussing Incense, the Thank-You Banquet, and Rumors [Many thanks for everyone's support

The sun rose and the moon set.

It was the third quarter of the hour of Mao.

Perhaps because the room had been warm last night, everyone in the side courtyard had slept comfortably and risen somewhat late.

When the sky was on the verge of brightening but not yet fully light, Sister Sister Xiaodie and Xiao Xiao Xiaotao once again arrived by the well outside the main kitchen, preparing to draw water for washing their faces.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, a Guan Guan Pozi from the main kitchen hurried out; upon clearly seeing who was in the yard, she quickly called out, "Miss Sister Xiaodie, come quickly, there is hot water on the stove."

Sister Sister Xiaodie glanced at Xiao Xiao Xiaotao beside her; the two exchanged a smile, having indeed forgotten this matter and habitually gone to the well to draw cold water.

Back in the side courtyard, when Minglan had a hot cloth applied to her face, she exclaimed in surprise, "It's hot!"

"Wei Xiaoniang, when we went to draw water just now, the Guan Guan Pozi from the main kitchen was quite enthusiastic," Sister Sister Xiaodie said.

Wei Wei Xiaoniang nodded but said nothing more.

After everyone had finished washing and dressing, Wei Wei Xiaoniang began altering Minglan's lined jacket according to the clothing style she had conceived the previous night; before breakfast had even been eaten, the main kitchen had already delivered the morning meal to Wei Wei Xiaoniang's quarters, and the porcelain plates holding the food were of much better quality than usual.

It was not significantly more abundant, but at least it was the proper standard ration.

After finishing breakfast, just as Sister Sister Xiaodie was using hot water heated over a charcoal brazier to wash the porcelain dishes, Zhou Zhou Xueniang's voice sounded again at the doorway.

Hearing the voice, Sister Sister Xiaodie hurriedly stood up; at the courtyard gate, Zhou Zhou Xueniang said, "Physician, this is the place."

Upon seeing Sister Sister Xiaodie, perhaps due to receiving the shop's profits the day before, Zhou Zhou Xueniang's face was filled with genuine smiles as she said, "Miss Sister Xiaodie, where is Wei Xiaoniang?"

Turning around and seeing Wei Wei Xiaoniang appearing at the door, Zhou Zhou Xueniang said, "Wei Xiaoniang, this is Physician Zhang, who came to our Fu today for a follow-up consultation; our Wei Xiaoniang insisted that he examine you first."

Hearing that it was a Physician, Wei Wei Xiaoniang's eyes filled with an expression of anticipation.

"Mr., where shall you take the pulse?"

Several people entered the room and stood aside watching the Physician take the pulse, when suddenly a voice full of extreme anxiety came from outside the courtyard: "Zhou Da Niangzi, Zhou Da Niangzi! Where is the Physician!?"

Zhou Zhou Xueniang and Sister Sister Xiaodie hurried out of the room; upon seeing them, Dong Rong quickly bowed with cupped hands and said urgently, "Lin Xiao Niang suddenly fainted while serving the Master his meal; the Master orders the Physician to go over immediately."

Blinking her eyes, Zhou Zhou Xueniang said, "But the Physician is still diagnosing Wei Wei Xiaoniang."

Inside the room, Wei Wei Xiaoniang also heard these words and hurriedly said, "Let the Physician go immediately!"

Lin Qi Pavilion,

the main hall outside the bedchamber,

"Physician, what is happening? How could she faint today after taking the medicine?!" Sheng Hong asked with some anxiety and anger.

The Physician hurriedly bowed with cupped hands and said, "Please rest assured, Assistant Prefect; there is no serious trouble. It is just that Wei Xiaoniang already suffered emotional distress yesterday and should have taken her medicine and rested in quiet convalescence, but upon questioning the female servant, it was said that little medicine was taken yesterday; the pulse pattern suggests stagnation in the heart, and the emotional strain has become even more severe."

"Then what should be done?"

"More rest and more nourishment, and naturally she will recover."

"Good, good; hearing this puts my mind at ease! Zhou family woman, see the guest out." After speaking, Sheng Hong walked into the bedchamber.

Looking at Lin Lin Qinshuang, Sheng Hong said softly, "Shuang'er, what is troubling your heart? Tell me more about it."

Looking at Sheng Hong with eyes full of affection, Lin Lin Qinshuang said, "Hong-lang, since I woke yesterday, whenever I think of Sister Wei in my heart, I feel distressed. As fellow concubines, Shuang'er feels deeply for Sister Wei's plight; I beg the Master to treat Sister Wei better and visit her more often."

Looking at the understanding Lin Lin Qinshuang, Sheng Hong said with deep emotion, "Once you are well, I will go."

"Mm."

Just after Sheng Hong gave his instructions, Zhou Zhou Xueniang standing nearby hurriedly bowed and made a gesture of invitation to the Physician, leading him out the door.

Walking along the corridor, Zhou Zhou Xueniang, seeing that no one was around, lowered her voice to say to the Physician, "Mr. Physician, how was the diagnosis for the first Wei Xiaoniang just now? I heard you say my Wei Xiaoniang needs nourishment; if the one in the side courtyard also needs it, I can purchase the items for both together."

Hearing Zhou Zhou Xueniang's words, the Physician said, "Eh, absolutely do not do this!" Seeing the surprised look in Zhou Zhou Xueniang's eyes, the Physician hurriedly added a few more sentences.

After Zhou Zhou Xueniang escorted the Physician to the outer gate, she squatted and bowed before he departed, saying, "Physician, I have kept everything you said in my heart and will certainly convey it to Wei Xiaoniang!"

Shou'an Hall,

After eating breakfast, Xu Xu Zaijing sat in a warm room watching Lady Sheng tend to the incense burner in her hands.

First, she placed the liner properly, then took a piece of charcoal from the charcoal stove and put it inside the incense burner; soon, a heart-soothing fragrance slowly drifted out.

Xu Xu Zaijing naturally wore an expression of pure enjoyment as he said, "Great-Grand-Aunt, this incense of yours seems familiar to me from Bianjing, yet there is something slightly different..."

The Old Lady smiled and said, "This is a new incense formula blended by a close friend from my maiden days in Bianjing; Jing'er, you say you have smelled it before?"

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded; the Old Lady glanced at Mama Fang and asked, "Then tell us, where did you smell it?" Xu Xu Zaijing leaned close to the Old Lady, closed his eyes, and playfully sniffed a few times, his voice resembling that of some animal.

This demeanor made the Old Lady laugh.

Thanks to his master's secret formula, Xu Xu Zaijing's sense of smell was indeed extremely sharp; as the scent triggered endless recollections in his mind, and seeing Xu Xu Zaijing's serious expression as he recalled, the Old Lady also watched him with full anticipation.

"Great-Grand-Aunt, I once smelled this scent in the home of an official in Xiangzhou; it was the son of Grand Councilor Yu."

"So Young Master Biao truly has smelled it before," Mama Fang said to the Old Lady with some surprise.

"Is that so?" Xu Xu Zaijing looked at the Old Lady in astonishment; the Old Lady smiled and said, "Yes, she was a handkerchief friend from my youth; she is now the Da Da Niangzi of Grand Councilor Yu and a grandmother herself. She has never loved needlework or embroidery, only loving to fuss over things like incense."

"Great-Grand-Aunt, speaking of the Yu family, your grand-nephew has indeed had some dealings with them."

"Oh?" Seeing the Old Lady's curious expression, Xu Xu Zaijing told her about his actions when he encountered injustice on the road in Xiangzhou.

After listening, the Old Lady patted Xu Xu Zaijing's hand and said, "You did the right thing; my old sister has had a smooth life all along, never having the chance to witness the jackals and wolves of the human world, so naturally she is..." The Old Lady waved her hand as she spoke, meaning that her mind was somewhat simple.

Glancing at Xu Xu Zaijing, the Old Lady said, "However, this incense blend is truly excellent."

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded in agreement, then said, "Great-Grand-Aunt, when your grand-nephew arrived in Yang Zhou, I never expected the Yuan family to disgrace themselves so thoroughly; regarding the birth date and time of Pei Erge..."

The Old Lady smiled and said, "This was originally prepared because your mother feared I would lose face and that your Sister Sheng Hualan would suffer grievances; but since the Yuan family has caused such a major incident and ruined their own future, I have not lost face. Furthermore, regarding the legitimate second son of a Hou Fu marrying the daughter of an Assistant Prefect, let your mother reconsider."

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing stunned, the Old Lady asked, "What is wrong?"

"Great-Grand-Aunt, but my eldest sister already regards Sister Sheng Hualan as her future sister-in-law... When I saw her off yesterday, eldest sister said Sister Sheng Hualan was born well and raised even better. She also said..."

"Said what?" The Old Lady asked Xu Xu Zaijing.

"She said I should hurry and speak to you about it, lest such a fine girl be snatched away by someone else." After Xu Xu Zaijing finished speaking, he looked at the still-smiling Old Lady and suddenly felt something was amiss; he glanced at Mama Fang, who smiled and said, "Young Master Biao, in the pause while you were speaking, the person sitting before you was not your Great-Grand-Aunt, but the Old Lady of the Sheng family; for the woman's side, one must naturally show some reserve!"

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing's dazed expression, everyone in Shou'an Hall burst into laughter.

At noon, the small kitchen of Shou'an Hall served up the prepared meals.

Meanwhile, in the side courtyard, Wei Wei Xiaoniang had just seen off Zhou Zhou Xueniang, who had come to relay the physician's instructions.

Sister Xiaodie, who had gone to the Great Kitchen, returned happily and nodded upon seeing Zhou Zhou Xueniang and the other.

Entering the courtyard, Sister Xiaodie said cheerfully, "Miss, look, today the Great Kitchen made White Robe Shrimp and even added a dish of Soft-Backed Long Eel for our courtyard." Hearing these two dish names, Wei Wei Shuyi's lips curved into a smile; these were dishes from Chuzhou.

Sister Xiaodie placed the dishes on the table. Minglan was surprised by the abundance and fragrance of the meal; with a slurp, she sucked in the saliva drawn out by the scent.

These past few days,

the commotion at the Yang Zhou dock remained a hot topic of conversation, but new topics had emerged.

One was that the Yang Zhou Bai family had shone brilliantly at the Wealth-Greeting Festival, making the other salt merchants of the Yang Zhou prefecture unable to lift their heads.

The second was that the Hou Fu of Lady Ningyuan in Bianjing, hosted by Lady Bai Da, held a thank-you banquet; those who appeared at the Yang Zhou dock to welcome them on that day all received invitations, with no restriction stating only legitimate sons and daughters could be brought.

The Bai family had thoughtfully organized a banquet resembling a matchmaking event, giving the official families who had visited relatives in the first lunar month and obtained first-hand information about their children a legitimate opportunity to exchange views and inspect potential matches.

Therefore, at the Bai family's thank-you banquet this time, many official families attended, and most of the Ladies brought several marriageable sons and daughters with them.

Wang Wang Ruofu naturally brought Sheng Hualan to attend; it was also the first time the Wang Shi had entered the Bai family's courtyard. Upon entering the gate, she discovered that a stream of living water had been diverted from outside into the courtyard, winding and twisting.

And the male and female guests in their respective rooms could all see people passing over the bridge on the living water.

From time to time, well-dressed youths were led across that bridge; some were in high spirits, others had faces as calm as water. Every person who went up would provoke jeering from the male guest youths and gawking from the female guest Ladies.

It was also common for boys of seven or eight to join the fun and walk onto the bridge; their hearts not yet awakened, they did it just to show off, only to be discovered by their own mothers or sisters, who would grab their ears, causing them to scream in misery, which drew a round of laughter from the male and female guests.

Those who went up to grab their younger brothers even had to cover their faces with handkerchiefs before daring to go up.

Of course, the grand finale was Xu Xu Zaijing and Gu Gu Tingyi, two youths of thirteen or fourteen, wearing expensive clothes of a stylish cut; they walked across the bridge with smiles, attracting the attention of many Ladies.

Some Ladies of good family background felt a bit of interest upon seeing the two youths, but most were just watching the spectacle.

At this time, the Wang Shi was still unaware of the matter concerning Sheng Hualan; although Mother Liu had mentioned it to her several times, she had rejected it every time. After all, given Sheng Hong's current official rank, Sheng Hualan entering a Count's mansion would already be a high match, let alone a Marquis's Hou Fu.

Therefore, at this gathering, she was determined to exchange views and inspect matches with the Ladies of Yang Zhou. Eyeing the marriageable youths passing over the bridge, it was the Wang Shi who looked most carefully. When she picked out a certain youth and went to the Ladies to inquire, she clearly sensed a tone of rejection.

At first, the Wang Shi thought it was her own illusion, but after asking three young men, her expression grew ugly.

Seeing the Wang Shi's grim face, Mother Liu whispered a few words in her ear. The Wang Shi frowned and asked, "Are they mocking me?"

Mother Liu spoke in a low voice, "Lady, there should be no connection to our family's affairs. I suspect there is something else. How about this..."

Speaking thus, Mother Liu whispered something to Wang Wang Ruofu.

Wang Wang Ruofu frowned and asked, "She is so young; can she manage?"

"Lady, among our young ladies, only the Sixth Miss comes out the least, and few people know her; we can only rely on her," Mother Liu said.

"Go, speak to the Sixth Girl yourself. Today, I must know what this bunch is gossiping about behind my back." Speaking thus, Wang Wang Ruofu angrily picked up a cup of tea. Glancing sideways, she saw the Lady from the Qi family who managed the salt trade, the one who did not get along with her, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and laughing.

Seeing Wang Wang Ruofu look over, she actually scanned her up and down, then continued saying something.

Wang Wang Ruofu did not need to listen to know she was surely making a big joke about her own concubine managing the household.

The handkerchief in Wang Wang Ruofu's hand was gripped even tighter.

Minglan, who was watching Gu Gu Tingyi play cuju, was tugged on her sleeve by Xiao Xiao Xiaotao, who said, "Miss, Mother Liu by the Lady's side wants you to come over."

Minglan was startled. Turning back, she saw Mother Liu smiling at her. After walking over and listening to Mother Liu's words whispered in her ear, Minglan said, "Mother Liu, I will go with Xiao Xiao Xiaotao. Once I have news, I will come find you."

"Thank you, Sixth Miss."

After Mother Liu turned and left, Minglan glanced at Gu Gu Tingyi, then saw Xiao Xiao Xiaotao's clever eyes roll. After speaking a few more words to Xiao Xiao Xiaotao, the master and servant separated to find people on their own.

Relying on her young age, Xiao Xiao Xiaotao went to Seeing Qingcao, the young maid of Xu Xu Zaijing, whispered a few words in her ear, and thus received a pocketful of snacks and candied fruits. After Seeing Qingcao asked Xu Xu Zaijing for permission, the two of them appeared and disappeared among the young maids and pages of similar age.

Seeing Qingcao revealed her identity as a maid of the Hou Fu, while Xiao Xiao Xiaotao launched an offensive with snacks; through a combination of soft and hard tactics, in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the two had gathered quite a bit of information.

Hearing the words of these little servants, Seeing Qingcao realized things were not good. She hurriedly sent Xiao Xiao Xiaotao to find Minglan, while she went to Xu Xu Zaijing's side to report the rumors she had heard.

Meanwhile, Minglan, after noticing that a group of people she did not recognize had replaced those around Gu Gu Tingyi, whispered a few words in Gu Gu Tingyi's ear. After receiving Gu Gu Tingyi's consent, she quietly followed behind Gu Gu Tingyi, listening to the gossip spoken by those official families and noble ladies.

Quickly, after hearing one piece of gossip, Minglan's brows furrowed. She looked angrily at the speaker, leaving that person utterly bewildered. Minglan glanced at Gu Gu Tingyi once more, then turned and left the place.

Waiting for Mother Liu to return to her side, the Wang Shi drank a cup of tea. When no one came over, she asked in confusion, "Can it work? I feel eighty percent sure it is not good news. The Qi family's look at me is wrong!"

At this moment, Caihuan, Wang Wang Ruofu's personal maid, returned here. Shaking her head, she said, "Lady, they all know me. Even after offering bribes, few spoke the truth. However, I noticed their expressions..."

"Mother Liu, Mother Liu." Minglan and Xiao Xiao Xiaotao arrived where the Wang Shi was. Seeing Wang Wang Ruofu, the two bowed deeply, then whispered their observations to Mother Liu, who had crouched down low.

Hearing the words of Minglan and Xiao Xiao Xiaotao, Mother Liu's brows furrowed even deeper.

The thank-you banquet ended.

Wang Wang Ruofu got off the carriage once again in a huff, finding everyone displeasing to her eye. Returning to Weirui Weirui Xuan, she grew angrier the more she thought. Frowning, she said, "Caihuan, go! As soon as you see the Master returning, call him over immediately!"

"Yes, Lady!"

Mother Liu looked at Wang Wang Ruofu with a worried expression.

Three quarters of an hour later, Sheng Hong arrived at Weirui Weirui Xuan with a face full of reluctance: "What is it! Why did you send Caihuan to call me over so urgently?"

Seeing Sheng Hong, Wang Wang Ruofu suppressed her anger and said, "Sheng Hong, do you know how people outside are talking about our Hua'er now?"

"What are they saying about our Hua'er! This marriage is the Yuan family's fault, known to all; how can they say anything bad about Hua'er!" Sheng Hong said, seating himself in a chair in Weirui Weirui Xuan on his own.

"Today I attended the thank-you banquet at the Hou Fu of Lady Ningyuan hosted by Lady Bai Da. They have already investigated thoroughly. Now, all the official families in Yang Zhou are spreading the word, saying! Our Hua'er is inauspicious! The Yuan family's misfortune was caused by our Hua'er!"

"What???" Sheng Hong's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

"I told you to find an opportunity to warn the Qi family who manages the salt trade! You insisted on making excuses! Now, look at what you have done to Hua'er! Anyone dares to spread rumors about Hua'er! How is she supposed to find a husband!"

Sheng Hong: "Any sensible person knows our Hua'er is not at fault." Sheng Hong also knew that public opinion was terrifying, especially regarding something as ethereal as being auspicious or inauspicious.

He closed his mouth awkwardly and, quite annoyed, slapped his own head: "Sigh! This!"

Just at this moment, Xu Xu Zaijing also returned to the Elder Lady's Shou'an Hall and recounted what he had learned.

A short while later, just as the Sheng Hong couple were about to quarrel again, Mother Fang arrived outside the courtyard.

Moving house crushed the mouse, so I cannot select word counts to split chapters continuously; I can only release one chapter at a time.

Finally settled. Tomorrow, I will aim for ten thousand words a day.

Everyone feels uncomfortable because these three days' story should actually have been updated in one day.

If there are typos or awkward passages, please point them out.

(`) Sending love.

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(End of Chapter)