Chapter 72: The Pan-Bai Cooperation and Presenting Melons to Express Gratitude [Heartfelt Thanks to Readers for Their Support]

The palace sent nine huge black-jade watermelons.

Two of them had been delivered in wooden buckets filled with ice water to chill them, ready to eat immediately, cool, sweet, and delicious.

The rest had been carried over in baskets.

The envoy who delivered the gifts was a female official from the Empress's palace; she did not linger long, merely telling Sun Shi to attend to her household affairs.

She also whispered to Sun Shi not to overvalue the imperial bestowal, but to simply eat them when the time came.

Sun Shi's thoughts raced, and naturally she understood the Empress's meaning.

When Sun Shi went out to receive the gift, the atmosphere in the main hall had not cooled in the least.

Wu Da Da Niangzi was eloquent, shrewd, and capable, while Bai Shi came from one of the wealthiest families in the Two Zhe Circuit; naturally, there was no shortage of topics for her and Pan Da Da Niangzi to discuss.

The Pan family traded eastward, while the Bai family mostly traded southward; since their maritime businesses did not conflict, as they chatted, they unexpectedly devised a cooperative venture.

Naturally, both were exceedingly pleased.

Xie Shi, who was keeping her mother-in-law company, listened to the sums of money the two great ladies discussed and was so stunned she could only stare with her mouth agape.

Her dazed and innocent expression provoked a round of laughter and teasing from the three great ladies.

When Sun Shi returned, hearing the joyful laughter from the main hall, she felt very happy in her heart.

Behind her, a maidservant carried a tray holding slices of watermelon with red flesh and dark green rind, looking both sandy and sweet, arranged on exquisite white porcelain plates with blue patterns, a delight to the eyes.

As the maidservants set down the large plates, the fresh fragrance of the melon wafted to their noses.

"Sisters, this is black-jade watermelon sent from the palace; they say it grows in the west, selected for few seeds and carefully cultivated over several generations, making it very delicious," Sun Shi said.

Bai Shi picked up a slice of watermelon and said, "It truly looks beautiful; Sister, let the young masters and misses of the household come and taste some as well."

Upon hearing this, Pan Da Da Niangzi responded with a smile.

"Go, call those few over to eat melon."

Before long, Xu Pingmei, Xu Anmei, Xu Xu Zaizhang, and Xu Xu Zaijing, the four of them, arrived in the hall.

After paying respects and inquiring after the health of the several great ladies, they all took their seats.

Pan Da Da Niangzi looked at Xu Pingmei, her eyes full of affection, and said to Bai Shi, "I heard your eldest son has been betrothed to your eldest daughter?"

Bai Shi nodded happily.

"Truly a fine girl; come, let me have a look."

Xu Pingmei walked gracefully to where Pan Da Da Niangzi sat and performed a bow.

Pan Da Da Niangzi took Xu Pingmei's hand, looking her up and down, and said:

"They say the girls of our Dengzhou are tall; at your age, I was not as tall as Sister Ping. Good girl, this is exactly how families of martial generals should be."

"Thank you, Great Lady; Great Lady praises me too highly."

As she spoke, Pan Da Da Niangzi smoothly slipped a bracelet from her wrist and placed it onto Xu Pingmei's wrist.

"Do not refuse; consider it a token of my goodwill. Is this your Xu Anmei? Come here, girl; I am an old woman, let me have a closer look."

Naturally, Xu Anmei had no idea what the room full of great ladies was discussing.

She glanced at her own mother and the two aunts she knew well, then quickened her pace a few steps to stand before Pan Da Da Niangzi.

Pan Da Da Niangzi held Xu Xu Anmei's hand and examined her closely; she saw that the girl's skin was like jade, her eyes clear and smiling, her hair as black as a raven's feathers, and beneath her neat, light clothing, her figure was not frail.

"Oh my, I must say, Sister, you have truly borne fine daughters."

As she spoke, Pan Da Da Niangzi observed that although Xu Xu Anmei's height did not match her elder sister's, her legs were long, her entire being radiating youth and vitality; she was a good child.

Her temperament seemed somewhat lively and unrestrained, but that matched quite well with her own son.

Saying this, Pan Da Da Niangzi slipped another bracelet from her wrist and smoothly placed it onto Xu Anmei's hand.

"Good child, truly a good child."

Bai Shi looked at Xu Anmei, who still did not know what was happening, and exchanged a smile with Wu Da Da Niangzi.

She then acknowledged Xu Xu Zaizhang and Xu Xu Zaijing; Pan Da Da Niangzi was also very satisfied with these two young men, observing that of the two brothers, Xu Zaizhang's character resembled Xu Anmei's somewhat, while the youngest, Xu Zaijing, possessed a more steady demeanor.

"I hear the two young masters will take the examinations next year? Ah, that is truly excellent; my own Brother Jiong, after passing the county examination, could not advance further."

Sun Shi said, "My own Duan'er is the same, stuck at the prefectural examination; we just do not know how these two will fare."

With all guests delighted, Pan Da Da Niangzi boarded the carriage home in the afternoon.

The carriage contained ice supplied by the Xu family, so it was not very hot.

There was also a rather large black-jade watermelon being held by a maidservant.

She stroked the string of jasper beads in her hand, pondering in her heart.

How could the imperial bestowal have arrived so coincidentally, precisely timed to her visit to the Xu family?

It was clearly a gesture from the Empress in the palace; this was not something ordinary nobles could receive, counting as the Empress giving face to the Xu family.

Bai Shi had also appeared in her capacity as Sister Sun Da Da Niangzi's sibling, which was also a show of support.

"Not bad at all; not as declined as outsiders claim."

Upon returning to the courtyard of the fifth branch of the Jinghai Marquis Manor, a maidservant reported to the eldest daughter of the Pan family about her own son's record at the polo field: after losing two matches in a row, he had been watching from the sidelines and was now already back within the manor.

"Good-for-nothing."

Pan Da Da Niangzi silently cursed her own son in her heart.

She also knew that the Xu family still had a Brother Zhang who was not yet betrothed, and Xu Anmei's marriage would naturally have to wait until after her elder brother's.

The reasons Pan Da Da Niangzi had previously given for rejecting other marriage proposals were true; she was not in a hurry and wished to observe her youngest son a bit more, so delaying the marriage for a few years was no problem.

This time, she was very satisfied with Xu Xu Anmei, and the two families were essentially settled.

She just did not know what marital fate awaited this Brother Zhang.

"Go, call the steward who is about to return to Dengzhou; I have matters to instruct," Pan Da Da Niangzi said; the business deal discussed earlier at the Xu family's with the Bai family of Yang Zhou was still worth pursuing.

This time, Seeing Hu Yanjiong had learned his lesson.

Coming to his mother's courtyard, he did not ask directly but first inquired after her warmth and cold.

Not without some improvement.

Setting down his tea cup, he looked at Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who was diligently fanning him nearby, and said, "I have seen her; the young miss is very good."

Joy flashed across Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong's face.

"She has an elder brother above her whose marriage is not yet settled; you will still have to wait a few years."

"No matter, no matter."

Let us set aside for now Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who was brimming with high spirits and dominating the polo field the next day.

That evening, Sun Shi summoned Xu Xu Anmei before her.

"Do you know why the Eldest Young Lady of the Hu family has come?"

"Mother, did she not come to taste tea with you?"

"Taste what tea? She has come to arrange a match."

Xu Xu Anmei had been somewhat absent-minded just moments before, but upon hearing the words 'arrange a match,' her expression froze, and she asked with a hint of panic in her eyes:

"Arrange a match? For whom? For Pei Erge?"

"For you."

"Pei Erge has not yet been betrothed; how could it possibly be my turn?" Xu Xu Anmei said with some displeasure.

"Pan Da's wife is Brother Jiong's mother." Sun Shi glanced sideways at Xu Xu Anmei, perfectly gauging her daughter's expression.

"Then Mother need only decide; Daughter will follow Mother's lead," Xu Xu Anmei said, somewhat shy and embarrassed.

Sun Shi tapped Xu Xu Anmei on the head.

What a little clever ghost.

The next day,

At dawn,

Taking advantage of the fact that the sun had not yet risen and the weather was still quite cool,

Xu Xu Zaijing rode his horse with Brother Qingyun following behind him; the two accompanied Sun Shi's carriage to deliver four watermelons bestowed by the palace to the Sun family, as offerings of filial piety to Xu Xu Zaijing's maternal grandmother and grandfather, as well as his maternal uncle and aunt.

As his several male cousins grew older, they one after another took wives, their in-laws mostly being military officials within the capital.

Relying on the Xu family's favorable connections, when arranging matches for their young men, they could climb slightly higher in status.

Even a daughter born of a concubine from the Sun family could marry an army officer.

After instructing several of his male cousins to save plenty of watermelon seeds for planting, Xu Xu Zaijing followed the carriage and continued riding his horse toward the palace.

Upon arriving at the side gate of the imperial palace and explaining their purpose to the gatekeeping palace attendants, a female official from the Empress's quarters soon came to the entrance to guide Sun Shi and Xu Xu Zaijing toward where the Empress was located.

With not a drop of oil in my belly, the generous support of my dear readers resolves a thousand sorrows.

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(End of Chapter)