CH 4

The following day.

The atmosphere in Autumn Radiance Courtyard was exceptionally lively. The eldest son who had been away from home for three years had returned, and even before the news had spread widely, the household was filled with festivity and joy. Zhao Shi was especially delighted; she instructed the steward to distribute money to all the servants, following the tradition of giving during festive occasions. Everyone was overjoyed.

Breakfast was laid out in Autumn Radiance Courtyard. First, Tan Ting inquired about his younger sister. When he had left home, Tan Rong was only eleven years old, but three years later, she had grown into a fourteen-year-old young lady. After that, he called his second younger brother, Tan Jian, over and began quizzing him on his studies without any preamble. Tan Jian was soon sweating profusely from the questions, and Tan Ting's brows furrowed in dissatisfaction.

As he posed several questions that Tan Jian couldn't answer, Tan Jian felt that he might not be able to eat today's meal...

He was incredibly nervous and couldn't ask for help, especially with his elder brother present. However, his sister-in-law seemed to have an uncanny ability to understand people's hearts. Swiftly, she instructed the servants to bring out the final course of the meal and then gently said, "Mother, sir, it's time for breakfast."

Tan Ting's interrogation came to a temporary halt, and his disapproving gaze momentarily shifted away from Tan Jian. Tan Jian let out a sigh of relief and expressed his gratitude through a series of thankful glances at his sister-in-law. If not for her intervention, he might have been in serious trouble today...

It was not easy for the family to gather together, and the meal was quite lively.

However, Xiang Yi did not seem to blend well with the lively atmosphere. Perhaps due to sitting in the cold for an extended period of time yesterday, she had caught a chill, and her head felt a bit heavy today. Nonetheless, Zhao Shi's headache from the previous day hadn't completely subsided either. Xiang Yi helped her eat half of her meal and finally sat down to eat a half-bowl of congee herself.

After the meal, Tan Ting temporarily stayed behind, indicating that he had matters to discuss with Zhao Shi. Most likely, it was related to the affairs between distinguished families.

He didn't ask Xiang Yi to stay, and Xiang Yi had no intention of listening either. She rubbed her swollen forehead and went to organize the many items he had brought back.

Three years ago, after Tan Ting passed the imperial examination, he entered the Hanlin Academy and became a lower-grade scholar. Only those who pass the imperial examination can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only those who are in the Hanlin Academy can enter the Imperial Cabinet. A lower-grade scholar is a type of position within the Hanlin Academy.

Tan Ting passed the imperial examination at the age of nineteen, becoming the youngest successful candidate of this dynasty. After that, he smoothly became a lower-grade scholar. His future prospects were limitless. Now that Tan Ting had completed his observations at the Hanlin Academy, he was about to formally assume an official position.

With the prominent Lin family as in-laws, Tan Ting's official appointment was bound to be a crucial assignment in the capital city. Therefore, the items he had brought back this time were not many, indicating that he would continue to return to the capital in the future. Calculating this way, his total time at home would only be about two to three months.

Xiang Yi systematically directed the servants to pack their belongings, putting Tan Ting's personal items in the room. The rest were gifts for everyone: bird's nest for Zhao Shi, various trinkets for Tan Rong, books and ink for Tan Jian, as well as different types of wood and spices.

However, Qiao Xing discovered an unmarked mahogany box. Opening it, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam, take a look, it's so bright!" Only then did Xiang Yi walk over to see that the box contained excellent quality fur. At the top lay a piece of deep red fox fur, smooth and glossy, reflecting the sun that had just emerged after the snow, extremely beautiful. Beneath the red fox fur was pure, untainted white fox fur, and it seemed there were other types of fur beneath the white one.

Qiao Xing was amazed and carefully touched the red fox fur. "Madam, this fur is thick and smooth, and even when your fingertips sink into it, it feels warm. Did Sir bring this back?"

Xiang Yi wasn't entirely sure and called Tan Ting's young servant, Zheng Ji, over. "Is this also something Sir brought back? What's its purpose?"

Zheng Ji saluted her. "According to Madam, this is a new product from Yanzhi Leather Emporium in the capital city. It's in high demand and very popular. The master specifically bought it and brought it back to give to the household."

Yanzhi Leather Emporium. Xiang Yi had heard of it when her father was an official in the capital. It was an old establishment that had stood for a hundred years.

Qiao Xing continued to touch the fur and couldn't help asking Zheng Ji, "Is this really for the members of the household?"

Zheng Ji hesitated slightly, quickly glanced at Xiang Yi, and then nodded. Qiao Xing didn't notice his expression and counted the fur pieces in the box. "The dark red one must be for Madam, and the white one is for the elder daughter, right?" Then she saw a shiny brown mink fur beneath them. "It must be for the second young master..."

Qiao Xing was joyfully speculating. If Madam had such high-quality fur, and she made a thick coat from it, she wouldn't catch a chill like she did when she was out all day yesterday.

But as she continued to dig down, her fingers touched the cold wooden board at the bottom. There wasn't a fourth piece of fur.

Qiao Xing was taken aback, and Zheng Ji's heart tightened. He knelt in front of Xiang Yi. "Madam, please don't be angry. The master sent me to buy the fur, but unexpectedly, Yan's Fur Emporium has a strange rule. No matter how long the queue is, one can only buy a maximum of three pieces of fur at a time. So, I only bought three pieces..."

He explained this way, and Xiang Yi hadn't said anything yet. Qiao Xing stared at him. "You can only buy three pieces at a time? Then go there again!"

Zheng Ji was originally planning to go again the next day, but news arrived from the capital that there were other things to purchase, and Tan Ting said there was no need to go again... Zheng Ji was about to explain, but Madam waved her hand, indicating that Qiao Xing needn't ask further.

But Qiao Xing was unwilling to give in. Looking at the three pieces of high-quality fur, each with its intended recipient, she couldn't help but speak up. "Madam, why shouldn't you have a piece of fur as well?"

The master cared for every member of the family, yet he seemed to have overlooked his own wife. Why?

Qiao Xing had a fiery temperament, but Xiang Yi didn't want to get enTanled in this matter and shook her head at her.

However, at that moment, Tan Ting arrived at the door. He hadn't even entered the courtyard when he heard Qiao Xing's words. He strode in and immediately spotted the panicked Zheng Ji kneeling on the ground, as well as his lawful wife standing on the veranda above.

His gaze grew somber, and he signaled for Zheng Ji to rise. He remembered the crack in the embankment over Chao Yun River caused by his father-in-law's corner-cutting. His gaze landed on Xiang Yi's face with a hint of impatience.

"There were many matters in the capital city, and the return journey was urgent. It's difficult to take care of everything. These are just a few pieces of fur, and the Tan family's storeroom is filled with them. If you want, you can pick them yourself. There's no need to make a scene here and become a laughingstock."

He didn't expect her to become refined and well-mannered or knowledgeable in etiquette. He just hoped she wouldn't stir up unnecessary trouble and disturb the household.

As he finished speaking, he turned away from Xiang Yi, walked into the room with hands behind his back, and the wind blew the dry grass in the corner of the courtyard, creating a rustling sound. The courtyard was unexpectedly quiet.

Zheng Ji kept his head down and dared not speak.

Qiao Xing was astonished, her eyes widening in disbelief. She couldn't help but want to defend Madam. How could Madam be the kind of person the master described?

At this moment, a gust of wind swept over the eaves, causing the thick snow on the eaves to slide down with a rustling sound, falling in chunks.

Qiao Xing saw that Madam remained unruffled and even a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"What the master said is correct."

…….

The following day, much of the snow had melted, and Tan Ting went to Weiping Prefecture. He didn't explain where he was going, and Xiang Yi didn't ask. As he left, Qiao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. "It would be better if the master didn't come home at all. Madam has been increasingly uneasy these past two days, not even having time for stone carving."

Xiang Yi sat in the small room behind the back house where Qiao Xing was and polished a freshly carved seal, blowing away the dust delicately. She smiled. "You'd do better to say fewer words."

Qiao Xing felt frustrated and forgot what she was about to say.

Xiang Yi chuckled and placed the polished seal into a small box about the size of a palm. "Take this to the Ji Xiang Seal Shop and tell the shopkeeper I apologize for the delay of two days."

Qiao Xing accepted the small box. "Madam is being too polite. With your current skills, people would wait for you for two months without complaining."

She became even happier. "If these sell for a good price, Madam, you should make a proper hair accessory set for yourself. I saw the new gold-threaded and jeweled hair accessory set that the Old Madam got for Miss, it's so lively and dazzling."

Madam had little dowry and few pieces of jewelry. The jewelry box on the dressing table was empty, except for a few silver hairpins and hairpins with flowers. There were a few well-preserved jade bracelets, kept to be given as gifts during meetings.

Xiang Yi also noticed Tan Rong's new hair accessory. "I don't need it myself, but it would be nice if we could make a set for Ning Ning. It would look beautiful in her dowry box."

Xiang Yi had two younger siblings, Xiang Ning and Xiang Yu. Both were five years younger than her and would turn fifteen in the latter half of the year.

Thinking of her siblings, Xiang Yi's gaze softened, and she instructed Qiao Xing, "Don't forget to ask if there are any letters from home."

With her orders, Qiao Xing quickly went to the Ji Xiang Seal Shop in the county. When the shopkeeper saw her, he had his assistant serve tea and whispered, "I heard that Master Tan from the Tan family has returned. Is Madam busier now?"

The Ji Xiang Seal Shop used to have average business, dealing with both seal production and sales, as well as connecting carpenters and stonemasons with work, just enough to keep the shop running. However, after Xiang Yi married into the family, she often commissioned the shop for special seals and sometimes custom engravings. Although her production was slow, the quality was quite good. Especially in the past two years, her skill had improved, making her seals fetch a good price. As a result, the Ji Xiang Seal Shop began to flourish as well.

Xiang Yi didn't want to become famous; she only wanted to exchange her craft for money. As a result, not many people knew about this.

Qiao Xing hmphed a couple of times. "Indeed, Madam has become busier. But even though she's busy, if there are good quality jade and gemstones, could you please reserve them for our Madam?"

Others couldn't be relied upon, as even Madam herself said. Only her skills were dependable.

Qiao Xing also asked the shopkeeper if there were any letters from the Xiang family. Xiang Yu didn't like the Tan family and didn't want to deliver letters directly, so every half month, she would send them to the Ji Xiang Seal Shop. However, this time, the shopkeeper unexpectedly handed her two letters at once.

Receiving two letters at once indicated something unexpected had happened, prompting the second letter to be sent. Without further delay, Qiao Xing hurriedly took the letters and returned home. Unfortunately, she didn't notice someone on the street who had fixed their gaze on her.

That person was munching on melon seeds and carelessly spitting out the shells on the ground. It was Tan You Liang, wandering around the street..

Seeing Qiao Xing leaving the Ji Xiang Seal Shop in a hurry, she seemed to have caught a hint of something unusual and her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

As Qiao Xing left, Tan Youliang's wife entered the Ji Xiang Seal Shop. She wanted to inquire about Qioa Xing, but unfortunately, both the shopkeeper and the assistant were tight-lipped, and she couldn't get any information from them.

However, the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. Both the shopkeeper and the assistant were being very secretive. It seemed that the Xiang family indeed had something going on here. But what could it be?

She was very curious, but she couldn't come up with anything through mere imagination. So, she temporarily left it aside.

Two letters had arrived in quick succession, and Xiang Yi found it a bit strange. However, if it were something more urgent, Xiang Yu would surely have suppressed his impatience and directly sent the letters to the Tan family.

Xiang Yi opened the first letter. It was an ordinary family letter, written by her sister, Xiang Ning, detailing their recent situation. After their father's death, the three siblings observed the mourning period in their hometown. When the mourning period ended, Xiang Yu would register for the imperial examination.

He hadn't given up on the imperial examination path due to their father's situation. However, no one was willing to vouch for him to take the examination. In this dynasty, one needed someone to vouch for them in order to register for the imperial examination. If Xiang Yu couldn't take the examination, the Xiang family would lose the opportunity for a comeback.

It was in such a situation that Xiang Yi had married into the Tan  family. The Tan family was a prestigious and renowned clan. Even if no Tan family member showed up, the family name itself was enough for Xiang Yu to enter the examination hall.

Xiang Yu was determined. Over the past two years, he had participated in three preliminary examinations for the child-level examination and had successfully become a "xiucai." After that, he moved with Xiang Ning to Qingzhou County in Weiping Prefecture, where he currently studied at Qingzhou Academy.

Originally, Qingzhou Academy was just a small private school in the mountains, inconspicuous compared to the clan schools of many prestigious families. However, when Xiang Zhi Yuan served as the magistrate of Weiping Prefecture, he had elevated the small private school into a somewhat famous academy.

The teachers at the academy were familiar with the Xiang family, which ensured that Xiang Ning and Xiang Yu had a relatively smooth time. Moreover, Qingzhou County wasn't far from Qinglong County, where Xiang Yi lived, allowing them to take care of each other.

Xiang Ning first mentioned some trivial matters of their daily life. Then, she talked about Xiang Yu's studies. Less than a year after becoming a "xiucai," he wished to participate in the upcoming autumn township examination. The academy's teachers believed that at his age, he was unlikely to succeed, so they didn't intend to let him participate. 

However, Xiang Yu was stubborn and insisted that the teachers give him the examination questions for the township examination. If he could answer them well If he could answer them well, he would attempt the examination. Unexpectedly, Xiang Yu produced an astonishing essay that surprised the teachers. After some deliberation, they decided to permit him to take the examination. Even if he didn't succeed, it wasn't a major concern; the important thing was to continue his studies.

Xiang Yi's eyes sparkled as she read, and then she noticed Xiang Ning's elegant handwriting being interrupted by a bold line of text. "This time's provincial examination, Yu is poised to succeed. By then, let our elder sister's radiance shine a bit brighter." It was Xiang Yu's handwriting.

Even before he achieved success, Xiang Yi couldn't help but smile.

The rest of the letter continued with Xiang Ning's neat and composed handwriting. The younger sister delicately expressed her belief that although Xiang Yu was as proud as a rooster, he still had a chance to excel. Xiang Ning's optimism was evident in her words.

Xiang Yi's lips curled into a smile as she continued reading.

Beside her, Qiao Xing was sneakily observing and suddenly asked a question, "If our Young Master passes the imperial examination, would he bring Madam back?"

Qiao Xing often had unique ideas, and Xiang Yi couldn't help but smile. She looked at Qiao Xing and inquired, "Why do you say that?"

Qiaoq Xing responded, "Just think about it, Madam. Young Master cares for you deeply, and he wouldn't want you to suffer in the Tan family. If he succeeds, no one will dare to hinder him on his path to success in the imperial examination. He would have a distinguished background. Perhaps he'll even want you to return home."

It seemed like a logical progression of thought to her. Xiang Yi smiled at her idea and said, "You have quite an imagination."

A gust of wind entered through the window, rustling the papers on the desk. Another unopened letter fell to the ground. Qiao Xing quickly picked it up and asked, "Madam, what are you thinking? The letter fell. Would you like to read it?"

It was the second letter.

Xiangyi refocused her attention, collected her thoughts, and then opened the second letter.