Facing Lady Zhou’s sarcastic jabs, Yan Liangrong showed not a trace of anger on her face. Instead, she warmly took Lady Zhou by the arm and led her inside: “Liangrong, we’re all one family. Is there anything worth holding a grudge over? This time I came to offer you and Lady Yan my apologies.
Last time, I was beside myself with panic. But you’re a mother too—put yourself in my shoes. If you had worked tooth and nail to secure an official post for Ke’er, only to have it snatched away at the last moment, wouldn’t you be frantic? If it were Ke’er, I daresay you’d be even less patient than I was.”
Yan Liangrong watched her with cold eyes: “Different people, different fates—who can say? Take my own brother, Tongshu. He passed the imperial exam at the top of the list at fourteen and entered office as a sixth-rank official right away. No need to wait around for some vacancy.”
Her tone was light, but every word struck like a needle. “I believe that with Tongshu as his uncle to set an example, Ke’er will naturally be diligent and ambitious—not like some people, who only think of riding on others’ coattails.”
Yan Liangrong’s words were harsh, cutting straight to Lady Zhou’s heart, and Lady Zhou’s smile could barely hold. She said awkwardly, “Alright, alright, why bring up old grudges? In the end, we are one family. Tongshu’s success benefits all of us, doesn’t it?”
Yan Liangrong slowly raised her eyelids: “Speaking of family, this engagement between the Zhou and Yan families has dragged on long enough. Lady Zhou, in my opinion, let’s part ways amicably. If the marriage doesn’t go through, don’t let it turn into enmity—that would be ugly for everyone.”
“Oh, you’ve read my mind!” Lady Zhou pretended not to understand, following right along. “We really should become in-laws instead! Look, let’s pick a date and settle the wedding plans for Zhengxun and Liangyu once and for all, shall we? As for betrothal gifts and dowry, let’s each give a little ground and go with what we agreed on last time.”
Who agreed to “last time” with you?
Lady Zhou’s shamelessness completely reset Yan Liangrong’s estimate of her, and she was instantly laughed into fury.
Now the Zhou family was anxious, were they?
Where were they all this time? Liangyu had already gone cold, and now they wanted to lock down the date?
Lady Zhou finished speaking and looked at Yan Liangrong with expectation. Yan Liangrong said nothing, simply stared back. The atmosphere grew cold and heavy, and Lady Zhou forced a smile onto her face: “Liangrong, Liangyu is your sister. You want what’s best for her, don’t you?”
Yan Liangrong lifted her eyes to Lady Zhou: “I watched my sister Liangyu grow up, and of course I love her. But Liangyu isn’t just my little sister—she’s her own person. She once liked Zhengxun and wanted to marry him, and I went along with it. Now, whatever she thinks, I as her elder sister will still support her. Which means I cannot make decisions on her behalf. Lady Zhou, you won’t find the answer you’re looking for here.”
With Yan Liangrong having said all there was to say, Lady Zhou had no choice but to take her leave.
After Lady Zhou left, Zheng Chun walked in, his expression worried: “Has Liangyu truly lost interest in Young Master Zhou?”
Yan Liangrong lowered her gaze: “Liangyu has already moved on. There is just one bit of doubt left for her to unravel, and as her sister, it’s only right that I help her see it through.”
Zheng Chun sighed: “A pity, those two lovers. If not for the Zhou family’s repeated obstinance, Young Master Zhou and Liangyu would have been a perfect match—handsome and beautiful, made for each other. What a shame. Fate plays cruel tricks.”
Yan Liangrong gave a faint smile: “I don’t believe in fate’s tricks. I only believe that human will can overcome all. Reaching this point, Liangyu and my Yan family have done nothing to be ashamed of.”
Zheng Chun didn’t want to argue with Yan Liangrong over other people’s matters, so he changed the subject: “Weren’t you supposed to accompany Miss Bai on her free clinic today? Isn’t it about time?”
Oh right, she’d almost forgotten.
Yan Liangrong quickly gathered herself and left.
No sooner had she stepped out the door than Zheng Chun, along with Zheng Ke, left the Zheng household too.
Lady Zhou rode back in her sedan chair, her heart in a blaze of anxiety.
Why were Lady Yan and Yan Liangrong being so unyielding, so cold? Could they truly want to break off the engagement?
Years of feelings! Could Liangyu really let it go?
And her own Zhengxun—handsome, talented, with a promising future—could that little girl Yan Liangyu really find someone better than him?
Impossible.
Lady Zhou shook her head. Liangyu would soon turn seventeen. In all of Bianjing City, where could one find a man of comparable age, handsome appearance, scholarly brilliance, unbetrothed, without concubines, and from a matching family?
Was she going to marry beneath her station?
And the Yan family, with such high pride, would they allow a lower marriage?
Lady Yan rubbed her throbbing temples and lifted the curtain to look out. In the distance, the Qianji Silk Shop bustled with crowds coming and going.
Ah, of course.
Yan Liangrong was a married daughter—she couldn’t make decisions for Yan Liangyu. But Chen Meirong could.
Chen Meirong was Liangyu’s own mother.
Besides, Chen Meirong was shallow in learning and short in vision. A few soft words, some gentle flattery, and she’d probably agree right away.
Once Chen Meirong agreed, would Liangyu dare slap her own mother’s face?
Lady Zhou immediately ordered the sedan bearers: “To the Qianji Silk main shop.”
Most of the time, Chen Meirong and Qian Buping stayed at the main shop, and today when Lady Zhou arrived, it was no different.
However, Qian Buping had gone to the back courtyard to check inventory and wasn’t in the front.
Lady Zhou stepped down from the sedan and, with a single glance at the glittering, jewel-bedecked Chen Meirong, clenched her teeth in envy.
The Zhou family’s shops were bleeding losses, while the Qian family’s silk shops and the Yan family’s Shikeji were doing brisk, roaring business.
And Chen Meirong—nothing but a vain, shallow woman, married to a lowly merchant at that—yet she was dressed in gold and silver, all smiles and bloom, living better than Lady Zhou, a proper official’s wife.
Lady Zhou entered the Qianji Silk Shop. Chen Meirong glanced at her, ignored her completely, and idly fiddled with the fist-sized solid gold peony pendant hanging around her neck, making Lady Zhou’s eyes water with want.
Lady Zhou plastered on a smile and sat down across from Chen Meirong: “Mrs. Qian, you’ve been in good spirits lately?”
Chen Meirong rolled her eyes dramatically: “No one around to annoy me—of course I’m in good spirits.”
In the past, she had deferred to the Zhou family—not because she was timid or afraid, but because her daughter liked Zhengxun, and she didn’t want to make things hard for her girl.
And now?
Hah. If it weren’t for Liangyu asking her mother to help with the plan and figure out what was really going on inside Zhengxun’s head, she would have already had the shop hands grab the brooms and sweep the Zhou family right out the door!
Lady Zhou let out a hollow laugh, dragging her envious gaze away from the peony necklace at Chen Meirong’s throat: “Mrs. Qian, after the new year, Liangyu turns seventeen. Don’t you think it’s time we set the wedding date?”
Chen Meirong thought for a moment: “Fine, we can settle the date.”
Lady Zhou’s face lit up at once.
Just as she’d thought—Chen Meirong, truly a woman with no brains.
Chen Meirong drawled unhurriedly: “Double the betrothal gifts, plus an extra eight thousand strings of cash.”
The boomerang came slashing right back, and Lady Zhou barely kept her smile on: “Mrs. Qian, you’re hardly short on money. Why do this? If the girl’s age gets too high, it’ll be hard for her to find a match later…”
Chen Meirong wasn't one to indulge Lady Zhou. She didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "Your words might have fooled me before, but not now. My family's Tongshu is currently in high favor with the emperor, and Liangyu is her own sister—what household in the entire Bianjing city wouldn't be a match for her? Besides, even if Liangyu is older, she still has me and Old Qian. Would we ever let our daughter starve?"
She had been holding these words back for a long time. If it weren't for the fact that Liangyu was fond of Zhou Zhengxun, she could have said all this long ago.
It wasn't as if she was short on money—what would it matter if she raised her daughter at home for the rest of her life?
Lady Zhou sneered: "Mrs. Qian, don't speak in anger. You might not care about your own reputation, but Liangyu still needs to keep face. A woman who never marries—word gets around, and people will laugh at her."
Chen Meirong snorted: "When we close our own doors and live our lives, who cares if others want to laugh? I'll say this plainly: if your Zhou family can put together the betrothal gifts I just mentioned, we're willing to sit down and discuss the wedding date. Otherwise, there's nothing to talk about."
Upon leaving the Qian Silk Shop, Lady Zhou let out a heavy snort.
Ha! So Chen Meirong was putting on airs.
When Lady Zhou returned home, she tore into Yan Liangyu in front of Zhou Zhengxun: "You still say your mother was too harsh back then? Look at your gentle, kind, otherworldly Liangyu now. Now that the Yan family has gained power, she's suddenly got her nose in the air, looking down on the Zhou family. She's jacking up the betrothal gifts sky-high. She's absolutely..."
Lady Zhou couldn't find the right word to curse with. Zhou Zhengxun pressed his lips together and spat out two words: "Materialistic."
"Right! Absolutely materialistic!" Lady Zhou blurted in agreement.
As she finished speaking, she looked up and met the heavy, dark gaze in Zhou Zhengxun's eyes. She suddenly realized with a jolt that "materialistic" hadn't been directed at Yan Liangyu at all.
Her face went pale and she forced herself to say: "That's different."
Zhou Zhengxun lowered his eyes. He didn't push the argument with Lady Zhou, but insisted: "Mother, I genuinely love Liangyu."
At that, Lady Zhou was at a loss.
What was she supposed to do? Have the Zhou family scrape together the betrothal gifts?
But where would their family ever find that much money?
...
Yong Village.
Yan Tongshu, bundled in heavy clothes, was inspecting the progress of the irrigation works on the outskirts with Lu Zhi, the Records Officer on duty that day, and a few constables.
It was deep autumn, and the sky darkened early.
After listening to Lu Zhi's report and inspecting the condition of the small dam, Yan Tongshu led the group back.
At the entrance of the village, Yan Liangrong and Bai Qinglan happened to be finishing treatment for the last patient.
It was a child of about five, lips red and swollen, listlessly curled in his mother's arms. He looked as if he had cried himself tired and had little energy left.
Yan Tongshu let Lu Zhi and the constables go on ahead, then walked over to greet them: "Sister, you're here?"
Yan Liangrong looked up, and seeing it was Yan Tongshu, broke into a smile: "Miss Bai is holding a free clinic. I came to lend a hand."
Yan Tongshu looked at the child: "Was he stung by a bee?"
Bai Qinglan looked up with surprise, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes: "Lord Yan, you don't just know autopsy—you know medicine too?"
Yan Tongshu smiled: "I know a little."
Bai Qinglan: "You're too modest, Lord Yan."
Ever since they had performed the autopsy together, Bai Qinglan had heard many stories about Yan Tongshu from others and had immediately become an admirer.
In her eyes, Yan Tongshu was like the bright moon and the clear breeze—a deity from the heavens above.
Bai Qinglan quickly removed the bee's stinger, ground honeysuckle and dandelion into a paste, applied it over the child's mouth, and handed the woman several packets of medicine with instructions: "These contain radix notoginseng, salvia miltiorrhiza, and processed aconite root. They're for promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. After you take the child home, boil one dose and have him take it tonight, then continue for three days. He'll be fine in no time."
She then reached out and gently patted the child's little head: "Now, you must take your medicine obediently, okay?"
The child scrunched up his small face and pulled back: "Bitter."
Radix notoginseng, salvia miltiorrhiza, and processed aconite root are all bitter. The soup they brewed was bitter, astringent, and pungent. Even most adults could barely stand it, so it was only natural that a child would resist.
Yan Tongshu smiled, pulled a small packet of candied fruit from her sleeve, and dangled it in front of the child: "Would you like some candied fruit?"
The child was young—at the age when sweets were irresistible. The moment he heard there was candied fruit, he nodded eagerly.
"How about this," Yan Tongshu said, crouching down in a gentle voice, "Every time you finish your medicine properly, mommy will give you one piece of candied fruit. Deal?"
The child blinked, looked at the medicine bag, then at the glistening packet of fruit. In the end, the temptation of sweets won, and he let out a soft "Hmm."
Yan Tongshu handed the candied fruit to the child's mother. The woman thanked all three of them profusely, then carried the child off in a hurry to brew the medicine.
Yan Tongshu watched the mother carry the child away. When she turned around, she met Bai Qinglan's bright, sparkling eyes.
Bai Qinglan stared without blinking, the admiration in her eyes nearly overflowing: "Lord Yan, you really are a very, very good person."
Yan Liangrong's teasing gaze moved between Yan Tongshu and Bai Qinglan.
Yan Tongshu suddenly felt her scalp tingle.
This would never do.
She had originally planned to say that since they'd met by chance, they should head back together. But now, Yan Tongshu had lost all interest. She greeted them briefly and made a run for it.
"Ha."
Yan Liangrong couldn't help but laugh aloud.
This Tongshu—already twenty-two, well past the age of marriage—and still getting shy?
Bai Qinglan, unaware of the reason, asked in confusion: "What's wrong with Lord Yan?"
Yan Liangrong smiled and helped Bai Qinglan pack up her things, saying: "She's embarrassed."
Bai Qinglan didn't understand but didn't press further.
Bai Qinglan put the silver needles back into her medicine box: "Oh, by the way, Sister Yan, when we head back later, could we have the driver take a detour? I've ordered some herbs from a farmer just ahead of Yong Village. I'd like to pick them up on the way."
Yan Liangrong nodded: "Alright."
Bai Qinglan looked at Yan Liangrong with sincere eyes: "Sister Yan, both you and Lord Yan are the finest kind of people."
Yan Liangrong lowered her eyes, saying nothing.
The truth was, she had come to help Bai Qinglan with the free clinic for selfish reasons.
Sure, her wish to help the villagers was genuine, but she also wanted to add to Zheng Chun's reputation.
The Censor-in-Chief liked to roam around the outskirts of Bianjing, observing the lives of the people. If she and Bai Qinglan did a few more free clinics and built up goodwill in the surrounding villages, it would benefit Zheng Chun's career.
The two women boarded the Zheng family carriage. It traveled a stretch, then turned off toward the farmer's house.
Bai Qinglan asked Yan Liangrong to wait in the carriage, then got out, walked to the door, and knocked.
Soon, an old man appeared. The moment he saw Bai Qinglan, he knew she was there to collect the herbs and hurriedly brought her inside.
Collecting the herbs wasn't a simple matter of exchanging money for goods. Each herb had to be inspected one by one, so it took quite a while.
Yan Liangrong grew restless. She got out of the carriage and strolled around on foot.
The scenery here was lovely—no sense of autumn gloom, but rather a richness and abundance unique to deep autumn.
As Yan Liangrong wandered, she suddenly heard a long peal of silvery laughter.
Then, the gleeful laughing of a child.
The laughter was joyful, crisp, and full of happiness.
And somehow, it sounded familiar.
Yan Liangrong walked over and looked into the courtyard through the bamboo fence.
Inside the yard, Zheng Chun was kicking a shuttlecock with a young girl of fifteen or sixteen.
The girl wore a soft pink padded jacket, and as she kicked the shuttlecock, her movements were nimble, her leaps full of youthful vitality.
They had apparently been playing for a while—the girl's cheeks were flushed, as if radiating warmth.
Zheng Chun, warm from the exercise, had taken off his outer coat, and was playing merrily with the girl, calling out "Sister, sister" as he played.
Yan Liangrong watched the warm scene before her and couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking to herself—this must be the "sister" who made autumn treats that Ke'er had mentioned last time.
As Yan Liangrong was pondering this, Zheng Chun's brother Zheng Xun walked out of the house, carrying a plate of green steamed buns.
Seeing the food, the girl and Ke'er dropped the shuttlecock and ran over. Zheng Xun said with a smile, "Careful, they're hot."
The girl reached out to grab one, and the heat stung her fingertips, making her let out an instinctive hiss.
Zheng Xun immediately grabbed her hand, lowered his head, and gently blew on her fingertips: "I just said to be careful—why are you so careless?"
The girl's cheeks instantly flushed with the deepest, most tempting rouge. She shyly lowered her head, but couldn't help stealing a glance up at Zheng Xun.
Yan Liangrong had been through love herself, so she naturally understood that look.
That look represented a young girl full of budding springtime feelings—complete admiration and unreserved devotion toward a man.
Yan Liangrong didn't rush over to interrupt. Instead, wordlessly and silently, she returned to the carriage, waited for Bai Qinglan to come back, and then quietly left.
That night, Yan Liangrong lay in bed with her back to Zheng Chun, refusing his advances.
Puzzled, Zheng Chun asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Mm." Yan Liangrong closed her eyes and replied, "It might be almost that time of the month."
Zheng Chun asked with concern, "Are you feeling very uncomfortable?"
Yan Liangrong: "Mm."
Zheng Chun moved closer to her: "Do you want me to have the kitchen make you some brown sugar water?"
Yan Liangrong silently inched toward the edge of the bed, away from Zheng Chun's body heat: "No need. I'll be fine after I sleep."
Seeing that Yan Liangrong was resolute, Zheng Chun nodded: "Alright. If you feel uncomfortable in the middle of the night, let me know."
Yan Liangrong: "Mm."
The next day, Yan Liangrong sat up in bed, exhausted. She touched the bedding beside her—it was cold; Zheng Chun must have already gone to work.
The maid Cui Nong knocked and entered, attending to Yan Liangrong's washing and dressing.
After everything was done, Yan Liangrong sat silently before the mirror.
Cui Nong asked softly, "Madam, shall I bring in breakfast now?"
Yan Liangrong shook her head—she had no appetite.
She and Zheng Chun had been married for ten years. From the initial sweetness and passion to the present mutual respect, she had always believed their feelings had simply entered a new phase.
But yesterday, in that little courtyard, the vibrant, overflowing joy seemed to mock her.
Yan Liangrong's eyes stung with bitterness. She opened her mouth and tried to make a sound, only to find her voice hoarse.
She must have caught a chill yesterday.
"Cui Nong." Yan Liangrong took a sip of hot tea to moisten her dry throat.
Cui Nong stepped closer: "Madam."
Yan Liangrong's gaze drifted, and she said in a low voice, "Help me find out about someone."
Yan Liangrong gave Cui Nong the girl's address and appearance in detail. Cui Nong lowered her head and replied, "Yes."
Yan Liangrong cautioned, "Apart from you and me, don't let anyone in the household know. Including the master and the young master."
Cui Nong was startled for a moment, then lowered her eyes and replied, "Yes."
Cui Nong walked to the door, then couldn't help but look back at Yan Liangrong. The madam doesn't want the master or the young master to know, and she's asking about a young, beautiful girl—could it be that... the master's old flame has been rekindled?
...
In this society, everyone knows everyone. Cui Nong spent some money and asked around among the villagers, and got everything she needed in no time.
The girl's name was Ying Li. She was sixteen years old. Her parents had died when she was very young, and she had lived with her grandfather. About three years ago, her grandfather passed away. Her relatives didn't want to raise her, so they dragged her to the street and planned to sell her to some wealthy household as a maidservant.
At that time, Zheng Chun happened to pass by. Seeing that the girl was only thirteen and pitiful, he spent money to rescue her. He then hired an embroiderer to teach her embroidery.
The villagers all said that Ying Li was lucky to have met a benefactor—someone who gave her money for food, paid for her to learn embroidery, and taught her to read and write.
They said that Zheng Chun came to visit Ying Li every now and then—sometimes staying for half an hour, sometimes spending half a day there.
About a year ago, Zheng Chun brought Zheng Ke along, and Ke'er and Ying Li hit it off immediately. From then on, the three of them would gather in the little courtyard every few days to play and enjoy themselves.
Ying Li—a young woman—regularly meeting with a thirty-year-old married man and his son gradually led the villagers to assume that Ying Li was Zheng Chun's kept mistress on the side.
At this point, Cui Nong worried that Yan Liangrong would be upset, so she hurriedly added, "Madam, please don't be sad. The 'kept mistress' talk is just the villagers' guess—there's no truth to it at all. I can tell that things between Ying Li and the master are innocent."
Yan Liangrong gave a bitter smile: "Is that so?"
"Absolutely true!" Cui Nong said urgently. "Madam, I specifically asked the aunt next door to Ying Li's place. She said that last month, when her son got married, Ying Li came to help with the wedding. While they were alone in the kitchen, the aunt teased Ying Li about it, and Ying Li blushed bright red—clearly she's still an innocent young girl. She definitely hasn't been through anything like that.
Madam, I think the master simply saw that Ying Li was a young girl with no one to rely on, being bullied by her relatives. He felt sorry for her, so he decided to help—nothing more than that."
Yan Liangrong shook her head. "You may go now."
Cui Nong nodded and quietly withdrew.
The room fell silent. Yan Liangrong sat alone before the mirror, gazing quietly at her own reflection.
Yesterday, she had seen that expression—the girl's full-hearted investment and the adoration overflowing from deep within her. And Zheng Xun hadn't seemed entirely indifferent either.
At the very least, his behavior had crossed a line.
If his behavior crossed the line, then what about his heart?
Yan Liangrong propped her head on her hand. A sourness rose from the depths of her heart and slowly flooded over her chest.
Suddenly, she felt so tired.
A sense of exhaustion and powerlessness that seemed to have accumulated over many, many years burst forth at this moment, soaking through her entire body.
...
On his day off, Yan Tongshu came to Qian Ji Silk Shop.
Two days later was the Emperor's birthday.
This was the first birthday since the Emperor had ascended the throne, so it naturally had to be a grand affair.
As a third-rank minister and one of the Emperor's favored officials, Yan Tongshu was naturally on the guest list for the palace celebration.
Since he was going to the palace to celebrate the Emperor's birthday, he naturally had to bring a gift.
Yan Tongshu casually perused the fabrics.
When the boss has a birthday, the employees bring gifts—something decent would do.
She was the upright Lord Yan, an incorruptible official who knew nothing of worldly pleasantries and had no money.
Chen Meirong heard that Yan Tongshu had arrived. She had been helping Qian Buping in the back, checking newly arrived fabrics, and immediately came out: "Tongshu, whose gift are you picking out this time? Let me help you with some ideas."
Yan Tongshu lowered his voice and whispered in Chen Meirong's ear: "The Emperor."
Chen Meirong's eyes went wide at once, and she lowered her voice. "That's not proper, is it? That's the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, the highest of the high. Everything he wears is imperial tribute. I'm afraid our fabrics here won't be good enough for him."
Yan Tongshu waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, Auntie. With that many gifts coming in, the Emperor never inspects them personally. It's the eunuchs and the inner treasury staff who do the counting."
"Oh, is that so?" Chen Meirong still looked uneasy. "But just a few bolts of cloth—won't that come off as too stingy?"
Yan Tongshu said, "Auntie, you don't understand. There's a real art to giving gifts to the Emperor."
Yan Tongshu absolutely refused to admit she was being cheap, so she covered for herself: "Think about it—how much is our official salary in a year? If we sent something too lavish or too expensive, the Emperor would suspect we've been skimming off the people's sweat and blood. So we can't send anything valuable; it has to be plain and unadorned, to show our integrity."
Chen Meirong let out a soft gasp. "My, my, so many rules when it comes to sending the Emperor a gift."
She glanced around, dissatisfied with the bolts on the counter, and pulled Yan Tongshu toward the back courtyard. "Come, come—we just got a new shipment in the back. Expensive ones, cheap ones, mid-range ones, all sorts. Take a good look and see if anything suits."
In the back courtyard stood a dozen wooden display racks piled with all kinds of fabrics.
For a gift to the Emperor, the price could be low, but the patterns couldn't violate any taboos.
Yan Tongshu could only force herself to pick through them slowly. Bored after a while, she chatted with Chen Meirong as she sorted: "Auntie, has Liangyu been spending a lot of time with Pei Jin'an lately?"
Chen Meirong smoothed a length of satin in her hands. "You mean that little shadow of hers?"
"Yes. I've run into them on their outings more than once." Yan Tongshu pulled out a roll and set it aside for a final round of selection.
Chen Meirong said, "You know me—I've never been good at reading fine threads of feeling. I honestly can't make sense of Liangyu's tangled thoughts. But she said she'd cleared it with Pei Jin'an in advance. He's helping her provoke the Zhou family into getting anxious, so she can take the chance to figure out what Zhengxun is thinking."
Yan Tongshu had heard about this from Yan Liangyu as well.
But still…
An image of the look on Pei Jin'an's face when he watched Liangyu surfaced in Yan Tongshu's mind. She felt that Pei Jin'an was "using the opportunity to worm his way in with ill intentions." Those two were bound to be a complicated story.
Yan Tongshu hoped Liangyu would meet a good man and be happily married.
But since nothing was settled yet, she didn't want to speculate out loud, so she changed the subject: "I think Liangyu has almost fully stepped out of the Zhou family's shadow. Once the engagement is called off after the New Year, I'm sure she'll find a good husband soon."
"And what about you?" Chen Meirong peered at her from across a bolt of brocade, teasing. "Tongshu, you're already twenty-two, and aside from Pearl, there isn't even a girl by your side. I just don't understand—how come you and your elder sister aren't worried? If it were me, I'd be beside myself with anxiety."
Yan Tongshu had nothing to say to that.
Here she'd been, minding her own business—how did the fire suddenly land on her?
