Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Autumn Cicada
The sound of autumn cicadas echoed.
Mrs. Zhen couldn’t help but feel a bit irritable.
She truly did not understand Old Mrs. Hou’s thoughts, otherwise...
As long as her maternal family brought it up before the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion did, Mrs. Zhen would have undoubtedly pleaded with Old Mrs. Xia for consent.
Mrs. Zhen was a daughter of the Zhen Family, and she knew better than anyone how dear and lovable this family that raised her was.
Even if Old Mrs. Hou were to pass away ten or twenty years later, her two brothers and their wives would not mistreat Du Yunluo.
No other place could make Mrs. Zhen feel at ease like her maternal home.
Although she wouldn’t be marrying into the Capital, as long as Du Yunluo was well, Mrs. Zhen had nothing she was reluctant to let go of.
However, all of this was in the past; now, Du Yunluo was already betrothed.
Mrs. Zhen had met Mu Lianxiao, and aside from the uncertain future that made her a little worried, there was nothing about him that dissatisfied her.
Most importantly, her dear little girl liked him.
Thinking of the affectionate feeling in Du Yunluo’s eyes when she mentioned Mu Lianxiao, Mrs. Zhen could only accept it.
Her little girl’s happiness was the most important.
Mrs. Zhen gave a faint smile to Mrs. Wang, "I understand what you mean, second sister-in-law. Since Mother doesn’t like it, I won’t bring it up later."
Mrs. Wang, seeing that Mrs. Zhen understood, did not say more.
Instead, it was Mrs. Zhen who, after considering for a moment, cautiously asked, "Whom did Mother initially favor, Qian or Yuan?"
Mrs. Wang’s brow twitched, and she looked around to see the servants busy with their tasks and ensured no one heard their conversation before whispering, "Qian."
Mrs. Zhen understood.
Zhen Wenqian was Mrs. Chen’s eldest son, the eldest grandson of the Zhen family’s first branch, while Zhen Wenyuan was Mrs. Wang’s only son.
Old Mrs. Hou had the thought during the festive season but delayed telling Mrs. Zhen, likely because Mrs. Chen or Zhen Wenqian was unwilling to agree.
Mrs. Zhen glanced at Mrs. Wang. She knew Mrs. Wang’s character. Mrs. Wang disliked gossiping about family matters behind their backs; she merely hinted at matters to let her understand.
Even if Mrs. Wang wished for Du Yunluo as her daughter-in-law, since Old Mrs. Hou first mentioned Zhen Wenqian, regardless of Mrs. Chen’s response, Mrs. Wang wouldn’t interfere further.
In her heart, Mrs. Zhen felt a slight resentment towards Mrs. Chen’s reluctance but only slightly.
Marriage is all about fate.
In the end, it was just that Zhen Wenqian and her little girl were not destined to be together.
The maid from Yanxi Hall arrived, curtsying, "Madam, Madam, Old Master has returned to the mansion."
Mrs. Zhen lit up with joy, called for Du Yunluo, and went back to Yanxi Hall with Mrs. Wang.
Old Master Zhen was nearly seventy, his hair white, though his legs and feet were still nimble. He had many friends in Tong City and loved to visit them regularly.
Seeing his daughter and son-in-law, Old Master Zhen beamed with joy, and upon Du Yunluo paying her respects, he was even more delighted and wanted Du Yunluo to come closer so he could take a good look at her.
Du Yunluo stepped forward, catching a faint, familiar scent at the tip of her nose. She turned her eyes and asked, "Grandfather, were you out playing with the birds?"
Old Mrs. Hou laughed heartily, "Always saying the birds lack flavor, and yet Yunluo here can instantly smell it. Yunluo, your grandfather loves playing with birds and drinking."
"Such a keen nose!" Old Master Zhen chuckled, pointing at Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo smiled, her eyes gleaming, "Grandfather also loves playing with birds. He has a thrush named Yaya that he takes with him daily."
"My dear son-in-law is my kindred spirit!" Old Master Zhen was more delighted, urging Du Yunluo to detail stories about Yaya.
Old Mrs. Hou was both amused and exasperated, letting out a little snort, "Let him be, let him be!"
Du Yunluo pulled a small stool and sat by Old Master Zhen’s side, and Mrs. Chen’s daughter, Zhen Wenting, sidled up, grinning, "I want to listen too."
And so the conversation carried on until dinnertime.
Mrs. Chen arranged the meal; since it was all family, there was no need for formality. They set up two tables in the small Flower Hall.
Du Huaili, being the visiting son-in-law, was toasted by his two brothers-in-law and had to accompany the wine-loving Old Master Zhen, drinking quite a bit.
Mrs. Zhen kept glancing over, worried but unable to intervene.
Du Yunluo noticed her mother’s concern, and she too glanced several times across the table.
Due to the angle, each time she looked, she met Zhen Wenqian’s gaze. After several instances, she felt that his gaze was odd, though she couldn’t pinpoint what was off, so she simply lowered her head to avoid it.
After clearing the tables, Old Mrs. Hou exchanged a few words with Mrs. Zhen and said, "You’ve traveled a long way and must be tired. Go rest early. Huaili has had quite a bit of wine; I’ll send over some hangover soup later."
Mrs. Zhen acknowledged, then called someone to help the swaying Du Huaili.
Du Yunluo bid farewell to her elders and followed Mrs. Zhen away.
Mrs. Chen was to escort Old Mrs. Hou back, and Mrs. Wang followed to see off Mrs. Zhen’s family.
The crescent moon had yet to rise; though there were stars, they weren’t enough to light the path.
The maidservants carried lanterns before and after, lighting the way underfoot.
Halfway through, as the night wind rose, Jin Rui quickly fastened a cloak around Du Yunluo.
"Oh?" Jin Rui leaned in for a closer look, "Miss, your earring..."
Du Yunluo reached up to find her left ear bare; it seemed she had just carelessly lost it.
"I’ll go back and find it," Jin Rui said anxiously.
Du Yunluo shook her head, "I’ll go with you. You’re the only one who serves in my room; if you take a long time finding it, am I just to sit there alone like a fool?"
Mrs. Zhen was worried, but Du Huaili couldn’t be left unattended. Having drunk wine and exposed to the night wind, he might have a headache the next day, so it was better to return quickly. After some hesitation, she thought it was just the backyard of her maternal home and only a few steps away, so she nodded and let Nanny Zhao accompany them.
Jin Rui lifted a lantern, and Nanny Zhao supported Du Yunluo, searching as they walked.
As they passed through the Moon Gate, a gust of wind extinguished their lantern, but fortunately, the Flower Hall was not far, and the sight of its glowing lanterns reassured them.
Nanny Zhao said, "The path is dark and hard to walk. Miss, wait here; I’ll borrow a light from the Flower Hall and return for you."
Du Yunluo nodded, and Nanny Zhao instructed Jin Rui to take good care of her before heading towards the Flower Hall.
There were stars, and the Flower Hall could be seen from there, so waiting there for a while was not difficult.
Jin Rui held onto Du Yunluo, just about to speak when she noticed someone coming with a lantern from afar. Judging by the figure, it was either Zhen Wenqian or Zhen Wenyuan.
"Miss, should I call him over to lend us some light?"
Du Yunluo intended to nod but, recalling Zhen Wenqian’s ambiguous gaze during dinner, feared it was him and said, "Never mind, regardless of which cousin, they are headed to the front yard. We shouldn’t delay them. Standing here for a while, Nanny Zhao will be back soon."
Jin Rui obeyed Du Yunluo.
But before they could call out, it seemed the person had noticed Du Yunluo’s silhouette and approached with the lantern.
As he drew near, Du Yunluo recognized him as Zhen Wenqian.
She couldn’t help but feel somewhat regretful; how did it end up being him?
"Why stand here without a lantern?" Zhen Wenqian asked, puzzled, from several steps away.
Jin Rui curtsied in greeting.
Du Yunluo also paid her respects, saying, "I lost my earring and came back to look for it, but the wind blew out our lantern, and Nanny Zhao went to borrow a light from the Flower Hall, so we’re waiting here for her."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Wenqian raised the lantern slightly to illuminate the side of Du Yunluo’s face.
Her earlobe, like white jade, was bare.
"In that case, I’ll wait with you for Nanny Zhao’s return before departing," Zhen Wenqian said calmly.
