Madam Niu was the first to recover, smiling as she accepted his greeting and beckoned to Sang Fourteen: “Come sit here with Auntie.”
“Brother Sang!” Seventh Miss Niu’s eyes lit up as she abandoned Ying’ying Ji, covering three steps in two bounds, rushing happily to Sang Fourteen’s side, overjoyed. “Brother Sang, you’ve come to watch the brocade competition too?”
The moment Sang Fourteen saw her, his legs turned to jelly. Like a student facing his teacher, even his smile froze on his face as he answered softly, “Yes.”
He quickly glanced around the room, and seeing Ying’ying Ji sitting safely by the window, he relaxed and began looking for a way to excuse himself: “I heard Auntie was here and came specially to pay my respects. Ah, the competition has started, I won’t disturb you. Come, bring the things in.”
The attendant at the door handed the food boxes to the maids.
Several large boxes filled with cold bean jelly, cold noodles, egg cakes, leaf cakes, “three cannons,” baked flatbreads, sunflower seeds, and plum juice were quickly arranged on the table.
“Madam Niu, I’ve prepared some snacks and sweet drinks. If you need anything else, my servant is waiting outside at your disposal,” Sang Fourteen said with a broad smile, cupping his hands and preparing to slip away.
A son-in-law is half a son. Sang Fourteen’s thoughtfulness delighted Madam Niu to no end.
But Seventh Miss Niu’s expression changed: “Why do you always try to run away when you see me? Am I going to eat you?” She grabbed Sang Fourteen’s arm as she spoke.
Sang Fourteen felt his arm trapped as if in an iron grip, completely powerless. Feeling hatred, anger, and helplessness, he was dragged to the window by Seventh Miss Niu, unable to show any dissatisfaction, only able to weep internally. With a wife of such supernatural strength, how could he maintain authority as a husband? Where were those concubines who would either act coquettishly or seductively, looking up at him admiringly? That’s what being a husband should feel like! Damn you, Yang Three, I’m not just taking a knife in the ribs for you, I’m taking a knife to my heart!
Madam Niu and the Third and Fifth Misses exchanged smiles before turning back to watch the competition.
“This is Second Miss Ji from the Huanhua Dyehouse at Sandaoyan. Sister Ji, this is my betrothed husband, Fourteenth Young Master of the Sang family from the Chief Minister’s mansion.”
“Second Miss Ji pays her respects.” Sang Fourteen pretended not to know Ying’ying Ji as he greeted her, then tried to stand up, saying, “Seventh Miss, since you have female guests, I should take my leave. I’ll go now!”
He turned to leave, but Seventh Miss Niu’s hand landed on his shoulder, glaring at him: “Sit down and don’t you dare leave!”
She hadn’t even used much force, but Sang Fourteen felt as if a Lake Tai rock was pressing on his shoulder. When he tried to break free, Seventh Miss Niu pushed down, and his legs gave way, making him sit obediently.
Seventh Miss Niu dragged over a brocade stool and sat beside him, blocking his escape route. She pouted and sneered: “You think I don’t know? You must want to go accompany those concubines of yours. Tell me properly about whose brocade is on display, and I’ll let it slide!”
“You misunderstand.” Cold sweat broke out on Sang Fourteen’s back as he thought about how pitiful those concubines would be once she moved in. He smiled apologetically, “You know I’m good friends with Yang Three. I’m waiting to celebrate with him when the Yang family wins the Brocade King title again this year.”
Ying’ying Ji couldn’t be bothered about whether Sang Fourteen was pitiful or not, and took this opportunity to excuse herself: “Seventh Miss, now that you have Young Master Sang for company, I’ll go downstairs to watch the competition with my brother. Thank you for the comb you gave me. I’ll send a thank-you gift another day.”
Hearing her farewell, Seventh Miss Niu suddenly remembered the purpose of inviting her. She instinctively looked toward Fifth Miss. Between Second Miss Ji and Fifth Miss, she naturally sided with her sister.
Receiving her glance, Fifth Miss Niu smiled and said, “I heard Fourteenth Young Master went to the Qingyang Temple on the Double Ninth Festival. Why didn’t you invite Seventh Miss along? Were the chrysanthemums beautiful?”
This was permission to let Ying’ying Ji leave while keeping Sang Fourteen. Sister is so good, at understanding her thoughts. Seventh Miss Niu smiled sweetly: “Sister Ji, I’m sorry for the poor hospitality. Next time I’ll treat you to a meal at Sanhua Tower.”
Ying’ying Ji accepted with a smile and bid farewell to Madam Niu with Ying’er. As she left the chamber, she heard Seventh Miss Niu’s angry questioning: “You must have taken those concubines of yours to see the chrysanthemums, didn’t you?”
Yang Jingyuan was indeed close to Sang Fourteen. She recalled the farce at Qingyang Temple that day and couldn’t help but wonder. Why had Yang Jingyuan acted that way then? It didn’t seem entirely like he was just teasing Second Young Master Zhu.
“Miss, let’s go.” Ying’er had been standing inside for most of the morning, her heart hanging high with worry, eager to leave this troublesome place.
Interrupted in her thoughts, Ying’ying Ji also felt this wasn’t a place to linger and headed toward the stairs with Ying’er.
Halfway down the stairs, she saw Yang Jingyuan standing at the corner. Ying’ying Ji stopped: “Why are you here?”
You’re alright, that’s good. Seeing Ying’ying Ji emerge unharmed, Yang Jingyuan was completely relieved. He casually used Sang Fourteen as an excuse: “Sang Fourteen’s legs turn to jelly when he sees Seventh Miss Niu, so he dragged me along for moral support.”
Ying’ying Ji became even more confused: “If Young Master Sang is so afraid of seeing Seventh Miss Niu, why did he personally bring so many snacks and food?”
He was coerced and bribed by me… Yang Jingyuan was too embarrassed to take credit, so he found another excuse: “The Sang and Niu families are in-laws. Chief Minister Sang ordered him to come.”
Oh, the Prefecture Governor came, so Chief Minister Sang followed. A father’s orders cannot be disobeyed. With his mother-in-law here, Sang Fourteen should naturally come to pay his respects. Ying’ying Ji understood. She smiled slightly: “Seventh Miss Niu has a pure heart, she’s not as frightening as he thinks. Sang Fourteen misjudges her.”
Yang Jingyuan thought to himself, that’s because you haven’t seen her supernatural strength lifting huge rocks to break walls. Sang Fourteen is like a baby chick in her hands. He couldn’t tell Ying’ying Ji these things, so he kindly reminded her: “The Zhao family is engaged to the Niu family, and they specifically invited you upstairs. You and your brother should head home early.”
Why stay here and invite trouble?
Ying’ying Ji understood this reasoning. But that brocade piece was the final witness to her romance with Zhao Xiuyuan. She couldn’t bear to leave without seeing it. Let it be a final wish fulfilled. She looked gratefully at Yang Jingyuan and said: “Madam Niu is kind, and the Niu young ladies are courteous. It’s fine.”
Did the Niu family invite her just so Fifth Miss Niu could see her? Yang Jingyuan recalled Fifth Miss Niu, and goosebumps rose on his arms.
Seeing he said nothing more, Ying’ying Ji curtsied and went downstairs with Ying’er.
Yang Jingyuan watched her departing figure and grew dejected again. He unconsciously pressed his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Was she so unwilling to let go of Zhao Xiuyuan? Even knowing he would marry another, she still wanted to see how the Zhao family would win the Brocade King title.
Yang Jingyuan didn’t know what was wrong with himself, feeling as if he couldn’t let go of Ying’ying Ji. The moment the bamboo blinds fell, he had rushed to drag out Sang Fourteen.
He muttered self-mockingly: “How foolish.”
Ying’ying Ji was foolish, but wasn’t he just as foolish?
“Who’s foolish?”
A gentle female voice sounded above his head, and Yang Jingyuan’s eyes snapped open.
Fifth Miss Niu stood at the top of the stairs, her lake-blue skirt rippling slightly in the wind. With the sky behind her, the eyes visible above her veil were like a cat’s eyes, sparkling brilliantly.
“I knew Sang Fourteen wouldn’t have the courage to come see my sister alone,” Fifth Miss Niu giggled. As if seeing Yang Jingyuan confirmed her suspicions.
Yang Jingyuan immediately abandoned thoughts of Sang Fourteen and forced a laugh: “Fourteen bought too many snacks, so I helped him bring them over. Let him accompany Seventh Miss properly. I need to go back to accompany my mother.”
He quickly descended the stairs and headed along the corridor toward the Yang family’s chamber opposite, without looking back.
“I didn’t expect you would be the one rushing to rescue Second Miss Ji,” Fifth Miss Niu gazed at the empty staircase, smiled, and turned to go back.