After finishing his words, Zhen Heng couldn’t bear to face his father’s teasing gaze and practically fled back to his study.
The study was bright and tidy, filled with a faint fragrance of ink. The melodious birdsong from the branches outside the window added a touch of liveliness to the tranquil atmosphere.
Zhen Heng wasn’t usually an impulsive person. In front of others, he always maintained a calm and unruffled demeanor, which earned him the title of “Young Master Jade.” This time, he had indeed acted on impulse, but far from feeling regretful afterward, he felt elated deep down. He almost wanted to hum along with the birds chirping outside the window, feeling that the sunshine was brilliant and the scenery infinitely beautiful.
Zhen Heng approached his desk and retrieved a scroll from a hidden compartment, slowly unrolling it. He gazed at the snow-skinned, raven-haired young woman in the painting, and couldn’t help but smile gently as he looked.
Their meeting must have been destined by heaven to have such a coincidence.
During dinner, Madam Zhen couldn’t help but say to Zhen Shicheng, “Why do I feel like Heng is floating when he walks today? He doesn’t look as composed as before at all.”
Zhen Shicheng smiled and stroked his beard, “Young men shouldn’t be too serious.”
Madam Zhen was a clever woman. Hearing this, she caught his meaning and glanced sideways at Zhen Shicheng, “What do you mean by that? Are you two hiding something from me?”
Zhen Shicheng dismissed the maids standing nearby and said, “I’ve found a suitable young lady—”
“What?” Before Zhen Shicheng could finish, Madam Zhen grabbed his ear, “You’ve found a suitable young lady? Huh, I didn’t know you still had such ideas at your age. I see you don’t want to keep this beard of yours. Perhaps I should burn it off with a candle later.”
Zhen Shicheng winced in pain, “Let go, at least let me finish speaking. We’ve been married for so long, don’t you have any trust in me?”
Madam Zhen released her grip with a stern face.
Zhen Shicheng rubbed his ear, “What I meant was, I’ve found a nice young lady that I think would make a good daughter-in-law for our Heng.”
“That’s more like it.” Madam Zhen sighed in relief. After calming down and pondering for a moment, she became angry again, “Is this why Heng was acting so strangely today? Don’t tell me you’ve already mentioned this to him?”
“Ah.” Zhen Shicheng tried to evade the question, not daring to admit he had brought it up many times before.
Madam Zhen poked Zhen Shicheng, “You’ve done it this time. How could you not discuss such an important matter with me? What’s the young lady’s background? What’s her personality like? What about her family? There are so many things we need to investigate carefully. How could you be so careless as to tell Heng? Wait a minute—”
At this point, Madam Zhen’s heart sank, and she said menacingly, “I know Heng’s temperament well. He wouldn’t be pleased just because you mentioned it a few times. Unless—”
Seeing that he couldn’t hide it anymore, Zhen Shicheng admitted honestly, “I took Heng to meet the young lady today.”
“What!” Madam Zhen’s face darkened with anger, “Zhen Shicheng!”
Zhen Shicheng quickly glanced outside and pleaded, “Lower your voice, it’s not good if the maids hear.”
Madam Zhen sneered, “So what if they hear? It’s not like they haven’t seen you kneeling on the washboard before.”
Zhen Shicheng: “…”
“How could you so casually take Heng to meet the young lady? Come to think of it, a family that would so rashly let their daughter meet Heng must not be very proper—”
“No, I had Heng disguise himself as a servant,” Zhen Shicheng explained, risking his life.
Madam Zhen was so angry she couldn’t speak.
“If you think it’s inappropriate, we can forget about it. We’ll consider other suitable candidates in the future. Besides, Heng doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to get married,” Zhen Shicheng said, taking a step back.
Hearing this, Madam Zhen became displeased, “How can we let Heng decide on such an important matter as marriage? Just because he says he’s not in a hurry, we should wait? He’s not getting any younger. All he does is read books and wander around all day. How is that proper?”
Bringing up her son’s attitude towards marriage, Madam Zhen’s anger subsided. She was truly worried that her son would delay marriage until he was well into his twenties. Since both father and son seemed to approve of this young lady, perhaps she was indeed quite good.
“Which family is this young lady from?” she asked.
Hearing that his wife was interested, Zhen Shicheng quickly explained Jiang Si’s situation in detail.
After listening, Madam Zhen frowned, “I’ve heard about this Miss Jiang when chatting with other ladies.”
Her reputation didn’t seem very good. She had broken off an engagement before, and she had grown up without a mother’s guidance. As for the Earl of Dongping’s title being revoked after three generations, Madam Zhen didn’t care much about that.
The Zhen family was originally just an ordinary wealthy household. She and Zhen Shicheng were neighbors who grew up together. Later, Zhen Shicheng entered officialdom through the imperial examinations and gradually rose through the ranks with his outstanding abilities. Only then did the Zhen family squeeze into their current social circle.
After hearing Madam Zhen’s concerns, Zhen Shicheng smiled dismissively, “That’s just women’s talk, always focusing on these trivial matters.”
Hearing this, Madam Zhen became displeased, “How is this women’s talk? Doesn’t every family consider these things when choosing a daughter-in-law?”
Zhen Shicheng rarely spoke seriously to his wife, “Meinian, a young lady like Miss Jiang is someone who could step up and support the family if we ever face any misfortune.”
Their family wasn’t one of those long-established great clans with deep heritage. It could be said that their current status was achieved through his efforts alone. In his view, a daughter-in-law who could support the family in times of trouble was far more important than being gentle and obedient.
After hearing this, Madam Zhen remained silent for a long time, finally agreeing with Zhen Shicheng’s words, “If that’s the case, I’ll find an opportunity to meet Miss Jiang.”
Zhen Shicheng’s visit led to Jiang Si being summoned to the Hall of Compassion.
“Grandmother, did you need me for something?” Jiang Si asked after paying her respects to Old Madam Feng.
Old Madam Feng observed Jiang Si, noticing her calm demeanor that revealed little emotion. She was slightly shocked.
Could it be that she had misjudged this granddaughter all along? This quiet girl turned out to have such depth, even catching the eye of the Prefect of Shuntian.
Not all noble families were the same. Some had prestigious lineages and significant influence at court, naturally attracting everyone’s admiration. But families like the Earl of Dongping, who were far removed from the center of the court and only received regular salaries, were far less glamorous than officials with real power.
This was also why Old Madam Feng favored the second branch of the family more. Second Master Jiang held the position of Deputy Director of the Imperial Stud, a fourth-rank official who could be truly useful in times of need.
Old Madam Feng had always looked more favorably upon the second branch, but after Jiang Qian’s disgraceful return to her maiden home, her thoughts had subtly changed. Now, seeing that Jiang Si had quietly caught the attention of a third-rank official, and remembering how the Marquis of Yongchang’s heir had personally escorted Jiang Si home not long ago, her attitude towards Jiang Si immediately changed.
Hearing Jiang Si’s question, Old Madam Feng revealed a loving smile, “It’s nothing. Grandmother just remembered that your maternal grandmother’s birthday is coming up soon. I’ll have the steward buy some fabrics later. You can choose a few pieces you like and have some nice clothes made. Oh, and you should get some new jewelry too. When you have time, go browse at the Treasure Pavilion. If you see anything you like, buy it and charge it to the Earl’s account.”
“Thank you, Grandmother. I understand,” Jiang Si replied.
Thinking of her maternal grandmother’s birthday, Jiang Si couldn’t help but look forward to it.
She would soon be able to see her elder sister.