Chapter 30: The Robe Prince Chen Sent You?

Chapter 30: The Robe Prince Chen Sent You?

Madam Zheng smiled, relieved. "Jinyu, you're so sensible."

Zheng Jinyu gave a faint smile. "But what if Prince Chen doesn't like Sister Jinxiu?"

"That won't do. Prince Chen is close to your elder brother and often visited our house in the past. He's always had a soft spot for Jinxiu since they were young. I believe they have feelings for each other."

"Then has he always known about the arranged marriage between him and Jinxiu?"

Madam Zheng's smile froze for a moment before she resumed her grin. "He is indeed smitten with Jinxiu. Jinyu, you don't know Prince Chen, nor do you have any feelings for him. It's different for your sister Jinxiu; she genuinely cares for him. If the marriage were to switch to you, the rumors would be disastrous, and she wouldn't be able to live it down."

Zheng Jinyu nodded, her face filled with sorrow. "Mother is right. At the last Lotus Appreciation Banquet, I heard the other young ladies talking about how Sister Jinxiu is destined to marry Prince Chen as his princess. I suppose everyone in the capital knows by now, don't they? If this marriage doesn't go through, Sister would become the laughingstock of the entire city."

Madam Zheng agreed. "That's the reality. So, can you understand where Mother is coming from?"

"Yes, I understand Mother's predicament, so..." Zheng Jinyu pondered before saying, "Mother, please wait a moment."

"What is it?"

"Please have a seat and wait here for a moment," comforted Zheng Jinyu as she helped her mother settle down. Then, she hurriedly went inside to change out of her current attire.

She also selected another set of clothes from the wardrobe and carried them with her.

"Mother, please take these two outfits to the Princess's residence for me," she requested.

Mrs. Zheng looked puzzled. "To the Princess's residence?"

"Yes, since it's Sister who is betrothed to Prince Chen, I cannot accept the two sets of clothing he sent me," explained Zheng Jinyu.

"What?" Madam Zheng shot up in surprise. "The two outfits you wore back were gifts from Prince Chen?"

Zheng Jinyu nodded softly. "Yes, Ama Xu said she left in a hurry and didn't bring any clothes with her. I've been wearing the Fang family's clothes since then. They were patched, torn, and dirty, and they didn't fit well. When Prince Chen saw them, he went to the local tailor's shop and bought me these two sets of clothing."

"This... How can a young lady accept clothes from an unrelated man? A man giving clothes to a woman usually implies..." Madam Zheng's face tensed, but she didn't finish her sentence.

Zheng Jinyu spoke timidly, "Mother, I didn't know about such rules. Back then, I didn't know about the connection between Prince Chen and our family; I didn't even recognize him. I thought he was like an older brother, related to us. Besides, Brother asked me to accept them."

Madam Zheng was taken aback once more. "Your brother asked you to accept them?"

Zheng Jinyu nodded.

Mrs. Zheng's mind spun into chaos, filled with jumbled thoughts.

Prince Chen had sent her clothes, and Eldest Master had agreed to it – what was the meaning behind this?

If he wanted to help her look less shabby and more presentable before returning home out of pity, shouldn't Eldest Master be the one to buy them?

They had plenty of people at their disposal; they could have easily asked any attendant to make the purchase. So why did Prince Chen have to be involved?

Through his hands, the gesture assumes a different significance.

Madam Zheng regarded the garment in her hand and said, "Keep it with you for now. Don't wear it. We'll wait until your elder brother and Prince Chen return to discuss further."

"Yes, I'll follow Mother's advice."

"Also, don't mention that Prince Chen gifted you this dress. Don't tell anyone, especially your sister."

"Alright, I won't say anything." She might not speak of it, but Zheng Jinxiu had already surmised the situation.

...

Mr. Zheng brought up the matter of Zheng Jinyu's family recognition ceremony once again.

Initially, Mrs. Zheng had planned to hold it this month, but with the Imperial Princess incident occurring, she wished to postpone it.

"There's no rush. This is a significant event that requires the whole family to be present. We'll wait for Eldest Brother to return before proceeding."

Saying that they were waiting for Zheng Hongyan's return was more like she was actually waiting for Xie Peiyu to come back.

Master Zheng was puzzled. "Why must we wait for him to return? Wars are unpredictable; who knows how long it will take him to come back?"

Madam Zheng replied, "There's no rush. Jinyu is currently learning the guqin from Master Little Ji. Jinyu is clever; she can learn a great deal within a year or so. When the time comes for her to acknowledge her family ties, having a daughter skilled in the arts of the qin, qi, shu, and hua will bring us honor, wouldn't it?"

Master Zheng pondered for a moment, stroking his beard as he nodded with a smile. "Hmm, that's true. It would be an excellent opportunity to showcase our Jinyu and perhaps secure a fine marriage for her."

Madam Zheng's expression froze at the mention of a good marriage, as it was a headache-inducing topic for her.

When it came to this matter, her thoughts were in disarray.

All she could do was wait for her eldest son and Prince Chen to return, so she could seek clarification before proceeding.

"Child, it's still early. Let's discuss this matter another time. Now, sleep."

...

Qiu Ju and Zhang Dezhi had been expelled from the Zheng household for nearly a week. Chunmei couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness whenever she thought about Qiu Ju's situation.

After much contemplation, she sought out Zheng Jinyu.

"Miss Second, Qiu Ju has been gone for nearly a week now. I wonder how she's faring. This servant wishes to pay her a visit."

"Oh?" Zheng Jinyu inquired, surprised. "Didn't you resent her for cunningly scheming against you? Why do you want to see her now?"

"We entered the household together, and we've known each other for years. Even though she wronged this servant, I... still feel the need to see her."

In truth, she was somewhat guilt-ridden over Qiu Ju's final words.

It was true that Qiu Ju had plotted against her, but Qiu Ju's claim that she spoke ill of her and betrayed her in front of Miss Second was also factual.

Zhang Dezhi was known for his viciousness and, given that Qiuju had been expelled from the Zheng household because of him, he was undoubtedly unkind to her.

Over the years, Chunmei had managed to save a little pocket money. She wanted to send it to Qiuju, hoping it would improve her situation, if only slightly, to ease her own conscience.

Zheng Jinyu consented to her visit. "Go ahead, but stop by Lu's Pastry Shop on your way and get me some red bean cakes. Make sure you're back before the curfew."

Chunmei hastily expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Second Miss."

It was much more convenient to leave the estate under the pretense of purchasing items for Miss.

Chunmei had already inquired that Zhang Dezhi had been severely beaten and was now incapacitated. Despite his wrongdoing, Lady had shown mercy due to his father's sake and allowed them to temporarily reside in an unused two-compound residence in the western part of the city, giving him time to recover before returning to his hometown.

With time running short, Chunmei first went to buy red bean cakes for Miss and then hurried to the dilapidated temple to find Qiu Ju, lest she miss her chance to purchase them.

To her surprise, the Lu's Cake Shop was bustling with business, and she had to wait in line for quite some time before managing to buy the cakes. After securing them, she carefully placed the delicacies in her basket and hastened her way to the rundown temple.

By then, the sky was nearly dark. She stealthily made her way to the secluded West Street and found the dilapidated courtyard she was looking for.

As she was about to approach the main entrance, she saw a familiar figure coming from another direction.

Chunmei was startled and hurriedly hid herself.

Upon hearing the creak of the gate being forced open, Madam Zhou and her son entered the small courtyard one after another. Only then did Chunmei dare to emerge from the alley.

Strange, why were they here?

Chunmei followed cautiously, and as soon as she entered, she heard Qiuju's voice coming from inside.

"Rest assured, I've administered the medicine you gave, he shouldn't be waking up anytime soon."