Chapter 207

Chapter 207

After breakfast, Xiao Mu, Xiao Shouyi, and Xiao She headed to the Southern Camp. Xiao Yan took a long leave to relocate his father-in-law's grave and would return in a few days.

Xiao Yuchan was going to take Qi Yao to the Marquis’s residence for his studies.

Lin Ningfang glanced at the slight red swelling on Qi Yao's forehead and asked, "Usually, it's Jin Ping who sends Qi Yao. Why is it you sending him today, sister?"

Xiao Yuchan looked at her son and replied, "Don't worry, Third Auntie. I just want to ask clearly. If Qi Yao really fell on his own, I won't blame anyone else."

The six-year-old Qi Yao, feeling anxious, said, "I fell on my own, Mother. Please don't go asking."

Knowing that children at this age start to care about their pride, Xiao Yuchan thought for a moment and then relented, "Alright, I won't go. Go by yourself and listen carefully to your teacher."

Happy with his mother's decision, Qi Yao followed the maid Jin Ping out, turning back to look as he crossed the threshold.

Once the little one was gone, He Shi asked her daughter, "Do you think Qi Yao got into a fight?"

Xiao Yuchan replied, "Xiaoshan and Zhang Chao are older and know how to take care of the younger ones. Er Lang is honest and wouldn't provoke Qi Yao. But the eldest son is a bit of a bully. If the two of them get together, they might push each other around. Since Qi Yao is younger, he would probably lose in a fight. If the eldest son pushed him, I’d definitely spank the eldest son."

Lin Ningfang said, "It's possible, but it's also possible that Qi Yao accidentally fell. If you question the children directly, it might hurt Qi Yao’s pride."

He Shi agreed, "Yes, listen to your third auntie and don't rush."

Xiao Yuchan said, "...Then who should I ask? The eldest and second sisters-in-law aren’t supervising the children at school."

Lin Ningfang suggested, "Before Qi Yao comes home from school, he always says goodbye to the second sister-in-law. If you trust her, you can ask her."

Xiao Yuchan, understanding the temperament of Tong Sui, knew that even if it was Tong Shan’s son, the eldest son, who pushed Qi Yao, Tong Sui would admit it.

Thinking the children were already in class, Xiao Yuchan went to the Marquis’s residence herself. Hearing that Tong Sui was in the garden, Xiao Yuchan went there.

On a bright autumn morning, Xiao Yuchan walked past some flowering trees and found Tong Sui near the garden’s west wall.

Tong Sui was practicing archery, wearing a narrow-sleeved shirt and a quiver on her back with seven or eight arrows remaining.

Without a target, Tong Sui aimed at a red rope loop hanging from a tree fifty paces away. The loop was just wide enough to hold two arrows.

As the gentle breeze swayed the red rope loop, Tong Sui waited for it to be relatively still before releasing her arrows.

Xiao Yuchan watched silently until Tong Sui had shot all the arrows from her quiver.

A Fu ran to the tree to pick up the arrows, and Tong Sui continued her morning practice, needing to shoot three more rounds.

Tong Sui put down her bow and asked Xiao Yuchan, "You’re here about the bruise on Qi Yao’s forehead, aren't you?"

Xiao Yuchan replied, "Second Sister-in-law is becoming more and more like Second Brother. Nothing can be hidden from you."

Tong Sui said, "Then rest assured, during their break, the children were running around in the schoolhouse. Qi Yao tripped over a table leg in his hurry and really did fall by himself."

Relieved, Xiao Yuchan sighed, "I'm sorry for being so overprotective, but I only have Qi Yao as my child. Although he’s quite mischievous, there are many children at home. The eldest son is older, and I'm afraid Qi Yao might suffer at the hands of the eldest son without daring to tell me."

Tong Sui understood. When her elder brother Tong Rong was young, he was the leader of the village children. Every time he came home with injuries, their mother worried that he had been bullied, but in reality, he had just been climbing mountains and trees.

A Fu gathered the scattered arrows and returned, placing them back into the quiver behind Tong Sui.

Xiao Yuchan, puzzled, asked, "Now that peace has been achieved, why is Second Sister-in-law, a respected lady, still practicing archery? Aren't you afraid that Second Brother might not like the calluses on your hands?"

The last sentence was spoken teasingly.

Tong Sui smiled and whispered, "Do you know why a military inspector who went to Liangzhou ended up dead?"

Xiao Yuchan replied, "Yes, he was allegedly killed by a Wei commander who defied the imperial court."

Tong Sui said, "If a Wei commander dares to defy the imperial court, imagine what generals who command fifty or even a hundred thousand border troops might be thinking. Even if they are all willing to submit to the Emperor, there are still two emperors in the south. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, let alone three. There will be many more battles to come. We don’t know when the next war will break out, so we must always be prepared."

Xiao Yuchan sighed, "Sigh, hearing you say that makes my heart uneasy."

Tong Sui reassured her, "No need to panic. With the Emperor here, Luoyang is the safest place in the world right now."

Finishing her sentence, she resumed her aim.

Xiao Yuchan sat down on a nearby stone, watching her second sister-in-law shoot twenty arrows in a row, each one piercing straight through the red rope loop. She then thought about the old master at home, her father, and her four brothers, as well as her two supportive cousins, Tong Gui and Zhang Wengong, along with the Sun family brothers. The frustration in Xiao Yuchan’s chest immediately dissipated. She jumped up, ran over, and hugged Tong Sui from behind.

Tong Sui, feeling the sudden weight on her back, was left speechless.

Xiao Yuchan laughed, "I'm off to play. Second Sister-in-law, keep practicing. The better you become, the less I’ll worry."

Tong Sui's ears were still hot. She finally understood why Xiao Zhen enjoyed having her lie on him.

After a moment’s pause, Tong Sui resumed her archery practice. After finishing, she rested for two quarters of an hour before going to the front courtyard to listen to old Master Ma lecture her on the *Records of the Grand Historian*.

Tong Sui was very satisfied with Master Ma. In the past, when she asked Lin Ningfang to teach her, although Lin was willing, Tong Sui was always worried about taking up too much of Lin's time and disturbing her. Xiao Zhen was also often out from early morning till late at night, so Tong Sui felt bad about bombarding him with questions during his rest time. Now, since she was paying Master Ma to lecture her, she could ask as many questions as she wanted without feeling guilty.

The teacher and student were deeply engaged in their Q&A session when suddenly a wedding invitation was delivered from the Fan residence.

Fan Zhao was set to marry Pan Yuerou in five days.

Tong Sui was a little surprised, but then she thought, Fan Zhao had already proposed to the Pan family in May, and they had agreed. Since Pan Yong had returned with honors from Liangzhou and would become the deputy general of Hezhou after a half-month rest, it was only natural for the two families to hurry up and complete the wedding while Pan Yong was still in the capital.

The neighboring Duke's residence also received a wedding invitation.

Lin Ningfang remained calm, but Madam He and Xiao Yuchan managed to create the lively atmosphere of a group of seven or eight people just through their chat.

Madam He said, "Now I understand. When the Wang family was in Wei County, they were quite flattering towards us and had some thoughts of marrying their daughter to the Fourth or Fifth Son. But once they arrived in Luoyang, they didn’t even show their faces. It turns out they had climbed up to the Fan family! Alright, now she’s going to be a marquis's wife, which is even more prestigious than marrying into our family."

Xiao Yuchan added, "Fan Zhao is more than ten years older than her. It’s surprising she’s willing to marry him."

Lin Ningfang was left speechless.

Madam He continued, "Ningfang, the Pan family has become distant from us since they came to the capital. What do you think they’re thinking? Are they afraid that they won’t be valued in our family and thus decided to curry favor with the Fan family? Wang Shi has always been snobbish, flattering those who were better off and looking down on those who were not as good. She used to flatter me in the village all the time, but now that her daughter is a marquis's wife, will she hold a grudge against us and try to trample on those she used to flatter just to save face?"

Xiao Yuchan said, "If she dares, I’ll expose her matchmaker-like behavior of parading her daughter around the streets!"

Lin Ningfang interjected, "No, we shouldn’t. As long as the Pan family doesn’t provoke us, we shouldn’t bother with them. If the Pan family starts spreading rumors, our family is upright and won’t be afraid of her slander. Rumors will cease at the wise. But if we expose the Pan family’s shortcomings, it will not only embarrass them but also make the Fan family a laughing stock. That would create enmity with Commander Fan. It’s not worth creating an enemy over a verbal dispute."

Madam He said, "The Pan family has already been dissatisfied with us. Pan Yuerou will definitely not speak well of us in the Fan family. I think this enmity will form sooner or later."

Lin Ningfang replied, "The Pan family may act unwisely, but we cannot act unjustly. As long as we adhere to trust and righteousness, the Pan family will always owe the Xiao family a debt of gratitude for our support. The more they slander, the more contemptible they will seem to outsiders."

——

On the day of Fan Zhao’s wedding, everyone from the Xiao family attended except Xiao Yan. The women who attended were Tong Sui, Madam He, and Lin Ningfang.

The wedding of a duke or marquis’s family was similar to that of commoners, but more grand and luxurious, without the numerous ceremonial formalities of the palace.

The women gathered in the bridal chamber, watching the groom lift the bride’s veil.

Although Fan Zhao was thirty-three, he was still tall and upright with a dignified appearance, and he looked quite matched with the beautiful Pan Yuerou. Now, as the daughter of a second-rank deputy general, Pan Yuerou's family background was sufficient for her to marry into the marquis’s residence as a marquis’s wife.

After Fan Zhao left, the women gradually came over to congratulate Pan Yuerou.

When it was Tong Sui's turn, Pan Yuerou clenched her delicate white hands resting on her knees, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

Tong Sui didn't probe the authenticity of this expression, and with a smile, offered her congratulations, completed the formalities, and left.

Madam He really wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks, but since her daughter-in-law had previously explained the situation to her, she merely took a few more glances at Pan Yuerou.

As the three of them left one after another, Pan Yuerou looked up and saw Tong Sui's skirt flash by.

She smiled.

A hunter's daughter could become a marquis’s wife, and a blacksmith's daughter could too. The chaotic times were a hardship, but also an opportunity for women from humble families like them. Everyone would rely on their own means.

——

On the twelfth of July, Xiao Yan finally returned, followed by four mule carts carrying the coffins of Lin Ningfang's parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nephews and nieces.

The coffins had been selected in Luoyang and were of the finest quality.

If Lin Ningfang had wished, she could have taken the coffins back to the Lin family ancestral home to hold a funeral, but she declined the elder's suggestion. The deceased were already at rest, and her tears had long dried up. She only wanted to have her family buried in the ancestral tomb as soon as possible, rather than stirring up another round of discussions about the Lin and Xiao clans in Luoyang to demonstrate her filial piety.

The coffins were not brought into the city but were taken directly to the Lin family cemetery.

All the Xiao family members went, along with several old friends of the Lin family, led by Mr. Yan, who had come upon hearing the news to pay their respects.

Due to this simple funeral, the mood among the Xiao family remained somber for some time, until the latter part of the month when the marquis’s residence began preparing for Xiao Ye’s wedding, and the family gradually regained their happiness.

Xiao Ye's wedding was set for August sixteenth, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday for officials.

On the evening of August fifteenth, after the family had eaten dinner, Tong Sui and Liu Chu followed Lin Ningfang back to the eastern courtyard of the duke’s residence.

Lin Ningfang was puzzled.

The two sisters-in-law didn’t explain, only sent the maids away and guided Lin Ningfang into the inner chamber.

Ah Zhen, who had been waiting inside, took out a set of wedding clothes hidden in the wardrobe.

Lin Ningfang's fingers trembled.

With red-rimmed eyes, Ah Zhen said, "Third Master said that since you wouldn’t let him hold a grand makeup wedding ceremony for you, he could only do it quietly, with the two madams as your witnesses."

Lin Ningfang looked at the layers of the bright red wedding gown. Her lashes drooped, and tears fell.