Chapter 93: Setting the Wedding Date

Chapter 93: Setting the Wedding Date

Lin Yingxue heard her mother return but forced herself not to go out and check. She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep well.

At one moment, she dreamed of her mother shedding tears and kicking over the footstool, hanging from a white silk noose, swaying back and forth; at another, she dreamed of her mother leaving the capital city for Tongwu County, living in melancholy; and then, she dreamed of her mother shaving her head, clasping her hands together, and becoming a nun.

Lin Yingxue frowned, unable to break free from the nightmare.

Finally, Ye Zi noticed her mistress's state and gently shook Lin Yingxue, pulling her out of the nightmare.

Lin Yingxue couldn't hide her fatigue. "What time is it?"

"Three knocks just sounded," Ye Zi said, handing water to Lin Yingxue's lips.

Lin Yingxue moistened her lips.

After Lin Yingxue finished drinking, Ye Zi wanted to pour another cup, but Lin Yingxue waved her hand.

Ye Zi put down the cup and began to massage Lin Yingxue's head.

Wherever she pressed, it hurt. Ye Zi's touch was slightly heavy, but it eased the sharp pain into a dull ache.

"Much better," Lin Yingxue said, indicating that Ye Zi could stop.

After massaging Lin Yingxue, Ye Zi started to light incense.

Lin Yingxue asked curiously, "Where did you get the incense?"

"It's the calming incense prepared by Master," Ye Zi replied. "He said it might come in handy, and now it has."

Lin Yingxue wasn't sleepy at the moment. She didn't get up but leaned against the bed frame, looking toward the window, as if trying to see her mother through the window and learn about Wen Hui's condition.

Ye Zi whispered, "When Lady returned, her complexion was very good."

Lin Yingxue didn't ask further, so Ye Zi didn't pry into Wen Hui's condition, though she had seen Wen Hui's rosy cheeks, which made her already beautiful makeup even more radiant.

Lin Yingxue turned her head and asked softly, "Did you wait by the door?"

Ye Zi shook her head. "I just happened to be carrying water when I met Lady, who smiled at me."

Lin Yingxue chatted with Ye Zi, deliberately avoiding thoughts of Lin Yi and her mother. Perhaps the calming incense worked, and her eyelids gradually grew heavy.

Seeing Lin Yingxue getting drowsy, Ye Zi folded a warm towel and placed it over her eyes, gently massaging her scalp.

Lin Yingxue's long hair, originally tied up on top of her head, was now let down, cascading over the bed.

As Ye Zi tiptoed away, she thought how beautiful Lin Yingxue's eyes were when open, and how serene and lovely she looked when asleep. No wonder Master always enjoyed teasing her.

Lin Yingxue slept restlessly in the first half of the night, but after waking once, she slept soundly.

When she opened her eyes, Wen Hui had already risen and was watching Ou Mama take her medicine.

Ou Mama, who couldn't stay idle, claimed she felt much better after taking her medicine and stood up energetically.

Lin Yingxue blushed when she realized someone had come to visit while she hadn't finished breakfast. She wanted to skip it, but Wen Hui said, "Eat two more dumplings, rinse your mouth with tea later, and have some pastries."

Lin Yingxue reluctantly ate the steamed dumplings and quickly ate a seedless green plum to mask the taste in her mouth.

Soon, Lin Yingxue realized her decision was wise because the visitors were Lady Song from the Pei family, Pei Qinghe, and a matchmaker hired by the Pei family.

/

Last night, Pei Jin had sent Wen Hui back and then woke up the sleeping Lady Song.

Lady Song had been asleep for half an hour, deeply in slumber, but upon hearing her son call, she had hot water brought to wash her face.

Pei Jin bowed to Lady Song. "Mother has already rested, but I come to disturb you, truly unfilial of me."

Lady Song replied, "It's fine, I just fell asleep. What's the matter?"

Pei Jin's hands opened and closed as he spoke to Lady Song. "In a moment of urgency, I confessed my admiration to Wen Hui and proposed to visit early tomorrow to propose marriage."

Pei Jin concealed that Wen Hui had initiated the conversation, saying he had spoken first.

Initially, Pei Jin was tense, but as he mentioned the proposal, his voice softened, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Really?" Lady Song's spirits lifted, and she became fully awake.

She kept smiling. "Good, good, good. Is Qinghe still asleep? Never mind, wake her up. She must hear this good news."

Before Pei Qinghe arrived, Pei Jin also mentioned Lin Yi's poem and how it had been spread in Jin Ling's pleasure boats.

"What a rogue," Lady Song said, disapproving of Lin Yi, and reminded her son, "Wen Hui surely has no interest in that rogue. You mustn't have any prejudice against Wen Hui."

"If I had any prejudice, I wouldn't seek to marry her."

"Yes, yes, yes," Lady Song nodded, tapping her cane on the ground, making a thumping sound. "Our Qilin is far superior to that rogue in every way. When the time comes, we will ensure Wen Hui marries with great pomp, making Lin Yi feel choked inside."

"The details of the ceremony haven't been decided yet," Pei Jin said. "I want it to be grand or simple, depending on Wen Hui's wishes."

"That's right!" Lady Song nodded eagerly. "We should follow Wen Hui's wishes."

Pei Jin added, "There is one point: the wedding must be quick. Jinyuan is being posted elsewhere, and I want to complete the wedding before he leaves."

"Good, good, good," Lady Song nodded again.

She couldn't wait to propose the next day and bring the bride home the day after. Her son had finally agreed to remarry, and she feared losing this opportunity.

Pei Qinghe hadn't slept and, upon hearing the message, hurried over in her undergarments, wearing a long robe and a cloak.

She didn't expect to find Pei Jin in her grandmother's room and paused, feeling uneasy.

Old Lady Song beckoned to Pei Qinghe, "Come here, Qinghe. Your father has proposed to Lady Wen tonight."

Pei Qinghe immediately put aside her discomfort over her inappropriate attire and said with bright eyes, "Really? That's wonderful, so wonderful! When will we go to propose?"

Pei Jin had long known that both his mother and daughter were willing to accept Lady Wen. Seeing their consistent eagerness, he finally felt at ease.

"Tomorrow," Old Lady Song smiled, "Although the matchmaker’s office won’t be open tomorrow morning, I happen to know where one lives. I’ll go early in the morning to invite them. Qinghe, I have good news for you: your father also mentioned that he plans to proceed quickly."

Pei Qinghe wanted to join them the next day. After some thought, Old Lady Song agreed but immediately sent her back to bed, "We’ll leave very early tomorrow. Go to sleep now."

How could Pei Qinghe refuse? After returning to her room, she bathed and changed, then obediently pulled the covers over herself and lay down.

On the contrary, Old Lady Song couldn’t sleep. After sending her son to rest, she went to her husband’s memorial tablet. She gently wiped it and spoke to him at length.

"I told you before that the Lady Wen our son has his eye on is very good. Now she has agreed to marry him and will become Jin’s wife before I close my eyes."

"Lady Wen shouldn’t have decided so quickly, but perhaps Lin Yi’s poem made her more determined. Good for her. Why should she wait for him? She should remarry and find someone even better."

"When our daughter-in-law comes through the door, I’ll have her light a stick of incense for you. You can finally rest easy."

Tears welled up in the old lady’s cloudy eyes, dripping onto the memorial tablet. She carefully wiped them away.

After placing the tablet back, Old Lady Song said, "I need to rest early; we’re leaving early tomorrow."

The next morning, after having breakfast with her granddaughter, they went to the matchmaker’s place, found the person, and then proceeded to Lady Wen’s residence.

Seeing Lin Yingxue, Old Lady Song smiled and said, "Yingxue is here too, how convenient. There’s no need for Lady Wen to tell you about her marriage."

Lin Yingxue had already guessed that her mother had gone to see Lord Pei last night, but she never imagined that the marriage would be settled so quickly, and the proposal would take place today.

She couldn’t help but look at her mother, who seemed somewhat uneasy, nudging her daughter’s face with her finger, "Take Qinghe to your room to play."

Lin Yingxue understood her mother’s unease and took Pei Qinghe’s hand, "Come to my room and sit down."

Pei Qinghe was somewhat reluctant; she wanted to hear the details of the wedding. But Lin Yingxue said, "After the wedding, you’ll be my sister. We can talk as sisters."

Pei Qinghe’s eyes lit up. She had always envied Lin Yingxue for being Lady Wen’s daughter, and now that she called Lady Wen mother, wouldn’t Lin Yingxue be her sister?

With this thought, she clutched Lin Yingxue’s hand and followed her into the room.

Once inside, Lin Yingxue served tea and pastries before saying, "What did Lord Pei say last night?"

"You still call him Lord Pei?" Pei Qinghe nudged Lin Yingxue’s arm, her eyes bright, "You should call him Father."

Lin Yingxue laughed, "Your father marrying my mother makes you happy, and me too, but if I really call him Father, Mother might be upset. After all, they aren’t married yet. The formal change of address should come after the ceremony when the two families unite."

"That makes sense," Pei Qinghe nodded, "Grandmother informed me last night. Father learned of Lady Wen’s heartache from a poem and talked to Mother, eventually proposing."

Lin Yingxue thought that the marriage proposal must have been initiated by her mother, but Pei Jin took the credit. With this thought, she smiled, "I went to bed early last night, and Mother didn’t tell me this good news. Sister, you used to visit Wanan at the Fu family, and now you come to talk to me."

Pei Qinghe was thrilled, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick, "Yes, yes, I’ll go tell Wanan the good news later."

While the two girls chatted, the marriage negotiations outside went smoothly. Lady Wen’s only elder was Auntie Ou, who had originally planned to mediate between the two. However, after a night’s sleep, Pei Jin had already proposed to her young mistress, and how could she refuse?

The wedding date was set for the first day of the following month, just half a month after the proposal.