Chapter 15: Father Yan Comes (Part 2)

Chapter 15: Father Yan Comes (Part 2)

The guests at the Jie family had all arrived, including someone from the Quan family. The Quan and Jie families were old relatives; otherwise, Old Lady Quan wouldn't have chosen Jie Shi as her daughter-in-law back then.

Yao Niang heard someone say outside, "Second Master Quan and Young Seventh Master Quan have come together."

Today was very busy. Jie Shi helped the main hostess, Second Aunt, to receive guests. The old relatives were received by First Aunt because Yao Niang had rested here yesterday and could accompany her in receiving guests.

From time to time, a young man and a teenager would enter. First Aunt Jie exclaimed, "Second Cousin, you haven't changed a bit after all these years."

The leading young man walked up with a smile, "Elder Cousin, your charm remains unchanged."

"Your mouth is still as sweet." First Aunt Jie was over forty, but she was still delighted to hear compliments.

After exchanging pleasantries, Second Master Quan introduced the teenager beside him, "This is my nephew, Seventh Lang."

Quan Seventh Lang looked about ten years old, already with rosy lips and white teeth. First Aunt Jie happily gave him a pair of purses filled with silver ingots and said to Second Master Quan, "So many years have passed, and you're still not married? You're already thirty. Look at Lan You's daughter; she's eight years old now, and her eldest son has already become a scholar."

After saying this, First Aunt Jie asked Yao Niang to come over and greet them. Yao Niang quickly curtsied and said, "Greetings, Cousin Uncle."

Unexpectedly, Second Master Quan looked at her for a long time before smiling, "I've been practicing music in Minzhe for years. Time flies differently there. Niece, I came in a hurry, so I'll give you this jade pendant as a gift."

Yao Niang quickly replied, "Cousin Uncle, this is too precious. I dare not accept it."

As the saying goes, one should not accept favors without cause. Her grandmother didn't even let her mother go to the Quan family, so she didn't know what they were like. Looking at the quality of the jade pendant, it was clearly exceptional. She couldn't accept it.

Second Master Quan was pleasantly surprised by the girl's good upbringing and said, "This isn't much. Just take it. When an elder gives a gift, one must not refuse."

Yao Niang glanced at First Aunt Jie, who nodded, and then she accepted it, curtsying again in thanks.

With that, Second Master Quan took his nephew out.

More guests arrived, and First Aunt Jie asked Yao Niang to accompany Third Cousin, who was getting married. Yao Niang went over. Third Cousin usually had a fiery personality, but today she was shy.

"Yao Niang, come, have some wedding candy," Third Cousin quickly handed her a bag of sweets.

The wedding candy was sweet and delicious. Yao Niang tasted one. Many people came and went in Third Cousin's room, and the trunks were almost packed, ready to leave at any moment. Several close friends were whispering and chatting with her. Seeing this, Yao Niang felt it was too hot and decided to find Jie Shi.

Unexpectedly, when passing through the garden, she saw Jie Shi and Second Master Quan, who had given her the jade pendant. She told the person behind her, "Let's go find Sixth Cousin to play. Mother will probably keep me busy anyway."

In fact, Jie Shi and Second Master Quan didn't have much to talk about. Although they played together as children, they had to avoid each other as adults. Now, seeing him, they only exchanged a few pleasantries.

"There's still work to be done over there, so I'll leave first," Jie Shi said.

Second Master Quan nodded, "Alright, Elder Cousin, please go ahead. Now that I'm back in Jin Ling, if there's anything, just call me as before."

Jie Shi felt something was off about this statement but couldn't refute it immediately, so she smiled and left with her entourage.

After the morning rush, First Aunt Jie quietly told Jie Shi, "Second Master Quan is still unmarried. These talented scholars are all like that."

"Not exactly. I've heard he's considered the best in the Songshan school of music," Jie Shi mentioned, having done some research before going to the Quan family.

"It would be great if he could play a tune," Second Aunt Jie commented, preferring it to the usual noisy celebrations.

Jie Shi laughed, "But a master of ancient music might not agree."

Second Aunt Jie asked her husband to inquire, and surprisingly, Second Master Quan agreed. Everyone was delighted. It was the first time Yao Niang saw someone playing music that drew birds around.

The scene was truly awe-inspiring. Even Jie Shi's eyes sparkled, thinking how wonderful it would be if Second Master Quan could teach her daughter. She leaned down to Yao Niang, standing beside her, and asked, "Nuan Nuan, do you want to learn music?"

Yao Niang, deeply moved, nodded, "Of course, I do. If I could ever play like that, it would be amazing."

Rushing over, Yan Yingqi saw this scene. He noticed Jie Shi's bright eyes watching Second Master Quan play music and thought to himself that he could play too, yet her attention was drawn so quickly to another man.

After the performance, everyone was enchanted. Some even clapped in joy.

Yao Niang was also enchanted. Suddenly, a figure appeared before her. Thinking she was seeing things, she quickly pulled Jie Shi, "Mother, Father is here."

Jie Shi was equally surprised, "Why are you here?"

Yan Yingqi shrugged, "What do you mean? If it weren't for official duties, I would have come earlier."

With him present, he naturally took the seat of honor. However, Yan Yingqi behaved completely differently than usual. He was very friendly with First Uncle and Second Uncle Jie, showing no airs of being a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Rites.

Even Yao Niang whispered to Jie Shi, "Father seems different today, always smiling. He rarely smiles, and last time I asked why he always looked stern, he said the world was full of ridiculous people who annoyed him."

Jie Shi hit her daughter lightly, "Speak softly, don't talk nonsense."

At the table, Yan Yingqi was drinking and chatting. Though his character wasn't usually the best, he was skilled at socializing. Second Uncle Jie, who initially had some reservations about Yan Yingqi, was pleased to see him personally attend and show respect to the Jie family. He even said to their relatives, "I had some official business, but I came here first for my niece's wedding. As I served in the capital, it was rare to meet everyone. Please don't be distant in the future."

Though Old Master Jie was a governor, a fourth-rank official, the Jie family lived well locally, but the connection with the Yan family made them even more distinguished.

After the festivities, everything quieted down. Word spread that the Quan family had returned overnight, leaving Jie Shi quite disappointed.

Yan Yingqi, however, was angry, "Why do you look like that? That boy can leave, and you think I don't know he covets you."

"Nonsense! I'm already this old. Saying such things ruins my reputation," Jie Shi couldn't help but hit him lightly.

Yan Yingqi felt uneasy but couldn't bear to see her upset, so he quickly comforted her, "I've heard some rumors. Today, I saw that your heart is definitely with me."

Where did he hear these rumors? Jie Shi couldn't help but think of Zhen Shi.

Fortunately, Yan Yingqi had come. If he hadn't, it would have been a constant thorn in his heart. She changed the topic, "I admired his musical talent and wanted our Yao Niang and Qian Niang to learn from him. Don't be jealous. You know you're always the deepest in my heart."

Yan Yingqi, prickly as a hedgehog, softened immediately. He embraced Jie Shi, "Actually, there are so many people learning guqin now. We don't have to stick to guqin. Why not learn the konghou instead? Konghou doesn't require wearing nails, and it has beautiful resonance. I have a phoenix-head konghou, which I'll give to Yao Niang when we return, and I'll find a teacher for her."

Thus, the next day, Yao Niang heard her mother say she would start learning konghou instead.

"Switching from guqin to konghou?" Yao Niang was puzzled, feeling that playing guqin gave her a sense of ethereal beauty.

Jie Shi glanced at Yan Yingqi and said, "Your father said so."

Yan Yingqi then coaxed her, "Look, people learning guqin, guzheng, and flutes are everywhere; these instruments are already commonplace. But you are different. You play the konghou, which is truly unique. Do you know 'The Peacock Flies Southeast' from the Music Bureau? Liu Lanzi in that poem learned the konghou, and Li He's 'Ode to Li Ping's Konghou' is an absolute masterpiece. So, learning this instrument is incredibly special. Plus, you use the phoenix-headed konghou your father gave you. During the Jin Dynasty, Cao Pi described the phoenix-headed konghou in his 'Ode to the Konghou' as 'dragon-bodied and phoenix-shaped, exquisitely crafted, adorned with golden threads, and embellished with emerald patterns.' Imagine yourself holding such a magnificent phoenix-headed konghou and playing this unique instrument; everyone will envy you."

"Really?" Yao Niang's face lit up with joy.

Yan Yingqi smiled, "Of course. I don't like people who are too ordinary."

Yao Niang decided, "Alright, then I'll learn the konghou."

Jie Shi now understood why Yan Yingqi, despite being so young, had achieved such a high position; it was not without reason.

They laughed and chatted all the way until they were almost ashore. Then, Yan Yingqi told them, "Zhou Lingguang offended the Emperor and has resigned from his post to return home. The Emperor, considering his advanced age, ordered his eldest son to be exiled to Yunnan in his place. As for Lingguang, we should treat him just as we did before, understood?"

Yao Niang nodded vigorously. She thought about how life could change so drastically in an instant. Just a few months ago, she was a strange little girl despised by her grandmother, but now she was the apple of her parents' eyes, and even her brother started treating her better. Zhou Lingguang, on the other hand, would go from being an official's son to the descendant of a disgraced minister.