Chapter Seventy-Seven

Chapter Seventy-Seven

When Jiang Chun went to have dinner at the central residence that evening, she noticed that, apart from herself, the other Jiang family ladies had also received invitations to the Plum Blossom Banquet at the Marquis of Jinxiang’s manor.

Madam Zhuang said, "I’ve already instructed the tailor shop to hurry and make two sets of seasonal attire for each of us within three days.

As for jewelry, while the imperial Ministry of Revenue did return many pieces, the storeroom is still in disarray and hasn’t been sorted out yet. Tomorrow, I’ll have the jeweler bring over some catalogs, and each of you can choose a set of ready-made hair ornaments to use temporarily."

Jiang Chun silently tutted. From Madam Zhuang’s tone, it was clear that she placed great importance on this banquet.

And rightly so. This was the Song family’s first appearance in the capital’s high society since their reinstatement into favor. They would face scrutiny, judgment, flattery, and criticism. How could they not take it seriously?

Currently, the Song family was in disarray, with the storeroom resembling a jumbled mess. So, even Qiu Shi, who usually picked faults, raised no objections to Madam Zhuang’s arrangements.

The remaining three had even fewer objections.

Jiang Chun was even quite pleased to receive a free set of hair ornaments.

In a prominent family like the Song family, even if they bought ready-made ornaments instead of custom-made jewelry as they used to, they wouldn’t buy cheap ones.

A complete set of ready-made hair ornaments would be worth no less than two or three hundred taels of silver.

Unlike the gifts from the Crown Prince’s Consort, which could neither be sold nor pawned, these ornaments could be exchanged for money when needed.

How could she not be happy?

However, Song Shiying said hesitantly, "I won’t attend this banquet."

Jiang Chun looked over at her in confusion. "Why not? Why don’t you want to go?"

Song Shiying said sadly, "There’s a maid in my courtyard named Jin'er. Her father is the steward in charge of procurement in our estate. She overheard her father saying that the news of me being sold to a brothel has already spread throughout the capital."

Jiang Chun pursed her lips. She wasn’t particularly surprised; it was expected after all.

After all, Crown Prince Li was not yet the emperor.

Moreover, the old emperor had never favored him and had even placed his family under house arrest. His in-laws had been confiscated and sold as official slaves. No one knew if the old emperor might change his mind again.

The other princes and their factions certainly wouldn’t sit idly by and watch Li Xinghang secure the position of Crown Prince.

But the Crown Prince was cautious and never left any handles for others to use. He was well-liked by court officials. To attack him, they could only target his wife, Song Shi Yu.

Thus, Song Shiying, the weakest link in the Song family, had been brought out for public scrutiny.

Jiang Chun rolled her eyes and snorted. "If it’s spread, then so be it. I warned you before returning to the capital about the possible situations you might face, and you said you were mentally prepared. Why are you losing confidence now?"

Song Shiying said miserably, "I thought I could handle it, but thinking about attending the banquet and being stared at with curious looks, I just can’t gather the courage."

Jiang Chun scoffed disdainfully. "Stared at? Don’t delude yourself. With me, your elder sister-in-law, around, everyone will be too busy staring at me to spare a glance at you."

She deliberately swept her gaze over Song Shiying and shook her head.

Song Shiying: "..."

All the other women: "..."

Jiang Chun replied casually, "I know you have a great figure, more prominent than most women, but there's no need to show it off so openly, right?"

Song Shiying was rendered speechless and on the verge of tears. "Big sis, be serious!"

"I think I'm being quite sincere," Jiang Chun defended herself lightly before saying earnestly, "Rumors aren't something you can escape simply by staying indoors.

What you need to do is openly appear in front of everyone. Without waiting for others to ask, you should volunteer your tragic story.

If you're already in such a miserable situation, and they still dare say unpleasant things, then they're gossips, heartless, and are adding salt to the wound.

If there's such an insensitive person, they'll make the perfect example to warn others. You should act as if this person is driving you to despair, as if you're ready to take your own life. Roll on the ground, crying and pretending to be in despair. With me around, it won't be hard to make a big scene.

We, as sisters-in-law, will make a huge scene, and from then on, who would dare bring up your past again!"

Madame Zhuang was at a loss for words.

Qiu Shi was at a loss for words.

Song Shiyue was at a loss for words.

The three of them were taken aback.

Jiang Chun was actually advising Yinger to act like a village woman, sitting on the ground, crying, and pretending to attempt suicide. This was the behavior of a shrew!

However, it had to be admitted, this method would be quite effective against those noblewomen and young ladies who cared so much about their reputation.

After all, not everyone was as thick-skinned as Jiang Chun.

Qiu Shi secretly marveled, wondering what Second Sister-in-law would think.

Upon hearing this, Song Shiying immediately shook off her gloom and sadness, exclaiming excitedly, "This is brilliant, Big Sis! This idea is just fantastic. Honestly, I can't wait to see which unlucky person will be the 'chicken' that gets used to scare the monkeys!"

Jiang Chun smiled. "I'm looking forward to it too."

Now this should be interesting.

Madame Zhuang was at a loss for words. Were they really discussing causing trouble at the Chrysanthemum Banquet right in front of her? Should she stop them or not?

If she tried to stop them, with Jiang Chun's rebellious nature, it would be impossible to control her.

If she didn't stop them, and Second Sister-in-law found out, she would definitely come looking for trouble, blaming her for not keeping them in check.

It wasn't that she feared Second Sister-in-law Li, but rather the backing Li had—her own aunt, the Dong family's matriarch, Madame Zhou.

After some consideration, she lightly scolded them, "The Chrysanthemum Banquet at the Marquis of Jinxiang's residence is famous throughout the entire capital. All the notable families' ladies will be attending. If you two dare to cause a scene, it'll spread across the entire city within an hour."

Jiang Chun and Song Shiying exchanged glances.

What if they get even more excited?

The grand stage of the capital was open to those bold enough to step forward.

Jiang Chun didn't realize her words would foretell what was to come. With her, the wife of Song Shian, present, not many would pay attention to Song Shiying.

Before Song Shiying could find that unlucky person to make an example of, she was already embroiled in a fight.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

Seeing that Song Shiyan had recovered his composure, Jiang Chun looked up at Madame Zhuang, her face filled with anxiety. "Mother, do you really not know where my husband has gone? He's been missing all day, and I'm worried something might have happened."

Madame Zhuang glared at her and snorted. "What could happen? We're in the capital, under the emperor's nose. Who would dare to cause trouble here? Stop imagining things."

Jiang Chun wasn't foolish. Seeing Madame Zhuang's calm demeanor, she had a rough idea of what was going on.

Madame Zhuang definitely knew Song Shiyan's whereabouts, but they needed to be kept secret, so she could only pretend not to know and couldn't reveal anything in front of everyone.

Although she understood, Jiang Chun couldn't let herself be so easily dismissed. Otherwise, next time something happened, Madame Zhuang would just fob her off again.

She protested, "It's already dark, and my husband hasn't come back yet. Wouldn't anyone be anxious? I won't let it slide if he isn't back after dinner. I'll take all the servants in the estate and search the entire capital for him!"

Madame Zhuang was both amused and exasperated. "If he's just outside the city on official business, are you really going to make such a big fuss? How will he manage the situation when he comes back? Do you want to become a laughingstock in the capital for overreacting?"

Jiang Chun was unmoved. "Compared to being laughed at by everyone in the capital, my husband's safety is far more important."

After a pause, she let out a heavy snort through her nose. "If he can't handle the situation, then it's his own fault for not telling me before he left!"

Madame Zhuang was left speechless.

Her son had wanted to tell her, but Jiang Chun had slept so soundly that she hadn't even heard him get up. Out of consideration for her, he hadn't wanted to disturb her rest, yet she blamed him for not informing her. It was a case of good intentions being mistaken for ill will.

Madame Zhuang said with some irritation, "If you were more alert and had heard him get up, you wouldn't be running around like a headless fly right now."

Jiang Chun immediately cried out in protest, "I used to be very alert. Even the sound of raindrops on the roof tiles at night could wake me. But why am I less alert now?

Sigh, it's because my husband had previously injured himself and could fall ill with just a gust of wind, leading to high fever whenever he got sick.

I was afraid something might happen to him, so I stayed up night after night, not daring to sleep, changing the cold compress on his forehead every twenty minutes. That's how I ended up exhausting myself."

Madame Zhuang was touched by her words, reminded of the times when her own several young children had fallen ill with fever, and she had stayed up all night by their bedside.

She couldn't help but praise, "You've really been through a lot."

Qiu Shi also sighed. "Chunniang, you're truly attentive to Shiyan. If he ever dares to treat you badly, just let third aunt know, and I'll scold him on your behalf."

"It's no trouble at all. As his wife, taking care of him is only natural," Jiang Chun said modestly, waving her hand.

Cough, the real reason she had slept so soundly that morning was because she had played a drinking game late into the night with Song Shiyan, which had nothing to do with her previous sleepless nights taking care of him.

The women of the Song family were perhaps a bit too naive. As soon as she brought up her past hardships to gain sympathy and credit, they immediately changed their attitude toward her.

It had worked every time.

Tsk, had she found the key to manipulating them by understanding their pulse?

"Young master is back."

Suddenly, a maid's voice rang out from the main room.

The door curtain was lifted, and Song Shiyan, dressed in a dark green silk robe, quickly walked in.

There were still some water droplets on his face, and his hair was still damp, evident that he had just finished bathing and changing clothes.

Jiang Chun's eyes immediately sharpened, and though she still smiled, her tone was somewhat through gritted teeth. "Oh, husband, your hair is wet. Did you bathe outside before coming home?"

Song Shian first paid his respects to the two elders, Madame Zhuang and Qiu Shi, before turning to Jiang Chun with a smile. "Young wife, I took a bath in Dangui Courtyard. So that you know, you can ask Gui Zhi and the others if you don't believe me."

"Oh, I see." Jiang Chun's smile became more genuine.

However, her sharp, dagger-like gaze still shot deadly glares at the man who had disappeared for a whole day without informing her.

Song Shian, an old fox who had lived two lifetimes, could clearly see her thoughts. He quickly explained, "I received an urgent summons early this morning from my brother-in-law, the Crown Prince, asking me to accompany him out of the city to Baoxiang Temple to welcome the Empress Dowager back to the palace.

"I intended to explain to you, but you were still asleep. I couldn't bear to wake you, and it wasn't appropriate to ask the maid to inform you in case she revealed my brother-in-law's whereabouts..."

He didn't mention that he had already informed his mother, hoping she would tell Jiang Chun.

He couldn't blame his mother. After all, Jiang Chun had only recently arrived in the capital, and they weren't familiar with each other. Moreover, matters involving the Crown Prince's safety meant it was understandable that his mother didn't fully trust her yet.

He would just have to endure some grievances and properly pacify Jiang Chun.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chun guiltily shrank back. She had slept so soundly that morning that even if he had tried to wake her, it would have taken more than a couple of quarters of an hour to rouse her.

But she still shot him a few more dagger-like glares.

The reason she was so exhausted was entirely because of this never-satisfied guy who had kept her up fooling around until the third watch last night!

After throwing those looks, she huffed and turned her head away, deciding to temporarily cease hostilities and settle the score with him properly once they returned to Dangui Courtyard!

Madame Zhuang watched as her son managed to quiet the usually noisy Jiang Chun with just a few words. She thought to herself, "One thing restrains another, just as brine curdles tofu." She then instructed the maids to lay the table for the meal.

The food was quickly laid out on the table.

Jiang Chun's eyes landed on the large basins of golden crabs, and she could hardly stop herself from drooling.

But she first asked Madame Zhuang, "Mother, have any crabs been sent to Father and Cousin?"

Madame Zhuang didn't respond.

Her senior maid, Feicui, laughed and replied, "Rest assured, Young Mistress. The kitchen was instructed this morning to send thirty crabs to the front courtyard once they were steamed."

Jiang Chun's face lit up with joy. "No wonder, Mother, you always think of everything."

Madame Zhuang really wanted to roll her eyes at Jiang Chun, just like her, but her ladylike upbringing and status as an elder forced her to hold back. She merely snorted, "Eat."

"Since Mother has given the word, I'll eat my fill," Jiang Chun said, grabbing a crab from the basin and quickly untying the rope around its claws.

She tore off a front claw and crunched down on it, quickly finishing the claw.

Song Shiying, trying to mimic her, wasn't as skilled but still managed to clumsily finish a claw.

Song Shiyue looked at the plate of crab shells in front of Jiang Chun and then at her own crab tools, feeling puzzled.

Seeing this, Qiu Shi immediately said, "Yue'er, eat as usual. Don't copy your third sister."

She tactfully avoided mentioning Jiang Chun, as this niece-in-law was not someone to be trifled with.

Song Shiying rolled her eyes and didn't bother arguing with her third aunt. Eating the crabs was more important.

On the other hand, Song Shian picked up the crab tools and skillfully dismantled the crab meat, then pushed the plate of crab meat towards Jiang Chun.

Song Shi'an softly said, "My lady, go ahead and eat. I'll continue to help you dismantle the crabs."
Jiang Chun looked down at the plate of crab meat in front of her and snorted lightly, "No need to curry favor with me. I’m perfectly capable of eating crabs myself."
"Of course, my dear knows how to eat crabs," Song Shi'an said with a smile, his eyes so sweet they could drown someone. "But with me helping to dismantle the crabs, you can enjoy more crabs in the same amount of time, before others snatch them all up."
Song Shiying rolled her eyes and said with exasperation, "Big brother, if you're going to fawn over Sister-in-law, just do it without the snide remarks.
Grandmother has said crabs are too cold in nature, and she only allows us sisters to eat three each. Big Aunt and Third Aunt aren't very interested in crabs; they only have a small taste of one per meal.
Out of five baskets of a hundred crabs, thirty were sent to the front courtyard, leaving seventy crabs. We only took eight crabs together, leaving sixty-two for you two.
Eight versus sixty-two, big brother, look at the ratio. Who's snatching from whom?"
Jiang Chun was amused by Song Shiying's words and gave her a thumbs-up. "Yinyi's arithmetic is impressive. You can figure out calculations within a hundred without an abacus."
Qiu Shi pouted and said, "Is that so? Our Yue'er can do calculations too."
Song Shiyue nudged her mother lightly and, mimicking Jiang Chun, gave Song Shiying a thumbs-up. "Third Sister is really something."
Madame Zhuang observed their "harmonious" conversation and again felt like rolling her eyes. But being a lady of propriety and a senior, she held back and simply snorted, "Go ahead and eat."
Jiang Chun, not wanting to reject Song Shi'an's kindness, ended up eating the plate of crab meat he had prepared for her.
Seeing Song Shi'an pick up another crab to dismantle, she quickly said, "Eat your fill first before serving me. If you're hungry while dismantling crabs, it'll make my eating less enjoyable."
Song Shi'an pursed his lips, touched that she still cared about his well-being even when upset with him. He obediently replied, "Alright, I'll listen to my dear."
Jiang Chun pouted and continued munching on her crab.
Song Shi'an ate his meal first and dismantled three crabs for himself before focusing on helping Jiang Chun dismantle crabs.
Each time Jiang Chun finished a plate, he would immediately serve her another.
Qiu Shi, having had her fill, sat back and watched the scene unfold. As she watched, she felt a little jealous. Even when she first joined the family, her husband had never been this attentive to her.
She gave Madame Zhuang a sideways glance and said sarcastically, "Big Sis, there's an old saying, 'As the magpie's tail is long, so a son forgets his mother when he marries.' I wonder, Big Sis, have you ever heard of it?"
Madame Zhuang wasn't blind. Of course, she felt a bit bitter seeing her son revolving around Jiang Chun like that. But that was her business. It was not for Qiu Shi, who hadn't even given birth to a son, to mock her.
She replied coolly, "I've never heard of it. But since Third Sister is so well-versed, when your son eventually marries, he will surely put you first."
This remark hit deeply.
Qiu Shi, who didn't even have a son, couldn't talk about her son's future daughter-in-law.
The three branches of the Song family had sons. The eldest branch had two sons, the second branch had one, but the third branch, her branch, only had one daughter, Yue'er. There was no son to mention.

Old Madam had many complaints about this and had assigned quite a few concubines to Third Lord.

Qiu Shi was not concerned and actually hoped that one of the concubines provided by Old Madam would give birth to a son. She could then take him in and register him under her own name.

This way, she would gain more respect in the household.

However, none of them, whether beautiful, plain, or robust, were able to conceive. Not a single one gave birth to a child, not even a daughter.

After surviving this great disaster, when the family returns home, Old Madam will likely be even less favorable towards her.

After all, if Third Lord were to die in such a calamity, the Third Branch would be completely wiped out.

Qiu Shi’s face turned ashen. She pointed at Madame Zhuang, her lips quivering, but she couldn’t say a word.

Jiang Chun, though eating crabs, had her ears perked up, eavesdropping on the exchange between Madame Zhuang and Qiu Shi.

Seeing Qiu Shi lose to Madame Zhuang in one move, Jiang Chun was almost laughing to death.

Serves her right for trying to sow discord!

Jiang Chun swallowed the crab meat and said with a grin, “Oh, come on, how can you say that my husband has forgotten his mother after marrying his wife?

Clearly, Mother has acquired a dutiful daughter!

An attentive daughter like me is hard to find. For Mother to have a daughter like me is a blessing she earned from her past life!”

Madame Zhuang thought Jiang Chun was going to side with her against Qiu Shi.

But to her surprise, she started praising herself.

A daughter like her is her blessing? More like a blessing of wearing thick cotton in the heat of June!

Madame Zhuang glared at Jiang Chun and said with an irritated tone, “Even crabs can’t shut your mouth. If you’ve had enough, you can go back to Dangui Courtyard.”

Jiang Chun, of course, still wanted to eat, so she fell silent.

Sigh, her mother-in-law was overly sensitive. She clearly liked her a lot but was being all contradictory.

Forget it, what could she do as a daughter-in-law but forgive her?

After finishing all the crabs on the table, Jiang Chun ate three bowls of Bijing rice with the dishes and then put down her chopsticks, gently patting her satisfied belly. “I’m full.”

Madame Zhuang: “…”

Calling her a glutton would be putting it mildly. She was more like a rice barrel, a large water vat.

The maids brought in the post-meal tea.

Jiang Chun drank three cups one after another, then stood up holding Song Shian’s hand and said with a smile, “Mother, Third Aunt, if there’s nothing else, we’ll return to Dangui Courtyard.”

Madame Zhuang waved her hand, not wanting to see her. “Go back.”

After returning to Dangui Courtyard, Jiang Chun walked into the east wing room and was about to lie down on the canopy bed when Song Shian pulled her back.

*

He insisted, “Lying down immediately after eating is bad for your health. I’ll accompany you for a walk in the courtyard to help digestion.”

Jiang Chun thought it was a good idea. Dangui Courtyard had a hundred-year-old osmanthus tree with a delightful fragrance, and the weather was neither cold nor hot, making a walk in the courtyard quite pleasant.

They held hands, slowly circling around the courtyard.

As they turned, Jiang Chun let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Don't think I don't know that you had already informed your mother about your whereabouts for today."

Song Shian wasn't surprised to hear this.

Jiang Chun was always sharp, and it was entirely possible she had picked up on subtle hints from her mother’s expression or words.

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, saying with a smile, "My dear wife, you are too clever. Nothing can be hidden from you, my dear."

Flattered, Jiang Chun couldn't help but puff up like a proud peacock, tilting her chin up proudly. "Naturally, I’m the number one genius in the world."

Hmm?

Something doesn’t feel quite right?