Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Fate (5)
"Miss!" Xiuyun called towards the tent where Tong Xiyang was: "Fourth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Eighth Miss have come to see you."
Inside the tent, apart from Tong Xiyang’s shallow breathing, there was no other sound, no response. Xiuyun awkwardly looked at the three young ladies and smiled, "Miss has been in a lot of pain lately and hasn’t slept well at night, so it’s no surprise she’s sleeping deeply during the day." Saying this, she turned back to call Tong Xiyang again, "Third Miss, several young ladies have come to see you."
Yet, it remained quiet with no sound coming from inside.
Xiqiu softly smiled at Xiuyun, "If she’s asleep, we’ll come again another day!" Tong Xiyan and Tong Xiyu both nodded in agreement: "Third Sister, we’ll come see you tomorrow."
Xiuyun blushed as she escorted the three out, standing by the door she said, "Please do not blame our Miss, she’s just feeling upset..."
Xiqiu smiled and nodded, "No need to worry, you can go about your duties." With that, she turned and left the courtyard, with Tong Xiyan and Tong Xiyu following her.
The three of them went to Zhui Garden to pay respects, just in time for Lady to return from Chen Mansion, looking exhausted as she waved her hand, "All of you go rest, whatever needs to be said, say it tomorrow." With that, she went inside to change clothes.
Xiqiu and the others curtsied and left, Nanny Fang came out after them and said to Xiqiu, "Lady said tomorrow she would send someone to bring Concubine back, does Sixth Miss have anything to say?"
Xiqiu raised an eyebrow, surprised that Lady would ask her opinion. She smiled and shook her head, "Puji Temple isn’t far, she’ll be back after noon, please tell Mother I have nothing to instruct."
Nanny Fang nodded and smiled as she returned to the main house.
The next day, Lady sent Nanny Qian to fetch Madam Xia, but Manager Lai suggested that he was going to the estate to check on Chunmiao, and could bring Concubine back as well, saving Nanny Qian the trip. Lady, currently in no mood to deal with this matter, agreed.
Before noon, Madam Xia returned to the mansion. Xiqiu, along with Nanny Song, went to the East Cross Courtyard. Seeing Madam Xia looking more radiant than at Tong Mansion, and having gained some weight, Xiqiu felt relieved. Although she had many questions, she knew now was not the time to ask. She sat for a while before returning to her courtyard with Nanny Song.
The Tong Mansion was particularly quiet these days, as First Master never returned to the inner courtyard, leaving early and staying late in the study. Lady met with Madam Chen daily, either Madam Chen visiting or Lady seeking her. After seven or eight days, news finally emerged from Zhui Garden: Tong Xiyang’s marriage was settled!
Siliu sat on the stool, threading for Xiqiu, full of sighs, "Didn’t expect Third Miss’s marriage to be settled just like that!" Last month, Lady personally went to Chen Mansion, then Madam Chen came twice, both families discussed back and forth, and finally exchanged marriage letters today, even setting a betrothal date for next October, since waiting until Tong Xiyang’s coming-of-age two years from now wasn’t feasible given the circumstances.
Although the time might be tight, it’s sufficient!
Though she is a secondary wife, the Countess’s gift list boasted a full sixty-six dowries, quite a feat not only for a humble illegitimate daughter when even the Duke Rong’s daughter had only eighty dowries when marrying into the Shouning Bo Mansion. Though this countenance was an honor for Tong Mansion, Lady wasn’t pleased, feeling she had to match up even if the dowries couldn’t completely equal them.
Furthermore, with Tong Xiyang as an illegitimate daughter, and followed by Sixth Miss, Eighth Miss, while solving Madam Wang’s predicament, it came with significant costs to Lady!
"Third Miss closed the door and began embroidering the wedding dress, the mansion suddenly feels quiet." Siliu put aside her colorful threads, resting her chin, contemplating that from today, Tong Xiyang would stay in her room to embroider the dowry, finding it boring. If marriage required such, she’d rather not marry.
Xiqiu chuckled, tapping her on the forehead, "Feeling like those ten bludgeonings weren’t enough?"
Siliu immediately covered her own backside, shaking her head urgently, "Miss, you’ve never been beaten, it’s... during the beating you only feel pain, but when the wounds slowly heal, the sensation of itching and pain you can’t scratch is worse than death. I never want to be paddled again."
Xiqiu’s eyes shifted slightly, smiling, "This time I wasn’t considerate enough, getting you involved because of Fourth Sister."
Siliu waved her hands, "Fourth Miss is close with you, we’re happy about that, and besides, such things don’t happen often, getting hit once in a while doesn’t matter."
Xiqiu fell silent, lost in thought while looking at Siliu.
After Siliu left, Xiqiu called Chunyan in and asked, "These days, without having to attend morning and evening greetings, have you been to the main courtyard, what’s First Master’s and Lady’s expression?"
Chunyan pondered and said, "First Master doesn’t seem much different, but Lady still doesn’t show much of a smiling face, her expression so serious that even Zijuan walks lightly, afraid of angering Lady."
Xiqiu nodded, leaned closer to Chunyan’s ear and said, "Tell Laiwang’s wife that Siliu will be fifteen after May!" The maids of Tong Mansion are released if not paired by eighteen, and with both Siliu and Sixing not being young anymore, she needs to start planning for them.
Chunyan’s eyes lit up, delight spread across her face, "Miss, you’ve been planning ahead?" Laiwang’s wife had shown extra care for them after Siliu got punished, considering them in everything. For example, when Madam Xia returned from the temple, Lady only sent Nanny Qian to fetch her, yet Manager Lai personally drove to the village to pick her up.
The thoughtful Manager Lai, after picking up Madam Xia, didn’t go straight to the inner courtyard but took her to First Master’s study to report safe arrival!
It’s the first time in six years that Madam Xia saw First Master!
She remembers when Miss visited Madam Xia, despite her usual calm demeanor, there was an uncharacteristic joy and anticipation in her eyes.
Miss was very pleased as well.
She was happy for Miss and Madam Xia and was grateful to Manager Lai. She was puzzled why Manager Lai, who never meddles in inner courtyard affairs, suddenly took such action; it turns out Siliu was the reason behind it.
"I will go right away!" Chunyan exclaimed joyfully, beaming at Xiqiu, giving a bow of respect, before turning and leaving.
Xiqiu sighed, nevertheless concerned about Sixing’s marriage. Seems she needed to find a chance to properly discuss it with her someday.
That day Tong Xihua returned, Lady summoned Xiqiu and the others. She, now wearing an expression free from recent gloom, finally smiled and said to the young ladies, "These past two weeks I’ve been so busy I forgot, at the end of the month it’s the Grand Dowager’s birthday, although not a major birthday, we should still send appropriate gifts."