Eight Treasures Trousseau

17

Chapter Seventeen: Say and Do

"Lin Ping Junzhu?" Hua Xi Wan played with a box of fine pearls. After she finished listening to Hong Ying's words, she slowly threw the pearls in her hand into the box. "Didn't she marry and go to Jiang City four years ago?" She had heard that this junzhu had not married into a prestigious family but to a scholar with some significant family property who had come to Jing for the examination. After the court exam, this scholar had gotten the rank of tenth in the second class. While—in the eyes of normal people—this brought glory to their ancestors, in Jing where there were so many prestigious families, these people would appear every four years. There really wasn't anything special. The only people these prestigious families would look at were the top few in first class.

No matter how much the results of this scholar from Jiang City were lacking in extra-ordinariness, this person had attracted the attention of Lin Ping Junzhu from Xian Wang Fu based on his good appearance and some good poems. The other wanted to marry him to the point of death. This was good luck that other people did not have.

Outsiders did not know the twists and turns of the matter, but Hua Xi Wan remembered clearly that this matter had been popular for a while in Jing at the time. It was only a few months after Lin Ping Junzhu had married to Jiang City that the matter was not mentioned anymore. However, now that Lin Ping Junzhu had come back to Jing with her junma and children, the matter of the past would most likely be picked up again by the gossipers. Hua Xi Wan lowered her head to look at the beautiful pearls in the box. She said unconcernedly, "Since Junwang Ye says not to attend to this matter, you do not have to keep an ear out."

Four years ago when the old Xian Wang had been sick, Lin Ping Junzhu had still managed to persist in marrying and moving to Jiang City that was not close to Jing. It was possible to see how much importance she placed on her junma. It was likely that her brother Xian Junwang's importance could not compare to her husband's.

"This servant will do so." Hong Ying put away the pearl box and put a cup of hot tea in front of Hua Xi Wan. "This servant is just worried that Lin Ping Junzhu will try to make things difficult for you now that she has returned." Women who married were most worried about meeting difficult mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. If a woman met one of the two, then it was a very troublesome matter.

"What can she make difficult for me?" Hua Xi Wan held up the teacup and blew the steam rising off the surface. She took a sip before saying, "In terms of paternal families, I have deep feelings with my family—they will love me and protect me. In terms of status, Xian Junwang Fu is much higher than that family from Jiang City. Tell me, what am I afraid of?"

Yan Jin Qiu and Lin Ping Junzhu did not have good feelings. Even if they were very close, if the other tried to make things difficult, she would not tolerate and step back. Her parents had raised her for more than a decade, but it was not to live bad days in Xian Junwang Fu. Even if she could endure it, she could not accept it. If she allowed others to feel that the daughters of the Hua Family were easy to bully, that would be her crime.

Hong Ying saw her mistress was confident, and she put down her worries. She then felt that she was not calm enough to not have thought of this.

"I know you are all worried for me." Hua Xi Wan put down her teacup and smiled at Hong Ying and the other girls. "With all of you beside me, I feel much safer."

Hong Ying and the others didn't dare to accept these words but relaxed. At least, Junwang Fei did not feel they were bothersome and remembered their loyalty.

"Junwang Fei, Junwang Ye has returned to the fu. He is coming to the main yard." Zi Shan walked in from outside. She saw that Bai Xia and Hong Ying's expressions were not right, so she lowered her eyes and curtsied. Junwang Fei, this servant heard that Junwang Ye's expression when he returned was not well."