Xianglan was momentarily stunned, then pretended not to hear and changed the subject to chat about other matters with Xia Ersao. Seeing Xianglan ignore her, Xia Sanjie grew anxious and tugged at Xianglan's sleeve, saying, "I told you, your hairpins and hair ornaments are also very pretty!"
Xianglan nodded and said, "Thank you for the compliment."
Xia Sanjie asked, "Then why don't you give me one?"
Xia Ersao reached out and slapped Xia Sanjie twice, scolding, "Shameless girl! You're utterly embarrassing!"
Xia Sanjie immediately looked aggrieved, opening her mouth as if about to cry.
Xianglan quickly intervened, saying, "Forget it, forget it, Xia Ersao, don't scold her."
Xia Ersao chided Xia Sanjie a few more times before forcing a smile and saying to Xianglan, "This silly girl has never seen the world, little sister, please don't be angry... Ah, it's also pitiful that she's so young and has never even worn a copper hairpin. You're a generous person, why not give her one?"
Xianglan was dumbfounded, feeling that even after living two lifetimes, this was the first time she had encountered such people. Before she could respond, Xia Ersao quickly pulled Xia Sanjie and said, "She's going to give you a hairpin, why don't you thank your Chen Family sister?"
Xia Sanjie was no longer upset and said brightly, "Thank you, Chen Family sister!" After speaking, she stared eagerly at Xianglan's hair.
Xianglan said nothing, only offering a faint, cold smile.
Xia Ersao, afraid Xianglan might not give the hairpin, hurriedly said, "Chen Family sister, you're kind-hearted and well-off, surely you can pity your little sister for never having worn anything nice? It's just a hairpin—do you really care about such a trifle?"
Xianglan sneered, "I never knew there were people in this world who ask for things like this. I'm no fool to be taken advantage of." With that, she ignored them and walked over to Xue Shi, picking up the teapot to refill the tea.
Xia Sanjie widened her eyes and said, "What does she mean? I already thanked her—is she giving me the hairpin or not?" She made as if to make a scene again.
Xia Ersao pinched her and said, "You disgrace! Shut your mouth right now!"
Xia Sanjie, who had always feared Xia Ersao's authority, immediately fell silent.
Meanwhile, Jin Shi had already praised Xia Yun from head to toe, saying, "Since childhood, fortune-tellers have told me that our third son is a star descended from heaven, destined to become an official and hold high positions. They also said I have great fortune and will enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future. I didn't believe it at first, but now I see it's all coming true!"
Xue Shi felt irritated and used Xianglan's tea refilling as an excuse to interrupt, saying, "Older sister, have some tea before you continue."Jin Shi paid no attention and continued to speak endlessly, 'The county magistrate also thinks highly of our third son.' When he heard he wasn't married yet, he was so regretful he could hit the wall, saying if he had known there was such a handsome scholar, he wouldn't have married off his daughter so early. Tsk, tsk, but I say, even if the county magistrate's daughter weren't betrothed, our third son might not necessarily fancy her! Soon, when our scholar passes the imperial examination and becomes a full-fledged official, he'll need a wife who is both talented and beautiful, and whose family is wealthy. Ordinary girls who want to marry into our Xia Family? Pah! Not a chance!"
Before she finished speaking, Xia Ersao cut in, "Yes, ordinary ones certainly won't do! Forgive my bluntness, but I think Lan Jie would be a perfect match for our third son—they're like a pair made in heaven, aren't they?"Xue Shi quickly smiled and said, "Our Xianglan wouldn't dare aspire so high. She'll just marry an honest, well-off farmer someday. Young Master Xia is destined for greatness—he ought to find a bride who's one in a hundred. I'd say not just the county magistrate's daughter, but even the emperor's daughter would be suitable for him."
Jin Shi felt immensely pleased upon hearing this. Covering her mouth, she giggled for a while before saying, "You're absolutely right, Sister Xue. Your daughter's temper is too sharp—she needs someone kind-hearted and patient to tolerate her!"
Xue Shi and Xianglan exchanged glances, then both turned their faces away as if they hadn't heard, looking out the window instead.
Xia Ersao slightly furrowed her brows, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
The three Xia family members stayed for lunch at the Chen Family before leaving. Once they were out the door and walking slowly home, Xia Ersao said, "Mother, did you notice the Chen Family's intentions today?"
Jin Shi was taken aback. "What intentions?"
Xia Ersao replied, "Their Xianglan is almost sixteen this year, and our third son is eighteen or nineteen. What do you think their intentions might be?"
Jin Shi immediately scowled. "No! Absolutely not! A toad lusting after swan flesh—she's delusional! That brazen little hussy deserves to have her mouth rot with sores. She's so arrogant she's practically bursting at the seams, like some gossipy fox spirit in disguise. She makes me so angry I'd like to slap her a few times!"
Xia Ersao laughed. "Oh mother, why can't you see reason? If you ask me, if the Chen Family is willing, we should be thrilled! The Chen Family is so wealthy—they even use five-colored gauze for window paper. One bolt of that costs as much as a bundle of fine cloth. Look at their food, clothing, housing, and possessions—every aspect is two or three levels above ours. Chen Wanquan knows how to appraise antiques—who knows how many treasures they have stored away! The Chen Family has no sons, and they've cut ties with their previous relatives. Whoever marries Xianglan would inherit this entire fortune, wouldn't they?"
Jin Shi's heart raced as she thought of the Chen Family's house and furnishings, but then she shook her head. "Our third son is a provincial scholar now—what wealthy family's daughter couldn't he marry? Just the other day, a matchmaker mentioned the daughter of the pastry shop owner to me!"
Xia Ersao continued, "Mother, there's something you don't know. This Chen Xianglan has another advantage. She can paint, and now a single painting of hers is worth dozens of taels of silver! Whoever marries her would be holding a golden-egg-laying hen. You should calculate this properly, mother."
Jin Shi was shocked. "Dozens of taels of silver? Really?"
Xia Ersao said, "That's what everyone says. Though she claims she can't paint, I suspect it's probably her."
Jin Shi felt both envy and jealousy, clicking her tongue. "Good heavens, dozens of taels of silver—that's practically making a fortune! No wonder the Chen Family is so wealthy!"
Xia Ersao agreed, "Exactly. Our third son works himself to death in the government office for just three or four taels a month—how can that compare? Lately, you've been arranging marriages for him, but the upper-class families look down on us for being poor, and we scorn the lower-class families. There are a few middle-class families, but third son either finds their daughters too fat or too ugly—none suit him. I've noticed he's always hovering around Chen Wanquan, so I quietly asked him his opinion. He hemmed and hawed, as if he's taken a liking to their daughter."
Jin Shi frowned. "But that girl's temperament..."Xia Ersao sneered, "Tsk, once she marries in, won't she be at her mother-in-law's mercy to be molded like dough? If you ask me, such a wealth-bringing lady should be enshrined instead—one painting from her could feed our entire family for a year!" Meanwhile, she thought to herself, "The Chen family's daughter seems generous. Such fine flowers, given away just like that. Today, it was that wretched Third Sister who demanded too eagerly and provoked her temper. If we coax her properly in the future, who knows how many treasures we might squeeze out of her?"
Jin Shi grew more tempted the more she thought about it. She halted and turned back, but Xia Ersao quickly pulled her back, saying, "Hey, hey, Mother, where are you going?"
Jin Shi replied, "I'm hurrying back to discuss this matter with Chen Wanquan's wife."
Xia Ersao sighed and said, "Let's wait a couple of days. You offended them with your words today—there's no way they'd agree now."
Jin Shi scowled and retorted, "If our family agrees to it, it'd be like the Chen family's ancestors burning incense for good fortune! Why wouldn't they agree?" She then blamed Xia Ersao, "Why didn't you tell me earlier about the Chen family's advantages?"
Xia Ersao rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, "How was I to know you'd get so carried away with your sudden rise and offend them right off the bat?" Outwardly, she smiled apologetically and said, "It was my oversight."
Jin Shi muttered under her breath, "Later, I'll have to inquire further. If her paintings really earn that much silver, we might as well let Little San endure some grievance. In the future, when we see better prospects, we can get him a few concubines."
Xia Ersao agreed verbally but privately disapproved. When they reached the doorstep, Jin Shi entered the house first. Xia Ersao glanced back and saw Xia Sanjie standing by the water vat in the courtyard, admiring her reflection and preening with the flower in her hair. Xia Ersao strode over and snatched the flower from Xia Sanjie's head.
Xia Sanjie was stunned and rushed to grab it back, crying out, "My flower! My flower!"
Xia Ersao frowned fiercely, planted her hands on her hips, and snapped, "What do you mean, your flower? Such a fine thing would be wasted on you. I'll keep it for you for now!"
Xia Sanjie's face crumpled as she was about to burst into tears, but Xia Ersao pinched her cheek and warned, "Cry, go on and cry! All you know is crying! If you dare make a sound, you'll regret it!"
Xia Sanjie had been raised by Xia Ersao since childhood and had suffered plenty of beatings and scoldings. Xia Ersao, being glib-tongued, had won Jin Shi's favor. Sometimes when Xia Sanjie tried to tattle, Xia Ersao would later find ways to punish her. Terrified, Xia Sanjie didn't dare make more fuss and could only swallow her grievances, retreating to cry in private.
Seeing Xia Sanjie obediently enter the house, Xia Ersao finally relaxed. She walked to the water vat, tucked the flower into her own bun, and admired her reflection from left to right, pleased with her beauty. Humming a tune, she returned to her room.
That afternoon, when Chen Wanquan returned home, Xue Shi recounted the day's events from start to finish. Frowning, she said, "What kind of disorderly people are they? I'd rather deal with Lu Ershenzi's family than this Xia family. If you dare betroth Lanjie to such a household, I'll hang myself and be done with it!"
Chen Wanquan, being a snob to begin with, felt half the appeal of Xia Yun's success as a scholar-official vanish upon hearing the Xia family's continued struggles. He frowned and said, "I thought Young Master Xia was an excellent man. Who knew his family would be like this? Fine, if it doesn't work out, it doesn't. We'll just look for another match."
For the time being, nothing else happened.Two days later, Madam Jin went to the Chen Family again. This time, she lowered her pride and put on the most ingratiating smile, praising Xianglan’s virtues incessantly. Xue Shi merely nodded in response without engaging much in conversation. After that, no matter how Madam Jin knocked at the door on subsequent visits, the Chen Family simply ignored her. Resentment simmered in Madam Jin’s heart—she couldn’t bear to give up, yet she didn’t know how to proceed. She consulted Sister-in-Law Xia again, planning to send a matchmaker they both knew to test the waters.
Before this plan could materialize, an unexpected incident occurred.
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