Givеn this рrеludе, thе аtmosphеrе аt thе subsеquent family bаnquеt becаme somеwhаt subduеd.
Еvеrуone аdhered to the custom оf "nо talking whilе eаting оr slееping," kеерing thеir hеads dоwn as they аtе.
Thе younger gеneratiоn felt as if thеу wеrе sitting оn рins аnd needlеs. Сheng Хu simрlу stoоd up, intеnding tо go to thе rеstroоm.
Cheng Xu's еxpressiоn turnеd sоmewhаt unpleasаnt.
Сhеng Chi glаnсеd аt him indiffеrеntly аnd сallеd Huаishan in, instructing him, "Аcсоmрanу thе еldеst young mastеr to the restroom. Тhe one nеar the Listеning Rain Раvilion is rаther dim, so be careful of the moss on the ground."
Cheng Xu hurriedly said, "No need, no need. I can go by myself."
Cheng Chi remained silent.
Huaishan stood by with a submissive demeanor, his attitude making it clear that no matter what was said, he would follow Cheng Xu as ordered by the Fourth Master.
Cheng Xu was furious and glared fiercely at Huaishan.
Cheng Wen found this amusing and said, "Jiashan, you’re not a child anymore. Your fourth uncle is just looking out for you. Go quickly and come back soon. The last dish today is the Imperial Pot, which you used to love the most. Be careful not to come back too late, or everyone will have finished the soup." Then, turning to Cheng Chi, he added, "Cousin Chi, our Nuoge is getting engaged in a few days. Are there any other arrangements at home? If not, I’d like to have the two chefs from the kitchen prepare a couple of banquet tables for us. For Nuoge’s engagement, one of the matchmakers is the esteemed Master Liu from the Mei family, who is now the father-in-law of the heir to the Duke of Liang, and the other is Instructor Lin. Both have long-standing ties to our family and are considered prominent figures in Jinling City. We must not slight either of them."
According to etiquette, on the day of the engagement, matchmakers and well-wishers should be invited to the family home for a meal.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Just set the date. No matter what other arrangements the family has, Nuoge’s engagement banquet takes priority."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Wen was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
Cheng Lu, however, frowned at Cheng Wen’s demeanor and couldn’t help but say, "Master Liu is the matchmaker invited by Cousin Wen, isn’t he?"
Master Liu’s reputation in Jinling had already been tarnished due to the incident involving his daughter-in-law, the Third Miss of the Sun family.
Cheng Wen and Master Liu shared similar "temperaments" and were considered good friends. Although Cheng Wen felt Master Liu had been too ostentatious in handling the matter, he took pride in the fact that the Liu family’s eldest daughter was engaged to Zhu Pengju, making them one of Jinling’s most prominent families. Unoffended by Cheng Lu’s remark, he replied with pride, "We’ve always been close. Naturally, I invited him to be the matchmaker for Nuoge’s engagement. He was very pleased!"
Cheng Lu’s lips twitched. Just as he was about to speak, his son Cheng Zheng suddenly stood up and said, "Father, I also need to go to the restroom."
He truly had no way to handle his father!
While everyone else remained silent, he insisted on stepping forward.
If there was any embarrassment to be had, it would reflect on the entire Nine Prosperities Lane. Since neither the eldest nor the second branch spoke up, why should their third branch take the lead?
Cheng Zheng exchanged a glance with his own servant standing nearby, signaling him to keep an eye on his father and prevent him from causing any trouble. Then, he pulled Cheng Xu, who had been standing there all along, out of the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone, Cheng Xu waited until they were outside before shaking off Cheng Zheng’s arm and saying, "Why did you pull me out? I don’t want to be treated like a five- or six-year-old child, needing someone to accompany me even to the restroom." As he spoke, he cast a dissatisfied glance at Huaishan, who had followed them out of the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Huaishan remained as submissive as ever, as if he hadn’t heard a word, standing silently like a statue.Cheng Zheng chuckled and said, "Alright, alright! If you don't want others to always treat you like a five- or six-year-old child, then don't act in ways only a five- or six-year-old would, right? Stubbornly standing off against Uncle Chi like this—is that how an adult behaves?"
Cheng Xu's eyes flickered slightly as he whispered to Cheng Zheng, "Actually, I don't really need to use the restroom. I just couldn't stand the atmosphere in Tingyu Pavilion, so I came out for a walk. Having someone follow me is such a nuisance!"
Cheng Zheng hadn't expected Cheng Xu to suddenly confide in him like this.
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "I don't really need to use the restroom either. As you saw just now, my father is straightforward and speaks his mind. If I hadn't used this excuse, who knows what else he might have said to offend someone."
Cheng Xu had noticed it too.
He feigned a helpless sigh and said, "Forget it. Let's sit outside for a while before going back in."
Cheng Zheng nodded. "Sure, I have no objections."
The two found a secluded stone bench and sat down.
Cheng Zheng asked Cheng Xu about the autumn imperial examinations: "Is that Collection of Examination Essays really published by Lord Shen Minzhi?"
"How could that be?" Cheng Xu replied somewhat carelessly. "If that Collection of Examination Essays were truly published by Lord Shen, why would Second Granduncle remain silent after receiving it? It's clearly false news spread by those bookstores to boost sales. Please, Brother Zheng, tactfully remind Uncle Lu to avoid being deceived."
Cheng Zheng gave Cheng Xu a deep look.
People in the clan school often said Cheng Xu was aloof and proud, disdaining petty schemes, but now it seemed that might not be entirely true.
At the very least, he had said nothing earlier, misleading Second Branch's Cheng Yi. Then he had found Cheng Zheng to spread the word, slapping Cheng Yi in the face and establishing his own authority—all quite cleverly done.
Cheng Xu, however, was indifferent.
Since there were irreconcilable conflicts between the main branch and the second branch, why should he care about saving face for the second branch?
He was deliberately humiliating them!
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Cheng Xu smiled and said, "This time, I really do need to use the restroom."
What did it matter whether it was true or false?
Wasn't everything in this world a mix of truth and falsehood?
Cheng Zheng gestured politely and said, "Please go ahead, Cousin Xu!"
But Cheng Xu quietly pointed at Huaishan, who was standing not far away, and whispered, "I wonder if Brother Zheng could help me distract him? Being watched like this is really uncomfortable."
Cheng Zheng had no intention of taking the blame for Cheng Xu. He smiled and asked, "How should I distract him?"
Cheng Xu whispered something in his ear.
Cheng Zheng nodded with a smile.
The two headed toward the restroom.
Huaishan followed at a distance, stopping beside the bamboo grove outside the restroom and watching as they entered, chatting and laughing.
A moment later, Cheng Zheng's voice could be heard from inside the restroom: "I was originally planning to take the autumn imperial exams this year, but I lack confidence. Mr. Zhang from the clan school also thinks I should study for a couple more years before attempting them. You're much better off, Cousin Xu—you excel at studying, and with guidance from Uncle Jing and Second Granduncle, you're sure to pass the exams with honors. When the time comes, you must let me read your examination essays..."
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Huaishan closed his eyes slightly.
Behind the restroom, Cheng Xu gazed at the quiet bamboo grove and couldn't help but smile triumphantly.
Since Grandmother was feeling down, it was only right for him, as her grandson, to go and check on her.
As for this kind of scheming, contentious banquet—it was better not to attend at all!Fourth Uncle probably wouldn't blame him even if he found out.
He darted out of the bamboo grove, turned a corner, and entered the Four Seasons Brocade Garden.
Just as he was about to exit through the Ruyi Gate into the inner courtyard, someone suddenly appeared at the gate as if taking a leisurely stroll.
"Eldest Young Master Xu, where are you going? The family banquet at the Listening to Rain Pavilion hasn't ended yet. This is too improper!"
Cheng Xu couldn't help but curse inwardly.
It was Huaishan.
How had he discovered his absence so quickly?
What had happened to Cheng Zheng in the official quarters?
Where had he come from?
Cheng Xu sneered, "Huaishan, after all, you're just a servant by Fourth Uncle's side. Where I go is none of your business."
Huaishan didn't respond. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on Cheng Xu, grabbed his belt, and Cheng Xu was immediately propelled forward by an invisible force, swiftly exiting the Four Seasons Brocade Garden.
Cheng Xu's eyes widened.
He knew the few people around Fourth Uncle were exceptionally skilled, especially the Qin Zi'an brothers. Da Su's martial arts had been learned from Qin Ziping.
But this Huaishan seemed even more formidable than the robust Qin Zi'an.
He wanted to shout at Huaishan.
But he couldn't open his mouth.
He wanted to stop moving.
But his legs wouldn't obey.
Cheng Xu inwardly cursed Huaishan to the skies.
Since Huaishan couldn't hear him anyway, he remained expressionless, "pushing" Cheng Xu all the way to the entrance of the Listening to Rain Pavilion, drawing the attention of those inside. Only then did he release Cheng Xu and silently retreat to the corner where the servants stood.
Cheng Xu straightened his collar. Looking up, he saw Cheng Zheng smiling at him awkwardly.
If he had suffered this humiliation, Cheng Zheng probably hadn't fared much better.
Cheng Xu offered a reassuring smile to Cheng Zheng, then turned his gaze toward Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi appeared calm and serene, neither speaking to the talkative Cheng Wen beside him nor responding to Cheng Lu, who was trying to engage him in conversation. He simply sat there quietly eating, as if everything around him was irrelevant, his mind focused solely on the meal.
For some reason, Cheng Xu suddenly felt disheartened.
Fourth Uncle was always so composed and unflappable!
If Fourth Uncle set his mind to it, Cheng Xu probably couldn't escape his grasp no matter what he did!
Just like when he was young—every time he skipped school, it was Fourth Uncle who found him.
But how did Fourth Uncle know he was going to look for Shaojin?
Did he, like Mother, believe that marrying a girl from the Min family was more important for the Cheng family's future?
But if a person pinned their hopes for the future on another family or a woman, could they truly have a future?
Cheng Xu was deeply troubled.
After returning to his seat, Cheng Zheng leaned over and whispered apologetically, "I did as you said—kept talking to myself for a long time, and only came out when I thought you should be far away. By then, Huaishan was already gone. I had a feeling he might have gone looking for you, so I searched around but couldn't find either of you. Afraid the elders in the hall would grow suspicious, I came back first."
Cheng Xu believed him.
No matter how much Fourth Uncle disciplined him, he would still save face for him in front of the other branches of the family.
After all, he was the eldest son and grandson of the main branch, the future clan heir.
"Thank you, Cousin Zheng," he said sincerely. "Did Huaishan give you any trouble?"
"Not at all!" Cheng Zheng began recounting what had happened after they parted, whispering quietly with Cheng Xu.
Cheng Nuo watched them with envy.No matter when or where Cousin Xu appeared, everyone liked him so much. There were always people pulling him aside to talk, currying favor and flattering him.
If only one day he could be like Cousin Xu.
Thinking this, he nudged Cheng Yi, who was sitting beside him, with his elbow and whispered, "Has there been any progress with your marriage arrangements?"
Marriages were decided by parental orders and matchmaker's words.
Most people usually only learned which family's daughter they were marrying after the engagement was settled.
However, the Cheng family was quite lenient regarding their children's marriages. They typically informed them in advance about whom they would marry. They were even more open-minded with the young ladies, allowing them to meet and assess their potential partners before the engagement.
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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