The marriage between the Qin and Zhang families came to nothing.
After the New Year, the auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. Over the past few months, Wen Tang's body seemed to be nourished by the good harvest and became more and more plump.
Her two children grew up quickly, and she had more things to worry about every day. When she got up in the morning to pay her respects to the old lady and her mother-in-law, she was no longer as nervous as before. Instead, she felt a little more relaxed and had a rare leisurely time.
The meeting between the Fifth Miss and the Young Master of the Yang Family went very smoothly.
The two were of similar age and temperament, both possessing a gentle and shy disposition. When they looked at each other, one lowered his gaze to the corner of the table, the other to the rim of the teacup, not daring even to glance up at the other. Their youthful shyness made them seem quite compatible.
Zhao sat beside her, looking dignified, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Fifth Miss was extremely satisfied with herself.
The Yang family also showed great sincerity. The Yang family mistress was soft-spoken, well-educated, and polite to a family of the Qin family's stature. She was even more gentle and affectionate towards the Fifth Miss, revealing her fondness for her.
Even the Fifth Lady's future sisters-in-law who had come with Madam Yang all seemed to be getting along well and were very harmonious. It seemed that if this marriage really went through, the Fifth Lady's future life in the Yang family would be smooth sailing.
Zhao had been flattering the old lady diligently and trying her best these days, hoping that the old lady would give in and find a marriage for her daughter with a higher status.
Who knew that on the day of the visit, the Duke happened to have some free time and strolled over to take a look. He was actually quite impressed with the Yang family and nodded on the spot. Zhao's efforts had been wasted, and all those days she had spent in front of the old lady were in vain.
After the Yang family said goodbye, the forced smile on Zhao's face completely collapsed.
The Fifth Lady was grateful to her eldest sister-in-law, Wen Tang. Although the old lady had arranged the marriage, it was her eldest sister-in-law who had taken care of everything, from beginning to end. She pursed her lips and gave Wen Tang a grateful smile, moving to thank her. She had taken two steps when Zhao grabbed her wrist.
The fifth girl was soft-hearted and knew that her mother was upset, so she had to stop and give Wen Tang an apologetic and grateful smile from a distance.
The Fifth Girl wasn't particularly gorgeous, but her round face exuded a delicate and naive charm. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her look particularly charming. Even Mother Zhou, who was standing next to Wen Tang, felt a surge of joy when she saw this.
"Look, Grandma, how lovely the Fifth Miss is. Her smile is like a honey pot."
Mother Zhou truly thought that the fifth girl was lovable and kind, and had a good temper. It would be even better if she were a little bolder and more resolute, otherwise, she would be easily bullied.
As soon as the old lady returned to the yard, she saw Madam Song leading the dejected fourth girl Qin Ruoyue in.
"Relax." The old lady comforted.
The old lady thought Qin Ruoyue was just upset because the fifth young lady's marriage was arranged, but she completely misunderstood her thoughts.
She didn't care about her fifth sister's marriage at all. The Yang family was originally the leftovers she had picked out. What Qin Ruoyue didn't want was picked up by others. What was there for her to care about? The young master of the Yang family was just so-so in appearance and his talent was even more mediocre. Only someone as ignorant as her fifth sister would consider him a treasure.
Qin Ruoyue was thinking about something else.
-
In addition to the Fifth Miss's wedding, good news also came from the Second Master Qin Changkun's room. Concubine Yun gave birth to a boy.
The news delighted the old lady so much that she didn't even bother to comfort Qin Ruoyue, who had been feeling dejected all day. The old lady truly loved children, regardless of gender, as long as they were of the Qin family's bloodline, she treasured them like treasures. She longed for the family to flourish and prosper, as this was the foundation of a long-lasting family.
When the old lady was young, she was also a noble lady from a wealthy family. She lived a life surrounded by flowers and flowers, reciting poems and composing essays. She also married a noble man from a high-ranking family. Her life was so happy.
Unexpectedly, the situation suddenly changed, the court was corrupt, and the sword hanging over her head finally fell. Her husband's family was convicted, and her husband, parents-in-law, and her sons were all killed in the bloodbath at the vegetable market. At that time, she was still a noble lady in a wealthy family. How could she have witnessed such a tragic scene with heads rolling and blood all over the ground?
During that period, he fell from the clouds to the mud. His old friends avoided him, and even his youngest son's in-laws, the Lu family, were eager to draw a clear line between them.
Only her young son and her son fled in a hurry, wandering through the muddy streets of the market, enduring all the suffering of the world. To survive, she, a woman who never left her house, learned to haggle with others at the vegetable market, arguing fiercely over a speck of pork, and living by the hustle and bustle of counting copper coins every day.
Fortunately, the youngest son was determined and fought his way out of the troubled times. He became brothers with the current emperor, followed him and became a founding hero. With the help of Mrs. Song's family, he ended those endless days of hardship.
Now that she was older, the faces of her loved ones who had died tragically, the hardships her youngest son had endured, and the Lu family's inaction and even aggravation of their misfortune had all become a knot in her heart. And then there was the matter of her youngest son marrying a daughter of the Lu family as his principal wife... Every time she thought of this, she felt a pang of resentment.
But the old lady knew clearly that no matter what, the child born by Lu was also the flesh and blood of the Qin family, and she never took her anger out on others.
In the hall, Qin Changkun was looking at his new son happily. Next to him stood his eldest son, who was born to his first concubine.
The old lady walked over, touched her eldest grandson's head lovingly, then leaned close to the swaddling clothes to take a closer look and asked, "Is Aunt Yun in good health?" She asked this to Su Yi.
Su Yi nodded. The old lady glanced at Su Yi's slightly thin body and said, "You should also find a few good doctors to see and take good care of yourself."
When Qin Changkun heard his grandmother's scolding, he didn't even bother to look at his son anymore. He quickly stepped forward to interrupt, "Grandma, look! This kid's eyelids are moving! Hearing you talking, the little guy perked up!"
Sure enough, the baby in the cradle moved its hands and feet, and the smile on the old lady's face deepened.
Qin Changkun held the child in his arms and approached his elder brother and sister-in-law to present the treasure. Qin Gong was tall, and he could see the red, wrinkled baby clearly by lowering his head slightly. However, his eyes could not help but turn away, thinking of his own two children. When the two children were born, he was out on urgent official business under the order of the emperor, and he was cut off from the news. So he only learned the news after the two children were born.
When he came back, Wen Tang had already given birth. When she saw him, she just smiled gently and asked if he was okay outside. She was not like the concubine his second brother had just described, who was as pale as paper and weak as a child.
Qin Gong was thinking about something and his mind was a little distracted.
Qin Changkun joked in the front, "Look at how engrossed he is in watching. He must really love children." He turned and smiled at Wen Tang, "Sister-in-law, you must give him a few more children. When he's overjoyed, I'm afraid he'll be so eager to stay by the cradle every day, unwilling to take his eyes off them!"
Lunch was particularly lively because of the birth of a new baby.
The old lady couldn't hide her joy. Qin Ruoyue and Madam Song were the only ones who forced a smile during the meal. Madam Song managed to maintain her composure, smiling and agreeing with the old lady, praising the newborn's features and how they resembled Qin Changkun, promising him a bright and promising future.
Qin Ruoyue muttered softly, "It's such a small ball, what can you see?"
Mrs. Song was startled by her irresponsible words. She hurried to see the old lady's face and whispered to her daughter. Qin Ruoyue was full of grievances. She was sad and upset, but everyone at the table was only busy chatting and laughing. No one paid attention to her, no one cared about her sadness.
She just felt that having a new child in her second brother's room was not a rare thing. There were already many children in her second brother's yard, so what was so strange about having one more?
"Second brother, there are already quite a few children in the family, but this is just one more."
The usual smile on Qin Changkun's face faded.
The smile on the old lady's face faded slightly, and Mrs. Song quickly tugged at her daughter's sleeve under the table. You know, the old lady most hopes to have many descendants, and these words touched the old lady's heart.
"Come to think of it, in about half a month, it will be Huai'er and Xia'er's first birthday. Then the house will be lively again!" Mrs. Song quickly brought out the two children from the main room to smooth things over.
Wen Tang was thinking about going to the temple early tomorrow morning to ask for amulets for his two children. Qin Gong, who was standing beside him, glanced sideways and his eyes fell on the corner of his wife's gentle and smiling lips.
--
In the evening, Wen Tang was teasing the two children in the room.
The babies were almost one year old, and their arms and legs were becoming stronger and stronger. Wen Tang felt his arms were sore after holding them for a long time, but Qin Gong did not have this worry. He could easily pick them up one in each hand, and even lift them up high to tease them.
Watching the children giggling and kicking their little feet in his arms, Wen Tang felt that this was very dangerous. What if Qin Gong loosened his grip? It would be fine if they hit Qin Gong, but if the two children fell to the ground, that would be a big problem.
Wen Tang was very dissatisfied with Qin Gong's favorite thrilling way of playing, but Qin Gong would do the opposite of what she said when entertaining the children at night. She would do what she didn't like him to do.
Sometimes Wen Tang would get really angry, and then Qin Gong would slowly walk over, pinch her chin and lift her face to take a look at the exasperated expression on her face.
If it weren't for the disparity in size and strength between the two, Wen Tang would have wanted to inadvertently scratch his face and see how he could bear the mark and go to court tomorrow without changing his expression. With Qin Gong's serious and upright temperament, who valued his authority, he would probably be filled with shame and anger.
"Tomorrow we'll go to the temple to pray for amulets. Bring more people with you. The mountain is high and the road is steep, so we'll have to take a sedan chair up." Qin Gong wiped his wet hair as water droplets rolled down his neck and into his slightly opened clothes. He gave a special reminder.
Wen Tang gave a perfunctory "hmm," but inwardly he wondered, if he had sincerely sought the amulet, how could he have been carried up there? How could the Bodhisattva appear without such sincerity? It was simply impossible to reason with someone like Qin Gong, who didn't believe in ghosts and gods.
Qin Gong glanced at the perfunctory smile the woman beside him gave him, then suddenly raised his hand and pinched her small chin, forcing her to look directly at him. "How long and steep are those stairs? You have a sedan chair ready, but you insist on going up there?"
In fact, Qin Gong didn't know that his wife always abandoned the sedan chair and walked to the temple every time. It was until the last time when she came back from getting a talisman for him that her calf cramped severely at night, and she groaned and curled up, which made Qin Gong confused at the time. Then he realized that she had insisted on walking there by herself.
Her thin legs started to tremble after he pulled them on the couch for a while, and then she cried and asked him to let go, refusing to lift them up again. With such physical strength, how could she dare to climb such high steps by herself?
Qin Gong was a man of his word and made the decision for her, "I'll have someone carry the sedan chair over tomorrow."
Wen Tang refused.
Qin Gong's tone brooked no room for argument, "I said, take the sedan chair."
Wen Tang was dissatisfied, "Some people kowtowed every step of the way and begged for mercy, I was just walking."
Qin Gong felt that she was stubborn. While others were strong, she was frail and would be out of breath after walking a short distance.
Qin Gong didn't know why she insisted on competing with others where she was beyond her ability. There was no reason to take back what he had said, so he had to carry the sedan chair over tomorrow.
But after Wen Tang came out of the shower, she silently climbed onto the bed and lay down. When Qin Gong took off his clothes and groped over, she turned over, and it was obvious that she refused to communicate.
Qin Gong persevered and put his hand down, and then he touched something strange. Not long after, he heard Wen Tang's cheerful voice, "It's your period."
That means the strange thing Qin Gong just touched was a woman's menstrual belt.
Wen Tang thought he would jump out of bed immediately and go wash his hands, but Qin Gong did the opposite. He paused and swiftly pulled off the menstrual belt.
Wen Tang was so frightened that she turned over suddenly, facing him with her eyes wide open, and then saw Qin Gong put her thing in front of him without changing his expression. He moved closer to take a closer look and confirmed that there was blood on it. Wen Tang did not lie to him, so he was relieved and calmly put the thing back into her hand.
Wen Tang opened his lips slightly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Qin Gong turned over and faced her with his back, "Go to sleep."
--
Qin Gong rose before daybreak. With nowhere to vent his energy, he practiced a vigorous set of boxing in the courtyard. When he returned, his shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to his swollen skin, and his neck was glistening with sweat. After scrubbing himself clean, he sat down for breakfast.
Before Wen Tang married Qin Gong, she suffered from dysmenorrhea. She would experience unbearable abdominal pain in the first two days of her period. However, after she married Qin Gong and gave birth to a child, this problem improved a lot.
Now I just feel bored and sticky, and my waist and limbs are a little sore, but there is not much discomfort.
Even because of careful care, her complexion became more rosy and her figure became more plump.
She looked at herself in the mirror, tentatively pinching the soft flesh at her waist with her fingertips, then lowered her eyes to look at the bulging curve of her chest. Hmm, it wasn't an illusion, she really seemed to have gained some weight.
When going out and getting on the sedan chair, Mother Zhou carefully checked the prepared incense, candles, offerings, and the heavy bag of incense oil and money.
In the early morning, the breeze is gentle and pleasant.
The sedan chair arrived at the foot of the famous Qinghe Temple in the northern suburbs. This temple was very popular and was known for its efficacy. Many people from Beijing came here to pray for blessings.
Many carriages and horses were parked at the foot of the mountain. Looking up, the eaves of an ancient temple were hidden among the lush greenery, and the top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds and mist, and the melodious sound of bells came from the top.
Wen Tang lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and was about to get out, but was blocked by the Qin family servant standing at the door of the sedan chair, "Grandma, the master has ordered that you are not allowed to go up."
Wen Tang frowned, "Grandpa is not here now, you should listen to him or grandma."
The servant was in a dilemma when he saw the gentle, beautiful but resolute grandma. Both the master and the grandma were the masters, but their orders were different. When they were in the mansion, the master ordered the grandma not to go up, but when they were outside the mansion, the grandma ordered him to listen to her.
And now we are outside the palace.
The servant scratched his head. Mrs. Zhou, with a smile on her face, stepped forward and pulled him aside. "You kid, you are outside the mansion now. Don't you obey the order of the grandmother?"
Now that they were outside the mansion, this thought quickly entered the servant's mind.
Mrs. Zhou gave him another string of money as a reward, and the job was done.
Mother Zhou supported Wen Tang, and the master and servant climbed the long stone steps. The sound of the bell became clearer as they climbed.
Not long after they stepped onto the stone steps, another carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain, the curtain opened, and someone got out.
The stone steps were long, and the outline of the temple gradually became clearer in sight. The sound of the bells became clearer and clearer. When Wen Tang came up and stepped into the temple gate, the monk who was in charge of reception came up to greet her with a smile and led her to the main hall.
The hall is filled with sandalwood and the Buddha statues are solemn.
After we finished worshipping, we stood up and monks served us tea and some temple snacks.
Mrs. Zhou hurriedly brought a small piece of mung bean cake to Wen Tang, "Grandma, please eat something quickly. You must be tired after walking for so long."
Wen Tang was indeed a little breathless, and sweat had not yet disappeared from her forehead. Mrs. Zhou asked someone to find a palm-leaf fan and gently fanned her.
The hall was silent, with only the sound of chanting and the faint sound of people in the distance. At this time, the voice of the monk in charge of reception could be heard from outside, warmly welcoming the guests.
Mrs. Zhou and Wen Tang temporarily took refuge in a small room with a bamboo curtain on the side of the main hall.
There are many small rooms like this around this huge Buddhist temple, separated by curtains, and most of them are occupied by pilgrims waiting or resting.
"Madam, please come in. Sir, please come in." The monk's words came clearly.
"Madam, your son has the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and his eyebrows have their own hidden meanings. He will be blessed with great fortune and extraordinary luck in the future. Marriage is all about opportunity. Madam, please relax. Perhaps when the time comes, a good match will come."
As soon as Mrs. Zhou heard this, she knew that he was seeking marriage. What people pray for before the Buddha is nothing more than fame, offspring, marriage, and peace, which is quite common.
The woman's voice was filled with obvious anxiety. "Master, my son is already in his twenties. My family has been keeping an eye on him since he was a teenager, but his marriage partner hasn't arrived yet. We can't wait any longer."
The woman paused, her voice filled with deeper anticipation. "Here... can you tell me a little bit about that girl? What's her last name and name? Which family is she from? If you can give me a definite answer, I'll have hope!"
The conversation between the woman and the monk outside was still coming in sporadically, but Mrs. Zhou was not interested in listening any further.
"Grandma, it's from the Zhang family." Mrs. Zhou walked over to Wen Tang. "They're in a hurry to discuss marriage. They're here to seek a marriage partner."
As Mrs. Zhou spoke, she was in a good mood. It was good that the man outside had a bumpy marriage. The best thing was that she couldn't find him.
Mrs. Zhou, "If the master can really tell the girl's surname and family background on the spot, it would be like a living god appearing!"
"Besides, I've waited so many years for a good marriage and it still hasn't happened. I don't think it will happen in the future either. Maybe I'm destined to be single."
Wen Tang picked up a piece of cake and handed it over, "Please stop talking."
"Maybe he just has a physical problem," Wen Tang took a bite of the pastry.
"Come, my lord, please come this way."
The door curtain of the small room was lifted up by a monk from the outside. The monk was leading a person with him. When the person came in, he blocked most of the light at the door.
Wen Tang still had half a piece of cake in her mouth. She had just swallowed the harsh words and looked up calmly, only to see the young monk looking at her with embarrassment.
The man standing next to the young monk chuckled and said to him gently, "Thank you for leading the way, little master."