Chapter 26: Choosing a Husband (I)
Chapter 26: Choosing a Husband (I)
When Cheng Yujin returned to her courtyard, a servant girl who guarded the gate saw her back and rushed in to announce: “Sister Lian Qiao, Sister Du Ruo, Miss is back!”
Lian Qiao has been pacing back and forth anxiously. Hearing that Cheng Yujin has come back, she gripped the edge of her skirt and dashed out. “Miss, you finally come back!”
Du Ruo also followed behind with a solemn face. Cheng Yujin held Lian Qiao’s hand and motioned to her not to say anything: “I’m fine. Let’s go in first.”
Lian Qiao nodded quickly. Cheng Yujin returned to her room. Du Ruo calmly dismissed lower-ranking servant girls from the room and poured Cheng Yujin a cup of hot tea. Now that there were only the mistress and her two most trusted confidantes inside the room, Lian Qiao lowered her voice and asked, “Miss, this servant is about to go out to find you. Fortunately, you are back. What’s happen?”
Cheng Yujin shook her head. She still vividly remembered the event that had just transpired. The shock she felt hasn’t been receded yet. Cheng Yujin’s throat was painfully dry. After taking a sip of tea, she was absent-mindedly fiddling with the lid on the teacup. Her eyes were full of thoughts.
Du Ruo and Lian Qiao noticed that Cheng Yujin was lost in thought. They didn’t dare to urge, and waited nervously. Cheng Yujin finally put the lid back on the cup and set them aside. She quietly swept her gaze towards Du Ruo.
Du Ruo understood her mistress’ signal. She took a sewing basket and sat on the entrance. Apparently doing needlework, but actually keeping on guard. After ensuring the safety measure, Cheng Yujin opened her mouth: “Lian Qiao, how did you come back?”
Lian Qiao knew that her mistress was asking seriously. She knelt on the foot of the Luohan couch. Her eyebrows were curled when she tried her best to remember every detail: “After Miss entered Old Master’s bedroom, this servant kept guarding outside the windows per your instruction. This servant watched carefully, and no one was passing during this time. After half an hour, people under the Ninth Master suddenly come to pass on the message that Miss has left with Ninth Master. Afterward, they tell this servant to go back alone. This servant didn’t understand the situation, but since Miss has given instruction, this servant didn’t dare to leave. Then they stared at this servant for a while before went back.”
“Soon, other people came to the front door. This servant dared not to stay any longer and ran away. This servant secretly looked at the entrance of the Old Master’s courtyard but didn’t find Miss. So this servant hurried back to our courtyard. But after returned, Du Ruo said that Miss wasn’t back yet. This servant panicked and was about to find Miss when Miss finally back.”
Cheng Yujin quietly listened to Lian Qiao’s narrative without asking a word. She could guess what happened on the other side. In the end, she asked: “When you came back, did someone see you?”
“No. This servant knew the risk and avoided people all the way.”
“I see.” Cheng Yujin nodded, covering her emotion. Her face suddenly became stern: “Today’s event can only be rotten inside your stomach. No third person can know, not even Du Ruo. Understood?”
Lian Qiao rarely saw Cheng Yujin being this serious. No matter what happened, Cheng Yujin has always been calm and composed. It was the first time she showed her worry so clearly. Lian Qiao was frightened and hurriedly nodded.
After giving Lian Qiao a heavy warning, Cheng Yujin was very tired and gestured to dismiss her. Lian Qiao bowed her head and stepped back. In an instant, Cheng Yujin was left alone in the room. It was so quiet that she could almost hear the sound of incense being burned. Cheng Yujin sighed, leaned her head on the pillow, and used her hand to cover her eyes.
With her vision covered in darkness, Cheng Yujin could think more intently. Under her hand, her eyelashed quivered faintly. Cheng Yujin forced herself to calm down. Gradually, she began to recount everything that happened today.
Cheng Yuanjing’s real identity surely caught her off guard.
Cheng Yujin sometimes heard words spilled from Old Madam Cheng. It wasn’t a secret that the Old Madam had long suspected that Cheng Yuanjing wasn’t the descendant of their Cheng family, but a son little Xue-shi gave birth to during her exile as the result of her illicit relationship with some unknown rough man. Seeing that the boy was too old to be hidden, little Xue-shi lied that he was Old Master Cheng’s son in a vain attempt to rely on this child, so the Old Master would be willing to bring her back to live a wealthy live in the capital.
But Old Master Cheng was really unprincipled and so blatantly favored this sudden child. What made the Old Madam even more annoyed was that the boy was so outstanding, far surpassing Cheng Yuanxian and Cheng Yuanhan. Old Madam Cheng was so angry, both to little Xue-shi and her own sons’ incompetence. Therefore, people in the manor rarely mentioned the ninth master. Even during family reunion on important holidays, the Old Madam forbid little Xue-shi mother and son to enter the manor.
As time passed, few people in the Cheng family knew about this ninth master, and the younger generation like Cheng Yujin never even see this rumored ninth uncle. Cheng Yuanjing also didn’t seem to have any intention to get close with other Cheng family members. Over the years, the number of his visit to the manor could be counted with one hand. After little Xue-shi’s death, he was immediately stationed outside the capital and didn’t even send a message for three years. If someone said that Cheng Yuanjing had died outside, people from Cheng family would have believed it.
Old Master Cheng only had two sons, both of whom were born from his legal wife, the Old Madam. When Cheng Yuanjing entered the genealogy, his ninth rank was counted from the whole clan.
Of course Cheng Yujin didn’t care about the grievances from the previous generation. Why should she? Cheng Yujin simply thought of it occasionally when she had nothing else to do. In her opinion, Cheng Yuanjing most probably wasn’t the Old Master’s child. After all, the Old Madam was the person who knew the Old Master best. Her doubt wasn’t entirely groundless.
Besides, everyone in the Cheng family was a hedonist who enjoyed the wealthy life without striving for advancement. In contrast, Cheng Yuanjing was too smart and too ambitious. He didn’t quite like a seedling that could be born in this kind of soil.
Who knew Cheng Yujin’s playful guess actually became a reality? Cheng Yuanjing indeed wasn’t surnamed Cheng.
Cheng Yujin was frightened. Old Master Cheng did such a big thing silently and didn’t tell his family until the end. When she thought of Cheng Yuanxian’s arrogant attitude towards Cheng Yuanjing, her head was throbbing in pain.
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