Chapter 275 — Fire in the Night (Extra Update — Begging for Pink Votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
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Wasn't Song Cen going to Xuantong for half a month?
She still had plenty of time!
She greeted Song Han, who had just returned from school, with a beaming smile.
"These are autumn white pears from Shandong, these are pine-nut candies from Suzhou, these are peach-stone dates from Nanjing, and these are honey tangerines from Tangqi..." She gestured toward the fruits and pastries spread across the kang table. "I didn't know what the Second Young Master liked, so I prepared a little of everything."
Song Han stared, his mouth watering.
"Sister-in-law, you're so good to me." Chewing on a pine-nut candy, he mumbled, "You even know that Shandong's autumn white pears are the best, and Tangqi's honey tangerines the sweetest... I was worried before that a sister-in-law from the countryside wouldn't understand such things and that we'd have nothing to talk about." Then he flashed Dou Yan a brilliant smile, and for a moment he did look rather like Song Zhi in his radiance.
Song Han was a handsome man by any measure; only beside Song Yan did he seem like a morning star against a bright moon—not on the same plane at all.
Of course, in two lifetimes Dou Yan had never seen anyone to compare with Song Yan, so it was hardly Song Han's fault.
At that thought, a flicker of pity for Song Han passed through Dou Yan's heart.
She brewed a pot of newly arrived Tieguanyin for him herself.
Tieguanyin was slightly bitter, the pine-nut candies sweet; drinking the tea and eating the candies, the tea seemed all the more mellow and the candies all the more fragrant, and Song Han's face was wreathed in contentment.
Dou Yan then asked after his daily life: "Who usually looks after the Second Young Master? Are the maids and pages obedient? Is your schoolwork heavy? Is your monthly allowance enough?" She wore the very picture of a devoted elder sister-in-law.
Song Han did not take offense, and began telling her about his household. Before long the conversation turned to hunting, and he grew animated at once: "...When I was nine I shot two golden pheasants and a hare!"
This was a feat Song Han was rather proud of and often brought up; there was no one in the Yingguo Duke's household who had not heard of it, and Dou Yan had naturally heard it long ago.
She clucked in admiration and played along.
That spurred Song Han on further: "I had meant to follow my elder brother's example and join the autumn hunt when I turned ten, but then my mother passed away and I had to observe mourning..." Here a flicker of bewilderment crossed his face, as though he had lost his goal and no longer knew which way to turn.
Perhaps Song Han's relentless rivalry with Song Yan at every turn was meant as a show for Lady Jiang?
Dou Yan wondered. She sighed along with Song Han and consoled him: "With skills like yours, Second Young Master, there will be plenty of chances ahead."
Song Han nodded, but his earlier high spirits had vanished.
Seeing that it was growing late, Dou Yan invited Song Han to stay for supper, adding: "The Second Young Master can tell me all about the autumn hunt. I only knew that one must sit the examinations to become an official—the civil examinations for civil officials, the military examinations for military officers. This is the first I've heard that one can become an official through archery and horsemanship as well."
So Song Han happily began to explain the autumn hunt to Dou Yan.
Suxin and several maids were setting out bowls and chopsticks in the hall.
Lü Zheng came over, meaning to ask Song Han back to the upper rooms for supper.
Dou Yan said, "Everything is ready here. Let the Second Young Master dine with me!"
Lü Zheng looked toward Song Han.
Song Han was just reaching the crux of his tale; seeing Lü Zheng waiting for his instructions, he waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw.
Lü Zheng bowed respectfully to Dou Yan and Song Han, and withdrew.
Dou Yan fell into thought.
Song Han clearly had not lost his freedom.