Chapter 365 — Moving House
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Lady Ji did not answer.
She thought of Ji Yong.
Some time ago, Old Master Ji had arranged a match for Ji Yong. Before the two families could even meet, the bride's family had reneged, sending word to Old Master Ji that their girl was not so unmarriageable that she must go begging at a man's door. However the Ji family inquired or explained, the other side would not answer; pressed too hard, they got only one sentence: "If you want to know what this is about, ask your family's Tanhua." The match fell through and turned into a feud.
Old Master Ji was beside himself with rage and summoned Ji Yong for questioning.
Ji Yong admitted it readily and said, "I mean to find a wife who suits me. If you go on pairing people off at random like this, I have my own means waiting. Only do not make friends into enemies when it is over."
The speech left Old Master Ji reeling backward.
Ji Yong's father poured out a whole basketful of kind words.
Ji Yong did not budge.
His mother could do nothing. When Lady Ji came home for the New Year visits, she took her aside and complained, begging her to talk some sense into Ji Yong.
Before Lady Ji, Ji Yong restrained himself somewhat, but what he said still made one stamp with fury: "None of you are to meddle in this. When I want to marry, I will marry. Great-grandfather promised me that once I passed the metropolitan examination he would leave my affairs alone. Now I have not only passed, I am serving honestly at the Hanlin Academy. If he means to go back on his word, then I will not keep my promises either. Since my mother has asked Aunt to speak for her, Aunt may as well repeat my words to the Old Master, word for word."
Hearing this, Old Master Ji was downcast.
Speaking privately with Lady Ji, he said, "Tell me — does Jianming still have your fourth girl on his mind?"
With her husband's family on one side and her natal family on the other, how was Lady Ji to answer such a question?
"I should not think so?" She smoothed things over. "You know Jianming's temper as well as I do. If he still had Shouyuan in his heart, he would long since have been scheming to break up her marriage. Why would he be so quiet?"
Old Master Ji thought it over and sighed. "You have a point. That is exactly his temper."
So Lady Ji consoled him: "Some men grow sensible early and some late. Jianming is already a metropolitan graduate of the second rank — surely you need not fear he will fail to find a good wife. You need not worry over this. Perhaps once the year turns, his star of romance will stir."
Old Master Ji nodded. "He is the sort who will not drink unless his head is held down. Best to let this rest for now." And he troubled himself no further over Ji Yong's marriage.
But there was one thing Lady Ji did not dare tell a soul.
When she was leaving for home, Ji Yong had come to see her off, and had asked her: "Does Song Yan treat Shouyuan well?"
At the time she felt her soul fly from her body. She nearly clapped a hand over Ji Yong's mouth, and hurried out, "They are very well. Shouyuan is soon to be a mother. If you do not believe it, go and ask." Then she climbed into the carriage in haste.
Could Ji Yong truly have set his heart on Shouyuan?
If so, it would be a difficult business.
Ought she to say something to Dou Yan?
But if she did, would it become a burden on Dou Yan's mind?
Either way was hard; the whole evening she was in a daze. What lanterns she saw, what snacks she ate, she could not afterward recall clearly. What she did remember was coming home and seeing Lady Han draw a little oiled-paper packet from her sleeve, open it, and pinch out some tidbit to pop into her husband's mouth. The sweetness of the young couple made the onlookers envious.
She could not help thinking of her younger son again.
Ji Lingze would no longer accept anything her son sent her... If only the boy would see the error of his ways.
After all, her son had half Ji blood in his veins too.