06, Water's Edge (Part Two)

It seemed that the Twelfth Young Lady had lost some weight as soon as she stepped out

The matriarch has grown old, and her greatest delight is in lively company. Now that her children have grown up, she no longer maintains a stern demeanor to lecture them, which makes her even more fond of the younger generation approaching her, free from trivialities. Today, seeing Chu Lianyi so well-behaved and endearing, with a face that is rosy and youthful, naturally brings her joy, as she is her own granddaughter, unlike the late Lady Chu, who was merely a daughter-in-law.

As soon as Chu Lianyi returned to the residence, how could she know all this? Naturally, it was all her conjecture.

As Chu Lianyi's eyes subtly flickered, she had a general idea of the situation. "Grandmother, may Lianyi guess what joyful event is happening today?"

"Come quickly to your grandmother's side." Yesterday, someone from the main house came to report the news, so the matriarch also knows that Chu Lianyi has returned to the residence, "Let grandmother take a look."

As soon as the matriarch spoke these words, those who were aware of the bracelet gasped in astonishment. This bracelet is a family heirloom passed down from mother to daughter, and it is extremely valuable. Originally, it was supposed to be passed on to Chu Lianyi's elder aunt, but because the matriarch disapproved of the elder aunt's marriage, and the elder aunt was determined to marry regardless, the matriarch did not pass the bracelet on to her

Chu Lianyi spoke of the scenery of Jiyun An in front of the matriarch, while keeping an eye on the people in the hall. The expressions of the others were all ordinary; however, Zhu from the Sixth House occasionally curled her lips in disdain towards the Third House, while the Pang family wore a joyful expression. Even Chu Lianyi, who had pleased the matriarch today and won her favor, did not utter a single sarcastic remark, which was truly a change of character.

However, with this weight loss, Miss Twelve appears even more graceful; her eyes seem larger and brighter, and she looks more spirited. It seems that this temple indeed helps in cultivating one's heart. Aunt Liu, fearing that her earlier comment about Lianyi's weight might have offended the young lady and triggered her illness, quickly added a few more compliments.

"Alright, let's see if this girl can guess it; if she does, there will be a reward from grandmother." It seems that the lady's mood today is indeed good

"What nonsense are you talking about, you crazy girl? I am not smiling at all." Chu Lianqing pretended to step forward to pinch Chu Lianyi's face, and the two sisters began to tussle, which only elicited more laughter from everyone in the room

Upon hearing this, Chu Lianyi became even more spirited and took a closer look at Pang Shi, feeling that there was an unmistakable air of complacency in her radiant demeanor.

In fact, everyone in the room was well aware that the marriage of the sixth young lady was only truly settled yesterday. Before this matter was finalized, the Pang family had kept it under wraps, fearing that if it did not succeed, they would be ridiculed. After it was confirmed yesterday, they brought the sixth young lady to the matriarch early this morning to show off, which in turn attracted the other families and various relatives.

Grandmother, Lianyi has returned. When I came back yesterday, it was already late, so I didn't dare to disturb you, Grandmother. " Chu Lianyi said softly as she nestled up to the matriarch.

The matriarch held Chu Lianyi in her arms, showering her with affection. As the only legitimate daughter of the eldest son, although they had been estranged in the past, she now felt compassion for her troubled fate and was enamored by her delicate beauty and endearing demeanor. With a heart inclined towards making amends, she grew much closer to Chu Lianyi.

"Feel free to guess, but grandmother's bracelet is not something to be taken lightly." Lady Lian gently patted Chu Lianyi's small hand, speaking with a hint of implication.

What is so difficult about this? Just looking at Grandmother, who is smiling from ear to ear, one can tell that there must be a great joy. Then looking around the room, Third Aunt is beaming with joy, while Sixth Sister keeps her head down, blushing, yet secretly smiling. Naturally, Lianyi has guessed it.

The charm of age naturally carries untold stories behind it

On the second day, at the hour of Chen, Chu Lianyi got up yawning and went to pay her respects to the matriarch

"Look at this sweet-talking girl, truly a product of the Chu family’s nurturing, raising such a beautiful and sweet-tongued young lady." Aunt Liu chimed in from the side, as she was accustomed to catering to the matriarch's preferences, flattering everyone in the household. Everyone in the residence liked her, so although she was the sister of the sixth wife, she moved about freely within the estate.

"Where in the world can one find such a beautiful rice bucket?" Chu Lianyi, relying on her youth, dared to tease the matriarch in such a manner

"You little girl, you even dare to tease your grandmother." The matriarch tapped Chu Lianyi's head, "Grandmother is old, what is there to be considered good-looking or not?"

Born into a family of a seventh-rank county magistrate, the third master is merely a seventh-rank county magistrate himself. This has always been her regret, as she feels unable to hold her head high within the family. Therefore, she has made great efforts to please the matriarch, who has shown favor towards her branch of the family. The third master, due to his parents' fondness for the third wife, has not been overly critical of this wife from a humble background.

Since she has just returned from outside, and today does not coincide with the fifth or tenth day, it is presumed that there should not be many people serving in front of the matriarch, at most just a few from the Pang family present.

Aunt Liu kept giving Liu Qianxue meaningful glances, but she pretended not to see them

Upon looking again at Miss Liu and Miss Jiu, both wore expressions of delight, while Miss Liu, Chu Lianqing, added a touch of shyness to her face, which further accentuated her flower-like beauty, making it even more radiant and captivating

Although Chu Lianyi found Aunt Liu's words pleasant, she was somewhat alarmed. This aunt's methods were truly remarkable; within just a few days of her arrival, she had already overshadowed the legitimate daughter-in-law in front of the matriarch. She joked and bantered with ease, as if she were in her element, while the usually outspoken Pang family, who often criticized in front of the matriarch, surprisingly remained silent today, and it was rare that they did not pick at their own faults.

Chu Lianyi did not originally wish to stand out, but unfortunately, she found herself in a difficult position. If she were to concede now, it would not bode well in the eyes of the matriarch, as if she were merely a half-hearted participant. With her mother having passed away and her father largely indifferent to matters within the household, her future marriage prospects would inevitably fall into the hands of the matriarch, making it essential for her to diligently seek her favor and ingratiate herself.

After this exchange between the two grandparents and grandchildren, everyone's gaze in the room was fixed on Chu Lianyi, who then smiled brightly and said: "It must be that Sixth Sister is about to marry Xing."

Chu Lianyi did not respond to Aunt Liu's words, but smiled at the matriarch, saying: "That is truly wonderful. Grandmother is the best at nurturing people. People say that the daughters of the Chu family are exceptional, and even the granddaughters benefit from this. Just look at everyone in this house, each one more beautiful than the last, and even the wives chosen by Grandmother are all outstanding. With Grandmother to guide her, Lianyi will naturally be nurtured into wealth and nobility. Nowadays, Grandmother is indeed Chu Lianyi's lifeline; she cannot afford to let go of this support.

How did you guess that, my girl? The matriarch became increasingly aware of Chu Lianyi's intelligence

Do you think your grandmother is a useless person? The lady feigned anger.

"Grandmother is certainly not old; if we were to go out, others might even think that Grandmother is only a generation apart from Lianyi." This statement by Chu Lianyi is somewhat exaggerated, but the matriarch is only nearly fifty years old, well-maintained, and it is believable to say she is in her forties.

Chu Lianyi never expected that someone as versatile as Aunt Liu would raise such an arrogant daughter. When she casually guessed about Sixth Sister's happy event, it was merely a joke and not meant to be taken seriously. However, the daughter took it to heart, insisting on whether she was convinced or not. As a result, if Chu Lianyi failed to guess where Xing was marrying, it would backfire on her, making it seem like it was Chu Lianyi's fault.

Since she has lifelong regrets about her origins, the son-in-law that she seeks must undoubtedly be a person of great prospects in his career. Additionally, she insists that he must be the legitimate son of the first wife. Therefore, she has taken the sixth daughter to attend numerous banquets in the capital, yet there has been no news for a long time. It is now evident that the future brother-in-law is certainly not a member of a well-established noble family in the capital. Just at this moment, news of a marriage has emerged. At this time, who could possess both a promising future and be perfectly compatible with the third madam? The answer is truly self-evident.

As soon as Chu Lianyi stepped into the matriarch's Yilan courtyard, she saw people from the third, fifth, and sixth households present, including her usually taciturn aunt, Lady Cai, and her two daughters. Aunt Liu was chatting and laughing in front of the matriarch's couch, making the matriarch laugh heartily. Judging by the scene, it seemed that there was some joyful occasion.

Madam was also intrigued by Liu Qianxue's words, "Indeed, if you guess correctly, my grandmother will give you the pair of finely woven jade bracelets that your great-grandmother gifted me on the day of my marriage."

"Absolutely not, Grandmother, you are being unreasonable. Lianyi just returned home last night, how could she have heard about Sixth Sister's happy event? So, does this mean Lianyi guessed correctly?" Chu Lianyi nestled in the Grand Matriarch's embrace, seemingly as if the two of them had been exceptionally close from the very beginning.

"It doesn't count, it doesn't count, it must be that you, this cunning girl, heard it from someone else and came to deceive this old woman of her treasure." The matriarch smiled as she pinched Chu Lianyi's face.

Aunt Liu's words caught the attention of the matriarch, who took Chu Lianyi's hand and said: "Indeed, you have lost weight; your chin has become pointed. Living in the temple, one can only eat vegetarian food, no wonder you have become thin. Today, you will have your meal here with your grandmother; it is important to nourish yourself. A little more weight on this girl would signify prosperity."

Chu Lianyi could only respond with a dry laugh upon hearing this, not knowing whose instigation had led the matriarch to deliver such seemingly aimless admonitions.

When Chu Lianyi and the other person finally stopped, panting, the room became somewhat quiet, and only a sweet and cool voice could be heard saying: "If Twelfth Sister can guess where Sixth Sister Xing is married, then we will truly acknowledge her as our elder sister."

The lady carefully examined Chu Lianyi and said: "It is indeed beneficial to go out and recuperate for a while; your complexion has improved, and your temperament has also become better. You look much more charming and endearing. One must be more open-hearted, frequently go out for a stroll, and spend time with sisters, embroidering flowers and chatting. It is not good to keep everything bottled up inside."

Chu Lianyi looked in surprise at the person who spoke, and it was Liu Qianxue. Today, she had styled her hair in a double-loop bun, adorned with a bright red peony hairpin at her temple, and had five magpie hairpins playfully inserted at the back of her head. She wore a front-opening skirt embroidered with yellow apricot peonies and a peach-red strapless top, exuding an extreme charm and beauty. However, she lacked some of the innocence and carefree spirit that one of her age should possess. In terms of age, she was a month younger than Chu Lianyi and had not yet reached the age of coming-of-age, yet her current attire resembled that of a young lady.

The greatest pride of the matriarch in her lifetime lies in two matters: one is that she raised a top scholar who, after three years of diligent study, is now esteemed as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; the other is that the daughter of the Chu family is praised by everyone. Although Chu Lianyi is considered a 'peculiar flower' of the Chu family, the matter of the broken engagement has its own complexities, and it is not entirely Chu Lianyi's fault. Therefore, the matriarch does not take it to heart; if there is anyone to blame, it should be the late Lady Chu.

Since grandmother said so, Lianyi will try her best. If she guesses wrong, grandmother cannot blame her; this is just too difficult. Chu Lianyi pouted, expressing her discontent.

Before the lady could speak, she was interrupted by Chu Lianyi, who could not allow her to continue. "Grandmother, is there some joyous event happening in the residence? Early this morning, all the aunts from each room are here, and I fear that Grandmother will be able to eat three bowls of rice today due to her laughter"