Lovable Beauty

Shortly, the carriage came to a stop. 

Before the carriage and group turned around the corner, a manservant reported to the master and mistress of the household that their only younger sister was home. Jiang Qin was beside himself with joy as he rushed to the entrance with his wife, Madam Li. Madam Li was originally Jiang Qin’s head maid. She was gentle and virtuous, competent in household management, intelligent, and a capable accountant. Before and after her marriage, she was Jiang Qin’s capable helper and was on good terms with Madam Jiang. 

Xie Lanyin was sitting in the carriage, so Madam Li first caught sight of Xie Lanqiao, who was riding on horseback, and exclaimed in surprise, “Lanqiao knows how to ride?” 

She had no daughters of her own and was even more fond of her nieces than her husband. 

“Auntie!” Xie Lanqiao dismounted from the horse and ran to her aunt in a few strides, hugging her tightly. “Auntie, I miss you so…if not for fear of worrying my mother, I would have ridden horseback all the way here…I wouldn’t dawdle like them.” 

Her niece’s honeyed words made Madam Li smile from ear to ear, and she heaped praise on her niece, as she walked Lanqiao over to the carriage. 

Xie Lanyin impatiently cut in front of her mother and wedged her way out, sweetly calling out Auntie. 

The thirteen-year-old girl was wearing a peach-red overcoat. Her bright-eyed smile was vivacious, making her more alluring than a flower. The once dolled-up little girl was nowhere to be seen; she had turned into a devasting beauty. Madam Li was dazed for a moment as she dropped Xie Lanqiao’s hand and offered her hand to Xie Lanyin to help her down, crying out in wonder, “My goodness, Lanyin has grown so lovely. Your auntie almost didn’t recognize you. Oh that’s it, you’re not allowed to leave. You must stay and be Auntie’s daughter!” 

Xie Lanyin glanced at Jiang Huaizhou, moaning pitifully, “But Third Cousin told me to leave after the wedding….” 

Peach blossom eyes seemed to mist over with tears, so heart-rending, but the corner of her lips was curled up, sly and cute. 

Madam Li shot her third son a withering glare, “How old are you—spouting such drivel!? If you dare to bully Lanyin, I’ll kick you out!” 

His mother’s elbow turned outward.10 Jiang Huaizhou surrendered and rubbed his nose as he slid behind his older brother. 

“Sister-in-law don’t listen to Lanyin’s nonsense. She’s the one who bullied Huaizhou the entire time. Don’t spoil her anymore.” Madam Jiang followed out of the carriage and reached out to flick her daughter’s forehead. Xie Lanyin ducked behind her aunt and when she saw her uncle—still handsome and refined despite being over forty years old—she darted over to his side and pouted prettily. 

His younger sister brought his nieces with her—their home was livelier than it was during the New Year. Jiang Qin stroked his little niece’s head, his gaze switching between Xie Lanqiao and his second son, Jiang Xingzhou. Xie Hui snatched away his precious little sister; it was only fair he snatched one of his three nieces to be his daughter-in-law. For his eldest niece, he reckoned—from how his brother-in-law was teaching her—they had intentions of keeping her at home to take a husband11; the youngest was only thirteen; that only left Lanqiao and his second son as the most suitable pairing. 

Once his eldest daughter-in-law married into the family, he would discuss this matter with his younger sister. 

The party went inside to catch up. 

The Jiang family was rich; hence the compound covered a vast space. After her nieces were born, Madam Li suggested to her husband they build three new courtyards behind Madam Jiang’s boudoir for their nieces to stay when they visited. Madam Jiang thought it was a waste of money; they would be using them less than a few days a day, so it was enough for the three sisters to stay in the side wings of her courtyard. Madam Li wrote back saying her nieces would be visiting once they married as well and they’d be bringing their own family along, so of course they needed separate courtyards to themselves. Madam Jiang was at a loss for words and touched. Others said her sister-in-law was a poor match for her eldest brother, but only she knew how wonderful her sister-in-law was. It was the fortune of the Jiang family that her eldest brother married such a wife. 

After their meal, Xie Lanyin and her sister departed for their respective courtyards to rest. 

Xie Lanyin’s courtyard was called the Alluring Moon Pavilion. The small courtyard consisted of two courts, a pond, and a pavilion. Currently, it was late spring, and the scenery was breathtaking. Xie Lanyin came here once before; it was like living in her own home. After taking a hot, relaxing bath, she lay down on the cozy bed for a nap. 

Having been traveling on the road for over a month, she was exhausted. The moment she kicked back and relaxed, she ended up sleeping through the whole day and only woke up at dusk. 

“Young Lady, your esteemed aunt had a messenger bring a letter this afternoon, saying she won’t be coming over since she is heavily pregnant. She asked the young ladies to go play at her place when you have time.” 

Sangzhi combed her young lady’s hair while Yingge stood to the side, offering an extra pair of hands, as she softly imparted to the young lady what happened that afternoon. 

Xie Lanyin checked herself out in the mirror, grimacing, “Who would want to visit her?” 

She had two aunts from her father’s side. Her eldest aunt was born from the same mother as her father; she was now a wife of an official in the capital; she was also the only aunt Xie Lanyin recognized in her heart. The other was step-grandmother’s youngest daughter, Xie Yao, now twenty-two this year. When she married, Xie Lanyin was old enough to remember by that time; she remembered: she mocked her mother for being stingy; one of Xie Yao’s maidservants called her mother a lowly merchant’s daughter behind her back; especially lucid was the memory of Xie Yao before she married, she stroked her head, smiling so radiantly as she told her that no matter how pretty she grew out to be, it was all futile because, with such circumstances, she was only fit to become someone’s concubine. 

Xie Lanyin was only six years old at the time. Because men of the Xie family didn’t have any concubines, she was ignorant of what the words wife and concubine meant. The only thing she knew for certain was that Xie Yao didn’t say anything pleasant. When she asked her mother about it, her mother’s face darkened; she didn’t give a straight answer to her question. Xie Lanyin then asked her wet nurse, in a roundabout way; only then did she learn of the difference between wife and concubine. 

Ever since then, whenever Xie Yao came back home, Xie Lanyin regarded her words as wind blowing in her ears and kept her distance. Later, when  Xie Yao’s husband, Fang Ze, transferred to Shanxi to take the post as a government official, Xie Lanyin was over the moon. Finally, she didn’t have to see this annoying aunt anymore. But would have believed—whether it was luck or honest talent—how quickly Fang Ze was promoted to the position of Magistrate in Xi’an while he was still in his thirties, thus becoming a superior to her uncle’s family. 

“Madam answered, saying she’ll send the two young ladies over tomorrow to pay respects.” Knowing the young lady was in a sour mood, Yingge lowered her voice. 

Hearing this, Xie Lanyin pursed her lips and didn’t utter another word. 

No matter how much she despised Xie Yao, they were proper relations. As the elder sister-in-law, her mother could choose not to visit the younger sister of her husband, but as the juniors, she and her sister would only invite scandal if they didn’t go. If they were somewhere else, Xie Lanyin wouldn’t care a wit about being accused of disrespect, but this was Xi’an—they couldn’t compromise their aunt and uncle’s reputation. 

*** 

Madam Li chewed Xie Yao out as she sat with Madam Jiang. “Heavily pregnant? She’s only four months along! Her sister-in-law came a long way here, so even if she was six months along, she should still drag herself and her child over to welcome you! Since she doesn’t treat you like as her sister-in-law, you shouldn’t pander to her wishes. Lanqiao and Lanyin are not allowed to go anywhere tomorrow; they will stay home with me! 

Back when Xie Hui proposed and they learned of his stepmother, Madam Li had reservations about the marriage, but she couldn’t dissuade her foolish little sister and gave her consent to the marriage. She didn’t know what her younger sister’s life was like in Hangzhou, but from Xie Yao’s condescending attitude, she could guess what the old lady of the Xie family, Madam Chen, was like. 

Madam Jiang was nonchalant as she reassured her, “What’s there to be angry about? It’s just a short stroll to maintain the farce of civility. Don’t you know Lanqiao and Lanyin’s tempers? They’d leave in less than a quarter of an hour. Sister-in-law needn’t worry about them, and just focus on Jizhou’s wedding—it’s only five days away. Is everything ready?” 

She wanted to change the topic; Madam Li was displeased as went off on a rant, “Oh you…concerned about this, concerned about that—where has the crazy, fearless girl gone?” 

Madam Jiang smiled helplessly. She was already the mother to three daughters. If she continued to act wild, her daughters would surely follow in her footsteps. 

*** 

At the Fang residence… 

Xie Yao indolently reclined on the couch; listening to the maidservant’s message, she learned that her two nieces would be coming over, which made her chuckle, “That’s perfect, it’s been years since I’ve seen them. I’m curious to see how they’ve grown.” 

Receiving no other instruction from her, the maidservant bowed her head and withdrew. As she exited the doors, she accidentally collided with Nanny Liu.  

Nanny Liu was Xie Yao’s wet nurse and the person she trusted the most. She rubbed her arm that ached from the collision and squeezed the maid’s face. “Don’t you have eyes? Madam is pregnant right now, yet you are so clumsy. What if you accidentally bump into Madam one day? I think you don’t want to work here anymore. I will tell Madam to sell you off immediately, just as you wish.” 

The maidservant burst into tears, begging for forgiveness. 

Nanny Liu pushed her out violently, muttering a few choice words under her breath, before entering the room. 

Xie Yao knit her brows. “Everything was fine; why are you so angry?” 

Her greatest pleasure was to tease Madam Jiang’s daughters. She just so happened to be in a good mood, but when the people around her made a big fuss of nothing, it soured her mood; naturally, she wasn’t displeased. 

Nanny Liu saw her mistress was still lounging leisurely and called to mind what she saw in the gardens, her chest tightened. She leaned in and whispered in Xie Yao’s ear, “Madam, Master just took the young lady fishing by the lake. That slut was all dolled up and pretended to not know how to fish to get Master to teach her….” 

Xie Yao sat up abruptly, digging into her handkerchief as her eyes widened. “Did he agree?” 

Nanny Liu didn’t say anything, her aged face was gloomy as if it was about to rain. 

Men were no good—if a young, beautiful girl willingly offered herself, who would refuse? 

Xie Yao understood this; hence why she was outraged and nearly shattered her pearly white teeth as she clenched them. She glared out the window. “Take me there.  Let’s see if he has the audacity to teach her in front of me!” 

Nanny Liu rushed over to help her slip on a pair of shoes and change out of her attire, then she escorted her on her arm as they headed for the lakeside. 

*** 

In the gardens of the Fang residence… 

Fang Ze, the magistrate of Xi’an, dressed in a blue scholar’s robes, stood behind his younger cousin-sister, Du Yinger. It seemed he was teaching her how to fish, but his eyes were in fact peering down into Du Yinger’s collar. Du Yinger was fifteen, in the blooming years of a girl. She had grown beautifully and boasted curves that any woman would be proud of; her dress clung tightly to her voluptuous chest, so he could only catch a sensuous glimpse through the neckline, making it even more provocative as it was partially shrouded. 

“I think I have it now. Cousin-brother, you can go.” The man’s gaze was burning; it was impossible for Du Yinger not to have noticed. Though her actions were intentional, it was still quite embarrassing to act like this is broad daylight, so she nudged away slightly. 

The maids were all dismissed. Fang Ze eyed his seven-year-old daughter, who was nearby, furtively. His right hand was still clasped around his cousin’s hand, holding onto the fishing rod while his left hand discreetly snuck around Du Yinger’s waist, angling his body as a coverup, “Little cousin, what fragrance did you use today?” 

“Cousin….” His hot breath blew over her face. Du Yinger was nervous, terrified he would fool around with his daughter present. Nervously, she tried to break away from him, but Fang Ze tightened his hold on her as his breathing became heavy, “Little cousin, you look lovely today. Later you can go out to shop around—wait for me at the Bright Moon Tavern.” 

His little cousin-sister was clever; she seduced him yet refused to cave into his demands easily, but Fang Ze lapped it up. Even if they didn’t go all the way, it was good enough for him to be able to cuddle and fool around together all afternoon—anything was better than staying home with Xie Yao. 

Du Yinger shot him a chastising look. Just as she was about to say something, she caught sight of the duo of mistress and servant making their way over. 

*** 

Extra Notes: 

Xie Lanyin: Tsk tsk, it looks like there will be some drama tomorrow. 

Prince Qin: I’ll watch it with you. 

Xie Lanyin: You made me wait so long for nothing, get lost! 

Prince Qin: …say it again? 

Xie Lanyin: Get lost! 

Prince Qin: Even when you yell, your voice is music to my ears. 

Xie Lanyin: …!!!