Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 190

Chapter 190: Harmony

When An Zhi learned that her sister-in-law was going to the northwest with her brother, she was as surprised as the Grand Princess.

She even specifically went to talk to her sister-in-law. “Do you know how bitterly cold the northwest is?”

Huiping nodded numbly, saying she knew. “Why do you all keep asking me this question? My husband fought in the northwest for many years; how could I not know what it’s like there?”

“Knowing about it is one thing, but can you truly endure the conditions there?”

It wasn’t that An Zhi looked down on her sister-in-law, but the conditions in the northwest were truly harsh.

Huiping had, of course, considered this question. She had thought about what she would do if she couldn’t bear it. But if she didn’t go herself, she would always regret it. “Whether I can endure it or not, I won’t know until I experience it. If I don’t go, I’ll always have regrets about the northwest.”

She paused. “An Zhi, if one day your beloved man is about to embark on a dangerous journey, would you choose to protect yourself and retreat, or would you bravely go forward without hesitation?”

“I…” An Zhi hadn’t thought about this question.

Before her rebirth, An Zhi had only wanted to marry Pei Yu and become the madam of a noble household, envisioning a smooth and prosperous life. She never imagined that the Pei family would ever fall.

After her rebirth, An Zhi no longer believed in love and wanted to live alone. But then Pei Que’s arrival disrupted all her plans.

If the question was about Pei Que, would she be willing to embark on a journey with him?

An Zhi turned to look at her sister-in-law and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Huiping propped her chin up with one hand and asked curiously, “How could you not know? When you were engaged to Pei Yu, didn’t you ever think about these things?”

An Zhi shook her head. “Back then, I was more naive. I thought the Pei family was a time-honored noble family that would always prosper.”

“How could that possibly be?” Huiping, having grown up in a noble family, was naive about some things, but that didn’t mean she was ignorant.

“Take my aunt’s marriage to the Marquis of Weiyuan’s family, for example. The lady of the Weiyuan Marquis’s family used to go out in such style, but look at her now—does she ever go out anymore?”

Of course not.

An Zhi sighed. She kept thinking about this problem on her way back, but every time she thought of Pei Que’s face, she couldn’t continue thinking about it.

For An Zhi, she did have feelings for Pei Que. But at the same time, she knew that pursuing those feelings would come at a great cost, not only in terms of societal expectations but also in terms of breaking certain moral and traditional rules.

Honestly, based on their current relationship, she didn’t think she had the courage to break those rules.

Binglu, hearing her young lady sigh, asked with concern, “Miss, are you worried because of what the young mistress said?”

Binglu knew the path ahead would be difficult regarding her young lady and Fourth Master Pei. Although she hoped her young lady would marry Fourth Master Pei, she hadn’t brought up the subject in their daily conversations. “It’s just that I’m worried that if things don’t work out, it might cause my young lady even more heartache.”

“Yes and no.” An Zhi stepped over the threshold and saw several maids playing with jump ropes in the courtyard. She smiled and said softly to Binglu, “That’s all in the future; let’s not worry about it now.”

Binglu nodded, understanding that her young lady didn’t want others to know. She then pulled her young lady over to join the maids in playing.

The Lunar New Year’s Eve arrived quickly. This was the first New Year for Huiping after her marriage. An Chengye had ordered a grand celebration.

An Zhi initially thought it would be better to keep things low-key, given the turbulent times, but then she realized that even if the An family wanted to make a big show, they couldn’t really do much. So she let her father have his way.

The New Year passed quietly, yet meaningfully.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the family began packing the belongings for An Xu and his wife.

An Zhi wanted to give her brother and his wife everything, but the carriage had limited space. Huiping suggested converting most of the jewelry into silver. She reasoned that it would be difficult to carry many things on such a long journey, but silver was convenient, and they wouldn’t be in dire straits as long as they had money.

An Zhi agreed with her sister-in-law’s logic and gave them an extra five thousand taels of silver, but Huiping refused.

“Keep your money for yourself,” Huiping said. “I’m a princess, I have my own land, and my mother is a high-ranking princess; I’m not short of money. I came here to be your companion, but now that I’m leaving with your brother, you’ll be alone again. Everyone in the capital is like a wolf or tiger; you must be very careful. Don’t let anyone scheme against you.”

These were Huiping’s heartfelt words.

She truly didn’t want to leave An Zhi, but she longed to go to the northwest with her husband.

“I hope we’ll have the chance to be together again someday,” Huiping said sincerely. An Zhi also wanted to be closer to her brother and his wife, but she knew that as long as her brother remained a general, they would inevitably be separated, unless she went to the Northwest with him.

Thinking about it, that wasn’t a bad idea.

Now that her brother was married, with the powerful princess as his support, she didn’t have to worry about him anymore. As long as she earned enough money, the world would be her oyster.

Even though she had made up her mind, An Zhi still couldn’t sleep that night.

She stood by the window where Pei Que often came, her long hair draped over her shoulders, gazing at the starry sky, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart.

“Were you waiting for me?” Pei Que suddenly appeared, having climbed over the wall.

Seeing Pei Que in his black clothes, An Zhi wasn’t surprised, because she had been waiting for him.

She nodded, still leaning against the windowsill, not offering Pei Que a place to stand. “The moon is so beautiful tonight; I thought you might come.” He knew she would be sad, so he wanted to make an effort.

Pei Que sensed the sadness in An Zhi’s words. He was happy that she had been waiting for him but also felt a pang of pity. Standing below the windowsill, he was at the same height as An Zhi, looking her straight in the eyes. “Your two cousins ​​are both capable men. In a couple of years, when your brother has established himself in the Northwest, we can find a way to have him transferred back to the capital.”

An Zhi smiled faintly. “Do you want my brother to hate you?”

An Zhi knew her brother well; given his character, he wouldn’t come back until he was no longer able to fight in battle.

“Of course I don’t want that,” Pei Que said softly, “but I also want you to be happy.”

“As long as my brother is safe and happy, that’s all I need.” An Zhi paused, thoughtfully observing the emotions in Pei Que’s dark eyes. He was very good at hiding his feelings; she seemed to see everything, yet nothing at all. She tentatively asked, “Maybe I can go to the Northwest someday, if I have the opportunity.”

“You want to go to the Northwest?” Pei Que frowned instantly.

An Zhi nodded lightly. “I’ve had that thought, Fourth Master Pei.” Looking at Pei Que again, she continued, “These past few days, I’m truly grateful for your kindness. My sister-in-law asked me a question today, and I want to know your answer: if one day, fate forces you to choose between me and the Pei family, what would you do?”

“I won’t let that situation ever happen,” Pei Que said.

Hearing An Zhi say she wanted to go to the Northwest, Pei Que panicked.

He had worked so hard for so long, all for An Zhi. He had finally gotten her to say she liked him, and now it seemed that was about to vanish.

“An Zhi,” Pei Que took a large step forward, leaning against the wall, his face inches from hers. “If that day ever comes, it will be because I haven’t done enough. I will send you to the safest place, and I will use my life to protect you. If possible, I will follow you.”

The Pei family was Pei Que’s responsibility. But An Zhi was what he truly desired.

An Zhi understood the responsibility on Pei Que’s shoulders; as the daughter of a low-ranking official, she too carried certain unavoidable responsibilities.

“Pei Que, I’ll remember what you said today,” An Zhi said, raising her hand to close the window. “I’m glad you came. We’ll have plenty of time together in the future.”

She called him “Pei Que,” not “Fourth Master Pei,” or “Fourth Brother,” just “Pei Que.”

Pei Que stood by the windowsill, watching An Zhi close the window, and remained there, still and bewildered.

For the first time, Pei Que felt that having his name spoken was so captivating.

After closing the window, An Zhi didn’t leave but stood by it, breathing heavily.

Those words she had just spoken were her best attempt at confessing her feelings. She couldn’t be as brave and straightforward as her sister-in-law, so she could only try to express herself indirectly.

Only after hearing faint footsteps outside the window did An Zhi slowly walk back to her bed.

She was truly happy that Pei Que had come.

~

Only An Xu and his wife were returning to the northwest early; Bai Cheng and his wife would have to wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When she was seeing her brother and sister-in-law off, An Zhi couldn’t help but tear up, and her sister-in-law started crying as well. The Grand Princess and her daughter talked for a long time, but the Grand Princess still refused to let go of her daughter’s hand. “Once you arrive in the northwest, remember to take good care of yourself. Be respectful and loving to your husband. You are now married and an adult; don’t act like a child anymore. I’m not with you, so you must take care of yourself. Oh, right, the two maids I told you to take with you—why didn’t you take them?”

The princess had given her daughter two beautiful maids. Young couples often conceived quickly, and if her daughter became pregnant, it would be better for her to choose her own attendants than to have someone unknown to serve her husband.

When Huiping heard her mother’s meaning, she was quite angry. She felt her mother was thinking only of herself, wanting her to prepare concubines for her husband, and she felt immense jealousy.

However, An Xu’s reaction made Huiping very happy.

“My husband said we don’t need them,” Huiping whispered to her mother. “He said that when he was young, his grandfather’s concubines caused a lot of trouble in the family, so he doesn’t need concubines; he only needs me.”

Thinking about her husband’s words, Huiping couldn’t help but smile. “Mother, don’t you think I’m incredibly lucky?”

Seeing the joy in her daughter’s eyes, the Grand Princess didn’t want to dampen her spirits. Although she didn’t believe in the promises of young men, if her son-in-law truly remained faithful, wouldn’t that be even better?

“Yes, yes, you are the luckiest!” The Grand Princess hugged her daughter. Seeing her son-in-law and his family looking over, she knew it was time to part. She patted her daughter’s back. “It’s getting late; you should go.”

When it was finally time to leave, Huiping couldn’t help but cling to her mother and cry, “Mother, I don’t want to leave you!”

The Grand Princess also didn’t want to part with her daughter, but things had come to this point, and she couldn’t keep her daughter with her.

An Xu came over, bowed to his mother-in-law, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe his wife’s tears. Seeing her husband, Huiping quickly stopped crying.

An Zhi watched her brother and his wife across the street, sincerely wishing them a long and happy marriage.

Seeing her stepson’s and his wife’s good relationship, Meng Jie felt a little envious but also relieved. She had originally worried that being a mother-in-law to a princess would be difficult, but the princess was leaving for the northwest with her stepson in less than ten days, which was a great relief.

“Zhi’er, you’re the only one left now,” Meng Jie said gently, her mood light. “There will be many banquets in the first month of the lunar year. If you find someone you like, come and tell me, and I’ll definitely help you find out more about them.”

An Zhi thanked the Madam but didn’t say anything else. She could tell that Madam was just being polite; if she truly cared, she would have offered to introduce suitable suitors to An Zhi instead of asking An Zhi to find someone herself.

After watching her brother’s carriage leave, the An family returned home.

~

There were banquets every day during the first month of the lunar year. Especially since An Zhi had become popular again in the capital, countless families wanted her as their daughter-in-law, including Madam Cheng, a close friend of Madam Qian.

After An Zhi and Xia Yunjiang met at several banquets, Madam Cheng approached Madam Qian, asking her to help arrange a match.

Qian Shi was surprised. “Why are you interested in my niece again?” Since they were close friends, Madam Qian spoke frankly, as she would in the northwest.

Madam Cheng smiled awkwardly. “I’ve always liked your niece. I was very impressed with her the first time I met her.”

“But it’s not enough that you like her.” Madam Qian and Madam Cheng had been friends for many years, and she knew Madam Cheng wouldn’t lie to her. “Your son has to like her too.”

“Of course he likes her!” Madam Cheng had wanted to explain this to An Zhi and Madam Qian for a long time. “That previous incident was just because my silly son was inexperienced in being alone with a girl. He was too shy, which led to An Zhi’s misunderstanding. If you don’t believe me, just give them another chance to spend time together, and you’ll see.”

If it weren’t for the previous incident, Madam Qian would still like Xia Yunjiang, but since the first attempt hadn’t gone smoothly, she hesitated to agree right away, “Let me ask my niece first. If she’s interested, then I’ll arrange it.”

“Thank you,” Cheng said, still very confident in her son. And compared to An Zhi’s family background, marrying into the Xia family would be a step up for her.

But Madam Cheng never expected that after Madam Qian explained everything to An Zhi, An Zhi would directly refuse.

“Why?” Madam Qian needed to know the reason. “I know Xia Yunjiang’s character; he’s a good person. Madam Cheng and I have similar personalities, so I think you two would get along well. Besides, if you marry into the Xia family in Lingnan, we can see each other often. Do you not like Xia Yunjiang, or are you still upset about the previous incident?”

An Zhi pursed her lips. “Aunt, I know the Xia family is good, and I can see that Xia Yunjiang is a nice person. But…I don’t have those feelings for him.”

Many times, An Zhi wanted to just tell everything, but at the last moment, her common sense told her not to. If she told everything, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Madam Qian had essentially watched An Zhi grow up. Although she hadn’t seen her for three years, she still knew An Zhi well. From An Zhi’s subtle gestures and expressions while talking, she could roughly guess what was on her mind. “An Zhi, tell your aunt what’s on your heart. Do you have someone you like?”