Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 560

Chapter 560: Jinyu

The next morning, after getting up, An Zhi had Binglu find the best tea leaves and arranged for many savory snacks to be made, because the Qian family’s matriarch loved them.

Not long after, Madam Meng arrived with her meticulously dressed daughter.

Today, Pei Xuan wore a light blue long coat, perfectly suited to her age; she looked delicate and fresh, as if she could be pinched to release moisture.

“Greetings, Fourth Aunt.” Because An Zhi had helped with the matchmaking, Pei Xuan was particularly amiable when she saw An Zhi this time.

An Zhi smiled and praised Pei Xuan a few times, which made Pei Xuan blush. She turned to Madam Meng and laughed, “Third Sister-in-law, look, her face is red.”

Madam Meng exclaimed, smiling protectively at her daughter, “Don’t bully your niece. She was so nervous last night that she barely slept. This morning, she pulled me aside and asked, ‘What if the Qian family’s son doesn’t like her?'”

“Mother!” Pei Xuan was initially just a little shy, thinking her mother was going to speak up for her, but it turned out her mother was using the conversation as an opportunity to tease her.

The Qian family was known for its good reputation and had never been involved in any disorderly conduct. Furthermore, the young man from the Qian family was very capable, having already made a name for himself in the military at a young age; his future was bright.

Therefore, both Madam Meng and Pei Xuan were eager to facilitate this marriage. They had already thoroughly investigated the Qian family while with An Zhi and were now simply waiting for them to come to their door.

Because of the previous dynasty’s female Emperor, although the current Jin Dynasty was not as open as its predecessor, some customs remained. There was no such thing as arranged marriages. Even ordinary families would allow the young people to meet and get to know each other. Of course, if the parents were forceful, there were families that would force a marriage.

When Madam Meng arrived, she brought two boxes of pastries, all made by her daughter. She handed them to Binglu as soon as she entered.

The three of them hadn’t been sitting for long, and before they had even seen anyone, they heard a cheerful shout outside.

“My niece, An Zhi, is still as poetic and artistic as ever. Even just the courtyard is so beautifully arranged.”

Upon hearing the voice, An Zhi knew it was Aunt Fang from the Qian family. Chunlan outside greeted her, “Greetings, Madam of Qian!” Then the curtain was lifted, and a round-faced, full-headed woman entered first—this was Aunt Fang. Following her was a tall, handsome young man with dark skin and striking features, clearly a seasoned soldier.

An Zhi, supported by Binglu, stood up and greeted her with a smile, “Aunt Qian, you’ve finally arrived! Knowing you were coming, I prepared your best salted egg yolk pastries this morning.”

Although Aunt Fang hadn’t watched An Zhi grow up, she had often interacted with An Zhi in the capital because of her sister-in-law and was quite fond of her. If An Zhi hadn’t already been engaged, she would definitely have gone to the An family to propose marriage. Later, upon learning that An Zhi’s engagement had been broken off, she was just thinking of arranging a marriage for his youngest son when she learned that An Zhi was engaged again before she could even send the letter. She was filled with regret for quite some time.

Madam Fang, holding An Zhi’s hand and looking at An Zhi’s round belly, hurriedly asked her to sit down, “Please sit down; you’re about to give birth.”

“Yes, it’s probably at the end of this month or the beginning of next month. Aunt Qian will definitely still be in the capital then, and she’ll come to bless my child.” In An Zhi’s eyes, Aunt Qian was a very fortunate lady; when a child was born, the mother would invite people with good fortune to eat sweets, which was a sign of bringing good luck to the child.

Aunt Qian nodded repeatedly, then turned to greet Madam Meng.

Their eyes met, and everyone was carefully considering each other’s intentions; choosing in-laws was also very important.

Seeing Madam Meng’s gentle features, Madam of Qian glanced at the young girl behind Madam Meng and noticed she was a pretty and charming young lady. She immediately understood and turned to introduce her son to Madam Meng. “Jin’er, quickly greet everyone.”

Qian Jinyu’s face remained expressionless. She bowed to Madam Meng without looking at her, then turned and called out to An Zhi, “Cousin,” before standing still.

Behind Madam Meng, Pei Xuan’s palms were sweating with nervousness. She had wanted to say something when Qian Jinyu looked over, but now the young master seemed displeased and didn’t even look in her direction, leaving her extremely disappointed. However, with Madam Fang still present, she couldn’t show her displeasure and could only lower her head further.

An Zhi also noticed Qian Jinyu’s unhappiness, and thinking that her cousin was unhappy and feeling the relationship wouldn’t work out, she invited everyone to have some snacks.

Madam Fang hadn’t seen An Zhi in a long time and had a lot to say. Plus, Madam Meng was perceptive, and the three quickly became acquainted, chatting until noon. An Zhi invited Madam Fang to stay for lunch. Madam Meng, being the woman, felt it inappropriate to be too forward and wanted to leave just before the meal. However, Madam Fang, being a carefree person, insisted on staying, saying she would play dominoes that afternoon. Madam Meng then stayed.

That afternoon, when the three adults—An Zhi, Madam Fang, and Madam Meng—played dominoes, Madam Fang sent the two children away. “Jin’er, haven’t you always wanted to see Zhi’er’s Orchid Pavilion? I remember Xuan’er used to live here too. Let Xuan’er take you to see it.”

“I didn’t…” Qian Jinyu only managed two words before receiving a glare from his mother and immediately shut up. His already dark face looked even darker now.

An Zhi watched the two children leave, then hesitated before looking at Madam Fang. But before she could ask, Madam Fang readily explained the reason.

“My son, taking advantage of being the youngest in the family, wants to make all the decisions himself. But since ancient times, it’s been said that one should establish a family before starting a career. Don’t you agree?” Madam Fang sighed.

Madam Meng nodded in agreement. Thinking of Qian Jinyu’s unhappy expression, she felt there was little hope, but she was willing to stay and befriend Madam Fang.

“In the past two years, many members of the Qian family have died guarding the frontier, including my eldest son. Every time we arrange the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall, my husband and I dread the increasing number of tablets,” Madam Fang said, her eyes welling with tears as she paused her card-playing. “Many were fine young men in their early twenties, the best years of their lives, and they all died on the battlefield.”

She paused, took the handkerchief Binglu offered, wiped her tears, and continued, “Despite this, our Qian family has no intention of withdrawing from the frontier. But as people get older, we worry about unforeseen events. We want to leave a male heir for our ancestors, so we thought of sending our youngest son back to the capital to get married and stay there afterward. But my youngest son has always been a wild horse, and with his elder brother killed by Dijon’s spear, he’s even more unwilling to come to the capital. So, he doesn’t want to get married here.”

At this point, An Zhi and Madam Meng understood Madam Fang and Qian Jinyu’s situation. Just as they were about to offer Madam Fang a few words of comfort, they saw her smile.

“Hmph, he’s just a callow brat, trying to fight his parents? He’s still too green!” Madam Fang quickly put on a smiling face, raising an eyebrow. “I know his every thought perfectly well!”

Hearing this, Madam Meng became even more certain that the marriage was doomed. A forced marriage was never sweet. She liked the Qian family’s social standing, but if the Qian family’s son didn’t like her daughter, she couldn’t force her daughter into marriage.