Four Seasons Brocade – CH 026

Chapter 26 ☆、 Generous People Do Generous Things (Part 2)

Fifth Young Lady Rong was a bit older than Tang Yin and Ah Wu. She was in a different circle, a little older than Tang Yin’s small circle. But exchanging pleasantries was still necessary.

Ah Wu “newly” met quite a few people along the way. However, a few people looked at her strangely, their eyes constantly glancing at her head with disdain and contempt. Ah Wu lowered her head and thought about it, not feeling she had offended them in any way.

Perhaps Fourth Young Lady Rong had said something. Fourth Young Lady Rong’s circle mostly consisted of illegitimate daughters, not these people, so it did not seem like Fourth Young Lady Rong was trying to sow discord. Ah Wu could not figure it out for a moment, only feeling that the problem seemed to lie with her head.

Thinking of this, Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat, yet she refused to believe it. Even with Gu Xihui, the “half-baked talent” whom Ah Wu disliked intensely, she had to admit that Gu Xihui did have some character; the two had competed against each other but never resorted to underhanded tactics. Ah Wu did not want to think of Fifth Young Lady Rong, who was Gu Xihui’s equal, in this way.

Tang Yin dragged Ah Wu to see Yao Huang, where she chattered incessantly with Su Nian, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and Liu Hexuan, the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Liu. One said she liked Wei Zi; another said she liked Mo Kui.

When asked what she liked, Ah Wu replied, “I like the Kunshan Ye Guang.”

Upon hearing this, everyone asked, “What is the Kunshan Ye Guang Peony?”

At that time, cultivating rare peony varieties was extremely difficult. The Yao Huang and Wei Zi varieties were considered the empresses of peonies, so cultivators devoted much effort to cultivating them. However, there were only about ten pots of these in the entire capital. A renowned variety like the Kunshan Ye Guang variety was even rarer. Few people, unless they were passionate about peonies, knew of it, so it was not surprising that no one had heard of it.

Ah Wu thought for a moment, “There is one in this courtyard.” Ah Wu’s fondness for the Kunshan Ye Guang peony began at the Tianxiang Garden.

Seeing something interesting, the little girl did not press Ah Wu about how she knew about the Kunshan Ye Guang peony; she simply led Ah Wu there.

In Tianxiang Garden, only one Kunshan Ye Guang peony stood alone by the water’s edge. Its petals, white as jade and layered like a crown, were quite beautiful but lacked any unique features, inevitably causing a slight disappointment among the guests.

“It does not compare to Yao Huang or Wei Zi,” Tang Yin remarked. White, after a while, inevitably became monotonous.

Ah Wu recognized the Kunshan Ye Guang peony by chance. One night, unable to sleep, she went for a walk in the courtyard and saw a white lantern in the distance. Upon closer inspection, she discovered it was a peony, which piqued her interest.

Seeing her friend’s disappointment, Ah Wu thought for a moment and turned to the maid who had come to serve her, saying, “Could you please fetch us a dark-colored cloth, sister?”

The maid responded and went to fetch it. These were daughters of high-ranking officials, specifically instructed by the Duchess to be served carefully, so the maid dared not neglect her duty.

When she brought the cloth, Ah Wu had Tang Yin and the others each hold a corner of it and hide under it, concealing the Kunshan Ye Guang peony.

“Wow, it actually glows!” Su Nian exclaimed softly, afraid of startling the delicate Kunshan Ye Guang peony.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen one,” Tang Yin also marveled.

Ah Wu then told the young ladies the story of the Kunshan Ye Guang peony. The story spoke of a peony fairy who, out of gratitude for an elderly couple’s care for peonies, was reborn as their daughter, named Kunshan. She was exceptionally beautiful, but a prefect saw her and forcibly took her. In the end, she transformed into the Kunshan peony and was sent to the prefect’s house to take revenge on him.

The flowers were vibrant and rare, and the story was poignant and heart-wrenching. Driven by emotion, Ah Wu recounted the tale with such dramatic flair and vivid detail that everyone was captivated, even the noble ladies admiring the flowers nearby, who gathered around Ah Wu and her companions.

It was not that Ah Wu was particularly gifted; rather, everyone was simply seldom accustomed to stories of ghosts and spirits tinged with a touch of eroticism. Noble ladies at home typically only studied classics like The Admonitions for Women and The Classic of Filial Piety, and the more talented might read The Analects, Mencius, and poetry. Stories like these usually only existed in idle gossip or storybooks; young women were generally forbidden from reading such books for fear of being corrupted. Therefore, they knew very little about them.

The only opportunity for young women to encounter such extraordinary stories was through opera, but how many operas were actually performed? Therefore, any new and unfamiliar story always captured the young girls’ interest.

When He Peizhen and her group arrived and saw everyone gathered around Ah Wu, listening intently, they immediately felt a sense of unease. Having suffered at Ah Wu’s hands last time, she harbored a deep resentment and extreme hatred towards her. Seeing Ah Wu surrounded by admirers, as if she were the center of attention, she could not bear it. She dragged Fifth Young Lady Rong and a group of her friends towards Ah Wu.

“Hey, why does that hairpin on her head look so much like the one Sister Wan liked best?” He Peizhen looked at Ah Wu in surprise. “Oh, look closer! It’s indeed Sister Wan’s hairpin. Sister Wan, did you not say this hairpin was a gift from your maternal grandmother or a gift from the late Empress Xiaozhen to your grandmother?”

Ah Wu was stunned. This hairpin was made by Han Haiwang, so Ah Wu had not considered it a palace item. Empress Xiaozhen had passed away early, and Ah Wu had never seen it, so naturally, she had no idea of ​​its origin.

But if it was so precious, why would Rong Wan just give it to her like that?

“Last time I asked you to lend it to me, and you would not budge. How come it is on your sister’s head today, Sister Wan? Did you give it to her?” He Peizhen tugged at Fifth Young Lady Rong’s hand, unwilling to let it go.

Fifth Young Lady Rong looked troubled, hesitant to speak, her expression revealing a hidden secret.

“How could that be? Such a precious hairpin—how could Sister Wan give it away? It belongs to the Empress; she treasures it too much to give away. Even Sister Wan herself would not dare wear it,” Jin Ling chimed in.

Then, those around Rong Wan looked at Ah Wu with disdain, feigning sudden realization. “Someone must have taken advantage of her youth and forced Sister Wan to give it to her. How could someone as gentle as Sister Wan possibly resist? She’s young and cries at the drop of a hat; who dares to offend her?” He Peizhen said with a pitying expression.

“Her father is a newly appointed top scholar, incredibly powerful in the household. How dare Sister Wan not give it to her?” Jin Ling sarcastically retorted.

This was truly a malicious accusation. Jin Ling abruptly shifted her insinuations to Third Master Rong, implying that his arrogance and lack of filial piety made his mother seem unkind.

Ah Wu’s face was already flushed. She had not expected Fifth Young Lady Rong to set a trap for her. How laughable that she had thought Fifth Young Lady Rong was a good person—a talented woman, aloof and proud. Ah Wu assumed that Fifth Young Lady Rong, who aspired to be a woman of talent, must be different from the others in the Rong household.

Now it seemed she was indeed different, only more insidious.

In truth, Fifth Young Lady Rong’s move was merely a response to the recent rumors. Being from the first branch’s family, she was naturally close to the Old Madam and had to protect her at all costs, fearing that the rumors would spread and harm the Old Madam, and also fearing that the Old Madam would lose control of Third Master Rong in the future.

Most importantly, the Old Madam had to keep Third Master Rong under her control. While the Old Madam could not see the bigger picture, Fifth Young Lady Rong, who was often out and about, was more perceptive. If they could keep Third Master Rong under control, their family’s future would be much brighter.

Faced with such benefits, sacrificing a little closeness with Ah Wu was nothing. Besides, Ah Wu was young and used to imitate her; even a little kindness from her would make Ah Wu happy for a long time. Fifth Young Lady Rong thought that after this incident, she could appease Ah Wu, and everything would be fine.

Unfortunately, Ah Wu was no longer the Ah Wu who used to imitate and admire her.

Actually, Fifth Young Lady Rong did not want to confront Ah Wu directly about the hairpin. The noble ladies who were close to her knew she possessed such a hairpin, and seeing it now worn by Ah Wu, they would naturally have their own opinions. Fifth Young Lady Rong should have subtly sown discord between Ah Wu and their family, labeling them as unfilial and disloyal.

As a result, despite all the careful planning, Fifth Young Lady Rong had not expected He Peizhen to point it out in front of Ah Wu. Everyone else pretended not to see it, but Fifth Young Lady Rong felt a little resentful towards He Peizhen for being so narrow-minded and insisting on mocking Ah Wu to her face.

Ah Wu felt a slight pang of pain, like being stabbed in the back by a loved one, but fortunately, she was not too caught up in the drama and quickly recovered.

“What are you saying? This hairpin was lent to me by Fifth Sister because she saw I had no jewelry to wear. How could Fifth Sister give away something of such precious origin so easily? That would be disrespectful to the late Empress and unfilial to our grandmother!” Ah Wu lied through her teeth, immediately refuting He Peizhen and Jin Ling’s words, turning the tables on Fifth Young Lady Rong by first implying her act of disrespect and unfilial piety, making her unable to deny the word “borrowed.”

Ah Wu walked over and affectionately took Fifth Young Lady Rong’s hand. “Fifth Sister has always cherished her younger sister; that’s why she was willing to lend me her own jewelry, which she herself would not wear. Is that not right, Fifth Sister?” Ah Wu put on an expression of sisterly affection, which sent a chill down Fifth Young Lady Rong’s spine. They both knew that it was a gift for Ah Wu.

But now Fifth Young Lady Rong had no choice but to agree with Ah Wu and nod. Fifth Young Lady Rong instantly realized that she had underestimated her sixth sister and might have done something extremely foolish.

“Exactly! Giving away things like that so easily is just asking for trouble!” Tang Yin, ever the quick-witted one, turned to Ah Wu and said, “And you, how come you do not even have a decent set of jewelry to wear when you go out? Do your elders not care? Fine, next time you come to my house, I will give you two sets. Do not borrow from anyone again.”

Ah Wu genuinely applauded Tang Yin. Look at her; this woman’s ability to turn the tables was even better than her own. Truly, she was a young lady raised in the family of a high-ranking official.

Look, even outsiders were willing to give away two sets, while her own sister only lent a single hairpin.

These words made Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong blush with embarrassment. Both of them dressed elegantly and richly, their heads adorned with pearls and hairpins, yet the daughter of an illegitimate son had to borrow even her hair ornaments.

This time, Ah Wu and Fifth Young Lady Rong were evenly matched. Some thought Ah Wu’s crying forced Fifth Young Lady Rong to give in and give her the hairpin, while others thought Fifth Young Lady Rong had indeed lent the hairpin, yet was extremely stingy; even if she could not give it away, she could have at least given her another. Fifth Young Lady Rong never wore the same jewelry twice when she went out; it would not make sense for her to be so stingy with so much jewelry.

Ah Wu had actually anticipated Fifth Young Lady Rong’s intentions. Like her mother, Fifth Young Lady Rong was a saint in appearances, rarely offending anyone openly. Today, she was fortunate that He Peizhen had pointed it out; otherwise, Ah Wu would have suffered a loss without knowing why.

Ah Wu turned to He Peizhen and said, “Sister He, I was wrong last time. My grandmother scolded me when I got home, saying I should not have cried in public without regard for appearances and that it was difficult for you, Sister He.”

Ah Wu was apologizing to He Peizhen, not for the scolding, but for crying in public. Only then could Ah Wu proceed to her next point. “At home, Fifth Sister always talks about you, saying how wonderful you are, how generous and righteous you are, with the spirit of a hermit. Fifth Sister often says she wants to invite you over to play. Sister He, you can come over often when you have time,” Ah Wu thought maliciously. “It’s not the fox-like opponent I fear, but the pig-like teammate. Sister He, you should play with Fifth Young Lady Rong more often!”

Seeing Ah Wu’s reaction, He Peizhen did not dare say anything more. She then thought that if even Ah Wu spoke so highly of her, Fifth Young Lady Rong must really like her, and thus she loved playing with Fifth Young Lady Rong even more. This gave Fifth Young Lady Rong a headache, but unfortunately, He Peizhen had a powerful background, and Fifth Young Lady Rong could not easily offend her.

Just then, a maid came to invite the young ladies, saying that Princess Fuhui had arrived, and the Duchess of Jin invited them to kowtow at Zhonghui Hall.