Four Seasons Brocade – CH 038

Chapter 38 ☆、Four Women Reflect on Marriage Arrangements

Ah Wu saw someone approaching in the distance, nodded to Gu Tingyi, and hurried away. Gu Tingyi was left staring at her retreating figure, lost in thought for a long time. The little girl’s back looked remarkably like Ah Wu, his deceased sister.

Ah Wu returned to her seat, and Tang Yin grabbed her arm. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Then Tang Yin whispered in Ah Wu’s ear, “You missed the most handsome man in the capital.”

“The Fourth Prince is here?” Ah Wu asked in surprise.

“No, it’s Second Brother Gu.” Tang Yin’s face flushed slightly.

“Did you not just say the Fourth Prince was the most handsome?”

“Sigh, but up close, he’s too intimidating. I tremble just thinking about him. Second Brother Gu is much better looking.”

Ah Wu sighed inwardly; a young woman’s mind changed so quickly.

Sitting idly at the banquet was boring. Fifth Young Lady Rong suggested a poetry contest, which everyone agreed to. Ah Wu, however, had no interest in such activities. She and Tang Yin excused themselves, saying they did not know how, and left the table to sit on the white stones in the garden outside. They had their maids bring out some plates of pastries, dried fruit, and a pot of mead.

Seeing how carefree Ah Wu and Tang Yin were, Su Nian and Hu Yahe also left the table after composing a few lines of poetry.

“Why did you two come out?” Tang Yin asked. Su Nian always enjoyed poetry contests, and Hu Yahe, always eager to win, also enjoyed them.

“Look,” Hu Yahe gestured inside, “It’s boring.”

Tang Yin smiled. Indeed, it was boring. With Gu Xihui and Fifth Young Lady Rong present, the others’ poetry contests were just for show.

“Sister Liu really did not come this time. Once she’s engaged, she’s not free anymore,” Su Nian sighed.

“Would marriage not make you even less free? With your mother-in-law controlling you, it’s much less comfortable than being a daughter,” Hu Yahe sighed.

Su Nian and Hu Yahe were older and more mature. Most girls were engaged at twelve or thirteen, and many married by fifteen. A girl over eighteen and still unmarried was practically a joke. So, Young Lady Su and Young Lady Hu, around eleven years old, heard a lot about engagements and marriages and began to think about them.

Ah Wu had no say. Although she was in her twenties in her previous life, she had not experienced these things and had not thought about them in this life. These matters were always arranged by parents and matchmakers; Ah Wu had not bothered with them.

“Sister Su, is your family discussing your marriage?” Hu Yahe suddenly asked.

Su Nian blushed but did not deny it. Her mother was indeed inquiring around.

“If Sister Su could be my sister-in-law, that would be wonderful,” Hu Yahe said. “We are the best of sisters; we’d be even closer as family.”

Tang Yin smiled and nudged Hu Yahe. “Get out of here. If Sister Su were to be a sister-in-law, she should be mine.”

Su Nian’s face flushed even more. “Do not talk nonsense.”

“We are not talking nonsense at all. Someone as talented as Sister Su could easily be a princess,” Hu Yahe said, taking Su Nian’s arm.

Ah Wu watched from the side, amused. Hu Yahe clearly admired Tang Xiujin, hence her suggestion of marrying Su Nian to her brother. But the later teasing mention of a princess immediately reminded the four people present of their outrageous behavior that day.

To be honest, Tang Yin’s act of taking them to spy on Chu Mao that day was truly shocking; thankfully, it had not gotten out.

That day was truly outrageous. The girls had all drunk a bit and were quite excited. Talking about engagements and marriages, and even bringing up the handsome men of the capital, they became incredibly daring.

Liu Hexuan, because this was her last act of mischief before her engagement, did not stop them, which nearly led to a major disaster.

The four girls were now sober and suddenly quieted down. They gazed at each other, exchanging knowing glances. A tacit understanding arose, and their relationship grew closer.

This closeness, in the words of our readers, is a kind of “revolutionary camaraderie born from shared experiences of visiting brothels.”

“Uh, if Sister Su could marry the Fourth Prince, would she not be able to see a handsome man every day?” Tang Yin teased.

Su Nian’s face turned even redder. “Do not talk nonsense! If you keep talking like this, you will be sent to the Hell of Tongue-Pulling!” Su Nian pretended to pinch Tang Yin.

“Oh, oh, someone’s shy,” Hu Ya chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. “Ah Xuan, do you not think so?”

Seeing how close they’d become, Ah Wu’s nickname had changed from “Sister Xuan” to “Ah Xuan.”

Ah Wu stammered, unsure how to answer. She felt it was inappropriate for everyone to tease Su Nian like that; it was too undignified.

Tang Yin knew Ah Wu. “Do not ask her. She’s a bit of a stickler, a pedant.”

Ah Wu quickly shook her head, rattling it like a rattle-drum. “I, I am not.”

Ah Wu’s actions only made the other three laugh even harder. Just then, Gu Xihui and the others changed their poetry competition, setting a time limit of one incense stick’s time. Gu Xihui and Fifth Young Lady Rong, among others, were outside, reciting poems in their minds. Seeing Ah Wu and the other three so lively, they curiously asked what was going on.

Ah Wu and the other three did not answer but instead asked, “Sister Gu, why are you not composing poems together anymore?”

Gu Xihui replied, “There are not enough people, so we changed it to a poetry contest.”

“Ugh, always the same stuff; we do not like playing that.” Tang Yin shook her head.

“Then how about we play drinking games?” Gu Xihui, as the hostess, naturally wanted to accommodate everyone.

“I want to learn those men’s finger-guessing games, like ‘Five of a Kind’ or ‘Seven of a Kind’; how fun and exciting!” Tang Yin exclaimed.

“Stop it! That’s something only men from Shandong do. We do not do that. What if someone sees us?” Fifth Young Lady Rong quickly shook his head.

“You are so cautious!” Tang Yin glanced at Fifth Young Lady Rong, pouting. “Are you afraid our finger-guessing games will tarnish your reputation?”

These words made Fifth Young Lady Rong blush deeply, but she did not know how to reply. Tang Yin’s father was a high-ranking official, while her own father was merely a nominal deputy commander of the Five Cities Military Command, a mere seventh-rank official.

In Ah Wu’s opinion, Fifth Young Lady Rong actually possessed some talent and a touch of arrogance. However, perhaps due to the environment—the decline of the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion—the eldest and second branches of the family had become somewhat opportunistic, and Fifth Young Lady Rong had also acquired a hint of opportunism, which ultimately led to her lower status.

The trap Fifth Young Lady Rong dug for herself last time, in truth, was not anything special; it was merely a bit of sowing discord, aimed at legitimizing the Old Madam and thus controlling the third branch. Fifth Young Lady Rong’s previous attempts to win her over undoubtedly also had the intention of winning over the third branch, but all of it ultimately backfired.

Ah Wu sighed inwardly. Tang Yin’s assessment of Fifth Young Lady Rong was far too sharp; she truly feared that Fifth Young Lady Rong’s personality would suffer in the future.

Gu Xihui, ever the peacemaker, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “The weather’s lovely today; how about we go boating on Lanchi Pond?”

Luckily, Gu Xihui was clever enough to come up with the idea of ​​boating, catering to Tang Yin and the others’ playful nature, while also aligning with the refined tastes of talented women like Fifth Young Lady Rong, who could compose poetry by the water.

Although it pleased everyone, it inadvertently touched a nerve with Ah Wu. While Ah Wu loved Xiefang Pavilion and its misty waters, the thought of actually being on the water was terrifying. She was terrified of water; as a child, she had fallen into an icy hole in Lanchi Pond, which had left her with a chronic illness. Therefore, Ah Wu strongly disliked water.

Upon arriving at Lanchi Pond, the group of noble ladies was overjoyed, laughing and joking all the way. Ah Wu, however, feigned a headache and seasickness, resting at the Yuhe Pavilion on the shore, while a maid fanned her, swatting away water mosquitoes.

Tang Yin glared at Ah Wu with exasperation. “You silly goose!” Tang Yin thought this was something fun, but Ah Wu had a headache, truly wasting both spring’s beauty and autumn’s charm.

Ah Wu could not accept Tang Yin’s kindness. She was even afraid to look at the surface of Lanchi Pond, only managing a strained smile at Tang Yin. Seeing her truly pale face, Tang Yin did not press her further.

After Gu Xihui and the others boarded the boat and went to the center of the lake, Ah Wu’s complexion improved slightly, but she still did not dare look at the water.

“My sister was also afraid of water, and she’s most afraid to look at Lanchi Pond,” a steady young voice sounded behind Ah Wu.

The surrounding maids had already curtsied, “Second Master.”