Perfect Match – CH 099

Chapter 99 [Epilogue] Daily Life (5)

Since that night, Deng Ruyun had found it difficult to look him in the eye.

Not only could she not bear to look into his eyes, but she also could not stand his laughter, especially his soft chuckle, which involuntarily reminded her of that time when the quilt was soaked with sweat…

That night, in the end, she could not bear his nagging any longer and begged for mercy. Not only did she beg, but she also clung to his neck, repeatedly calling him, “Husband, husband, hurry up, my good husband…”

He listened with utter satisfaction, his lips curling into a wide smile.

But after dawn, Deng Ruyun denied everything.

He insisted on bringing it up, saying in a low voice with a laugh during breakfast, “Yunniang, serve your good husband a bowl of soup.”

Deng Ruyun almost smashed the bowl in his face!

Fortunately, the imperial eunuchs and ministers sent to deliver the imperial edict arrived in Xi’an. Teng Yue’s ennoblement was no small matter; the entire city of Xi’an was abuzz with excitement. As the earl, he was naturally even busier and had no time to laugh at his wife.

The grand celebration, adorned with flowers and brocade, was primarily attended by Teng Yue, along with the entire Teng family.

Old Madam Lin was the first to return from Jinzhou Mountain. Madam Yang had originally intended to come, but her youngest daughter had only recently recovered, and fearing the long journey and the festivities of the investiture ceremony might trigger another episode of her delirium, she could only watch with envy.

Just as Old Madam Lin arrived, Teng Xiao returned home from Shen Run’s place outside the city. Shen Run, unwell, could not bear the commotion, so only Teng Xiao returned to the city.

Upon returning, she heard that her mother had also returned from their hometown. After some thought, she did not go back to her own Chengfeng Garden but instead went to Canglang Pavilion to pay her respects.

Old Madam Lin had assumed her daughter would likely ignore her, but seeing Teng Xiao arrive first at Canglang Pavilion to greet her, she nearly dropped her teacup.

She personally rose and invited her daughter to sit down and have some tea to warm herself. Seeing that her daughter still did not seem inclined to speak, she still asked her a few questions: how were things back home, and how was her health?

These two questions brought tears to Old Madam Lin’s eyes.

In the past, she had been solely focused on disciplining her daughter, causing her daughter to drift further and further away. Now that she had sent her daughter to Shen Run’s side, the child was gradually reconnecting with her.

However, Old Madam Lin did not dare to pry too much into her daughter’s affairs. She only asked a few questions about her studies and her master, instructing her to take good care of her master before letting her leave.

After her daughter left, she sat in the Canglang Pavilion, lost in thought, for a long time.

The next day was the day of the imperial decree conferring the title of Earl.

The Teng Mansion in Xi’an was packed with people, not only neighbors from Xi’an and relatives from their hometown of Jinzhou, but also Teng Yue’s comrades from Ningxia.

Teng Yue stood in the center of the crowd, accepting the golden imperial edict.

“In this rebellion of Prince Enhua, General Teng Yue of Ningxia has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebels, guarding the border towns, and quelling the uprising. General Teng Yue is hereby granted the title of Earl of Xianning, bestowed with an iron certificate of merit, awarded ten thousand coins of gold, promoted to Deputy Commander of the Shaanxi Military Command, and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ningxia!”

At the moment Teng Yue accepted the edict, his figure stood tall and firm like a mountain in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by a continuous roar of cheers.

Old Madam Lin wept with joy, looking up at the sky as if searching for her deceased husband. Did he also see this scene, see their son, who, with his own strength, fought his way to this earldom with an iron certificate of merit?

Deng Ruyun’s eyes also reddened, tears streaming down her face.

The young general she had admired since her first stirrings of love in her youth had finally achieved the grand ambition he had so diligently cultivated day and night—becoming a powerful regional governor!

Teng Yue held the decree of investiture in his hand, his palms burning.

He looked at his mother, who nodded to him with tears streaming down her face. He returned her gaze.

But then he searched for his wife in the crowd, unable to find her.

Teng Yue’s heart sank. He frowned and searched the back of the crowd, but even with so many guests, he could not find her.

Teng Yue’s heart sank even further.

Was she still not used to standing alongside him in the limelight, before countless eyes?

But then, a small voice softly called out behind him.

“Yu Chuan.”

Teng Yue’s eyes widened at the sound of her voice. He turned around slightly and saw the person standing close behind him.

She was right behind him!

Teng Yue looked up, and she smiled back. Their eyes met, and she was already beside him, never to leave again.

…

A grand celebratory banquet was held at the Teng Mansion.

Wang Fuxiang had come all the way from Ningxia. He had been promoted to Lieutenant General, while his uncle had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of Ningxia. Without Prince Enhua and the Chief Eunuch entangled in the affairs of state, Ningxia felt completely clear.

He pulled Teng Yue aside, saying, “When you get back, you will see nothing but our own people everywhere! It will be so much fun!”

No more of those petty people looming over him, making it hard to breathe.

Teng Yue laughed too, patting him on the shoulder, “There’s plenty of wine in my residence today; drink as much as you want!”

Both men, along with Shen Yanxing, were very happy; only Kong Hui looked a little dejected. It was not because he had not been promoted; Teng Yue asked, and Shen Yanxing whispered in his ear that Kong Hui’s marriage to his cousin had been postponed again.

“Why is that?”

Shen Yanxing, slightly embarrassed, explained that Kong Hui’s cousin had originally chosen a wedding date herself, “but after visiting Ah Yun a couple of days ago, she said that the chosen date would actually dispel Ah Yun’s illness, so she gave it to us. Their wedding will have to be postponed for a few more months.”

Teng Yue secretly rejoiced, thankful that Yunniang was a pharmacist and not a fortune teller; otherwise, he probably would not have fared much better than Kong Hui.

The three of them quickly pulled Kong Hui to join them for drinks. Wang Fuxiang said, “You, as the younger brother, have waited so many years until your cousin broke off her engagement with her previous fiancé. What’s a few more months?”

This made Kong Hui blush deeply, and he quickly covered his mouth. “You rascal! Shut up!”

The four of them laughed and joked, determined to drink until they were completely drunk.

At the women’s banquet, Meng Zhao was also present. She was currently discussing Ningxia with Deng Ruyun, asking when they would be going there, and then she mentioned Wang Fuxiang.

“Now he’s a guerrilla general, just like General Teng before, leading the Yuquan Camp alone. He’s so proud of himself, telling me that a general leading a large camp can no longer be called Wang Mang.”

Deng Ruyun chuckled, “Then what do you call him, sister? Just General Wang’s full name?”

Meng Zhao said that would not do, “I only call him by his full name when I am about to hit him.”

However, she added, “This fellow said that calling him ‘Mang’ makes him prone to rash actions. He wants to lead a camp alone and maintain stability on the border. As for calling him ‘Wang Wen ^(steady),’ I just cannot bring myself to do it. Yesterday, I thought about it for a while, and suddenly I knew what to call him.”

“What to call him?” Deng Ruyun asked curiously.

Meng Zhao blurted out, “Is he not supposed to be maintaining stability at the border? He cannot be called Wang Wen, so he should be called… Wang Wei ^(safeguard)!”

“Wang Wei?!” Deng Ruyun nearly choked.

So, the usurper Emperor became a top-ranking poet?!

A strange image flashed through Deng Ruyun’s mind: the burly General Wang reciting poetry under the red bean tree…

She burst out laughing, collapsing onto Meng Zhao. “Sister, you are so good at naming things!”

Meng Zhao laughed uncontrollably, too.

“Right? Right! Shall I give you one later, too?”

“Oh, oh? Please, please do not…”

The banquet was halfway over, and the number of people at the table dwindled, with many strolling in twos and threes in the Teng family garden.

Teng Xiao did not have many particularly close friends, and especially after she formally became an apprentice of Shen Run, learning mechanical devices, she found it even harder to connect with them.

She thought it best to go find Linglang. This morning, when she saw Linglang, she gave her a newly made mechanical box; she wondered if Linglang would like it.

Teng Xiao searched until she reached the artificial hill in the backyard. Turning around, she saw a little girl named Linglang, surrounded by two boys. The mechanical box she had given her was not in Linglang’s hands, but in the two boys’.

Teng Xiao immediately stepped forward. “Who are you? Why are you taking a child’s things?!”

She did not recognize either of the boys, nor did she know whose they were. Both of them looked completely bewildered when they saw her.

The older one sized her up without speaking, while the younger one became anxious.

“How can you talk nonsense like that? My brother and I did not steal anything from a child!”

As the argument seemed about to escalate, Linglang quickly explained, “These two brothers from the Wu family saw the exquisite mechanism box Aunt Xiao gave me and wanted to examine it closely.”

Upon hearing this, Teng Xiao understood, but these two men were surnamed Wu, and judging from their attire, she did not recall any such prominent family in Xi’an Prefecture.

Neither of them knew who she was.

But the younger brother, Wu Sheng, muttered, “Why is there a generational difference? Suddenly, I am a head shorter?”

Linglang covered her mouth and laughed.

However, Wu Sheng looked at Teng Xiao and asked, “You certainly did not make this yourself, did you? Where did you get it from?”

Upon hearing this question, his older brother, Wu Ce, frowned and gave him a look.

Teng Xiao’s expression indeed darkened upon hearing this.

“What do you mean by that? Why could I not have made it myself? Are you looking down on me?”

She said she made it herself. Her younger brother, Wu Sheng, was taken aback, but Wu Ce reacted quickly, stepping forward to apologize.

“My brother was being rude. He was just admiring how exquisite and rare this thing was. Please do not take it to heart, Young Lady.”

Only after he spoke did Teng Xiao look up at him.

The young man seemed a bit older than her but much taller. Looking up at him, she saw that he had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, showing no signs of weakness, yet he spoke respectfully and politely.

She snorted. “Then I will not take it to heart, but can I take it to heart with you? Who exactly are you? Do you know anything about mechanisms?”

She asked this, and Wu Ce answered her, saying that he and his brother, along with their entire family, had been rescued by the Earl of Xianning, and they had come to celebrate with the Earl. “And we are indeed disciples of the art of mechanisms.”

He introduced himself, saying, “My grandfather once served in the artillery battalion in the capital.” He then mentioned General Wu’s name.

General Wu was a towering figure in the field of mechanical arts. After the death of the old general of the Shen family, the only person in the Wu family who could be compared to him was Shen Yanxing’s aunt, who lived in seclusion outside Xi’an. Within the Wu family, she was known as the Great Lady Shen.

Upon hearing the Wu family’s name, the younger brother, Wu Sheng, immediately straightened his back, thinking that this young lady must think highly of them.

Teng Xiao did indeed glance at the two brothers, but not with any particular regard. Her expression remained calm, and she simply said, “Oh, so you, like me, also practice mechanical arts.”

Seeing her attitude from someone also practicing mechanical arts, the younger brother, Wu Sheng, could not help but ask.

“Then whose family are you, and who is your master?”

She actually looked down on the Wu family?

The most famous family in Shaanxi was the Shen family, but after their decline, where would they find young ladies?

They had just arrived in Xi’an and were planning to visit the Shen family outside the city the next day, but General Shen Yanxing was too busy, and they had not had time to send a formal invitation.

However, when Wu Sheng asked, Teng Xiao spoke up.

“I am from the Teng family. My brother was just ennobled today, and my master… my master’s surname is Shen, and her given name is Run.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Sheng was completely stunned.

“Ah? You are the sister of the Earl of Xianning, the only disciple of the Shen family!”

“What? Do I not look like it?” Teng Xiao was very dissatisfied with this Brother Wu’s attitude, but she immediately turned to the older brother, Wu Ce, and asked, “Are you going to make me hold this against you this time too?”

The old General Wu had instructed the two brothers to stay at the Shen family for a while and learn skills from Shen Run. Before even arriving at the Shen family, they had already offended Shen Run’s only disciple.

Seeing Teng Xiao grumbling and about to leave, even intending to take Little Linglang with her, Wu Ce panicked and stepped in front of her.

“Young Lady Teng, I am so sorry; my brother really does not know how to speak properly. Please do not hold it against us!”

In his haste to block her, Teng Xiao had not expected it and bumped right into his shoulder.

The two were both a little stunned by the sudden closeness.

Linglang, watching from the side, blinked and let out a long “Eh.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Ce’s face flushed red.

He quickly took a step back. He was even more embarrassed by his brother’s rudeness and explained helplessly, “We brothers just happen to want to leave the city tomorrow to visit your master.”

Wu Sheng nodded quickly beside him.

Teng Xiao understood. She rubbed her forehead where she had bumped into him and said, “That’s perfect.”

“I am also leaving the city tomorrow, so I will not hold what happened before against you. You can come with me.”

Wu Sheng quickly agreed and thanked her, but her brother Wu Ce glanced at Teng Xiao.

“Thank you for your magnanimity, Young Lady.”

Teng Xiao certainly would not hold it against him, but she looked at Wu Ce.

Why was his face getting redder and redder?

Teng Xiao did not understand, but then she saw Little Linglang covering her mouth beside her.

“Hehe.”

Teng Xiao: ?

*

The next day, the Wu brothers first visited Teng Yue at the Teng Mansion. Teng Yue, hearing that the brothers were going with Teng Xiao to Shen Run’s place, did not keep them long.

He noticed that Wu Ce had recovered well; the young man had grown taller in just six months, beginning to resemble a fledgling eagle. However, he seemed inexplicably shy, not daring to look at him, much less at his little sister beside him.

Teng Yue did not think much of it and sent someone to take them there.

His mother sent someone to inquire about his plans to return to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors. Teng Yue already had arrangements; he planned to return in a couple of days after things settled in Xi’an. He had already told his mother in Canglang Pavilion, and she did not ask any further questions.

However, he turned to Deng Ruyun and mentioned the matter of returning to their hometown to register their family genealogy.

They should have returned to their hometown to register their family genealogy long ago, but this had been overlooked and delayed by many things until now.

Deng Ruyun did not have any objections. Hearing Teng Yue’s arrangements for returning to their hometown to pay respects to his ancestors and register their family genealogy, she thought he had changed his mind and was not planning on holding their wedding.

Unexpectedly, just as she was thinking this, he said, “Yunniang thinks it’s unreasonable for us to hold it again after we already did in Xi’an, and it would be too extravagant. Let’s hold it in Jinzhou then.”

He looked at her intently.

“If we had been able to marry in Jinzhou back then, the wedding should have been held there.”

In Jinzhou?

Deng Ruyun paused slightly.

*

The New Year was approaching, and there were many things to do.

Teng Yue first took Deng Ruyun and Deng Ruheng’s family back to their hometown in the countryside of Jinzhou, while he went to Jinzhou city to prepare for the upcoming events.

When Deng Ruheng returned home, he found the house empty; even several of the old dogs were missing. Fortunately, Dafu’s two siblings remained. They rushed out, sniffed Deng Ruheng, and pounced on him, then started barking and biting each other.

Aunt Juan told Deng Ruheng in detail about her uncle and aunt’s situation.

Back then, his elder brother was gone, and his uncle, despite being his blood relative, not only failed to protect his sister but also plotted to seize the entire first branch of the family, forcing his sister to almost marry a blind widower… But all that was in the past; that couple had been exiled to the frontier.

Deng Ruheng felt no more pity for them, determined to sever all ties with the second branch of the family within the clan and never to have any further contact.

At this moment, while it was still light, he picked up Linglang and went to the place where his parents and wife were buried.

Deng Ruyun, however, wandered around the house twice and discovered that the basket of arrows she had collected before was missing.

Uncle Ya guarded the Deng family’s courtyard, but with no one who understood sign language present, Deng Ruyun tried to communicate with him for a long time without success. She knew Shen Xiu had come and taken one arrow for Teng Yue.

And what about the rest? Had the family dog carried it away? Who knew where it was hidden?

But it was all for the best, because that basket of arrows all belonged to someone, and each one was engraved with his name.

If he saw this, what would happen?

Would he not be strutting around like crazy? And then he’d bring it up in her ear every day.

Thinking about it, Deng Ruyun felt her face could not take it.

However, in the evening, Aunt Juan brought up something else.

“Yunniang, do you still remember that mimosa tree outside Jinzhou City? I once said there was a spirit in that tree, so you went to the tree spirit and made a wish.”

Aunt Juan smiled and looked at her. “Now, should you not go and fulfill your vow?”