The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 122 - Gratitude for the Matchmaker

Song Chumi no longer had any say in her marriage arrangements. Though she had initially agreed to everything, trembling in front of Old Lady Song, now that she was out of confinement, all sorts of other thoughts began to spring up. Marrying a mere scholar meant she'd forever stand below all her sisters whenever she saw them in the future.

She could have married into a high-ranking family and lived comfortably, but now she was destined for a poor rural household. While they claimed to be distant relatives of the Lord Du family, the truth was they were kin only by a loose five-generation connection, hailing from a small, unheard-of town...

Tears poured down her face, but this time, Third Lady Song didn't waver. Instead, she held her daughter tightly as they cried together. "If you wish for me and your father to die immediately or for your brother to never rise in his life, then go ahead and make a fuss! I've already risked my dignity for your sake. Losing face is minor; ruining your father's future is severe. If you do anything more, I'll hang myself with white silk and apologize to the Song family."

Stunned by her mother's unyielding words, Song Chumi finally dared not show any further resistance in front of Old Lady Song.

Thus, the arrangements moved smoothly. Being slightly older than Song Chubin, it was reasonable for her to marry first. With her return to the family and her engagement settled, no one had room for criticism.

Once Song Jue had personally seen off Song Chuxuan to Jiangyin for her wedding, he quickly turned to handling Song Chumi's preparations. Old Lady Song was generous with her dowry, bestowing a sum of ten thousand taels and two sets of jewelry and hair ornaments, matching what she had given Song Chuxuan. With this, Song Chumi settled down in her room to embroider clothes for her in-laws and to prepare her own wedding garments and bedding.

The next day, three roast pigs, sixteen varieties of pastries, and ten jars of rice wine were sent to Duke Ying's residence as gifts to thank them for their role in matchmaking. The Song family also invited the heir apparent and his wife to join them for a celebratory meal—it was meant to be a "return home" banquet for Song Chuxuan, even though she couldn't attend in person. Given the recent flurry of weddings in the family, the return banquet was kept simple, with close friends and relatives gathering for a private celebration.

Lady He, upon hearing the news, was overjoyed. Exhaling a long, relieved sigh, she remarked to Shen Xiaohai, "Persistence does pay off. If not for these past few years of effort, our families might have broken ties entirely."

Shen Xiaohai nodded and cast a firm look at Shen Qingrang and Shen Huiyi, instructing them to behave respectfully and watch their words. Satisfied, he mounted his horse and set off with Shen Qingrang.

Lady He glanced at her daughter, dressed elegantly in deep blue, and offered one final reminder, "Now that you know your parents' intentions, don't let yourself act out anymore. You may pass here with ease, but your father won't be as forgiving."

The Song household was festooned with red lanterns, hanging in long rows under the eaves like strings of candied hawthorn. Colored ribbons decorated the trees in the garden, while a large banyan tree was adorned with silk lanterns in various colors, beautifully complementing the blooming flowers around it. Even Shen Huiyi couldn't help but be impressed by the display. The imperial favor shown to the Song family across generations was evident; otherwise, they wouldn't have been granted this former royal residence, with its elegant layout, age-old trees, and rich heritage.

With a beaming smile, Third Lady Song personally welcomed them into the flower hall, adding with a laugh, "Inside, you'll find the Princess of Zhennan and Princess Duanhui, as well as the wives of the Minister of War and Vice Minister of War with their daughters. And there's an old friend of yours—you'll never guess who."

Lady He played along, feigning surprise with wide eyes. "Oh? Then I'll have to guess carefully."

There was no need to guess, though, for upon entering, they immediately encountered Lady Li, the wife of Li Yu, who had once been a close friend during their girlhood. Lady He was briefly taken aback but soon broke into a warm smile, stepping forward to greet her.

Since Old Lady Song seldom received visitors, it was the First Lady who hosted the guests in the flower hall. Over the past two years, Lady He's tactfulness had greatly improved, and resolving such a challenging issue for the Song family had restored her relationship with the First Lady to the warmth it once held three years ago.

After exchanging pleasantries with the ladies of each household, Lady He finally announced with a smile that she would pay her respects to Old Lady Song. The First Lady nodded, tactfully disregarding the past incident between Shen Huiyi and Song Chuyi, and led Lady He and her daughter toward Ningde Courtyard with a smile. "Old Lady has been feeling a bit weary these days and has avoided seeing many guests. But she has always enjoyed the company of young ladies, and today, they're all playing in Ningde Courtyard."

Indeed, Ningde Courtyard was filled with laughter and joyful voices. After introducing Shen Huiyi to Old Lady Song, Lady He's gaze fell on Song Chuyi. When she was younger, her features had only hinted at her beauty, endearing her as a charming and delicate child. But now, with the grace of the Cui family's finely sculpted features, her beauty had blossomed like a flower, making her stand out among the crowd.

Song Chuyi, noticing Lady He's gaze, subtly leaned on Old Lady Song's shoulder, furrowing her brows slightly. Old Lady Song chuckled, warmly encouraging the girls to go out and enjoy the garden. "The garden has been prepared, and the gardenias are in full bloom. The crabapple, magnolia, and poppies have filled the garden, and the rockery is covered in creeping vines, jasmine, and morning glories. Go out and enjoy the flowers, and if you get bored, you can try fishing by the lake or playing on the swings."

The girls, well aware of the Song family's residence being a former royal estate, cheered enthusiastically at her invitation.

Old Lady Song, growing fonder of lively company with each passing year, smiled kindly at the young women, then turned to specifically remind Song Chubin, Song Chuyi, and Xiang Mingzi, "As the hosts, be sure to take good care of our guests."

The young ladies all responded with cheerful assent, and soon after, Nanny Qin and Nanny Huang entered with delighted expressions to report, "Old Lady, First Lady, an imperial envoy has arrived from the palace! His Majesty and the Crown Prince have sent gifts to congratulate our family."

Old Lady Song's expression flickered momentarily before she resumed her cheerful composure.

The girls set out toward the garden, where the fragrance of gardenia blossoms filled the air as their branches stretched over the long corridor. Unable to resist, they all sighed in appreciation.

Suddenly, one girl let out a delighted gasp, pointing upward, and everyone looked to see a butterfly kite soaring gracefully in the sky. Enthusiasm quickly spread among them to fly kites.

Although it might have seemed challenging to prepare on short notice, it was well-known that Eldest Master Song was exceptionally skilled at crafting kites. Ever since Song Chuyi had expressed a wish to learn, he had gone out of his way each year to collect an array of kites for the young ladies' enjoyment.

Noticing their excitement, he laughed and instructed the housekeeper's wife to retrieve the kites from the storeroom.