Spring in the Hall of Paintings

The Old Lady of the Jueluo family pulled Yun Wei into her arms, gently wiping the sweat from her smooth forehead with a silk handkerchief. At that moment, Yun Wei resembled a cat lying lazily in her owner’s embrace, enjoying the sunshine. Her two clear eyes were like crescent moons in the sky, and she called softly, “Grandmother.”

“Who could bear to scold you, Wei girl?” The Old Lady smiled, tapping her granddaughter’s nose. “Who would have thought that your mother would spoil you like this?”

Yun Wei curled into the Old Lady’s arms, rolling over twice, her voice sweet but not overly so, just right: “Yiya, isn’t it good?”

“Wei girl, just now, your aunt’s words…” The Old Lady began.

“Mother won’t mind it anymore.” Yun Wei tilted her small head. Her lazy posture made her hair a bit messy, adding a hint of rare charm. “Grandmother, please don’t worry.”

“Your mother is a sensible person, and she gets along well with your father. Rong Xian, she… Is it all my fault for being careless back then?”

Yun Wei’s small hand gently touched the wrinkles on the Old Lady’s forehead. She couldn’t bear to see her grandmother in such a sorrowful state and comforted her, “Aunt just couldn’t understand for a moment. Grandmother, actually, Cousin Jing Yi is quite pitiable. She doesn’t have the support that I have from Father. She wants to compete with Fourth Sister to make a good name for herself in the selection of ladies in the future.”

“Being able to see others’ strengths, having self-respect and self-love, without jealousy—your mother taught you well. She is much stronger in this regard than I was. Though I raised three sons, I was never good at raising daughters.”

Yun Wei didn’t speak much about the matters of the elders, and the Old Lady was particularly pleased with this. She then stopped bringing up Rong Xian and asked, “Has Lan girl gone out again?”

“Fourth Sister said she was summoned by the princess. She dressed very beautifully this morning.”

“The drunken man’s intention is not in the wine.” The Old Lady gazed at Yun Wei in her arms and asked, “When you saw him, what did you think?”

Yun Wei recalled her encounter with Yinzhen. His face was a bit blurry in her memory, but she clearly remembered his cold, restrained gaze. She murmured, “I really admire Fourth Sister… he… Yaya, I can’t say for sure.”

“Speaking of which, your Fourth Sister is truly remarkable. She’s beautiful, eloquent, graceful, and very clever, even a bit of a genius. Your Third Uncle’s promotion was largely thanks to Lan girl’s private suggestion.”

The Old Lady of the Jueluo family’s tone shifted, filled with regret as she shook her head and said, “Your Fourth Sister has her methods, but unfortunately, she’s now entangled with a prince who already has a legitimate wife. I really can’t approve of that. Even if the side consort rises to prominence, she is still a concubine. She’ll never be able to hold her head high in front of the legitimate wife. No matter how well he speaks, could he disregard proper rules and etiquette for Lan girl? Not to mention how the Emperor would feel about it—just from what I’ve seen of him, he’s someone who is deeply bound by tradition and proud of it.”

“He should not let Fourth Sister suffer,” Yun Wei replied, a bit worried about her proud Fourth Sister. If things were truly like with a concubine, could she bear it?

“Men’s sweet words are the most unreliable and fleeting.”

Yun Wei silently agreed, not daring to show it. In fact, her mother had said the same thing. To get things done, one must use every means possible. Yun Wei’s eyes sparkled with admiration. The Old Lady, being so experienced, could easily guess what was on Yun Wei’s mind. She pinched her nose and scolded with a smile, “Little imp, my foolish son was completely controlled by your mother. They’ve been through thick and thin together. Your father has no heart for anyone else; he’s willingly trapped by your mother.”

“Mother is also caught by Father, she likes him too,” Yun Wei said.

The Old Lady laughed and nodded. With her son and daughter-in-law living happily, the family was flourishing. She was certainly pleased. The Old Lady had no interest in meddling with her son by sending him concubines or causing trouble for her daughter-in-law. She had always believed that harmony within the family leads to prosperity.

“Old Lady, Fourth Miss is here to pay her respects.”

Dressed in a light purple qipao with embroidered peony flowers, Lan girl walked in gracefully. Her bright, radiant face was lit with a dazzling smile, and her eyes tilted upwards, giving off a hint of youthful charm. Lan girl was the same age as Yun Wei but was already half a head taller. With her beautiful figure and the joy of being in love with Yinzhen, she appeared two years older than Yun Wei.

Yun Lan wore little jewelry on her head, as she knew that Yinzhen wouldn’t appreciate overly flashy or excessively regal women. However, it was inevitable that women had a certain passion for jewelry, and the craftsmanship of Qing Dynasty jewelry was so exquisite that it amazed Yun Lan. Even though she was from a middle-class background in the modern world, she found it hard to resist the allure of jewelry. Therefore, she didn’t seek quantity but rather quality, choosing pieces that complemented her own temperament.

Yun Lan curtsied, her voice clear and melodious with an indescribable joy, “Grandmother, peace.”

When Yun Lan entered, Yun Wei immediately rose from the Old Lady’s embrace, not wanting Yun Lan to feel that her grandmother was showing favoritism. She softly said, “Fourth Sister, peace.”

“Sixth Sister,” Yun Lan, thinking of herself as more mature, did not compete for attention with Yun Wei, especially since she had already received Yinzhen’s promise. Winning Yinzhen’s heart was what truly mattered to her.

“Has Lan girl returned from the palace?”

The Old Lady’s words made Yun Lan’s face blush like the evening sky. Yun Wei, with her long, graceful lashes fluttering, lightly said, “Grandmother, tomorrow we’ll make the dish ‘Who’s Listening to the Falling Plum with a Jade Flute.’ Fourth Sister taught me this dish and said we should make it to honor you.”

Yun Wei hugged the Old Lady’s arm, rubbing her little face against it, and gave Yun Lan a look. Yun Lan, ever so clever, immediately followed suit, saying, “Yes, Grandmother should try the cooking of her granddaughters.”

“‘Who’s Listening to the Falling Plum with a Jade Flute’? That’s an interesting name.”

The Old Lady had never tasted it and asked, “Can you make it?”

Yun Lan smiled softly and remained silent. She was someone who knew how to speak but didn’t cook. She had never stepped into a kitchen in her past life, and after crossing over, she was born into a family where servants and maids did all the work, leaving her with no skills in cooking.

“Grandmother, don’t underestimate me. Tomorrow, I’ll show you what I can do.”

Yun Wei puffed out her chest proudly, her expression full of satisfaction, which eased the earlier awkwardness. The Old Lady glanced at Yun Wei’s delicate, soft little hands, clearly well-maintained. She might be able to make good dishes and have many secret recipes. Such a girl, if she married into the Fucha family, the Old Lady would be reluctant to let her go.

“Fine, as long as Lan girl knows what she’s doing.” The Old Lady leaned back, lowering her eyelids. “You two girls should go now. I’ll rest for a while.”

Yun Wei and Yun Lan exchanged a glance and quietly left. Lin Mama stepped forward to help the Old Lady lie down, speaking softly, “I think the matter with the Fourth Miss is settled.”

“Everything that needed to be said, I already made clear to Yun Lan that day when I called her privately. All I want is for the Tong family to be at peace.”

Lin Mama understood. In her mistress’s heart, the Tong family was everything. As soon as the Old Lady learned of Yun Lan’s intentions, she had sought her out, but the Fourth Miss refused to listen.

“Among my three sons, I actually value the second one, Rong Xuan, the most. His character resembles both the Master’s and mine the most. The eldest is steady and virtuous; he can keep the family intact. The third is clever, good at arguing and making connections, but his grasp of the big picture is not as good as Rong Xuan’s. The future of the Tong family depends on the second son, Rong Xuan.”

“So, the Sixth Miss…”

The Old Lady rubbed her head and sighed, “I vaguely heard that the Emperor plans to deploy troops to the northwest. Let’s wait until the outcome of the war, then we’ll discuss the selection of the girls.”

Hand in hand, the two sisters arrived at the small garden and sat in the pavilion. Yun Wei exclaimed, “Fourth Sister, did he really say that?”

“Of course, Sixth Sister. You don’t know how wonderful he is. I’ve decided to marry him.”

“Fourth Sister, I hope you’ll have a lifetime of happiness.”

Yun Wei didn’t expect that the usually cold Yinzhen would show such emotion. Could it be that the more serious and aloof someone is, the more intense their feelings are when they do show them?

“Sixth Sister, as long as I’m with him, I’ll be happy for life. In the future… in the future…”

Yun Lan’s gaze was passionate as she looked into the distance, her words seeming like a promise or a musing, “Yiya, you’re my best sister. I’ll take care of you and make sure you’re happy and noble.”