Chapter 27 Serving Tea

Lord Xiao didn’t stay long in the eastern courtyard—just long enough to exchange a few words before emerging. The young boy who had been eagerly waiting rushed forward: “Father—”

His call abruptly halted as his small frame bowed deeply, his voice lowering: “Madam. Yi’er pays respects to Madam.”

Madam Xiao stepped out from behind Lord Xiao, responding with a faint expression.

Aside from the servants, an extremely young married woman walked quietly on Madam Xiao’s left, her demeanor composed. The skirt ornaments on her dress swayed only slightly as she moved, nearly soundless.

The boy, Xiao Yi, obediently bowed to her as well: “Eldest sister-in-law.”

Chang Shuyin smiled slightly and nodded: “Fourth brother.”

Her gaze dropped only briefly before lifting again, as if unintentionally glancing outward—and directly meeting Xu Rong’s eyes.

Chang Shuyin’s pupils involuntarily contracted.

Xu Rong calmly looked her over before shifting her gaze.

Quite pretty, with a touch of classical beauty—just by appearance alone, one wouldn’t guess she’d seduce someone else’s fiancé.

This silent confrontation lasted only moments before a maid by the door announced: “Second Master, Second Madam, Eldest Miss, Second Miss, and Third Young Master have arrived.”

With so many arriving at once, along with their attendants, the spacious courtyard suddenly became crowded and lively. Second Madam Xiao, a plump woman with a round, auspicious face, laughed as soon as she entered: “My husband and I are a step late—we’ve kept the newcomers waiting!”

After speaking, she scanned the crowd, her eyes landing on Xu Rong as she smiled at her.

Xu Rong showed no intention of blushing at the teasing and simply smiled back.

Second Madam Xiao was momentarily taken aback before recovering, clicking her tongue in admiration: “Look at how poised our niece-in-law is.” Her eyes then flicked to Chang Shuyin, adding, “Our eldest daughter-in-law is even more exceptional. I truly envy you, sister-in-law—bringing such outstanding brides into the family one after another.”

Chang Shuyin curtsied slightly from the steps: “Second Madam flatters me.”

Madam Xiao, however, didn’t respond to Second Madam Xiao’s remarks. After sweeping her gaze across the courtyard, she said, “Now that everyone is here, let’s go inside.”

As she turned toward the central hall, Lord Xiao suddenly remembered something: “Wait. Where is Lun’er? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”

The moment he spoke, the courtyard fell silent.

Xiao Yi, who had been heading toward a young girl in a pea-green cross-collared jacket and primrose horse-face skirt, instinctively paused at the sudden hush.

The girl reached out and pulled him to her side.

“Eldest Brother had official business and has already left,” Madam Xiao finally replied, her voice slightly cold. “His wife’s presence suffices.”

From Lord Xiao’s expression, he realized his blunder—the awkwardness between Xiao Lun and Xu Rong was common knowledge. Meeting privately later would have been one thing, but having them exchange formal greetings in front of everyone would only invite gossip.

Xu Rong blinked. It seemed this father wasn’t just neglectful toward Xiao Xin—he wasn’t much better with Xiao Lun either.

If he truly cared, he wouldn’t have failed to realize Xiao Lun was deliberately avoiding the situation, nor would he have asked such a question. Even Second Madam Xiao had the tact to praise Chang Shuyin without mentioning Xiao Lun.

“Is that so?” Lord Xiao coughed awkwardly before uttering those two words and walking into the hall.

After everyone followed inside, the atmosphere gradually livened up, largely due to Second Madam Xiao’s efforts. She was adept at managing social situations, cheerfully engaging in casual conversation here and there until the mood was restored.

The main hall had already been prepared, and the tea-serving ceremony proceeded as expected. Cup after cup was presented, receiving in return a pair of pearl hairpins from Madam Xiao, a silk pouch from Lord Xiao, another pouch from the mostly silent Second Master Xiao and the ever-talkative Second Madam Xiao, and finally Chang Shuyin. Since Xu Rong was of the same generation as her, no tea was offered—just a respectful bow. Chang Shuyin rose to return a half-bow before presenting a pair of jade bracelets.

The bracelets were handed over by a maid behind Chang Shuyin. The inlaid lacquer box was half-open, its dazzling exterior contrasting beautifully with the delicate treasures inside, making their value immediately apparent.

Bai Fu hesitated slightly as she received them. It wasn’t due to lack of experience—quite the opposite. She recognized quality when she saw it. Though these bracelets were slightly less valuable than Madam Xiao’s pearl hairpins, they were clearly more precious than the pouch from Second Madam Xiao—which contained a pair of earrings, their lightweight feel obvious upon handling.

Such an extravagant gift wasn’t necessary between peers.

All eyes were drawn to the exchange, and Second Madam Xiao laughed. “See how the eldest sister-in-law dotes on her new kin? Truly generous.”

Chang Shuyin smiled faintly, exuding grace and poise, then introduced the young lady seated to her right. “This is the eldest young lady of the household, Shan-jie.”

Xiao Shan rose gracefully. Her face was delicate, with finely shaped brows and thin, refined lips. When she bowed, there was an air of fragile charm about her. “Greetings, Second Sister-in-law.”

Xu Rong had already guessed her identity—she was the one who had taken Xiao Yi’s hand earlier in the courtyard. Smiling, Xu Rong acknowledged her, while Bai Fu presented a pouch. Xiao Shan accepted it with thanks before sitting back down.

Opposite Xiao Shan sat another young lady, dressed similarly but bearing a striking resemblance to Second Madam Xiao—round-faced, fair-skinned, not as striking as Xiao Shan but charming in her own right. Before Chang Shuyin could speak, Second Madam Xiao chimed in, “This is my girl, Qi-er, the most mischievous of the lot.”

“Mother!”

Xiao Qi pouted playfully before standing to bow. “Greetings, Second Sister-in-law.”

Bai Fu handed over the second gift.

Beside Xiao Qi was a young boy, slightly older than Xiao Yi—around twelve or thirteen, with a sturdy, lively demeanor. Too young to hide his curiosity, he kept glancing between Chang Shuyin and Xu Rong as Chang Shuyin introduced him. “This is Third Brother, Jian-ge, from Second Aunt’s family.”

Xiao Jian blurted out, “Greetings, Eldest Sister-in-law.”

He had directed this at Xu Rong.

Awkwardness.

The courtyard’s earlier silence returned.

This time, even Second Madam Xiao was at a loss for words. She scowled, ready to scold him, but Xiao Jian caught himself and stammered a correction. “S-second Sister-in-law.”

Xu Rong smiled and nodded, taking the third pouch from Bai Fu and handing it to him personally—a gesture of goodwill. Xiao Jian exhaled in relief and loudly declared, “Thank you, Second Sister-in-law!”

He then sat down, sneaking a glance at Second Madam Xiao, who shot him an exasperated look.

Finally, they circled back to Xiao Shan’s side. Xiao Yi stepped forward from his seat and greeted Xu Rong with a proper bow, his manners even more polished than Xiao Jian’s. Bai Fu placed the last pouch into his small hands, marking the completion of the day’s main ceremony.

According to custom, there should have been a ceremony to open the ancestral hall and add Xu Rong’s name to the family register. However, since it was too close to the New Year and a recent ancestral worship had just been conducted, it was deemed inappropriate to disturb the ancestors too frequently. Thus, this procedure would be postponed until the next ancestral worship.

Lord Xiao stood up, excused himself on account of business, and walked over to Xiao Shan and Xiao Yi. Both siblings quickly rose to their feet. Lord Xiao first spoke kindly to Xiao Shan, saying, “Shan’er, you’re frail. Go back and rest.”

Then, he took Xiao Yi by the hand and left.

Xu Rong had a good idea of where they were going and couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Xin. This time, Xiao Xin showed no reaction, his expression calm. Xiao Jian, standing beside him, secretly opened his pouch to peek inside, and Xiao Xin even cast a sidelong glance at it.

He didn’t continue watching because as soon as Xiao Jian tugged open the pouch and his chubby little fingers reached inside to rummage around, Second Madam Xiao came over and pulled him away. Likely fearing her son might blurt out something embarrassing for the main branch again, Second Madam Xiao took the initiative to bid farewell before Xiao Shan could: “Eldest Sister-in-law must be busy. We won’t disturb you further and will take our leave now.”

With the second branch bustling out, the hall suddenly felt much emptier. Madam Xiao sat alone at the head, her face stern. After two consecutive mishaps, her mood was clearly far from pleasant. Xiao Shan, observing her expression, hesitated slightly before curtsying to take her leave.

Xu Rong remained entirely unaffected. While Madam Xiao remained silent for a moment, she took the opportunity to leisurely study Xiao Shan, who stood gracefully before her.

From the doting affection Xiao Yi enjoyed, it was clear that the reputation of Concubine-mother Ruan—whom Bai Fu had once mentioned—as a favored concubine was well-deserved.

From Xiao Shan’s appearance, one could infer that Concubine-mother Ruan was likely the same delicate, pitiable type. Further speculation led Xu Rong to recall that Xiao Xin’s birth mother, Wei Shi, had possessed an innocent beauty of the highest order. Whether she had fallen out of favor or not, it was evident that Lord Xiao had a clear preference for this type.

Xu Rong’s gaze then returned to Madam Xiao, who was clearly not of this mold. As a noblewoman from an aristocratic family with a domineering temperament, over time, regardless of her actual looks, she exuded nothing but an overbearing aura.

Between her and Lord Xiao, even the pretense of harmony seemed barely maintained.

Xu Rong’s observations ended there, as Madam Xiao finally spoke—though her words were directed not at her, but at Xiao Shan: “Eldest Daughter, since His Lordship says you’re frail, you should refrain from going out recently. Stay home and rest properly.”

At these words, Xiao Shan’s face paled.

Her delicate features, already fragile, took on an even more pitiable air with this pallor: “Madam, I—”

Madam Xiao didn’t wait for her to plead, cutting her off with a dismissive tone: “Would His Lordship’s concern for you be mistaken? Enough, you may go!”

A faint mist rose in Xiao Shan’s eyes. Xu Rong noted her expression and suddenly felt puzzled—she understood why Xiao Shan was upset. Lord Xiao’s ostensibly caring words had been twisted by Madam Xiao into a form of house arrest.

What struck Xu Rong as odd was that Xiao Shan’s look of grievance felt familiar.

This sensation was both inexplicable and certain, much like the familiarity she had felt earlier with Lord Xiao and Xiao Lun. Yet she was sure she had never met Concubine-mother Ruan.

Xiao Shan reluctantly curtsied and withdrew, unable to resist. With her anger partially vented on Xiao Shan, Madam Xiao’s temper was slightly milder when it came to Xu Rong and Xiao Xin—perhaps because she had no concrete grievances to latch onto. After a few admonishments about obedience and propriety, the matter was considered settled.

**

On the way back to the northern courtyard, Bai Fu could no longer hold back. Holding the gifts they had received, she voiced her confusion: “Miss, what does she mean by giving such gifts?”

She didn’t mention any names or specify the gifts, but Xu Rong understood perfectly and replied absentmindedly, “Showing off wealth, I suppose.”

Bai Fu was stunned. “Ah? Miss, but after all, it’s the Duke of Chang’s household—”

Despite the feud, the prestige of a hereditary noble family couldn’t be denied. To be honest, their roots ran deeper than those of the Marquis of Ji’an Manor.

Xu Rong smiled casually. “Same difference.”

Since when did nobles dislike flaunting their wealth?

On the contrary, they loved it the most. How else could they demonstrate their nobility?

Realizing her words were too blunt, Xu Rong offered a more tactful explanation: “Listen to Second Madam’s words. Now that she’s the elder sister-in-law, she has to display the dignity of her position. How does she do that? First, she can’t be stingy with her gifts.”

Bai Fu finally understood, her expression turning gloomy. With Xiao Xin present, she couldn’t delve deeper, afraid he might overthink even her complaints, so she trudged along in silence.

Xin Cheng, less restrained and quicker to speak, chimed in from the other side: “What dignity? On the night Miss just married into the family, I overheard people gossiping in the kitchen—her dowry wasn’t even as much as Miss’s!”

Xu Rong hadn’t known about this and was slightly surprised. “Really?”

Xin Cheng nodded emphatically. “Yes! If she wants to compete with Miss in dignity, she’s bound to lose. I think she’s just puffing herself up at her own expense.”

Xu Rong immediately shook her head. “I’m not competing either.”

It wasn’t as if she had money to burn—no matter how much money one had, it was never enough. Why waste it on pointless comparisons? That would just be foolish.

Xin Cheng widened her eyes in confusion. “Miss, we’re not afraid of her.”

“Of course not,” Xu Rong said leisurely. “But my dignity doesn’t lie in outspending others—it lies in Second Young Master.”

Xiao Xin, who had been walking silently without joining their chatter: “…?”

He turned his head, his expression demanding an explanation.

Xu Rong remained unperturbed and instructed the maids: “One day, when Second Young Master soars to great heights, even if I wear simple clothes and wooden hairpins, people will praise me for my frugality. That’s true dignity. Only with real strength do you have the right to speak. Understand?”

Such a dignified and transcendent statement—it sounded far more refined than anything Chang Shuyin could muster. Bai Fu and Xin Cheng nodded in unison, convinced. “Yes, we understand.”

Having justified her thriftiness, Xu Rong remembered to inspect the gifts they had received. She had a rough idea of the others, but Lord Xiao’s was tucked inside a pouch. She hadn’t dared to feel it in front of him, so she took it from Bai Fu now, gave it a shake, and understood—it contained gold and silver ingots.

The least thoughtful, yet the most practical.

Xu Rong handed it to Xiao Xin. “Second Young Master, this is for you.”

Xiao Xin glanced down and barely responded. “I don’t want it. It’s for you—keep it.”

Xu Rong insisted, “We served tea together, so it’s only fair to share the gifts. Consider this your portion.”

Xiao Xin refused to take it, his demeanor turning aloof. “No. Why should we share? Those are for the new bride—I’m not one.”

But she wasn’t a real “new bride” either.

Xu Rong thought he should understand and didn’t know why he was being stubborn. Amused, she decided to be a little more direct: “Second Young Master, let me be frank. You’ve spent all your money treating us to meals and only have four coppers left. What if an emergency comes up?”

She had joked with Bai Fu about “being poor but remaining steadfast,” but she never truly intended to be so harsh on Xiao Xin. She knew all too well how it felt to lack money and confidence.

Xiao Xin remained silent.

Xu Rong thought he had come around and moved closer to hand him the purse—she hadn’t directly offered money earlier because she assumed he wouldn’t accept it. Now, with this opportunity, she thought he might take his father’s money as a way to save face.

But she handed it to empty air.

Xiao Xin stepped away, not only avoiding her but also speaking more firmly, “I don’t want his.”

The atmosphere instantly turned tense, like a standoff. The maids were frightened, standing frozen in place, not daring to speak.

Xin Cheng, especially, was muttering to herself. She had overheard gossip about Xiao Xin in the kitchen—how the second young master was odd-tempered and unsociable. Now she saw it was true—he was truly hard to please.

The young lady meant no harm, coaxing him like this, yet he still gave her a cold look.

Xu Rong lowered her head and began untying the purse from her waist.

In this era, purses served both as ornaments and practical items. Xu Rong carried two—one containing fragrant sachets, the other holding emergency silver pieces.

She untied the one with the silver pieces and tentatively offered it to Xiao Xin again.

She had realized—Xiao Xin wasn’t rejecting her.

He had repeatedly emphasized not wanting “his”—this “he” referred to Lord Xiao.

The young man’s temper was not only stubborn but also proud. Lord Xiao’s neglect hadn’t truly left him unaffected. The wounds were buried deep, unspoken and unacknowledged, festering into this prickly demeanor.

After a moment, her hand was empty.

Xiao Xin kept his head down, gaze fixed on his toes, the intricate embroidery of the purse pressed into his palm. He couldn’t identify the emotion swirling inside him—warm, surging, making him want to explain for the first time, yet unsure how to begin. “I—”

Xu Rong cut him off with a smile. “I know. Let’s go back, Second Young Master.”

**

The northern courtyard gradually came into view. Even from a distance, Xu Rong spotted a woman pacing near the gate—hesitant yet seemingly waiting.

Xu Rong squinted to make out who it was.

“That’s my Concubine-mother,” Xiao Xin said beside her, initiating conversation.

Xu Rong nodded. “She’s here to see you?”

Within those few words, Wei Shi noticed them and hurried forward.

Xu Rong halted in her steps.

Her eyes widened in rare surprise.

Seeing Wei Shi in person resolved her earlier question instantly.

Now she knew who Xiao Shan resembled.

They weren’t just of the same type—their facial features were nearly identical!