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Zhucui and Chengmao continued to reside in the county town, assisting Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun with daily chores.
Song Jingyun resumed his studies at the Wende Academy, while Jiang Mixia continued designing new patterns for Qiu’s Shop.
In addition to the previous puppet designs for Qiu, there were now added patterns for furniture carvings.
After being busy for a while, as the northwest wind blew in, Jiang Mixia added another layer of clothing for Song Jingyun.
Accompanying the chilly October weather were two unexpected guests.
They were Song Jingyun’s uncle, Song Fengshou, and his aunt, Tang Shi.
As Song Jingyun was studying at the academy and Jiang Mixia was working on designs at home, upon learning of their identities, they welcomed the two guests into the house and had Zhucui bring in tea.
“A cup of tea for Uncle and Auntie,” Jiang Mixia greeted with a smile.
“Good child,” Song Fengshou chuckled, taking a sip of the tea, “This tea is truly delightful.”
“It sure is. After all, it’s tea from the scholar’s household, undoubtedly better than what ordinary families have,” Tang Shi chimed in, glancing around the well-decorated room with a broader smile, “This house is also very beautiful.”
“This residence is quite spacious, conveniently close to the street; it must be quite valuable,” she remarked in a somewhat uncouth manner.
Observing Tang Shi’s blunt remarks, Song Fengshou nudged her with his arm, signaling her to stop, then turned to Jiang Mixia with a smile, “Women tend to be talkative; my niece-in-law, you needn’t pay her any mind.”
“No need for formality, Uncle,” Jiang Mixia politely smiled, “It’s been several years since we last saw both of you. May I ask what brings Uncle and Auntie here today out of the blue?”
With this question, Jiang Mixia subtly touched upon the distant relationship between the two families over the past years, highlighting their unfamiliarity.
Song Fengshou chuckled and scratched his head, “Our families are related, so we should indeed visit each other. However, since Jingyun is now living in your household, frequent visits might not be appropriate, so we had to suppress that thought.”
“Speaking of today’s matter… Since my niece-in-law asked, I won’t beat around the bush.”
“Jingyun has become a scholar, which means he will enter officialdom. If people know he’s the son-in-law of the Jiang family, it might undermine his status and affect his career. Therefore, I thought it would be better for Jingyun to return to the Song family, reclaiming his ancestral roots. This way, Jingyun won’t be seen as a son-in-law of the Jiang family but as a legitimate descendant of the Song family.”
“Even if Jingyun returns to the Song family, you, my niece-in-law, will still be part of the Song family, so it won’t hinder anything. If Jingyun pursues an official career, you will continue to enjoy the prestige and wealth as the wife of an official.”
“I understand that initially letting Jingyun become a son-in-law and now deciding to have him return might seem inappropriate. However, for Jingyun’s future prospects, we must set aside any embarrassment and do what is necessary.”
“All this is for Jingyun’s future considerations. You are a wise woman, always thinking for Jingyun’s best interests. I urge you to carefully ponder over this matter and see if it makes sense.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mixia furrowed her brow.
As the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire, and it seemed the same applied to Song Fengshou and Tang Shi.
Their visit to the county town was specifically to discuss the idea of having Song Jingyun return to the Song family.
Seeing Jiang Mixia’s silence, Song Fengshou hurriedly added, “My younger brother only has Jingyun as his descendant. You are also dutiful, so you wouldn’t want my brother’s lineage to end, right…”