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Su Zhi and Liang Fu walked through the garden, their partnership now underway. Liang Fu had shared a secret that had weighed on her heart, and Su Zhi no longer suspected her as a hidden adversary. Their relationship had grown more harmonious than before. Leaving their maidservant behind, they chatted and laughed together, enjoying each other’s company.
Just then, interrupting their joyous moment, an unwelcome figure appeared—it was Shen Zhu.
“Sister Zhao, you’re a straightforward person, so I won’t beat around the bush. It seems like your little sister-in-law has quite a high opinion of herself. Does she have feelings for my cousin?”
Su Zhi and Liang Fu, walking towards the pavilion, could see among the three men a flash of bright pink—Shen Zhu.
Su Zhi replied, “Since you’re being direct, I’ll be straightforward too. It does seem like she has those intentions.”
In Su Zhi’s mind, Shen Zhu seemed interested not just in Qian Guang himself, but in the Qian family’s wealth. If it were someone else with similar age, appearance, and considerable wealth, Shen Zhu would likely consider marrying them too. Su Zhi was certain that such a girl simply aimed to marry a wealthy man and live a comfortable life.
“What do you think? Do you think she’s not worthy? Apart from the modest family background of the Shen family, Shen Zhu isn’t unfit to match with your cousin. She’s educated, well-mannered, and good-looking. Most importantly, her younger brother from the same mother has limitless prospects ahead. Shen Ziju cares deeply for his sister. If he becomes an official in the future, Shen Zhu would be a noble lady. At that time, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to marry into a good family.”
Su Zhi spoke honestly, not acting as a matchmaker for Shen Zhu, but simply stating the facts as she saw them.
Liang Fu nodded and said, “You’re right. It all depends on whether Fifth brother Shen can pass the imperial examination next year. If he can’t, then things might indeed be uncertain.”
“Speaking of which, your cousin is not young anymore. Why hasn’t he married yet?” Su Zhi had never really thought about these matters before but was prompted to ask now. In this era, both men and women usually married early. Unless there were special reasons, most would be married by eighteen, with some even marrying at fifteen or sixteen and becoming parents by eighteen. Qian Guang was almost twenty, so it seemed unusual that he hadn’t married yet. Their family shouldn’t have trouble finding a bride for him.
Liang Fu replied, “Someone once did a fortune telling for my cousin and said it would be better for him to marry later.”
Su Zhi nodded thoughtfully. She wondered why Qian Guang hadn’t married earlier. If he had, it would have spared Zhao Xiaohua and Shen Zhu from having their sights set on him. She could tell that Zhao Xiaohua was determined to win Qian Guang over. Both girls were quite cunning, and she wasn’t sure who would ultimately succeed. However, regardless of who he married, Su Zhi felt it would bring trouble for Qian Guang. Comparatively, she preferred it to be Shen Zhu since she was part of the Shen family. As for Shen Zhu’s engagement, Su Zhi never truly believed Shen Zhu would marry Song Dashan.
Su Zhi had no intention of approaching Shen Zhu to speak. She believed Shen Zhu sitting alone in the pavilion amid the sea of greenery didn’t want to be disturbed by their return. Clearly, Liang Fu shared the sentiment and they continued their stroll, venturing into the bamboo grove before circling back.
Upon their return, they noticed Shen Zhu hastily leaving. Below the pavilion, Zhao Xiaohua stood, wearing a smug and mocking expression, unseen by the three men.
Su Zhi furrowed her brow, thinking how Zhao Xiaohua managed to enter the garden. She resolved to inform Uncle and Aunt Lan that the Zhao family’s people shouldn’t be allowed in easily.
Seeing this situation, it was evident that the two girls had a silent war behind Qian Guang’s back, and this time, Shen Zhu had lost a round.
Shen Zhu’s defeat, especially within their household, was a source of annoyance for Su Zhi, even though she didn’t particularly like her. She harbored even stronger distaste for Zhao Xiaohua.
As Liang Fu and Su Zhi walked past, Zhao Xiaohua greeted them politely, particularly warm towards Liang Fu.
“Cousin, you’ve been out for quite some time. Let’s head back home.”
Liang Fu, dignified and composed, was not quick to anger nor easily drawn into familiarity with others. She responded with gentle smiles, akin to how one would treat a passing acquaintance. Then, she turned to Qian Guang and politely mentioned their need to take their leave.
Su Zhi observed Zhao Xiaohua’s fluctuating expression, amused inwardly. She thought, Zhao Xiaohua must feel quite embarrassed now. Just because you’re pleased with yourself doesn’t mean you can easily claim the titles of elder sister or younger sister. Consider it an honor if families like the Qian and Liang households acknowledged you; if they didn’t, you had to endure it. After all, they were wealthy and well-connected, while Zhao Xiaohua was just from a local just somewhat wealthy family. Such was the class distinction of this era.
Su Zhi had long understood this point, maintaining a confident demeanor towards everyone. She possessed enough capital to earn the respect of families like the Qian and Zhang, so she wasn’t afraid of them showing displeasure. Indeed, to this day, no one had managed to provoke her.
Zhao Xiaohua didn’t grasp this. She desired to climb up to Qian Guang, which was exceedingly difficult. She and Shen Zhu were in different leagues entirely, and Shen Zhu even had Shen Ziju as leverage!
Qian Guang, having been bothered by the two girls earlier, now felt his enthusiasm wane. Observing Su Zhi’s expression as she looked at Zhao Xiaohua, devoid of her usual gentle smile, he sensed her displeasure. Thinking she might be upset, he decided it was best to leave first. He echoed Liang Fu’s farewell and bid Shen Zi’an goodbye.
As Qian Guang, Liang Fu, and Shen Ziju took their leave, Zhao Xiaohua felt awkward and didn’t want to stay any longer. Frankly, she wouldn’t have risked coming here if it weren’t for her strong desire to see Qian Guang. Now that he was gone, she naturally followed suit. She understood that since the incident with Liu Siniang, Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi had hardly shown any hospitality towards their Zhao family. Now that she had become a young lady from a wealthy family, she didn’t want to continue sticking around where she wasn’t warmly received.
Su Zhi and Shen Zi’an walked hand in hand on their way back.
“Why did Zhu’er seem so hurried just now? Shouldn’t she have been more graceful in front of Qian Guang? Why did she appear flustered, almost like she was escaping? Could it be that the Zhao girl did something?” Su Zhi thought about Shen Zhu’s somewhat frantic departure and Zhao Xiaohua’s smiling face. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became.
Shen Zi’an replied, “It’s nothing much. It’s just that the Zhao girl commented unfavorably on Zhu’er’s dress color, and Zhu’er felt a bit embarrassed.”
Su Zhi was speechless. Just for that? She imagined Shen Zi’an’s explanation was simplifying things. Perhaps the situation had been more dramatic at the time. Zhao Xiaohua could be quite cutting with her words, and she had a knack for subtle jabs. Surely she had made Shen Zhu feel deeply humiliated. But Shen Zhu wasn’t someone to be easily provoked. If insulted, she would surely find a way to turn the tables on Zhao Xiaohua and reclaim her dignity. Su Zhi couldn’t believe that Shen Zhu had been defeated so easily.
Su Zhi pressed on, “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
She felt that the Qian family was quite influential, and if Zhao Xiaohua successfully won over Qian Guang, it could potentially lead to trouble given their ties with the Zhao family. Whether Shen Zhu ended up marrying Qian Guang or not, if Zhao Xiaohua could disrupt her plans, she would. Therefore, investigating the situation thoroughly was crucial now. Su Zhi, driven by a spirit of gossip, questioned Shen Zi’an earnestly.
Seeing his wife’s eager eyes fixed on him, Shen Zi’an smiled and explained, “There was a bowl of unfinished Mug bean soup on the table. Zhao Xiaohua accidentally spilled it, and it splashed onto Zhu’er’s clothes. The colors of Zhu’er’s dress ran.”
Su Zhi nodded in understanding. No wonder Shen Zhu had hurried away. To be caught wearing a faded dress in front of Qian Guang was a significant blow for Shen Zhu, who had come dressed so attractively to see him. Zhao Xiaohua was indeed full of mischief. Su Zhi couldn’t help but acknowledge that Zhao Xiaohua’s luck or observational skills were quite impressive to have noticed that Shen Zhu’s dress will fade.
“Zhu’er’s clothes are new, right? Otherwise, why would they fade so easily? She didn’t even bother to wash them before wearing.”
Su Zhi remarked, as she always made it a habit to wash new clothes first. It was a matter of cleanliness to her, and also a way to test whether the fabric was colorfast.
Shen Zi’an nodded in agreement. It was clear that Zhu’er’s dress was new. He could also tell that she had deliberately worn nice clothes to meet Qian Guang. He wasn’t pleased with his sister’s intentions, especially since she was already betrothed.
Color fading in fabrics was a common issue in this era, where dyeing techniques were rudimentary. Even bright colors often appeared muted, almost as if veiled in darkness. Such fabrics would be considered low-grade in modern times, but back then, they represented the best available colors.
“Wait, the color of fabric…”
Suddenly, these words flashed through Su Zhi’s mind, as if she had grasped something very important.
The current fabric colors weren’t satisfactory. If she could dye fabrics to make them brighter and more vibrant, wouldn’t that be a way to make money? It seemed like another good opportunity to earn silver!
Food and clothing were the easiest ways to earn money. Su Zhi had already earned her first bucket of gold by selling recipes, with the Spiritual Spring in hand, If she could apply it to clothing now, that would be even better.
Thinking about this, Su Zhi was eager to conduct experiments as soon as possible. She had a gut feeling that the Spiritual Spring would once again surprise her!
“My wife, why do you look so happy?”
Shen Zi’an was puzzled by the smile on Su Zhi’s face. Even if Shen Zhu was embarrassing herself, he couldn’t understand why it would make his wife so cheerful.
Quickly composing herself, Su Zhi tucked away her smile and said, “I just thought of a joke. Would you like to hear it? It’s about a snake and a turtle.”
Although Shen Zi’an found it odd that his wife suddenly shifted to jokes, he smiled and nodded, curious to hear what she had to say.