Chapter 63: Right and Wrong (Part 1)

  Yao Hua quietly took the sachet from Chuxiao and handed it over, "Go get some fragrances to fill it up later."

  Chu Xiao's face turned somewhat strange, took the sachet, and looked at Rong Hua with a probing gaze.

  Ronghua's face showed a faint smile, but her heart trembled. She had never thought that Yaohua would really treat her own sister like this. Was it just to marry Zhao Xuanhuan? Or did she think that only the Yi Cheng Hou Fu was the best place to go?

  Yao Hua apart from having a crush on Zhao Xuanhuan, probably also had her eyes on the Cai family, and shared the same thoughts as the first wife and the old master.

  Yao Hua wants to be the one who dominates the entire Tao Manor at that critical moment, it's probably not easy. How can Yao Hua know for sure that the Zhao and Cai families are reliable?

  In an instant, Rong Hua's thoughts were a thousand miles away, and she couldn't believe that the Yao Hua in her deepest memories was actually like this.

  Xiao finished packing the spices and Ronghua asked for needle and thread to sew up the sachet.

  The old lady looked over and saw that Ba Jie was sitting quietly to one side, sewing with the needle and thread in her hand, displaying a few touches of feminine charm.

  Rong Hua finished sewing the sachet and handed it over to Rui Qing.

  Rui Qing sniffed and a smile appeared on her face. "Old lady, take a sniff quickly, this fragrance is indeed good."

  The old lady took the sachet and sniffed it at the tip of her nose, "Hmm" she said, raising an eyebrow, "I'm afraid I, an old lady, would be laughed at for using these fragrances."

  Rui Qing said: "Who would laugh at an old lady, I'm afraid they're just envious in their hearts and can't keep up."

  The old lady smiled and scolded, "You child, you're the only one who knows how to talk." But she put away the sachet.

  The crowd chatted for a while longer.

  Old Lady Tao put down her tea and said: "With me around, you can't get up to any mischief. I'm tired too, so I'll be going back now. You sisters have fun!"

  Everyone busied themselves seeing the old lady out.

  Yao Hua personally supported the old lady, Rong Hua and Jing Hua followed behind, persistently sending the old lady back to the yard. Although Old Lady Tao said not to send her off with her mouth, a smile extended all the way to the depths of her eyes.

  No one is more filial than Yao Hua in this matter of a mother's kindness and a child's piety.

  Rui Qing helped Old Lady Tao lie down, lit some calming incense, and came out to inform the young ladies, "Old Lady has fallen asleep."

  Yao Hua, Rong Hua and Xing Hua just left from the old lady's house.

  Rong Hua listened carefully, and the old lady's courtyard was quiet, even the fourth aunt's house had no sound at all.

  Yao Hua stood on the path lined with bamboo, turned her head, and smiled warmly, "Why don't you two sisters come to my place for a visit?"

  Rong Hua and Xing Hua naturally agreed.

  Waiting until everyone had gone far away, Rui Qing returned to the warm pavilion behind the inner chamber to continue serving the old lady.

  Old Lady Tao narrowed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "What's going on with Er Ya and Ba Ya?"

  Rui Qingdao said: "Second Miss has always been kind-hearted, and she may not have anything in her heart. It's just that the maid by her side is thinking too much. Besides, Eighth Miss doesn't seem like that kind of person either."

  Old Lady Tao nodded, "I think Ba Yatou is quite good too. You didn't see that her needlework is also excellent, it reminds me of when I was young. In the past, I used to tell the maids in the mansion that when I was young, I liked making small things like embroidered pouches and sachets. My needlework is generally unmatched by ordinary people."

  Rui Qing smiled and said: "Look at this sachet that Eighth Miss gave you, is it as good as the one you made when you were young?"

  The old lady Tao said: "I think it makes some sense."

  Old Lady Tao laughed for a while, then remembered something important and said, "Yao Hua is not young anymore, her marriage should be settled. The other day when the Marquis came to pay his respects, I observed carefully that the Marquis of Wu Mu is a man with great tact. Yao Hua has a kind heart, is intelligent and can tolerate things well, she handles matters properly, knows what's important and what's not, and knows when to advance or retreat. Although our family background is slightly better than theirs, for a girl, her virtues and reputation are more important than her family background. Er Ya also has a good reputation outside."

  Rui Qing just smiled and listened on the side, "And with Third Aunt's relationship, Second Miss will take care of her natal family after marrying into the An Guo Gong Fu."

  The old lady nodded, "What makes me feel most at ease is the second daughter-in-law." Thinking of Yanhua, she sighed again. "What I'm least at ease with is the sixth daughter-in-law. Although the sixth daughter-in-law's temperament is a bit different, I also can't bear to arrange her marriage in that way. Even if the fourth aunt doesn't say anything, I won't let the eldest daughter-in-law do as she pleases."

  Rui Qing gave Old Lady Tao a shoulder massage, "About Fourth Aunt..."

  "Go tell her that I've already taken care of Yan Hua's matter. If she still doesn't feel at ease, after the winter festival... let her take responsibility for herself!"

  Rui Qing's face turned solemn.

  Old Lady Tao closed her eyes again, and the fragrance from her sleeves wafted to her nostrils, reminding her of the sachet. "I know Er Ya likes flowers and herbs, but when did she start playing with spices? It's not good for a girl to be messing with these things. When I have time, I'll have to talk to her about it."

  Rui Qing didn't understand the reasoning behind it.

  The old lady Tao smiled and glanced at Rui Qing, saying: "You're just a young girl, you naturally wouldn't understand."

  Mrs. Tao drank a sip of tea and lay down again, with Rui Qing gently massaging her legs beside her.

  ……

  Ronghua, Xinghua and Yaohua returned to the house, where Yaohua asked Chuxiao to bring out the chessboard.

  Ronghua said: "Why don't you play a game with Second Sister first, I'll just watch from the side."

  Jinghua waved her hand, "Obviously you wanted to play chess with me just now, but now you're pushing me away. Who doesn't know that Er Jie's chess skills are exceptional? You're making me a laughing stock."

  Ronghua smiled, "I'm also a chess player who's gone downhill, but for a while I haven't played and my heart is itching. Otherwise," Ronghua raised her eyes to look at Yanhua, her smile slowly blooming, "Second sister, will you play black and let me win six pieces?"

  Her gaze fell on him, mixed with emotions that were hard to decipher, surprise and a hint of panic, which flashed by and then returned to her usual gentle courtesy. "Alright, I'll let my sister have six children."

  One game of chess was over, and Yao Hua's forehead was already beaded with sweat.

  Ronghua saw that Yuhua's face didn't look good, and hastily said: "It was all my fault, I insisted on pulling Second Sister to play chess with me, making Second Sister worry so much."

  Yao Hua waved her hand, "It's nothing, I just didn't rest well last night and I'm a bit tired today."

  Ronghua said: "Second sister, rest well for now, there are still many things to do tomorrow."

  Yao Hua nodded, "It's just that two younger sisters were slow."

  Yao Hua was friendly and welcoming, and Rong Hua was even more so. The sisters chatted for a while before dispersing.

  Yao Hua lay on the bed, and Chiu Xiao noticed that Yao Hua seemed to have something on her mind. After asking a few questions, Yao Hua didn't respond, and it wasn't until after a while that she asked, "Do you think Eighth Miss plays chess better than Fifth Miss?"

  Xiao was taken aback for a moment. "I don't understand these things, but why did Eighth Miss suddenly bring up the matter of spices?" Her face showed some concern, "Could it be...?"

  Yao Hua shook her head, had just closed her eyes to rest for a moment, and in a half-dreaming, half-waking state, she heard someone say: "Second sister, will you play black chess with me for six pieces?"

  Yao Hua suddenly opened her eyes, as if she saw a figure in front of the bed. She looked again, but the shadow was gone. The hairs on her body were still standing upright, and she hastily called out, "Chu Xiao, Chu Xiao." As she shouted out the last word, her throat itched and she started coughing. She then remembered that her younger sister liked to read those romance novels, and how they would talk about the stories of sworn sisters exchanging pendants. Yao Hua said, "We are already sisters by birth, but if we were to make a vow like those in the stories, we could exchange pendants too. We wouldn't have to be born in the same year or month, but we could wish to die in the same year and month. That way, on the road to the afterlife, we wouldn't be lonely. Who knows, maybe heaven would take pity on us and see our deep sisterly love, and in the next life, we could still be sisters." Yao Hua's heart tightened as her coughing grew more severe.

  The next morning, the wives of various departments got up early and were called out. Ronghua wore a new dress she had obtained from Mrs. Duan, which was unusual for her. She looked elegant and beautiful after dressing up. Muqi came back and forth several times to take a look, "If Miss wore like this every day, it would be great."

  She smiled with pursed lips.

  The direct descendants of the clan had entered the mansion early on, and the ladies went to Qian Xi Ju to have a meal with Old Lady Tao.

  Everyone in the mansion had just eaten wontons and then served rice balls. Eating rice balls is a family rule of the Tao family, which means that the whole family is full and round. Rong Hua had already eaten a bowl of wontons and was full, but still forced himself to finish the rice ball in front of him.

  Other women in the clan were also like this.

  Ronghua's gaze fell on Yaohua, Yaohua had rouge on her face and wore a pink skirt, which made her look radiant. However, she lost her appetite while eating, only managing to eat a few mouthfuls of wontons and one rice ball before losing interest.

  The legitimate wife saw it and smiled with concern for Yao Hua, "Miss Er's body has just recovered, she can't stand these things, just give her some face."

  The other wives listened to the conversation and didn't say a word, just eating their rice balls. But the first wife smiled and said: "If it were in the past, that would be fine, but now Yuhua's body has fully recovered, so a few rice balls won't hurt." She turned her head to look at Yuhua, "This is for good luck, you should finish them all."

  Yao Hua then ate all the rice balls in front of her.

  When the time arrived, the people of the Ji clan stood in order, led by the clan leader to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors. The elderly were all supported by younger generations, with the younger ones following closely behind, and they couldn't help but follow a certain etiquette. After kowtowing and worshipping, they stood aside, and Ronghua glanced at Yaoxia who was not far away, Yaoxia was already struggling to hold on.

  Fortunately, the ceremony had already ended, and the family members again paid their respects to Old Lady Tao. Younger ones like Ronghua retreated. As they came out of Qian Xi Ju, Chuxiao saw Yao Hua and anxiously went up to her, just about to support Yao Hua in resting when a maid beside Madame said: "Madame asks Second Miss to go inside."

  Xiao's arm sank, and she couldn't help but feel anxious in her heart. Last night, the second young lady woke up from her dream several times, and her illness became more severe. Usually, it would be fine, but today, if things continued like this, how could she hold on?

  It's late today.

  Sorry, something came up again today.