A good omen for a good person

  It was already late in the afternoon, and the old lady's courtyard was quiet again. It seemed that the two young masters had been called by the old lady to talk, and after they came out together, something bad happened to the eldest young master. Xian Yi hesitated, believing that she wasn't the only one who would encounter such a thing. The eldest young master liked to bully the third young master, which was well-known, but if it were someone else, they would have run away long ago. Only she remained, and she didn't know what kind of psychology made her stay stuck here, unable to advance or retreat. However, her conscience couldn't compare to the importance of her own life. After all, this wasn't the first time the third young master had been bullied, and if she intervened, it would only be treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Thinking this way, Xian Yi looked at the third young master's expression coldly, slowly backing away until she felt that the two couldn't see her anymore. Only then did she turn around and leave without any hesitation.

  "You're just a crawling thing, can't even crawl properly!" The young master looked at the kneeling youth with an increasingly ferocious expression. He recalled his father's warnings and his grandmother's disapproving gaze, and the brutality in his heart was like a wild beast trapped in a cage, bursting out uncontrollably. He knew he had bad luck, that he wasn't doing well in the imperial exams, and even when trading things, he always made mistakes. But what did it matter? He was the eldest son of the Jin family, and even if he squandered everything, it would still be his. What right did they have to lecture him? Even if his mother would divide some property among her own brothers in the future, that was their family's business. These bastards wouldn't get a single penny.

  Jin Fenghua knelt on the ground, his long hair scattered and covering half of his face, yet he didn't say a word. He just stared at the spot where Xian Yi had stood before, a strange smile spreading across his mouth, with a faint red glow in the depths of his eyes, which soon returned to calmness.

  The young master saw Jin Fenghua still not speaking, nor moving, and in his heart, he kicked Jin Fenghua's smooth shoulder that was exposed to the air with one foot. The porcelain-like skin paired with the grayish-black shoe print stained on it was particularly eye-catching. The young master seemed to have taken a liking to this contrasting color scheme, and with one pull, he tore off Jin Fenghua's undergarment, and again kicked him twice, Jin Fenghua didn't even hum a sound, and lay sideways on the ground, the wet mud on the ground staining his hair, his cheek, but he didn't care at all.

  "You look like this... really makes me, the young master..." The young master pinched Jin Fenghua's neck and lifted him up, seemingly wanting to savor the fear in his eyes. However, he found that there was nothing in his eyes, only a strange beauty with the snow-white clothes stained, and the flush on his cheeks caused by being choked, which made the boy look even more eerie.

  As he gazed at Jin Fenghua with a dazed expression, just about to kiss her cheek, a woman's voice came from behind: "Young Master, you'd better hurry to Madame's place, or she'll send someone to fetch you again."

  One sentence broke through Da Shao Ye's mental barrier and also made Jin Feng Hua's hidden killing intent disappear instantly.

  The eldest young master turned his head to take a look, and this person was actually Zhou Shi, the concubine of his father. She used to be a maid by the old lady's side, later sent to her son as a concubine, until she gave birth to the fourth young master and became a secondary wife. The eldest young master dared to show attitude to other secondary wives, but he didn't dare to be too presumptuous in front of Zhou Shi, after all, the old lady was still alive, and the old master was a filial one, if things went wrong, it would still be him who got scolded.

  He snorted, and the young master shook off Jin Fenghua, patted the dust on his clothes and stood up, saying sarcastically: "What? Are you still afraid that I will eat your third brother?"

  "I don't dare, it's just that the old lady will come out to stroll in the garden soon, and I'm afraid she'll ask a couple of questions when she sees that Master hasn't gone to the front courtyard." Zhou Shi lowered her head, but her waist remained straight, neither servile nor arrogant.

  "What a disappointment!" With a flick of his sleeve, Young Master spat and quickly left the scene.

  Zhou Yiniang didn't come forward either, nor did she ask more questions. She just bowed to Jin Fenghua and hastily left.

  Jin Fenghua slowly got up from the ground, licked the bloodstains on his lips, chuckled softly, and then leisurely brushed off the dirt and mud on his body. Only after that did he put on his clothes one by one. Now that it was already winter, Jin Fenghua seemed to be unafraid of the cold, still wearing the same cotton-padded jacket as before. Finally, he combed his hair into a bun again and rearranged himself, then walked towards the front yard as usual.

  The Cao family and the Jin family are similar, neither of them is a noble family in the capital. Cao Langzhong was promoted to Langzhong several years earlier than Old Master Jin, relying on his ability to recognize people and his good relationships with officials. His wife, Zhang Shi, is the daughter of a local official and has some worldly ambitions, but she is not a bad person and gets along well with other officials' wives. The Cao family has one son and two daughters, and only one daughter born out of wedlock. It is said that Cao Langzhong is henpecked, and he has only two concubines and no children born out of wedlock. As for the truth, outsiders cannot know, but it is clear that his wife is a capable person who keeps their household clean, which has also attracted the envy of other women, including Madame Jin, who has complained about her to Chen Mama.

  "Oh my, it's been ages since we last met! Sister Chen looks even younger now."

  Xian Yi had just helped the madam down from the carriage when he saw a woman in a brocade dress with a carp playing among lotus leaves, her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with a pair of golden hairpins shaped like fish and insects, on top of which were set two fairly large rubies that shone brightly in the sunlight.

  The madam smiled and walked up to say: "Zhang sister is always joking, I'm old now, there are so many new things over there."

  Qiu Jing was the old maid who accompanied her mistress out, today Chen Niangniang wasn't there, so she naturally stood in the most eye-catching position, helping Madame down from the carriage and standing behind her, stealing a glance sideways, and sure enough, Xiuzhu's eyes began to wander around, revealing a look of longing.

  Madam Cao held Madam's hand, and the two of them chatted intimately as they walked into the rear hall of the courtyard. The layout of the houses and gardens along the way was similar to that of the Jin Mansion, roughly the same level of official residence. If it weren't for the fact that she had spent her own money to renovate later on, there wouldn't be much difference. However, upon closer inspection, it could be seen that whether it was the rocks and flowers in the garden or the details of the house, they were all less elegant and refined than those at the Jin Mansion. This was probably due to the differences in education and upbringing between Madam and Madam Cao before they got married. Xian Yi secretly saw the pride that Madam unconsciously revealed, as well as her straight back, and guessed that what Madam was thinking at this moment was probably not much different from her own thoughts.

  Such details, however, were lost on Lady Cao, who sat in the main hall with the elder lady, surrounded by maids and servants attending to their needs. Xianyi quietly followed Autumn Scene, taking note of her movements as she stood, walked, and received tea. Although her mother had also taught her these things before, this was actual practice, and being in her own home, facing familiar companions, made it easier for a maid to develop poise and confidence.

  The two ladies had barely exchanged a few words when the daughter-in-law outside led in two young girls, one of whom was slightly taller and wore her hair in a high coiffure adorned with silver birds and golden cicadas, while wearing a crimson skirt with six layers of underskirts that matched her round face and almond-shaped eyes, not only looking auspicious but also lively and charming. The other girl, who was slightly younger, wore her hair in double buns and had on a pair of white jade earrings that didn't swing or shake, yet she didn't lag behind the first girl in terms of appearance.

  Xian Yi saw satisfaction in Madame's eyes.

  The two of them went forward to pay their respects, and the madam also very generously gave them a gift for meeting. However, her gaze lingered on the slightly younger woman, who although not as beautiful as her sister, was still elegant and refined. Her speech and movements had some of the shy mannerisms of a young girl, but they were not excessive or arrogant, revealing the good upbringing of the Cao family.

  Xian Yi took the opportunity to serve and glanced at the two sisters a few more times, unable to express her feelings. In this era, women's fate was in their parents' hands. Look at the older sister, full of passion and eloquence, with an air of elegance, yet she would have to participate in the imperial selection next year and enter that ruthless palace. And the younger sister, though soft-spoken and gentle, was also shrewd; if things went well today, she would end up with a wastrel like Young Master Da, and even face a controlling mother-in-law like Madame Da after marriage. Xian Yi thought about it and felt a stomachache; if this was what a good marriage was like, she'd rather be a nun in the future.

  Although she was a guest, Madame Wang didn't stay for dinner. After the two families had reached an understanding, she excused herself to return home, citing concerns about household matters. Just as she was about to get up, a servant girl came in with a message that Young Master Xiang had come to pay his respects. As soon as Xianyi turned her head, she saw Xiuzhu lift her head, and her eyes sparkled.

  The young man who came in was about the same age as the second master, but he didn't look like the second master's handsome face, nor did he resemble the third master's evil spirit. He was very ordinary, but after all, he was a son of an official family, with a gentle and elegant demeanor, looking at him made him feel better than that scoundrel of a big master by hundreds of times. Xianyi felt that Xiuzhu's eyes were about to turn green, so she quickly pulled her back privately, Xiuzhu came back to her senses, looked at the madam with fear, then took a step back, but her eyes couldn't help but drift towards the young master.

  "It's indeed a good son of the Cao family." When Madam said this, Xian Yi seemed to smell a hint of sourness in the air. Thinking again, this young man was already a scholar at the age of twelve. If it weren't for the fact that she and her husband had left the capital under the pretext of traveling when he was younger, who knows, their family might have produced a jinshi by now. It's likely that next year's imperial examination will also yield good results. In comparison, Madam's eldest son is not as good as one who has yet to be born.

  As they were about to leave the Cao residence, Xian Yi didn't dare to let her guard down. Although those young ladies couldn't possibly take a stroll in the garden and have an accidental encounter, or even get wet and then pledge their love, Xian Yi wasn't willing to miss this opportunity due to Zhu's recklessness. It was precisely because Xian Yi had an extra thought that she avoided the awkwardness between the two families and saved a foolish life, allowing everyone to return to the Jin residence safely.