After the flower-viewing banquet at Yongcheng Earl's Mansion, Madam Shen attended two more gatherings at other noble residences, though this time she did not bring Wen Ye along.
Wen Ye herself didn’t seem to mind, continuing her usual routine of eating and drinking.
Time flew by, and soon it was the end of midsummer. A couple of days ago, Wen Ye’s second uncle from their hometown in Suzhou had sent over a dozen carts of fresh fruits, which were sweeter and juicier than those grown at the Wen family’s estate in the outskirts of Sheng Jing City.
This second uncle had taken up farming as a hobby in recent years, and the quality of the fruits he sent improved year after year.
The share that arrived at Hengwu Courtyard included two large, round watermelons, a basket of purple grapes, and a crate filled with apricots, plums, and a few loquats.
Of course, these weren’t just for Wen Ye alone; the portions for Concubine Chang and her younger sister were included as well.
The summer heat was intense, and the ice allocated to Xicui Courtyard and Hengwu Courtyard was limited. As a result, Wen Ye had been urging Concubine Chang and her younger sister to spend their days with her in Hengwu Courtyard so that the ice from both courtyards could be combined, allowing them to use more at once.
As soon as the fruits arrived, Wen Ye instructed the kitchen to cut them into even pieces and chill them briefly with ice.
In the main room, Concubine Chang sat on a soft couch, with an ice basin placed not far from her feet. A temporary desk had been set up beside the basin, behind which her studious younger daughter was diligently practicing her calligraphy.
Concubine Chang’s gaze shifted from her daughter to Wen Ye, who was leisurely fanning herself with a silk fan while directing Tao Zhi and Yun Zhi to prepare the ice.
She occasionally chimed in with instructions: “Make it finer...”
“Prepare a few more bowls—you can all have some later...”
Tao Zhi and Yun Zhi, sweating from the effort, finally managed to scrape together seven or eight bowls of shaved ice.
Wen Ye eyed the bowls with satisfaction.
Now that the fruits were ready and the ice was prepared, all that was left was to drizzle them with a couple of spoonfuls of the red bean ice mixture she had prepared earlier.
Wen Ye had three bowls brought into the room and said, “Concubine Chang, little sister, try this.”
This was something Wen Ye made every summer, and Concubine Chang had gone from being astonished at first to now taking it in stride.
After all the “work,” Wen Ye felt as though her entire body was radiating heat. She immediately had Tao Zhi bring another basin of ice closer to the couch and plopped herself down beside it. After a moment, she nudged the person at the end of the couch with her bare foot and said, “Concubine Chang, scoot over a bit so I can lie down.”
Concubine Chang: “...”
Wen Ye lay sideways on the long couch, her hand resting near the ice basin, the cool air brushing against her face. Tao Zhi promptly brought over a bowl of ice and fed Wen Ye a spoonful.
The sweetness of the red beans, the freshness of the fruits, and the icy coldness of the shaved ice.
With one spoonful, Wen Ye felt both inside and out cool down instantly. She let out a contented sigh, looking utterly at ease.
It had to be said, being waited on was a world apart from doing everything oneself. In her previous life, she had been used to handling everything herself, but now, having been reborn into this noble family, she had come to appreciate the beauty of having her hands free.
Concubine Chang, holding a bowl handed to her by Yun Zhi, glanced at Wen Ye’s expression as she took a spoonful and found herself unable to swallow.
Irritated, she set the bowl aside.
Hearing the sound, Wen Ye looked over and asked, “What’s wrong, Concubine Chang?”
Concubine Chang wasn’t entirely sure why she was upset. Perhaps it was because Wen Ye seemed indifferent to her own affairs, spending her days tinkering with food and drink, which left Concubine Chang feeling stifled after a while.
“It’s already halfway through the year, and your birthday next March is only about eight or nine months away. You...”
Wen Ye’s birthday was in March.
Concubine Chang couldn’t finish her sentence. In the span of a few words, her eyes welled up with tears that threatened to fall.
Wen Ye hated seeing people cry. After taking a couple more bites fed to her by Tao Zhi, she dismissed her and Yun Zhi to enjoy some ice themselves. Then, she slowly propped herself up into a half-reclining position and said to Concubine Chang, “Don’t you trust Madam Shen?”
“Of course I do,” Concubine Chang replied, her trust in Madam Shen unwavering. What she doubted was Wen Ye herself.
“So, it’s me you don’t trust,” Wen Ye said, voicing Concubine Chang’s unspoken thoughts.
Wen Ye waved her silk fan leisurely and said, “Concubine Chang, look at me—I’ve been staying quietly in my room this whole month, not going anywhere. What could I possibly do? Madam Shen has promised to handle this, and she will.”
Concubine Chang’s expression softened slightly. “I do trust your mother, but...”
Wen Ye cut her off. “By the end of the year, Madam Shen will definitely have arranged a marriage for me.”
She had a good understanding of Madam Shen’s efficiency. The fact that she hadn’t called Wen Ye to the main house for a talk in over a month likely meant that the marriage arrangements were already in progress.
“Really?” The tears receded as Concubine Chang looked at her with slightly red, moist eyes.
If anyone else had looked at Wen Ye like that, she would have felt a shiver of discomfort.
But this was her birth mother in this life, and with the added filter of familial affection, coupled with Concubine Chang’s youthful, round face that had aged gracefully over the past twenty years, Wen Ye found herself genuinely moved by her mother’s vulnerability.
She fanned herself to calm down.
“My marriage will be decided by Madam Shen. Worrying about it won’t help,” Wen Ye reassured her. “You’d be better off eating some ice to cool down.”
In the heat of summer, it was better to let Madam Shen handle the troublesome matters.
As she spoke, Wen Ye pointed to the bowl of ice near the desk and said, “Hurry and eat it before it melts and loses its flavor.”
Concubine Chang picked up the bowl again and looked into it, spotting several rare fruits. She took a small bite and found it truly delicious.
And refreshing.
After a couple of spoonfuls, she said, “It’s only because of your mother’s care that we can enjoy such delicacies. Once you’re married, you might not have access to these anymore.”
As she spoke, a flicker of regret passed through Concubine Chang’s heart.
The writing materials on the desk had already been put away by the maid. Wen Ran sat there, quietly eating her ice.
After finishing half the bowl, she looked up just as the conversation between Wen Ye and Concubine Chang ended.
Wen Ye’s gaze met her younger sister’s, who rarely spoke. Suddenly, Wen Ran said, “Concubine Chang, don’t worry. Father rewarded me with twenty taels of silver the other day.”
Concubine Chang was surprised. “Last time it was only five taels!”
Wen Ran explained, “I came in first in the recent test, and Father was so pleased that he gave me more.”
Concubine Chang began to calculate. “With this twenty taels, that makes three hundred taels in total.”
Listening to their conversation, Wen Ye was puzzled. “What three hundred taels?”
At this point, Concubine Chang saw no reason to keep it from Wen Ye any longer.
She explained, “It’s the dowry money your sister and I have been saving for you.”
Wen Ye was genuinely shocked. She knew that Concubine Chang had been setting aside half of her monthly allowance for years, claiming it was for her dowry.
Wen Ye hadn’t paid much attention to it, knowing it was impossible to stop Concubine Chang from saving. She had planned to simply not take the money when the time came.
Moreover, Madam Shen always prepared a dowry for the family’s daughters when they married. It might not be much, but it would be enough for a young bride starting her new life.
Besides, after marriage, she would still receive a monthly allowance, possibly even more than she did as a daughter. With such a comfortable life, as long as she didn’t stir up trouble, she could easily live to a hundred.
What Wen Ye hadn’t expected was that her younger sister was also contributing to the dowry fund.
She glanced at Wen Ran, who sat at the desk with her back straight, and raised an eyebrow. “You’re giving me all the money Father rewards you with?”
Unlike Wen Ye, who resembled Concubine Chang, six-year-old Wen Ran had a more delicate appearance, with a classic oval face. Her features weren’t particularly striking individually, but together they created a pleasant and enduring look.
Though young, Wen Ran was quiet and focused, her world revolving almost entirely around her studies and the two people in front of her.
Doing well in her studies meant her father would reward her with silver, which in turn made life better for Concubine Chang and Wen Ye.
This was perhaps the most tangible benefit Wen Ran had discovered from her dedication to her studies.
“Fourth Sister, don’t worry. The major test is coming up,” Wen Ran said with a serious expression. “If I do well, Father will give me even more.”
Wen Ye couldn't help but chuckle, just as she was about to speak, Yun Zhi lifted the gauze curtain and entered, "Miss, Yin Shuang is here."
Yin Shuang was a first-class maid by Madam Shen's side.
As soon as she finished speaking, a slightly taller maid emerged from behind Yun Zhi, curtsied to the three people in the room, and then explained her purpose, "Fourth Miss, Madam requests your presence."
The movement of the fan paused, and Wen Ye sat up.
Yun Zhi came over to help her straighten her clothes. Wen Ye glanced at the other's expression and tentatively asked, "Did Mother mention what it's about?"
Yin Shuang slightly bowed her head and said no more, "Fourth Miss, I do not know."
Wen Ye got up from the long couch and took a couple of steps outside. Indeed, Madam Shen's maids were extremely strict about etiquette.
She turned her head to the remaining two and said, "Concubine Chang, little sister, I'll be back soon."
Concubine Chang probably guessed the reason, as the curve of her smile became more pronounced.
As soon as the door opened, the heat rushed into her limbs. Wen Ye quickened the pace of her fan and her steps at the same time.
It usually took a little over a quarter of an hour to walk from Hengwu Courtyard to the main courtyard, but Wen Ye managed to shorten it to just under a quarter of an hour.
When she arrived outside the main courtyard, Wen Ye first straightened her slightly disheveled dress caused by her hurried steps before stepping inside.
The ice basins placed in the main hall of the courtyard were several times more than those in Hengwu Courtyard. The thin sweat on Wen Ye's body quickly cooled down as soon as she entered.
Wen Ye properly curtsied to the person seated above, "Daughter greets Mother."
"Sit."
Wen Ye straightened up and sat to one side.
Madam Shen's gaze followed her, and after Wen Ye was seated, she said, "I called you here today because there has been some progress regarding your marriage."
Wen Ye wasn't the least bit surprised. She looked up and calmly asked, "Which family has Mother chosen for me?"
Madam Shen took a sip of tea before replying, "After several flower-viewing banquets, there were indeed a few families who showed interest in you, but I declined most of them."
Hearing this, Wen Ye didn't bother to ask why. It was clear that the families Madam Shen had directly rejected had significant issues.
"Now, there are three good families. I discussed it with your father, and we decided that the final choice will be up to you."
After saying this, Madam Shen looked intently at Wen Ye, as if waiting for her reaction.
A trace of surprise appeared in Wen Ye's eyes.
It was simply unbelievable that there were still three families for her to choose from...
Although Madam Shen had mentioned once before that she would compile a list of candidates for her to choose from, Wen Ye hadn't taken it to heart.
At her age, she was already considered an old maid in ancient times.
Since when did old maids have such good prospects?
