Chapter 88 Part 1:
The fifteenth of the eight month in the Lunar calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This day was no different from the usual, at most, it was eating a reunion dinner together in the Jiang family residence. It’s just this reunion dinner, to say “together” was not really accurate. Reason being Jiang Yu’e was sent to the village to “recuperate”. At the beginning of spring next year, Jiang Yu’e would go to Ningyuan Marquis’s residence. Actually, her age was still small, just that Yang-shi was afraid it would be dragged for too long and be disadvantageous for Jiang Yu’e, so she had no alternative but the marry Jiang Yu’e early.
Probably Jiang You Yao realized in the end that there was no way for this matter to turn around. Even if she was unwilling to give up, she couldn’t do anything as she was grounded by old madam Jiang and lost a lot of weight in less than a month. The formerly tender and lovely person now unexpectedly looked as if she would collapse when being blown by the wind, charmingly pitiful.
But as such, Jiang Yuan Bai was instead felt more distressed. During the meal, Jiang Li noted that towards Ji Shuran mother and daughter, Jiang Yuan Bai’s att.i.tude was extremely gentle. It should be because he felt the matter with Zhou Yan Bang was wronging Jiang You Yao, thereby compensating Jiang You Yao.
Jiang Li saw their family’s happy and harmonious appearance but had no other feelings. However, Lu-shi couldn’t stand by and watch any longer and seemed to deliberately block Ji Shuran as she said: “Everyone should go to tonight’s Mid-Autumn carnival.”
“You Yao is not going,” Ji Shuran said: “You Yao has a cold and has not recovered, it will be troublesome if she goes out and gets blown by the wind. All of you go, I’ll stay home to accompany You Yao.”
Old madam Jiang had not yet removed Jiang You Yao’s confinement. Because of Jiang You Yao’s temper and her feelings towards Zhou Yan Bang, she would inevitably look for Zhou Yan Bang if she was let out. Old madam Jiang wished that Jiang You Yao could give up. If Jiang You Yao blindly tangled with Zhou Yan Bang, it would let the people in the Ningyuan Marquis’s residence to look down on the Jiang family.
Jiang You Yao herself also didn’t want to go out. Though she was annoyed for being grounded, as long as she thought how everyone would look at her with sympathy once she stepped outside, Jiang You Yao would feel extremely humiliated. Zhou Yan Bang’s matter, though it had nothing to do with her, she had also become a joke in this love affair, as the pitiful fiancee. Rather than being vexed when seeing others’ expressions, she might as well stay in the residence; what the eyes couldn’t see will be clean.
“I am not going too.” Jiang Yuan Bai said: “I still have the court’s affairs to handle.” Since he currently felt that he had wronged Jiang You Yao, he wholeheartedly wanted to make up this little daughter. Ji Shuran mother and daughter were not going, Jiang Yuan Bai resolutely not going alone and abandoned his wife and daughter.
Lu-shi’s eyes turned around and said: “All of you are not going, what about Li-er? You can’t let Li-er go by herself, right?”
Jiang Yuan Ping coughed lightly from the side.
“It doesn’t matter,” Jiang Li smiled: “I also don’t really want to go.”
“Li girl, go together with your second aunt.” Old madam Jiang suddenly spoke up. She continued: “You’ve just returned to Yanjing this year, the Mid-autumn carnival is very good. You’ve also worked hard these past few days, just nicely rest and relax.”
Old madam Jiang had spoken, naturally it’s not good for Jiang Li to evade. Even though her heart was totally unwilling, she could only agree. At this time, Jiang Yuan Bai fell into a dilemma. On one side was his eldest daughter that had just returned to the capital, while on the other side was his younger daughter that was just subjected to grievance. The palm and back of one’s hand were all meat. However, in the end, he still decided to stay in the residence. Jiang Li appeared to be already sensible and magnanimous yet Jiang You Yao had never eaten sufferings. It’s okay to compensate Jiang Li in the coming days.
Seeing that her eldest son was still solely occupied with Ji Shuran mother and daughter, appearing pigheaded, old madam Jiang sighed in her heart and shook her head, immediately returning after the meal. On the contrary, Jiang Jing Rui was the happiest. After all the elders walked away, he incessantly winked at Jiang Li. At the end, he still lagged behind on purpose and said to Jiang Li: “Still said that you didn’t want to go. One word from old madam, don’t you still obediently agree?”
Jiang Li’s thoughts were distraught at this moment and was too lazy to pay attention to him. Jiang Jing Rui talked to himself: “At that time, you will certainly look wide eyed, the food along the way, the sugar people, also riddles written on lanterns, heard that Jin Man Tang will also sing tonight. When the moment comes, I’ll bring you to widen your horizon. Hey, don’t walk away ——”
Jiang Li tossed Jiang Jing Rui far behind, her steps becoming faster as she walked. Really cannot hide, she thought by not going out tonight she would avoid seeing things that would evoke mixed feelings. Against reason, old madam Jiang had spoken, if she evaded, it would seem too deliberate. But going out didn’t mean that there’s no benefit. When the people outside saw her going out to see the carnival, yet Jiang Yuan Bai, Ji Shuran and Jiang You Yao weren’t present, those people would probably censure a few lines.
In front of outsiders, Jiang Yuan Bai had to have a bit of scruples, striving to be impartial.
Had to take one step at a time.
Due to old madam Jiang’s order, after the evening meal, as the sky darkened, Jiang Li was forced to set off together with the people from the second branch.
Old madam Jiang was not present as her legs and feet were not convenient to walk, thus she stayed at the residence together with Jiang Bing Ji. From the main branch, only Jiang Li went out. The people of the second branch were all together, the third branch Yang-shi and Jiang Yuan Xing also didn’t go out. Aside from Jiang Yu’e’s matter, nowadays when Jiang Yuan Xing went out the door and met with his colleagues, he must walk with his head lowered. Naturally he wouldn’t go out to be humiliated. It’s even more impossible for Jiang Yuyan to go out.
Tong’er and Bai Xue were following Jiang Li. It was the first time for both servant girls to go to the carnival and from time to time, they let out exclamations in admiration or gasps of surprise. Jiang Jing Rui deliberately fell back to walk together with Jiang Li. He said: “You are not curious at all? I see that your two servant girls seem to be happier than you.”
Jiang Li’s expression was very ordinary, yet different from the usual. Jiang Jing Rui discovered that she could even be said to be indifferent. Although the corner of her lips were carrying the usual smile, the warm light of the colorful lanterns couldn’t light up her smile.
However, this beauty bearing clear silence attracted many pampered sons who were sightseeing. All the way, Jiang Jing Rui found no less than seven or eight young masters peeping at Jiang Li.
Big streets and small alleys of Yanjing, restaurant tea shops, all had colored lanterns spread out; which were personally tied by the common people. Each place’s tradition was virtually the same, for example, Yanjing’s colored lanterns, which were the same as the river lights in Tongxiang. It’s just that colored lanterns were suspended by a rope, while the river lights floated on the water.