Chapter 29 Tonight, I'll go to your yard
Miss Guo San's face was quite similar to that of Mrs. Guo, as if time had gone back, recreating the stunning beauty of Mrs. Guo when she was young.
As she closed her eyes to rest, Miss Guo San was like a lotus flower emerging from water, fresh and unworldly, with an ethereal air that was untainted by dust.
When Su Wanyu first saw her, she couldn't help but be moved. It turned out that the Marquis's concern was here. This woman was indeed extraordinary. She would probably give her mother-in-law, Guo, a lot of work in the future.
Looking at the distraught Guo in the room, Su Wanyu's heart sank.
Guo's lonely figure seemed particularly desolate in the main room. Her eyes were cast on the huge plaque above, on which were inscribed four large and flowing characters "De Ze Xiang Li", with golden light flickering in the setting sun.
A little maid knelt on the ground and begged, "Madam, I really don't know anything. It was my aunt who fainted. It really has nothing to do with me!"
There was dead silence all around, only the maid's cries echoed in the empty room for a long time.
Guo slowly turned around, personally pulled up the trembling little maid, and said softly: "Forget it, this matter has nothing to do with you, you go down and rest first."
The little maidservant, with traces of tears on her face, stood up tremblingly and answered in a low voice. Guo then ordered Feicui to take her back to her room.
But the coldness hidden deep in his eyes is not simple.
Su Wanyu saw all these subtle interactions. She whispered to Siqi, "Follow her and monitor her secretly."
Siqi looked solemn and quickly disappeared behind the shadows of the trees.
As Su Wanyu stepped into the courtyard, all Guo left her with was a resolute back, and she left with her maids through another corridor.
When she walked into the main room, Su Wanyu only met Zheng Chengyan with a stern face. Obviously, he had also been scolded.
Mrs. Zheng used illness as an excuse to avoid the conflict, which made the conflict between father and son even more uncontrollable.
Zheng Chengyan's inner frustration was awakened by the appearance of Su Wanyu. His dissatisfaction with his wife and self-contradictions caused waves in his heart.
"What are you doing here?!"
Su Wanyu walked in calmly, her eyes passed Zheng Chengyan and fell on the plaque that showed the glory of the family: "I was just worried about my mother, so I came to take a look."
"You don't have to worry about it!" Zheng Chengyan was still angry and waved his hand, "Do your duty and go back to your room to embroider!"
Su Wanyu raised her eyes, looked at the plaque calmly, and said slowly: "Husband, although I am good at needlework, I am not limited to this."
Zheng Chengyan sneered, full of disdain: "What can you do? You are the daughter of a merchant, you have neither talent nor knowledge. You might as well learn to read and write from Ying'er."
Su Wanyu smiled faintly: "Who said I can't read?"
How could she, who came from a prominent family and received a good education since childhood, make a living just by relying on her skillful hands?
My father's teachings are still ringing in my ears: "If you want to understand the world, you must read ancient books. Women should read more. Men say that it is useless for women to read books, but why are they scrambling to study books?"
It was this kind of teaching that not only made her proficient in poetry and songs, but also enabled her to have her own views on political affairs. However, Zheng Chengyan seemed to never really understand all this, and his attention always stayed on her life experience.
Especially at this moment, Zheng Chengyan was still concerned about her appearance. He satirized her for trying to transcend the world and comparing herself to a pure lotus, but she was not even as good as her concubine Liu'er. At least Liu'er lived a real life.
Zheng Chengyan mocked, "Just because you can write a few words, you can be considered literate? Don't embarrass yourself here."
Facing her husband's contempt, Su Wanyu responded calmly: "I'm afraid that the people included in 'Yuxuetang' are not just those who can write a few words."
"Yuxuetang" is a holy place where literati in the capital gather. After the banquet, they must write poems. The good works will be compiled into collections, while the bad works will be discarded.
Zheng Chengyan had several works selected, Jiang Yingying was praised as a talented woman for one of her works, while Su Wanyu was unknown for her thirty anonymous works.
Zheng Chengyan was surprised and puzzled when he heard this: "What poetry collection?!"
Su Wanyu slowly withdrew her gaze from the plaque, and her eyes gently swept across Zheng Chengyan beside her. Then, she only left him with a cold back.
"You can check the answers you want yourself."
The anger in Zheng Chengyan's chest had not yet completely subsided, and her cold attitude ignited it again, and the displeasure in his heart surged like a tide.
I had no intention of getting too entangled with her, but at this moment I seemed to be driven by an inexplicable force, and I had to regain my dignity in this silent contest.
He strode quickly, shortening the distance between them and grasping Su Wanyu's slender wrist.
"I will definitely visit you in your yard tonight."
Su Wanyu paused slightly. Obviously, she had not forgotten the real purpose of tonight's banquet.
The corners of her mouth curled up into a scornful smile, and her voice was a bit teasing: "Second Master, I am not feeling well today, and I am afraid I cannot serve you well. You should move to Yaxuan Courtyard, where the concubines will certainly treat you attentively."
After saying this, she pulled her hand free and continued walking forward.
Zheng Chengyan stared blankly at his empty hand in the air. An unprecedented sense of frustration surged into his heart. Then, he quickened his pace again, got close to Su Wanyu's back, and tightly grasped her arm again: "Tonight, I just want to see you once."
Su Wanyu turned her head and stared coldly at the hand that was tightly holding her arm, feeling mixed emotions.
When she thought of the grudges from her past life, she could not bear any form of contact with him.
"Tonight, I need to make new clothes for the princess." Su Wanyu struggled again.
Zheng Chengyan was speechless for a moment. In the past, Su Wanyu always waited for his arrival silently, but now, she refused again and again.
This made him lose face, and he was filled with resentment and anger: "Su Wanyu, you are my legally married wife, and it is your duty to bear children for me and serve me! Don't push your luck."
Listening to his words, Su Wanyu sneered in her heart. It had only been a few days, and he couldn't wait to reveal his true appearance.
After all, Zheng Chengyan was too immature and failed to understand the essence of the Guo family's political intrigue.
She pretended not to hear and continued her pace.
Zheng Chengyan wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Yun Yi who was standing beside him: "Son-in-law, the making of the princess's clothes cannot be delayed."
At this moment, a breeze blew by, and Zheng Chengyan once again smelled the pine scent that made him uncomfortable. He felt a little chilly in his alertness, his whole body trembled involuntarily, and an inexplicable fear quietly grew.
When he came to his senses, Su Wanyu and Yun Yi had disappeared at the end of the front yard.
Zheng Chengyan stared at her back, his heart full of frustration and unwillingness. He was about to take a step forward to catch up with her again, but was interrupted by a call from the gate.
"Second Master!" That was the call coming from the courtyard gate.
Zheng Chengyan stopped and looked sideways, only to see Tao Xing rushing over. Obviously, she had just witnessed the tug-of-war between Zheng Chengyan and Su Wanyu.