RPAGF Chapter 436 New Year's Eve (1)
Chapter 436 New Year's Eve (1)
There were many busy things to do at the end of the year, and the emperor lost interest in holding a New Year's Eve banquet. So all the princes and nobles spent the New Year in their own residences.
As soon as it got dark, a continuous stream of fireworks went off, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.
The Marquis of Jing'an's residence was unusually quiet, except for the occasional movement of servants.
The old lady walked angrily toward the main courtyard.
At the courtyard gate, guards stood watch. Upon seeing the old lady from afar, they clasped their hands in a salute.
The old lady walked in without looking, but was stopped as soon as she took a step.
Ling He said solemnly, "The Marquis has ordered that no one is allowed to set foot in the main courtyard!"
He returned to the capital seven or eight days ago and, as instructed by the Marquis, guarded the main courtyard, forbidding anyone from entering.
He was naturally diligent and conscientious, never slacking off for a single day.
Let alone an insect, even if a blade of grass crosses the line, he must cut it down!
Therefore, even if the old lady came today, he was not afraid and carried out the Marquis's death order in a serious manner.
The old lady glared at him fiercely: "Look carefully at who I am!"
Ling He looked at her with a puzzled expression, and calmly replied, "You are the old lady."
The old lady nearly choked on her breath, pointing her finger at his nose and yelling, "I am your Marquis's grandmother! Even your Marquis has to listen to me. What are you, a mere watchdog!"
Ling He remained unmoved: "Without the Marquis's order, I cannot let you in. Please return, Madam."
"Can't I even go see my granddaughter-in-law?"
Ling He replied without hesitation, "No."
His tone left no room for negotiation. The old lady, who had lived a life of luxury for decades, had never been treated like this before. She immediately became furious and slapped Ling He several times.
Ling He didn't even try to dodge; he stood silently in place.
Granny Zhao quickly advised, "Madam, it's the New Year, please calm down. There's no need to get angry with the servants. Why not let Madam come out to see you? It's the same thing."
The old lady thought this was a good idea. She glared at Ling He, raised her chin, and said, "Have Madam Wen come to see me."
Ling He repeated what the Marquis had told him.
"Madam is seriously ill, and the two maids in the main courtyard have also fallen ill. For Madam's sake, we would like to ask her to return to Ninghui Hall."
The old lady immediately took two steps back, looking at the main courtyard as if it were a plague god.
She widened her eyes: "What kind of disease is so serious? I've never heard of it before!"
"The Marquis has ordered that this matter must not be revealed to outsiders."
Upon hearing that her grandson was still protecting her, the old lady immediately became displeased.
But remembering that Shen Fuhan was not in Chang'an, he had no choice but to give up in disappointment.
"What bad luck!" The old lady curled her lips. "That vixen should just die as soon as possible, so my grandson can marry a well-behaved and obedient second wife to continue the family line."
The old lady walked towards Wuyou Courtyard while cursing.
Unexpectedly, I was met with another setback.
Siyu said with a forced smile, "Madam, Fourth Master hasn't returned to the manor for two days, and I'm quite worried about him."
"What?" the old lady asked hurriedly, "Where did he go?"
"I don't know either. Fourth Master only said that since the Marquis is not in the mansion this year, no one can control him, so he quietly slipped away."
The old lady's face darkened: "She really has no sense of propriety!"
But aside from hurling insults, she was at a loss for what to do.
He disappeared for two days, where could she find him?
Finally realizing that she was the only one who ate the New Year's Eve reunion dinner, the old lady stood there in astonishment.
The fireworks stopped sometime later, and snowflakes began to fall.
The entire Jing'an Marquis's residence was shrouded in an even greater sense of loneliness and desolation.
In Jinzhou, a hundred miles away, a house was bustling with activity.
Shen Funian and Xiao Suye stood outside the mansion gate, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a carriage that finally stopped outside the courtyard.
She quickly called out, "Big brother and sister-in-law! Come out and greet us!"
Shen Fuhan carried Zhaozhao in one arm and held Wen Jiayue's hand with the other as they walked out.
Looking up, I saw Shen Fuyou jump down from the carriage. Without even greeting him, she eagerly lifted the curtain.
"Yan'er, come down quickly."
Wen Jiayue whispered, "Doesn't it look like Fourth Brother is getting married, letting the bride get out of the sedan chair?"
Shen Fuhan chuckled: "You certainly know how to think."
Amidst the noise, Shen Funian didn't hear him call out "Yan'er," and laughed and scolded, "Fourth brother, you didn't even greet your third sister when you saw her, don't you have any manners?"
"Hello, Third Sister," Shen Fuyou said perfunctorily. "I'll give you a big bow in a bit, remember to give your little brother a big red envelope."
He carefully helped Xie Yan down from the carriage.
Shen Funian said with satisfaction, "Not bad, you know how to take care of people, quite the gentleman."
Her gaze fell on Xie Yan's face, whom she was meeting for the first time, and she nodded secretly.
She was petite, fair-skinned, beautiful, with big round eyes and a small round face—a classic beauty. But for some reason, she looked somewhat lost.
Shen Funian assumed she was just nervous and affectionately took her arm.
"Miss Xie, right? My name is Shen Funian, and I am Lord Shen's third younger sister. What are the characters in your given name?"
Overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Xie Yan whispered, "Yan, the Yan of 'colorful and vibrant'."
“So it’s the ‘Yan’ in ‘Yanran Yixiao’ (a charming smile),” Shen Funian said with a smile. “When Sister Xie Yan smiles, she must be stunningly beautiful.”
Xie Yan couldn't help but smile shyly, and her nervousness eased a little.
Just as Shen Fuyou had said, his siblings were all easy to get along with.
Shen Funian loved teasing blushing girls and was about to say a few more words when she heard someone nearby call out "Mother" in a resentful tone.
She then remembered that her son had also come.
She immediately asked with a hint of guilt, "Yao'er, have you been eating and sleeping well these days?"
Shen Chengyao was angry and stomped into the mansion in a huff.
Shen Funian quickly apologized to Xie Yan and went to comfort her son.
After a long and tiring journey, everyone was hungry, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries, they took their seats.
The men sat together drinking, and the women sat together talking, without disturbing each other.
The more Shen Funian looked at Xie Yan, the more she liked her, and she couldn't help but voice the suggestion that had been lingering in her mind for a long time.
Afraid of frightening her, Shen Funian proceeded step by step.
"Miss Xie, what do you think of the Shen family?"
Unexpectedly, Xie Yan was still startled, put down her chopsticks, and obediently said, "It's fine."
"Would you like to become part of our family?"
The men all looked over, with Shen Fuyou's gaze being the most intense.
Xie Yan's face turned bright red, and it took her a long time before she nodded gently.
Shen Funian said with a smile, "That would be great! Why don't you recognize my elder brother as your sworn brother and live in the Jing'an Marquis's residence from now on!"