Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

After saying goodbye to Yuan Mingzhu, Cui Zeyu boarded the carriage with his sister.

Cui Lingrong asked her younger brother why he had come.

"I went to the Marquis's residence to find you, but the gatekeeper said you came to the Jiang residence, so I came here." Cui Zeyu said with a smile, "I went back and thought about it, and what you said makes sense. We should buy a house first, so that you and Yu'er and the others will have a place to live if they want to move in the future."

As for why he wanted to change, he didn't say it explicitly. He just wanted to be a support for his sister so that she could think more about herself.

"That's right," Cui Lingrong said. "Your residence reflects your character; only matchmakers know your financial situation. If you live in a cloth shop every day, who knows if you have any real skills?"

"Sister is right, so I found a real estate agent to help me find a few houses, preferably close to the cloth shop and the Marquis's residence. However, there are many things I don't understand, so I would like to ask sister to accompany me to look at them if sister has time," Cui Zeyu said.

Buying a house is a big deal. From the layout and regulations of the house to the neighbors, it's best to investigate thoroughly. Cui Lingrong agreed, "Wait until I arrange a time, and then I'll go with you to see some. Have the real estate agent find several places for you first; we need to be careful."

She has to manage the household now, so she's not free every day.

Cui Zeyu smiled and said okay.

When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence, Cui Lingrong asked her younger brother to go in with her, and she instructed the kitchen to prepare her brother's favorite dishes.

Cui Zeyu shook her head. "I'm busy at the cloth shop, so I won't go in. If you need anything, just send someone to find me. Anything is fine."

As the year draws to a close, many families need to buy winter clothes, especially wealthy families who have fabric shops deliver fabric to their door. Cui Zeyu is busy visiting many households, handling a great deal of business.

Cui Lingrong told her younger brother to take care of his health. When she returned to Qiushuangzhai, Caixia came over and said that someone from Wutongyuan had come by that morning.

Cui Lingrong asked what was wrong.

"They didn't say anything, they just asked if you were there. I told them you went out, and then the people from Wutong Courtyard left." Caixia asked, "Should we send someone to Wutong Courtyard to inquire? The princess is pregnant; if she uses this to cause trouble, the old lady and the marquis might blame you?"

Cui Lingrong is the mistress of the house, and she manages all the affairs of the Marquis's mansion. This has both advantages and disadvantages. If something happens to Princess Rongjia, the old lady and the Marquis will definitely hold her accountable.

She asked Qiu's mother to go to Wutong Garden to take a look, and then asked Caixia to deliver the cloth her younger brother had brought to her daughter.

When Caixia returned, Cui Lingrong glanced around the room. "Where's Caiyue? I haven't seen her these past few days."

"Reporting to Madam, Caiyue has been experiencing severe menstrual cramps lately, so I'm covering for her," Caixia said.

"A woman's daily life is a big deal. Go and ask a female doctor to take a look at her. You are all people close to me, and I have to take good care of you." Cui Lingrong was a little tired after being out all day.

Caixia knew her mistress had good intentions, but Caiyue was only thinking about Young Master Yu. She wondered when this girl would finally realize her mistake.

After Caixia left, a little while later, Qiu Mama returned and said that the princess was pregnant and had a craving for food. "She wants to send someone out of the manor to buy food regularly, otherwise she finds it troublesome to bother you every time she comes."

"Then let her be," Cui Lingrong said. "She wants someone to run errands and relay messages for her, so that's fine with her. But you should tell her that the old lady and the Marquis value her child, and that everything the maids do—where they go and what they buy—should be recorded. That way, if anything happens, the doctor can provide targeted treatment."

"Madam is clever. She registered everything clearly, so we know how long it will take to run errands. If anything happens to the princess, it won't be our problem," said Madam Qiu.

Cui Lingrong said that this was her meaning. If she tried to stop her, Princess Rongjia would definitely cause trouble over it. It would be better to go along with Princess Rongjia. After all, Princess Rongjia's meals were all prepared by Wutong Garden, and it had nothing to do with her.

Autumn Mother went to Wutong Garden again, and at that moment He Pingping came to Qiushuangzhai.

Cui Lingrong was quite surprised to see He Pingping, as this was He Pingping's first time visiting.

"Miss He, what brings you here? Is something missing from the courtyard?" Cui Lingrong sat upright, exchanged pleasantries, and then observed He Pingping's expression.

He Pingping didn't dare to look at Cui Lingrong, and shook her head nervously, "I...I was just passing by and thought that the begonias in Grandma's yard were blooming beautifully, so I thought I'd come and take a look."

"Then you're too late. Ten days or half a month earlier would be the best time for the begonias to bloom." Cui Lingrong found it strange. It was just a begonia; there were plenty of them in the garden.

However, she could tell that the begonia was He Pingping's excuse; was she trying to get closer to her?

What could He Pingping and Jiang Shi possibly possibly have against her?

Cui Lingrong thought for a moment. Jiang knew her housekeeping style; she wouldn't give more just because she had a good relationship with someone. The amount stipulated in the regulations was the only amount.

Moreover, she and Jiang had always been at odds. After she returned home for her funeral, Jiang was completely subservient to Princess Rongjia. How could she possibly let He Pingping come to her?

In Cui Lingrong's view, He Pingping's every move represented the Jiang family.

Could it be that Jiang wants to be a fence-sitter, trying to please both sides, since she's seen her taking over the household management again?

That Jiang family member is incredibly stupid.

Cui Lingrong composed herself and looked at He Pingping again with a smile in her eyes. She tentatively asked, "Miss He likes begonias, but your cousin doesn't. She hasn't come to my place for a long time."

He Pingping paused, understanding the implication in Cui Lingrong's words, and lowered her head, saying, "Everyone has different preferences, which is normal."

"Oh, that's true." Cui Lingrong didn't ask any more questions. If He Pingping had any ulterior motives, she would reveal them sooner or later. She would just wait and see.

The two chatted for a while, and He Pingping tactfully left before dinner. Cui Lingrong then called her daughter over for dinner.

"In a few days, I'll invite a few close friends over for my birthday. They're all people you've met." Cui Lingrong was already worried about her daughter's marriage. "When a woman gets married, the husband is important, but the in-laws' family is also very important. I don't have many friends. Right now, there are only a few families with suitable sons."

Song Yu was a little embarrassed. "Is Mother in such a hurry to arrange my marriage?"

"It's not that we're finalizing this now, but rather that you should be prepared. It's better to find a family you know well for a marriage alliance. If your Aunt Yuan didn't have a son of marriageable age, I wouldn't have to worry about this." After thinking it over, Cui Lingrong decided that it would be better for her daughter to marry into a family she knew well. She didn't want her daughter to marry into a high-ranking family, but she also didn't want her to marry down.

Song Yu, still unmarried, clung to her mother's arm and said coquettishly, "I want to stay at home for a few more years; I don't want to get married so early."

"That's what I think too, but we can set the wedding date first." Cui Lingrong affectionately touched her daughter's face. For her now, her child was more important than Song Shulan.

After the mother and daughter finished dinner, Song Yu was measuring Qiu's sleeves in the room, saying, "Since I returned home, Princess Rongjia has sent me many things and invited me to talk at Wutong Garden, but I have never gone, nor have I accepted her gifts."

Taking anything from Princess Rongjia would be tantamount to betraying her mother, so she wouldn't care for it.

"It's definitely better not to go to her place. She's pregnant now, and who knows if she'll use that to cause trouble," Cui Lingrong agreed with her daughter. "But you'll need to come up with a good reason."

Song Yu said she understood. After talking about Princess Rongjia, she asked about her father, "I heard that Father was beaten while drunk a few days ago. Was it serious?"

She hadn't seen her father for quite some time; he mostly lived in Wutongyuan, so she rarely saw him.

Cui Lingrong said it wasn't serious, "He invited his colleagues out for drinks today, so you can tell he's fine."

Song Shulan has been busy with social engagements lately. This morning, Qingshan came to Qiushuangzhai and said that the Marquis has been too busy with social engagements and his monthly allowance is already gone. He asked Cui Lingrong to give the Marquis some money.

In recent years, Song Shulan has gotten used to spending money lavishly. In addition, he has been focused on getting promoted recently, so he spends money like water on gifts and entertaining guests, and now he doesn't have enough money in his pocket.

However, Cui Lingrong did not agree. She told Qingshan that the Marquis's mansion had no extra money to spare this month and that Song Shulan should be careful with his spending.

Meanwhile, Song Shulan had just finished drinking at Fanlou and was about to pay the bill when Qingshan looked troubled.

The shopkeeper glanced at Song Shulan, then at Qingshan, and said, "Lord Song is a regular at Fanlou. If you forget to bring money, you can put it on your tab. I'll have a waiter go to the manor to get the money later."

Song Shulan loved to show off and never kept accounts. Today, he was the one who suggested treating everyone, but now he couldn't come up with any money and was embarrassed. He felt like someone had slapped him across the face.