Chapter 53: First Meeting, Meeting Again
Jiang Wan knew that there would be guests in the house today.
She was slightly flustered.
The Jiang Family had not entertained guests for many years.
In the morning, she followed her routine of waking up early to transcribe a scripture, and her heart calmed down.
Yesterday, her brother’s guard had died a violent death, and the household felt it was an omen of bad luck.
Old Madam was angry that Guard Wu Liu actually had such bad habits, fearing he might corrupt Ronger.
Furthermore, the cause of death was too unseemly, causing them to lose face in front of distinguished guests.
Jiang Wan felt a pang of pity in her heart; the scripture she transcribed this morning was the Sutra of Rebirth, which could be considered as seeing him off on his final journey.
The vanity of the human world eventually ends up as a handful of yellow earth.
After finishing the transcription, her maid helped her with her grooming and attire.
The maid, Maizi, combed the young lady’s hair with careful and gentle movements.
Jiang Wan had a head of dark, long hair that was very thick and beautiful.
“Miss, you are becoming more and more beautiful. I have never seen anyone better looking than you; you must be the most beautiful person in the world,” Maizi said, her mouth sweet and lively.
Jiang Wan smiled. This was just because they were in the countryside, and being the most beautiful was not necessarily a good thing. Legend had it that Princess Huiyun, the only biological sister of the current Emperor, was extremely beautiful, but due to a great fire, her cheeks were burned. Now, she kept company only with green lamps and ancient Buddhas, refusing to show herself to others again.
After washing and dressing, Jiang Wan went to pay her respects to Old Madam Jiang.
Today, all the members of the household were present.
Her father, mother, and brother were all there.
She had actually arrived late.
The family accompanied Old Madam Jiang to finish breakfast and rinse their mouths, and by then, the guests had arrived.
In reality, for two juniors to pay a visit, it was truly unnecessary for the whole family to come out.
However, the Jiang Family had been away from the center of power for too long, and this rural life was truly without any ripples, so the family was a bit overly formal and sat in full attendance.
Meng Shaoxia and Young Master He Chen, both sons of aristocratic families, carried themselves with grace; even if they were slightly surprised, they did not show it.
The Jiang Mansion was spacious and bright; although it was not opulent, the porcelain vases on the shelves and the calligraphy and paintings on the walls all displayed the family’s heritage.
Jiang Huaisheng saw the two young men, handsome, upright, and spirited, and liked them very much.
He was also an upright gentleman, talkative and straightforward.
Seeing these two young men were so exceptional, he felt even more annoyed when looking at his own son. They were of similar age; they could already travel the world and handle matters on their own, while his own son couldn’t even manage his studies at the County School properly, living every day in a muddle, cutting corners and acting shifty.
Jiang Wan accompanied them to meet the guests, her face slightly flushed. She knew in her heart that it was improper, but Old Madam Jiang had said that they had to meet people eventually, and in this countryside place, there were not so many taboos.
She saw the square-faced youth at a glance and was slightly stunned.
Then she looked at the other youth, who had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips, dressed in fine clothing and headwear, handsome and dashing.
“Wan’er pays respects to the two young masters,” Jiang Wan said, having only stared for an instant before bowing gracefully.
Jiang Rong also bowed, but yesterday he had been frightened by the sight of his guard’s tragic death, so he hadn’t slept well and had dark circles under his eyes.
Moreover, he had lived in the countryside for a long time, acting arrogant in small places, but facing the children of great families from the capital, he felt inexplicably timid.
Jiang Rong’s appearance was actually not bad; he was fair-skinned and chubby, which was the appearance that made people envious in this era, but his aura was much weaker.
Meng Shaoxia and Young Master He Chen were both a bit surprised.
The Jiang Family’s eldest grandson felt very ordinary, whereas Jiang Wan had an extraordinary temperament, like an orchid in an empty valley; in a room full of people, she was the one who would catch one’s eye at a glance.
The dress she wore was not brand new, but it fit well, with few hair accessories, her dark, beautiful hair draped over her shoulders. She had small dimples even before she smiled, making one know at a glance that she was a young lady raised in a very good and smooth-sailing family.
She stood tall and graceful, like a lotus flower after the rain.
Young Master He Chen felt his ears burn slightly at being called “Young Master” by her. He did not know why; he was not a fledgling youth, he had many sisters at home, and he had seen many noble ladies, yet he felt the young lady before him was exceptionally beautiful and extraordinary, as if she were radiating light.
Meng Shaoxia also felt a bit strange. Clearly, the demeanor of Miss Jiang before him should not be the type he would like; he did not like such rigid and formal young ladies of noble families, but it seemed he could not suppress an inexplicable sense of fondness.
The two were juniors who had come to visit with gifts, and they were kept for a meal.
The entire exchange was quite pleasant.
Old Madam Jiang loved Buddhism and was kind and approachable; although she was old, she still vaguely retained the elegance of her younger days.
Uncle Jiang was indeed as the rumors said; although far from the Imperial Court, he was well-versed in current affairs, with a high-level perspective that made the two youths quite admire him.
Moreover, his martial arts were very impressive; he very enthusiastically sparred with Meng Shaoxia in the family’s martial arts practice field, an exhilarating experience.
After getting familiar, Jiang Rong talked more, and he was very proficient in eating, drinking, and having fun, but he seemed a bit afraid of his father; he wouldn’t talk when his father was around.
Miss Jiang Wan, however, stunned them both.
Living in this rural place, her appearance was like a lotus rising from the water, very dazzling.
Her speech was surprisingly articulate, and her knowledge was extraordinary, like a jade covered in dust, its luster just beginning to show, which was pleasantly surprising.
The lunch was very sumptuous; although it did not have the delicacies of the capital, it was still very delicious, with various snacks, local specialties, vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, etc., which was actually the best meal they had felt they had eaten recently.
The maids and servants of the Jiang Family were very orderly and well-behaved.
Both host and guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
When they said goodbye, there was still a feeling of reluctance to part.
Only when they were leaving did the two realize that didn’t the Jiang Family have a youngest son? They hadn’t seen him at all today.
Grand Tutor Jiang’s youngest son should be the same age as Heir Han, born to Princess Huiyun. Heir Han was the nephew the current Emperor liked the most, even more than his own children, and he took him everywhere.
Young Master He Chen had his subordinates inquire about the reason.
They learned that the youngest son of the Jiang Family had actually been expelled from the house by Old Madam Jiang, the reason being: unfilial and lacking brotherly love.
This was a very serious charge.
Confucius said, filial piety and brotherly love are the foundation of learning how to be a person. (Confucius: I never said that.)
Both were youths from aristocratic families, so naturally, they would not pry into other people’s family secrets. They had been to the Jiang Family and had an excellent impression of Old Madam Jiang, Uncle Jiang, and their younger sister Jiang Wan.
Jiang Rong was not outstanding, but he had no ulterior motives and was much like the typical playboy youth.
The Jiang mistress did not speak much, and she was a distant relative of Young Master He Chen, whom he called Aunt. She was a beauty, and her personality also felt very straightforward.
Although it was just a visit and they couldn’t see much, due to their preconceived impressions, they still felt that there must be something very wrong with the youngest son of the Jiang Family; otherwise, Old Madam Jiang would not have been so resolute, and Uncle Jiang would not have agreed.
The two decided to stay for a few more days.
But unexpectedly, the guards from both their families arrived in Ming County one after another, telling them to return quickly, as things had been somewhat unsettled recently.
Because of the heat, drought, severe natural disasters, and unrest at the borders, there were actually people instigating large groups of refugees to rebel.
Therefore, both families had urgently sent people to urge them to return.
Their journey was not even halfway through; the two had planned to travel the world.
They were slightly depressed.
Meng Shaoxia said, “Why don’t we go find Brother Feng this afternoon and ask if he is willing to come with us?”
Young Master He Chen inexplicably felt reluctant to leave the Jiang Family. Although they had only met once, he even felt that he and Miss Jiang Wan cherished each other; speaking across a group of people, he felt she understood his heart very well, as if they were born soulmates.
Meng Shaoxia also felt that Miss Jiang Wan was quite knowledgeable and very compatible in temperament.
However, he appreciated Jiang Feng, the young man, more; after all, he had arrived first.
He sent someone to inquire and learned that Jiang Feng should be at home today and had not gone out.
So the two, with their guards, rode their horses towards the village where Jiang Feng lived.
The mountain road was winding.
The horses did not move fast.
After a short while, they saw the village in the distance; the houses were sparse, with chickens crowing and dogs barking, looking somewhat desolate and unfamiliar.
There was a big tree at the entrance of the village.
There were old people cooling off under the big tree.
They asked for directions and then rode on towards the mountain.
The setting sun was slanting west.
It was not a good time to visit someone.
The road was uneven, and Young Master He Chen looked impatient.
Suddenly.
“Giggle, giggle.”
“Giggle, giggle.”
Laughter came from somewhere.
It was crisp and melodious, like the ringing of bells under the eaves.
