CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: THE GUEST

"I’ve only been to Puji Temple twice. It’s said that there’s a Lotus Pool behind the temple. People usually throw Copper Coins into it, and they sink to the bottom. But if someone is destined, the coins will float on the surface for three days without sinking." She found it amusing herself and nudged Xiqiu, "How about I ask Mother for permission to take a look later?"

Xiqiu nodded with a smile, "Sure, let’s prepare more Copper Coins. If one doesn’t work, Fourth Sister can throw a few more."

Beside them, Xinzhu and Sixing covered their mouths, laughing quietly.

Tong Xiyan patted Xiqiu’s arm, "Laughing at me? You’re almost like Big Brother."

"That’s not bad!" Xiqiu thought of how Tong Shenzhi looked in new clothes that day and laughed, "Big Brother is well-read and has a bright future. I wish I could become a man and be like him."

Tong Xiyan deflated. She was also well-read, even First Master praised her intelligence, but she was a woman. Reading too much only became a burden, unlike Sixth Sister who was more straightforward and better off.

Xiqiu saw that she wasn’t speaking and tried to tease her, finally bringing a smile to Tong Xiyan’s face. The two chatted and laughed for less than half an hour before the carriage suddenly stopped.

"Miss, we’ve arrived at Puji Temple." Sixing lifted the curtain to look outside, "The Lady’s carriage has stopped, seems like we’ve run into someone familiar."

Xiqiu frowned, but the carriage soon started moving again and stopped once more in the main courtyard of Puji Temple.

Sixing and Xinzhu jumped off the carriage, placed a small stool by the carriage, assisted Tong Xiyan down, and then helped Xiqiu.

That’s when Xiqiu noticed that this was the "parking lot" specifically for female guests at Puji Temple. There were already more than ten carriages parked side by side. Seven or eight coachwomen were gathered playing cards. Seeing them get off, they politely greeted them and turned back to continue their game.

Tong Xiyan came over, "Some are carriages from the Minister Mansion, others look unfamiliar."

Xiqiu’s gaze landed on the unfamiliar carriage. It wasn’t lavishly decorated, with a very ordinary black lacquer wagon cover. The coachwoman was dressed plainly and huddled on the carriage, looking timid and inexperienced. On the corner of the carriage, there was a golden token with a character resembling "Hu" written in grass script.

She couldn’t remember any high official in the Capital with the surname Hu. Of course, she only knew a few official families.

Tong Xiyang and Tong Xiyu got off the carriage, one after the other. Tong Xiyang had lost much weight. She was wearing a light green jacket inside, with a hibiscus-colored flower-patterned overcoat outside, her hair styled in a falling horse bun with two hairpins on either side. Despite wearing powder and rouge, she couldn’t hide the sallow complexion and dark circles under her eyes. Even if she found someone to write on her behalf, she wouldn’t dare to go overboard and arouse Lady’s suspicion, working day and night relentlessly.

The four of them stood together and exchanged greetings. Tong Xiyang looked at Xiqiu and said, "I haven’t seen you in over a month, and Sixth Sister, you look even better."

"You too!" Xiqiu wasn’t as accommodating as before, merely smiling at whatever Tong Xiyang said.

Seeing her like this for the first time, Tong Xiyang was taken aback, speaking with a tinge of jealousy, "I dare not compare to Sixth Sister." She glanced sideways at Tong Xiyan, "These days, before Mother, you’re even more relied upon than Fourth Sister."

Just then, Tong Xiyan sneered, "Third Sister, your words shouldn’t be said like that. We are all daughters; it’s not like someone would be favored and another neglected." She shifted her gaze dismissively away from Tong Xiyang, tugging Xiqiu to step aside, "It’s just that one’s own behavior isn’t upright, and they can’t stand others being good!" With an unwillingness to speak further, she displayed a look of disdain.

Xiqiu also didn’t want to argue with her in public and turned to speak softly with Tong Xiyan.

Having hit a soft nail, Tong Xiyang said with a cold face, "You all are really too much..." Before she could finish, her sleeve was tugged, and Tong Xiyu lowered her head softly, "Third Sister, this dress is really beautiful. Did the embroidery lady Chen make it?" She purposely interrupted Tong Xiyang to stop her from continuing speaking.

Tong Xiyu’s action made Xiqiu raise an eyebrow and then helplessly smile.

Tong Xiyu’s gesture of siding with her didn’t earn a warm welcome from Tong Xiyang. She brushed it off with a cold snort, "It’s just coarse cloth and old clothes, not comparable to your new ones." The Lady had new clothes made for the three young ladies, except for her.

Tong Xiyu’s face turned red, and she lowered her head, falling silent.

At this time, Zijuan approached from the Lady’s side. Clad in an autumn fragrance overcoat, she was tall with fair skin, and her teeth gleamed white when she smiled, endearing to others. She smiled and curtsied towards the young ladies, "The Lady and the Minister’s wife went to the private room and sent me to wait for you here."

Tong Xiyang replaced her earlier cold demeanor with a smile and said, "Thank you, Sister Zijuan." She then approached, "Did Big Brother and Seventh Brother go over as well?"

Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan chatted in low voices, their ears attuned to Zijuan’s answer.

To serve in front of the Lady as a top maid showed her cleverness, "The First Young Master, Seventh Young Master, and Cousin Young Master went to the back mountain." She paused, then smiled, "Third Miss need not worry. I heard that there are private rooms there too, with servants arranged to attend to the young masters."

Tong Xiyang seemed genuinely concerned for the First Young Master and Seventh Young Master, nodding reassuringly, "That’s good!"

Xiqiu also felt relieved. Since she was with Tong Shen Zhi, along with the perceptive Xu Tianqing, Tong Minzhi shouldn’t do anything out of line.

The four young ladies were led by Zijuan, passing through several main halls to offer incense before going to the back courtyard’s private room.

Inside, the Lady and a woman were seated together on the kang bed, chatting. Seeing the young ladies enter, the Lady stopped and smiled, "Was the journey smooth?"

The distance from the "parking lot" to here was barely half a tea’s journey, with nuns and maidservants protecting them along the way. Nothing could have happened. The Lady’s words were just a show for the woman beside her, to display the Tong Mansion’s family discipline.

The young ladies curtsied in unison, and the eldest, Tong Xiyang, spoke, "In response to Mother, the journey was very smooth."

The Lady smiled warmly, nodding with satisfaction, and affectionately held the woman’s hand, "This is Madam Chen."

The four young ladies curtsied again.

Madam Chen was wearing a big red peony overcoat, with a jade-blue jacket inside, and with her long face, appeared a few years younger than the Lady. Her smiling eyes lingered on each of the young ladies for a moment. This scrutiny made Xiqiu very uncomfortable, as if she was a commodity awaiting sale, being secretly appraised. Meanwhile, the other three young ladies seemed oblivious, treating such a gaze as an honor rather than an insult.

Yes, Madam Chen held a third-rank imperial decree, making her stature even more elevated than the unranked Lady. In such a society, marrying well, a husband progressing in officialdom, filial sons, and docile concubines, defined a happy life for a woman. Achieving an imperial decree was every woman’s dream.

So in their eyes, Madam Chen stood as a star on a high pedestal—adored, revered, and much more, envied and yearned for.