"Don't overthink it, my dear. Even if we took this to the highest authority, Mingyue was not disrespectful. Besides, are they not ashamed to covet a child's possessions?" Madam Yun, in a rare moment of down-to-earth talk, comforted Madam Yu. "Their son is a scholar, very capable. If they want to show filial piety, they should look to him."
Madam Yu was amused by her uncharacteristic bluntness. "I don't mind, but what irritates me is how my sister-in-law acts so sourly in front of Mingyue. The girl is young and sensitive, so she got upset and hid in her room. My mother-in-law didn't indulge her either; she gave her a good dressing-down, and she didn't get her way."
"Aunt Song is a reasonable woman. Sister-in-law, you are blessed," Madam Yun said with a smile.
"Mother, Aunt Song, you two chat. I'll go check on Mingyue." She only had one good friend she could talk to, and in this situation, she had to go and offer comfort.
No sooner had she spoken than she was out the door. Madam Yun sighed and shook her head. "Sister-in-law, look at her. What kind of young lady is she? I told her to wear clothes in delicate colors, but she went and bought a riding outfit. What young lady normally dresses like this?"
"I think it looks quite good. Besides, it's not like she's not wearing a skirt. Don't country girls wear short jackets and long pants when they work? It's convenient for everything they do! And you, don't be so restrictive with her over small matters. Besides, Zhenzhen is only twelve this year. We can teach her those rules later," Madam Yu said, always fond of Qi Zhenzhen's personality, smiling as she excused her.
"I'm afraid if her personality remains so wild, it will be difficult to rein her in later," Madam Yun said with a worried expression.
"You don't need to worry about these things. Zhenzhen is a very opinionated girl; she knows exactly what she's doing. Besides, if Zhenzhen didn't have this personality, could she support this family? Don't take offense at my bluntness, but you've been in the village for several years. Think about how you lived when Zhenzhen was more timid, and then think about how you live now that her personality has become stronger. Do you think this house with blue bricks and large tiles, these silks and satins, came easily?"
Madam Yun said sheepishly, "I know, but..."
"You, just calm your heart, don't overthink anything. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Just enjoy your daughter's blessings. How many people are as fortunate as you?" Madam Yu patted Madam Yun's hand. "Zhenzhen will surely have great fortune in the future. Your worrying is useless and only brings you unnecessary trouble."
...
Qi Zhenzhen suddenly stopped and quickly took two steps back, steadying herself. She glared at Song Mingze.
Song Mingze stared blankly at the young girl before him. She wore a narrow-sleeved, round-necked short jacket, form-fitting trousers, and small deerskin boots. Her dark hair was tied up on her head. Her fair, rosy face held a hint of annoyance, and her watery, petal-like eyes seemed to have little hooks, captivating him so that he couldn't look away.
Qi Zhenzhen was somewhat annoyed, feeling an urge to gouge Song Mingze's eyes out.
This was no longer a normal gaze. He licked his lips as he looked at her. Qi Zhenzhen knew this was a lustful provocation.
Qi Zhenzhen suppressed her anger and walked into the Song family's courtyard. As she passed Song Mingze, she stomped hard on his foot.
"What's wrong? You look so angry," Song Mingyue asked, looking at Qi Zhenzhen with confusion.
"There's a pervert outside."
Pervert? Song Mingyue didn't understand. When she opened the door earlier, she had only glimpsed her cousin in the courtyard! Where was the pervert?
"You can't possibly mean my cousin is a pervert, can you?" Song Mingyue exclaimed, covering her mouth. "That's impossible! He's always talking about 'zhi hu zhe ye,' benevolence, and righteousness, considering himself a gentleman..."
"You can know a person's face but not their heart. It's hard to say what your cousin is truly like."
If he had been stunned by her beauty, Song Mingze would have reacted with flustered embarrassment. But he wasn't. After regaining his composure, his gaze at her was a naked appraisal, as if she were his private property. The possessiveness in his eyes and the way he licked his lips were utterly disgusting.
"That's true. My mother also says you can know a person's face but not their heart, and she tells me to be more aware and not believe everything blindly. But before, when matchmakers came to arrange a marriage for my cousin, he always refused righteously, saying that he wouldn't consider romantic affairs until he achieved official status. My aunt was worried sick, saying he was like a block of wood, indifferent to women, and feared he might renounce the world and become a monk," Song Mingyue mumbled.
Qi Zhenzhen's lips curled into a sneer. Judging by Song Mingze's reaction, he was definitely not someone indifferent to women.
If such a person became a monk, he would surely be a lustful monk.
"Let's not talk about him. Aunt Song said you were in a bad mood, so I came to talk to you," Qi Zhenzhen changed the subject. "What unpleasant things did your aunt say?"
Song Mingyue took off her shoes and sat on the raised platform, cross-legged against a large soft pillow. "She didn't say anything too unpleasant, just made sarcastic remarks with hidden meanings, saying I'm cunning and have climbed onto you, getting a lot of money, and won't have to worry about anything in the future. She also said that she, as the elder aunt, couldn't benefit from me, and she wished she could be a manager at your place, but I wouldn't manage it for her."
"You don't know my aunt. She's competitive, likes to take advantage, and is always secretly competing with my mother. Before, my mother was always suppressed by her because she gave birth to my cousin, and I am a girl. Now that my mother is managing things for you, she's unhappy, thinking my mother doesn't have to work but gets money, stealing her thunder. Plus, this time I didn't include them when I bought the fabric..." Song Mingyue pouted. "It's truly shameless. She always says my cousin is the reincarnation of the God of Literature and will surely become an official in the future, and our whole family will benefit from my cousin's success."
Qi Zhenzhen was amused. "She thinks recognizing a few characters and reading a few books makes him the reincarnation of the God of Literature? Your cousin is fifteen, just a Tong Sheng (elementary scholar). He hasn't even entered the door of the imperial examinations. Let alone becoming an official, even if he could, it's still a long way off."
"Who's to say? But I can't say these things. After all, my grandfather also hopes to have a proper scholar in the family to bring glory to the ancestral hall. If I said that, my grandfather would also get upset," Song Mingyue sighed. "So I can only not argue with her."
"The more you engage with people like that, the more they get excited. If you ignore them, they're the ones who suffer," Qi Zhenzhen said. "So, to make her unhappy, you just need to ignore her."
Song Mingyue's eyes lit up. "You know, that's true. Every time she shows off to my mother, my mother usually stays silent. Then, as she's talking, she loses steam and looks unhappy."
"That's why I really admire your mother. She never punishes herself with other people's foolishness," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile.
Song Mingyue pouted. "My mother also always praises you, saying if I were half as smart as you, she would have much less to worry about."