Free Web NovelChapter 367: Chapter 145: Aftermath
Chen Wanqing let Xiang’er lead her out. Just as she reached the door, she looked back at Zhao Jing.
Zhao Jing gave her a reassuring look, and Chen Wanqing left with Xiang’er.
Xiang’er’s room was right next to Mrs. Zhao’s; she occupied the west room. It was quite spacious and decorated with the charming, clever touches of a young lady.
A glance around the room revealed a pink bed canopy and an apricot-yellow quilt. Beside the bed stood a vanity laden with rouge and powders, along with an exceptionally well-preserved bronze mirror.
Xiang’er’s room also had an elm bookshelf, but it held only a few scattered books. Furthermore, the books were almost all brand new, their pages apparently untouched.
The shelf was mostly filled with trinkets Xiang’er had collected and small handicrafts she had made herself: cloth dolls, ceramic insects and birds, a wicker basket for her needlework, a homemade round fan, a vase filled with colorful peonies...
On the tea table in the room, besides a teapot and three teacups, sat a pot of hydrangeas in vibrant bloom.
The room was a riot of color, bright and lovely, but it was almost too much for the eyes after a while.
Xiang’er didn’t seem to notice. She cheerfully pulled Chen Wanqing over to the tea table. Just as she was about to say something cheerful to distract her sister-in-law, they heard the faint sound of sobbing coming from the main hall.
Xiang’er scratched her head in embarrassment. "Sister-in-law, that’s just how my mother is. She’s sentimental and overly sensitive. What she says can be unpleasant, but please don’t take it to heart."
Chen Wanqing shook her head. She knew Mrs. Zhao’s character better than Xiang’er did. ’She doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body; she just has a bleeding heart.’
It didn’t surprise her at all that Mrs. Zhao would say those things. Xiang’er, on the other hand, was the one who surprised her. She had always been shy, offering smiles but few words.
Since marrying into the family, she had been so busy with her incense-making that she hadn’t spent much time with Xiang’er. She’d never expected that this young woman, who seemed as soft as dough on the outside, was actually so clear-headed and principled on the inside.
This discovery made Chen Wanqing feel even more affection for her sister-in-law.
She not only taught Xiang’er decorative knot-tying but also reminded her to catch up on the lessons she had fallen behind on. Once Chen Wanqing was finished with her current business, she would be checking her work.
Xiang’er: "..."
Not long after Chen Wanqing returned to her room, Zhao Jing came in.
He looked at her again and again, as if terrified she was angry. Only when he saw that she truly wasn’t did he let out a visible sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Chen Wanqing couldn’t help but grab a bolster from the bed and toss it at him. "Why are you making that face? Do you really think I’m that petty?"
Zhao Jing smiled. "Of course you’re not petty, Wanqing. It’s just that my world revolves around you, and I’m terrified that you’re unhappy being married to me, or that you’ve been wronged somewhere without my knowing."
Chen Wanqing laughed in exasperation. ’How on earth did Jing manage to express his love for her at every possible moment?’
’He was normally so cold and aloof, looking as if he couldn’t even be bothered to speak. But with her, it was as if he was terrified she didn’t know how much he loved her, taking every chance he could to say it again. Did he really feel no shame at all?’
Chen Wanqing shot him a playful glare, and Zhao Jing knew the storm had passed. Perhaps there had been no storm to begin with; it was just that he treasured her so much that whenever a single dark cloud drifted by, he feared a torrential downpour would follow. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
"Wanqing, Mother misspoke..." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Chen Wanqing cut him off. "Mother didn’t mean anything by it. She just feels sorry for Lanhua’s two children." ’Mrs. Zhao probably wanted to ask me to show mercy, to not demand so much in compensation, or perhaps to say that Lanhua had learned her lesson and would work hard if I let her come back to make incense. But Xiang’er had spoken too quickly, not giving Mrs. Zhao the chance to say what came next. And you can’t hold someone accountable for words they never said. Besides, she’s an elder, and in such frail health... it really makes arguing with her feel pointless.’
Zhao Jing understood what Chen Wanqing meant, but he said, "I’ve already spoken with Mother. She won’t interfere in your business affairs again."
"Was Mother upset?"
"Not upset, so much as she lost a bit of face. But things are different now, and some things just had to be said."
Zhao Jing went on to tell Chen Wanqing what had happened at home the previous day while she was in the county seat.
His maternal uncle’s family had sent someone to their home with a congratulatory gift.
