Union

Chapter 18 Mid-Autumn Festival
Before the opportunity arrived, the Mid-Autumn Festival came first.

Aunt Ding and her group had been in Yungui County for almost a month, during which time they had only seen Second Master a few times.

Aunt Ding naturally didn't think that the Second Master was deliberately avoiding the young ladies in the manor by not returning home. But Aunt Ding knew that the Second Master was busy with important matters and couldn't get away. But... surely he wouldn't miss the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunion?
Aunt Ding stayed up late a few days ago, finally waiting for the Second Master to return home. She played the victim card and managed to persuade the Second Master to agree to have dinner at the mansion tonight.

As soon as the news spread, the inner quarters fell completely silent. The young ladies no longer cared about vying for the household duties, but instead busied themselves making new clothes and figuring out their outfits.

Before long, it was time for the banquet. The girls dressed up and went to serve Aunt Ding.

Aunt Ding looked at the several beautiful girls, her face also full of smiles.

Her observation of these girls began on the very first day she traveled south.

Needless to say, Ruizhu is steady, considerate, and good at dealing with people. Her only drawback is that she is not good-looking and is the second mistress's maid. Perhaps the second master will dislike her because of her.
Qiu Ning appears gentle and kind, a virtuous and gentle girl, but in reality, she is competitive, strong-willed, and unforgiving when she's right. However, she is very clever and often makes witty remarks that make people laugh out loud, so she can be considered a charming and understanding girl.

Mu Jin seemed a bit timid and had a low profile, but this girl was very perceptive. No matter when or where, she was always considerate and gentle, with a harmless smile. Even the most short-tempered person wouldn't want to keep giving her a cold shoulder.

Then there's Yunying...

Thinking of Yunying, Aunt Ding frowned slightly.

She couldn't see through this girl.

This girl looks aloof, and in reality, she is indeed quite cold in her dealings with others.

She neither liked to get close to her nor seemed to care much about the Second Master's schedule. But she was quite serious about what she did, whether it was doing needlework for the Second Master, dressing up nicely when he returned home, learning to manage the household like the other girls, or trying her best to do the tasks assigned to her.

Yunying did a good job; her performance was neither amazing nor a drag on the team.

But it was precisely this sense of just the right measure that always gave Aunt Ding the feeling that she was following the crowd, so much so that whenever she thought of Yunying, she would always have to think about it a little more.

While Aunt Ding was lost in thought, the girls had already started making a ruckus.

Qiu Ning asked, "Auntie, is Second Master sure he'll be back today?"

Aunt Ding immediately put aside her wandering thoughts and said with a light laugh, "Second Master promised to come back for dinner, so he definitely will. It's just that, as you all know, there hasn't been much rain in Yun Gui County lately..."

Despite encountering a lot of rain along the way, including landslides that blocked their path due to the frequent rainfall in Jinzhou, the further south they went, the drier it became.

It hadn't rained in Lingnan Prefecture for almost a month, and their arrival coincided with the rice planting season. The fields were short of water, crops couldn't be planted in time, and the people were extremely anxious.

Fortunately, Yungui County is surrounded by large rivers, so the people draw water to irrigate their crops.

But water was scarce everywhere. People living upstream always wanted to irrigate their own crops first before letting people downstream use the water, so they started filling in earth to block the water. When people downstream saw that no water was coming, they naturally objected and came to their aid, which led to frequent fights.

The situation had become so serious that Chen Yanzhou had no choice but to put aside his county affairs, which he was not yet familiar with, and go to several villages and towns under the jurisdiction of Yungui County to deal with these matters first.

The newly appointed magistrate toured each village, naturally intimidating some people so they dared not cause trouble again. However, there were times when Chen Yanzhou was not around, and there were always some audacious young men who would block the water at night and let it flow again the next day...

Unsurprisingly, the matter was brought before Chen Yanzhou again. Chen Yanzhou naturally ordered the constables to go through each village, repeatedly emphasizing the serious consequences of blocking the water. Only then did some of the ruffians and troublemakers dare not cause any more trouble.

But after finally completing the sowing, some seedlings withered and died in the fields due to insufficient watering. The people, unable to replant, would often prostrate themselves in the fields and wail as the county magistrate passed by, saying that their families had lost all hope and that death would be better…

Various trivial matters kept Chen Yanzhou and his servants in a state of chaos, causing them great headaches. As a result, they did not return to the mansion for several days, and even when they did return, their faces were rather grim.

His complexion was better today. Seeing this, Aunt Ding quickly and attentively welcomed the Second Master into the room, asking gently, "Did your errand go smoothly today, Second Master?"

Chen Yanzhou gave a soft "hmm" and didn't offer any further explanation. However, his relaxed expression and the softening of his usually hard jawline suggested that either the replanting issue had been successfully resolved or that a plan had been devised and was just waiting to be implemented.

Aunt Ding didn't dare to ask any more questions, and just smiled and said, "That's good, that's good."

The first thing Chen Yanzhou did upon returning to the mansion was to wash up. Aunt Ding originally wanted Ruizhu to go and help the Second Master with his washing and grooming, but considering that the Second Master didn't need anyone to serve him when he was in the mansion, she gave up on the idea.

Chen Yanzhou soon returned to the flower hall.

He was dressed in a light blue robe, his body still damp with moisture. The dim candlelight cast a warm glow on him, making his handsome face and slender figure stand out even more, causing the girls' hearts to flutter and their faces to turn red.

Seeing that Second Master was indeed in a good mood today, Aunt Ding felt happy as well.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions under the full moon, but Second Master is all alone away from home, which is truly heartbreaking.

Aunt Ding thought about how lively the Marquis's mansion would be today, and then she saw that the Second Master had been busy until dark and hadn't even had a banquet yet. She felt even more sorry for the Second Master. He had no one he could love by his side, and his desolation made her feel sorry for him.

Thinking of this, Aunt Ding, who had just been thinking of letting things take their natural course and not constantly trying to force people into the Second Master's service to avoid angering him, couldn't help but act impulsively.

She said, "Qiu Ning, don't just stand there, quickly serve some food to Second Master, and Mu Jin, pour him some wine."

Qiu Ning and Mu Jin never expected that Aunt Ding would call them at this time. Previously, Aunt Ding had clearly favored Rui Zhu and had been very meticulous in teaching Rui Zhu. Everyone had assumed that Aunt Ding would push Rui Zhu forward first, make her the favorite, and let her take charge of the household.

It was because Qiu Ning saw this that she was so unconvinced.

After all, in terms of knowledge and interpersonal skills, she was indeed inferior to Ruizhu. But if it came to winning a man's favor, Ruizhu couldn't possibly catch up with her, no matter how much she tried.

If you win a man's favor, let alone managing the household, he'll even make a ladder to heaven for you if you want to. It was because Qiu Ning understood this principle so well that she strongly disapproved of Aunt Ding's favoritism towards Ruizhu.

Let her say it: what use is it if Aunt Ding values ​​Ruizhu so much? What's so great about Ruizhu being good at managing the household or socializing? As long as she wins the Second Master's favor, everyone in the mansion has to listen to her.

Qiu Ning believed that with her looks and shrewdness, she was certain to win favor and make the Second Master obedient to her. Therefore, she was even more indignant at Aunt Ding's mistreatment.

But she never expected that, instead of giving Ruizhu such a good opportunity to shine, Aunt Ding would send her and Mujin to serve the Second Master!

What medicine did Auntie take wrong?
Aunt Ding didn't take the wrong medicine; she just suddenly remembered that men all love pretty girls.

Even if the Second Master is not materialistic, he is the second legitimate son of the Duke's mansion, and since childhood, countless beautiful women and pretty maids have flocked to him. For someone like Ruizhu, it's absolutely impossible to rise to prominence based on her looks alone.

The best course of action now is to get the Second Master to want to stay overnight in the backyard. Once the Second Master has been staying in the backyard for a while, Ruizhu will naturally have her chance.

Aunt Ding looked at Qiu Ning and Mu Jin again.

Qiu Ning lost a lot of weight on her journey south, but thankfully, she gained weight back after a month of proper care. She still has a round face and a plump figure, and when she smiles, her two dimples look like they're brimming with honey, making anyone who sees her feel sweet inside.

Hibiscus, when she looks at people, is gentle and kind, her eyes are watery and shimmering with an alluring light.

Aunt Ding looked at the two girls with encouraging eyes and urged them, "What are you all standing there for? Are you so happy that you've gone crazy? Hurry up and go serve the Second Master!"

Qiu Ning and Mu Jin quickly replied, "Yes."

They didn't care what Aunt Ding was thinking. Since she dared to push them out, they dared to shamelessly fawn over the Second Master.

Bah! What do you mean by "sacrificing face"? People like them have no face at all.

Qiu Ning and Mu Jin walked gracefully forward. One reached for the jade chopsticks on the table, and the other reached for the wine pot. Qiu Ning sweetly said in a high-pitched voice, "This servant will serve Second Master..." his meal.

"No need."

Before Qiu Ning and Mu Jin could finish speaking, Chen Yanzhou had already looked at Aunt Ding.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, as cold and lonely as a crescent moon hanging high in the autumn sky. He stared straight at Aunt Ding, causing her to lower her head and straighten her back.

Chen Yanzhou's gentle expression vanished, replaced by indifference and coldness.

But perhaps because Aunt Ding did this on her mother's orders and genuinely wanted what was best for him.

Chen Yanzhou finally toned down the coldness in his tone and said directly, "Auntie, please stay and have a drink with me. Everyone else, please leave."

She then said to Aunt Ding, "I am used to peace and quiet and do not like to be disturbed."

Yunying and the other three were eventually led away by Mo Xue, who was standing outside the flower hall, leaving Aunt Ding looking at Chen Yanzhou in a panic. She struggled to say, "Second Master, you already know what the manor means. Putting aside the fact that you are serving in the government, you need a female relative to take care of your daily life so that the manor can feel at ease. Just the welcoming and sending off of guests should be handled by a female relative."

Chen Yanzhou slowly poured himself a cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp. He said, "I understand what my aunt means, but I'm used to peace and quiet and I really can't stand the noise and commotion around me."

"If Second Master is worried about noise, I'll take Qiu Ning away and leave Rui Zhu, Mu Jin, and Yun Ying behind. These three girls are all good, steady, and not talkative. I'll remind them later not to bother Second Master..."

“Aunt, please take them back. I am busy with official duties and have no time to deal with them. They are just wasting their youth by staying here. If you feel it would be difficult to explain if you take them back, I will take care of their indentures and arrange for them to marry.”

Aunt Ding was even more helpless, "Second Master..."

Chen Yanzhou: "As autumn approaches, the weather grows colder day by day. I imagine Steward Wang and the others have already arrived in the capital. When does Aunt plan to return?"

Aunt Ding was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Second Master, please don't rush me. I promised you before that I would return to the capital once everything in the inner quarters was on track."

Chen Yanzhou poured himself another cup of wine, "Hasn't everything in the inner quarters been sorted out yet?"

Aunt Ding said, amused and exasperated, "Things have been sorted out, but no one has taken over yet. Second Master, please don't suggest letting Suiyun take over. Suiyun is shrewd, capable, and loyal to his master; you've always needed him by your side. Letting Suiyun handle these trivial matters of the inner quarters would only delay him. What I mean is, it's best to let the women handle the affairs of the inner quarters and the mansion. Besides, the women can also socialize with the wives and concubines of your subordinates and exchange information, which is also a very important point."

Chen Yanzhou replied, "Then you should find me a headmistress."

Aunt Ding was about to refuse again, but Chen Yanzhou said, "Aunt, pack your bags and take your people back to the capital in the coming days. We must get back to the capital before the snow falls to avoid suffering. I will have Mo Xue find a reliable escort agency to escort you and your party back. Aunt, just let Mother know that everything is alright."

(End of this chapter)