Chapter 4 - Fragrant Gift of Sincerity
With Pei's efficiency, Pei Xuan learned about the situation of the young mistress of the small courtyard after two days. His slender eyebrows were furrowed: "Born blind?"
"Yes, she was born blind. Not only does Earl of Xining dislike this daughter, the Earl's wife despises their eldest daughter even more, seeing her as an ominous disaster. She doesn't get the treatment of a proper young lady. It's already good enough that she has survived all these years."
The old servant sighed sympathetically and summarized in one sentence: "This young lady is so unfortunate."
Pei Xuan's heart ached for a moment. He mumbled to himself: "So she can't see... No wonder, no wonder she..."
The young lady sitting with bent knees on the stone steps, wearing a watermelon red dress, had a faint smile on her face, seeming to be able to calmly accept all the storms and injustice in this world. She was tranquil and gentle, soft-spoken, with a pleasing voice.
Her old clothes, her petite frame compared to girls her age, her pale complexion, and the shabby tiled house behind her.
At first sight, all her embarrassments were noticeable, but Pei Xuan was too preoccupied with his pounding heart, ignoring the heart-wrenching details.
"How could the Earl of Xining and his wife be so narrow-minded like common folk? Such a nice young lady, how could she be an ominous disaster?"
Seeing her agitated, the old servant added: "The day Young Master met the young lady was her 18th birthday, which was also the birthday of the Earl of Xining's third young miss."
"What?"
Pei Xuan gently stroked his forehead, baffled: "I really don't know there are parents like this in the world. The eldest daughter spending her days alone in the broken house, while the birthday banquet for the youngest daughter was celebrated ostentatiously."
She criticized the couple mercilessly for a few sentences. The old servant looked at her and said, "Young Master, the imperial examination is imminent. You should restrain your heart."
"I know my limits."
She took a few steps back to the desk and started reviewing.
Seeing her hitting the books again, the old servant didn't dare disturb her and quietly backed out, gently closing the door.
The study became silent.
After half a minute, Pei Xuan put down the book and stared blankly into space, murmuring to himself: "Eighteenth birthday, I didn't even congratulate her."
He moved his wrists and fiddled with the wolf-hair brush on hand, then made up his mind after much thought.
"I have to find a way to thank her."
"Thank who?"
Madam Pei looked at her 'son'.
Standing by the window, Pei Xuan smiled gently: "The eldest daughter of the Earl of Xining's family. She saved me. If not for her spreading the thick straw mat in advance, I would definitely have hurt my muscles and bones falling down."
"Why would she randomly spread straw mats by the wall?"
"On a whim, I guess. Who knows? Anyway, the child owes her, I cannot accept her kindness for nothing. I have to repay her."
Madam Pei sipped some tea and asked: "How do you plan to repay her?"
"How can I repay her properly? It would affect the young lady's reputation."
On the surface she was still the heir of the Pei family. Relying on her elders' connections, she avoided the identity verification process of the imperial exam. Having chosen to serve as an official, she could only live as a man for the rest of her life.
Great Zhao strictly adhered to the segregation of men and women after the age of seven. To secretly associate with others behind her parents' back, she would at least be charged with collusion.
Madam Pei understood her concerns and promised to put her mind at ease to focus on the palace exam.
To show her sincerity, Madam Pei prepared gifts and went to the Earl of Xining's residence in person.
Pei Xuan's father was the current Prime Minister, the powerful court official who truly held power under the emperor. At least in terms of status and position, he was streets ahead of 'Earl of Xining'.
'Earl of Xining' was a hereditary title. The Cui family had no one serving as an official in court for generations, only an empty reputation. Among the lower nobility in the Western Capital, they had even been ostracized in recent years, on the verge of not even being considered low nobility.
For the Prime Minister's wife to visit, it was like throwing a torch into a pile of kindling, instantly igniting the entire residence.
The whole residence busied themselves receiving the noble guest. The Earl of Xining and his wife sat in the lower seats, overwhelmed by the honor.
After three rounds of pleasantries, Lady Xining cautiously asked: "May I ask why Madam has graced us with your presence today?"
Madam Pei smiled leisurely: "My unruly child was frolicking about after the qualifying exam ended the other day. Her kite fell on your residence's wall. She climbed the wall to chase after it and was frightened by your panicky servants, accidentally falling into your yard.”
The Earl of Xining paled with fright: "The Young Master is blessed with great fortune and must be unharmed!"
"Indeed unharmed." Madam Pei smiled sincerely: "What a coincidence, someone had just spread a thick and large straw mat by the wall, saving her from harm."
"Who was it?" Lady Xining's eyes lit up with fervent zeal, eager to hear that it was her beloved daughter.
Pei's heir was almost eighteen. Marriage would definitely be brought up soon after passing the imperial exam. A flash of realization came to her mind, seemingly understanding why Madam Pei came to the Cui residence.
Could it be that she fancied her daughter and wanted to propose a marriage with her heir?
The Earl and his wife's mistreatment of their eldest daughter, Madam Pei had heard briefly from the old servant. She naturally looked down on the couple's blatant favoritism. She deliberately didn't mention the girl living in the run-down southern courtyard beforehand.
"It was your daughter."
On the day Pei Xuan fell off the wall, the entire residence was celebrating Cui Dai's birthday raucously. Anyone with a brain wouldn't think Cui Dai was the one who saved him.
"I'd like to meet the young lady to thank her in person on behalf of my Xuan'er."
"Madam, please wait a moment."
Lady Xining hurriedly ordered servants to find the third young miss.
Cui Dai was lazily feeding fish by the pond. Tricked by her mother's confidante with a few words, she mistakenly thought Madam Pei fancied her as the future daughter-in-law of the Pei family and was elated beyond words.
She carefully dolled herself up before coming out, face flushed with excitement.
"Hurry up, don't keep the honorable guest waiting."
In the main hall, Madam Pei leisurely drank tea. By the second cup, Cui Third Young Miss finally arrived late.
At fourteen or fifteen, wearing the most elaborate outfit, ruby earrings dangling from her ears, “radiance of pearls and jade” would not be an overstatement to describe her.
Dazzling to the eyes.
Madam Pei did not like women who dressed ostentatiously. Sitting in her seat, she smiled and said, "You were the one who saved my Xuan'er with a straw mat?"
Cui Dai was baffled. She looked at her mother, then her even more excited father, not knowing whether to nod or shake her head.
She could not understand the Madam's words at all.
What straw mat? She didn't have such a tattered thing!
"Dai'er, answer Madam!"
Lady Xining was so anxious she almost wanted to answer on her daughter's behalf. This was a chance to marry into wealth and power!
"I, I..."
Madam Pei exclaimed in surprise: "Could I have the wrong person? It wasn't her?"
"How could it not be her? Madam, please ask some more?" The Earl of Xining urged his daughter: "Dai'er, think again. On your birthday, you saved the Prime Minister's heir with a straw mat... What? Straw mat?"
The rest of his words got stuck in his throat. The three had identical expressions of shock and anger.
If not Cui Dai, could it be Cui Ti?
That accursed blind girl?!
"Young Lady, Young Lady, there are guests looking for you in the front courtyard!"
"Looking for me?"
Cui Ti was dozing off on the table and was woken up in a daze, her left cheek still bearing the red imprint from sleeping.
Seeing that, Bai Ge hurriedly brought over a basin of water: "Young Lady, quickly wash up. I heard they are esteemed guests. The ones called to the northern courtyard went already. You must not lose face compared to those from the northern courtyard!"
"Esteemed guests?"
The foggy consciousness quickly sobered up.
The urging from outside grew more impatient. In a flurry, she hastily washed her face and did her best to tidy her hair before being hustled along by the servants to the front courtyard.
Bai Ge was annoyed by their lack of propriety, but didn't dare speak up.
If the esteemed guests took a liking to the Young Lady, she was afraid any fuss would humiliate her.
The Young Lady was eighteen, a good age to be betrothed.
"Madam, she's here."
Today Cui Ti had changed out of her favorite watermelon red dress, dressed entirely in unadorned white. Her hair was held up by a wooden hairpin, blindfolded by white gauze. Supported by a maid's arm, she stepped over the threshold.
Her temperament was elegant and tranquil, immediately evoking pity in others at first sight.
Madam Pei's gaze softened. On closer look, she noticed the frayed sleeve cuffs.
She saw it, so Lady Xining naturally saw it too. She resented the servants for being careless and bringing the girl over looking like this.
The ladies present with eyes all had varying thoughts, only the Earl of Xining remained obliviously unconcerned about his eldest looking shabby. It was as if he was used to the lowly and insignificant Cui Ti, yet also unaccustomed to Cui Ti being seen in the sun, letting more people know of the Earl of Xining's blind daughter.
"Quickly greet the guest. She is the wife of the current Prime Minister."
Cui Ti lost focus.
The Prime Minister's wife, she was...Pei Xuan's mother, her mother-in-law in her past life?
"Greetings, Madam."
She greeted gently.
"Rise."
Madam Pei helped her up and scrutinized the girl before her discreetly. Her attitude was much warmer than when facing Cui Dai.
She asked, "Were you the one who saved my Xuan'er? Oh, my Xuan'er is that silly child who fell off the wall."
Two steps away, Bai Ge's ears perked up in shock and bewilderment — that foolish goose? He was the Minister's son?!
Lost in a deep dream, and once again hearing her teasing her son in that gentle and amusing manner, Cui Ti's eyebrows curved slightly, "It's fate and coincidence. I dare not take credit."
"Credit is credit."
She held Cui Ti's hand and chatted as if close friends.
The Earl of Xining's family of three was ignored to the side. Cui Dai dared to be angry but didn't dare speak out, hating this blind girl for stealing her opportunity to marry into power.
The care and acceptance from Pei Xuan's mother in her past life filled Cui Ti's longing for a maternal figure. She was tolerant of her, not bothered by her blindness. Seeing her down, she would take her to listen to opera in the garden, and always took her side when she quarrelled unhappily with Pei Xuan.
Human relations depended on affinity. Cui Ti was neither obsequious nor ingratiating, striking Madam Pei's fancy. Before leaving, she praised loudly in front of the Earl of Xining: "With such a fine daughter, the Cui family need not worry about marrying her off!"
The Earl of Xining did not react. His wife quickly responded: "You are absolutely right. Ti'er and Dai'er are both wonderful."
Madam Pei was furious at the blatant favoritism of the couple, and even more furious that Lady Xining wanted to take advantage of her prestige to aggressively promote her younger daughter. She didn't bother being polite and ordered the servants to deliver the gifts to Cui Ti at the run-down southern courtyard before taking her leave, satisfied with herself.
The Prime Minister's wife made it clear the gifts were for Cui Ti, so no one else could touch them.
Cui Dai threw a tantrum, insisting on taking the stuff back to her northern courtyard. She was severely reprimanded by Lady Xining.
Southern courtyard. The dilapidated yard. Bai Ge busied herself moving box after box of gifts into the house. Food, clothes, sundries, everything imaginable.
"Young Lady, who knew that foolish goose had such prominent origins? I even mocked him that day. Do you think he'll hold a grudge against me?"
"He won't."
Bai Ge was still uneasy: "Considering he is the Minister's heir, next time I see him, I won't mock him anymore. Should I flatter him?"
Cui Ti spaced out again.
"Young Lady, are you listening?"
"Hmm?" Cui Ti snapped back: "You don't need to flatter him. He has no shortage of flatterers. He's different from other privileged young masters. He is not arrogant. Haven't you heard of the spring breeze not breaking the reeds?"
The spring breeze would not break the reeds, and Pei Xuan never bullied those weaker than him. He was upright and modest, easy to get along with.
"How strange." Bai Ge was more baffled the more she listened: "Young Lady, you speak as if you've known him for a long time. But you just met, no?"
Cui Ti hmm-ed in agreement, fingers trailing over the soft new quilt.
This was sent by Madam Pei.
Someone of Madam Pei's status would not rashly gift a quilt to just anyone. This was surely sent by Pei Xuan.
It was to repay her for the straw mat he had dirtied.
From the moment he fell safely off the wall, many things started to change.
In her past life, Madam Pei did not come bearing gifts, nor did Pei Xuan indirectly compensate her straw mat. Hugging the soft, warm quilt, Cui Ti's mind was filled with one thought —
Wish for him to top the exam, wish for him to top.
No more regrets this time.