Chapter 641 - 236: Various Trivial Matters
Chapter 641: Chapter 236: Various Trivial Matters
Late at night, when the small group walked out of the storehouse, everyone’s faces were deeply flushed, their eyes shining brightly.
Chen Wanqing had taken a Jade Pendant from the storehouse. It was made of Warm Jade—specifically red jade—carved into the shape of an auspicious Qilin. It carried the beautiful meaning of "the Qilin delivering a child."
Xu Suying clutched a Luminous Pearl the size of a baby’s fist. This was the crown jewel of her entire collection.
According to the old nanny, Xu Suying hadn’t liked collecting pearls in her younger years. Whenever someone gifted them to her, she usually had them ground into pearl powder or strung into necklaces and bracelets to give away. She would only bother to keep a few exceptionally high-quality East Pearls and Nanzhu.
However, these items didn’t age well. Over the years, they would lose their original luster and warmth, succumbing to the inevitable yellowing of age and appearing dull. She had been away for twenty years, and her earlier East Pearls and Nanzhu were long past their prime. After she left, the old madam hadn’t bothered collecting more, only occasionally buying a few pieces of jewelry to add to the collection, pretending her daughter was still around.
This particular Luminous Pearl had been bestowed by the Emperor a few years ago. Out of selfishness, the old madam had secretly kept it for her daughter. This was also the very last "pearl" in Xu Suying’s storehouse.
Xu Suying couldn’t bear to put down the Luminous Pearl in her hand, planning to have it inlaid into her bed later. She then looked at Chen Song, whose face was filled with excitement.
Chen Song was holding a sword. Its scabbard was quaint and simple, devoid of any messy gemstone inlays. Entirely black, it had looked incredibly inconspicuous hanging on the wall. But for such an unremarkable object to be stored in the room meant for her most precious valuables, it definitely had to have something unique about it.
Chen Song had taken it down. Gripping the hilt with one hand and the scabbard with the other, he gently drew the blade. The sword’s light gleamed with a piercing, cold sharpness, much like the white frost of autumn.
This precious sword truly lived up to the word "precious." It could slice through iron as if it were mud and cleave a falling hair in two. Its icy radiance was bone-chilling, making one shudder with fear.
Chen Song fell in love with it instantly, refusing to let it go. He kept glancing at Xu Suying, hoping she would be willing to part with it.
What could Xu Suying say? She merely rolled her eyes and tossed him a single teasing remark. "Typical!"
Meanwhile, Zhao Jing had taken a Wolf Hair brush from the section where the four treasures of the study were kept.
The Wolf Hair brush was stored in a specialized box, though its design was nothing extraordinary. It wasn’t a Hu Brush, nor a Xuan Brush, and certainly not a legendary Rat Tail Brush.
Why had Zhao Jing singled it out at a glance among countless treasures? First, it had been placed on a high shelf, carefully treasured away inside a dedicated case. Second, that case was made of red sandalwood.
Was it normal to use a red sandalwood box to hold an utterly ordinary brush? Not at all—unless the brush had a significant origin.
Sure enough, holding the brush revealed two tiny words carved into it: "Ju’an."
The Jian’an Layman was a highly respected elder statesman who had served under three emperors of the previous dynasty. His life was quite legendary. Having risen and fallen from grace six times across three reigns, he embodied the virtues of "establishing morality," "establishing merit," and "establishing words." He received immense posthumous honors, including the prestigious title of "Wenzheng."
This man was a representative figure who achieved the "Three Immortalities" of Confucianism, serving as the ultimate role model for all scholars. Zhao Jing was also a scholar with his own aspirations. The fact that he picked this exact item out of thousands of treasures showed that it was destined by fate.
By the time they finished picking their items and left, it was already the fourth watch of the night.
Though everyone was highly spirited, their bodies felt exhausted. They lay down shortly after returning to their rooms. The space quickly grew quiet, and if one listened closely, the steady sound of even snoring could be heard.
The night seemed especially peaceful. By the time they woke up the following day, sure enough, the sun was already high in the sky.
When Chen Wanqing got up, everyone else was gone from the courtyard, save for the maids and older women doing the sweeping and cleaning.
When she asked them where her mother and Zhao Jing had gone, the maids replied with bright smiles. "They’ve all gone to the old madam’s courtyard. The old madam woke up at the fifth watch and couldn’t go back to sleep, so she had her private savings inventoried to distribute items to your mother and all of you. There’s no rush for you to go, miss. The old madam specifically ordered that you should eat first when you get up. She’s keeping your share safely tucked away for you, and she won’t give it to anyone else, no matter who comes asking."
Chen Wanqing smiled. They had truly become the poor relatives coming to beg for handouts.
In truth, she had already received quite a few things on and off over the past two days. She had received gifts from her eldest uncle, her eldest aunt, her male cousins, her two female cousins at home, and her third uncle. She was so overwhelmed by the sheer number of gifts that she felt genuinely embarrassed.
She absolutely had to find time today to take a stroll in the streets and buy some suitable items so she could return the favors.
Breakfast was prepared with great care. It started with a bowl of rock sugar bird’s nest soup to soothe the throat, refresh the mind, and awaken the senses. Following that, there was a choice of lotus seed japonica rice porridge or sliced fish porridge. The spread also included yellow split pea cakes, kidney bean rolls, poria cocos stuffed pancakes, chicken-filled steamed buns, fresh shrimp shumai, and six small side dishes to complement the meal.