Chapter 102: A Visit to the Marquis of Baoding’s Residence

For Zhang Yue, who had grown up in an orphanage in his past life, his father and mother were the most important people in his life after being reborn in this world. Indeed, his father, Zhang Zhuo, had once held no status in the Zhang family and still hadn’t achieved much to this day, but Zhang Yue had never looked down on him for that. Others thought Zhang Zhuo’s success in the imperial examinations was mere luck, and even his mother had joked about it. But after visiting the Imperial Academy, he realized that scholars of that era might well possess real talent.

However, the reason his father wanted to go to the capital to prepare for next year’s examinations gave him a strange feeling. Perhaps because he had watched more TV dramas than *The Scholars*, he associated successful candidates who paraded through the streets as graceful young men or talented heroes. It was hard for him to imagine his father succeeding in the examinations. At that moment, he truly hoped his father could become a successful scholar, which would make everything perfect.

“Third brother, third brother?”

Hearing this voice suddenly, Zhang Yue snapped out of his daze. Seeing Zhang Qing staring at him intently and his brother-in-law Meng Jun observing him with interest, he awkwardly apologized, “Brother-in-law, please forgive me. I was just thinking about Father coming to Nanjing and also that Eldest Brother and Xiao Si have left one after another, that’s why I got lost in thought.”

“Don’t listen to what the third brother says. Despite his young age, he’s full of tricks!”

Zhang Qing rolled her eyes irritably. Seeing Zhang Yue smiling sheepishly, she didn’t ignore him completely. Instead, she picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of water, then began to nag, “Although I’d like you to stay here a few more days, it was my uncle who suggested it to Father. I just feel it’s not quite right. After all, as a daughter married out of the Zhang family, there’s no reason for me to bring my cousins to live in my family’s home…”

“You’re overthinking it,” Meng Jun interrupted Zhang Qing’s chatter with a smile. “It’s rare for my uncle to come back, and with so many younger siblings in the family, it’s natural he wants some excitement. Besides, Father didn’t agree right away, did he? If it weren’t for Eldest Brother going to Jinxiang Guard, I would have asked him to stay for a few days too.”

“You really have no sense at all!”

“Alright, alright. I’m stubborn, okay?”

Zhang Yue was used to seeing the gentle and virtuous Zhang Qing, so when he saw her rolling her eyes and acting spoiled, a mix of amusement and annoyance on her face, he was stunned. Seeing Meng Jun act as the doting husband he ought to be, he found it even more astonishing and felt a bit envious of this loving couple. He wanted to make a joke, but after thinking it over, he kept quiet.

Since he was now living in someone else’s house, it was better not to anger the hostess.

The three of them were sitting in a pavilion in Meng’s family’s backyard garden. Although only half of the flowers in the garden were in bloom, their vibrant colors—purple, pink, yellow, blue—along with the lush green leaves, made it quite pleasing to the eye. Meng Jun chatted with Zhang Qing and Zhang Yue for a while when a maid came to inform him that Meng Ying, the Marquis of Baoding, needed to discuss something with him. He smiled, waved at Zhang Yue, and left the pavilion.

As soon as her husband left, Zhang Qing sat down across from Zhang Yue. After studying him for a long time, she suddenly laughed and said, “The men of our Zhang family can stand tall and strong outside, but at home, they all have concubines on one side and mistresses on the other. Only my third uncle is an exception—those two in his household were taken only out of necessity. After talking with Qiuhen and Hupo for a while today, I realized that despite having been with you for so many years, they still… can’t tell you’re that restrained.”

If someone else had said this, Zhang Yue wouldn’t have felt much, but coming from Zhang Qing, he felt somewhat embarrassed. After a long pause, he awkwardly said, “Sis, it has nothing to do with restraint. I just…”

“Stop ‘just’. You’re such a stubborn person!” As a married woman, Zhang Qing spoke more decisively now. She glanced at Zhang Yue’s face and then warned him concerningly, “I don’t know what those two maids think, but I just want to remind you—after all, they’ve spent years living with you day and night. Even if they don’t end up in good families, good families are picky. You need to be careful. It’s fine to marry servants, but you need to make sure they like you and you’re willing as well.”

“Sis, I’ll have to get married someday.”

Seeing Zhang Yue’s uncomfortable expression, Zhang Qing was taken aback. A part of her heart that had been forgotten for a long time seemed to be gently touched. After staying silent for a moment, she snapped, “I’m just warning you for nothing. I suppose my third aunt has already instructed you on these matters. It’s good that you’re dedicated, but you also need to pay attention to marriage… Well, I’ll consult my aunt later. After all, the reputable families in Kaifeng can’t compare to those in the capital, not to mention opportunistic newcomers like the Jin family who break their promises!”

Faced with Zhang Qing’s unambiguous tone and overly enthusiastic expression, Zhang Yue had no doubt she could keep her word—he had always disagreed with Jia Baoyu’s view that daughters, made of water, became detestable once they turned into wives. A married woman was certainly different from a carefree maiden; with endless worries about daily necessities, she naturally couldn’t be as free as a young lady in the boudoir. At this moment, he desperately wished Zhang Qing could return to her gentle former self, so that at least he wouldn’t have to worry about his own marriage.

That day, Zhang Qing had merely managed to steal a little time for herself. Now that the Lady of Baoding no longer handled household affairs, it was up to her, as the young marquess’s wife, to manage everything in the mansion. So she and Zhang Yue sat in the pavilion for a while longer, until servants and housekeepers came to report various expenses and trivial matters. Eventually, Zhang Yue almost tricked her into going to the small meeting room to handle affairs, and he also declined her offer to leave two maids with him. Once they left, he strolled around the small garden.

Of course, during those half hour of leisurely wandering, he didn’t stumble upon any terrifying conspiracies, no noteworthy romances, nor any seemingly down-and-out yet extremely powerful and well-connected gardener—there was no one else in the garden except him. He wasn’t sure whether the Meng family had too many people living there and couldn’t assign enough servants, or if Zhang Qing had deliberately arranged for him to have such a peaceful space.

However, just as he was about to head back to his room along the path, he saw two people entering the moon gate of the garden from afar—one of them was Meng Jun’s uncle, Meng Xian, the commander of the guards under Prince Zhao Zhu Gao Sui of Changshan; the other was his elder sister Zhang Qing’s father-in-law, Meng Ying, the Marquis of Baoding. The two walked while discussing something, not looking around, so they didn’t see him. With the gentle spring breeze, a few words drifted over.

“…They’re all getting older now…”
“…The people in Beiping aren’t good enough for them…”
“…The children of the Zhang family…”

Fearing that the two might be discussing something important and not wanting to run into them, Zhang Yue bent down and quietly took a detour. Seeing Meng Xian and Meng Ying enter the pavilion where he and Zhang Qing and Meng Jun had sat earlier, with their backs to him, he quietly slipped out of the garden. But as soon as he stepped through the moon gate, Meng Xian in the pavilion cast a thoughtful glance his way.