Wife, Don't Be Like This!

Chapter 59 - You Dare to Steal My Brother-in-law

In the stove, the willow charcoal was crackling.

It was already summer, and with the stove for brewing tea and warming wine, the temperature in the hall was a bit high. Beads of sweat trickled down his brow and into the corners of his eyes, stinging sharply.

For a moment, no one spoke, it was unknown what they were all thinking. Suddenly, Song Yan's voice tore through the silence of the scene:

“In that case, I'm afraid that aunt of yours will be implicated? Truly an undeserved disaster!"

"That Noble Consort Yang must also be breathing a sigh of relief, right?"

Cui Shi'an held his head high, shaking the already empty wine cup in his hand. When the last drop fell onto his tongue, only then did he smack his lips:

“Actually, it's fine."

"Actually, Her Ladyship the Noble Consort was quite agreeable to this marriage. What's more, my third sister's looks are not bad at all. To say she's a great beauty is no exaggeration. In the beginning, she even took the initiative to ask His Majesty, hoping His Majesty could retract the edict. She even said, 'a wife three years older holds a golden brick'... although in this case, she could hold three golden bricks."

"It's just that, as more and more people died, in the end, she got scared."

"As for my aunt, there's no need to worry. She is still very much favored by His Majesty and was not affected by my third sister's affairs."

Song Yan chuckled, but couldn't help but ponder in his heart. This matter was strange in every way... How to put it? Although the ancients on the surface all said 'the Master does not speak of strange occurrences, feats of strength, disorders, or spirits,' in reality, most were very superstitious, and the imperial family even more so.

Noble Consort Yang initially wanting to make the marriage happen was to gain the support of the Yang family. Her later refusal was also understandable. For a situation like the third miss of the Cui family's 'husband-jinxing,' it was often a case of 'better safe than sorry'.

And the ancients were most fond of implicating others.

If a young lady from a household gained a reputation for being unchaste, it could even affect the marriage prospects for all the girls in the entire family.

The emperor's rear palace could be said to be the filthiest and most chaotic place in the world. Even if Consort Shu did nothing, it would be inevitable that she would be implicated. The other consorts would definitely make a big issue out of this matter.

But unexpectedly, Consort Shu's status was not affected, and she was even greatly favored. This is somewhat intriguing. Suddenly, Song Yan smiled. He had, after all, underestimated the wisdom of the ancients.

He had once been shocked by his own discovery, but perhaps...

As he was thinking this, Cui Shi'an's voice came again:

"I heard that Brother Song is a lucky star. As soon as you married into the Luo family, the eldest daughter's consumption showed signs of improving. You are a lucky star, my sister jinxes her husbands. I feel you two are a match made in heaven."

"How about this? You might as well divorce Luo Tianxuan and come be my Cui family's son-in-law. I estimate my sister can't jinx you to death."

"And, although my sister is quite a few years older than you, she is absolutely beautiful. If you can really solve my third sister's marriage problem, I reckon your monthly allowance would be at least ten thousand taels to start."

Song Yan gave a bitter smile. He hadn't expected that he, a live-in son-in-law, had now become a hot commodity. Why did everyone want to make him their brother-in-law? ‘The Master does not speak of strange occurrences, feats of strength, disorders, or spirits.’

"I am a merchant, you are a live-in son-in-law. The affairs of scholars have nothing to do with us."

As they chatted like this, no one noticed that on the roof, a roof tile had been lifted at some point. A pair of cold, clear eyes was staring at Cui Shi'an, her expression unfriendly.

You dare to steal my... brother-in-law.

You have already found the path to death.

But...

On the rooftop, Luo Tianyi puffed out her cheeks. She hadn't expected her brother-in-law to be so popular.

It seems I have to go back and discuss it with Mother, to see what method we can use to keep brother-in-law in the Luo family, so he isn't really snatched away by someone.

The sky had gradually turned a dusky yellow.

Song Yan's body swayed in the courtyard, casting a long shadow.

The two old men, Lord Zhao and Lord Lu, and Cui Shi'an had already passed out drunk. They were probably going to spend the night at the Jade Gathering Garden.

They were all old whoremongers. The Jade Gathering Garden would naturally make arrangements for them, so he didn't need to worry about it.

Although it seemed they had only idly chatted about some gossip, it had also allowed Song Yan to learn a lot of important information.

The Spring Examination.

What a pity.

He was just a live-in son-in-law and did not have the qualification to participate in the imperial examinations.

Otherwise, he really would have liked to experience what the ancient imperial examinations were like, to see how they compared to the modern college entrance exams.

Thinking of this, he sighed. He had lived for more than twenty years in his past life in vain. Although he was alone since he was young, he still had the opportunity to go to school because of national policies.

Although studying was tiring and he was unwilling to be constrained, in retrospect, that was actually the most relaxed and happiest time of his life.

"Why does the Young Master sigh?"

A familiar, soft and sweet voice with a hint of stickiness came from his side. It was that Miss Mingyue, whom Cui Shi'an had described as 'sticky'. At some point, she had arrived by his side.

A faint scent of cosmetics drilled into his nasal cavity, making it itch.

Ultimately, she was a woman who lived in this Jade Gathering Garden. Even if she didn't wear makeup, it was inevitable that her body would be tinged with some of it.

He glanced at her and then retracted his gaze.

This Mingyue and Yang Siyao should be the same type of person. When a man looks at them, he can't help but feel a sense of pity.

When he saw Yang Siyao, it was pity for her appearance. When he saw Mingyue, this Jade Gathering Garden seemed to have become a fiery pit, and the thought of wanting to rescue this seemingly pure young woman from this filthy place couldn't help but well up in his heart.

Not only that, he even had the urge to pull her slender body into his arms and dote on her properly.

Song Yan was not so lustful as to treat beauty as his life. He was very good at distinguishing between reason and desire. But when Mingyue got close, this impulse surged uncontrollably, as if there were some kind of strong temptation on Mingyue's body, attracting him to get closer.

Putting looks aside, just from this attraction, in terms of the cultivation of seduction arts, Mingyue's level was probably far superior to that of Yang Siyao.

The more it was like this, the more vigilant Song Yan became towards her. But his face showed none of it. He just smiled.

"It's nothing. Just seeing so many scholars outside, I couldn't help but feel emotional. After all, a live-in son-in-law like me is not qualified to participate."

Mingyue also sighed: "With Young Master Song's talent, it is truly a pity. The Young Master seems a bit drunk. Shall nujia arrange a room for you to rest for a while?"

[N: Nujia (奴家, nújiā) is an archaic, first-person pronoun ("I" or "me") used exclusively by women. It is a humble or self-deprecating way for a woman to refer to herself, similar in function to signing off a letter with "Your humble servant.”]

Song Yan shook his head slightly: "No need. Outside the Jade Gathering Garden, a beautiful woman is waiting."

Having spoken, he gave a slight nod to Mingyue. Song Yan then turned and left, leaving Mingyue standing there in a daze.

In the shadows, a certain woman could no longer quite suppress the curve of her lips.

Mm-hmm, brother-in-law is not bad. Although he entered this Jade Gathering Garden, in the end, he resisted the temptation. Even when this vixen named Mingyue tried to seduce him, he didn't do anything bad.

Not bad, not bad.

Thinking this, she herself didn't even notice that a faint smile had already appeared on the corners of her lips.

Passing through the main hall, there were still many people who cast their gazes towards Song Yan. But this was the Jade Gathering Garden, so there were no fools who would cause trouble here. It's just that those gazes were mostly contemptuous.

Song Yan had always ignored the gazes of others. After leaving the main gate, the evening wind blew, and much of the alcohol's effect dissipated. His originally drunken appearance also gradually returned to normal.

He tightened his clothes and walked towards the teahouse next door.

Gu Banxia was sitting in a corner. When Song Yan looked over, his brow immediately furrowed slightly.

Opposite her was another person, dressed in a black long robe, with long hair tied up, wearing a scholar's cap, dressed as a scholar. Holding a folding fan, she had a bit of a suave and scholarly air.

It's just...

Why was this world also like those TV dramas, where there are always women who think that just by changing into men's clothes, no one can see their gender?

Putting other things aside, just those red lips and white teeth, and that fair, slender neck, if they were on a man who practiced for two and a half years, he could debut as an idol.

The two seemed to be talking about something in low voices. Gu Banxia was probably not very happy; her brows were knitted together.

He just glanced at them and then retracted his gaze, leaning against the wall and waiting slowly. He knew that Gu Banxia was nominally Luo Yuheng's personal handmaiden, but in reality, she should have another identity.

This identity should be related to the mysterious man, his suspected father-in-law, who had appeared at the Luo Mansion on the wedding day.

Everyone has their own secrets. He didn't want to probe too much.

About a quarter of an hour passed, and the woman in the black robe finally left the teahouse. Song Yan waited a little longer before walking to the door.

Gu Banxia seemed to have been watching in this direction the whole time. The moment she saw Song Yan, her eyes suddenly lit up. Her previously wrinkled little face instantly bloomed like a lotus, exceptionally enchanting.

"Young Master-in-law."

She walked over quickly, and a soft, boneless little hand quietly slipped into Song Yan's palm.

At dusk, the setting sun dyed the sky red and also covered the entire Songzhou city in a warm, rosy glow. Her body leaned gently against him

“Young Master-in-law, let me tell you, a big thing happened in Songzhou city recently. That Sir Wang suddenly discovered that the son his little concubine bore him is actually not his son, but his grandson..."

Gu Banxia gleefully recounted the interesting story she had heard in the teahouse. Song Yan didn't ask anything. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the two of them, casting long shadows that slowly merged together.

By the time they returned to the Luo Mansion, it was already dark.

Just like before, Luo Yuheng was guarding the door.

She looked very happy, a gentle smile constantly playing on her face. The night wind blew, and some strands of hair scattered across her face, adding a touch of disheveled charm.

From a distance, seeing the figures of Song Yan and Gu Banxia, she waved her arm gleefully, completely unconcerned that this action was improper.

"Yan'er, Banxia, come quickly, come quickly."

They quickened their pace and arrived at the gate not long after.

"Mother, did some happy event occur?" Song Yan was a little curious. Although Luo Yuheng's personality was a bit carefree, it was rare to see her this happy.

"It's nothing special. Just to inform you that next spring, you can participate in the Spring Examination."

Song Yan: ???