Chapter 430: Chapter 430
"Big Sister finally returned, just be kind to Fifth Sister and speak nicely. I've been feeling a bit dizzy these past few days, so I'll go rest first..."
"No matter, Third Sister's health comes first. If you're unwell, don't stand out in the cold."
Pretending not to notice the other's discomfort, Zhou Yun quickly softened her voice, then did not forget to tell the maid standing by to take good care of her.
Only after the dark teal figure before them had completely vanished did Zhou Yun turn and look at the unusually quiet An Ning.
"What's with Third Sister?"
An Ning exhaled heavily, then slowly sat down while pulling everyone together.
"A few days ago, people from the Chen family came."
"Ah..." Gripping the plain handkerchief, the eldest Miss's mouth opened without thinking, and after a long while she painfully managed to say a few words.
"So... how are they, that Fifth Sister's prospective family?"
Ordinary small gentry — a family that could raise a youth who almost made it into the spring examination shows they at least have some insight.
At the very least, within the sphere of the Count's household, the Chen family had clearly seen the estate's wealth firsthand and did not dare to act arrogantly or rudely.
But expecting such a family to be perfectly refined and ultra-cultured would be unrealistic.
Their slightly raised voices, the roughness that slipped into their manner, the petty little airs — these were enough to deeply irritate the prideful Third Miss.
Worse, bluntly speaking, a family that rallies all their resources to prop one son up, and that son happens to have success — to them, Mr. Chen is flawless, like a golden phoenix.
Between their boasting and pride, the Chen husband and wife overflowed with pride.
For a Count's daughter to marry down, outsiders may think the young lady is wronged, but to the Chen family, it only proved how exceptional their son was.
There was truth to that...
Compared to those so-called awful people An Ning had met in the countryside earlier, the Chen couple were actually not so bad.
They had their petty calculations and fierce pride in their son, but they did not seem malicious.
Mr. Chen himself behaved politely and cultured on the surface.
It showed that even if the Count's household wanted to broaden ties and plan for the son's future, First Madam had sense enough not to let this alliance turn into enmity, nor to give the illegitimate daughters cause for resentment.
Still, plainly visible differences in lifestyle, manners, and that rather meager set of bride price items, along with the increasingly cramped future environment, were enough to make a teenage girl who still held hope for her future feel miserable.
Especially when compared to her two sisters by her side.
Honestly, the fact that Third Sister had held on until now and only lost control briefly was something An Ning admired.
That was one reason An Ning had been busy making plans and preparing herself in advance.
Third Sister's situation had not been much different before.
"And..." Looking at the eldest sister's eyes filled with pity, An Ning sighed again.
"It seems the Chen parents will stay in the capital for a while, at least until the wedding is arranged and the couple are settled here."
The small house Mr. Chen temporarily rented was not large, only a single courtyard, but it would clearly do for his parents.
Whether the brothers would come for the wedding remained unknown.
When the words trailed off, even the usually composed and sensible eldest Miss did not know what to say. The handkerchief unconsciously covered her mouth, worry showing in her eyes.
A breeze passed, bringing a faint scent of osmanthus.
For a time, neither sister spoke.
After a while, Zhou Yun finally said softly, "Now we can only hope that all of us sisters will be well."
"Yes!" An Ning squeezed Big Sister's hand and smiled in reply.
As if fate liked to be predictable, after that day it was not long before news arrived that the eldest Miss at the Marquis of Anyuan's Household was expecting.
Soon after, with the Grand Princess's Residence presenting a grand bride price, the Chen family had Mr. Chen visit in person. Besides offering congratulations, before he left he spoke gently to Third Miss, saying the journey was long and that several brothers and sisters had their own families to bring along, so it would be inconvenient for them to come.
They would have to regretfully be absent.
Admittedly, though expected, An Ning felt a relief she couldn't hide.
A wedding was troublesome enough; managing and accommodating relatives would be even more tiring. One could imagine how miserable it would be for a newlywed Third Sister.
Sending people off would be another headache.
Still, the whole thing was reasonable, though frustrating.
"This future third brother-in-law has a good sense of things!"
The System clicked its tongue in appreciation.
It had clearly seen that by personally handling the parents first, he effectively stopped the Chen family from using a trip to the capital to show off.
An Ning said nothing and returned to embroidering the wedding garment in her lap — though 'embroidering' was generous; she only made a few last stitches.
Given her sewing skills, if she were to properly work on it, that dress would not be for ordinary wear.
Only when the last thread was finally tucked away did An Ning speak.
"A poor scholar who can come this far must be sharp."
But thinking of her own Third Sister, she sighed again.
"No matter what, being sharp is better than thinking oneself morally superior!"
Zhou Zhi clearly understood this truth as well. After a brief period of painful struggle, she personally came over to sincerely thank An Ning.
Her expression, however, was not as vivid as before. An Ning did not mind so long as she harbored no malice and was not cruel to her — lecturing about not being proud or envious as if jealousy were the worst sin seemed unnecessary.
In An Ning's view, it was human nature; completely free of envy, comparison, or competitiveness might be saintlike, but why demand such from a teenage girl?
After the start of spring, Third Sister's marriage date quickly arrived. Although the Chen family's bride price was thin, First Madam Jiang did not skimp on the dowry — everything matched a proper household's standards.
Not mentioning fields and shops or the various furnishings and silks, just the silver hidden at the bottom of chests amounted to a thousand taels. Like when Big Sister married, An Ning again did not play favorites and gifted a potted orchid she had personally cultivated.
They said a single pot of plants could be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of taels; the Chen couple were stunned and dared not move much.
Despite that, not long after the wedding, with the Chen parents' reluctant gazes, Mr. Chen still personally arranged for them to be sent home.
On the day they returned, Third Miss Zhou held a smiling expression and seemed to walk in step with her new husband. But shortly after, seated in the familiar pavilion and looking at her two sisters, her face showed stunned confusion.
"Big Sister, Fifth Sister, with him doing this, there will be no elders bossing me around anymore. I should be happy, but for some reason I feel... I can't explain it... I..."
At this moment Zhou Zhi's voice trembled slightly.
An Ning and Zhou Yun exchanged a glance. In the end, the eldest sister stepped forward, took her sister's slightly cold hand, and said,
"Third Sister, clearly your husband is a 'clever man,' and also rational and calm enough. Such a person could very well help you realize your hopes someday. But if that’s so, Big Sister wishes that your husband’s rationality and calmness will also become your own..."
"Yes, Third Sister!" An Ning echoed with a smile.
"Whatever thoughts you have, if he is considerate now, accept it well, just remember to keep one card in reserve!"