The family property was divided in the evening, but Marquis Cheng passed away at night.
After the servant came out to report the death, the courtyard was filled with cries. Whether it was the madams, young misses, or the servants, they all lowered their heads and shed tears. Old Lady Cheng's body swayed and she almost fell backwards. The womenfolk were shocked and hurriedly shouted, "Old Madam!"
Old Lady Cheng was immediately supported by the servant girls. Cheng Yujin also walked over and held Old Lady Cheng's arm, "Grandmother, how are you?"
Old Lady Cheng composed herself and walked inside with the help of her walking stick, "We've been husband and wife for most of our lives. He's leaving today. I'm going to send him off for the last time. "
Cheng Yujin helped Old Lady Cheng walk inside. The inner room was already filled with people kneeling. When they saw Old Lady Cheng enter, they all moved aside, "Old Lady."
Cheng Yuan-hsien and Cheng Yuanhan also straightened up, "Mother."
Old Lady Cheng walked straight inside. The people around the bed all stood up and made way for Old Lady Cheng. Old Lady Cheng sat on the edge of the bed and saw Marquis Cheng quietly closing his eyes. She let out a long sigh.
"When you were alive, you weren't willing to look at me. I didn't expect that even in death, I wouldn't be able to see you for the last time."
Old Lady Cheng looked up and saw Cheng Yuanjing standing not far away. He was calm and cold, and his posture was like bamboo.
Just by standing there, he was already very different from others. He was really Xie Ting Lan Yu, a refined and profound person. When Marquis Cheng died, he could see this child in his eyes. Presumably, he was relieved.
At this time, the inside and outside of the room were full of people. Princess Qingfu, Nguyễn Clan, and the others were also holding handkerchiefs and standing at the door of the outer hall, silently watching Old Lady Cheng. Old Lady Cheng quickly came back to her senses. She moved her body, and Cheng Yujin immediately went forward to support Old Lady Cheng's arm.
Old Lady Cheng said, "Eldest Miss, En Ci, En Bei, En Bao, come up and kowtow to grandfather."
Old Marquis Cheng's death. This was the last time they kowtowed to grandfather. Cheng Yujin knelt down and silently performed a full set of etiquette.
After kowtowing, Cheng Yujin immediately rushed back to the courtyard to change her clothes. She wore plain clothes when she went out, but now that Old Marquis Cheng had passed away, she had to change into mourning clothes.
There were many things to pay attention to during a funeral, but it was not as auspicious as a happy event. Therefore, the entire Marquis of Yichun was in a mess. The maids and masters were all very busy. However, everything was not properly arranged. No one knew what they were busy with. When Cheng Yujin arrived, the courtyard behind the mourning hall was empty. There was not even a single maid in sight. Cheng Yujin walked along the corridor. As she passed through the side rooms, she heard faint voices coming from inside.
"… Lady Huo said the last time she came that she wanted to get married earlier. Now it's Father-in-law's mourning period. What will Mo'er do? "
"It's right and proper to observe filial piety for the elders. If the Huo family is picky because of this, then this marriage is not going to happen!"
Another woman's voice grew louder. "Second Master, please calm down. You're suddenly so loud. Be careful not to attract people! Of course I know we have to observe filial piety. I'm very sad that Father has passed away. I wish I could give my life to Father. Mo'er is filial. You watched Mo'er grow up. Don't you know what kind of child Mo'er is? "
Cheng Yujin stopped in her tracks. She immediately recognized the voice. It was the voice of the Nguyễn Clan. The other man who spoke just now must be Cheng Yuanhan.
The Nguyễn Clan member in the room continued, "However, the situation is different now. Marquis Jingyong is already twenty-one years old. A normal man at his age would have had a son long ago. However, a few years ago, because of the Huo family's marquis position, he couldn't ask for a marriage. After that, he went to the battlefield, so the marriage was delayed year after year. Now that he finally has time, the marriage can't be delayed. Originally, we agreed with the Huo family that the marriage would take place in half a year. However, now it's the mourning period. How can Marquis Huo wait another year? Mo'er's mother-in-law is already difficult to deal with. Now that we have a ready-made reason, what if she says that she wants to take in a concubine for Marquis Huo? What should we do then? "
Cheng Yuanhan's voice sounded very doubtful. "How would the Huo family dare? Taking in a concubine before the official wife is married? Aren't they afraid of ruining their reputation? "
"Why wouldn't they dare?" The Nguyễn Clan member's voice carried a hint of urgency as she said, "Only a family with strict rules will not take in a concubine before the official wife marries into the family. Firstly, it's to give face to the official wife. Secondly, it's to prevent the birth of a concubine's eldest son from ruining the hierarchy of the concubines. However, Marquis Jingyong is old after all. In the end, having an heir is more important. If the official wife can't marry into the family, Marquis Jingyong can take in a concubine for the sake of having an heir. Others won't say anything. Who knows, they might even praise Marquis Jingyong for respecting the official wife and letting the official wife be at ease in mourning for her grandfather. "
Cheng Yuanhan's voice fell silent. The Nguyễn Clan took advantage of the situation and said, "In a year's time, there's no contraceptive soup. It's hard to guarantee that she won't give birth to a concubine's child. It's fine if it's a daughter, but what if it's a son? What will Mo'er do then? "
Cheng Yuanhan didn't speak again. The Nguyễn Clan member lowered her voice and muttered something. Her voice gradually became indistinguishable. Cheng Yujin pretended to not hear anything. She quietly took two steps back and purposely raised her voice as she walked in. The husband and wife in the side room thought that someone had come and immediately stopped talking.
After Cheng Yujin walked into the main hall, the Nguyễn Clan member quickly came out of the side room and leaned forward to see who had come. When she entered and saw Cheng Yujin, her expression stiffened, "Eldest Miss, why are you here?"
"I'm here to keep vigil for grandfather."
"You're girls. Didn't Old Madame say that she loves you and doesn't want you and Mo'er to stay up all night?"
"Grandmother loves me dearly. As the younger generation, I have to be filial. Besides, Third Brother is still keeping vigil in the mourning hall at such a young age. I'm already fourteen. Staying up all night is nothing. "
The Nguyễn Clan member was speechless. At this moment, Qingfu and Old Madame Cheng were arranging the mourning hall in the front hall. The servants were also in a mess. When the Nguyễn Clan saw that there was no one in the rear courtyard, she hurriedly pulled Cheng Yuanhan over to discuss countermeasures. She didn't expect that someone would suddenly come, and it would be Cheng Yujin. The Nguyễn Clan couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. However, she remembered that she stopped talking when she heard footsteps, so the contents of their conversation shouldn't have been overheard. The Nguyễn Clan member carefully looked at Cheng Yujin's expression. She found that Cheng Yujin didn't notice anything and was busy preparing to keep vigil with the servant girls. The Nguyễn Clan was completely relieved. She stood there for a while and then left.
After the Nguyễn Clan member turned around, Cheng Yujin shot a glance at her back and silently withdrew her gaze.
Managing a funeral was a very taxing matter. After an entire night, everyone in the Cheng Family looked exhausted. In theory, the children and grandchildren should stay vigil for seven days. However, when the sky started to brighten, many people found excuses to go to the next room to rest.
Cheng Yujin didn't sleep all night. At this moment, her face was pale and her eyes were red. Coupled with her mourning clothes, her clean appearance revealed a kind of cold elegance. The Dugeaux felt sorry for Cheng Yujin. Others were slacking off, but Cheng Yujin actually knelt for half the night. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one in the mourning hall, the Dugeaux quietly said to Cheng Yujin, "Miss, do you want to go take a break?"
Cheng Yujin thought that when the sun rose, there would be people coming to offer their condolences one after another. Her tired appearance could show filial piety, but if it was too much, it would affect her appearance. The young lady of the Cheng Family, who had been perfect for more than ten years, couldn't accept that she was ugly. Therefore, while there was no one around, she hurriedly went to the tea room to recover.
The Dugeaux brought a cup of hot ginger tea. After drinking the tea, Cheng Yujin felt her body warm up again. Lian Qiao brought pastries from the courtyard. At this moment, she was carrying them out plate by plate. At the same time, she was still talking about Cheng Yujin, "Miss, why are your hands so cold? Although it's summer, the ground is still dark and damp at night. How can Miss endure kneeling on the ground like this? Why don't this servant bring you knee pads? You'll feel better kneeling. "
The steam was dense, and Cheng Yujin's eyebrows were hidden behind the mist, so it was difficult to see clearly. The Dugeaux felt that Cheng Yujin seemed to have something on her mind. She asked in a low voice, "Miss, are you still thinking about Second Madam's words?"
Lian Qiao didn't understand. What did Second Madam say? Unfortunately, no one had the time to explain to Lian Qiao at this moment. Cheng Yujin put down the teacup and sighed, "Huo Changyuan is indeed not young. It's normal for them to think this way."
This was also something that Dugeaux couldn't understand. The Dugeaux asked, "Miss, it's natural to observe mourning for your grandfather. It can also accumulate filial piety. However, Second Madam seemed very anxious today. Miss, what do you think Second Madam wants to do? "
"What else can she do?" Cheng Yujin covered her mouth and yawned softly. She said, "She's afraid that a long delay will cause trouble. She wants Cheng Yumo to get married during the mourning period."
"Ah!" The Dugeaux was very surprised. When Lian Qiao heard this, she could roughly guess what had happened. Old Marquis suddenly passed away last night. Cheng Yumo was about to observe mourning for her grandfather and couldn't get married for a year. The Nguyễn Clan was afraid that Marquis Jingyong wouldn't be able to wait for too long and would bring back a concubine first. Therefore, they wanted to take advantage of the mourning period and let Cheng Yumo get married in advance.
Her parents would mourn for three years, and her grandparents would mourn for a year. However, the marriageable age was only so long. If she observed mourning every time, her children and grandchildren of the right age would be delayed and it would be difficult to talk about marriage, especially for women. Therefore, there was a saying among the people that if there were unmarried children or grandchildren in the family, they wouldn't be at ease after the elders passed away. Their souls would stay in the mortal world for a day. At this time, the children and grandchildren would take advantage of the mourning period to get married and let the elders enter the cycle of reincarnation with peace of mind. This was also a kind of filial piety.
They could either get married in three months or wait a year. What the Nguyễn Clan wanted to do was to quickly let Cheng Yumo get married during the mourning period.
Lian Qiao didn't quite understand why Cheng Yujin looked so serious. She put down the plate of pastries and said, "Miss, anyway, the Huo family has nothing to do with you anymore. Why are you worried about the second branch? Although there is a saying about getting married during the mourning period, it's not elegant. As long as a family is particular about it, they won't let their daughter get married during the mourning period. In the future, when people talk about it, they will say that the second miss is in a hurry to get married and didn't even observe mourning for her grandfather. The second branch is asking for trouble. Miss, why do you care about them? "
Cheng Yujin shook her head, "If Cheng Yumo was my sister, I wouldn't care when she gets married. If she wants to get married during the mourning period, I won't care about her."
"Miss, are you saying …"
Cheng Yujin sighed deeply, "Seniority is order. If the second madame convinces the old madame to let Cheng Yumo get married first, then what should I do? If the younger sister gets married before the older sister gets married, wouldn't that be telling others that I've been abandoned by the family? "
The Dugeaux and Lian Qiao finally understood the pros and cons of this matter. They looked at each other and saw the anxiety in each other's eyes, "Miss, what should we do?"
Cheng Yujin was silent. She thought about this matter all night and found that there was no way to satisfy both sides. She couldn't sacrifice her reputation, and she also couldn't make the Nguyễn Clan give up on the idea. The only thing she could do now was to quickly find a future husband. As long as she could find the next one before the situation escalated, she would be engaged verbally. Then, she wouldn't care about what other people would say this year.
There was no time to lose. She had to close the net as soon as possible. Cheng Yujin's eyes gradually became firm. She was determined to get Lin Qingyuan.
After Cheng Yujin rested for a bit, she went to the mourning hall again to keep watch. The women and men mourned separately. The news of the death was sent out at dawn. Presumably, all the families had received the news by now. Starting today, there would be women coming to offer their condolences one after another.
Unlike the funeral, the people who attended the funeral were all important figures in the family. How could Cheng Yujin let go of such a good opportunity to show her face? Although she already regarded Lin Qingyuan as her fiancé in her heart, if a better option appeared, she had no reason to refuse.
With this plan in mind, Cheng Yujin knelt in the mourning hall. Her face was as white as paper. She was in mourning, and her expression was sad and calm. Her pale face didn't lose its quiet beauty. People who passed by would all take a look at her.
When the sun rose high in the sky, the number of people who came to offer their condolences increased. Cheng Yujin stayed by Old Lady Cheng's side. Old Lady Cheng was in poor health, so Cheng Yujin naturally took on the task of welcoming and sending people off. When the ladies who came to comfort Old Lady Cheng saw her, they couldn't help but ask Cheng Yujin a few questions.
Cheng Yujin was very satisfied with this result. She replaced Old Lady Cheng to send the ladies out. When she came back, she bumped into a group of very familiar people as soon as she entered the door.
The Huxue Clan was sitting with the Nguyễn Clan and the others. When she heard the sound, she subconsciously turned around. Under the sunlight, she saw a girl in white standing quietly at the door with her hands clasped.
The June sun was just right, and it shone slightly golden on her body. She stood quietly under the sunlight, and her beauty almost made people think that she was in an illusion.
The girl was in mourning. Without the cumbersome jewelry and noisy colors, she was dressed in pure white. Her black hair, red lips, snow-white cheeks, and picturesque eyebrows made her look even more beautiful.
The Huxue Clan was a little dazed at first sight. At this time, the ladies next to them saw her and asked curiously, "Is this Old Lady Huo's daughter-in-law? Good looks, good temperament. Old Lady Huo is really lucky. "
When the Nguyễn Clan heard this, the smile on her face stiffened. When she heard that the Huxue Clan was here, she specially ran over to greet the Huxue Clan and the other ladies. She didn't expect to hear such words.
The Nguyễn Clan almost couldn't maintain her smile, and the Huxue Clan's expression wasn't good either. Before the two of them could think of a way to smooth things over, Cheng Yujin had already walked in from outside. She was natural and unrestrained, and she slowly bowed to the ladies. Her expression was even calmer than the Huxue Clan and Nguyễn Clan's. "You are all too beautiful. Thank you for your praise, Madam, but you have mistaken me for someone else. "
The ladies widened their eyes slightly. Cheng Yujin nodded and smiled in front of everyone. "I'm the eldest daughter of the Cheng Family, Cheng Yujin. I've already broken off my engagement with the Huo Family. I'm not Marquis Jingyong's fiancée."
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