Marriage of the Di Daughter

She actually wanted to return to Tongxiang, but Xiangyang was not that close to Tongxiang. For the people of Xiangyang city, Tongxiang was just a remote and desolate place, even if she asked around about Xue Huaiyuan, probably no one would know.

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However……. Jiang Li’s eyes flashed, there was still another way where she could gather information about Tongxiang in Xiangyang. Over here, aside from the people of the Ye family, it’s not as if she didn’t know anyone. 

After all, she was Xue Fang Fei for many years. 

Jiang Li stood up and said: “It’s stuffy staying inside the room , let’s go out and walk around.” 

Tong’er looked at her in astonishment: “Where are we going?”

“Just stroll around.” Jiang Li laughed, “this place is much smaller than Yanjing. The first time coming to Xiangyang, it’s not the way to stay inside the Ye family the whole day long. Since there was nothing to do, and the people of the Ye family are not letting me see old madam Ye, it would be better for us to just walk around. Do as the natives do, also will let us see what the social customs in Xiangyang are. See whether it’s the same as Yanjing?”   

Tong’er and Bai Xue was first stunned, then they quickly nodded in favor. Tong’er smilingly said: “This is also good, we do not lack money, miss, take a look if there’s anything you like. Perhaps there are things that Yanjing does not have, just buy freely and we’ll bring it back to Yanjing.” 

Jiang Li smiled and said: “Naturally.”

    ……

After they prepared everything and was about to go out, they happened to run into Ye Jia Er and Zhuo-shi.

The two people were stunned upon seeing them. Zhuo-shi was a bit embarrassed and was at a loss for a while. Afterwards, she looked at Jiang Li and smiled: “Ah Li, where are you going?”

Her calling “Ah Li” was especially awkward. Tong’er felt uncomfortable when hearing it. However, the appellation felt particularly familiar in Jiang Li’s ear, as if she was in Tongxiang where Xue Huai Yuan called her “Ah Li”.1

“It felt stuffy inside the house, so we’re planning to take a walk outside.” Jiang Li replied with a smile.

Zhuo-shi blanked out. These past few days, Jiang Li practically had never left her courtyard. The several times when they met face to face were when they had meals together. The Ye family showed a hundred percent courtesy to Jiang Li, but apart from being formal, there wasn’t much else. Jiang Li also displayed exceptional calmness. Mentioning that she wanted to go out and stroll around at this time came as a surprise to Zhuo-shi.

“You…… are planning to go out alone?” She asked with hesitation.

“Yes.” Jiang Li smiled and said: “This is my first time coming to Xiangyang and I want to see how different Xiangyang is from Yanjing.”

Zhuo-shi couldn’t help blushing from shame. It was inexcusable to let Jiang Li, a young lady who came from Yanjing, stroll alone in the unfamiliar Xiangyang. However, in a while, she had to accompany the eldest sister-in-law Guan-shi to look at the account book. She really couldn’t split herself in two. Moreover, if really wanted to stroll around Xiangyang with Jiang Li, Zhuo-shi herself was not sure how she should interact with Jiang Li. Honestly speaking, treating Jiang Li with courtesy and alienation, it’s not just Jiang Li alone that was feeling ill at ease, Zhuo-shi also felt uncomfortable. 

The people of the Ye family were not fond of hiding and concealing how they do things. 

On the contrary, Ye Jia Er, who had been quietly listening to Zhuo-shi and Jiang Li’s conversation at the side, opened her mouth at this moment and softly said: “No matter, I’m going to Li Zheng Tang, also have to go out, I’ll just go together with younger cousin.”

Jiang Li was stunned before smiling and said: “No need to trouble older cousin…….”

Ye Jia Er said with a smile: “What’s troubling about this, merely by the way. Li Zheng Tang is a shop owned by the Ye family, I’m going to take a look. If younger cousin does not disdain, can also go to look around to see whether there’s any clothes you like and we’ll gift them to you.”

After she had said things like this, it would seem bad for Jiang Li to decline. Moreover, up to now, among the Ye family, Ye Jia Er was considered as the most amiable person towards Jiang Li. Jiang Li immediately said: “Saying this, then it’s better to be obedient than respectful.”

Ye Jia Er laughed. 

Zhuo-shi let out a breath in relief. If they let Jiang Li go out and take a stroll by herself, the Ye family would not appear considerate. She really did not know with what kind of relationship she ought to treat Jiang Li at present, so she only regarded her as a guest. Even if a guest, the host family still had to be totally responsible. Now that Ye Jia Er took the initiative to suggest keeping Jiang Li company, it wouldn’t be considered as neglecting her.

But soon Zhuo-shi thought of something else. Although at the moment Jiang second miss looked well-behaved and gentle, who knew what kind of personality was actually in her bones. Supposed that she deliberately made things difficult for her daughter, with Ye Jia Er’s honest temper, she might suffer a loss from Jiang Li. 

She was worried, but she couldn’t find a better way. Furthermore, Ye Jia Er gave her a reassured gaze. Even if she was a thousand times unwilling, she had no alternative but to allow the two people to go out together.

Thus, Jiang Li and this older cousin went out from the Ye family’s gate together.

Ye Jia Er was the typical girl from a wealthy family. Though she was born in a merchant family, whether it was in treating people, or her way of talking, they were all generous, gentle and refined. In comparison, although the family background of those noble ladies in Yanjing were high, they were inevitably arrogant and willful due to said extremely good family status. However, there’s not the slightest bad nature on Ye Jia Er’s person. 

Footnotes:

1: The ‘Ah Li’ that Ye Ming Xuan called Jiang Li by is from her name Jiang Li, which means pear. While the ‘Ah Li’ called by Xue Huai Yuan means racoon.  1.