Chapter 478 – Phantom Marriage, The Widow’s Dilemma (Part 1)
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed, and the people of Xiangyang County returned home to reunite with their families.
The new recruits at the training camp followed the morning drills as usual, and after lunch, they were dismissed, allowing them a half-day to celebrate the festival with their families.
Luo Yue, Meng Hunyun, and Li Yun gathered in the county hall, preparing to celebrate with Jiang Pengji.
“Poo poo—Wah wah—”
Little Changsheng, now eight months old and quite chubby, smiled at everyone, revealing a set of bright red gums and a few tiny white teeth.
Ever since she first clung to Feng Jin and was taken to the government office, she had visited several times since.
Dressed warmly in two sweaters knitted by Wei Jingxian, followed by two fur-lined dresses, and topped with a thick hooded cloak, she looked like a plump ball from a distance.
Changsheng was restless, wanting to leap towards familiar faces; if Feng Jin hadn’t held her securely, she would have caused a ruckus.
“Happy New Year.”
Upon hearing Changsheng’s voice, Jiang Pengji stepped out to greet them, causing Feng Jin to chuckle helplessly.
In his daughter’s eyes, he ranked lower than their lord; the lord was simply more lovable.
As a minister, he was not prioritized in the lord’s eyes compared to his own daughter; he certainly wouldn’t indulge in narcissism believing that Jiang Pengji came out to greet him.
Jiang Pengji took the squirming Changsheng, weighing her in her arms. “Changsheng has grown quite strong again.”
As soon as she was in her arms, Changsheng quieted immediately, blinking innocently.
“She knows how to act cute in front of others.” Feng Jin pulled Wei Jingxian closer and said, “It’s windy outside; let’s head inside.”
Outside, it was frigid with howling winds and thick snow, while the corners of the hall were warmed by coal basins, with warmth swaddling them.
After shedding their cold-weather cloaks, Feng Jin found a spot to sit down, while Wei Jingxian settled beside him.
Before long, everyone arrived in succession. Jiang Pengji allowed Changsheng to sit next to her and clapped to signal the servants to bring out tonight’s feast.
In the winter season, with limited ingredients, but since it was the first New Year’s banquet of the year, Jiang Pengji didn’t want it to be shabby.
After earnestly seeking advice from the Audience, Jiang Pengji organized the available wild ingredients to make the New Year’s banquet as bountiful as possible.
In the past, meat would be simmered in hot soup to remove any odor, then sliced and served.
But today… Tsk, tsk. She guaranteed that after tonight’s dinner, everyone would gain two to three pounds.
As a shared dining format, each dish had limited portions, just enough for one person to have four to five bites.
Zhang Ping was dragged over by Wei Ci, looking around and growing disinterested at the absence of performances.
Now hearing her say they could go straight to the food, images of various boiled meats filled his mind, making his mouth feel greasy.
However, once the plates of visually appealing and aromatic dishes were served, his mouth watered, and he began to complain… why were the plates so small and the portions so little…
Glancing over, he noticed that Wei Ci’s dishes had barely been touched, making him feel even more aggrieved; he still hadn’t had enough!
Wei Ci preferred a lighter flavor, the complete opposite of Zhang Ping.
Noticing his friend’s disappointed gaze, Wei Ci pressed his lips together and quietly slid the untouched dishes over to Zhang Ping’s side.
“Don’t fill up too much, we have more coming.” He whispered, with a gentle smile.
Zhang Ping secretly looked at the young lord at the head of the table, muttering, “Aren’t there any performances to liven things up?”
Wei Ci blinked and countered, “Are you volunteering to dance? The county doesn’t keep any singers or dancers; it wouldn’t be possible to see them here.”
Zhang Ping was speechless, why did he feel like Wei Ci was getting more and more infuriating?
“Fine, if there’s no performance, then it wouldn’t be interesting anyway,” he said. “The lord you picked is quite a gentle person.”
At that moment, Jiang Pengji helplessly parboiled a block of mapo tofu, diluting its spiciness, then crushed it with a spoon and offered it to the fidgety Changsheng.
The Young Girl happily opened her mouth, slurping and smacking her lips, looking eagerly at Jiang Pengji… wanting more.
At just over eight months old, she was quite a handful, yet their lord patiently attended to her, feeding her with care.
While looking after the child, she hadn’t even taken a bite herself.
Wei Ci paused for a moment, glancing up at Jiang Pengji with a slightly dazed expression.
“She’s always very patient with children.”
Once Changsheng was reasonably full, Jiang Pengji finally started to eat.
On the other side, Wei Jingxian also looked on in amazement.
Her daughter took endless coaxing to eat, and Feng Jin also believed this was too indulgent for a child, attempting a strict approach, yet the results were minimal. Seeing Changsheng sit obediently waiting for her feeding was truly rare…
She felt as if she had given birth to a fake daughter.
Feng Jin, understanding his own daughter, chuckled, “She’s not being obedient; she’s clearly afraid.”
When facing Qi Guanrang, she would act spoiled and cute, but when with Meng Hunyun and the others, she behaved very gently.
Initially, he didn’t get it, but later Jiang Pengji revealed the truth.
Children’s instincts are sharper than adults; Luo Yue and the others carried the scent of blood, making her too afraid to misbehave.
After finishing three-quarters full, Jiang Pengji asked the group, “Is anyone willing to showcase their talents?”
While there were no singers or dancers, they could watch their subordinates showcase their skills.
Everyone’s expressions stiffened; they silently laughed at the situation, sitting here waiting.
Changsheng giggled, as if stirring the pot.
As for talents, excluding Changsheng, the attendees were all quite skilled— even a martial man like Meng Hunyun could perform a sword dance, which barely counted as a show. Feng Jin and the others were well-versed in the fine arts, always ready to shine.
Xiangyang County was filled with warmth, the people seemed to have stepped out from under the looming shadows of earthquakes to celebrate the New Year and look forward to the future.
Far away in Hejian County, the troops were also celebrating the New Year.
In the past, everyone had gotten used to this, but this year felt unusually tense, all stemming from the Zhang Clan, a prominent family in Hejian.
Jiang Nongqin was originally arranging the details for the New Year’s banquet when a House Servant from the Liu Residence came requesting someone.
Her brow furrowed, inwardly vexed.
The Stepmother sat at the head, mocking her, “Your young mistress is lost; instead of looking for her in your residence, you come here to stir trouble at our Liu Residence’s second household. You think my husband isn’t home today so you can bully a bunch of women, huh? It’s the New Year’s banquet today; don’t make it impossible for anyone!”
Lady Die came out to watch the commotion, coldly eyeing Lady Zhang Zhao across from her.
Lady Zhang Zhao, the primary wife from the main branch of the Zhang family.
Dressed extravagantly with a grand and opulent makeup, she ignored the Stepmother’s words, her eyebrows arched with a hint of disdain.
Clearly, she had come in search of someone, yet posed as if she were in charge, “I have searched repeatedly; that little wretch has definitely hidden in your Liu Residence. If you don’t hand her over today, this will be far from over.”
“Tsk, then you’ll be the one to have your troubles. But we, the Liu Residence, is too small; I’m afraid we won’t have a place for Lady Zhang to stay.”
Leaning back against the table, the Stepmother showed no regard for Lady Zhang Zhao.
Lady Die covered her mouth with her sleeve, hiding a smirk of schadenfreude.
At that moment, Jiang Nongqin approached, bowing respectfully to greet them.
The Stepmother asked, “This Lady Zhang claims we are concealing their young mistress. Is there any truth to this?”
Jiang Nongqin replied flatly, “None at all.”
The Zhang Clan, a prominent family in Hejian, had married the legitimate daughter of the Shangguan family, Shangguan Wan, earlier this year.
