Qi Mingzhu entered Zhaohui Hall and saw the harmonious scene between the Old Madam and Qi Zhenzhen, grandmother and granddaughter. She, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's mansion, had never been so close to the Old Madam.
"Mingzhu is here? Have you eaten? If not, tell the kitchen to prepare some of your favorite pastries." The Old Madam greeted Qi Mingzhu.
Qi Zhenzhen released the Old Madam's arm and quietly retreated two steps. Qi Mingzhu's chin lifted slightly. She was quite satisfied with Qi Zhenzhen's demeanor, thinking this concubine-born daughter knew her place.
"Grandmother, it's still a bit cool outside at this hour. Why have you come out to the courtyard? What if you catch a chill?" Qi Mingzhu helped the Old Madam into the house.
Her two granddaughters, one advised her to walk more outside for her health, and the other urged her to go inside to avoid the cold, both for her well-being.
"Grandmother has been out for a while. Come, let's go back inside. The other day, Grandmother received two boxes of multi-colored pearls, perfect for bright young girls like you. One box for each of you. Grandmother will show them to you."
After returning to the room, Qi Zhenzhen sat obediently on a chair, while the Old Madam and Qi Mingzhu sat on the couch.
Zisu led two young maids, each holding a small sandalwood box.
One box was presented to Qi Mingzhu, and the other to Qi Zhenzhen.
They were round beads polished from various colored gemstones, large and small, and they looked quite beautiful.
"Your granddaughter thanks Grandmother for the gift." Qi Zhenzhen thanked her with apparent joy.
In contrast, Qi Mingzhu's reaction was reserved, appearing accustomed to fine things. She thanked the Old Madam generously. However, Qi Zhenzhen, who had been observing her, still detected a fleeting disdain in her eyes. Clearly, she did not like these items.
After sitting for a while, Qi Mingzhu rose to take her leave. She glanced at Qi Zhenzhen, who was still seated, and said, "Sister, if you have nothing else to do, would you like to come to my courtyard for a bit? We sisters could chat."
The Old Madam was very pleased to see the two sisters getting along so well and urged, "Alright, Zhenzhen, you don't need to stay here with this old woman. Go play with your sister."
Qi Zhenzhen curtsied to Qi Mingzhu and said crisply, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Sister. Your granddaughter has matters to attend to today. I will visit your courtyard another day."
Qi Mingzhu smiled, "Since Sister has matters to attend to, I won't insist."
After speaking, she bowed to the Old Madam and left gracefully with her maids.
"You should have gone when your sister invited you. Spending more time together can deepen sisterly affection," the Old Madam said earnestly.
Qi Zhenzhen lowered her head slightly. "I don't know how to interact with Eldest Sister. Eldest Sister plays the zither, recites poetry, paints, and plays chess, but these are not my strengths. Wouldn't it be awkward then?"
The Old Madam chided her, "So your 'matters to attend to' was just an excuse to brush off your Eldest Sister?"
Qi Zhenzhen shook her head. "It's not an excuse, I genuinely have things to do."
With that, she gave Feixu a meaningful look. Feixu then presented a bound recipe book to the Old Madam.
"A Hundred Vegetarian Delicacies?" The Old Madam looked at the characters on the cover, then opened the recipe book. Inside, each vegetarian dish's recipe and preparation method were meticulously recorded, followed by pictures of the finished dishes. "Did you write this?"
"Yes."
"This delicate 'hairpin flower' script..." The Old Madam mused for a moment. "It lacks grace and beauty, but instead possesses a certain ruggedness. It reminds me somewhat of Zhang Xing's style."
Zhang Xing was a renowned calligrapher of Da Feng, who had established his own school. His characters were imitated by many. Qi Zhenzhen had heard Yun Shi mention him.
However, her calligraphy was not an imitation. She had always written like this. At that time, she felt the 'hairpin flower' script was graceful and beautiful, so she practiced diligently. Perhaps due to her nature, she could never quite achieve that delicate beauty, but her inherent sharpness was impossible to conceal.
"Grandmother, please have someone examine these foods to see if any are incompatible. If there are no issues, Zhenzhen will give these to Grandmother's cooks. Then, whenever Grandmother wishes to eat something, she can simply ask them to prepare it," Qi Zhenzhen said earnestly.
"You... you want to give all of these to them?" The Old Madam was very surprised. One or two would be acceptable, but this was an entire book.
Qi Zhenzhen shook her head. "Grandmother, you've misunderstood. They are not for the cooks; they are for Grandmother, a filial gift from your granddaughter. Your granddaughter does not wish for Grandmother to eat too greasy food every day. A balance of meat and vegetables is the path to good health."
The young girl's expression was serious. The Old Madam saw the sincerity in her petal-like eyes; this little girl genuinely wished for her good health, not just polite words.
"Instead of giving them to the cooks, can't Zhenzhen make them for Grandmother?" The Old Madam wanted to tease Qi Zhenzhen.
Qi Zhenzhen's face lit up with joy. "Of course, that would be wonderful. Zhenzhen would be delighted to stay by Grandmother's side always."
"You don't want to get married?"
"Your granddaughter hasn't thought about that."
"You're thirteen, aren't you? You're not a child anymore."
"Grandmother, to be honest, before returning to the Marquis's mansion, there were suitors who came to propose, but my mother refused them all. My mother said that I am a daughter of the Marquis's mansion, and my marriage should be arranged by Grandmother and Father. Although she raised us outside, she could not overstep her bounds," Qi Zhenzhen said with poise.
Most young ladies would blush and shy away when discussing marriage. Qi Zhenzhen clearly did not exhibit such behavior, which made the Old Madam find her even more to her liking.
"Tell Grandmother, what kind of person do you wish to marry?" the Old Madam asked.
Qi Zhenzhen tilted her head, appearing to ponder. After a moment, she said, "Under normal circumstances, your granddaughter should say that she will obey Grandmother, Father, and Mother in all matters. However, your granddaughter does not wish to be perfunctory with Grandmother and speak mere pleasantries. The person your granddaughter wishes to marry need not be immensely wealthy, but must have good character. They must be devoted to your granddaughter and respect her. Family background and appearance are matters of fate."
"Are you thinking of a lifelong monogamous relationship?" the Old Madam asked.
"Naturally. I refuse to believe any woman would be willing to share her husband with other women," Qi Zhenzhen replied matter-of-factly.
"You girl, you can say such things to Grandmother, but you must not say them to others," the Old Madam said earnestly. "Although, perhaps most women harbor such thoughts in their hearts, the world does not recognize this idea. If a woman has such thoughts, she is considered unconventional and will be intolerable to society. The Empress, is she not noble? She is the most noble woman in the world! Yet, even she must share her husband with others. Not to mention the Empress, consider the imperial princesses. Even if a princess marries a consort, and the consort is not permitted to have multiple wives and concubines, the princess must magnanimously arrange for 'tongfang' (concubines or maids with sexual privileges) for the consort."
Indeed, country men with surplus wealth would think of taking concubines. How much more so would men from powerful families?