The butler waited outside the Chaohui Hall. Seeing the two emerge, he hurried forward, "Miss, Young Master, the Marquis and Madam Yun are waiting for you in the flower hall."
"Thank you for leading the way, Butler," Qi Zhenzhen said warmly and politely. The person who had given her silver and ginseng earlier was this very butler, and she remembered his kindness, no matter what.
The butler inwardly praised Qi Zhenzhen's demeanor, finding it no less than that of the Eldest Miss, who had been pampered and was of noble birth.
If one were to compare, the Second Miss's bearing was actually superior.
The butler was an experienced man with a discerning eye for people. The Eldest Miss's demeanor was built upon her family background, while the Second Miss's was inherent. To put it plainly, without her family background, the Eldest Miss would be nothing. But the Second Miss would not be!
The butler suddenly felt fortunate that he had shown a favor to the Second Miss when he believed Madam Yun and her son would not return.
"The Eldest Miss has been on a hunger strike for the past few days. The Marquis is furious and has ordered the servants to starve her. However, the servants dare not truly starve her, only sending the simplest meals each day," the butler suddenly spoke. "One steamed bun, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of congee per meal."
Qi Zhenzhen tilted her head slightly, meeting the butler's calm gaze, as if his words were as casual as idle chatter.
"Do you know the reason for this?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
The butler's heart relaxed slightly. The Second Miss's inquiry meant she had accepted his overture.
"It is said that Young Master Lu is unwilling to proceed with this marriage and has repeatedly come to demand its annulment," the butler said. "From the Marquis's attitude, it seems he intends to grant Young Master Lu's wish. Although not formally agreed upon, his stance has softened."
"This marriage, while not known to everyone, is known to quite a few. Father values reputation the most; how could he agree?" Qi Zhenzhen expressed slight surprise, as she knew how eager Qi Tianming was for the alliance between the Qi and Lu families.
"I heard the Eldest Miss secretly went to see Young Master Lu. When she returned, her expression was not good," the butler lowered his voice. "As for what exactly happened, this old servant does not know. In any case, after the Eldest Miss returned, Young Master Lu came to visit. He spoke with the Marquis in the study for quite some time before leaving in anger."
"I presume Father will make the most correct decision," Qi Zhenzhen said.
The butler glanced at her. "Yes."
The Second Miss's attitude clearly indicated she did not wish to get involved in this matter, so there was no need for him to say more.
The group soon arrived at the flower hall, and Madam Yun hurried out to greet them.
Qi Zhenzhen and Gu Sinian bowed to them, "Greetings, Father, greetings, Mother."
"Good, good, good," they said in unison, their faces beaming with smiles.
After a few brief inquiries, Qi Tianming impatiently pulled Gu Sinian to the outer courtyard study.
Madam Yun and Qi Zhenzhen returned to the Chaohui Hall together.
"Your father's eyes light up the moment he sees a chess score. I imagine he's taken Ah Nian to spar over chess. Your brother is also in the outer courtyard study, waiting to compete with his brother-in-law," Madam Yun said with a smile.
"Who chose these items?" the Old Madam asked while admiring a landscape painting. "These are the遗作 (yízùo -遗作) of a master from the previous dynasty; they are exceptionally precious."
"These are all from Ah Nian's private collection; I chose them together with him," Qi Zhenzhen replied with a smile.
"That ancient zither is excellent, no less than the renowned Jiaowei zither. I like it very much," Madam Yun commented.
"Good, good, good," the Old Madam said with a smile. "Grandmother's lingering worries can finally be put to rest. The Heir truly treats you with utmost sincerity. If not for that, how could we have received such thoughtful gifts? Not to mention this, just looking at our Zhenzhen's little face tells us Ah Nian treats her well."
As she spoke, the Old Madam pointed to Qi Zhenzhen's still swollen lips.