Chapter 135 - 68 Provoking the Mother-in-law
Shi Fengju didn’t return until it was dark.
In the Yuhe Tower located at the commercial center of Qingzhou, in a tasteful chamber on the third floor, Shi Fengju was drinking with a man dressed in a treasure-blue brocade robe patterned with hidden jade Bi motifs. The man had a tall and slender figure, with bright and spirited eyes, and handsome brows. Sitting across from Shi Fengju, his eyes frequently creased with smiles—it was none other than Zhuang Weixian.
Talk about irony; the mothers of the two despised each other to the point of outright confrontation, yet these two were indeed good brothers who cherished each other. This time, when Shi Fengju had to travel afar, had Mrs. Zhuang not insisted on keeping Zhuang Weixian behind for matchmaking purposes, he would have surely accompanied Shi Fengju as in previous years.
"What’s the matter? Haven’t had enough to drink last night and still drinking? You weren’t like this before. Could it be that your long-cherished wish is about to be fulfilled and you’re overjoyed?" Zhuang Weixian laughed and slapped the table, sighing, "Joy indeed enlivens the spirit, never false!"
His mind unconsciously flashed with an image—a woman of ethereal elegance and subtle grace, her gentle demeanor masking an indescribable strength, her skilled handling of an abacus captivating to the observer!
Such a woman, elegant and gentle, yet so fated to suffer, was wed to a man whose heart belonged to another, destined never to hold her dear in his lifetime. Her life, as one could foresee, was doomed to sit quietly in that splendid cage, tasting the silently flowing years, until her beauty withered, and her looks faded away.
"A happy occasion?" Fengju’s eyes showed a trace of sorrow mixed with drunkenness. Upon hearing that, he chuckled, "What happy occasion? What? Has your mother arranged a match for you? Which girl is it?"
"None of my business!" Zhuang Weixian responded half annoyed, half amused, giving him a glance, "Isn’t it that your childhood sweetheart and cousin is about to enter your door?"