BOUND IN MARRIAGE - CHAPTER 21, PART 1

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CHAPTER 21

PART 1

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The incident of Tan's family auditing her accounts was something Xiang Yi had been trying to keep from her younger siblings. However, it unexpectedly reached their ears in this manner.

Thinking about Xiang Yu's temperament, Xiang Yi was almost breaking into a cold sweat.

Fortunately, Xiang Yu didn't know whose incident it was; it remained an anonymous matter.

Xiang Yi picked up her ink and wrote a reply, avoiding any mention of that incident. Instead, she mentioned another thing: the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month was their mother's death anniversary.

When Xiang Yi's mother, Lady Liang, passed away, Xiang Yi was eight years old, and her younger siblings were three.

Lady Liang, seeing her young children left with no one to rely on, became extremely anxious. She was afraid Xiang Yi would later be labeled a "eldest daughter of a widowed woman," shunned by others. Therefore, she arranged for Xiang Zhiyuan to marry Xiang Yi early.

The marriage that Xiang Zhiyuan arranged for Xiang Yi was with the Tan family.

Unfortunately, although Xiang Yi avoided the embarrassment of being the 'eldest daughter of a widow' in her marriage, life in the Tan family didn't turn out as her mother had hoped...

As the anniversary approached, Xiang Yi didn't have much money, unlike when her father was alive. She could only gather her younger siblings and go to Anluo Temple to observe a day of fasting for their mother, lighting a perpetual lamp.

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* * *

Tan Ting had a room in the inner courtyard converted into a study. He moved the large desk originally made for him in the main hall there, then had a slightly smaller desk brought in.

Tan Ting called Tan Jian over and asked him to request Xiang Yi to create a personal seal. He also brought out a whole set of high-quality white jade. Tan Jian only needed one seal, the rest were gifts for Xiang Yi.

Tan Jian didn't understand why his older brother had him do it. Only when his sister-in-law refused to accept it and he had to beg her to keep the white jade did he vaguely understand.

Making a seal for Tan Jian wasn't entirely a private matter anymore. Tan Ting moved to the proper study, and Xiang Yi brought back all her carving tools from Qiao Xing's room. The slightly lower table matched Xiang Yi well, and she became even more adept at carving the seal.

Because it was a seal for Tan Jian, whom she liked very much, she took it very seriously. But as soon as Tan Ting returned to the main hall, she stopped working.

Tan Ting didn't even know if he should return to his room; he walked even lighter on his feet.

One time he returned to his room, Xiang Yi and Qiao Xing didn't even notice him. They were talking about going to Anluo Temple in two days to observe the fast and light lamps for Lady Liang's death anniversary.

Tan Ting's birth mother had passed away even earlier, but every year on her death anniversary, the Tan family would have Anluo Temple perform a seven-day water and land ritual just for them. Later, without Tan family's instructions, the temple's abbot always kept those seven days vacant, exclusively for the Tan family's use.

Hearing them say that they would only observe the fast and light lamps for Lady Liang's death anniversary, Tan Ting thought of mentioning the matter of the water and land ritual to them. However, he thought it over and didn't speak directly. Instead, he turned and left the room, arranging for Zheng Ji to go to Anluo Temple in his stead.

Zheng Ji went immediately as ordered.

Tan Ting stood in the corridor, feeling the breeze.

He remembered the last time he went to inspect the completed embankment in Weiping Prefecture; he specifically went to inquire near Qingzhou Academy. Indeed, Xiang Yu and Xiang Ning were living in the town at the foot of the academy's mountain. They didn't have much money, so they had to rent an old, small courtyard at the edge of the town. Xiang Ning was not in good health, so most of the time, she stayed at home. Xiang Yu couldn't leave her alone at home, so he had to study at the academy's horse-riding school every day. He wasn't as diligent as Tan Jian, but his young age didn't hinder his commitment to his studies...

Inside the room, Xiang Yi and Qiao Xing's voices faintly reached the corridor, and the lanterns swayed in the wind.

Tan Ting thought that perhaps he could use this opportunity to improve his relationship with the three siblings.

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* * *

Every year, Xiang Yi would go to pay respects to her mother. Zhao Shi never stopped her and even added money for incense. However, the day before Lady Liang's death anniversary was the Laba Festival, and it was a tradition in the Tan family to distribute porridge.

On Laba Festival, Xiang Yi would lead the Tan family members to set up a stall to distribute porridge. After the distribution ended the next day, she would rush to Anluo Temple.

This year was no exception, but this time she brought Yang Zhen with her. When Yang Zhen was in the capital, she had also participated in distributing porridge with her family, but she usually left the task to the subordinates; the main family only briefly appeared.

However, the Tan family was different. Xiang Yi stood by the porridge stall from beginning to end, and the porridge distributed on Laba Festival was genuinely rich. Each person could fill a bowl to the brim.

Yang Zhen helped stir the porridge pot and asked Xiang Yi, "Why don't you let the steward or the clan members do this? It's quite cold on Laba Festival."

Xiang Yi smiled and stated that once she started moving, she wouldn't feel cold. She then explained to Yang Zhen that distributing porridge was a pure act of helping the poor among the commoners. However, among the aristocrats, some wanted to profit from it, some did it half-heartedly, and some aristocrats simply didn't want the poor people who benefited from the porridge. Many aristocratic families ended up causing trouble during the porridge distribution, leading to unnecessary casualties among the local commoners, creating a serious conflict between the aristocracy and the local commoners. Nearly...

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She supervised the order at the porridge stall. "The harvest was poor this year; we should try not to stir up trouble at this critical juncture."

The common people couldn't get enough to eat or wear warm clothes in the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month. In contrast, the aristocrats lived in warm houses, wearing fine silk. If a conflict erupted between the two sides, it would easily lead to many disasters for no reason.

Yang Zhen came from a military family, her father and brothers were all in the army. She had heard that in recent years, there were constant conflicts between the aristocrats and commoners. Sometimes, the imperial troops had to suppress them.

Before she came, her mother had told her to stay home less, fearing that the relationship between the Tan family and other commoners in Qinglong was tense. But now, it seemed that Qinglong was much more normal compared to the aristocratic gathering places nearby.

Talking about the porridge distribution, the Tan family's porridge was made with high-quality ingredients. Every commoner who came to receive the porridge expressed their gratitude. Many of them recognized Xiang Shi, and they specially bowed to her.

"Madam Xiang, how do you do?"

Xiang Shi, for once, showed a rare smile. "I'm doing well."

Yang Zhen liked Madam Xiang even more now. She heard that Madam Xiang would be going to Anluo Temple later, after Tan Jian finished his studies at the clan school. Yang Zhen decided she wanted to accompany her.

"Oh? Madam, that's for her maternal family's mother." Tan Jian reminded.

Yang Zhen said she knew. "Can't I go with Madam to honor her maternal family's mother?"

Tan Jian: "..."

She turned to Tan Jian. "Are you going or not?"

Tan Jian, of course, wanted to go. Going today meant he could enjoy the Laba Festival porridge at Anluo Temple.

The Laba Festival porridge at Anluo Temple was made with different ingredients, and its taste was unexpectedly good.

But he wasn't sure if it was appropriate and was afraid his older brother would scold him for thinking about going out to play before he finished writing his essay.

He discussed with Yang Zhen, planning to ask if it was allowed while his sister-in-law was still here.

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