USWHC -Chapter 216 Engagement Turmoil (Part 6)

The sun was blazing high in the sky. There was no rain and no wind at all, which made Old Madam Ji’s mood sink straight to the bottom. In her opinion, today should have been a day with gale-force winds and pouring rain.

What? Isn’t bright sunshine a good thing?

Yes—but to Old Madam Ji, it was absolutely terrible. Because today was the day Hua Feixue was getting married, and the groom was originally supposed to be her future son-in-law. Well… now he was her niece’s husband.

Inside the carriage, the Ji family members were all in low spirits. Zhu Jie could almost feel a dark cloud hanging heavily above their heads. Worse yet, it seemed to drift unpredictably—like thunder and rain could break out from anyone at any moment. Zhu Jie even began to regret why she had insisted on following the Ji family to attend such a marriage that clearly had no one’s blessing.

But when Sister-in-law You had come to invite her earlier, she had shamelessly agreed. Even more shamelessly, she had begged to ride the Ji family’s ox cart into town with them.

Why?

Because she wanted to watch the excitement, of course!

Life in the countryside was too dull—how could she be blamed for wanting some entertainment?

“I heard Yi went to take the tongsheng exam?” Old Master Ji suddenly asked with concern.

“Yes, he left a few days ago,” Zhu Jie replied respectfully.

As soon as Old Madam Ji heard this, she perked up immediately.

“That fool is trying to pass the xiucai exam? Do you think he can pass?”

How would I know? I’m not the examiner! Zhu Jie grumbled inwardly. But outwardly she spoke with great certainty.

“He can! Brother Yi’s learning is more than enough to pass the xiucai exam. Even becoming the top scholar wouldn’t be a problem!”

Bragging didn’t cost any tax, after all. She decided to exaggerate first and worry later.

“Tch, who would believe that? If he can pass the xiucai exam, I’ll walk upside down for the rest of my life!” Old Madam Ji immediately sneered.

Zhu Jie felt irritated. What kind of mother was this? How could she have so little faith in her own child?

Just as she was about to lose her temper, Old Master Ji spoke seriously.

“Yi is taking the tongsheng exam this time, not the xiucai exam yet.”

“He still won’t pass,” Old Madam Ji said bluntly.

Is this a curse? Zhu Jie wondered. Why does she look down on her own son so much? Can’t she hope for something good for Ji Yi?

Zhu Jie shot her a fierce glare.

“Yi, do you think you can pass the tongsheng exam this time?”

She deliberately raised her voice with confidence. Hmph, let Old Madam Ji get proven wrong!

But unexpectedly, Ji Yi muttered timidly,

“I don’t know… I said I didn’t want to take it. You were the one who insisted I go.”

Zhu Jie almost fainted from anger on the spot.

Can’t you brag a little?!

The Sun family had decorated their residence in grand style today. Not only was it lavish, but the wedding ceremony itself was also extremely elaborate. Half the people from Xiangshui Village had already been invited, and the other half were still on their way.

Their ox cart couldn’t even enter the streets three blocks away, so Old Madam Ji and the others had no choice but to walk the rest of the way. The street was crowded with people on both sides.

Seeing such a scene only made Old Madam Ji even angrier.

“It’s just marrying a concubine. Do they really need to make it this grand?”

“Mother, it’s not a concubine—it’s a secondary wife, an equal wife,” Sister-in-law You quickly corrected.

Unfortunately, Old Madam Ji responded with a glaring eye-roll.

“If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute!”

Sister-in-law You was immediately silenced.

Watching from the side, Zhu Jie thought coldly, Old Madam Ji must have eaten gunpowder scrambled eggs this morning. She was exploding at the slightest spark—and even without a spark she looked ready to combust.

“Hey, Mother—look, Feiwu!” Ji Eldest suddenly shouted excitedly. “Mother, look how well he’s dressed today! I bet he didn’t even wear clothes this nice during the New Year!”

Hearing this, Old Madam Ji rewarded him with yet another eye-roll. This pair really had a talent for bringing up exactly the wrong topic.

Still, she followed the direction Ji Eldest pointed to. And sure enough, Hua Feiwu was indeed dressed very well today. He wore a dark green long robe with a small jacket trimmed in red, made entirely of glossy fabric—either silk or satin.

“He looks like an apple tree. What terrible taste!” Old Madam Ji still couldn’t resist mocking him.

No—it’s more like a Christmas tree, Zhu Jie thought, and couldn’t help laughing.

“Who chose that outfit for him? Their taste really isn’t very good!”