Chapter 118: The Person I Detest

He was drunk—thoroughly, devastatingly drunk. Xu Jingzong had even vomited bile. Xu Jie’s guests could not stop praising him, declaring that such a relative was truly worth having. Seeing him so jubilant, those who knew him well understood it was his attachment to family, but those who didn't might have mistaken him for the groom himself.

Since he was too intoxicated to return to Chang'an, Xu Jie sent one of Xu Jingzong’s servants home to deliver word and request leave on his behalf. After drinking to such a state, he would surely wake up with a splitting headache; how could he possibly make the journey back?

Early the next morning, Xu Jie and his wife emerged from their room, their faces flushed. Dongzhu had to prepare breakfast and then serve tea to her parents-in-law. When she finished the meal and went to perform the tea ceremony, she found her parents-in-law and Xu Jingzong already laughing and eating breakfast together.

She paused, stunned. She hadn't even brought out the food yet—could her elders be dissatisfied with her, having made breakfast themselves? Filled with trepidation, she knelt with the tea and said, "Please, Mother and Father, have some tea."

"Good, good, get up quickly. From this day on, you are the mistress of the Xu household; everything in this home is yours to manage," Xu Jie’s mother said, smiling warmly as she took the tea and finished it in one gulp.

"How could that be? Naturally, you should manage the household affairs, Mother. I am happy to follow your instructions. Mother... are you perhaps dissatisfied with my cooking?"

"Hahaha!"

Before Dongzhu could finish, the three people seated above burst into laughter. Xu Jie’s mother wiped away tears of mirth and said, "Dongzhu, they say you have lived a hard life, but in my eyes, you are a blessed soul! Lady Xiaojia sent breakfast over early this morning, saying that your habit of sleeping in was a bad habit she herself spoiled you with, and she begged me not to take offense. You are truly a blessed child!"

Before she could finish, Dongzhu’s tears began to flow uncontrollably. She wept like a smudge-faced child. She had lived a life as fragile as duckweed, and meeting the Lady and her family was the greatest stroke of fortune in her life.

"Sister-in-law may not know this, but Lady Xiaojia treats you, her daughter-in-law, like a sister! The dowry pastry shop brings in five or six hundred strings of cash in profit every month. You are destined to live in comfort from here on out!" Xu Jingzong said with a beaming smile, his face looking perfectly normal, showing not a trace of the previous night’s debauchery.

Madam Xu was shocked. She had assumed that a pastry shop making ten or so strings of cash a month would be excellent; she never dared to imagine it could be five or six hundred.

"Dongzhu, is what your cousin says true? Does it really make five or six hundred strings of cash a month?"

"Cousin must have heard a rumor; the pastry shop’s profit last month was nine hundred strings," Dongzhu said with lowered eyes. If her mother-in-law asked her to produce the deed, she would not have hesitated to do so.

Madam Xu glanced at her husband and, gritting her teeth, said with a pained heart, "After we eat, you two must go and kowtow to the Lady to thank her, and then return the deed."

The gift was too heavy; they had no way to repay it. Xu Jie smiled and said, "We must go to express our gratitude, but returning it is not possible. This was bestowed by the Marquis; I have already tried to decline it, but he would not allow it. Yesterday, the Commander delivered a wedding gift on the Marquis's behalf—a half-share contract for the Liaodong merchant caravan, valid for a full three years."

Xu Jingzong stood up abruptly. The amount of money was not the issue; the crucial thing was that the master of the caravan was surnamed Huang.

Xu Jingzong’s reaction startled the others. Madam Xu asked with a troubled expression, "Son, it is not that your mother is petty, but the Marquis has given us so many benefits that we cannot repay. Does he want you to risk your life for him? I heard the entire Gan family is supported by the Marquis, and their son is essentially there to die for him."

"Let's not speak of Xinda. The Marquis is not that kind of person. Few people enjoy the treatment I receive. You may not know, but we were already doing things for the Marquis back when he was trapped in the Right Martial Guard, before he had made a name for himself—even if they were just trivial matters. That is why we have this treatment," Xu Jie said proudly. During that time, they had all been won over by Cai Cong; aside from not daring to let him leave, they would have done almost anything he asked.

"Enough. Since a personage like the Marquis has bestowed these gifts, accept them. After you eat, the two of you go and kowtow to the Marquis and the Lady." Xu Jie’s father was a man of few words, but once he spoke, the matter was settled. That was the way of the head of the house—a single word determined the family's path.

"Haha! Well, go and eat quickly! Uncle will go with you in a while," Xu Jingzong said with a laugh. When asked if he needed more rest, he smilingly declined.

"Husband, that cousin of yours is no good either! Fishing for the Marquis's preferences in such a roundabout way—does he really take us for fools?" Madam Xu watched Xu Jingzong walk away and rolled her eyes. One shouldn't be too arrogant, treating everyone else like an idiot; it was just that people chose not to expose him.

"Say no more. He is the only relative we have left in Chang'an, and he represents the senior branch of the family. Do not bicker with him," Xu Jie’s father said woodenly. Their family had been in Chang'an for years; when his son first joined the Martial Guard, it was through his own efforts. His clan cousin hadn't even wanted to meet them then, yet now he was so enthusiastic. He wasn't a fool; he knew exactly what this was about.

After the meal, servants carried gifts as the couple walked ahead, receiving good-natured teasing from the villagers. The gatekeeper saw them and said with a grin, "Sister Dongzhu, most people return home on the third day, but you're back after only one night—did Brother Xu bully you?"

"Xiao Liu, don't go making things up. Everyone knows it’s your sister-in-law who bullies me; when would I ever dare to bully her? Is the Marquis up yet?" Xu Jie asked with a laugh. This kid had taken many of his bribes; many of his "chance encounters" were thanks to this boy’s tips—he was practically half a matchmaker.

"The Marquis is up; he's practicing that Tai Chi with the Lady!" Xiao Liu said cheerily. The movements were soft and slow, but they looked comfortable, and everyone in the manor was learning them. The Marquis said that practicing them daily could help one live a long life.

"Then please announce us," Xu Jie said. Dongzhu felt it was quite novel; she hadn't expected that she would need to be announced when returning to her own home.

Xiao Liu had wanted to say that they were familiar enough not to need an announcement, but seeing the unfamiliar face of Xu Jingzong, he swallowed his words, nodded, and sent someone to announce them. Before long, the gatekeeper invited them in. Cai Cong and Lady Cai were drinking tea, and upon seeing the two enter, they both smiled with playful winks.

"Greetings to the Lady and the Marquis."

The two entered and knelt directly on the floor, kowtowing three times. Cai Cong and his wife did not stop them, accepting the three resounding knocks.

"Lady, let Dongzhu serve you while you change. After practicing, you usually prefer to change your clothes."

"Very well, let us go! We shall leave them to talk. We are heading to the inner courtyard."

"This subordinate is truly damned. I actually forgot the gifts yesterday and arrived empty-handed. It was utterly rude," Xu Jingzong said fawningly the moment the ladies left.

Cai Cong and Xu Jie frowned simultaneously. It was highly inappropriate to bring this up now; Xu Jingzong should have had better situational awareness.

"A small matter, do not blame yourself. Xu Jie, do you need time off to keep Dongzhu company?" Cai Cong waved his hand, speaking to Xu Jie with a smile.

"No need, Marquis. The 'Strong Army' project is in full swing, and many brothers have been sent to various regions. The fact that I am still in Chang'an is only because you care for Dongzhu and me; I know this well."

"Indeed! The Marquis treats you well. Xu Jie, you must work diligently and not fail the Marquis's expectations," Xu Jingzong said with a smile. He treated their displeasure as if he hadn't noticed it, intent on asserting his own presence.

Cai Cong sneered inwardly. This man was too self-centered; no wonder he dared to laugh at the funeral when Zhangsun passed away.

"You should listen well to Official Xu’s words. He is a man of rare literary fame, and today, his reputation fills all of Chang'an. These are words of gold for you young people!"

"The Marquis is right. My cousin is the most outstanding figure in our Xu family and has always been my role model," Xu Jie said sincerely. Xu Jingzong’s eyebrows danced with delight at their words, and he repeatedly insisted they were being too kind.

Cai Cong and Xu Jie didn't care about the truth; they piled on the flattery as extravagantly as possible. In the end, no matter how thick-skinned Xu Jingzong was, he felt he could no longer remain, and he hurriedly took his leave of the Marquis’s estate.