Chapter 290
Zhou Shuyao, with her naturally proud disposition, had restrained herself somewhat due to the presence of Yang Xu and Qiu Jinyu, showing a degree of kindness to the daughters of minor officials and merchants.
Instantly recognizing the intent behind Miss Fu's probing and jealous gaze, Zhou Shuyao felt a surge of disdain. A merchant's daughter actually dared to set her sights on Yang Xu.
Although Yang Xu lacked worldly wisdom, he had the backing of the elder General Yang and Uncle Yang. For these women to reveal such ill-conceived intentions was simply laughable.
Displeased, her attitude turned haughty. Zhou Shuyao sneered, "If you don't travel with us, then naturally you disdain to associate with us. If you wish to humiliate yourself, feel free to go over and curry favor on your own."
"I..." Miss Fu's face flushed with embarrassment. To say she disdained to associate with them was, in essence, pointing out her merchant background and inferior status compared to these ladies from official families.
The initially pleasant atmosphere vanished instantly, leaving the others looking at each other awkwardly. However, Zhou Shuyao was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Zhou family in Linzhou Prefecture, and no one dared to mediate, lest they incur her displeasure, which would be a loss outweighing any gain.
Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and Miss Fu lowered her head in humility, though a flash of anger quickly crossed her eyes. Once she married Yang Xu, what would the Zhou family amount to? Back then, Madam Zhang was merely a concubine's daughter, yet she married Yang Xu's father!
Zhan Feiyu, sitting on a small stool, glanced back and winked at Yang Xu, "Aren't you going to handle it?"
Initially, Yang Xu had found the outing somewhat novel and enjoyable. After all, in Stone Village, he had always been solitary, unable to truly connect with Da Niu and the others.
But on this excursion, those who had received invitations were all a few years older than Yang Xu, yet they all indulged him, speaking on topics that interested him.
However, after more than half an hour of "pleasant conversation," Yang Xu found it increasingly uninteresting. The young ladies spoke of trivial domestic matters, which became tedious after a while. Moreover, their condescending attitudes made Yang Xu feel a sense of incompatibility.
After all, they were merely from wealthy families. If someone like Xiao Yu, from a humble farming family, were present, would they still speak so loftily? Or, if he were still the descendant of a disgraced official and the Yang family's fortunes were not to be restored, would they still treat him with such enthusiasm?
As for the three young men accompanying them, they were all scholars, a few years older than Yang Xu. They conversed more with Qiu Jinyu and Yang Xu. However, after meeting the two young scholars who had achieved triple crowns, the more these other scholars spoke, the more superficial and ignorant they appeared.
"Xiao Yu, why aren't you with us?" Yang Xu couldn't help but ask, a hint of nervousness inexplicably coloring his dark complexion. Zhan Feiyu's aloofness made Yang Xu suddenly realize that he and Xiao Yu seemed to have grown distant in recent days.
Amused by Yang Xu's anxious and wronged expression, Zhan Feiyu pointed to the area beneath her eyes, "See? There are bloodshot lines in my eyes. I stole half a day of leisure, and I didn't even get three hours of sleep last night."
Therefore, it wasn't that Zhan Feiyu wasn't joining Yang Xu and the others, but rather that she didn't want to spend this rare time on pleasantries and social engagements.
Yang Xu was taken aback. He looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was leisurely eating pastries and drinking hot water, and then at Zhou Shuyao and the others in their fine silks and brocades not far away. He suddenly understood the difference between Zhan Feiyu and them. They only needed to enjoy the food, clothing, housing, and transportation provided by their families. But Xiao Yu had to strive for her future studies and imperial examinations.
The difference between these two was that once trouble arose, without the protection of their families, they would be like flowers battered by wind and snow, quickly withering and perishing.
But Xiao Yu was different. Not only could she protect herself, but she could also shield those around her from the storm. Not to mention the distant past, Xiao Yu had already provided hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to the military camp, and earlier, ten thousand piculs of grain had been transported from Jiangnan Dao to the border.
Looking at the snow-capped mountains and plum blossoms in the distance, Yang Xu recalled the "Poem of Prodigies" he learned from General Yang during his early education: "In the morning, a farmer's son; in the evening, a scholar in the imperial court; generals and ministers are not born with a title; a man should strive for himself."
"Xiao Yu, I understand," Yang Xu grinned, revealing a row of white teeth that made him look even more foolish, but the restlessness and confusion in his eyes had vanished without a trace.
What Brother Jinyu said wasn't entirely correct. His immediate priority should be to diligently practice martial arts and learn military formations. As for social engagements, they weren't the most important. If he lacked the skills to establish himself, what use would it be to make many friends?
Meanwhile, Qiu Jinyu, who was talking with three scholars, cast a subtle glance at Zhan Feiyu and Yang Xu, inexplicably feeling that something was slipping out of his control.
...
"Young masters and ladies, the hot water is ready," Aunt Huang reported as she approached.
Having traveled for a long time, everyone was indeed thirsty. They now walked in twos and threes to the bonfire and sat down. In front of each cushion was a low table, with brewed tea and various pastries and fruits, and maids from each family served them.
"If Miss Zhan is tired, you can go to the hot springs. They are not far, and we sent people to clean and tidy them yesterday," Zhou Shuyao said earnestly. Wooden houses had been built by the hot springs, and although they were quite simple, they were designed for elegance.
Zhan Feiyu, who was eating a slice of snow pear with a bamboo skewer, her eyes suddenly lit up. After swallowing the pear, she asked, "Are there private rooms?"
Soaking in the hot springs on such a cold day was indeed a pleasure. It would be even better if there were private rooms for some peace and quiet.
Once Zhou Shuyao spoke, the others remained silent. Seeing Zhou Shuyao's attitude, the young men and women from Xiangwu County all realized that this Miss Zhan must have a significant background, otherwise, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Zhou family would not be so deferential.
Considering Yang Xu's closeness to Zhan Feiyu and the respect in Young Master Qiu's words, many began to scheme in their hearts. Compared to the overbearing Zhou Shuyao, Miss Zhan appeared younger and seemed to be unsophisticated, making her seem more approachable.
Miss Feng took over the conversation, "They were renovated just two years ago. Miss Fu's family initially donated a hundred taels of silver, and each family also contributed some money, which allowed the Plum Valley to be renovated. Private wooden houses were built. It's a pity it's winter now; in spring, when all the flowers are in bloom, it would be a breathtaking sight."
The reason for such an elaborate undertaking was that the young ladies from the families in Xiangwu County also wished to soak in the hot springs. Miss Fu's family, being merchants, naturally had no shortage of money. Initially, Miss Fu's family had intended to bear all the construction costs.
However, these families in Xiangwu County were not foolish. If their younger generations were to visit the Plum Valley in the future, wouldn't they be indebted to Miss Fu's family? Therefore, each family contributed money and arranged for two servants to live in the Plum Valley year-round to manage the hot springs. This way, whenever a family wanted to visit, they could bring their servants and maids to tidy up in advance, and they could check in the next day.
Of course, having someone guard the Plum Valley also prevented the poor families from coming to the hot springs. Otherwise, how could the pampered young ladies from each family soak after they had used them?
When Zhan Feiyu, accompanied by He Nuan, went to soak in the hot springs, Zhou Shuyao and the others were playing Tou Hu (pitch-pot). Before that, they had been playing Fei Hua Ling (a word-guessing game), but since they were all young, no one was fined wine, only a cup of tea, and a strip of white paper was stuck on their faces.
A quarter of an hour later.
Zhan Feiyu, comfortably soaking in the hot springs, widened her eyes in shock. "Is there something unusual about that bonfire? Could someone have added medicine to it?"
"It seems a piece of wood was soaked in the juice of Gui Cao (Osmanthus grass). Gui Cao has the effect of invigorating the mind. When consumed in small amounts, it can cause excitement, similar to the Five-Stone Powder that was banned by His Majesty in the past." He Nuan was knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, and Gui Cao was not a rare herb.
Moreover, the burning wood was moved from the wooden houses near the hot springs. Pine wood burning did not have a strong odor, but Gui Cao burning had a faint fragrance, similar to the scent of osmanthus. Therefore, He Nuan had noticed it from the beginning.
Her entire body was submerged in the warm water, with only her small head exposed. Zhan Feiyu recalled the group of people who were having a great time when she left. Even if they were a bit excited, likely no one would have suspected they had been drugged; they would have simply attributed it to high spirits.
"Does Gui Cao have other effects when combined with other medicines?" Zhan Feiyu did not believe that the other party was simply trying to enhance the mood.
He Nuan, by the side of the pool, hesitated. She looked at Zhan Feiyu's flushed cheeks from the heat and her dark, round eyes, and found it difficult to say the words.
"Could this be Zhou Shuyao's doing? Is she trying to make things happen with Qiu Jinyu?" Zhan Feiyu's voice suddenly became excited, as if she had consumed Five-Stone Powder, her eyes gleaming. "Although both are only fourteen years old, and a bit young, they won't have children immediately. As long as they solidify their marital status, it's fine."
He Nuan's expression stiffened for a moment. "Miss must have been corrupted by the unrestrained Chong Guang! Otherwise, I only mentioned Gui Cao, and Miss would have thought of so much."
Since her guess had been hit upon, He Nuan no longer concealed it. "After inhaling Gui Cao, if胭脂果 (Rouge Fruit) is consumed within half an hour, the combination of the two medicinal properties will cause a loss of consciousness, and there is also..."
Looking at Zhan Feiyu's widening eyes, He Nuan really couldn't bring herself to say the word "aphrodisiac."
She thought about the ages of the people present. Miss Feng, the daughter of the county lieutenant, was the oldest. However, a small county lieutenant in Xiangwu County probably wouldn't dare to plot against Qiu Jinyu. "The great do not associate with the humble!" That was the Qiu family from Qianzhong Dao. Thinking of Qiu Zongxi's violent temper, Zhan Feiyu felt they wouldn't dare.
But Zhou Shuyao was different. After all, she was also the daughter of an official family, and she was Yang Xu's cousin. If Zhou Shuyao succeeded in her scheme, Qiu Jinyu would likely have to swallow the bitter pill.