Chapter 261: Fitting Into The Small Family
At dinner, Sun Shangxiang finally met the male master of the mansion. Despite her deep friendship with Xu Wei, despite Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao expressing sincere welcome to her, the true master of this mansion was Gan Ning, and Sun Shangxiang could not avoid him no matter what.
Looking at Gan Ning’s tall and straight figure, mature and gentle gaze, faint smile on his face, and concern for his three wives, Sun Shangxiang’s gaze was a bit dazed. She remembered the many years of humiliating Gan Ning at Grand Commandant Yang Biao’s Mansion, verbally cursing him as a Brocade Sail Bandit and slandering him for having three hundred stronghold madams. That was their only interaction, yet it was so unbearable.
Although she could excuse herself as young and ignorant, the harm was still there after all. Did he really not care?
Sun Shangxiang uneasily performed a curtsy toward Gan Ning, “Hello, General Gan!”
Gan Ning smiled gently, “Treat this place as your own home, with no reservations. Our whole family sincerely welcomes you!”
Gan Ning’s gentle smile and sincere attitude allowed Sun Shangxiang’s heart to relax a bit. While eating, she secretly observed Gan Ning and saw that his smile remained gentle throughout. She thought to herself inwardly: ‘Perhaps he has long forgotten that incident.’
At night, Xu Wei and Sun Shangxiang slept together, talking late into the night.
Xu Wei told her all the details of her life here, from initially living here like a guest, gradually being accepted, gradually becoming part of the family, and eventually becoming his wife. She told her everything candidly: the twists and turns in between, her father’s opposition, and her own determination without regrets.
Sun Shangxiang just listened quietly. Suddenly she asked, “Your marriage—your father has never agreed?”
Xu Wei nodded lightly, “He has always opposed it. I wrote him letters, but he didn’t reply. My husband sent people to propose marriage, but he ignored them. He has always held a grudge against me for giving up the position of main wife.”
“Then why did you give up the position of main wife?” Sun Shangxiang asked softly again.
“Because I know it doesn’t belong to me. Not because of status, not because of family background, and not because of so-called equal social status. In our family, who is the elder and who is the younger actually follows only one rule: order of precedence and age.
Older Sister is tolerant, gentle, and kind. From the depths of her heart, she regards me as her younger sister, and she also lets me recognize her as my older sister from the depths of my heart.”
At this point, Xu Wei held Sun Shangxiang’s hand again and said, “Shang Xiang, I know I am the legitimate daughter of the Xu Family, and the Xu Family holds a high status in Jiangdong. But if Cao Cao’s daughter were to marry over, what would I, a daughter of the Xu Family, count for? Perhaps one day, the emperor’s daughter will also marry over—what would Cao Cao’s daughter count for then? So judging superiority by status is a very foolish thing. I am very glad that our family doesn’t do that. Our family may seem unequal, but in reality, it is true equality.”
“True equality!”
Sun Shangxiang murmured to herself. Clearly, this somewhat exceeded her cognition. She needed time to slowly understand. After a long while, she sighed softly, “Then what about your father? He has always opposed it—doesn’t that make you sad?”
Xu Wei gazed at the ceiling and said wistfully, “I often think that our lives are like a quietly flowing stream— so brief, never turning back, never giving you closure. All regrets and sorrows are like sand and stones, eventually settling at the bottom of the water. I only want to cherish every day now. I don’t care about other people’s thoughts at all, even my father’s.”
Sun Shangxiang’s heart was shaken. No one had ever told her these life truths before. These years she had muddle-headedly drifted along, either discussing those shallow topics of status, wealth, clothes, and jewelry with other noble girlfriends. But here with her good friend, she saw a completely different life, one that completely overturned her cognition—like a clear breeze dispersing the muddle-headed fog of these years, allowing her to see another path in life.
“Yun Qing, you must teach me more in the future!”
Xu Wei gently squeezed her hand, “Take it slow! Stay at my place for a year or so, and I believe you will also find your true self.”
Sun Shangxiang settled down in the mansion. She hid her full name and changed it to A Ren, which was actually her childhood name. Her given name was Sun Ren, with courtesy name Shang Xiang.
A few days later, the New Year arrived—the tenth year of Jian’an.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, as every year, Da Qiao distributed New Year’s rewards to the servants in the manor. This was also the moment everyone looked forward to most each year.
Every year Xiao Qiao and Xu Wei helped, and this year there was an additional Sun Shangxiang, who helped along with them.
Sun Shangxiang was a bit restless, because yesterday afternoon, when Gan Ning gave Xu Wei a New Year’s gift, he also gave her a small red envelope containing a twenty-tael ingot of gold.
These twenty taels were far inferior to the gifts Xu Wei received, but this gesture moved Sun Shangxiang deeply. This family did not isolate her because she was a guest but gave her a small space as well—though small, it was immensely precious.
“A Ren, what are you thinking about?” Xiao Qiao asked smilingly beside her.
“I—”
Sun Shangxiang lowered her head a bit embarrassedly, “Nothing, just that today is the first day of the Lunar New Year—will my mother miss me?”
Xiao Qiao scratched her head, “That’s true! How about asking my husband if there’s any way to send a message.”
Sun Shangxiang shook her head, “I’m fine, no need to trouble General Gan.”
Xiao Qiao was a warm-hearted person. She didn’t forget—after finishing lunch, eating lunch was their rule; they must eat lunch at noon, even if simple.
Xiao Qiao found Da Qiao, who was changing the baby’s diaper, “Older Sister, A Ren is missing her mother a bit. Should we think of a way to send a message to her mother to reassure her.”
Da Qiao thought for a moment and nodded, “I understand. Later I’ll mention it to my husband. These few days, you and Yun Qing spend more time with her.”
In the afternoon, Gan Ning returned from the army banquet as usual. He no longer got drunk, only slightly tipsy from the wine. He went straight back to the study to rest, sitting down on the wide chair.
The wide chair was a chair Gan Ning invented himself: raising the couch to two feet high, installing a wide and tall backrest behind it, slightly reclined, very suitable for semi-reclining, with armrests on both sides. Because the chair was wide and large, it also had thick soft cushions.
This kind of wide chair had become popular in all states and counties of Western Chu. Officials eagerly imitated it, which also drove civilian imitation. Everyone even gave it a nice name: Marquis of Chu chair.
As soon as Gan Ning sat down, Da Qiao came in with sobering stomach-nourishing soup.
“You’re in good shape today!” Da Qiao smiled, “Better than I thought!”
“Not bad, only drank a dozen or so cups. The rules are different now—group toasts are implemented, not like the wheel battle drinking before.”
Gan Ning took the stomach-nourishing soup, drank a few sips. The hot soup warmed his stomach, making it much more comfortable. Seeing his wife hesitating to speak, he smiled and asked, “Is there something?”
