A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 46p1

Chapter 46: Complaint p1

The Second Miss Zhang had a very gentle face, with only a silver hairpin in her hair.

When she lowered her head, the tassels on the hairpin swayed gently, shining with a fine light in the sunlight that came in through the window.

The Second Miss Zhang’s voice was originally melodious and delicate, but when she got excited, it was a little too melodious, with the air of nine bends and eighteen turns.

She said, “I really didn’t expect to find a like-minded person! Even my mother advised me to just find someone who is good enough, no one can bear to raise ten children. The General is really extraordinary, not a common person!”

Shen Zhishu felt very numb.

The Second Miss Zhang said a long string of words with the central idea of “how to love children” without stuttering. Finally, as if she were tired of talking, she picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea.

Only then did Shen Zhishu have a chance to interrupt, “I was lying just now.”

“Hmm?”

“I actually don’t like children.”

The Second Miss Zhang stared at her intently, pondered for a moment, and waved her hand, “It’s alright. I have a sister who also doesn’t like children. I can introduce her to the General.”

As she spoke, she turned her head and called for her own attendant, “Go to the Wu family and invite the Third Miss. Say that I’m treating her to a meal with General Shen.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu hurriedly stopped the attendant who was about to leave. After thinking about it, she couldn’t find a more suitable excuse, so she just laid her cards on the table, “No need to trouble you. Actually—”

“I know the General’s intention,” the Second Miss Zhang interrupted her. “The General must be saying that there’s no need for others to be involved, and that the General still wants to get to know me a little more, right?”

Shen Zhishu: …?

The Second Miss Zhang continued, “If the General doesn’t want children, it’s actually easy to solve. Why don’t you marry me, General? I’ll take a few more concubines and have children with them, so the General doesn’t have to worry about anything. As for the betrothal gift for marrying the General, the General doesn’t have to worry. My Zhang family is rich and powerful, and my family can afford whatever the General wants. If the General feels that it’s unfair that I have concubines but the General doesn’t, actually, the concubines don’t have to be distinguished between you and me. Mine is the General’s, and the General…”

“Stop,” Shen Zhishu couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She took a deep breath and said, “What I was trying to say is that I’m not here for a blind date today.”

“Then what for?”

“My mother arranged this meeting for me without my knowledge. I didn’t know about it beforehand, but I couldn’t refuse when it came to it, so I had to come. If you are willing, it is a fate, and we can become friends; if you are not willing, we can go our separate ways after this meal. I will give you a meeting gift, and our fate will end here.”

The Second Miss Zhang nodded, “So that’s how it is.”

The next moment, she sighed, “Alas, actually, me too.”

Shen Zhishu didn’t get it, “Hmm? What is it?”

The Second Miss Zhang said softly, “My mother has been urging me to find a husband and constantly trying to set me up with people. I also find it boring. I’m used to being alone and unrestrained. If there’s suddenly another person lying by my pillow, I feel uncomfortable just thinking about it.”

Shen Zhishu suddenly realized, “So that’s how it is.”

The Second Miss Zhang’s nine bends and eighteen turns were gone, and she spoke in a soft and delicate voice. She paused and continued, “Doesn’t the General think that I was too enthusiastic and excited just now? I’ve always scared people away like that. I actually don’t like children either, but I thought that as long as I was more enthusiastic than the General, the General would definitely not be able to stand it.”

Shen Zhishu smiled, “Is that so? Your acting skills are truly superb, I didn’t even see that you were pretending.”

“It took me a year of practice to get like this,” the Second Miss Zhang shook her head. “At first, I couldn’t let go at all. I was originally a quiet and careful person, and I could only say a few words in a cup of tea’s time.”

After hearing this, Shen Zhishu cupped her hands, “You must be very experienced in this aspect. I’m currently worried about avoiding matchmaking. Please don’t hesitate to teach me.”

“It’s not difficult. The General just needs to remember this sentence: be bold.”

“Hmm?”

“Boldly refuse your mothers’ urging for marriage and the matchmakers’ proposals. If you really can’t refuse, then boldly act ugly on the date to make the other person dissatisfied with you. In short, be as bold as you can,” the Second Miss Zhang said in a gentle voice. “But this reminder is probably useless to the General. The General has been fighting on the battlefield for so many years, so your courage is naturally the greatest.”

Shen Zhishu nodded and asked, “Then do you think my ‘I want ten children’ just now was bold?”

“That was bold, and it probably scared away a lot of people,” the Second Miss Zhang mused. “If the General is willing, I will go back and spread the news among my sisters that ‘the General wants ten children.’ But I’m afraid that if someone who really wants ten children comes to your door, it will be difficult to handle.”

“It’s alright, I’ll just hide for as long as I can,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Then I’ll have to trouble you with this matter. This meal is on me today.”

“You are too kind, General,” the Second Miss Zhang said. “Speaking of which, I also have a favor to ask of the General. I’ve always wanted to befriend the General, but I haven’t had the chance.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I failed the provincial examinations again this year. After thinking about it, I’m probably not cut out for literary studies, so I was thinking of trying martial arts. Does the General think I have any talent in this aspect?”

Shen Zhishu looked at her frail body, which could be blown over by the wind, and couldn’t bring herself to say a compliment that went against her conscience. She cleared her throat and said, “It’s better to pursue literary studies. Being a military officer is too hard, and you might lose your head if you’re not careful. You’ve been raised in a privileged family, so you probably can’t take it.”

“I really have no choice,” the Second Miss Zhang sighed softly. “I’ve been studying hard for ten years, and I’ve changed tutors one after another, but I haven’t even passed the provincial examinations. My sister has already entered the court as an official. She has the excuse of establishing her career before starting a family, so she can avoid our mothers’ urging for marriage.”

“Oh? Your sister is…?”

“The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Yunzhong.”

Shen Zhishu had been cramming the list of civil and military officials in the court these past few days, so she could say something now, “I have heard of Vice Minister Zhang. The Emperor has praised her many times. But speaking of your achievements… if you can’t do literary studies and you can’t do martial arts, why don’t you try business?”

“Business? Speaking of which, the rouge shop I’m running has an annual turnover of one or two hundred taels of silver. Although it’s not much, it’s a small achievement,” the Second Miss Zhang said in a soft and delicate voice. “The General has given me a good idea. If I can make the rouge shop bigger, I can also use ‘I’m too busy with business to go on blind dates’ to stop my mothers from setting me up with people.”

“That’s it. You don’t have to enter the officialdom,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Let’s agree on what to say to the outside world now—you can just say that I want ten children and you’re not willing.”

The Second Miss Zhang: “You can just say that I’m too wild, and listening to me talk is like listening to a hundred ducks quacking, and you can’t stand it.”

The two of them high-fived and reached an agreement.

Shen Zhishu stood up unhurriedly and pushed the well-packaged jade pendant hidden in her sleeve onto the table, “A small gift, it’s nothing.”

The Second Miss Zhang was a little embarrassed and stammered, “In order to leave an impolite impression on the other party, I didn’t even bring a meeting gift. It’s quite rude of me now.”

“It’s alright. I would like to get to know Vice Minister Zhang. I will definitely visit another day,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “That’s it for today’s meal. I still have something to do at home, so I will take my leave first.”

The Second Miss Zhang nodded and said, “Please feel free, General.”

Shen Zhishu left the restaurant and went home.

Her two mothers and nine aunts were sitting in a row in the main hall, like a whole row of invigilators at the front of the main hall during the palace examinations.

The invigilator Shen Hantan was the first to ask, “How was it? I heard that the Second Miss Zhang has a lively personality.”

“She is lively,” Shen Zhishu sighed pretentiously. “She’s just a little too lively, it made my ears hurt. Mother, you don’t know, when she talks, it’s like there are nine hundred and ninety-nine ducks quacking in my ear.”

“Really?” Mistress He and Shen Hantan exchanged a look, a little hesitant. “When we met her last time, she seemed like a very nice girl.”

“Oh, people change, and they also pretend,” Shen Zhishu said. “Maybe she has experienced some kind of stimulation and her personality has changed greatly; or maybe the last time she met Mother He, her good personality was all an act.”

Shen Hantan and Mistress He sighed for a while and said no more, “Forget it, let’s wait and see if there are any other suitable families.”

Shen Zhishu nodded like a garlic pounder and let out a dry laugh in her heart.

…Haha, what family.

A family that can handle ten children?

**