Chapter 33 - Quietly (Happy Birthday to

Chapter 33: Chapter 27: Quietly (Happy Birthday to "Si Qing Lan Yu")Chapter 27 Sneaking

Eldest Sister Zhao paused in her tracks, looking ahead.

Zhao Erniang and Zhao Si Niang followed her gaze and saw Fu Tinghan heading towards the main house led by a servant. Zhao Erniang pursed her lips, "Here he comes again."

Eldest Sister Zhao felt a slight headache and instinctively reached up to touch her head.

Being too far away, she couldn’t hear their conversation, nor did she have time to take a closer look. She only saw them chatting happily before she moved closer to listen, and then a stone came flying out.

Now seeing Fu Tinghan brought back that splitting headache feeling, "Has Mr. Fu been visiting every day?"

"Exactly, he comes every day as if afraid others wouldn’t know they’re engaged." Zhao Erniang commented unhappily, pulling a flower from its stem. "Even Uncle Cheng is biased, only allowing Third Lady and Second Son to attend to the sick these days. Our second branch reaches the front yard gate only to be turned away."

Eldest Sister Zhao lowered her gaze and said, "They are the blood relatives. It’s normal to be biased."

"But right now, Father is the Princely Heir, meaning he inherited Uncle Cheng’s responsibilities. Uncle Cheng won’t let Father attend to him, nor see us. If word gets out, who knows what people will say about us." Zhao Erniang said unhappily, "It makes the siblings of the main branch seem diligent, attending to him every day along with the main branch’s son-in-law, as if we in the second branch aren’t filial to Uncle Cheng."

"Who doesn’t know that when Mr. Fu arrives, he goes straight to the main house’s garden instead of visiting Uncle Cheng at the main courtyard. Who knows what they do in that garden?"

Zhao Si Niang whispered, "Second Sister, such talk wouldn’t do us any good if it spread."

"Who would spread it? I’m just saying it to you both. If it spreads, it would be because one of you did."

Eldest Sister Zhao and Zhao Si Niang: ...

Though Zhao Changyu wouldn’t see them, they still had to go to the main courtyard daily and ask, before being turned away back to the second branch.

Daily rejection at the gates made even the three young girls quite temperamental.

Zhao Hanzhang jumped off her horse in a Hu dress as the West Corner Gate opened. The gatekeeper immediately took her horse, and Ting He quickly met her. "Mr. Fu has arrived and is having tea in the garden. Second Lady, seeing you were late, sent Second Son to entertain him."

Zhao Hanzhang walked towards Qingyi Pavilion, asking, "What’s happening at the residence today?"

"Another envoy arrived today with an Imperial Physician. They left after seeing the Lord."

"How long did they stay?"

"Around two quarters of an hour. Uncle Cheng personally escorted them outside. Just after the visitors left, the elderly from the second branch returned and went to see the Lord at the main courtyard, staying around two quarters of an hour as well."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, returned to Qingyi Pavilion, and found the maids and servants had already prepared clothes for her. She went into the inner room to change, soon swapping her tight-sleeved Hu dress for a wide-sleeved robe.

Ting He saw her pick up her skirt and quickly chased after her, "Third Lady, your hair hasn’t been changed yet."

"No need to change it, it’s fine as is."

Ting He chased behind, "Wouldn’t that be disrespectful?"

"Mr. Fu wouldn’t mind."

Zhao Hanzhang strode into the garden, spotting Zhao Erlang sitting cross-legged at the side table, staring intently at the chessboard. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang approach, he grabbed a white chess piece and jumped up, running towards her without shoes, just in socks, "Sister, Sister, look! I know how to play chess now."

Zhao Hanzhang went over and took a glance, clicked her tongue, "Go? You’re playing Go?"

Fu Tinghan placed a black piece down, smiling, "This is simple and easy to pick up, Second Son finds it interesting. It’s perfect for developing intelligence."

Zhao Hanzhang thought that made sense and sat beside Fu Tinghan, beckoning to Zhao Erlang, "Come here, let me test your skills."

Zhao Erlang excitedly moved forward, not caring about a black piece close to forming a line of five on the board, he cleared the pieces and seized the piece from Fu Tinghan’s hand, stuffing it into Zhao Hanzhang’s hand, "Sister, take it."

He held onto his chess box, grabbed a piece, eyes shining at Zhao Hanzhang, delicately extending his hand, "I, can I go first?"

Zhao Hanzhang generously replied, "Go ahead."

Zhao Erlang plonked his piece down quickly right in the center of the board.

Zhao Hanzhang laughed as she placed a black piece, Zhao Erlang carelessly placed his second piece...

Soon, Zhao Hanzhang casually placed a piece down, saying to Zhao Erlang, "I’ve won, pick up the pieces."

Letting Zhao Erlang pick the pieces, Zhao Hanzhang asked Fu Tinghan, "Any news from your parents?"

"Not yet," Fu Tinghan said, "Grandfather wanted me to thank you, for your grandfather sending someone to Chang’an."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s perfectly normal for in-laws to help each other."

Fu Tinghan looked at her face, "You... have accepted it remarkably well and quickly."

Zhao Hanzhang’s puzzled, "What’s unacceptable about it? We’re partners, and well, naturally we should be filial to our parents and elders, right?"

Zhao Erlang finished picking the pieces, and tugged on Zhao Hanzhang’s sleeve, "Sister, it’s done."

Zhao Hanzhang casually placed a piece down.

Fu Tinghan asked quietly, "What if there’s that one percent chance?"

Zhao Hanzhang blocked Zhao Erlang’s path with a piece, candidly said, "I’ve already prepared for that one percent’s possibility."

Fu Tinghan said, an odd expression on his face, "But if we’re married by then, do you know what this means?"

Zhao Hanzhang hesitated with her piece, looked up at Fu Tinghan, "Rest assured, if there’s someone you like, I’ll divorce you. Oh, amicably separate. I can totally make decisions on my own without being weighed down by societal norms, so don’t worry about that."

Fu Tinghan frowned, "So, you’re saying you might also fall for someone else eventually?"

He pressed his lips, "While still being married to me."

Zhao Hanzhang rubbed her chin, "I’m quite yearning for romance. This era doesn’t lack excellent people, but there’s ultimately hundreds of generational gaps between me and them, making it hard to share common ground in living together."

Fu Tinghan quietly sighed with relief, pouring himself a cup of tea and drank it in one go, "I think I feel the same."

Zhao Hanzhang clinked cups with him, "That’s even better, we can keep working together without those worries."

Fu Tinghan smiled at her, looking at the chessboard, "You’ve won again."

Zhao Hanzhang picked up the pieces and said to the still enthusiastic Zhao Erlang, "Do you want your brother-in-law to play a couple of rounds with you? I’m a bit tired."

Fu Tinghan, in the midst of drinking tea, choked, coughing violently and spraying Zhao Erlang’s clothes.

Zhao Erlang, engrossed in playing, was not bothered by Fu Tinghan’s saliva, casually wiped it off and said, "Sure, brother-in-law, play with me, I want to battle three hundred rounds more!"