If not abolished

Chapter 124 Sisters Gathering

We will not talk about how happy Zhu Zhanji was when he received the return gift from Hu Shanxiang.

Let’s go back to the Hu family’s sister gathering the day after.

Hu Shanwei had just returned and it was still early for dinner, so he went to see Hu Shanxiang when he had nothing to do.

"Sister, why are you here?" Hu Shanxiang was reading a book. When she saw Hu Shanwei coming over, she stood up to greet her.

"I just came back. I was bored in the room and wanted to come here to hide away and relax." Hu Shanwei pulled her to sit down and said.

"What's wrong? Is there anyone in this family who dares to bother you?" Hu Shanwei was hiding away and none of his brothers and sisters dared to disturb him.

Hu Shanwei sighed and said, "Of course you don't dare, but mother. You are getting married, and I will be 25 years old and leave the palace in two years, and mother is insisting on arranging a marriage for me." Hu Shanwei said, he was really annoyed.

"Ah, there is such a thing?" Hu Shanxiang thought about this famous Hu Shanggong in history. Compared with ordinary people, there are many historical records about her, but not too many either. She only knew her name, worked as a female official in the palace, and even became a Shanggong. This was all the result of Hu Shanwei's own hard work step by step. Her family was also favored by the emperor because of this. Hu Rong's position in the Jinyiwei at the beginning was due to Hu Shanwei, and later it was because Hu Shanxiang became the Crown Prince's Consort and the Queen that she was rewarded.

As to whether Hu Shanwei was married or who he married, there is no record. Even among the seven daughters of the Hu family, only the names of these two were clearly recorded, and there is no record of the others.

"That's right. Whenever my mother mentioned this before, I wouldn't go home. Then this time she moved you out, so I had no choice but to come back." Hu Shanwei complained.

"I'm sorry, sister. I didn't know about this. I just found out about this sisters' gathering yesterday. I didn't even know my second sister was back." Hu Shanxiang was also very sorry about this. "I was wondering, why did mother want us to have dinner together for no reason? It turns out she has other intentions."

"Who said it wasn't? I just can't escape this time, so I came to hide at your place while my mother wasn't here." Hu Shanwei sighed.

"I can't help you with this matter." Hu Shanxiang didn't know what to say about this matter, so she said that modern people hundreds of years later could not escape the fate of blind dates, let alone this era. Hu Shanxiang suddenly thought and asked: "My mother is urging me so urgently, could it be that she has someone selected?"

"Thanks to you, our family has grown in number of daughters. But even though we have many daughters, the younger ones are too young, and the only older ones left are me and my fourth sister."

"Then is there anything good that my sister likes? Since we have a lot to choose from, there's nothing wrong with picking one."

"Well, most of them are trying to get close to us. It's hard to find someone who is sincere in seeking reconciliation. Besides, I'm already at this age. Those who want to marry me are either second wives or too old. It's really embarrassing."

"That's true." Hu Shanxiang thought about it. In this era, if people get married in their teens, by the time they are twenty-five or twenty-six, or even in their seventies or eighties, the possibility of getting married for the first time is not high.

"So, if that's the case, I might as well stay in the palace for the rest of my life, or leave the palace and live on my own. The rewards I've received in the palace over the years are enough for me to spend, but my reputation might not be good, and it might also delay my sisters' future marriages." Hu Shanwei had thought about it, otherwise he could just marry anyone, since everyone has gone through this, but he just couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.

"Sister, don't think of compromising so easily. As the saying goes, for a woman, getting married is like a second life. If we are not careful, we will lose our whole life. We still have more than two years. Let's choose carefully. If we really can't find a partner by then, I will think of a way for you."

"Well, our Shanxiang has really grown up."

It was almost noon, and the two of them prepared to go to the banquet held at Yulin Pavilion.

"This Yu Lin Pavilion would only be more artistic if it rains later. It's so boring on this sunny day." Hu Shanji saw that Hu Shanwei and Hu Shanxiang had not arrived yet. She was the oldest and was commenting on the banquet venue.

"Oh, no, I specially changed into a new skirt today, it will be ruined if it rains."

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed that Fourth Sister is dressed so beautifully today." Hu Shanji looked at her for several times.

"Speaking of which, why haven't the eldest sister, third sister, and youngest sister arrived yet?" Someone looked at everyone.

"What can we say? They are legitimate children. Now the third sister is going to become a phoenix, so it's only natural for her to show off a little."

"Second sister can't say anything. Third sister is not that kind of person." Someone argued.

"Then why haven't you come yet? Let the sisters wait here."

"It's so lively here, what are the sisters talking about?" Suddenly, Hu Shanwei's voice came over.

Everyone quickly shut up and dared not speak anymore.

"Sisters, just chat about family matters. I guess you shouldn't interfere with this, eldest sister. The banquet won't start for a while, and the sisters are waiting here. I guess you won't stop us from talking, right?" Finally, Hu Shanji dared to speak.

Hu Shanwei walked over and said, "Sisters, I won't say anything, but don't wait until we come and the sisters are afraid to talk. What are you talking about? Let's continue chatting."

Hu Shanwei and Hu Shanxiang happened to meet Hu Shanyi on their way here, and then the three of them came together.

"We are all sisters, let's sit down and talk." Hu Shanxiang asked everyone to sit down, and then whispered to Lingzhi: "Have someone prepare the dishes."

"Yes."

"We were just talking about this. The next time I have dinner with my third sister, it might be in the palace."

"Fourth sister, what you said is not certain. Those who can eat at the same table with third sister at that time are either princes or nobles, at least wives of the imperial family. Fourth sister, what status do you have to eat at the same table with third sister in the palace?"

"Then I wish my second brother-in-law good luck in his career and help my second sister become a royal consort."

"Then I'll borrow Fourth Sister's good words."

"Okay, this blessing of entering the palace is something some people can't even ask for." Hu Shanwei said to Hu Shanji.

"The dishes are almost served, let's start eating," Hu Shanxiang said in an attempt to smooth things over.

No one said anything while eating.

After the meal, the sunny weather suddenly turned cloudy and windy, and it started to rain heavily.

"How come the situation has changed so suddenly?"

"It's all because of what my second sister said. Yulin Pavilion would only be meaningful if it rained. Now it's all meaningful. Who of you brought an umbrella?"

"That's just what I said. I didn't expect it to rain. I'm not a god."

"My second sister is definitely not a fairy. Maybe she is just a crow's mouth," said Hu Shanyi.

"you……"

"Okay, what are you arguing about? You're all bored and have nothing better to do." Hu Shanwei was almost annoyed by their noise.

"It was my little sister who said that to me." Hu Shanji said unconvinced.

"She's young, and it was just a joke. Don't take it seriously. Seventh sister, it's not right for you to talk to your sister like that. Apologize to your second sister."

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I won't do it again next time." She said this, but what she actually said in her heart was that she would dare to do it again next time.

"Okay, okay, I forgive you."

"How can we get back in such heavy rain?" Others were still worrying about what to do.

"The rain comes in fits and starts. Let's wait and go back after it stops."

"How about asking someone to get an umbrella?"

"It's raining so heavily, forget it. You might catch a cold. I'm busy at home now and we need people right now. If you get sick, it'll be easy to infect others." Hu Shanwei retorted.

"This won't work, and that won't work either. We can only wait."

After waiting for a long time, the rain finally stopped, and several people hurried back while the rain stopped. Their clothes and shoes were inevitably splashed with water.

"As the saying goes, every autumn rain brings a chill. Girl, I'll make some ginger soup for you to drink to ward off the chill."

"Ah, I still need to drink ginger soup? I haven't been caught in the rain, so I don't need to drink it, right?" Hu Shanxiang really couldn't stand the taste of ginger soup.

"No, you must drink this." Lingzhi insisted.

"Okay." Hu Shanxiang agreed on the surface, then thought in her mind how to find an opportunity to dump it out later.

After Hu Shanxiang changed her clothes and socks, Lingzhi also brought over the freshly cooked ginger soup.

"Girl, drink it while it's hot." Lingzhi urged.

As soon as Hu Shanxiang touched the edge of the bowl, she pulled her hand back because of the burn and said, "This is too hot. I can't drink it. I have to let it cool down for a while." Hu Shanxiang shook her head with a look of rejection.

Lingzhi touched it and tried it. It seemed to be quite hot. Thinking about it, she really couldn't drink it. "Well, wait for it to cool down for a while. The girl must finish it."

"Yes, yes, yes. I got it." Hu Shanxiang nodded in agreement.

"Sister Lingzhi, some of the dowry lists don't match. Please come and take a look." Suddenly someone called Lingzhi over.

"Why doesn't it match?"

"I don't know either. I just haven't found it."

"Miss, let me go and take a look." Lingzhi and Hu Shanxiang said.

"Go ahead, go and do your own thing. I don't have anything to do here." Hu Shanxiang waved her hand to tell her to leave quickly.

"Come on, take me to see it."

Hu Shanxiang saw that everyone had left, and then said, "You all go down, I'll stay alone for a while."

"Yes." Several people went out.

After Hu Shanxiang and others left, they immediately poured out the bowl of ginger soup on the table.

When Lingzhi came back, he saw that the bowl was empty. He thought to himself, the girl was very self-conscious today. Before, she had to beg him to drink a few sips, but this time she drank the whole bowl and left with the empty bowl.

Seeing that Lingzhi had no doubts, Hu Shanxiang breathed a sigh of relief and put her mind at ease. Then she waited for Zhu Zhanji's letter. Hu Shanxiang even shared her story with him in the letter.

After reading the letter, Zhu Zhanji did not find it interesting. She did not reply to Hu Shanxiang, and Hu Shanxiang did not care about it either. However, she did not know that her action attracted several people to her.

The next day, several people came to the Hu family, but Hu Shanxiang was naturally surprised.