Wei Changying first greeted the eldest branch.

Mrs. Liu had seen Wei Changying yesterday in the bridal chamber. She was wearing a purple dress today, and her hair was made into a snake-shaped bun, decorated with a gold hair clasp. She looked dignified and elegant. The person on her left was Shen Cangfeng's lineal eldest brother Shen Cangli. He was about 30 years old and had a short beard. He looked similar to Shen Xuan and Shen Cangfeng, but his appearance was rather melancholy than sharp. He was not ebullient either. He only lifted his hands and didn't even smile when Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying came to visit him.

Not until Mrs. Liu encouraged the new couple on behalf of Shen Cangli did the atmosphere become less embarrassed.

Seeing this, Wei Changying began to think that Shen Cangli was unsatisfied with Shen Cangfeng because Shen Cangfeng was appointed to be the next Family Head instead of him.... However, he behaved like this even in front of Shen Xuan and Madam Su, which meant that he was not a scheming person....

Mrs. Duanmu from the second branch had also seen Wei Changying yesterday. Her husband Shen Lianshi was the second son of Shen Xuan's concubine. He looked handsome and gentle with a style of literati, which was not in line with the Shen Family's style. Shen Lianshi's attitude was much better. He bantered with Shen Cangfeng and properly chatted with Wei Changying.

However, Mrs. Duanmu was cold to them. Wei Changying decided to ask someone about the feud between her and Mrs. Duanmu.

After they had greeted the two branches, Madam Su let the couple sit on the right side of the second branch. She then said, "Since Cangxiu is not in the capital, Cangji, it's your turn to greet your brother and sister-in-law."

A young man on the right side of Madam Su stood up and bowed to them. He looked extremely like Madam Su.

Shen Cangji, the youngest lineal son who ranked the fifth in the Shen Family, had just turned 15 years old. It was said that Madam Su loved him more than her youngest child Shen Cangning.

Shen Cangji looked almost the same as Madam Su. Although he looked delicate, his eyes were bright, and his moves were vigorous. Coming up next was Shen Lianshi and the sixth young master Shen Liankun. Shen Liankun looked more like a lineal son because his appearance was just like Shen Xuan, and his clothes were as fine as Shen Cangji's. But he had a melancholy face.

Then, Shen Cangning came up, wearing a red upper shirt with a high-waisted full skirt. Her clothes were brilliant, and she had worn makeup. However, her makeup was so thick that Wei Changying doubted whether her maidservants knew how to makeup or not. Shen Cangning's makeup had covered up her beauty and ruined her pretty face.

After seeing Shen Cangning, Wei Changying finally understood the meaning of "makeup ruins the beauty."

Wei Changying then noticed that Madam Su's stiff expression after seeing her daughter Shen Cangning's makeup. However, Wei Cangning was immensely proud of herself, especially when she saw her mother glaring at her. Madam Su held her handkerchief tightly and gnawed her teeth. Obviously, she was at the margin of fury, but she compressed her anger because her new daughter-in-law was at the scene.

...Wei Changying understood. Shen Cangning did it on purpose to piss her mother off!

It seemed that this sister-in-law was also not an easy-going person.

The last person who came up was Shen Lianheng, the youngest son of Shen Xuan's concubine. He was the eighth young master of the Shen Family and was only 11 years old. However, he looked very different from Shen Xuan, for he had big eyes, red lips, and a round face. Looking from a distance, he even looked like an adorable girl.

After Shen Lianheng had greeted his brother and his new sister-in-law, it was time for the nephews and nieces to come up.

Because the third young master Shen Cangfeng had just got married, only the eldest branch and the second branch had nephews and nieces. Coming up in the order of age, they were: the two children from the eldest branch, namely the eldest lineal daughter Shen Shujing and the lineal son Shen Shuming; and the three daughters from the second branch, namely the eldest lineal daughter Shen Shurou, the second daughter Shen Shuyue, and the youngest lineal daughter Shen Shuyan.

The eldest among them was the 10-year-old Shen Shujing. Her behavior was as dignified as the daughters of the eminent families. The only boy Shen Shuming was two years younger than his lineal sister and had only started school two years ago. But his manners and speech were well trained, just as other children in the distinguished families. The most interesting ones were the three girls from the second branch. Although one of them was the daughter of a concubine, the three looked exactly the same as their father Shen Lianshi. If they had been at the same age, people would have considered them triplets.

Yesterday in the bridal chamber, Wei Changying had already heard about Shen Shuyan from Shen Cangning, so she paid attention to Shen Shuyan today. Shen Shuyan had just turned four and was very adorable. She had white skin and black hair, with red lips and big bright eyes. No one would refuse to hug such a lovely girl.

Not only Wei Changying was looking at her, but it seemed that Shen Shuyan also wanted to talk to Wei Changying. However, she left with her sisters reluctantly, because Mrs. Duanmu coughed deliberately to warn her.

After Wei Changying had met all the members, Madam Su said something to encourage them. Shen Xuan watched the clock and said, "Today is a rest day. I suppose your uncle Shen Zhou has been waiting for you. Since you have finished meeting our family members here, why not visit Shen Zhou now?"

After Shen Cangfeng nodded, Shen Xuan announced that the meeting was over, so the people left together.

As soon as Wei Changying went out, Shen Shuyan called out to her.

Hearing Shen Shuyan's sweet voice, Wei Changying stopped as she smiled and asked what her matter was. However, Mrs. Duanmu looked sullen and picked Shen Shuyan up as she scolded, "Don't be so impolite. Your third uncle and aunt are going to visit your granduncle!" She then turned to Wei Changying and said, "Just ignore her. Children at her age are always mischievous. Hurry up to visit your second uncle-in-law!"

Wei Changying went onto the soft sedan with doubt. After they had gone far, she asked Shen Cangfeng, "Do you know what Shuyan wanted to say to me?"

Of course, Shen Cangfeng knew what Shen Cangning had said to Shen Shuyan, but he couldn't directly tell Wei Changying that Shen Shuyan wanted the ancient books in her dowry case, because the servants were still around them. If Wei Changying didn't want to give the books, she would feel embarrassed to refuse. What was more, it was improper for Shen Shuyan to ask a new bride for her dowry. Even if Wei Changying gave the books to Shen Shuyan, other people would consider the Shen Family greedy, for they had indulged a child thinking of a new bride's dowry.

It was Shen Cangning who had instigated Shen Shuyan to steal the sword with her and lied to Shen Shuyan that she could ask for the precious ancient books from her third aunt Wei Changying soon after the wedding.

Shen Cangfeng thought for a while and said, "She loves reading. Maybe she wants to learn from you because your family is famous for literature studies."

“I see...." Wei Changying felt worried. Although the Wei Family was famous for their literati, Wei Changying was not one of them. She had been focusing on practicing martial arts, so her talent in literature was not outstanding among the ladies of the eminent families.

If Shen Shuyan came to discuss literature works with her, it would be troublesome.

Wei Changying then remembered something and asked, "I heard that there's a genius in the Shen Family...."

"Yes, and it is Shuyan," replied Shen Cangfeng, "She was gifted in writing poems, and His Majesty has even invited her to the palace because of her talent. But my second sister-in-law thinks it will do harm to her if she is too brilliant, so she dislikes Shuyan to show her talent." Shen Cangfeng guessed that Wei Changying was not good at literature studies because he had fought with her last night and found that Wei Changying had practiced martial arts for a long time.

Therefore, Wei Changying should be ordinary in literature. Although her talent in literature might be as same as the common young ladies, she wouldn't like to talk too much with a prodigy. Or else, people would say that she couldn't even compare with a four-year-old child....

What was more, he had mentioned that although Mrs. Duanmu had a talented daughter, she didn't hope others talk about or pay too much attention to her daughter.

He supposed that Wei Changying would avoid contacting Shen Shuyan after hearing his words, and Shen Shuyan wouldn't have a chance to talk about the ancient books.

Actually, Shen Cangfeng had told Shen Shuyan several times that she couldn't ask for Wei Changying's dowry as she liked. However, Shen Shuyan was too young to understand these manners, though she was gifted in writing poems. What was worse, Shen Cangning had been instigating her. She had accompanied Shen Shuyan more than Shen Cangfeng, so Shen Cangfeng had failed to persuade Shen Shuyan to stop thinking about the books.

Shen Cangfeng decided to tell Wei Changying the truth after they had returned to their house.

Wei Changying associated this with the scene that Mrs. Duanmu sowed discord between her and Shen Cangning yesterday.... Was that the reason why Mrs. Duanmu did this to her?

Wei Changying believed that things couldn't be so simple. If Mrs. Duanmu was worrying that her brilliant daughter would be unfortunate because of her talent, and she didn't want her daughter to show talent, she could imply her just as what Shen Cangfeng did. If so, Wei Changying wouldn't need to consider so much.... So why did she show such hostility?

Maybe Madam Duanmu sowed discord between them because of Shen Cangning, who had always been instigating Shen Shuyan. Mrs. Duanmu could do nothing to Shen Cangning because she was Madam Su's daughter, but Mrs. Duanmu also worried that Shen Cangning and Wei Changying would misguide Shen Shuyan together, so she drove a wedge between the two from the very beginning.

It seemed that Shen Cangning had a good relationship with Shen Cangfeng, and she was willing to extend her love for her brother to Wei Changying. Although Shen Cangning had bantered Wei Changying yesterday, she was not malicious. If Mrs. Duanmu didn't drive a wedge between them, Wei Changying believed that Shen Cangning would play with her frequently.... Was this what Mrs. Duanmu wanted to prevent?

But this sounded farfetched....

When Wei Changying was still thinking, a servant reminded, "Young master, young madam, mind your heads. There are climbing figs on the gate."

Shen Zhou's mansion was next to the Grand Preceptor's mansion, with a gate on the wall between them. The wall was covered with climbing figs, and some of the twigs were drooping from the wall. The old branches were cut, but the servants were too busy to cut the new ones. Maybe it was because they had been preparing for Wei Changying's wedding that they didn't cut the climbing figs.

After arriving at Shen Zhou's mansion, they bowed, listened to Shen Zhou's earnest teachings, and accepted the welcome gift. Wei Changying had heard that Shen Zhou had not remarried after his wife passed away several years ago, and that was why no one was sitting on his right. Shen Zhou then said, "Cangzhu and Lianmei couldn't greet you now. They are afraid to bring you bad luck.... You can meet them after a month. Canghui, Lianhua, come and greet your brother and sister-in-law!"

The fourth young master Shen Canghui was 19 years old, and he was Shen Zhou's eldest lineal son. It was said that he had become engaged last year, and would marry soon after his cousin Shen Cangfeng got married. Shen Canghui looked slim and graceful, and people considered him a gentle and honest man.

The seventh young master Shen Lianhua was Shen Zhou's concubine's son. He was only 3 months younger than Shen Liankun, and he looked ordinary and quiet.

Shen Zhou had fewer children than Shen Xuan, so Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying decided to leave the mansion after a short stay.

At this time, Shen Canghui proposed that he should see them off. However, as soon as they walked out, Shen Canghui said to Wei Changying, "Third sister, I have a simple request. I hope you can meet my request."

Wei Changying was surprised and said, "You don't need to be so polite. Is there anything...."

Shen Cangfeng interrupted her and said, "Fourth brother, are you asking Changying for the 'Lu Hu' sword? How reckless you are! The sword is a gift from my father to Changying, do you think she will give it to you?"

Hearing this, Shen Canghui said resentfully, "I am asking my third sister-in-law, why do you stop me? Maybe she will meet my request."

Although he was right, Wei Changying could not give him the sword. She said with apologies, "I dare not give others a gift from an elder. Please forgive me."

Shen Canghui sighed and said, "I knew I would fail as soon as third brother spoke." He then waved goodbye to them as they had reached the bottom of the stairs where the soft sedan waited for them.

After they had returned to the Grand Preceptor's mansion, Wei Changying asked Shen Cangfeng, "What's going on with the 'Lu Hu' sword?"

How could Shen Cangfeng tell the truth? He smiled and said, "Uncle Shen Zhou also likes that sword, but my father didn't give it to him even if he has asked for several times."

So... maybe what Shen Cangfeng said was true: Shen Zhou had forgotten to take the sword to the Wei Family. Did Shen Zhou do it on purpose because he wanted the sword?

Maybe Shen Xuan worried that Shen Zhou would appropriate the sword to himself if he let other people catch up with Shen Zhou, so he appointed his son Shen Cangfeng to send the sword.

Wei Changying began to think this way....