Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 550 - 549: Xiao Xianghua’s Troubles

A long night on the river passed.

The next day, having received the news, the Xiao Family sent people early to the city gate, waiting to head to the dock to welcome Lin Wanwan after the morning bell and drum sounded and the city gates opened.

Lin Wanwan, along with her entourage, abandoned the boat and landed, getting into the carriage sent by the Xiao Family, which rumbled its way towards the Xiao Family residence.

Last year when Lin Wanwan came to Qiantang County, she still had the mood to buy street vendor’s pastries with little Qingyu.

This year, the pastries are still there, but Lin Wanwan no longer has the initial joyful feeling.

Sitting silently in the carriage throughout the journey, there was no delay.

Lin Wanwan now owns two ships; one that came from Qiong State which she invested in her clan, converting it into a fishing vessel; the other is a luxurious ship from Lu’s of Wu County Hai City, which has become Lin Wanwan’s means of long-distance travel.

The luxury cruise ship is quite large, making it inconvenient to navigate into small creek towns, so it generally stays on standby at the Lin Family Manor’s dock year-round.

The crew of the ship is well-equipped, all of them recruited from the dock’s Beggar Gang members who have spent several months at sea learning from Lin Family Manor’s fishermen, and are now adept at being sailors.

This time, because Lin Wanwan set out after the Lantern Festival, all males aged sixteen to sixty from Lin Family Manor had gone to fulfill their labor service, so the newly trained sailors from last year became the main force for this sea voyage.

Lin Wanwan only plans to stay in Qiantang for a few days, sorting out the tangled emotional affairs before returning to Mao County. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She abandoned the ship to enter the city, while those contract-bound servants stayed on the ship to watch it, ready to follow orders at any time.

After a leisurely hour’s journey, Lin Wanwan and her party finally arrived at the main entrance of the Xiao Family.

Because Lin Wanwan is now a Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady of Le’an, the Xiao Family opened both gates to welcome her into the courtyard.

Last year, when she visited, she entered through the side gate.

A Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady with a title and fief is more prestigious than an official wife relying on her husband or son’s honorific title; for Lin Wanwan’s maternal family, she is already an honored guest.

Different status leads to different treatment.

However, only Lin Wanwan and her personal maid assisting her could enter through the main gate, while Qingyu, Xiao Yixun, and the other servants still had to enter through the side gate.

Upon entering, as custom, palanquins came to carry Lin Wanwan, Xiao Yixun, and Qingyu.

They first went to the main courtyard where Xiao Mother resided to pay respects and greet her, with Lin Wanwan presenting the prepared gifts.

There wasn’t much change in Xiao Mother from this year to last; her silver hair and kind eyes made her appear as a gently-minded old lady who has lived in comfort.

The old lady, upon seeing Lin Wanwan, couldn’t help but shed tears again and sigh. Lin Wanwan, not particularly skilled at acting, pretended to wipe her eyes with a handkerchief in accompaniment.

Afterwards, Lin Wanwan was left in Xiao Mother’s courtyard to have breakfast, while the gifts and servants she brought were arranged in last year’s accommodation.

After leaving Xiao Mother, Lin Wanwan took Qingyu and the maid, carrying gifts prepared for her two uncles’ families, to pay them a visit one by one.

Her eldest aunt, Mrs. Yuan, was particularly enthusiastic when she saw Lin Wanwan this time, given that, with Lin Wanwan’s help, she was able to fulfill her wish of betrothing her legitimate daughter to an established noble family.

The twin cousins, having both been betrothed, remained in their rooms embroidering their dowries, rarely going out.

After presenting honey soaps—the same meeting gifts as last year—to them and Xiao Ronghua from the second house, Lin Wanwan left to find Xiao Xianghua, whom she was closest to.

At this moment, she expected that Xiao Xianghua too was shyly embroidering her wedding dress.

However, when Lin Wanwan arrived at Xiao Xianghua’s residence, she found her far from the happiness she had imagined, rather, with a somewhat disheartened expression on her face.

Compared to the previously elated twin sisters embroidering their wedding dresses, the difference was stark.

Xiao Xianghua did smile upon Lin Wanwan’s arrival, but Lin Wanwan sensed that Xiao Xianghua had something on her mind.

Could it be pre-wedding jitters?

Lin Wanwan didn’t speculate wildly; given her friendship with Xiao Xianghua, she could just ask directly.

Yet this time, Xiao Xianghua didn’t confide in Lin Wanwan, only saying that nothing was wrong.

How could it be nothing? Xiao Xianghua, skilled in embroidery, wasn’t even focusing on her wedding dress, instead leaving it to her personal maid!

This was too out of character. Forget about an important garment like a wedding dress; even in ordinary times, Xiao Xianghua would personally embroider her casual attire.

"Xianghua, what’s going on? Are you afraid of getting married and leaving home?"

It’s no wonder Lin Wanwan thought so. Once Great Tang women are married, returning to their parental home isn’t so easy, especially since the Wang Family Xiao Xianghua is engaged to is located in Mao County.

After marriage, with the wide stretch of mountains and waters in between, if Xiao Xianghua could return home once a year, it would mean the Wang Family’s young gentleman is considerate to his wife.

Upon hearing Lin Wanwan’s words, Xiao Xianghua shook her head and calmly said: "No, fledglings will eventually leave the nest; what is there to fear!"

She paused, then smiled and said, "Sister Wanwan, after I marry into Mao County, I will surely visit you often, so please don’t dislike me!"

Lin Wanwan smiled back: "I can’t wait for you to come, why would I dislike it?"

The two cousins chatted for a while longer until the maids prepared the tea-making utensils, so Lin Wanwan followed Xiao Xianghua to the tea table to brew and enjoy some tea.

Because their steps were a bit rushed, they caused a breeze that made the calligraphy paper, which Xiao Xianghua hadn’t weighed down, flutter to the ground.

Although Xiao Xianghua quickly picked them up, Lin Wanwan still caught a glimpse of words like "sadness", "bitterness", and "infatuation" written on them.

Lin Wanwan did not proceed to brew tea with Xiao Yixun but instead grabbed her, pointing at the words, and said, "Xianghua, what’s really going on? Are you dissatisfied with the groom Aunt Yuan has chosen for you?"

Xiao Xianghua sighed and said, "Throughout history, women’s marriages have followed the orders of their parents and the words of the matchmaker; what do personal desires matter?"

Lin Wanwan was sure; it seemed Xiao Xianghua was indeed displeased with this arrangement, yet felt powerless to oppose her parents’ and elders’ decisions.

After all, she was just a seventeen-year-old girl, soon to become a married woman, inevitably evoking a sense of lament.

However, on this matter, Lin Wanwan felt a bit deflated, as if she couldn’t help.

Even though she entered the Xiao Family through the front door today as a Village Lady of Le’an, if she really started to comment on Xiao Xianghua’s marriage, the Xiao Family would quickly show her the meaning of "knowing one’s place."

Lin Wanwan herself was also in a muddle when it came to matters of the heart, clueless about her own feelings, let alone able to influence someone else’s marriage.

Since she couldn’t be an emotional advisor nor change others’ marriage prospects, she decided to stay silent.

Thus, when Xiao Xianghua changed the subject to lighter topics, Lin Wanwan followed along and chatted as well.

The two girls, each with their own burdens, ended up talking about trivial poetry and songs.