Chapter 9: 9. Chapter 9: Qin Chi’s Betrothal Gifts, The Four Treasures of the Study

Chapter 9: Qin Chi’s Betrothal Gift, the Four Treasures of the Study

Seeing Song Jin’s indifferent attitude, Qin Chi felt inexplicably stifled.

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, pulled over a stool to step on, and retrieved four wooden boxes from the very top.

He placed them one by one in front of Song Jin.

Qin Chi said earnestly, "This is my betrothal gift to you. In the future, do not mention again that I didn't spend a single copper to marry you."

Song Jin hadn't expected Qin Chi to be so sensitive about that remark.

She looked at the items laid out before her—the so-called Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"Hui ink, She inkstone, Zhuge-style brush, Chengxin Hall paper..."

Song Jin was slightly stunned.

For a moment, she was speechless.

If these had appeared in the study of a noble or a wealthy family, Song Jin wouldn't have been surprised.

But they appeared in the Qin household.

They appeared in an ordinary farming family tucked away in a mountain valley!

Qin Family Gully was located near the great mountains.

This mountain was known in ancient times as Mount Yi, rumored to be the Yellow Emperor’s alchemy furnace. Poets like Li Bai and Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty had climbed it and sung its praises. In the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Mount Huang and became a sacred site for Taoism.

Records regarding Mount Huang were abundant throughout the dynasties, and the poems and odes written by scholars and literati were countless.

And here, there were the four treasures.

These were the very Four Treasures of the Study that Qin Chi had brought out: Hui ink, She inkstone, Zhuge-style brush, and Chengxin Hall paper.

As the saying goes, "Gold is easy to obtain, but Li ink is hard to find," and "An ounce of gold for an ounce of ink"—this referred to Hui ink.

The She inkstone was as famous as the Duan inkstone; its stone was tough, its texture dense, it produced ink easily without wearing down the brush, and it held water without drying out. With exquisite carving and unique styling, it was highly praised by famous figures throughout history and was world-renowned.

The Zhuge-style brush was the Wang Boli brush.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Boli founded the "Four Treasures Hall," producing all four treasures, but he was especially famous for his brushes.

Chengxin Hall paper was imperial paper.

This paper was first produced in the Southern Tang Dynasty. It was one of the "Three Treasures of the Study" of the Southern Tang and was hailed as the best paper in the history of papermaking, known for being as smooth as egg membrane, as firm and clean as jade, and as thin and lustrous as silk.

Whenever the annual tribute was due, the Four Treasures of the Study from the She region were indispensable treasures, deeply favored by the imperial court and famous scholars alike.

Song Jin said, "These would sell for at least a thousand taels."

Qin Chi raised an eyebrow. "Is money all you can think of?"

Song Jin looked at him suspiciously, her eyes filled with inquiry.

The reason was that Qin Chi had made these by hand, using materials he had mostly gathered himself while venturing into Mount Huang. The four items before her were the finest treasures he had kept for himself.

To him, they were priceless.

Song Jin beamed, carefully gathering the four treasures to her chest. "Then, I shall accept this betrothal gift with gratitude."

Qin Chi watched her with a smile.

Once she had tucked them away, Song Jin promised solemnly, "Husband, the next time Second Aunt says you didn't spend a single copper to marry a wife, I will definitely tell her the truth in no uncertain terms."

Qin Chi:...

Could he take it back?

*Knock, knock.*

Someone knocked on the door.

Li’s voice sounded from outside, "Dalang, the eldest aunt and the younger aunt are here. You two come out and greet them."

"Alright, Mother."

Qin Chi agreed and looked back at Song Jin.

There was a banquet at home today.

It was normal for relatives to visit. Song Jin had dealt with these two in her past life; it takes all kinds to make a world.

As for them, Song Jin didn't want to comment.

In her past life, Song Jin had been married into the Qin family for seven years without bearing children, and these two had been the most gleeful, often urging Qin Mingsong to divorce his wife and remarry. They had always looked at Song Jin with disdain and never gave her a pleasant look.

When they went out.

Song Jin saw Qin Mingsong pouring wine for the clan elders, his demeanor humble and polite. Song Xiu, wearing a married woman’s bun, followed by Qin Mingsong’s side like a well-behaved young wife.

Qin Chi and Song Jin stepped out.

Walking beside Qin Chi, Song Jin carried herself with grace and composure.

The guests at the Qin house had originally thought that Qin Mingsong had struck gold by marrying a pretty young woman, but when they saw Song Jin, they realized their previous assessment had been shallow.

This one was even prettier.

She was beautiful in a way they couldn't even describe.

Old Man Qin’s family had a well-placed ancestral grave; the young women they married were more beautiful than the last.

The children they would have would surely be good-looking.

Hearing the crowd’s discussion, Song Xiu would occasionally glance at Song Jin with unconcealable smugness and a sense of superiority, as if she held the future in her hands.

Qin Chi leaned close to Song Jin’s ear and whispered, "The younger aunt’s look at you is strange. It’s as if... she knows you’re about to have bad luck. What do you think that’s about?"

Song Jin was speechless.

Song Xiu thought she was hiding her little schemes so well.

Yet, she was discovered at a single glance.

Song Jin pretended to consider it seriously and replied, "Perhaps... because I married you?"

Qin Chi was choked by her words.

But he remained steady on the surface, not showing a hint of emotion.

Qin Chi had wanted to probe a little.

Song Jin’s answer had completely thrown him off.

Actually, these two sisters were quite interesting; they had provided him with plenty of amusement in just two or three days.

The way they whispered to each other, even though there was a small distance between them, looked very intimate in the eyes of others.

Song Xiu was happy to see it.

The better the relationship between Song Jin and Qin Chi, the more painful it would be when Qin Chi died.

In her past life, Qin Chi and Song Xiu’s marriage was just a name; Qin Chi either stayed at the academy or went home to squeeze into a room with the second branch’s children. Let alone consummating the marriage, they hadn't even seen each other more than a few times.

Therefore, Qin Chi’s death was of no consequence to Song Xiu. What truly made her grind her teeth in hatred were the vicious rumors outside.

They said she was a husband-killer, a jinx.

That she had cursed Qin Chi to death, and then cursed Li!

Even the disappearance of the eldest Qin brother was blamed on her!

What Song Xiu wanted to see most now was Song Jin tasting the life she had lived in her past life.

She had previously suspected whether Song Jin also had memories of a past life like her.

Now, Song Xiu didn't think so anymore.

Not only had Song Jin agreed to the bride-swap and was close with Qin Chi, but she also showed no abnormality when facing Qin Mingsong marrying her.

One had to know that Qin Mingsong and Song Jin had been married for several years without ever quarreling; one could imagine how deep their feelings were.

Everything was developing exactly as she had hoped.

After the toasts were finished, Song Xiu came to Song Jin’s side and whispered, "Sister, you haven't given me my wedding gift yet."

"Are you short of these things?"

"Whether I am short of them or not, what does that have to do with whether you give them or not?"

Song Xiu’s thick-skinned nature made Song Jin admire her.

After arguing like that yesterday, she could act like nothing happened today, smiling and asking for a wedding gift.

Perhaps she hadn't taken her words to heart.

Come to think of it, that made sense.

In her past life, no matter how much Song Xiu caused trouble, Song Jin never gave up on her and often cleaned up her messes. Perhaps she was just emboldened by that?

Song Jin returned to her room in silence.

She picked a pearl hair ornament from the box and went to find Song Xiu.

Song Xiu had already returned to the bridal chamber. Seeing someone enter, she thought it was Qin Mingsong and was about to strike her best pose.

When she saw it was Song Jin, she curled her lip. "Why is it you?"

"Delivering a wedding gift."

Song Jin handed the pearl ornament to Song Xiu.

Song Xiu sneered, "Sister, have you become this stingy just after becoming a farm wife? This isn't as expensive as what I gave you."

"Don't want it? That saves me the trouble."

Just as Song Jin was about to pull her hand back, Song Xiu snatched it away.

"The pearls on this are worth at least a few taels."

The gift delivered, Song Jin turned to leave.

Just as she reached the door, she bumped into Qin Mingsong, who was reeking of alcohol.

The next chapter will be updated tomorrow.