¡°I didn¡¯t¡¡±
Daohua raised her hand to interrupt Aunt Lin¡¯s defense, ¡°Your purpose ining here today is clear to everyone, but I still want to ask you, have you developed the habit of getting things without working for them? Do you think that as long as you ask, someone will satisfy your request?¡±
At these words, Yan Zhigao¡¯s face could hardly hide his embarrassment.
Daohua continued without regard, ¡°You¡¯re smart, bringing up my second elder brother because that could increase your chance of sess. Even if it doesn¡¯t work out, at least it will leave me at odds with my second uncle and aunt.¡±
Upon hearing this, Aunt Lin, still kneeling, had her eyes flickering in uncertainty, as she was indeed harboring that intention. She didn¡¯t expect the eldest miss to see through her.
Daohua turned to Yan Zhiyuan and the Sun Family, ¡°Second Uncle and Aunt, I know that my second brother not getting to attend Wangyue Academy has upset you, but it¡¯s not something I could decide!¡±
Yan Zhiyuan hastily said, ¡°Daohua, Second Uncle doesn¡¯t me you. But seeing how close you are with the Little Prince, asking him for another ce for your second brother shouldn¡¯t be difficult, right?¡±
Daohua¡¯s expression was unchanged, and she replied with a faint smile, ¡°Yes, the Little Prince gave me some face because we once saved him. But our statuses are not equal.¡±
¡°If he is willing to volunteer his help, that shows his kindness and loyalty. But if he doesn¡¯t wish to, with my status, what right do I have to ask him for anything? Can¡¯t you see that even Dong Ge has to tread carefully in front of the Little Prince?¡±
With that said, she gave a meaningful look at her stepfather.
¡°Also, shouldn¡¯t we learn to be content with what we have?¡±
¡°Initially, Grandmother, I, and Third Brother saved the Little Prince, and now he has given us three spots, isn¡¯t it only fair?¡±
¡°Why does everyone think that if I ask, the Little Prince will surely help?¡±
¡°Furthermore, if he does help, what can our Yan Family offer in return?¡±
Chapter 115: 101, The Falll
Chapter 115: Chapter 101, The Falll
Madam Lin, seeing that everyone in the room had been silenced by just a few words from Daohua, grew anxious and was forced to speak up herself, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s just two spots, and for the Little Prince, someone of such distinguished status, this matter would surely be nothing more than a word from him.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhiyuan immediately snapped back to reality, ¡°That¡¯s right, for the Little Prince this truly isn¡¯t a big deal at all, it¡¯s not as serious as you make it out to be!¡± He had almost been fooled by this girl Daohua just now.
¡°Heh~¡±
Daohua sneered, ¡°Since you both talk as if it¡¯s so trivial, why not seek the quota at the Academy yourselves?¡± Having said this, she didn¡¯t even nce at the two of them but turned her head to look at Yan Zhigao, ¡°Father, what do you think?¡±
She could outright refuse the two of them with absolute certainty, but why should it be her, the younger generation, taking such action? Why should she be the one to offend people? One of them was her stepfather¡¯s brother, and the other his concubine, wasn¡¯t it his ce to deal with it?
Yan Zhigao¡¯s brows twitched, facing his hopeful brother and concubine, the words of refusal were somewhat hard to utter.
He hadn¡¯t stopped the two of them earlier because he, too, had hoped that Wenjie and Wenbin could study at the Wangyue Academy. Although he had some selfish reasons, in the long run, it would be beneficial for the family¡¯s development.
Yan Zhigao looked at his eldest daughter standing calmly beside his wife, his gaze flickered, the Little Prince had given only three spots, and he had specified they were for the three Wen brothers, could it be rted to his eldest daughter?
Seeing her stepfather look at her, Daohua returned his gaze without any guilt and smiled, ¡°Father, it is not difficult to ask the Little Prince, if youmand it, I willply, only¡ in doing so, the Little Prince might feel that our Yan Family is greedy and insatiable.¡±
At these words, Yan Zhigao¡¯s face changed, and he immediately made a decision, ¡°The matter of Wenxu, Wentao, and Wenkai going to the Academy is settled, no one else should bring up anything more.¡±
¡°Master!¡±
¡°Big Brother!¡±
Madam Lin and Yan Zhiyuan eximed in unison.
Yan Zhigao directly interrupted the two who wanted to speak again, ¡°There¡¯s no need for further discussion!¡±
Seeing Yan Zhigao so resolute, Madam Lin knew more words would be futile, her mind quickly turned, and once again she set her sights on Daohua, pleading, ¡°Miss, please help your second uncle and Wenbin out, for you, this is not difficult at all. If second uncle and Wenbin secure a good future, they will certainly not forget your great kindness.¡±
¡°Wenbin,e on, beg your older sister.¡± She was about to pull Yan Wenbin over to plead with Daohua.
Seeing this, Daohua¡¯s face fell at once, ¡°Madam Lin!¡± Her voice suddenly doubled in volume, startling everyone in the room.
Daohua, having been used as an excuse by Madam Lin¡¯s household twice, was already extremely annoyed, and this time she couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about her stepfather¡¯s feelings any longer, ¡°Madam Lin, do you think I¡¯m easy to bully? Every time there¡¯s an issue, you use me as a scapegoat to achieve your unspeakable goals!¡±
¡°I won¡¯t bother talkingabout what happened before today. Let¡¯s just talk about today.¡±
¡°Earlier, you were out of line, referring to yourself as a daughter-inw in front of grandmother, and she grew angry and told you to leave. But to get what you wanted for Yan Wenbin to attend the Wangyue Academy, you insisted on shifting the topic onto me, making others think that I was bullying you.¡±
¡°Just now, Father had already made a decision not to bring up the matter of the Academy, but you changed the subject and brought it back to me, not only involving your second brother again but also having Yan Wenbin plead with me. What exactly is in your heart?¡±
Taken aback by Daohua¡¯s sudden outburst, Madam Lin gathered her senses and immediately started crying, ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve misunderstood me, I didn¡¯t¡¡±
Daohua cut her off, her voice dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Madam Lin, you are someone skilled at appearing weak. With tears flowing and your pitiful demeanor, it¡¯s hard not to feel sorry for you. Add a few well-ced submissive words, and you¡¯ve achieved your goal.¡±
¡°First, you put the future of the second brother and Yan Wenbin onto me, as if I were heartless for not pleading for them.¡±
¡°Then, you forcefully dragged Yan Wenbin over to beg me, taking a humble stance so that if I still refused, it would make me seem cold-hearted.¡±
¡°When you do this, the best oue is my agreement, leading to joy for everyone, and Yan Wenbin could study at the Academy.¡±
¡°But if I refuse, the first to be furious with me would be your second uncle, second aunt, and second brother. Plus, if I take an even firmer stance, Father watching on the side would likely feel extremely frustrated.¡±
¡°Just look at how calcting you are! If I agree, you benefit, your own son goes to the Academy; If I don¡¯t, I offend the family, and you¡¯ve lost nothing. Madam Lin, sometimes, I really have to admire you.¡±
After finishing, Daohua turned her head to look at Yan Zhigao, ¡°Father, if I had known that the matter of the Academy would put me in such an unfavorable position, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have mentioned the quota to the Little Prince.¡±
Yan Zhigao¡¯s face turned.
The others in the room changed their expressions as well.
Madam Lin saw that Daohua had disclosed all her inner thoughts, herplexion turning somewhat pale, and she dared not say anything more, only bowing her head to wipe away tears.
Yan Wenkai, seeing her like this, said impatiently, ¡°Madam Lin, why is it that every time I see you, you are crying? Apart from crying, don¡¯t you know anything else?¡±
¡°Smack!¡±
Old Madam Yan mmed her palm hard on the table, ¡°If you want to cry, roll out and cry!¡± After saying that, she trembled as she pointed at Yan Zhigao, ¡°Is this the ¡®well-read and reasonable¡¯ concubine you spoke of?¡±
Yan Zhigao, seeing the Old Madam so furious, immediately turned to Madam Lin, ¡°Why are you still standing there? Get out!¡±
At this moment, Madam Lin didn¡¯t dare to say anything more, performed a courtesy to the Old Madam, and quickly left with Yan Wenbin and Yan Yishuang.
As soon as she left, the Old Madam red fiercely at Yan Zhigao, ¡°I cannot enjoy the benefits of your concubine. Go and tell her that she better not show up in front of me again; I don¡¯t want to be angered to death by her!¡±
Yan Zhigao: ¡°¡Madam Lin, she is just overly concerned about Wenbin¡¯s future¡¡±
¡°Pah!¡±
The Old Madam spat at him, ¡°Concerned about Wenbin¡¯s future? Then she shoulde to you, note here and cause trouble for my Daohua! I am warning you, this is thest time. If your concubine dares to stir up trouble again¡ humph, I¡¯ll just take Daohua and move back to our old residence!¡±
Hearing this, Daohua stepped forward and took hold of the Old Madam¡¯s arm, burying her head in her shoulder to prevent others from seeing her expression, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s my fault. If only I hadn¡¯t mentioned the quota to Xiao Yeyang. I definitely won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±
With these words, the atmosphere in the room turned sour.
Madam Li, thinking that Daohua was truly upset, immediately stepped forward, ¡°Dear child, it¡¯s not your fault. The decision of the Little Prince, how could you influence it?¡±
Yan Zhiyuan and the Sun Family hastily agreed, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±
Although their son had not been able to go to the Academy, the Yan Family had indeed benefited from the Little Prince¡¯s visit, and they too had gained some of the reflected glory.
Yan Zhigao wanted to say something too but couldn¡¯t swallow his pride, so he just looked at the Old Madam and his wife.
Unexpectedly, neither of them paid him any attention.
Daohua kept her head buried, saying in a muffled voice, ¡°Big Brother couldn¡¯t go to the Academy to study and I regret it too. Now Uncle and Aunt must surely hate me!¡±
Yan Zhiyuan and the Sun Family promptly denied, ¡°Not at all, your big brother studying at the State School is just the same.¡±
Yan Wenjie pursed his lips, wanting to argue that it was not the same, but seeing his parents ring at him, he kept his mouth shut.
The Old Madam nced at Daohua on her shoulder and waved her hand impatiently to dismiss everyone, ¡°Enough, don¡¯t eat here today, it¡¯s upsetting me to look at you!¡±
Once the group had left, the Old Madam finally said indignantly to Daohua, ¡°Alright, they¡¯re gone now!¡±
Daohua raised her head, looking at the Old Madam with a mischievous smile, showing no sign of sadness whatsoever.
¡°You little imp!¡±
The Old Madam tapped Daohua¡¯s forehead, her face showing resignation.
Daohua sighed, ¡°Madam Lin had calcted Uncle and Aunt¡¯s mindset perfectly, had I not taken this action, Uncle and Aunt would certainly harbour a grudge, and Big Brother would have resented me too.¡±
¡°Grandmother, I am truly frightened by Madam Lin now.¡±
The Old Madam watched Daohua in silence, as if enjoying her performance.
Daohua, feeling embarrassed under the gaze, shook the Old Madam¡¯s arm.
¡°Hmph!¡±
The Old Madam snorted, ¡°With all that you said this time, your father will ensure she keeps herself incheck.¡± She knew her son well ¡ª he valued the family¡¯s stature, his career, and wouldn¡¯t allow a concubine to jeopardize the Yan Family¡¯s rtionship with the Little Prince.
Chapter 116: 102, Bathing Herbal Bag l
Chapter 116: Chapter 102, Bathing Herbal Bag l
Three days after receiving Xiao Yeyang¡¯s letter, Yan Wenxiu, Yan Wentao, and Yan Wenkai, holding the admission notice from the Wangyue Academy, stepped onto the road to the academy, filled with anticipation for their studies.
At the back gate of the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office, including the elderly Madam Yan, all members of the Yan Family came to see them off. Yan Zhigao, unable to leave the office, entrusted Teacher Xiao to send the three to the academy.
¡°Wenxiu, you are the eldest brother. When you arrive at the academy, you must take good care of Wentao and Wenkai,¡± Yan Zhigao instructed Yan Wenxiu.
Yan Wenxiu nodded, ¡°Father, rest assured, I will look after my two brothers.¡±
Meanwhile, Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai also immediately expressed they would study diligently at the academy.
Seeing that there was nothing else to instruct, Yan Zhigao waved his hand to signal the three to be on their way.
At that moment, the Zhou Family¡¯s carriage arrived. Soon after, Zhou Chengye stepped down from the carriage, approaching with a smile to greet the elderly Madam Yan, Yan Zhigao, and Madam Li.
¡°Big Brother Zhou, howe you¡¯re here?¡± Yan Wenxiu asked with a smile.
Zhou Chengye replied, ¡°I heard that the three younger brothers were reporting to Wangyue Academy today. Coincidentally, I am also studying at the academy.
I thought it would be nice for us to go together, so we could havepany on the road.¡±
Hearing this, Yan Wenxiu felt a surge of joy.
Truth be told, after the initial excitement had passed, he had felt some nervousness and trepidation about life at Wangyue Academy. Unfortunately, as the eldest in the family, it was not appropriate for him to show these emotions.
Now, knowing that there was an acquaintance also studying at the academy brought him considerable relief.
To the side, Daohua quietly pulled Yan Wenkai aside upon seeing Zhou Chengye attracting everyone¡¯s attention, and received a bulging parcel from Wang Manman¡¯s hands.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Yan Wenkai asked curiously as he opened the parcel, only to find packets of hand ¨C sized herbal poultices.
In a hushed tone, Daohua said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and third brother going to practice martial arts? Martial arts can cause a lot of damage, including internal injuries, external wounds, and depletion of energy, which can lead to stagnation of Qi and blood stasis, among other hidden injuries. Once these hidden injuries re up, they can leave many lingering ailments.¡±
¡°These are all herbs for activating blood cirction, dispelling stasis, and relieving pain. I have already divided them into individual packets for you. After each martial arts practice session, use these for your bath, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be as lively as a dragon and as vigorous as a tiger the next day.¡±
Yan Wenkai looked at the parcel in his hands with skepticism, uncertain, ¡°Big sister, these herbal packets can¡¯t be used carelessly, right?¡± What he really meant was, these things looked pretty unreliable!
Daohua red, ¡°Fourth brother, this prescription is one I obtained from the Divine Temple in our old home. It¡¯s very effective. You and third brother must soak in it. I haven¡¯t been able to rest properly these past days because I¡¯ve been preparing these medicines for you.¡±
It should be mentioned that in her previous life, she specialized in traditional Chinese medicine, and had seen ancient forms for medicinal baths in some ancient books. What she provided today were her own modified forms, specially tailored for martial artists.
Moreover, the herbs she used were all produced in her space, so their effectiveness was absolutely reliable.
Hearing this, Yan Wenkai had no choice but to take them, albeit reluctantly. However, he thought to himself that even if he took them, he wouldn¡¯t use them. His big sister might have good intentions, but she wasn¡¯t a physician. What if something went wrong from using them?
Without suspecting anything amiss, Daohua continued, ¡°Fourth brother, Xiao Yeyang should also be practicing martial arts. If you encounter him, give him two packets of the medicine as well.¡±
Yan Wenkai nodded nomittally; he dared not use them himself, let alone offer them to the Little Prince.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chengye had finished exchanging pleasantries with Yan Zhigao and the others and was ready to depart.
¡°All right, set off now. Don¡¯t dy the hour,¡± urged Yan Zhigao.
After Yan Zhigao spoke, Yan Wenxiu and the other two bid farewell to their family elders and set off with Zhou Chengye in the carriage, embarking on their journey.
¡°With Wenxiu and the others gone, the gap between them, Wenjie, and Wenbin will only growrger in the future,¡±mented Yan Zhiyuan with a note of sourness.
Everyone, about to turn back to the inner courtyard, paused upon hearing these words.
The elderly Madam Yan red at Yan Zhiyuan without uttering a word and took Daohua with her as she left.
Madam Li and Mrs. Wu followed,ughing softly.
Yan Zhigao nced at Yan Wenbin, who looked disheartened, his eyes flickering momentarily. After a brief silence, he said, ¡°In addition to the State School, I will also hire a master at home to help rify any doubts the two children might have.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhiyuan¡¯s face lit up with joy, ¡°That¡¯s great, this way, Wenjie and Wenbin can learn even more solidly.¡±
With that, the two brothers headed toward the front courtyard.
Behind them, Yan Wenjie and Yan Wenbin quickly exchanged nces, neither face showing much happiness.
Studying at home was nothingpared to attending Wangyue Academy.
In the Academy, one could meet all sorts of people, make like-minded friends, and engage in debates and exchange different points of view, none of which could be done at home.
After Yan Wenxiu and the others left, the Yan Family was a bit quieter, but there weren¡¯t many other changes.
After selling the watermelons from the farm, Daohua began to get busy with buying a shop to open a flower store again.
Madam Li was helping to oversee the shop, and all Daohua had to do was to go to school every day, and in her spare time, transnt the flowers she picked from the garden into pots.
The Old Madam of the Yan Family was someone who couldn¡¯t stay idle, and she also helped Daohua with the transnting of the flowers.
¡°These flowers are indeed pretty, but they don¡¯t seem to be famed varieties! I¡¯ve seen some flower shops selling Peonies, tree peonies, orchids, and the like.¡±
Under Daohua¡¯s asional mentions, the Old Madam had also learned about many famous flowers.
Daohua: ¡°The collection of flower seeds was small this year; next year I¡¯ll be able to gather all the flowers people like. For now, let¡¯s just make do with what we have!¡±
The Old Madam didn¡¯t say much more: ¡°These chrysanthemums of yours did bloom well; they should fetch a good price.¡±
Daohua smiled and nodded, many people liked chrysanthemums, and when she had nted them before, she had intentionally nted more: ¡°Once I have silver, I can buy more farms.¡±
The Old Madamughed: ¡°Have you really be so infatuated with wealth? What do you need so many farms for?¡±
Daohua paused to think for a moment: ¡°I never felt it before, but ever since I came to be with dad and mom, I realized¡ªeverything requires silver. It¡¯s always better to have more.¡±
The most important thing was to have silver in one¡¯s own hands.
Madam Li walked into Daohua Pavilion with a smile.
Upon seeing her, Daohua immediately went to greet her: ¡°Mom, has the shop been bought?¡±
Madam Li first paid her respects to the Old Madam then turned to Daohua: ¡°What, is all you can think about your shop?¡±
Daohua quickly shook her head, coaxingly saying, ¡°Of course not! How can the shoppare to you, mom!¡±
Madam Li shook her head and smiled, pulling out the deed to the shop: ¡°Here, take a look for yourself!¡±
Daohua hurriedly took it and carefully inspected it, then handed it to the Old Madam to see.
The Old Madam nced at it briefly before looking away.
Madam Li exined with a smile, ¡°The location is quite good; the front is the shop, and the back is the living quarters.¡±
The Old Madam nodded: ¡°With you overseeing for this girl, I¡¯m at ease.¡±
Madam Li then turned to Daohua: ¡°Are you going to find the shop staff yourself, or shall I help you?¡±
Daohua thought for a moment: ¡°There¡¯s a florist in the farm who knows how to care for flowers, and his sons can work as shop assistants. Mom¡ just help me find a butler.¡±
Madam Li nodded: ¡°Right, your birthday ising up soon. Do you want to invite some youngdies over for a celebration?¡±
Upon hearing this, Daohua paused, then sighed: ¡°Time flies so fast, I¡¯m another year older!¡±
Chapter 117: 103, The Importance of Identity Equality_l
Chapter 117: Chapter 103, The Importance of Identity Equality_l
Daohua¡¯s tenth birthday was not celebrated with grandeur, and she did not invite young misses from other families to y. Instead, she simply had a bowl of longevity noodles with her family, and that was it.
¡°Daohua, haven¡¯t you always been in touch with Miss Zhou? Why didn¡¯t you invite her over today?¡±
After the longevity noodles, Madam Li, Sun Family, Wu Family, together with Yan Yihuan, Yan Yishuang, and Yan Yile all sat in the olddy¡¯s room, chatting with her.
Daohua nced at her second aunt, whose meaning was clear. Yan Wenjie¡¯s failure to attend Wangyue Academy had left a sour taste in the Second House: ¡°I¡¯ve only known Sister Zhou for a short time. It wouldn¡¯t be proper to rashly invite her over.¡±
Sun Family shook her head in disagreement, ¡°Daohua, it¡¯s not that your second aunt is criticizing you, but your thinking is wrong. Interactions between people rely on mutual visits. With more exchanges, feelings naturally deepen.¡±
Daohua smiled, ¡°What you say is true, second aunt. However, I believe that mutual exchanges should be between equals. That way, interactions are morefortable, don¡¯t you think?¡±
Zhou Family¡¯s patriarch was a former Grand Secretary, and Zhou Family¡¯s second master is the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Zhou Family¡¯s social status is much higher than Yan Family¡¯s.
Although Zhou Family is currently quite good to Yan Family, it¡¯s all due to Xiao Yeyang¡¯s influence rather than Yan Family itself.
If Yan Family acted presumptuously and tried to ingratiate themselves without knowing their ce, Zhou Family might not say anything openly, but privately, they would likely look down on Yan Family.
Besides, Zhou Jingwan is clearly a spoiled youngdy, constantly in need of praise and pampering. Casual gift exchanges to maintain the rtionship suffice; she certainly wouldn¡¯t actively invite someone over to feel ufortable.
Sun Family did not expect Daohua to respond in such a way, showing a touch of surprise, then smiled, ¡°You think too much, girl. Do young misses need to overthink their y and social interactions to this extent?¡±
¡°Listen to your second aunt and send an invitation to Miss Zhou, get closer to her. Zhou Family has broad connections in Xingzhou, and with her leading, it will surely be easier for you and your sisters to familiarize yourselves with the youngdies of Xingzhou City.¡±
This was indeed her goal, to get her two daughters to socialize more.
After moving to Xingzhou City, she had realized the importance of social status.
In the county town, even though she was merely the sister-inw of the County Magistrate and the head of the house had no official rank, she could still visit homes on her own.
In Xingzhou City, however, without her older sister-inw¡¯s apaniment, she couldn¡¯t even enter the doors of others¡¯ homes.
If she couldn¡¯t enter, the same went without saying for her two daughters.
As the head of the house was set in his ways, if his two daughters wanted a good future, they could not rely on their father. Now, the only hope might be on Wenjie.
But even if Wenjie became sessful, that was years in the future.
Allowing her two daughters more exposure to officials¡¯ daughters, no matter what, would broaden their horizons and knowledge, which surely beats cloistering at home buried in books, right?
Upon hearing this, Yan Yihuan and the others all looked towards Daohua, clearly taking the words to heart.
Daohua¡¯s expression softened. She found that the people from the Second House seemed to like teaching others how to do things ¡ª her second uncle was like that, and so was her second aunt.
In dealing with others, she preferred to let things take their natural course and not be too calcting, especially when it came to ulterior motives.
Yan Family¡¯s matriarch was not very familiar with the rules of interaction between prominent families but thought more contact with girls of Daohua¡¯s age would be a good thing, so she did not speak up.
Madam Li was aware of the rules of interactions between families. Although the mixing of children did not require such strict attention to detail, their behavior was still influenced by the status of their families.
For instance, if Daohua and the others interacted with Miss Zhou, they could only show propriety and y a subordinate role.
Madam Li nced at her daughter, who was evidently reluctant, and at Sun Family, who seemed to want to persuade further, and ended the conversation with a smile, ¡°We haven¡¯t prepared anything today; how could we invite guests over? Maybe another time.¡±
Then, with a change of tone, she deftly switched the topic.
Wu Family also helped shift the conversation, smiling at the olddy, ¡°Mother, I heard that the grape wine you and Daohua made together is ready to drink?¡±
Speaking of wine, the elderly madam¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. She truly hadn¡¯t expected that Daohua could actually make wine by simply sealing grapes in containers.
¡°You can drink it now, and the taste isn¡¯t bad. It¡¯s also not very intoxicating.¡±
Daohua said with a smile, ¡°Grandmother, drinking grape wine is actually good for your health, but you can¡¯t have too much. If you like it, one ss a day is fine.¡±
The elderly madam nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your grandmother isn¡¯t gluttonous. It¡¯s you who is the little greedy cat st time, it was Manman who had to carry you back to the courtyard.¡±
Daohua gave an embarrassed smile, but it really wasn¡¯t her fault. The grape wine tasted so good that she drank it like a beverage, not realizing it would have such a strong aftereffect, which made her dizzy.
¡°The Mid-Autumn Festival ising soon, by then big brother and the others should have a holiday. Fourth brother has been moring to drink grape wine; when they return, our whole family can enjoy the moon while sipping on wine.¡±
Upon hearing this, the elderly madam beamed with joy.
When people grow old, they love to be surrounded by their children and grandchildren.
Once again, Sun Family spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Little Prince also studying at the Academy? Daohua, why don¡¯t you send him an invitation to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with us?¡±
Hearing this, Daohua couldn¡¯t help wanting to roll her eyes.
How bold could her second aunt-inw be?
She didn¡¯t even want to rashly befriend the Zhou Family, let alone Xiao Yeyang from the Imperial Family!
With such a disparity in status, why insist on reaching up on tiptoes, stretching out your hand to grasp what is too high? Isn¡¯t that tiring?
She only had one thought regarding Xiao Yeyang¡ªif he was close to the Yan Family, she would do her utmost to reciprocate and maintain a bnced rtionship that was mutually beneficial.
But if he became distant from the Yan Family, she wouldn¡¯t grovel or fawn over him because it probably wouldn¡¯t do any good. With his status, he¡¯s seen far too many people trying to please him. Unless there were some benefits involved, he would probably feel nothing but distaste.
Of course, with the Yan Family¡¯s weak foundation, she hoped to maintain a good rtionship with Xiao Yeyang. Although this might mean taking advantage of him in intangible ways, she would strive topensate for it.
Madam Li¡¯s expression showed some displeasure as she looked indifferently at Sun Family, ¡°Sister-inw, such things should not be mentioned again in the future. How could Daohua send messages to the Little Prince?¡±
¡°Moreover, in the future, when we¡¯re outside, it¡¯s best not to talk about the Little Prince either. Members of the Imperial Family are not subjects for ordinary folk to discuss.¡±
Sun Family¡¯s face stiffened somewhat. Madam Li had always been quite pleasant and rarely showed anger towards her two sisters-inw. Directments like these were something she¡¯d not made before.
¡°I understand, big sister-inw.¡± Indeed, having a husband who stands out and children who excel is a woman¡¯s greatest backing. Before, my big sister- inw didn¡¯t speak with so much authority!
After that, Daohua didn¡¯t stay in the room any longer but returned to Daohua Pavilion.
Daohua Pavilion was no longer as deste as when they had first moved in. All kinds of climbing roses covered the entire perg corridor lushly, with blossoms in full bloom.
In the courtyard, the flower beds were also filled with colorful flowers.
A gentle breeze swept through, filling the air with fragrance.
¡°Miss, the flower shop will open soon. If the business does well, will we have enough flowers to sell?¡± Many flowers from the courtyard had already been transnted into pots; they couldn¡¯t afford to move any more.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already set aside a plot ofnd on the farm specifically for growing flowers.¡±
¡°What about during winter?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have greenhouses for winter!¡ We¡¯ll have to ask Uncle Zheng to build another greenhouse, one for flowers and one for vegetables.¡± You can¡¯t go without vegetables in winter.
Chapter 118: 104, Flower Shop l
Chapter 118: Chapter 104, Flower Shop l
Daohua¡¯s flower shop opened before the Mid Autumn Festival arrived.
Regarding this, the reactions from various factions of the Yan Family were mixed.
Yan Zhigao didn¡¯t pay much attention to the happenings in the backcourtyard, and unless it was a matter of importance, he wouldn¡¯t care much. After knowing that the money to buy the shop was earned by Daohua herself, he left her to her own devices.
The people from the second house looked on with disapproval.
In their opinion, only a minority of people would buy flowers, and even with good pricing, making money would not be easy; moreover, flowers are difficult to maintain and could easily sumb to disease or wither if not properly cared for.
Before the opening of the shop, Yan Zhiyuan and the Sun Family had tried to persuade Daohua to do business in what they saw as profitable ventures and even wanted to take over managing the shop themselves.
After failing to persuade her, they stood aside with the attitude of onlookers, seemingly waiting for Daohua¡¯s flower shop to close down.
The third house¡¯s response was to silently support her. Transnting flowers, choosing pots, and transporting soil were all tasks Yan Zhiqiang busied himself with.
As for the Auntie Lin from the Shuangxin Courtyard, besides pitying Yan Yishuang in front of Yan Zhigao, she could only dryly observe.
Madam Li was the most concerned about this matter. The butler was personally acquired through a letter she wrote to her eldest brother, Li Xingchang. Although Daohua could treat running the shop as a hobby, she couldn¡¯t afford to do so.
She had to consider her daughter¡¯s future; the Yan Family¡¯s foundation was as such, and even if they started umting wealth now, how much could be saved? Not to mention, there were quite a few people of the Sun generation in the Yan Family.
The shop would inevitably be used for her daughter¡¯s dowry in the future, so it had to be managed well.
On the first day the flower shop opened, Daohua dressed as a man and personally oversaw the situation from behind the scenes.
The flowers she cultivated were nourished with special soil from her space, blooming luxuriously and vibrantly, drawing the attention of many passersby.
However, that was mostly limited to looking; few actually spent silver to purchase.
Regarding this, Daohua wasn¡¯t worried. Life wasn¡¯t easy for themon people in ancient times, and before opening the shop, she hadn¡¯t intended to sell flowers to the ordinary folk. Her target customers were those with disposable ie who had an appreciation for elegance, such as schrs, literati, and sons and daughters from wealthy families.
After observing the flow of customers for a while, Daohua shifted her focus to those working in the shop.
The butler, surnamed Wang, was in his early forties, a cheerful person well versed in social etiquette and managing transactions. Her mother said he was a butler with exceptional management skills in her uncle¡¯s shop, and he had been sent here because she needed him.
The shop assistant was from a Zheng family that she had chosen from the estate. In his younger days, Old Man Zheng had managed a flower house for a wealthy family and had learned some skills in caring for nts, making him a passable florist.
His two sons, Zheng Dawu and Zheng Xiaowu, were fairly sharp and worked diligently on the estate.
Daohua thought that employing a whole family would be convenient and easier to manage, so she had the entire Zheng family working in the flower shop.
¡°Grandfather,e look, there¡¯s a new flower shop here.¡±
A finely decorated carriage stopped in front of the flower shop, and immediately after, a pretty little girl hopped down from the carriage briskly.
¡°You little madcap, slow down, don¡¯t fall and hurt yourself.¡±
A voice full of concern and authority followed, and soon, an old man, with graying hair and an aura of dignity, slowly descended from the carriage with the assistance of servants.
Zhou Jingwan hurriedly came forward to support her grandfather¡¯s arm, ¡°Grandfather, look, the flowers in the shop are blooming so beautifully!¡±
Following his granddaughter¡¯s pointing finger, Old Master Zhou looked towards the flower shop and, seeing the flowerspeting to bloom, his face showed pleasure, ¡°Let¡¯s go in for a look.¡±
The moment the two entered the shop, Daohua noticed them.
Seeing Old Master Zhou fondly handling the flower pots, Daohua deliberated and then decided to go out. Had she not seen them, she would have let it be, but having seen them, as the younger generation, she should take the initiative to greet them.
¡°Sister Zhou!¡±
As Zhou Jingwan hesitated indecisively over which pot of flowers to choose, she heard a rather familiar voice behind her. She turned around and saw Daohua, dressed as a male, ¡°You are¡ Yan Yiyi!¡±
Seeing the uncertainty on her face, Daohua smiled and nodded.
Zhou Jingwan quickly approached and circled around Daohua, curious, she asked, ¡°Why are you dressed like this?¡±
Daohua smiled, ¡°Because it¡¯s convenient.¡± With that, she pulled Zhou Jingwan closer and whispered in her ear, ¡°This way, my mother agreed to let me stay in the flower shop.¡±
Zhou Jingwan did not dislike Daohua¡¯s naturally intimate gesture. She was surprised upon hearing Daohua¡¯s words and eximed with wide almond eyes, ¡°Your family owns this flower shop?¡±
Daohua nodded with a smile.
Zhou Jingwan suddenly pped her forehead, ¡°How could I forget, when I visited your family back then, you mentioned that you could garden, and it seems like you had many in your courtyard.¡±
With a beaming smile, Daohua said, ¡°The flowers hadn¡¯t bloomed yet when you visited, but now they have. If you have time, you cane and see.¡±
Zhou Jingwan immediately nodded, having been influenced by her grandfather from the Zhou Family, she also loved flowers and nts very much, ¡°Has your climbing rose bloomed? Does it look pretty? If it does, I¡¯ll go back home and set up a perg like the one in your courtyard.¡±
Daohua replied, ¡°Not too bad!¡±
At the side, the Zhou Family¡¯s elder patriarch was eyeing the flower pots in the shop while asionally ncing at the two young girls engaged in enthusiastic conversation.
Regarding the Yan Family, which had newly arrived in Xingzhou City, he had paid some attention because of the Little Prince, but he had never thought of making contact proactively.
At this moment, observing how the eldest youngdy of the Yan Family talked andughedfortably and politely with his granddaughter, he felt a growing approval of the Yan Family in his heart.
The good or bad of a family¡¯s esteemed reputation and momentum can be seen in the next generation they cultivate.
His eldest grandson had mentioned that the eldest grandson of the Yan Family was gentle, polite, humble, and well-learned; this eldest youngdy before him also gave a good impression with her bright eyes and white teeth, moving forward and back with grace.
If the next generation of the Yan Family were all like these two, then the chances of the Yan Family prospering would be much greater.
¡°Cough cough-¡±
The Zhou Family¡¯s elder patriarch, realizing that his granddaughter had forgotten him in the presenceof her friend, couldn¡¯t help but cough to assert his presence.
¡°Oh dear, I forgot to introduce you.¡±
Zhou Jingwan pulled Daohua over to her grandfather, ¡°Grandfather, this is Yan Yiyi, the eldest daughter of Prefectural Governor Yan; Daohua, this is my grandfather.¡±
Upon hearing this, Daohua immediately smiled and gave a curtsy to the elder Zhou, ¡°Greetings Grandfather Zhou, Daohua is honored to meet you.¡±
Grandfather Zhou smiled and gestured for Daohua to rise, ¡°I heard this flower shop is owned by your family. Do you also like flowers?¡±
Daohua nodded, ¡°Yes, seeing the flowers in full bloom with vibrant purples and reds always puts me in a good mood¡¡±
Following that, Grandfather Zhou slowly engaged in conversation with Daohua and found that the youngdy from the Yan Family was quite knowledgeable about flowers and nts ¨C how to care for them and tend to them, she was thoroughly articte.
During the conversation, manager Wang, knowing the identity of Grandfather Zhou, felt somewhat concerned and kept ncing their way, fearing that young Daohua would offend someone.
However, his worries were unnecessary.
Look how happily they are chatting; Grandfather Zhou even looked at the Yan Family¡¯s youngdy with eyes full ofte-found camaraderie.
¡°Grandfather Zhou, if I ever cultivate any beautiful flowers in the future, I will definitely send them to your residence,¡± Daohua promised.
After chatting for over an hour, Grandfather Zhou, reminded by his servants, reluctantly left the flower shop. Daohua and manager Wang apanied him to the entrance of the shop.
¡°And me, don¡¯t forget me!¡± Zhou Jingwan eagerly raised her hand.
Daohuaughed and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if anyone¡¯s share is missing, it definitely won¡¯t be yours, Sister Zhou.¡±
Chapter 119: 105: Limited Experience l
Chapter 119: Chapter 105: Limited Experience l
On the very day she returned from the flower shop, Daohua received three pots of peony, daffodil, and orchid sent by Zhou Jingwan. When they arrived, the Yan Family was all present.
¡°Why would Miss Zhou think to send you flowers?¡±
The first to openly inquire was Yan Zhiyuan,
The others were also very curious. Although ever since the Little Prince stayed at their house for one night, the prominent families of Xingzhou City had paid more attention to the Yan Family, this was limited to ordinary exchanges and none had shown any particr closeness.
The Zhou Family was no different. With the exception of gift exchanges during festivals, there had never been an instance like today where they took the initiative to send something.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Daohua smiled and said, ¡°Today, while I was at the shop, I happened to meet Grandfather Zhou and Zhou Jingwan. We chatted for a while and when they left, I gave them a few pots of flowers. This must be their way of returning the favor.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhigao and Madam Li exchanged a quick nce.
The elderly master of the Zhou Family was famously fond of flowers, a fact well known to everyone in Xingzhou City. After his visit, they had alsoe to understand this.
The three pots of flowers before them were all valuable varieties, clearly nurtured with great care. Miss Zhou¡¯s gift of flowers must have been instructed by old Master Zhou himself.
Yan Zhigao looked at his eldest daughter, who was smilingly showing the flowers to the olddy, and sighed inwardly. His daughter was truly fortunate to have caught the eye of old Master Zhou.
Otherwise, she would not have received these three pots of flowers.
¡°I¡¯ve heard that when old Master Zhou retired, the Emperor bestowed upon him many famous flowers, all of which he brought back to his hometown.¡± He was aware that many in Xingzhou City eyed old Master Zhou¡¯s flowers, wishing to bask in the ¡®dragon¡¯s spirit,¡¯ but sadly, very few ever did.
At these words, Daohua¡¯s gaze immediately shifted from the flowers and she said in surprise, ¡°Really? Could these three pots be¡¡±
¡°What are you thinking?¡± Madam Liughed and shook her head, ¡°The things bestowed by the Emperor, who wouldn¡¯t treasure them? These three pots are probably nurtured by old Master Zhou himself.¡±
Daohua¡¯s eyes flickered and she smiled, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re grafted from the flowers bestowed by the Emperor.¡±
Madam Li thought for a moment and then asked Daohua, ¡°Peony, daffodil, orchid¡ªall famous flowers. Do you think you should send some gifts back to Miss Zhou?¡±
Daohua tilted her head, ¡°Is it necessary?¡± The flowers she had given today might not be as valuable as those from the Zhou Family, but there were more of them. Zhou Jingwan liked the five pots and also the three chosen by old Master Zhou¡ªall of which she had sent.
¡°Of course, you should!¡±
Yan Zhiyuan spoke up before Madam Li could, ¡°The three pots of flowers from the Zhou Family are famous. They can¡¯t bepared to the nameless ones you casually grow, one pot is worth more than ten from your shop.¡±
Hearing this, Daohua felt a bit unhappy.
Yes, the flowers she grew might not be as reputed as the peony or orchid, but they were of high quality. Didn¡¯t she see how old Master Zhou cherished them?
Yan Zhiyuan continued, ¡°Besides, since they took the initiative to send something, by sending something back, you can strengthen the bond with Miss Zhou.¡± Thus, bringing the Yan Family closer to the Zhou Family.
Daohua looked at her adoptive father and seeing no objection from him, she turned to Madam Li, ¡°Mother, what do you think I should send back?¡±
Madam Li said with a smile, ¡°This is a matter between you youngdies. We adults shouldn¡¯t interfere. You can send whatever you want.¡±
At that moment, Yan Zhiyuan spoke again, ¡°I think you might as well send that grape wine. I tasted it and found it quite good. The Zhou Family old¡¡±
Madam Li suddenly stood up, interrupting Yan Zhiyuan, and walked toward the olddy while saying to Daohua, ¡°You should prepare it yourself. Dinner is about to start, hurry back.¡±
She had said it already, the adults shouldn¡¯t meddle in the affairs between youngdies. Her brother was used to schrly pursuits, and while she understood his desire to strengthen rtions with the Zhou Family, being too eager was off-putting.
Daohua didn¡¯t like others telling her what to do either. She smiled in agreement, then left the room with Wang Manman.
¡°Miss, are we going to send the grape wine Second Master mentioned?¡± Wang Manman asked on the way.
Daohua shook her head. Although wine was just fruit wine, it still contained the character for alcohol. Her rtionship with Zhou Jingwan wasn¡¯t that intimate, and haphazardly giving a young girl wine didn¡¯t seem very respectful.
Moreover, grape wine was rarely seen on the market, and rare items were precious. Since she had already given the Zhou Family ten pots of flowers, offering something too expensive would be overdoing it.
¡°I just made a few boxes of rouge and moisturizing cream recently, let¡¯s send that!¡±
Zhou Jingwan¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t very good. The moisturizing cream and rouge Daohua made used flowers and herbs grown in her own space, the skincare and makeup effects were very good, quite practical for her.
Daohua quickly took the return gifts to the Zhou Family¡¯s servants and then took Wang Manman back to the olddy¡¯s room.
After learning what she had sent, neither Yan Zhigao nor Madam Li said anything, but Yan Zhiyuan pursed his lips andmented, ¡°A few boxes of rouge¡ Daohua, not to criticize you, but this is a bit too stingy¡¡±
This time it wasn¡¯t Madam Li, but the Yan Family¡¯s olddy who cut off Yan Zhiyuan, ¡°What need is there for extravagant gifts in the exchanges between young girls?¡±
Yan Zhiyuan: ¡°Mother, Elder Brother, I¡¯m just worried that Daohua might damage her rtionship with the Miss from the Zhou Family.¡±
The olddy looked at her granddaughter, who was already pouting dramatically, and stood up, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s the business of the young girls, you, a grown man, shouldn¡¯t meddle. Let¡¯s have dinner.¡±
¡°Mother, Elder Brother, I know my words are unpleasant, but I truly have the Yan Family¡¯s interests at heart. Our family has thin resources. If we could foster a good rtionship with the Zhou Family, Elder Brother wouldn¡¯t be so isted in his official career¡¡±
Daohua walked behind, looking at her second uncle who was still exining to the olddy and her adoptive father, and sneered inwardly.
She really couldn¡¯t bring herself to like the people from the second branch of the family.
You want to pander to others, that¡¯s your business, but ordering people around, that¡¯s what¡¯s really annoying.
¡°He is your second uncle, your elder. Even if you feel ufortable, don¡¯t let it show,¡± Madam Li¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Daohua was startled and immediately adjusted her expression, ¡°Mother, I understand.¡±
Madam Li: ¡°For a girl, reputation is of the utmost importance. It¡¯s a serious mistake to disrespect your elders.¡±
Daohua frowned, ¡°So, I have to endure it?¡±
Madam Li nced at her husband, who was quietly speaking with Yan Zhiyuan ahead, ¡°Don¡¯t you still have your father? Your father might not be so astute with domestic affairs, but when ites to matters impacting the family¡¯s interests, he is more anxious than anyone.¡±
¡°Your second uncle is of humble background and limited experience. He doesn¡¯t understand that blindly pleasing those of high status will not only fail to earn respect, but might also lead to being looked down upon. The gifts you sent were just fine. You don¡¯t need to listen to him.¡±
Daohua nodded.
At the Zhou Family, Zhou Jingwan was very pleased with Daohua¡¯s return gift. Daohua had previously given her rouge, and she found it even better than what her second uncle had brought her from Beijing.
She knew that Daohua had made the rouge herself. Since their rtionship was not yet close, she felt awkward asking for more, but Daohua had sent her several boxes, which meant a lot more to a young girl who loved beauty than other kinds of heartfelt gifts.
Zhou Family¡¯s old master watched his granddaughter, who was beaming with joy, and told his eldest son and daughter-inw with a smile, ¡°This eldest girl from the Yan Family is not bad. In the future, Jingwan can interact with her more.¡±
After this, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan interacted more frequently.
Zhou Jingwan was somewhat spoiled but didn¡¯t have significant ws in her character. She was forthright and cheerful, without too many hidden agendas, making herpany quite effortless.
Daohua was also willing to associate with such a young girl. The two would get together from time to time, adding some joy to the monotonous life inside the familypound.
On the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival, Yan Zhigao nced at Yan Zhiyuan, who seemed somewhat uneasy next to him, as he watched Zhou Jingwan, who had personallye to give a Mid-Autumn gift and was quicklyughing and chatting with Daohua. He patted his shoulder.
His brother¡¯s heart was with the Yan Family, but some of his ideas and concepts were not quite suitable for interaction between noble families. His eldest daughter was very measured in her conduct, neither servile nor overbearing. Such an attitude in their interactions made people feelfortable.
Chapter 120: 106: Not That Important_1
Chapter 120: Chapter 106: Not That Important_1
Daohua Pavilion.
Zhou Jingwan leisurely sat under the flower arbor, admiring the garden¡¯s blooming flowers while enjoying some tea snacks.
¡°Daohua, your family¡¯s pastries are really delicious. Where did you buy them?¡± After getting to know each other, Zhou Jingwan started to address Daohua by her nickname.
The two girls were about the same age, so they didn¡¯t use sisterly titles.
Wang Manman replied with a smile, ¡°The pastries were made by mydy herself. Knowing that Miss Zhou wasing, she prepared them in advance.¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua in surprise, ¡°Really?¡±
Daohua smiled, ¡°My grandmother loves soft and sticky sweets, so whenever I have some free time, I make some.¡±
Zhou Jingwan, full of admiration, ¡°Daohua, you¡¯re really amazing. No one can top your cooking skills.¡±
Daohua, ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as that. It¡¯s just practice makes perfect.¡± Her cooking really wasn¡¯t anything special; it was mainly because of the high-quality ingredients from her space.
Zhou Jingwan quickly finished the osmanthus cake in her hands, wiped her mouth, and then, pointing at the remaining treats on the table, asked, ¡°Daohua, are all of these meant for me to eat?¡±
Daohua nodded.
Zhou Jingwan¡¯s face lit up with joy, ¡°Then I won¡¯t eat them now. When I leaveter, please pack up the leftovers for me to take back. I want my mother to try them too, as she loves sweets.¡±
Daohua gave Zhou Jingwan a yful look, ¡°You¡¯re not being shy, are you?¡±
Zhou Jingwan replied with a flirtatious gaze, ¡°Who¡¯s standing on ceremony with whom here?¡±
Seeing this, Daohua couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.
Compared to those youngdies who never speak their minds or hide various meanings in a single sentence, waiting for others to guess their thoughts, Zhou Jingwan¡¯s straightforwardness was something Daohua truly liked.
¡°Eat up!¡± Daohua pushed the sweets on the table closer to Zhou Jingwan, ¡°The treats for your aunt can¡¯t be the ones you¡¯ve left over.¡±
Wang Manman continued with a smile, ¡°Mydy prepared another portion of pastries and some specially made mooncakes for Miss Zhou to take home.¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan¡¯s eyes curved in delight, and without any reservation, she joyfully continued to eat.
As Daohua saw her eating happily, she too started to eat and, while eating, thought of her three brothers returning home tomorrow. She asked, ¡°Are your brothersing back tomorrow too?¡±
Zhou Jingwan shook her head, ¡°No, they¡¯re not. The newly appointed Governor Guo has invited the officials of Zhongzhou Province for the Mid-Autumn Festival. My grandfather is also going. At such events, my oldest brother, as the direct grandson of the Zhou family, usually needs to apany him.¡± She paused, then tilted her head and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Uncle Yan going?¡±
Daohua was taken aback. She had done some research on the officials of Daxia and knew that the Governor was a second-rank official, even higher in rank than the Provincial Governor who managed civilian affairs for a province. A Governor was generally someone the Emperor deeply trusted.
¡°My father is just a fifth-rank Prefectural Governor. He probably can¡¯t attend the banquet of the esteemed Governor, right?¡±
Hearing this, Zhou Jingwan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. My mother said that those going are high-ranking and influential officials of Zhongzhou Province. That¡¯s why my elder brother is taken along to gain some experience. But¡¡±
Zhou Jingwan hesitated, ncing at Daohua.
Daohuaughed, ¡°What? Is there something you can¡¯t say?¡±
Zhou Jingwan put down the pastry she was holding, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t say it, it¡¯s just that I find it strange. Doesn¡¯t your family have a rtionship with the Little Prince? With that connection, one would think that Uncle Yan should have been invited.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not that familiar with the Little Prince.¡± Daohua first rified, then asked, ¡°Why would knowing the Little Prince mean getting an invitation?¡±
Zhou Jingwan: ¡°Governor Guo is the Little Prince¡¯s uncle, you know? Didn¡¯t you know this?¡±
Daohua shook her head.
At this moment, the profound background of the aristocratic families was revealed; their ess to information was so extensive that very few things could be kept from them.
As for this Governor Guo, she had heard of him for the first time; perhaps, even her adoptive father was unaware.
Seeing that she really didn¡¯t know anything, Zhou Jingwan continued, ¡°I heard from my grandfather that initially when Prince Rui returned to the capital to report on his mission, the Little Prince was also going to go back with him. However, after Governor Guo was appointed as governor, the Little Prince stayed at Wangyue Academy to study.¡±
Daohua listened attentively; the Yan Family, with its weak foundation and limited connections, had no way of obtaining such high-level information.
However, Zhou Jingwan didn¡¯t know much either, and most of what she knew was still just gossip. After all, even if the big families valued the cultivation of their children, they wouldn¡¯t discuss serious matters with them.
After chatting for a while longer, Zhou Jingwan left with the return gifts Daohua had prepared.
After seeing her off, Daohua went to the old madam¡¯s courtyard. Upon entering, she found that her adoptive father hade back from the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office earlier than usual, but he seemed to be in a bad mood.
Madam Li asked with a smile: ¡°Has Miss Zhou from the Zhou Family left?¡±
Daohua nodded.
Because Yan Zhigao¡¯s expression was somber, dinner was eaten in silence, and quickly concluded.
On the way back to the main residence with Madam Li, Daohua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong with father?¡±
Madam Li¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile: ¡°He heard some idle gossip and it made him ufortable.¡±
Daohua: ¡°Is it because of the Governor¡¯s banquet for Zhongzhou officials?¡±
Madam Li showed a look of surprise: ¡°You know?¡±
Daohua nodded: ¡°Zhou Jingwan just told me, but what¡¯s so ufortable about that? The Governor holds such a high position, isn¡¯t it normal for him not to invite father?¡±
Madam Li moved her lips and finally let out a long sigh, ¡°Human beings should not hold too high expectations. Once exceeded, disappointment inevitably follows, and with disappointmentes difort.¡±
Daohua¡¯s eyes spun around: ¡°Father couldn¡¯t be thinking that, since we know Xiao Yeyang, the Governor should have invited him, could he?¡±
Madam Li patted the back of Daohua¡¯s hand. ¡°Everyone has some unrealistic expectations, and your father is no exception.¡±
Daohua furrowed her brows.
Seeing this, Madam Li smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your father is a man of self-awareness. He¡¯s just a little downhearted after hearing some gossip. He¡¯ll adjust soon.¡±
If the master¡¯s mentality had been poor, being repressed in the position of County Magistrate for so long, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure.
Daohua thought for a while and then said, ¡°Mother, Xiao Yeyang¡the gap between our statuses is toorge. In my view, the debt of saving a life, he has long since repaid.¡±
¡°So, unless hees to us, we have no right to seek him out. Expecting him to continue helping us, to look after us, it¡¯s best not to harbor such thoughts.¡±
For someone as high and mighty as he, the Yan Family was not that important.
Madam Li tapped Daohua¡¯s forehead,ughing, ¡°Your mother can¡¯t be less clear-headed than you, can she? Your father is also aware, which is why he did not retaliate against anyone from the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office after the Little Prince stayed at our house.¡±
¡°After all, one¡¯s standing in the world depends on one¡¯s own abilities.¡±
Chapter 121: 107, Cheated_1
Chapter 121: Chapter 107, Cheated_1
On the day of August fifteen, Yan Wenxiu, Wentao, and Yan Wenkai returned home.
After washing up, the three of them went to the olddy¡¯s courtyard.
¡°You¡¯ve lost weight, is studying at the Academy very tough?¡±
The old Mrs. Yan looked at her three grandsons, who had grown a bit slimmer, with a face full of distress.
Yan Wenxiu smiled and said, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s not tough at the Academy, it¡¯s just that we¡¯ve recently changed environments and are still getting used to it. Once we adjust, things will slowly get better.¡±
As she clung to her eldest grandson, Old Mrs. Yan said, ¡°You child, don¡¯t spend all your time studying, you also need to take the time to exercise and keep your body strong. Only with a healthy body can you achieve great things.¡±
Yan Wenxiu listened respectfully, his face always smiling, and he nodded from time to time.
Meanwhile, Yan Zhigao and Madam Li watched their increasinglyposed eldest son with pride and satisfaction on their faces.
After the olddy had finished catching up with Yan Wenxiu, Madam Li was about to ask about her eldest son¡¯s life at the Academy when she was unexpectedly interrupted by Yan Zhiyuan, ¡°Wenxiu, look at your second brother, he can only study at the State School with some ordinary teachers, not making much progress in his studies. Now that you¡¯re back, why not find some time to tutor him a bit?¡±
Upon hearing this, Madam Li¡¯s brows immediately knitted together. Although her eldest son concealed it well, the fatigue in his eyes could not be hidden from her. The Academy had barely given a two-day break, which should have been a chance for her eldest to rest properly.
This second brother of theirs was bing more and more tactless in his words and deeds.
Fortunately, the olddy, who showed extra care for her eldest grandson, directly rebutted, ¡°Didn¡¯t we specifically hire a teacher at home to instruct Wenjie and Wenbin? There¡¯s no need for Wenxiu to guide them in their studies. He¡¯s juste home for two days, so he needs to replenish his health.¡±
Without paying further attention to Yan Zhiyuan, she turned her head to Daohua, ¡°These two days, make some delicious food for your three brothers. Look at them, each one has lost weight.¡±
Daohua smiled and agreed.
Afterward, Yan Zhigao began to inquire about his eldest son¡¯s time at the Academy.
Yan Wenxiu only mentioned his academic work and some interesting things. Wentao and Yan Wenkai asionally chimed in with a few words, and the room soon filled with cheerfulughter.
Daohua sat next to the olddy on the footstool, clearly observing the expressions of her three brothers.
The eldest brother had always been reserved, and she could not discern much; but the third and fourth brothers were not as adept at concealing their feelings¡ªit was easy for her to see their forced smiles.
Life at the Academy for her three brothers was probably not as good as they had portrayed.
¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ll go and see how the cooking ising along, and bring over our homemade grape wine,¡± announced Daohua.
The old Mrs. Yan nodded with a smile.
As she left the room, Daohua looked back at Wentao and Yan Wenkai, signaling them to follow.
Receiving the cue, Yan Wenkai immediately said to the olddy, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ll go help big sister get the grape wine.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Wentao stood up and followed.
Watching her two grandsons scamper off, the old Mrs. Yan chuckled warmly, turning to Yan Wenxiu, ¡°Look at how energetic your third and fourth brothers are. You should learn from them and exercise more when you can.¡±
Yan Wenxiu nodded in agreement, ¡°Grandmother, I will.¡±
¡
Outside the courtyard, Daohua waited for Wentao and Yan Wenkai toe out before leading them towards Daohua Pavilion.
¡°Big sister, does the grape wine you made taste good?¡±
Yan Wenkai had been sitting up straight and proper inside, but as soon as he came out, he immediately let loose.
Daohua responded with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a moment.¡± Then, looking cautiously at the two of them, she asked, ¡°Third brother, fourth brother, everything is okay for you at the Academy, right?¡±
As soon as she asked this, Wentao and Yan Wenkai fell somewhat silent.
Daohua immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is the Academy not good?¡±
Wentao never hid anything from Daohua, and he immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not good, it¡¯s just that there are too many students from aristocratic families and official backgrounds in the Academy.¡±
Daohua immediately understood the implication and her expression became anxious, ¡°Have you been bullied?¡±
Wentao hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we haven¡¯t been bullied. The Academy has rules against fighting, at most we just have to swallow our pride.¡±
In order not to cause trouble for the family, they had to endure a lot in silence.
There was no helping it; students who were arrogant and domineering usually came from very good backgrounds ¡ª they were untouchable for us.
Daohua let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, Yan Wenkai spoke up gloomily, ¡°We¡¯re still okay since we study martial arts. Martial artists have hot tempers, sure, but they¡¯re straightforward ¡ª they don¡¯t beat around the bush, and everything is out in the open.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really tough for our eldest brother. People say schrs can be devious, and I didn¡¯t believe it until now. Schrs do like to cause harm in the shadows.¡±
Daohua frowned, ¡°Has our eldest brother been given a hard time too?¡± Not to boast, but her eldest brother was quite good-looking, gentle, and courteous ¡ª the sort of person who should be well-received anywhere.
Worried she would be anxious, Wentao quickly replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s being given a hard time, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s a bit isted by others.¡±
Yan Wenkai sighed, ¡°We enrolledte and¡ our family background isn¡¯t particrly distinguished. The people at the Academy pick on the new ones. You know how good our eldest brother is in his studies, so naturally, he has be the target of jealousy.¡±
¡°If it weren¡¯t for Zhou Family¡¯s eldest brother visiting ours a couple of times, our eldest brother wouldn¡¯t even know the extent to which his ssmates had ostracized him!¡±
Daohua felt heavy-hearted. She hadn¡¯t expected the Academy to be like this. After hesitating for a while, she still asked, ¡°Third Brother, Fourth Brother, haven¡¯t you seen Xiao Yeyang in the Academy?¡±
Even if Xiao Yeyang did nothing, as long as people knew they were acquainted with him, surely no one in the Academy would dare to bully them recklessly.
Upon mentioning Xiao Yeyang, Wentao and Yan Wenkai fell silent once again.
After a while, Yan Wenkai said softly, ¡°Big Sister, it was only after going to the Academy that I realized how distant our family is from the Little Prince!¡±
Wentao nodded in agreement.
¡°Did something happen?¡± Daohua quickly asked.
Yan Wenkai shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, it¡¯s just that once when we were on the street, we saw the Little Prince¡¯s carriage. At that moment, Third Brother and I wanted to greet him, but we were nearly arrested by his sword-wielding bodyguards as troublemakers.¡±
If it hadn¡¯t been for our eldest brother arriving in time and rifying that we were students from Wangyue Academy, Third Brother and I might have ended up thrown directly into jail.
When the Little Prince had visited the Yan Family in the past, I didn¡¯t feel much besides knowing we had to treat someone of his station carefully. There was no sense of awe.
But at that moment, with the gleaming swords at our throats, I truly understood the invibility of royal family members.
Running afoul of the Little Prince would have meant that even if the bodyguards had killed us, nobody would have spoken a word in our defense.
Daohua listened with a pounding heart. Even though Yan Wenkai made light of it, she could imagine that the situation at that time must not have been optimistic, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t Xiao Yeyang recognize you?¡±
Wentao shook his head, ¡°The Little Prince¡ probably didn¡¯t even see us.¡±
He was surrounded by too many people, not only bodyguards but also all sorts of others eager to curry favor.
In fact, on the very day we arrived at the Academy, we saw the Little Prince. Unfortunately, we could not approach him. Apart from the students in his ss, no one else was allowed near the Little Prince¡¯s ssroom.
Afterwards, we wanted to pay him a visit, but were directly stopped by the bodyguards, who said that without a calling card, they wouldn¡¯t announce anyone.
Only after seeing the Little Prince¡¯s grand entourage in the Academy did I understand why Zhou Family¡¯s eldest brother said that the Little Prince had been truly amiable towards our family.
Indeed, the Little Prince had been quite approachable during his visit to the Yan Family.
Chapter 122: 108, Enemies on a Narrow Road_1
Chapter 122: Chapter 108, Enemies on a Narrow Road_1
As Yan Wenkai and Wentao spoke in turns, telling Daohua about everything they had encountered at the Academy, her feelings became somewhatplicated.
Only when she knew that they couldn¡¯t even see Xiao Yeyang¡¯s face did she deeply perceive the strictness of the ancient hierarchy and understand more clearly that for Xiao Yeyang, the Yan Family really didn¡¯t count for much.
¡°Big sister, you mustn¡¯t tell our grandparents about these things,¡± Wentao said after exining. ¡°Big brother said that this is a test for us, so let¡¯s not worry the family.¡±
Wentao also nodded, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not really a big deal. We can handle it.¡±
Daohua silently nodded.
Before, she had vaguely hinted to Madam Li to tell her foster father not to have too high expectations of Xiao Yeyang, but at this moment, hearing that Xiao Yeyang hadn¡¯t even seen her three brothers once at the Academy, she also felt a trace of disappointment in her heart.
People are like this, when something doesn¡¯t happen to themselves, they can always talk in an imposing and justified manner, but when it really happens to them, perhaps they be even more whimsical and twisted than others.
Before this, she thought that Xiao Yeyang might have some special regard for her and the Yan Family, but reality told her, she thought too much.
She could understand why her foster father wasn¡¯t invited by the Governor. After all, although he held a noble status, he was not in the official circle, and he couldn¡¯t influence official affairs;
But being in the same Academy, not to mention any special care towards her three brothers, there wasn¡¯t even a single summon, which showed he truly didn¡¯t keep them in his heart.
s¡
Not only should her foster father not harbor too many expectations, but she shouldn¡¯t either!
Later, Daohua and the others quickly took some grape wine and returned to the grandmother¡¯s courtyard.
¡
Although Yan Wenxiu hid it well inside the house, Yan Zhigao, having been an official for many years, could not miss the unspoken words of his eldest son. Thinking of the casual conversations he heard at the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office, his expression turned somewhat dark.
¡°The Little Prince simply didn¡¯t regard the Yan Family seriously; otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t Lord Yan be invited to the Governor¡¯s Mid-Autumn banquet?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that so? I heard that the Prefectural Governor from Fanzhou next door was invited.¡±
¡°Then why did the Little Prince stay at the Yan Family previously?¡±
¡°Who knows? Maybe the Little Prince was just looking for some fun or was curious?¡±
Thinking of these whispers, Yan Zhigao let out a wry smile.
Indeed, one sentence can awaken someone from a dream!
First was the overnight stay, and then his eldest son and his brothers obtained spots at the Wangyue Academy. He naively thought that the Little Prince and their family had a close rtionship.
Unfortunately, the reality check came swiftly.
He had greatly overestimated their family¡¯s importance in the Little Prince¡¯s heart!
He really had lost a little self-awareness!
Yan Zhigao looked at his eldest son: ¡°Seeking education is not just about seeking knowledge in books, but also about interpersonal skills, human rtionships. The Academy is a microcosm of society, where you¡¯ll find all kinds of people. You must think more, observe more, grasp the right measure in dealing with others.¡±
¡°Wherever a person goes, as long as they possess true skill, they will find a ce to stand. Help from outsiders is ultimately temporary.¡±
Yan Wenxiu understood the underlying meaning and immediately stood up to show his respect: ¡°Thank you for your teachings, father. Your son will remember them.¡±
On the side, Yan Zhiyuan looked at the two of them, his expression shifted slightly, then the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.
It seemed his three nephews weren¡¯t having such an easy time at the Academy after all!
In an instant, any resentment he felt about his own son not being able to go to the Academy dissipated.
¡
This year¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival dinner was exceptionally sumptuous, prepared by Madam Li, and with the help of grape wine, the family enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
After spending two days at home, Yan Wenxiu and his brothers were about to return to the Academy.
¡°Big brother, do you have a holiday for the Double Ninth Festival?¡±
Before leaving, Daohua asked her three brothers.
Yan Wenxiu nodded, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll have a day off, but it¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll make it back.¡± The journey between the Academy and Xingzhou City was not short; a round trip would take nearly half a day.
Daohua said, ¡°What a pity, the chrysanthemums I transnted in the manor have all survived, and I was hoping to invite you to a chrysanthemum feast on that day.¡±
Madam Yan: ¡°Whether you return or not, your chrysanthemums are nted in pots and can be viewed at any time. Their journey back from the Academy is not a short one; they¡¯d rather not be bothered by the hassle.¡±
Daohua nodded with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s fine. If we can¡¯t see the chrysanthemums, drinking chrysanthemum wine when youe back next time will be just as good.¡±
Speaking of wine, Yan Wenkai immediately jumped in, ¡°Big sister, take two jars of your grape wine with me.¡±
Daohua tly refused, ¡°No, you are studying, how can you drink wine?¡±
Yan Wenkai: ¡°I won¡¯t drink.¡± Saying this, he leaned close to Daohua and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to the instructor who teaches us martial arts; he has a taste for it.¡±
Daohua hesitated, looking towards Yan Wentao.
Yan Wentao nodded, acknowledging that their martial arts instructor did indeed love to drink.
Daohua then agreed but still admonished, ¡°Fourth brother, you are still young. Don¡¯t drink when you¡¯re outside. If you really want to drink, wait until youe home for the holidays, and I will let you have some.¡±
Yan Wenkai rolled his eyes: ¡°Big sister, aren¡¯t you younger than me? It¡¯s funny for a younger sister to call her older brother young!¡±
Daohua couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him and turned directly to Yan Wentao, ¡°Third brother, keep an eye on fourth brother.¡±
Yan Wentao: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will!¡±
¡
Wangyue Academy was built atop Zhongzhou Province¡¯s most famous Wuhua Mountain, with the Dayuan River flowing beneath it.
Huayang Prefecture City, second only to the provincial capital in Zhongzhou Province in terms of wealth and prosperity, was established at the foot of Wuhua Mountain.
Students from Wangyue Academy were often seen in the city.
¡°Fourth brother, are you sure you want to gift Instructor Fang the grape wine?¡±
On the street, Yan Wenkai carried two jars of grape wine and dragged Yan Wentao around as if looking for something.
Yan Wenkai: ¡°Of course, because of that son of a bitch Dong Xiangrong, all the instructors in the Academy deliberately ignore us two, except for Instructor Fang who still offers us some guidance. I must think of a way to¡ no, to repay him.¡±
Yan Wentao shook his head, his face expressing disapproval, ¡°The Academy explicitly forbids teachers from epting bribes¡¡±
Yan Wenkai interjected, ¡°Ohe on, third brother, we aren¡¯t giving money or paintings or anything like that, just two jars of homemade grape wine, that¡¯s hardly a bribe.¡±
¡°Although the Academy says teachers can¡¯t ept bribes, it doesn¡¯tpletely forbid us students from showing filial piety. Look at the other people in the Academy, even students from families less well-off than ours asionally give the teachers some small tokens, don¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Trust me, it¡¯s fine!¡±
Yan Wentao thought for a moment and felt that Yan Wenkai made sense, so he said no more and helped Yan Wenkai with his search.
¡°Ah, this big sister really should have put such good grape wine in a nicer jar. Now I have to find a new jar to gift it properly!¡±
Having not found a suitable jar for so long, Yan Wenkai was getting anxious.
Although he felt there was nothing wrong with gifting the instructor two jars of grape wine, he didn¡¯t want to do it in front of everyone. He had to do it stealthily while the students had not yet returned to the Academy.
Yan Wentao spoke up for Daohua, ¡°Isn¡¯t this because you asked for it all of a sudden, not giving enough time to switch?¡±
Yan Wenkai smacked his lips. He was just saying. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he pointed toward a pottery shop ahead and shouted, ¡°That shop sells empty wine jars, let¡¯s hurry.¡±
However, just as they were about to step into the shop, a man suddenly emerged from the side, knocking the wine jar out of Yan Wenkai¡¯s hand and onto the ground.
¡°Crash!¡±
The sound of the breaking jar and the vivid spilling of grape wine harshly assaulted Yan Wenkai¡¯s eyes.
¡°Dong Xiangrong, you bastard, give me back my grape wine!¡±
Chapter 123: 109, Fighting_1
Chapter 123: Chapter 109, Fighting_1
Old grudge after grudge drove Yan Wenkai to lose his rationality instantly, and he raised his fist to strike Dong Xiangrong, instantly entangling the two in a fight.
This move was like stirring up a ho¡¯s nest. The students who hade with Dong Xiangrong immediately cried out and swarmed over.
What started as a duel quickly became a many-against-one brawl.
Yan Wentao, seeing his brother Yan Wenkai being bullied, didn¡¯t say a word and plunged into the fray as well.
On the busy main street, a group of students broke into a fight, quickly drawing the attention of many onlookers.
In the past, the focus would definitely have been on the fighters, but this time, everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to the wine¡¯s aromatic red liquid spilled on the ground.
¡°What¡¯s that red liquid on the ground? Why does it smell like wine?¡±
¡°You¡¯re out of the loop, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s grape wine, something only the rich and powerful can afford.¡±
Some wine lovers looked on with faces twisted in anguish at the sight of the spilled grape wine, ¡°Wastrels, wastrels, to waste such fine wine like that, if you don¡¯t care for it, you could sell it to me!¡±
¡°These students just don¡¯t understand the hardships of life, to waste such good things!¡±
After a round ofments about the spilled grape wine, people finally turned their attention back to the fighting students.
And what they saw was shocking.
Good heavens, seven or eight people couldn¡¯t overpower two, and those two were clearly younger than the other side.
¡°The martial students from Wangyue Academy are getting better and better, just look at those moves, so nimble!¡±
Yan Wenkai was genuinely furious. He couldn¡¯t bear to drink the grape wine his sister had made, thinking instead to give it to Instructor Fang for extra guidance. Now it had been wasted, how could he not be angry?
He held back a bit against the others, but not a jot towards Dong Xiangrong, attacking with all his might.
This fellow was an old enemy of theirs. Back when he and his father went to the provincial capital to report for duty, they had had a conflict with him at the post station. That time, thanks to the Little Prince¡¯s intervention, he was forced by his father to apologize to them.
Wenkai thought he¡¯d never see the man again, yet here at Wangyue Academy, he had run into him once more¡ªand they were both martial students.
That alone was nothing, but Dong bore a grudge for being made to apologize, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to use his family¡¯s influence to make life unpleasant for them.
It would have been tolerable, but he also slyly undermined their instructors, causing them to overlook Wenkai and his elder brother. If it weren¡¯t for their solid foundation catching Instructor Fang¡¯s eye, they might have learned nothing after so long in the Academy.
Yan Wentao always remembered his parents¡¯ words to avoid causing trouble outside, so although he wasn¡¯t as fierce a fighter as Yan Wenkai, he had the advantage of height and strength. Besides helping Yan Wenkai dodge some blows, he would alsond a punch or two on their opponents from time to time.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
In the crowd, a silk-robed student looked like he wanted to step in and stop the fight, but was held back by the students with him.
Zhou Chengye nced at Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao. Although their martial prowess was good, they were outnumbered; with fists and feet flying everywhere, both brothers were grimacing in pain.
¡°This can¡¯t go on; someone has to step in and stop this!¡±
Wu Hongda shook his head, ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to get involved. Let¡¯s not talk about Dong Xiangrong, among those being beaten is a son from the Vice Minister¡¯s family of the Ministry of Rites, which has been favored by the Emperor these past two years and often summoned by him.¡±
¡°Those Yan brothers don¡¯t have much of a connection with you; there¡¯s no need to offend the Dong Family and the Vice Minister for them.¡±
Hearing this, Zhou Chengye fell silent.
His asional interactions with the three Yan brothers were mostly for the sake of the Little Prince.
He had thought the Little Prince had secured the Academy slots for the Yan brothers because he valued them, but now, after two or three months at the Academy, the Little Prince had not once visited the Yan brothers.
Now, he was unclear about the Little Prince¡¯s attitude toward the Yan family.
Thinking of his Second Uncle who was holding up alone in the capital, Zhou Chengye hesitated for a moment before deciding that it was still best not to trouble him.
At the same time, about ten meters away from where the fight was taking ce, there stood a luxuriously decorated tavern.
On the second floor of the tavern, a young man dressed in brocade clothes was fanning himself while watching the group of students fighting below.
¡°Big Brother Dong, should I send someone to drive those students away? If they disturb the Little Prince, that wouldn¡¯t be good,¡± another younger brocade-d young man asked with furrowed brows.
Dong Yuanxuan nced into the private room and pondered for a moment before shaking his head, ¡°No need to bother.¡±
Like Zhou Chengye, he too couldn¡¯t grasp what attitude the Little Prince held toward the Yan Family. The three Yan brothers had been at the Academy for some time now without any mention from him¡ªhad he forgotten, or did he simply not consider the Yan Family worth his attention?
Looking again at Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao who were fighting, Dong Yuanxuan remembered the reception he received at the Yan Family; although he wasn¡¯t inclined to provoke the recently irritable Little Prince on their behalf, he was still willing to give them a chance or two.
What if the Little Prince heard themotion and came out to investigate?
Su Hongxin nced at Dong Yuanxuan¡ªthese days, the Little Prince was quite short-tempered, getting angry over slight displeasures. With such uproar in the street below, he truly feared it might annoy that venerated figure again.
However, he remembered his father¡¯s instructions: when serving the Little Prince, follow Dong Yuanxuan¡¯s lead. Since he said there was no need, then there wouldn¡¯t be.
After all, if the Little Prince did get angryter, Dong Yuanxuan would be the first to bear the brunt.
¡°Creak!¡±
The door to the inner room opened.
Indeed, the two saw Xiao Yeyang with a rather unpleasant expression step out.
¡°What¡¯s happening outside, why is it so noisy?¡± De Fu hastily asked.
Su Hongxin was about to say that some students were fighting below when he heard Dong Yuanxuan say with a smile, ¡°It seems the Yan brothers are down there, exchanging blows with someone. They¡¯re not doing too badly. Little Prince, perhaps you¡¯d like to take a look?¡±
Xiao Yeyang, who appeared somewhat impatient, furrowed his brow upon hearing this, then his eyes lit up, ¡°Daohua¡¯s brothers?¡±
Dong Yuanxuan secretly thought, he remembered indeed; he had said that day¡¯s courteous manner of the Little Prince at the Yan Family wasn¡¯t faked, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s them.¡±
Xiao Yeyang, with a newfound interest, quickly walked to the window and looked down.
Soon, he saw Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao scuffling with a group of seven or eight people.
¡°What¡¯s this? Seven or eight people ganging up on two? How shameless! Since when did Wangyue Academy¡¯s students lose so much integrity?¡±
Seeing that the Yan brothers did not seem to be at a disadvantage, he chuckled, ¡°Truly worthy of being Daohua¡¯s brothers; their skills are indeed impressive.¡±
Recalling the first time he met Daohua, as she deftly and fiercely threw stones at the traffickers, the corners of Xiao Yeyang¡¯s mouth curled upwards.
Behind him, De Fu, seeing that Xiao Yeyang finally smiled, breathed a great sigh of relief in his heart.
He couldn¡¯t begin to express how tense he had felt these past days.
¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go down and have a look!¡±
With a flick of his fan, Xiao Yeyang took the lead and headed downstairs.
De Fu, Dong Yuanxuan, and the rest of their party quickly followed.
Su Hongxin, who was walking at the very back, looked at Dong Yuanxuan and inwardly marveled; his father was right, Dong Yuanxuan was indeed better at discerning the Little Prince¡¯s intentions.
Look, in no time, he brightened the Little Prince¡¯s mood.
This was indeed something he needed to learn from.
Chapter 124: 110, Not Fussy_1
Chapter 124: Chapter 110, Not Fussy_1
Xiao Yeyang, leading a group of people, had just stepped out of the restaurant when passersby on the street took notice and, seeing them heading towards the location of the student brawl, instinctively stepped aside to make way.
¡°This¡¡±
Within the crowd, Wu Hongda was somewhat surprised as he pulled Zhou Chengye aside and whispered, ¡°Could the Little Prince be here because of the Yan brothers?¡±
Zhou Chengye nodded, ¡°Definitely.¡±
Hearing this, Wu Hongda¡¯s face took on an incredulous expression, ¡°The Little Prince isn¡¯t someone who likes to meddle in others¡¯ affairs. What on earth do the Yan brothers have, to catch his eye?¡±
His grandfather was the Court Physician, and the Little Prince was a lively and boisterous child. His grandfather had treated him countless times, but even so, he had never won the prince¡¯s favor.
Zhou Chengye didn¡¯t reply, but he thought of the Yan Family¡¯s eldest daughter, who was very familiar with the Little Prince. He could sense that the Little Prince felt differently about her.
Grandfather had inquired and it seemed that it was because the Yan Family¡¯s eldest daughter had once saved the Little Prince.
¡°Just watch!¡±
The Little Prince¡¯s attitude toward the Yan Family could perhaps be inferred from this incident.
¡°Yan Wenkai, you¡¯re done for. Just you wait, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re expelled from the Academy!¡±
As Xiao Yeyang arrived with arge group of people, they just happened to catch Dong Xiangrong¡¯s arrogant shout.
The people around stepped aside of their own ord, making way for Xiao Yeyang who, fanning himself, walked in and silently observed Yan Wenkai and the others, still locked inbat.
Dong Xiangrong was about to threaten again, but suddenly, he noticed the surrounding area had quieted down, and, puzzled, he turned to look back. What he saw scared him out of his wits.
The hands that had been grabbing Yan Wenkai¡¯s arm let go instantly. Without the restraints, Yan Wenkainded a punch on Dong Xiangrong¡¯s face, sending him to the ground.
At that moment, everyone else also realized something was off. Seeing Xiao Yeyang standing byposedly watching them, they couldn¡¯t help but shudder, then one by one they ceased fighting and stood to the side with their heads bowed.
Dong Xiangrong, who had been punched in the face, didn¡¯t dare to make a sound either. After climbing up from the ground, he stood silently with the others, like a child who had done something wrong, waiting for an adult¡¯s reprimand.
Seeing Xiao Yeyang, Yan Wenkai and Wentao also retreated a bit involuntarily.
Xiao Yeyang first looked towards Wentao and spoke with a smile, ¡°Keep going, why stop? I found your fighting quite good.¡±
Then, turning his head to Dong Xiangrong, he said, ¡°Keep on shouting, so I can understand just how mighty you are to dictate who stays and who leaves the Academy.¡±
¡°Little Prince, I was wrong. I spoke in haste and without thinking,¡± Dong Xiangrong¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat, and inwardly he wailed, why did it always have to be the Little Prince who witnessed him and Yan Wenkai¡¯s brawls?
The previous time was at the post station, and now on the street, could his luck get any worse?
Xiao Yeyang paid no attention to Dong Xiangrong and turned to Yan Wenkai and Wentao asking, ¡°What exactly happened? Why did you all start fighting here on the street?¡±
Yan Wenkai was going to tell the unvarnished truth, but seeing Zhou Chengye in the crowd desperately shaking his head, after a brief consideration, he grinned and replied, ¡°Your Highness, we were practicing our martial arts skills with ssmates.¡±
The Academy had explicit rules forbidding fighting, and although their brawl urred outside, if the Academy chose to pursue the matter, they would still face punishment. It would be better to call it a martial arts practice to avoid all trouble.
Upon hearing Yan Wenkai¡¯s response, Zhou Chengye and Dong Yuanxuan both sighed in relief in unison.
Now that the Little Prince was involved, a trivial matter could escte into a major one, and it seemed that the Little Prince might be inclined to take a stand for the Yan brothers.
If the Yan brothers insisted and actually caused Dong Xiangrong and the others to be punished, it might provide some satisfaction, but that would surely offend the powerful families behind these students.
Dong Xiangrong and the others also silently breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, all of them deeply regretted their actions. Had they known they would encounter the Little Prince, they would have definitely steered clear of the Yan brothers.
¡°Practicing?¡±
Xiao Yeyang chuckled, walked over to Yan Wenkai, and with a gesture, his folding fan snapped shut and he patted Wenkai¡¯s body yfully.
¡°Ah!¡±
Yan Wenkai immediately rubbed his arm and grimaced in pain, eximing, ¡°Little Prince, why did you hit me?¡±
Xiao Yeyang said indifferently, ¡°I just saw you fighting so fiercely, I thought you wouldn¡¯t be afraid of pain.¡±
Yan Wenkai made a bitter face, ¡°I¡¯m made of flesh, of course it hurts.¡±
Xiao Yeyang didn¡¯t pay him any more attention, nced at Yan Wentao, who also had quite a few injuries on his face, and asked, ¡°Is the wine on the ground yours?¡±
Yan Wentao nodded, ¡°Mm, Daohua personally brewed it.¡±
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s eyes lit up, he fanned himself quickly a couple of times, sniffed the aroma of wine lingering in the air, and then pretended not to care much, ¡°It smells¡quite good.¡±
¡°It tastes even better,¡± Yan Wenkai immediately began praising how sweet, fragrant, and lingering the grape wine was.
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he asked faintly, ¡°You brought the wine to the Academy for¡?¡±
Yan Wentao, who couldn¡¯t lie, immediately said, ¡°To present to Instructor Fang.¡±
Upon hearing this, Dong Yuanxuan and others nearby who were rtively close all wore a speechless look.
Zhou Chengye, who had squeezed through the crowd, couldn¡¯t help but want to facepalm.
Couldn¡¯t this Yan Wentao have a bit of tact? Couldn¡¯t he just say it was for the Little Prince?
Sure enough, upon hearing that the wine wasn¡¯t for him, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s expression turned indifferent.
Fortunately, Yan Wenkai was quick-witted and felt that Xiao Yeyang was getting upset, so he quickly said, ¡°Daohua has stored the best barrels in the cer, not to be drunk by anyone, saying she would uncork them when you visit in the future.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Seeing Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao both nodding, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s expression improved slightly, his lips curled into a faint smile, then he straightened his face again and asked, ¡°So why are you carrying a wine jar around?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even get me started; it¡¯s all because of Daohua,¡± Yan Wenkaiined straight away. ¡°The jars she used to store the wine are so poor; they don¡¯t match with the grape wine at all. We just wanted to get a better one.¡±
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yeyangughed, and even Dong Yuanxuan beside him could not help but smile.
Thinking of the Hundred-Year Ginseng wrapped carelessly in cotton, both of them shook their heads involuntarily.
¡°That Daohua, really not particr!¡± Xiao Yeyang mockingly scolded, before turning to leave.
He still remembered how pained the Imperial Physician looked when he handed over the ginseng, decrying the ginseng picker as a spendthrift ignorant of its true value.
¡°Hurry up and follow!¡±
Seeing the Little Prince walking several meters ahead, and Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao still foolishly standing there, Zhou Chengye had to step out and remind them.
Yan Wenkai scratched his head, ¡°Should we follow? The Little Prince didn¡¯t call for us, did he?¡±
Zhou Chengye was exasperated. Waiting for the Little Prince to call personally, how thick could their faces get?
If any of them had a chance to interact with the Little Prince, as long as he didn¡¯t shoo them away, they would shamelessly stick with him to the very end.
Unfortunately, such thoughts were hard to express. Luckily, Dong Yuanxuan stepped in to help.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to follow?¡±
Dong Yuanxuan turned to look at the Yan brothers and, seeing Zhou Chengye beside them, said with a smile, ¡°Zhou brother is here too. The Little Prince is going for a stroll; let¡¯s join him!¡±
Zhou Chengye was pleased and immediately pushed the Wen brothers to catch up while also not forgetting to pull along his good friend Wu Hongda.
As for Dong Xiangrong and others who were ignored, they exchanged nces and dared not follow.
Chapter 125: 111, Celebrity 1
Chapter 125: Chapter 111, Celebrity 1
The Yan brothers encountered the Little Prince on the street and spent half the day with him, and it wasn¡¯t long before everyone in the Academy who should know, knew about it.
There was no helping it, Xiao Yeyang was a notable figure in the Academy; every move he made attracted attention. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t exactly approachable¡ªin fact, he had quite a temper. Within the Academy, there were very few who caught his eye, even among the sons of Beijing aristocratic families, who found it difficult to please or get close to him.
Now that the Yan brothers had suddenly emerged, they naturally caught everyone¡¯s attention.
Curious individuals quickly inquired and soon learned that the Yan Family came from a humble background, with only a single Fifth-rank Prefectural Governor in the entire n, which surprised many.
¡°What is so special about the Yan brothers that they caught the eye of the Little Prince?¡±
People discussed among themselves in private.
On their part, Yan Wentao, Yan Wenkai, and their group parted ways with the Little Prince and returned to their dormitory. As they walked into the courtyard, they saw fellow students, who previously had been indifferent, now smiling and greeting them.
Yan Wenkai sneered inwardly, but he still courteously returned the greetings, then quickly pulled Yan Wentao into their room.
Upon entering, they saw an unhappy Yan Wenxiu waiting for them.
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao exchanged nces, their hearts skipping a beat. Their eldest brother was akin to a father to them, and they were quite intimidated by him.
¡°Big brother, it really wasn¡¯t our fault this time. You know what Dong Xiangrong is like, he always loves to pick on us. If it weren¡¯t for him breaking our elder sister¡¯s grape wine, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten into a fight,¡± Yan Wenkai quickly defended themselves.
Seeing their bruised faces, Yan Wenxiu sighed, the scolding words turning a few corners in his mouth before being swallowed back down: ¡°You two didn¡¯t hesitate to take on seven or eight people.¡±
Seeing that Yan Wenxiu wasn¡¯t ming them but instead looked at them with concern, Yan Wenkai rxed and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big brother. Despite them having more people, their fists aren¡¯t as hard as mine and the third brother¡¯s. We didn¡¯t suffer a loss!¡±
Yan Wenxiu red at his smug younger brother: ¡°Had the Little Prince not arrived in time, who knows how things would¡¯ve ended?¡±
Yan Wenkai snorted coldly, ¡°Dong Xiangrong¡¯s family background may be good, but he shouldn¡¯t be allowed to do whatever he pleases in the Academy, should he?¡±
Yan Wenxiu replied irritably, ¡°But they can make things difficult for you, tarnish your reputation!¡±
Yan Wenkai shook his hand and sat on his bed, ¡°Ah, big brother, don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t dare to provoke us anymore.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Wenxiu didn¡¯t continue. The incident of the Little Prince spending half the day with his younger brothers was already spread throughout the Academy, and with that connection, no one would dare to provoke them openly anymore.
¡°Your injuries¡¡±
Yan Wenkai said dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor wound, no big deal.¡±
Yan Wentao chimed in, ¡°Earlier, Brother Dong had already called a doctor to examine us. It¡¯s just some bruising, and we got some ointment to apply.¡±
Hearing this, Yan Wenxiu finally rxed.
¡°By the way, big brother, you¡¯re okay, right?¡± Yan Wentao asked, rubbing his arm.
Yan Wenxiu nodded lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it.¡± Schrs, ah, even if they don¡¯t get along, it¡¯s just verbal sparring, bickering. Physical confrontations are rare.
He wasn¡¯t afraid of a war of words.
Yan Wenxiu nced at the sky, stood up to leave: ¡°I¡¯m going. Remember to stay calm in the future when facing trouble.¡±
¡
The next day, Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao entered the ssroom with their bruised faces.
Though martial students mainly focused on training, they still learned quite a bit from their textbooks on a regr basis.
As they walked in, they received the stares of all the students in the ssroom.
To this, neither of them felt embarrassed.
Although fighting was prohibited in the Academy, a special sparring ring area was set up for the martial arts students.
These martial arts students were a group of youngds with energy to spare, and when they sparred, they often couldn¡¯t hold back, or they¡¯d get carried away by their temper. It was too normal to see someone with a bruised nose and swollen face.
Just look around, it wasn¡¯t just the two of them with bruised noses and swollen faces in the ssroom.
Instructor Dong Xiangrong¡¯s head was twice as big as theirs!
¡°Sit down. Today we¡¯re going to discuss human anatomy. Only by bing familiar with one¡¯s own body can one better control its power.¡±
The person teaching the ss was exactly Instructor Fang whom Yan Wenkai had tried to bribe.
Instructor Fang gave the two brothers a nce as they entered the ssroom.
He had heard that the reason they got into a fight with Dong Xiangrong and his group was because they¡¯d smashed the grape wine intended for him.
Thinking of the students¡¯ covert discussions, which said the grape wine was fragrantly tempting, his heart gave a fiery throb; he didn¡¯t have many hobbies but he did enjoy a good drink.
What a pity¡
Thinking of the wine that had slipped through his lips, Instructor Fang gave Dong Xiangrong a harsh re.
Dong Xiangrong, clueless about what had happened, looked back innocently.
Seeing this, Instructor Fang shook his head. Those who studied martial arts seldom had much sense.
You broke the wine intended for your old man, so you should rece it, shouldn¡¯t you?
Those two young men from the Yan Family were no better. The wine was broken, couldn¡¯t they have sent another gift?
A ss passed with Instructor Fang¡¯s mutterings and scowling, and as soon as it ended, Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao prepared to leave. However, as soon as they stepped out of the ssroom, they saw Zhao Ergou.
¡°Ergouzi, what are you doing here?¡± Yan Wentao ran over excitedly and casually slung an arm around other¡¯s neck, looking like the best of brothers.
They had developed a deep bond during their struggles against the human traffickers and while fleeing from disaster.
¡°Third Brother, what are you calling me? It should be ¡®Guardian Zhao¡¯!¡± Yan Wenkai also approached with a smile.
Other students standing by, upon seeing the bodyguard from the Little Prince¡¯s retinuee to find the Yan brothers, all paused and pretended to look at the sky or to step on ants, all to eavesdrop on why the Little Prince had sent someone.
Even Instructor Fang slowed his pace, ears pricked up.
Zhao Ergou, having learned proper conduct around Xiao Yeyang, wouldn¡¯t dare act so familiarly with Yan Wentao. He peeled Yan Wentao off himself, smiling and saying, ¡°The Little Prince has summoned you to the Martial Training Hall!¡±
Yan Wenkai appeared troubled. ¡°For what? To spar? But we just fought yesterday, and fighting again today isn¡¯t good for the body!¡± He wasn¡¯t being delicate; he really was sore all over from yesterday¡¯s intense brawl.
Yan Wentao nodded in agreement.
Instructor Fang, standing nearby, almost stumbled upon hearing this, internally crying out at the Yan brothers¡¯ck of tact.
The Little Prince hade over personally to call them, and yet these two acted so reluctantly.
Dong Xiangrong, who had been looking up at the sky, also lost patience, his face filled with disdain as he looked at the Yan brothers. Coming from a lowly household, they just couldn¡¯t make it to the higher echelons.
¡°Let¡¯s go. If you perform well, maybe in the future you¡¯ll attend martial arts sses with the Little Prince,¡± Zhao Ergou said, not bothering to exin further, taking one by the hand and quickly leaving.
Could the person teaching the Little Prince be just anyone? That¡¯d be a real expert, one whom, before the Prince left, was specially dispatched to find from all over.
He, a person who used to know nothing about martial arts, only possessing brute strength, had be formidable after instruction from a few instructors; now he could take on five or six people by himself.
Chapter 126: 112, Invitation_1
Chapter 126: Chapter 112, Invitation_1
The events that transpired at the Academy were unknown to the Yan Family.
As September arrived, Daohua became busier with each passing day; after finishing school, her time was consumed by the flower shop.
Now, her flower shop had gained a modest reputation in Xingzhou City for selling flowers that were not only beautiful to behold and resilient but also boastedrge and vibrant blooms with asting fragrance. Sales were brisk every day.
With the Double Ninth Festival approaching, wealthy households were fond of hosting chrysanthemum viewing parties, and the chrysanthemums in her shop flourished beautifully, richly, and vibrantly. They sold out quickly as soon as they were disyed.
The entire Yan Family, seeing the sess of Daohua¡¯s flower shop, were all quite envious.
Yan Zhiyuan and Madam Sun, who had previously tried to persuade Daohua to give up the flower shop, now found it somewhat awkward to face her these days.
Even Madam Li was smiling and saying that she would also like to learn how to grow flowers next year.
One day, as Daohua was recording the flower shop¡¯s earnings in Madam Li¡¯s room, she saw Ping Tong walk in with an invitation, a joyful expression on her face.
¡°Madam, an invitation from the Zhou Family,¡± she announced.
Madam Li was surprised for a moment; since their arrival in Xingzhou City, this was the first time they had received an invitation from the Zhou Family. She briskly took the invitation, opened it, and saw that it was an invite to climb the mountain to admire the autumn scenery on the day of the Double Ninth Festival.
Laying down her pen, Daohua asked curiously, ¡°Mother, why has the Zhou Family invited us?¡±
Madam Li passed the invitation to her. ¡°They¡¯ve invited us to cruise on the Dayuan River, followed by a trip up to Xiangxia Mountain to enjoy the red maple leaves.¡±
Daohua, upon reading the invitation, eximed, ¡°The Zhou Family actually has their own pleasure boat!¡±
Madam Li: ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re called an established aristocratic family. The wealth these families have amassed over generations is beyond our imagination.¡±
Excited about the opportunity to go out, Daohua asked Madam Li, ¡°Mother, will all the women from our family be going?¡±
Madam Li thought for a moment and shook her head, ¡°The Zhou Family will surely invite others too. Once there are many people, trouble is likely to arise. Being on a pleasure boat is the easiest ce for idents, such as falling into the water.¡±
Daohua nodded as she listened; indeed, stories of people being pushed into rivers were not umon in the novels of her past life.
¡°Our family has a shallow foundation in Xingzhou City, and we are not familiar with other families. It¡¯s said that one shouldn¡¯t harbor ill intentions but should also guard against them. Your father¡¯s promotion to Prefectural Governor has already drawn the envy of many. In situations like these that could potentially cause trouble, the fewer people who attend, the better.¡±
It wasn¡¯t that she was overly cautious, but rather thatpared with other families, the Yan Family was simply too weak andcked support; a single incident could lead to a major issue. Thus, even when going out for leisure, they had to be careful and vignt.
Madam Li paused for a moment: ¡°If we only bring one of you along, the others will inevitably gossip¡ Between Yan Yihuan, Yan Yishuang, and Yan Yile, who do you think would be the better choice to bring along?¡±
She didn¡¯t even consider Madam Sun or the Wu Family at all.
Although Madam Sun was eloquent, her second brother was amoner. If she sat among a group of officials¡¯ rtives, disdain was inevitable, so why seek difort?
As for the Wu Family, they were still expecting at the moment.
Without hesitation, Daohua replied, ¡°Naturally, whoever is the least trouble should be the one to take!¡±
¡°Yan Yishuang has been spoiled by her father and Aunt Lin, and if anything goes against her wishes, she tears up as if wronged. Her sulking face won¡¯t please anyone.¡±
¡°And Yan Yile, she speaks without thinking, acting impulsively; she offends people with her words. Although she¡¯s young, outsiders won¡¯t be considerate of that and will simply think the Yan Familycks discipline.¡±
¡°Compared to these two, the quiet and unassuming Yan Yihuan is more suited. She might not be of much help in a situation, but she surely won¡¯t go looking for trouble.¡±
Madam Li smiled as she watched her daughter analyze the three youngdies of the household. Once she was finished, she nodded in agreement, ¡°You see clearly enough. Let¡¯s take Yan Yihuan, then. I¡¯ll talk to your second aunt about it during dinnerter.¡±
¡
After dinner, Madam Li spoke of the Zhou Family¡¯s invitation and told Madam Sun that she intended to take Yan Yihuan with them on the day of the Double Ninth Festival.
The reactions to this news varied among those present.
Yan Yihuan was initially stunned, and upon confirming that her great aunt was not joking, her heart was quickly overwhelmed with joy.
As the first daughter of the second branch of the family, she was often overlooked, sandwiched between an elder brother and a younger sister and not particrly clever.
Now, the chance to venture out and meet guests had presented itself, and she could hardly believe her great aunt had chosen her!
Yan Yishuang and Yan Yile both wore faces of disappointment, one looking at Yan Zhigao, the other at the Sun Family, hoping they would speak on their behalf so they could go out too.
As the eldest daughter would gain experience by going out with her sister-inw, the Sun Family was naturally pleased, but then there was the younger daughter to consider.
The Sun Family was always astute and, seeing that Yan Zhigao did not speak for Yan Yishuang, wisely did not publicly ask Madam Li either.
Only after everyone else had dispersed did she pull aside Madam Li and say, ¡°Elder sister-inw, could you also take Yile with you?¡±
Madam Li patted her hand, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take her, it¡¯s really because we¡¯ll be taking a boat that day. I¡¯m one person looking after several children, and I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t keep an eye on all of them. If an ident happens, wouldn¡¯t you have me for dinner?¡±
The Sun Family moved her lips, about to say she could apany them, but Madam Li spoke first.
¡°It¡¯s just a trip out, after all. Once I¡¯ve got to know all thedies from the families in Xingzhou, the next time such an opportunity arises, I¡¯ll take all the youngdies from our family, not leaving one behind.¡±
¡°The reason I¡¯m taking Yihuan this time is that she is quiet and can sit still, so I feel at ease even on a boat. But Yile, tell me, can she stay seated?¡±
The Sun Family was at a loss for words. Between her two daughters, the older one was calm and the younger one lively, and it seemed that the older daughter was indeed more reassuring to take out.
Madam Li thought for a moment and took the opportunity to say, ¡°Moreover, you need to correct Yile¡¯s habit of speaking without thinking. At home, it¡¯s still fine as everyone knows she¡¯s young and they let it go, but if she¡¯s out visiting and offends someone with her words, you¡¯d better quell her aspirations of socializing.¡±
The Sun Family knew her own daughter and, hearing Madam Li¡¯s words, looked embarrassed, thinking to herself, did Daohua have no faults? Yet, upon careful reflection, in matters of social interaction, Daohua really did seem wless.
Regretfully, the Sun Family returned to her own yard. As soon as she entered the house, she was grabbed by Yan Yile, ¡°Mother, did aunt agree to let me go out with them?¡±
The Sun Family tapped her younger daughter¡¯s head, ¡°Your nature is too lively, my dear. Your aunt said boating is dangerous and wouldn¡¯t allow you to go.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Yile immediately protested, clinging to the Sun Family¡¯s arm, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, and I¡¯ll stay by aunt¡¯s side all the time. Mother, please talk to her again!¡±
The Sun Family sighed andforted her daughter, ¡°All right, it¡¯s just one outing. If we can¡¯t go this time, when there¡¯s a chance, your father and I will take you out ourselves.¡±
Yan Yile shook off the Sun Family¡¯s hand, ¡°When will that be? Aunt won¡¯t let me go because I must have offended my elder cousin, and she¡¯s taking this chance to get back at me!¡±
¡°p!¡±
The Sun Family mmed her palm on the table, ring at Yan Yile sternly, ¡°Your aunt said you¡¯re reckless with words, and I was making excuses for you. What on earth were you just saying?¡±
¡°Your aunt is your elder. Is it appropriate for a junior like you to discuss her behind her back? Don¡¯t let me hear such things again, or I¡¯ll have to be strict with you.¡±
Having said that, she turned her attention away from Yan Yile and looked toward Yan Yihuan.
The Sun Family softened her expression, ¡°When you¡¯re out, stick close to your elder sister. I¡¯ve watched that girl carefully several times, and she¡¯s quite adept. However she interacts with the otherdies, you do the same.¡±
¡°If you run into trouble, seek her out. Your aunt will probably not be with you; as the eldest, she should look after her younger sisters when out. If something happens to you, it would embarrass her as well.¡±
Yan Yihuan nodded, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±
Meanwhile, in Shuangxin Courtyard.
Yan Yishuang was also making a fuss with her concubine mother, Lin.
¡°Mother, why can my elder sister go out and socialize just because we both are father¡¯s daughters, but I can¡¯t?¡± Yan Yishuang sobbed fiercely, her eyes swollen red.
Concubine Lin hugged Yan Yishuang, also sobbing softly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, me me. How could I be just a concubine to your father!¡±
¡°Wu-wu~¡±
Yan Yishuang said tearfully, ¡°I don¡¯t want that, I also want to go out on the Double Ninth Festival.¡±
Yan Zhigao stood outside the house, silently listening to the conversation between mother and daughter. After a while, he turned and walked towards the mainpound.
Sensing the movement in the courtyard, Yan Yishuang lifted her head and tearfully asked, ¡°Mother, could father really convince mother to let me go along?¡±
Concubine Lin stroked her head, smiling, ¡°Your father is the head of the family; Madam must listen to his words!¡±
Chapter 127: 113, Changed_1
Chapter 127: Chapter 113, Changed_1
¡°Master!¡±
Madam Li had anticipated that Yan Zhigao woulde to the main courtyard tonight and, with a calm demeanor, stepped forward to change his outer clothing for him, then smilingly brought him some tea.
¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry; I have something to say.¡±
Madam Li sat down opposite Yan Zhigao, smiling, ¡°Master, please speak.¡±
Yan Zhigao nced at Madam Li, took a sip of the tea in his hand, put it down, and said, ¡°Take Yishuang with you on the day of the Double Ninth Festival.¡±
Madam Li¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°Master, have you considered why I didn¡¯t take Yishuang and Yile together?¡±
Yan Zhigao looked at Madam Li and said nothing.
¡°Does Master think that I am taking this opportunity to suppress the Lin Family?¡± Madam Li bitterly smiled, ¡°So this is how you see me in your heart.¡±
Yan Zhigao¡¯s expression shifted slightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, don¡¯t be oversensitive.¡±
Madam Li, not one to rush into acting, inly said, ¡°Very well, since Master doesn¡¯t think so, I¡¯ll share my thoughts with you.¡±
¡°At any women¡¯s gathering, apart from those with especially strict rules or of particrly noble status, there are bound to be some incidents during the banquet.¡±
¡°This time, the Zhou Family has invited thedies of various families to a boat ride and mountain climb, both of which require only a slightpse of attention to lead to mishaps.¡±
¡°To be frank, our daughters are somewhat inexperienced, having never interacted with the daughters of aristocratic families, unaware that these people harbor all manner of schemes, and without caution, could fall into their traps, be it lightly mocked or, worse, caught in disputes.¡±
¡°Master, do you think that with the temperaments of Yishuang and Yile, they will be able to handle that?¡±
Yan Zhigao pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Daohua with them? I see she gets along quite well with the other youngdies.¡±
Madam Li nearly rolled her eyes, ¡°Master, don¡¯t forget that Daohua has just celebrated her tenth birthday. Do you really expect a ten-year-old girl to look after three younger sisters at the same time?¡±
¡°Thest time our family hosted a banquet, that child had to consider every aspect in advance to avoid trouble, and even then, Yishuang still made a fool of herself in front of thedies and misses of other families, as you are aware.¡±
¡°Besides, not to speak ill behind someone¡¯s back, but it¡¯s uncertain whether the three of them regard Daohua as an elder sister. Remember, when Teacher Zhu¡¯s daughter injured her foot at our house, did any of them speak up for Daohua?¡±
Matters concerning her daughters made Madam Li slightly agitated, her words a bit more charged.
Yan Zhigao¡¯s face showed an awkward expression, ¡°Why are you bringing up old matters again?¡±
Madam Li calmed her emotions, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what Master asked?¡± Daohua had been pped back then, and she is still distressed about it to this day.
Yan Zhigao picked up the teacup, no longer looking at Madam Li¡¯s face.
Madam Li did not dwell on the matter, continuing, ¡°Furthermore,pared with other families, our foundation is somewhat weaker, and in Xingzhou City, we do not have any close allies. If we don¡¯t encounter any problems, that¡¯s fine, but once an ident urs, we are very likely to be pushed out by others, made to be the scapegoat.¡±
¡°Do you think under such circumstances, I would rashly take all the girls out?¡±
Yan Zhigao thought for a while, then nodded his head.
¡°Master, I may offend you with my words, but I must say them. Otherwise, you might still think I can¡¯t tolerate others,¡± said Madam Li.
¡°You should know of Yishuang¡¯s tendency to cry when confronted with a situation. The Yan daughters represent the face of the Yan Residence when they visit guests. Do you think she can be taken out to meet people as she is?¡±
¡°And as for Yile, I¡¯ve already spoken with Second Sister-inw, asking her to manage her problem of speaking without thinking, lest the children¡¯s conflicts escte to the adults.¡±
¡°As for Daohua and Yihuan, without boasting, Master, you shouldn¡¯t find fault with Daohua¡¯s conduct as host when she goes out, right?¡±
Yan Zhigao nodded, ¡°Daohua is a good one.¡±
Seeing Yan Zhigao agree with her, Madam Li¡¯s face brightened with a smile, her tone softening, ¡°It¡¯s not that I refuse to take the other two; it¡¯s just that this time it is really inconvenient. If something were to happen, I couldn¡¯t exin it to you.¡±
Yan Zhigao was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I truly don¡¯t understand the affairs of the inner courtyard, and I¡¯ve overlooked many aspects. I was impulsive. Let¡¯s go with the arrangement of Madam.¡±
Madam Li smiled, ¡°As long as our family sessfully settles down in Xingzhou City, why worry aboutcking invitations to banquets? Second Sister-inw and the Lin Family are just a bit too anxious.¡±
A flicker of difort crossed Yan Zhigao¡¯s face. He too had been anxious, havinge to find his wife soon after listening to theints of Mrs. Lin and her daughter.
Thanks to Madam, who was a virtuous woman, Yiyi had exined everything to him clearly.
That night, Yan Zhigao rested in the main courtyard, and early the next morning, he went to the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office.
Auntie Lin waited most of the night, sleeping only a short while before dawn, eagerly waiting for Yan Zhigao to reply to her.
Unfortunately, even by noon, Yan Zhigao had sent no one to look for her.
¡°Mother, can I go out with elder sister and the others on Double Ninth Festival?¡± Yan Yishuang looked at Auntie Lin with hopeful eyes.
Auntie Lin, with a pained expression, looked at her daughter, unable to utter the word ¡®no¡¯.
The Master had changed; ever since he was promoted to Prefectural Governor, he had not been the same towards her as before.
If this had happened a few years ago, just a slight hint from her would have satisfied her requests, even if Madam might have felt ufortable about it.
But now, not only were his visits to her courtyard less frequent, but he also did not entirelyply with her wishes anymore.
¡
In the blink of an eye, Double Ninth Festival arrived.
Early in the morning, Daohua went first to the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard to deliver the cakes she had made in advance: ¡°Grandmother, if the scenery at Xiangxia Mountain is nice, we should go separately sometime.¡±
She knew that the Old Madam¡¯s legs were still strong, and climbing a mountain was no issue for her, but it was not appropriate to bring her when the Zhou Family had invited them.
The Old Madam smiled and patted Daohua¡¯s head: ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯m not going to be cooped up,¡± she said, even though inwardly, she greatly appreciated the gesture.
Not to speak out of turn, but out of the entire family, it was only Daohua who would frequently make sure she wasn¡¯t feeling bored. She doubted any of her sons or daughters-inw had ever thought of taking her out by herself.
Daohua nodded with a smile: ¡°Grandmother¡¯s flowers are now even better than mine.¡±
They couldn¡¯t grow crops in the courtyard, but ever since she opened the flower shop, the Old Madam had taken up flower gardening. Now, the flowers and nts in the Old Madam¡¯s courtyard were as plentiful as hers.
The Old Madam nced at her with a hint of pride: ¡°This old woman has eaten more salt than you¡¯ve eaten rice, how could I lose to a young girl in flower growing? Alright, enough loitering around me, go find your mother quickly, and don¡¯t bete.¡±
Daohua, looking back every three steps, teased: ¡°Grandmother, make sure you don¡¯t miss me too much!¡±
The Old Madam waved her hand impatiently: ¡°Go on, who¡¯s going to miss you, you crazy girl!¡±
Only then did Daohua skip away cheerfully.
Once out of sight, the Old Madam turned to Grandma Sun with a smile: ¡°That girl is truly considerate.¡±
Grandma Sunughed and replied: ¡°After all, she was raised by you since she was little, who would she be close to if not you?¡±
¡
At the rear yard¡¯s gate, when Daohua arrived, Wang Manman was still moving things into the carriage.
Madam Li red at Daohua: ¡°What have you brought with you? I see that Manman has carried a lot of things onto the carriage already.¡±
Daohua: ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to climb the mountain to enjoy the distant view? Once we reach the mountaintop, we¡¯ll surely need to rest, so I brought some snacks, which will be good to have at that time.¡±
Madam Li scolded with augh: ¡°You always remember to eat wherever you go.¡±
Daohua shook her head: ¡°Eating is the most important thing in life, how could I forget it?¡± After speaking, she beckoned Yan Yihuan, who was waiting by the side, to board the carriage.
Madam Li prepared two carriages, with her apanied by Daohua and Yan Yihuan in one, and the maids and grannies in another. Soon, the carriages were on their way.
¡°The Zhou Family¡¯s carriages are at the city gate, let¡¯s meet up with them first.¡±
When the Yan Family arrived, there were already many carriages waiting at the city gate.
Madam Li drew back the carriage curtain to look and scanned over the crest on each family¡¯s carriage, then turned to the two girls from her family and said, ¡°In Xingzhou City, only the Zhou Family can gather so many people.¡±
Chapter 128: 114, Cold Reception_1
Chapter 128: Chapter 114, Cold Reception_1
¡°`
The port was just outside Xingzhou City, and once everyone had gathered at the city gate, they quickly set off for the port. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the port and start disembarking from their carriages to board the ship.
¡°The Zhou Family¡¯s riverboat is really huge!¡± The Yan Family¡¯s carriage was a bit behind; meanwhile, Daohua, curious, couldn¡¯t help but lift the curtain to look outside.
¡°This is still one of the smaller ones. To speak of size and grandeur, the ship that the Prince used to inspect the Dayuan River was trulyrge¡ªit had a full four decks.¡±
The sound of conversation came from the carriage behind. Daohua turned around and saw that it was Zhou Jingwan: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Where else would I be if not here?¡± Zhou Jingwan and Daohua were already familiar with each other, so she immediately got down from her own carriage and jumped into Daohua¡¯s.
¡°Madam Li, I hope you are well.¡±
Madam Li smiled and helped Zhou Jingwan settle into her seat.
Only then did Daohua continue, ¡°I thought you would be one of the first to board the ship.¡±
¡°That was the n, but I left home a bitte, so my mother went ahead without me.¡± Zhou Jingwan leaned towards Daohua, ¡°Today, we need to have a good time. I¡¯ve wanted to ride on a riverboat for a long time.¡±
Daohua: ¡°What? Doesn¡¯t your family have a riverboat that you could use more often?¡±
Zhou Jingwan pursed her lips: ¡°Unless my mother apanies me, when do I have the chance to ride it? I¡¯m not my brother, who can often invite friends to enjoy the boat and appreciate the scenery.¡±
Daohua nodded, understanding. In ancient times, youngdies were not permitted to go out at will, especially those fromrge households with stricter rules.
¡°In the future, I¡¯ll send you an invitation, and we can go y at my vi.¡±
Zhou Jingwan nodded repeatedly: ¡°You can¡¯t forget it.¡± She was restless and hated being cooped up at home all the time.
Noticing that Yan Yihuan was sitting to the side, unable to join the conversation, Daohua quickly included her: ¡°This is my second sister. Do you remember her?¡±
Zhou Jingwan nced at Yan Yihuan and greeted her with a smile: ¡°Hello, Yan Family¡¯s second sister.¡±
Yan Yihuan promptly replied: ¡°Hello, Zhou Family sister.¡±
Zhou Jingwan smiled and quickly whispered into Daohua¡¯s ear, chuckling: ¡°I still remember that your family has a sister who loves to cry. Did you not bring her along?¡±
Daohua rolled her eyes at Zhou Jingwan: ¡°What little girl doesn¡¯t cry? Have you never?¡±
Next to them, Yan Yihuan¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red. She knew that the youngdy from the Zhou Family was referring to Yi Shuang and was also surprised that her older sister would defend Yi Shuang in front of others.
She could see clearly that ever since her older sister returned to the estate, Yi Shuang had been openly and covertlypeting with her for attention and favor, and Aunt Lin often used her older sister as a pretext to cause trouble.
By rights, her older sister should dislike Yi Shuang, shouldn¡¯t she?
In contrast to Yan Yihuan¡¯s confusion, Madam Li looked at her daughter with approval.
Family conflict should stay internal. It doesn¡¯t matter how lively fights are at home; don¡¯t reveal them in front of outsiders¡ªdon¡¯t give them extra fodder for amusement.
In the midst of the conversation, it was the Yan Family¡¯s turn to board the ship.
Madam Li alighted from the carriage first, followed by the three girls.
The women from various families who were already on board and those still waiting to get on all nced over when they saw Zhou Jingwan emerge from the Yan Family¡¯s carriage.
Madam Tongzhi from the Qian Family, being close by, immediately pulled Qian Bn over.
After exchanging pleasantries, Madam Qian pushed Bi Lan towards Daohua: ¡°You girl, you¡¯re always talking about Miss Yan at home. Now that you¡¯ve finally met her, you should get to know each other better.¡±
Qian Bn smiled shyly at Daohua and then nced at Zhou Jingwan, standing next to her.
¡°All right, let the youngdies spend time together while we adults head over there; many madams are already gathered.¡± Madam Qian smiled and nced towards Madam Zhou.
Madam Li nodded and, looking at Daohua and Yan Yihuan, admonished, ¡°Take good care of your sister.¡±
Daohua nodded, indicating that she would take good care of Yan Yihuan.
As hosts of the gathering, the Zhou Family was the center of attention, and Zhou Jingwan quickly became popr among the youngdies.
Daohua, with Yan Yihuan who was a bit nervous, followed behind, showing a fittingly gracious smile and acknowledging all the youngdies one by one.
¡°`
Don¡¯t think that just because these girls are young and naive, they do not understand the hierarchy and social circles.
Especially the girls raised by aristocratic families are well-versed in etiquette from a young age, grasping exactly what level of face to maintain with what kind of people.
The guests invited by the Zhou Family this time included many from the aristocratic families of Xingzhou; these families either have members holding office in the capital or important positions within the provincial government.
Among them, the Yan Family hardly stood out.
While being courteous to Daohua and Yan Yihuan, the girls quickly moved on to engage in conversation with other youngdies.
Even Qian Bn, who had been sent over by Madam Qian, swiftly left upon seeing some familiar girls.
¡°Let¡¯s go sit on the deck.¡±
After the social niceties, Daohua, not interested in pleasing a group of young girls, led Yan Yihuan away from the crowd.
Yan Yihuan seemed hesitant to speak.
Daohua smiled and asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±
Yan Yihuan: ¡°Big sister, is it alright for us to just leave like this?¡±
Daohua smiled and, as they walked, said, ¡°Second sister, when interacting with others,fort and ease are what matter. Were youfortable amidst those youngdies pushing and pulling?¡±
Yan Yihuan shook her head.
Daohua: ¡°Well, there you have it.¡±
At this point, the two had left the cabin and arrived on the deck.
A gentle breeze greeted them, instantly lifting Daohua¡¯s spirits.
Sitting with those chattering girls could notpare to thefort of feeling the breeze and admiring the majestic Dayuan River.
On the other hand, Madam Li¡¯s reception was not much better than that of Daohua. After the initial introductions led by Madam Qian to the other madams, the group subtly overlooked her presence.
Madam Zhou was quite friendly and jovial with Madam Li, but given therge number of people around her, there were inevitably some oversights.
Nearby, Madam Wang of the Consultant and Madam Qian sat together,ughing and talking.
Seeing Madam Li sitting alone, Madam Qian stood up to invite her over but was quickly pulled back by Madam Wang.
¡°Sister Qian, no offense, but even if Magistrate Yan is the superior of our husbands, we needn¡¯t go out of our way to ingratiate ourselves with his merchant-born wife. It¡¯s an unnecessary lowering of our own status.¡±
Madam Qian nced at Madam Wang and, not particrly pleased herself, sat back down. After a pause, she still asked in a low voice, ¡°Does your family know about the Yan brothers¡¯ situation at Wangyue Academy?¡±
Mentioning Wangyue Academy irritated Madam Wang, as her family had used Consultant Du¡¯s connections but still failed to get their eldest son enrolled in the Academy.
¡°Without anyone from our family studying there, how could we know what¡¯s happening inside? Why, have you heard something?¡±
Madam Qian awkwardly shook her head: ¡°My family¡¯s news is even more out of date than yours.¡±
After hearing this, Madam Wang did not inquire further.
Indeed, though none of the Qian and Wang families were from the original aristocracy of Zhongzhou, the Wang Family, thanks to the connection with Consultant Du, and the Qian Family, due to their prolonged stay and wider acquaintance in Xingzhou, were slightly better ced than the Yan Family.
As for gathering information, they could only grasp the superficial details.
Madam Qian looked again at Madam Li, contemting whether the news from her husband was true? Had the Yan brothers indeed bepanions to the Little Prince?
Her thoughts turning, Madam Qian nced at Madam Zhou once more.
This time, she clearly felt that Madam Zhou¡¯s warmth towards Madam Li had increased significantly. The Zhou family¡¯s eldest son was studying at the Academy, and must have received some news.
s¡
Madam Qian looked at Madam Li reproachfully; though thetter came from a mercantile background, she was incredibly tight-lipped, whether about their family¡¯s rtionship with the Little Prince or the Yan brothers¡¯ situation at the Academy, not a single detail had been divulged.
This left Madam Qian uncertain of how to treat her.
Chapter 129: 115, Reunion_1
Chapter 129: Chapter 115, Reunion_1
¡°`
¡°I wondered why I couldn¡¯t see you, and here you are sneaking away for some quiet time,¡± Zhou Jingwan said, breaking away from the group of youngdies to look for Daohua.
Daohuaughed, ¡°I¡¯m not the host, so I don¡¯t have to entertain guests; naturally, I have some free time.¡±
Zhou Jingwan walked over to Daohua, ¡°You really know how to enjoy yourself. It¡¯s too noisy inside the cabin, and my ears are still buzzing.¡±
Daohua smiled but didn¡¯t continue the conversation.
Yan Yihuan finally found an opportunity to chime in,ughing as she spoke, ¡°Miss Zhou, it seems like your skin has gotten better.¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan¡¯s eyes squinted with joy, and she grabbed Daohua¡¯s hand, ¡°The skin cream you gave me is really effective. Touch my face, doesn¡¯t it feel both smooth and tender?¡±
Daohua happilyplied with a tease, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s so smooth, feels like a freshly peeled boiled egg.¡±
Zhou Jingwan joyfully cupped her cheeks; although her skin wasn¡¯t as porcin and rosy as Daohua¡¯s, which was like coagted cream, it had improved a lot. With continued care, it was sure to get even better.
Yan Yihuan looked at the two of them and asked, ¡°What skin cream is that?¡±
Daohua replied indifferently, ¡°The one I made myself, the one I gave you, that you didn¡¯t want.¡±
Once, she was making skin cream in the olddy¡¯s yard, and Yan Yihuan and two others came to pay their respects. Daohua casually gave each of them a box.
Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t appreciate it.
Yan Yihuan¡¯s face stiffened; she remembered the incident. At the time, she also felt that one shouldn¡¯t carelessly apply things on their face, so she didn¡¯t take it.
¡°Come on, let¡¯s go up to the upper deck; the view is much higher up there.¡±
Zhou Jingwan felt that the view from the second floor¡¯s deck was not very good, so she pulled Daohua up to the third floor.
¡°Slow down!¡±
Daohua quickly gestured to Yan Yihuan to follow quickly.
Soon, the three of them reached the upper deck on the third floor.
On the cruise ship, the first floor was where thedies of various families chatted andughed, the second floor was for the youngdies, and the third floor had the fewest people; on the entire deck, there were only the three of them.
¡°How about that, isn¡¯t the view much better here?¡± Zhou Jingwan twirled around on the deck, looking very happy.
Daohua was also very happy. With no one around and thus fewer restrictions, she went to the very front of the deck, spread her arms wide, closed her eyes, and let the moist breeze blow on her face and body.
Seeing her do this, Zhou Jingwan immediately became interested and imitated Daohua.
Yan Yihuan was also tempted, but being outside, she felt a little too constrained to open her arms. She just clung to the railing, but even so, she felt very happy.
Looking out from a high vantage point indeed made one feel rxed and content.
Meanwhile, a thousand meters away, an even more magnificent and luxurious cruise ship sailed on the Dayuan River.
On the upper deck of the third floor, Xiao Yeyang was using binocrs to look at the beautiful scenery around him.
¡°Huh?¡±
Xiao Yeyang suddenly let out a sound of amazement, put down the binocrs, and looked in the distance with the naked eye. Then he picked up the binocrs again, and when he saw that familiar shade of green through the lens, the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile.
¡°Yan Wenkai, is your sister out enjoying herself today too?¡± he asked.
Yan Wenkai, who was arm wrestling with Su Hongxin, was taken aback by the question. Su Hongxin took advantage of the moment to press his arm down.
¡°I win!¡±
Normally, thepetitive Yan Wenkai would have insisted on a few more rounds, but this time, he walked away quickly.
¡°Really? Where? Let me have a look!¡±
Xiao Yeyang handed the binocrs to Yan Wenkai and pointed him in the right direction.
Today was the Double Ninth Festival, and there was more than one or two cruise ships on the Dayuan River.
¡°Really! It¡¯s Daohua! Big brother, third brother,e and see, Daohua is on the cruise ship behind us.¡±
Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wentao heard themotion and joined them.
Yan Wenkai then turned to Zhou Chengye, ¡°It seems your family¡¯s youngdy is there too. Come and see if it¡¯s her?¡± He had seen the girl from the Zhou family once before and now couldn¡¯t quite remember.
¡°`
Zhou Chengye hurriedly moved closer, and Yan Wenkai handed the telescope to him, signaling for him to take a quick look.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s our Jingwan,¡± he said.
After using the telescope, Zhou Chengye returned it efficiently back to Xiao Yeyang. He did not have the same thick skin as Yan Wenkai to casually use the Little Prince¡¯s belongings.
¡°That¡¯s our family¡¯s pleasure boat; it must be mother inviting the other families out for a trip,¡± Zhou Chengye exined to Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang nodded and continued to gaze through the telescope.
He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched Daohua with her arms spread wide open, enjoying herself with such contentment.
Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before a maid appeared in the telescope¡¯s view, calling her away.
After a moment of thought, Xiao Yeyang turned to Zhou Chengye, ¡°Go and find out what ns your mother has arranged, will you?¡±
Zhou Chengye immediately withdrew, and soon returned to report, ¡°Mother has organized thedies from each family to go up Xiangxia Mountain for a scenic outlook.¡±
At these words, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s expression stirred slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the autumn maple leaves on Xiangxia Mountain are exceptionally beautiful. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go have a look as well.¡±
Dong Yuanxuan, in charge of the arrangements, promptly went off to take care of it.
¡
Xiangxia Mountain.
When the Zhou Family¡¯s pleasure boat arrived, many other boats were already moored at the foot of the mountain.
¡°Wow, that boat is even more impressive than the Zhou¡¯s¡ªcould it be that some noble person has arrived?¡±
Thedies from the various families whispered among themselves.
As they disembarked, the Zhou Family¡¯s Madam looked back and, seeing her daughter and the Yan Family¡¯s eldest daughter talking intimately while holding hands, a smile immediately appeared on her face. She passed by everyone and walked toward Madam Li.
¡°My silly girl hasn¡¯t caused you any trouble, has she?¡±
Madam Li was inwardly surprised by Madam Zhou¡¯s warmth, but her face did not show it, and she smiled, ¡°Miss Zhou is bright and clever and very likable. How could she be any trouble?¡±
Madam Zhou took Madam Li¡¯s hand as they walked towards the shore, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. You have no idea how much this girl gives me headaches¡¡±
Behind them, Daohua watched with surprise as the twodies walked away side by side; Zhou Jingwan also seemed a bit astonished.
Soon, they knew the reason.
After disembarking, they saw Zhou Chengye and Yan Wenxiu waiting at the foot of the mountain.
¡°Brother!¡±
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were delighted, taking each other¡¯s hands and running towards them.
¡°Howe you¡¯re here?¡±
Yan Wenxiu smiled, ¡°The Little Prince is on an excursion, and we apanied him here.¡±
Daohua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Xiao¡ The Little Prince is here too? Where is he?¡±
Zhou Chengye took over, ¡°Just now, your fourth brother suggested a mountain climbingpetition. By now, he should be close to halfway up the mountain.¡±
Daohua¡¯s eyes twinkled, and she covered her mouth, chuckling.
¡°What are youughing about?¡± Zhou Chengye asked curiously.
With confidence, Daohua said, ¡°I can guess who will be first!¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How could you guess? We don¡¯t even know who all are participating in thepetition!¡±
Zhou Chengye couldn¡¯t bear to look at his somewhat foolish little sister.
Who would be first?
Of course, it would be the Little Prince!
Who else would dare topete with him for the top spot?
Chapter 130: 116, Reversal_1
Chapter 130: Chapter 116, Reversal_1
Zhou Chengye and Yan Wenxiu paid their respects to their mothers, Madam Zhou and Madam Li, and also greeted the otherdies. Then, they left.
As soon as they did, everyone knew that the Little Prince who stayed at Wangyue Academy to study had alsoe to Xiangxia Mountain to climb it today. Instantly, there was much whispering and lively discussion.
Compared to the previous cold treatment, the Madams were now much more enthusiastic toward Madam Li, proactively approaching her to chat.
Over by Daohua and Yan Yihuan, the daughters of the families were also cheerfully calling each other sisters.
Witnessing thedies¡¯ shifting attitudes, Daohua felt both amused and at a loss, while alsomenting the fervent pursuit of fame and fortune that people are so keen on.
Now that they knew her three brothers were following Xiao Yeyang, they couldn¡¯t wait to flock to their side. Their previous disdain toward them disappeared without a trace, as if it had never happened.
With everyone around being overly enthusiastic, Yan Yihuan was a bit flustered. Daohua took her hand to soothe her, ¡°Speak less, observe more. If someone talks to you and you don¡¯t know how to respond, just smile.¡±
¡°When mingling with the otherdies, as long as you behave appropriately and don¡¯t breach any etiquette, that¡¯s enough. If you encounter someone whom you get along with or sharemon interests, feel free to have more interactions.¡±
Bringing Yan Yihuan out was not meant to keep her restrained by her side forever.
In ancient times, girls didn¡¯t have many opportunities to go out. Since they were out, it was best to seize the opportunity to make a friend or two. Regr correspondence or sending greetings to each other could prevent their life in seclusion from bing too lonely or boring.
Yan Yihuan listened attentively and etched Daohua¡¯s words into her heart.
Her mother had never said these things to her. Before they went out, her mother¡¯s primary advice was to befriend the daughters of other families, with no mention of how that should be done.
Although she had some interaction with officials¡¯ daughters back in the county, the experience was entirely different from the present.
She remembered that initially, it was those girls who took the initiative to talk to them and make them happy; however, here, even her aunt had been snubbed.
Luckily, she had her elder sister with her. Otherwise, being left out in the cold, she definitely wouldn¡¯t know how to manage.
Now, because of her eldest brother¡¯s appearance, the Madams and youngdies had suddenly be enthusiastic toward them again. She was happy, yet simultaneously unsure how to engage in conversation with them.
Fortunate was she that her elder sister was willing to teach her.
Yan Yihuan covertly observed Daohua, who was talking andughingfortably with the other youngdies, her eyes full of gratitude.
Although her elder sister didn¡¯t often y with them, she was truly a kind person.
After finally getting rid of the crowd of girls that had converged upon them, Daohua exhaled, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
She marveled once again how the youngdies of the past were no simpletons; without careful attention, one could easily fall into verbal traps set in their conversations.
Seeing Daohua as if she had repelled a great enemy, Zhou Jingwan chuckled and said in a low voice, ¡°Now you understand how I feel when dealing with other youngdies.¡±
Daohua shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s different for you. Your family is an ancient aristocratic family with a noble household, which has produced a Grand Secretary and a high-ranking Vice Minister in the Ministry of Personnel. Most people try to ingratiate themselves with you, and they wouldn¡¯t dare to mock or set traps for you in conversation.¡±
¡°I¡¯m different. Our family has only my father as an official, and he¡¯s merely a Fifth-rank Prefectural Governor from humble roots, with shallow foundations. Any family here could easily outshine ours in terms of prestige.¡±
¡°My three brothers have gained favor with the Little Prince, and most people show warmth to us only superficially. In private, they probably feel more envy than anything. If I¡¯m not constantly vignt, at best I¡¯ll be ridiculed, at worst, I could bring disaster on myself.¡±
Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua with surprise, ¡°Just by chatting with the other girls, you¡¯ve thought about all of this?¡±
Daohua gave her a sidelong nce, ¡°How could I not think? Our family has no strong ties, and in times of trouble, there¡¯d be no one to turn to. We always have to be careful to steer clear of conflicts. Do you think everyone has a powerful family like yours to rely on?¡±
Zhou Jingwan retorted, ¡°Who says that if something happens, no one would help? Our family would.¡±
Upon hearing this, Daohua just smiled, not pursuing the conversation further.
¡°`
Their family¡¯s rtionship with the Zhou Family wasn¡¯t particrly close; at most, her three brothers and the young men of the Zhou Family attended the same academy, sharing some camaraderie between ssmates, and she had grown somewhat close to Zhou Jingwan, akin to a bond between sworn sisters.
But these were connections among the younger generation that didn¡¯t involve the adults at all.
How reliable could such a rtionship be?
Daohua nced back at Yan Yihuan, who was speaking softly with the two youngdies, and seeing her respond appropriately, she didn¡¯t interfere any further, pulling Zhou Jingwan along and saying, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s climb a bit faster.¡±
Below, Madam Zhou watched her daughter and the eldest girl from the Yan Family climb up the mountain hand in hand, her heart filling with a touch of joy.
Thinking of the message sent by her eldest son, her gaze turnedplicated as she observed Madam Li, who was chatting effortlessly with the otherdies.
She had not expected the Little Prince to hold the Yan Family in such high regard.
Now, the two younger Yan brothers were already studying and practicing martial arts with the Little Prince. Although they weren¡¯t his readingpanions, they were definitely in the same circle.
As long as the Yan brothers were smart enough, they could use this connection to take their family to new heights.
Look, thepetition to curry favor with them had just started, and already everyone was flocking to them.
At the same time, she felt deeply emotional that her eldest son had caught the attention of the Little Prince only because he was acquainted with the three Yan brothers, which gave him the opportunity to make contact.
In terms of family background, schrly knowledge, or demeanor, wasn¡¯t her Zhou Chengye far superior to the Yan brothers in every way?
Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about that. After all, their family had also benefited from the Yan Family.
It was her father-inw¡¯s exceptional foresight to forge a good rtionship with the Yan Family, which hadn¡¯t been a mistake!
Xiangxia Mountain was quite high, and all thedies and young misses were ustomed to luxury and ease; making them climb to the summit would probably mean they¡¯d have to be carried down afterwards.
Therefore, when they reached halfway up the mountain, Madam Zhou called a halt.
Maple trees nketed Xiangxia Mountain, ande August and September, the leaves would begin to turn red. Even from halfway up, one could still feast their eyes on the beautiful scenery.
A temple was built halfway up the mountain, and Madam Zhou had already reserved arge courtyard there early in the morning.
At this moment, she was leading the youngdies and misses into the back courtyard of the temple to rest.
¡°Let¡¯s rest first, and after we¡¯ve recovered, we can go and pay our respects to the Buddha. If anyone gets hungry, you can try the vegetarian dishes here¡ªthey¡¯re quite good,¡± Madam Zhou said with a smile to everyone. Noticing the young misses were getting restless, she added, ¡°The scenery around the temple is also quite pleasant. The abbot is a man of taste; it¡¯s said that he especially arranged a chrysanthemum disy for this asion. It¡¯s a rare chance for you misses toe out, so feel free to look around.¡±
Upon hearing this, all the young misses were delighted, gathering in small groups and discussing where to go for fun.
¡°However, when you¡¯re out and about, every miss must be apanied by someone. Do you understand?¡± Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t help but remind them once more, not wanting this pleasant outing to end with any unpleasant incidents.
Soon, the young misses left with familiar friends.
Some came to invite Zhou Jingwan and Daohua to join them, but both shook their heads, indicating they wanted to rest a while.
They had no choice, as they had climbed a bit too quickly earlier and were now somewhat tired and needed to slow down.
Seeing the fine sweat on their foreheads and their flushed cheeks, the other young misses didn¡¯t insist and left with augh, holding hands.
When one of the youngdies came over to invite Yan Yihuan to see the chrysanthemums, Daohua waved her off, ¡°Go on, just remember to take Wenxiu with you.¡±
Qian Bn immediately smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Yan, I¡¯ll take good care of Yihuan.¡±
¡°`
Chapter 131: 117, Good Big Brother_1
Chapter 131: Chapter 117, Good Big Brother_1
All the youngdies had gradually gone out to y in groups, and the room quieted down considerably. The various Madams shared their own experiences and interesting stories, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan sat at the lower seats, quietly sipping their tea.
¡°This tea isn¡¯t as good as the flower tea from your home!¡± Zhou Jingwan took a sip and then set it down with some disdain.
Daohua thought to herself, of course it was better, to make the Yan Family look good in front of others, she always served tea grown in her own garden space.
¡°It¡¯s inconvenient on this mountain, just drink what¡¯s avable.¡± Anyway, after climbing for so long, she was really thirsty, and after finishing the cup in her hand, she had the maidservant beside her refill it.
Zhou Jingwan pursed her lips and didn¡¯t move.
From childhood, she had developed quite the picky pte, and ordinarymon things rarely passed her lips.
Just then, she saw the Senior Maid beside her mother quickly walk in, and as she passed by them, she nced their way.
Zhou Jingwan, out of boredom, followed the maid with her eyes and soon saw the maid lean over and whisper a few words into her mother¡¯s ear.
Madam Zhou, after hearing the maid¡¯s words, spoke with a smile, ¡°Some children from families we are close with happen to be resting in the temple and want toe over to pay their respects, it¡¯s a good opportunity for everyone to take a look, they are all fine children.¡±
With that, she turned to Madam Li with amusement, ¡°Your two boys are also on the mountain, and they¡¯vee over as well.¡±
Madam Li¡¯s expression shifted, she knew the reference was to Wenkai and Wentao.
Having only seen Wenxiu earlier and not the other two, she had guessed that such a scene would unfold.
Regardless, since she, as their elder, had arrived, the two younger ones would have toe pay their respects regardless.
Soon, maids brought in six or seven teenage boys.
Leading them was the son of the Provincial Governor, Dong Yuanxuan, followed by the Advisor¡¯s son, Su Hongxin, then the son of the Court Physician, Wu Hongda, andstly the Yan brothers.
Zhou Chengye had already met the various Madams beforehand, and this time he merely apanied the others, acting as a guide.
¡°My nephews pay their respects to Aunt Zhou, and greet all the Madams here!¡± The young men paid their respects to thedies present.
Madam Zhou hurriedly asked them to rise and eagerly introduced the young men to the families.
Suddenly, the Madams burst into praise as if it cost them nothing.
Madam Li sat aside, maintaining a proper smile on her face, looking delightfully at Wenkai and Wentao as they handled themselvesfortably with thedies.
She reflected that it hadn¡¯t been long since the two had gone to Wangyue Academy, yet their bearing and interaction with others had already be quite measured, aplete change from when they were at home.
Now, even standing before sons of aristocratic families, though still somewhatcking in thoughtfulness and smoothness, they weren¡¯t overwhelmingly outdone.
Below, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan watched as their brothers were appraised and discussed by the various Madams, and couldn¡¯t help but snicker quietly.
¡°Let me tell you, the reason these Madams are so enthusiastic is because they are considering future sons-inw!¡± Zhou Jingwan whispered.
Daohua criticized inwardly, ¡°Damn ancient times, ruining the future flowers,¡± and with a curl of her lip, said, ¡°Among those present, only your brother and Dong Yuanxuan are a bit older, just fifteen or sixteen years old at most, where¡¯s the need for such haste?¡±
Zhou Jingwan spoke as if it were obvious, ¡°Fifteen or sixteen is certainly old enough¡ªlook, it¡¯s just an initial assessment. As for marriage, the timing can be negotiated!¡±
Daohua shook her head and picked up her teacup to drink in silence.
The thought of having to marry and have children herself in her teens made her feel a bit afraid and unreceptive.
This way, Dong Yuanxuan and the otherdies had already finished their discussions.
Yan Wenkai, Wentao, and Madam Li talked for a while, saying that they were now in the same ss as the Little Prince, studying together and practicing martial arts, which should reassure their families.
Madam Li urged the two boys to study hard at the Academy and take good care of themselves.
¡°Mom, rest assured, now, no one dares to bully us anymore,¡± Wenkai said in a low voice to Madam Li, noticing that Dong Yuanxuan and others seemed ready to leave, he added, ¡°Next time the Academy has a holiday, we wille home.¡±
Madam Li nodded her head.
As Dong Yuanxuan and the others rose to leave, Wenkai smiled, walked away from Madam Li, and quickly approached Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, who were sitting in a corner.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you two going out to y?¡±
Daohua smiled and said, ¡°We are resting.¡± After sitting for a while and having two cups of tea, they had already recovered.
Wenkai¡¯s eyes moved, ¡°Have you rested enough?¡± He knew his big sister Daohua couldn¡¯t sit still for long. Was it their mother who was restraining her from going out to y?
As a good brother, he needed to rescue his sister from this predicament.
Daohua looked at Zhou Jingwan, and Zhou Jingwan also looked at Daohua, then the two nodded at the same time: ¡°We have rested.¡±
Seeing their eager expressions, Wenkai thought to himself, as expected. Mom too, big sister was already out, why keep her restrained?
¡°Alright, the scenery behind the mountain is particrly beautiful. Let¡¯s go, I, your fourth brother, will take you for a stroll,¡± he said, turning his head toward Madam Li.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan also turned their gazes towards Madam Li and Madam Zhou at the same time.
It was clear that both of them wanted to go to the mountain behind.
Madam Zhou¡¯s expression changed slightly. The servants had reported earlier that the temple¡¯s rear mountain had already been sealed off. She knew this was due to the Little Prince; the Little Prince was enjoying the scenery behind the mountain, and no outsiders were allowed to disturb him.
This was an excellent opportunity to get close to the Little Prince.
So she said to Madam Li with a smile, ¡°The girls hardly ever get to go out, so we shouldn¡¯t restrain them. Let them go have fun. However, Chengye, you must take good care of your two sisters. If they get hurt or scratched, you¡¯ll be in for a beating from me.¡±
Zhou Chengyeughed and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Even if I get hurt, I won¡¯t let my sisters lose a single hair.¡±
Madam Li, although concerned about propriety, considering that Madam Zhou¡¯s daughters were there and Wenkai and Wentao would apany them, and knowing her own daughter always behaved appropriately, did not stop them but still reminded them, ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, and once you¡¯re tired,e back quickly with Miss Zhou.¡±
Madam Zhou seemed to understand Madam Li¡¯s concerns and smiled, ¡°With their own brother looking after them, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡±
In the Great Xia Dynasty, although the distinction between men and women was strict, it wasn¡¯t to the extent of being fanatical; there were no such rules as ¡®no sharing seats after the age of seven.¡¯
On holidays, under the supervision of parents and elders, or apanied by brothers, girls from their rooms could also go out and y, as long as they observed proper etiquette. asional encounters with men were not a cause for concern.
After all, the two girls were only in their early teens; still young, there was no need for excessive worry.
Seeing their mother¡¯s approval, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were both delighted, nodding continuously, promising they wouldn¡¯t be mischievous.
Madam Zhou waved her hand, ¡°Alright, go out and y with your brothers.¡±
Upon hearing this, the youngsters made their formal bows and left.
Watching them depart, the expressions on the faces of the various Madams differed; some who could not hide their regret were clearly kicking themselves for not having held back their daughters from leaving earlier. Now they could have gone to the rear mountain with them.
Chapter 132: 118, We Are Close_1
Chapter 132: Chapter 118, We Are Close_1
Watching Yan Wenkai running ahead with two young girls, all smiles, Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye exchanged a quick nce, both simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief.
The Little Prince had taken the initiative to invite them to meet with thedies, and they both had a vague idea of his purpose.
As they prepared to leave, the two racked their brains, thinking about how to sneak the girls out without drawing attention. Little did they expect, the blithe Yan Wenkai had solved their problem for them.
Seeing Yan Wenkai bustling about enthusiastically with the two girls and chatting about the scenery of the back mountain, along with Wentao carefully watching over on the side, Dong Yuanxuan remarked, ¡°Those who think less sure live with more ease.¡±
These two brothers were indeed a pair, one cheerful and passionate, the other reserved and steady, perfectlyplementing each other¡¯s actions.
No wonder the Little Prince always had these two brothers with him. It was rxing to be around someone whose thoughts were written so clearly on their face.
He too enjoyed theirpany.
Unlike him and Zhou Chengye, who had to constantly consider the impact of their actions on their family, sometimes feeling quite constrained.
Up ahead, Yan Wenkai was oblivious to Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye¡¯s unspoken agreement, feeling rather pleased with himself at the moment.
Having sessfully ¡°rescued¡± his elder sister from their mother, he suddenly felt his stature had grown, and he was inwardly delighted.
Soon, the group arrived at the back mountain.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, seeing the guards around them, ceased their yfulness and walked verydylike beside Yan Wenkai and the others.
Daohua discreetly surveyed the surrounding bodyguards, noting that many of them were armed with swords, and thought to herself indeed, the Imperial Family¡¯s security was massive.
The back mountain had vast open grasnds, offering a view much more expansive than the front mountain.
¡°Hey, where is the Little Prince?¡±
Yan Wenkai, not seeing Xiao Yeyang, immediately started looking around and quickly pointed towards the Octagonal Pavilion built on the rock cliff, saying, ¡°He¡¯s in the pavilion. Wait here for a sec, I¡¯ll go call him.¡± With that, he ran off swiftly.
Zhou Jingwan, who was about to meet Xiao Yeyang for the first time and had been nurtured with feudal etiquette from a young age, had an instinctive reverence for the royalty, and, pulling Daohua aside, she whispered, ¡°The Little Prince¡ is he fierce? Does he hit or scold people?¡±
Daohua was momentarily stunned, then uncertainly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it shoulde to that. He¡¯s a boy, and we¡¯re girls. A boy who hits girls would becking in character.¡±
Behind them, Dong Yuanxuan and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless upon overhearing the young girls¡¯ conversation.
Even with a fierce temper, the Little Prince would certainly not trouble two young girls!
Dong Yuanxuan especially cast several nces at Daohua. If he remembered correctly, this girl had quite boldly challenged the Little Prince several times at the Yan Family¡¯s ce.
Did she seem the least bit afraid?
Inside the pavilion, Xiao Yeyang had already noticed Daohua and the others, but in order to maintain his distinguished image, he stubbornly waited for Yan Wenkai toe and call him, then sluggishly finished his tea before heading over with his entourage.
As the distance between them closed, Xiao Yeyang grew more curious.
What was up with Daohua today?
She hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to greet him!
Instead, she was demurely looking at him with all the propriety of ady.
Daohua¡¯s lips had actually moved several times, but recalling what Yan Wenkai and the others had told her about their encounters at the Academy, she clearly realized she could no longer behave with Xiao Yeyang without proper restraint.
Thus, she stood next to Zhou Jingwan, patiently watching Xiao Yeyang approach.
Soon, Xiao Yeyang arrived before the two of them.
¡°We pay respects to the Little Prince!¡±
Following Zhou Jingwan, Daohua courteously saluted Xiao Yeyang.
To everyone else, this seemed normal, but to Xiao Yeyang, it was aplete surprise.
Daohua, that guy, had never been polite to him since the first time he saw him. He remembered that during their flight from danger, because the food was coarse he didn¡¯t want to eat it. Once, he even lost his temper and threw the food away.
Good lord, she pped his hand with a smack.
At that time, he waspletely dazed by the hit.
Who had ever dared to do such a thing to him since he was a child?
He was initially very angry and had decided that once he regained his status, he would immediately pay her back. But then he saw her quietly picking up the food he¡¯d thrown away, wiping it off, and putting it in her mouth to eat, and suddenly he wasn¡¯t angry anymore.
Later, when he was unbearably hungry, although she was visibly impatient, she still shared with him a softer piece of the Yan Family matriarch¡¯s rations.
In the time that followed, they never stopped bickering, but looking back on those days now, aside from being tough, they were actually quite interesting.
The reason he had such a deep impression of Daohua was probably that she treated him like any ordinary person from beginning to end, without fawning over him or oppressing him, even though he was in a very wretched state at the time.
Her attitude towards him was just because of who he was as a person, unrted to his status.
For someone who had grown up in the Imperial City, this was truly a different experience.
And then there was the vitality she exuded, as well as her eyes that always seemed to be smiling, all of which remained fresh in his memory.
¡°Bang!¡±
Xiao Yeyang never hid his emotions. If he couldn¡¯t figure something out, he simply wouldn¡¯t bother. He walked up to Daohua, closed his fan with a snap, and lightly tapped her on the head, ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±
Daohua covered her head, red at Xiao Yeyang, and almost couldn¡¯t help retorting.
Don¡¯t me her; she really couldn¡¯t revere Xiao Yeyang like others did. First, she came from the modern era, and although she had lived in ancient times for a few years and had some understanding of imperial power, it hadn¡¯t ingrained in her to the point of fear.
Second, she never managed to shake off the impression of him from the times they were in distress. Back then, their sparring never ended in her defeat.
Third, the current Xiao Yeyang was at most a bratty little kid. How could the soul of an adult bow down before a child?
Seeing Daohua hesitate to speak, Xiao Yeyang said irritably, ¡°Say what you want to say. When have you be so wishy-washy?¡±
At his words, Daohua immediately let go of her head, huffed and said angrily, ¡°Your hand really needs a p. Why did you hit me? I warn you, if you do that again, watch how I won¡¯t be polite to you,¡± she said, raising her fist and shaking it in front of Xiao Yeyang.
Now Xiao Yeyang wasfortable.
This was the Daohua he knew!
Acting like a polite, properdy just didn¡¯t fit her true self.
¡°How¡¯s the scenery here on the back mountain?¡±
On the side, De Fu, seeing his master had softened first, silently looked up to the heavens in exasperation.
Daohua, seeing Xiao Yeyang change the subject, didn¡¯t continue. She looked around at the red maple leaves covering the mountains and felt a sense of refreshment, smiling happily, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beautiful.¡±
Xiao Yeyang turned his head to see the shining light in her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but smile as well.
For some reason, he always felt that Daohua¡¯s smile had a warm, healing effect, like the sun¡¯s rays in winter, warm on the skin.
¡°This is nothing. The scenery at Wuhua Mountain is even better. I¡¯ll take you for a tour there next time.¡±
¡°Sure¡¡± Daohua agreed without thinking, but then she hesitated.
Xiao Yeyang looked puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡±
Daohua: ¡°Of course I do, but I can¡¯t always trouble you.¡±
Xiao Yeyang responded instinctively with one of Daohua¡¯s sayings, ¡°Who are we kidding? There¡¯s no need for politeness!¡± He had always remembered these words she had often said to him during their escape.
On the side, De Fu shook his body, feeling his neck stiffen from looking up at the sky for too long.
Chapter 133: 119, Barbecue_1
Chapter 133: Chapter 119, Barbecue_1
¡°`
¡°Daohua will be okay, right?¡±
Zhou Jingwan constantly nced toward Daohua and Xiao Yeyang, her face full of concern. She hadn¡¯t expected the Little Prince to fan Daohua right from the start; and to make matters worse, her brother had taken the opportunity to pull her away, leaving her in a quandary over whether to go over or not.
Seeing his sister¡¯s worried face, Zhou Chengye also looked helplessly up at the sky, mimicking De Fuku¡¯s expression.
That look in this sister¡¯s eyes really does no good!
Can¡¯t she see the Little Prince is just joking with the Yan girl?
That¡¯s the way the Little Prince shows his closeness.
Alright, this method indeed may not be quite appropriate for use on young girls.
¡°Come on, stop looking already. The Little Prince is just teasing Miss Yan!¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at her elder brother.
¡°What¡¯s the matter, got something on my face?¡± Zhou Chengye felt ufortable under her stare and involuntarily touched his cheek.
Zhou Jingwan looked around and, seeing that everyone was some distance away from them, spoke in a low voice, ¡°Elder brother, since when have you and Daohua be so familiar to call her ¡®Miss Yan¡¯ like that?¡± she finished, curling her lip.
Zhou Chengye immediately tapped Zhou Jingwan¡¯s head, ¡°I am good friends with the Yan brothers, so what¡¯s wrong with calling her ¡®Miss Yan¡¯?¡±
Zhou Jingwan curled her lip, ¡°You change too quickly. Not long ago, you were still calling the Yan family¡¯s eldest daughter by her formal name.¡± With a huff, she added, ¡°You¡¯re just like those other people, buttering up because the Little Prince is close to the Yan family.¡±
Zhou Chengye again tapped Zhou Jingwan on the head, ¡°With other matters, you¡¯re as clueless as a blockhead, but when ites to criticizing your own brother, you¡¯re quite articte!¡±
Saying so, a trace of pride appeared on his face.
¡°Buttering up? Does my Zhou family need to butter up the Yan family? I am close to the Yan family simply because I befriend the three Yan brothers, and also because Uncle Yan is rtively incorruptible, so I have grown closer to them.¡±
Zhou Jingwan voiced her skepticism, ¡°Really? But before the Little Prince showed any affection for the Yan family, I never saw you getting that close to them!¡±
¡°You¡¡±
Zhou Chengye was so exasperated by Zhou Jingwan, ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to talk to you anymore, go have fun by yourself.¡± With that, he walked away briskly. If one looked closely, his retreat bore a sense of flight.
Zhou Jingwan pouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I?¡±
Meanwhile, Daohua saw that Zhou Jingwan was alone and wanted toe over to find her.
But when she started moving, Xiao Yeyang followed her as well.
Zhou Jingwan and Xiao Yeyang were not familiar with each other, and when they were together, they didn¡¯t know what to talk about.
Seeing the two in awkward silence, Daohua felt a bit uneasy and, thinking it over, pointed at the cliff and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the pavilion.¡±
Xiao Yeyang was indifferent, ¡°Then you need to be careful, that cliff is somewhat steep.¡±
Daohuaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jingwan and I are quite agile.¡± With that, she pulled Zhou Jingwan towards the pavilion.
To reach the pavilion, they had to go up a rather steep stone staircase. Xiao Yeyang, worried that Daohua and herpanion wouldn¡¯t make it, hurried in front to be ready to lend a hand at any moment.
¡°No need!¡±
As they were ascending the stone staircase and Xiao Yeyang reached out to help Daohua up, Daohua briskly swung her arm and climbed up by herself with ease.
After all, she practiced martial arts with Wang Manman on a daily basis, so climbing a slope was nothing to her.
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s hand froze mid-air, taken aback for a few seconds before he awkwardly withdrew it, also forgetting to attend to the following Zhou Jingwan.
Zhou Jingwan, who was ustomed to a life of luxury, panicked slightly seeing Daohua climb up so easily. Without paying attention, she lost her bnce and her body leaned backwards.
¡°Be careful!¡±
As Zhou Jingwan was about to cry out in rm, a steady hand braced her back, steadying her.
¡°Thank you!¡±
Turning her head, Zhou Jingwan saw that it was Daohua¡¯s third brother, it seemed his name was Yan Wentao.
After stabilizing her, Yan Wentao scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just be careful. These stone steps are rather steep.¡±
Zhou Jingwan nodded.
Hearing themotion, Daohua quickly looked over and asked, ¡°Jingwan, are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll be right up.¡±
Once Zhou Jingwan climbed up, Daohua let go of a sigh of relief and cast a somewhat reproachful nce at Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang touched his nose, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± He was ustomed to others looking after him; it was a rare urrence for him to tend to someone else, so how would he know Zhou Jingwan was so feeble?
Zhou Jingwan didn¡¯t dare to me Xiao Yeyang and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s my own carelessness.¡±
By then, Dong Yuanxuan and a few others had also arrived at the pavilion, and the subject was dropped.
From the pavilion, the view was even better, with the entire Dayuan River in in sight. Daohua leaned on the railing, looking down, almost wanting to let out a shout.
¡°`
Thinking about themotion it would cause if she really did that, she couldn¡¯t help but want tough.
¡°What are youughing at?¡±
Xiao Yeyang walked over to her side and looked down, but couldn¡¯t figure out why.
Daohua shook her head, ¡°Nothing!¡±
Seeing everyone sitting in the pavilion with nothing to do, Dong Yuanxuan thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°How about we y a game of linking poetry?¡±
¡°No!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t!¡±
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan refused in unison.
Dong Yuanxuan was startled for a moment, but then he smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not go for the difficult ones, just simple five-character quatrains will do.¡±
Daohua still shook her head repeatedly.
Reading and recognizing characters were doable for her, butposing poetry would literally be the death of her.
¡°You all y, I¡¯ll sit this one out.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Zhou Jingwan also raised her little hand, not being fond of reading herself and naturallycking the gift ofposing poetry.
Seeing Dong Yuanxuan slightly embarrassed, Yan Wenxiu quickly took over the conversation, ¡°The two younger sisters are still small, let¡¯s do it then.¡±
At first, Xiao Yeyang did participate andposed a few lines, but soon he found it uninteresting. Every gathering it was the same old thing, extremely boring.
When he lost interest, naturally it didn¡¯t feel right for the others to continue.
Thus, the pavilion fell into a brief silence.
It was only Daohua and Zhou Jingwan who were still enthusiastically pointing at the scenery around them, chatting nonstop.
After a while, Daohua sensed the silence in the pavilion, turned her head and saw everyone watching her and Zhou Jingwan; even with her thick skin, she couldn¡¯t continueughing and speaking loudly.
¡°That¡ I prepared a way to pass the time for this outing, would you like to give it a try?¡±
Seeing everyone sitting there in awkward silence, Daohua couldn¡¯t help but speak up.
Xiao Yeyang was interested, ¡°What way?¡±
¡°Barbecue!¡± Daohua immediately exined to everyone what barbecue was.
Xiao Yeyang and the others had never yed with this before and all looked interested.
¡°Then what are we waiting for, let¡¯s barbecue!¡± Xiao Yeyang immediately decided.
Daohua¡¯s face suddenly fell.
Xiao Yeyang, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Daohua, ¡°I forgot to say, the tools and ingredients are all on the boat at the foot of the mountain.¡±
Xiao Yeyang thought it was not a big deal and said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? I¡¯ll have someone go down and get it; it¡¯ll be quick.¡±
Seeing him say this, Daohua immediately called for Wang Manman to follow Xiao Yeyang¡¯s people to get the things.
¡.
When the things were brought up, Daohua found that the tools were still there, but the ingredients had all been switched out.
Daohua was startled for a moment, then seeing Defu personally cleaning the tools, she immediately realized the reason was it for fear of poisoning, or out of concern that the freshness might cause stomach upset?
Imperial family members sure are cautious with their lives!
It was switched out, so be it; the ingredients prepared by Defu were much morevish than those she had prepared.
There were maids to thread the barbecue skewers and young servants to light the charcoals; all they needed to do was to grill.
¡°Don¡¯t just sit there idle; barbecuing is fun only when you do it yourself. Come and give it a try,¡± Daohua handed over a meat skewer she had threaded to Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang hesitated for a moment, then took the skewer from Daohua, and under her guidance, he managed to cook it decently.
¡°When ites to food, I think you¡¯re quite talented,¡± Xiao Yeyang quipped to Daohua during the process.
Daohua didn¡¯t respond and took it as apliment to herself.
There were two barbecue grills; one was used by Xiao Yeyang, Daohua, and Zhou Jingwan, while the other was for everyone else.
Dong Yuanxuan and the others were also excitedly grilling their own food, but either they used too much seasoning or too little; many even burned theirs, ruining both the look and taste.
But even so, it was the first barbecue for everyone, and they were all full of enthusiasm.
¡°Next time we go out to y, I will also prepare this.¡±
Chapter 134: 120, Fight for Food_1
Chapter 134: Chapter 120, Fight for Food_1
¡°Oh dear, ours don¡¯t taste good, big sister, I want to eat what you¡¯ve grilled!¡± Others might be more reserved, but Yan Wenkai wouldn¡¯t be. Seeing his own skewers slightly charred, he threw them away and squeezed his way over to Daohua.
¡°I never expected you to grill them well,¡± Daohua said with a smile, turning to bring out a te from behind her filled with grilled meat skewers and vegetable skewers, ¡°Here, take these to eat.¡±
Yan Wenkai immediately took the te with glee, holding it with one hand while swiftly picking up a beef skewer with the other and started to eat.
He couldn¡¯t help it, it was too delicious. If he didn¡¯t eat now, he was afraid his drool would start flowing, and that would be utterly embarrassing.
After gobbling down several skewers, he reluctantly handed the te to Dong Yuanxuan and the others when they came over.
¡°What about mine?¡±
Seeing Daohua give all the grilled skewers to Yan Wenkai, Xiao Yeyang was somewhat displeased. Although he had done fairly well with Daohua¡¯s guidance, the taste and doneness were still off by quite a bit. After a single bite, he didn¡¯t want a second.
Daohua red at him yfully: ¡°As if I¡¯d forget yours. The question is¡ if you dare to eat it!¡±
Xiao Yeyang lifted his chin: ¡°What could I possibly be afraid to eat?¡±
¡°I dare to eat it too,¡± Zhou Jingwan stated without being asked, quickly taking a stance.
Having been around Xiao Yeyang for a while, she had be less restrained.
Daohua looked at the fortunate one standing beside her: ¡°What I¡¯m going to use now are seasoning ingredients I¡¯ve prepared myself. Can you eat it?¡±
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the fortunate one immediately looked over nervously.
Xiao Yeyang red at him, then turned to Daohua: ¡°If you all can eat it, what¡¯s stopping me?¡±
Daohuaughed, knowing the fortunate one was nervous and suggested, ¡°We¡¯ll eat first, and if there¡¯s no issue, then the Little Prince can have some. How about that?¡±
The fortunate one quickly nodded: ¡°That sounds good!¡±
¡°Good? Good how!¡± Xiao Yeyang snorted coldly, ¡°If we do that, wouldn¡¯t I be eating their leftovers?¡±
¡°Uh¡¡±
Daohua and the fortunate one were at a loss for words.
Xiao Yeyang: ¡°Let¡¯s just eat together.¡± Although he had to be cautious when away from home, being overcautious took the fun out of life.
If Prince Rui hadn¡¯t insisted on leaving a team of Jinling Guards behind when he left, Xiao Yeyang would have beenzy to bring so many bodyguards with him.
Daohua didn¡¯t argue with him, and the fortunate one didn¡¯t dare say more.
So Daohua began to grill skewers using the seasoning ingredients she¡¯d cultivated in her space.
¡°Daohua, why do I feel like what you¡¯re grilling now smells even better than before?¡± Zhou Jingwan sniffed the air, her mouth immediately flooding with saliva.
Daohua smiled proudly, saying nothing.
Although Xiao Yeyang maintained hisposure, his eyes kept straying towards the skewers Daohua was flipping, his Adam¡¯s apple moving involuntarily.
¡°It smells so good, big sister, what are you grilling now?¡±
Yan Wenkai called out loudly, having finished the barbecue Daohua had given them before, and he eagerly approached again.
However, this time, both Xiao Yeyang and Zhou Jingwan watched him defensively, not allowing him toe closer.
They had seen that Daohua had taken out only a little seasoningter on, just enough for the ten or so skewers on the grill, which were now gone.
The food-protective Zhou Jingwan: ¡°You¡¯ve already had yours; what¡¯s being grilled now is ours, so get lost!¡±
With his craving triggered, Yan Wenkai was not about to leave: ¡°Zhou Family sister, good things should be shared, you can¡¯t hog it all. Got it?¡± he said, giving Zhou Jingwan a look that was meant to suggest he had her best interests at heart.
Zhou Jingwan pouted her lips and didn¡¯t answer, her little face scrunched up.
¡°Fourth brother!¡± Yan Wentao quickly stepped forward, attempting to pull Yan Wenkai away while whispering, ¡°Fourth brother, how can you fight over food with a girl? That¡¯s shameful!¡±
Zhou Jingwan nodded eagerly, feeling supported.
Yan Wenkai, gazing at the skewers on the grill sizzling with juice, swallowed hard: ¡°But I want to eat!¡±
In the meantime, Daohua had finished grilling the skewers. Seeing her fourth brother desperately swallowing saliva, she felt too embarrassed to watch and quickly divided the freshly grilled skewers into three portions.
She gave one portion to Xiao Yeyang, one to Zhou Jingwan.
They each received only three or four skewers because the seasoning she had was stored in her pouch and there was only a little, just enough to grill about a dozen skewers.
Having gotten their grilled meat, Xiao Yeyang and Zhou Jingwan acted in strikingly simr fashion, immediately digging in.
Daohua, holding three skewers of grilled meat, looked at Yan Wenkai who was eyeing her eagerly, continually swallowing his saliva, and felt somewhat unable to bite into hers, ¡°Fourth Brother¡¡±
Seeing Daohua offering a skewer of grilled meat, Yan Wenkai was swift to act, ¡®whooshing¡¯ over to take the grilled meat into his hands.
As Yan Wenkai started eating right away, Daohua quickly called out, ¡°Fourth Brother, don¡¯t eat it all, save some for Third Brother!¡±
Standing aside, Yan Wentao swallowed his saliva and waved his hand, ¡°I won¡¯t eat, let Wenkai have it.¡± He was the older brother, after all, who should give way a little.
¡°You¡¯re so kind, Third Brother,¡± Yan Wenkai sent Yan Wentao a ¡®nice guy¡¯ card, then continued to eat with a clear conscience.
Daohua shook her head wordlessly, it¡¯s just a skewer of grilled meat, can¡¯t you aim a little higher, Fourth Brother?
Daohua raised her skewer, ready to eat, but seeing Dong Yuanxuan and the others looking longingly, her hand paused mid-air.
¡°Um¡ Big Brother Dong, why don¡¯t you take these two skewers and share them?¡±
Daohua reluctantly handed out the grilled meat.
¡°How could we ept that?¡± Dong Yuanxuan¡¯s mouth declined the offer, yet his steps were quick, and in the blink of an eye, he was beside Daohua, eyes glued to the grilled meat.
Daohua¡¯s cheek twitched and she resignedly handed over the grilled meat.
Dong Yuanxuan had just received the grilled meat when Su Hongxin and others pulled him away, moring to share it.
Daohua looked at her empty hands with a forlorn expression. She wanted to eat too, it was her first barbecue in the ancient era, and after grilling for so long, she hadn¡¯t managed to grab a single skewer.
¡°Here!¡±
Suddenly, three skewers of grilled meat appeared before her eyes.
Daohua¡¯s expression brightened, thinking Zhou Jingwan saw she hadn¡¯t eaten and decided to share hers, but when she looked up, it was actually Xiao Yeyang.
Seeing Daohua just looking and not reaching out, Xiao Yeyang pretended to be impatient, ¡°Are you going to eat or not? If not, I¡¯ll eat them all.¡±
¡°Eat, of course I¡¯m going to eat!¡± Daohua¡¯s mouth curled up, and she stretched her hands out, taking a skewer in each.
With the previous experience in mind, this time, Daohua was quick to start eating, ncing at Xiao Yeyang with a smile as she ate, as if to say thank you.
Xiao Yeyang saw Daohua unapologetically take two of his skewers and was about to ask for one back when their eyes met, full ofughter. He became momentarily dazed and the words he had meant to say faded away.
¡°This is really tasty, Xiao Yeyang, you¡¯re the best!¡±
The Jinling Guard felt slightly embarrassed for his master. Out of four skewers of grilled meat, only one had been eaten and two were already gone. Oh¡
Meanwhile, Zhou Jingwan, seeing Daohua eating, immediately beamed.
The Little Prince was so kind, giving Daohua grilled meat, now she could save hers to eat.
Zhou Jingwan had already finished one skewer and was now eating the second, but suddenly, she lifted her head and looked at Yan Wentao, who was silently watching everyone else eat.
Yan Wentao was too shy topete with the others and only looked on, swallowing his saliva.
¡°Here!¡±
Suddenly, a skewer of grilled meat appeared before his eyes.
Yan Wentao looked at Zhou Jingwan with a surprised expression.
Seeing that he didn¡¯t move, Zhou Jingwan decisively put the skewer in her hand and said proudly, ¡°You just helped me out, so consider this grilled meat a token of my thanks.¡±
With that, she walked away, holding her head high.
However, she hadn¡¯t gone far before Zhou Chengye caught her with one grasp.
¡°Well, well, Zhou Jingwan, you didn¡¯t give your elder brother the tasty treat first but gave it to someone else; are you still my sister?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t want the grilled meat, that¡¯s it; if you do, then you¡¯re not,¡± Zhou Jingwan mumbled vaguely.
¡°No way, you have to give me a skewer. Otherwise, if you get into any troubleter, I absolutely won¡¯t plead on your behalf¡¡±
Yan Wentao watched the siblings bicker, nced at the skewer in his hand, lifted the corner of his mouth, and took a bite.
Yum, how delicious!
Chapter 135: 121, Mountain Climbing Race_1
Chapter 135: Chapter 121, Mountain Climbing Race_1
After tasting the barbecued meat seasoned with spices grown in Daohua¡¯s space, everyone found that the barbecue that followed seemed not as delicious. They ate a bit perfunctorily and soon lost interest.
¡°Next time we have this barbecue, remember to bring more of the seasoning you used before.¡± Xiao Yeyang and Daohua sat side by side on the grass, whispering back and forth.
Daohua nodded, ¡°Sure! But do you have the time? I¡¯ve heard that the Academy has a lot of sses. With studies in both literature and martial arts like you have, do you really have time toe out and y?¡±
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s expression fell, and he let out a deep sigh.
Although a member of the Imperial Family, even someone like him had his troubles. Not to mention the rest, their academic load was far heavier than that of ordinary families!
It was a blessing that he wasn¡¯t a Prince, just the son of a Prince, otherwise, he would have had even more to learn.
The reason he didn¡¯t want to return to Beijing, apart from not wanting to see some people, was an important one: once he returned, he would have to attend sses and study with the Princes.
Although life at Wangyue Academy was somewhat more rxed, this was only because there was less supervision. He still had to do the necessary coursework. From time to time, the teacher guiding him had to report his progress to his imperial uncle.
If his grades slipped, then he would face the fate of being sent back to Beijing.
s, better not think about it. The thought was filled with nothing but sorrowful tears.
¡°I can¡¯t y during normal days, but I still can during holidays!¡±
Daohua tilted her head, ¡°But after the Double Ninth Festival, until the New Year, it seems there aren¡¯t many holidays left.¡±
Xiao Yeyang countered, ¡°How can there not be? What about Winter Solstice and Laba Festival?¡±
¡°¡¡± Daohua fell silent, ¡°Fine then!¡±
Xiao Yeyang squinted at Daohua, ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude? Don¡¯t you want to hang out with me?¡±
Daohua raised her paw, making a swearing gesture, ¡°I swear, absolutely not.¡± Her family was still not close enough to Xiao Yeyang, how could they possibly push him away?
To tter¡
Thinking of this word, Daohua turned to look at Xiao Yeyang. This guy, it seemed he had never asserted his status in front of her.
Well¡ owing a life-saving debt did have its uses.
Daohua cheerfully swung her legs. Her family¡¯s rtionship with Xiao Yeyang was quite good now.
All being children, they gathered to y during holidays without involving the adults, meaning there were noplicated interests at y. This way, she didn¡¯t have to bend over backwards to please him, or eagerly tter him. They could just y and have fun with ease.
After sitting for a while, Xiao Yeyang grew bored again. He looked at the sky and felt it was still early, so he turned to Daohua and said, ¡°The view from the peak of Xiangxia Mountain is second to none. Don¡¯t you want to go up and see?¡±
Daohua nced at the mountain peak and estimated the distance, hesitating, ¡°It would take quite some time to climb up, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
Xiao Yeyang: ¡°If we climb fast, half an hour is enough, and it takes even less time toe down.¡±
Knowing that Daohua was worried about Madam Zhou¡¯s schedule, it was now the fourth quarter of the afternoon (2:00 PM). It would take until the end of the 3:00 PM ¨C 5:00 PM period to get back from the mountain top.
After thinking it over, Xiao Yeyang called Zhou Chengye over and asked him to inquire with Madam Zhou about when they nned to leave.
Zhou Chengye quickly found out the information: ¡°Little Prince, we can go to the mountain top to have a look. Mother said since it¡¯s rare for them toe out and have fun, they won¡¯t leave until 5:00 PM ¨C 7:00 PM.¡±
Xiao Yeyang immediately looked at Daohua with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go then. You have no excuse this time. Just now I heard your elder brother say that since you were little, you¡¯ve been used to running around in the fields. You even run faster than him. Let¡¯s see, was he lying?¡±
Daohua stood up with them, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s have apetition to see who¡¯s faster?¡±
Xiao Yeyang raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you sure?¡±
Zhou Jingwan hurried over, tugging at her sleeve.
Daohua signaled her not to worry, thispetition was just for fun, meant to involve everyone; who could take it seriously?
First, they were girls, and didn¡¯t have the physical strength of boys; second, the boys present were all a couple of years older than them, it would be really foolish to take them on seriously.
¡°Of course, we have to agree on something, there must be a prize, whoever wins gets the prize!¡±
The crowd nodded, with a prize at stake, everyone¡¯s enthusiasm would be higher.
Daohua continued, ¡°Moreover, Jingwan and I are girls, and younger than you guys, so you have to let us climb¡ fifty stone steps ahead.¡±
Xiao Yeyang smiled and nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll let you climb first, but I have to remind you, in the end, we will definitely be the winners!¡±
Daohua pouted, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true; haven¡¯t you heard of the tortoise and the hare? In the end, the tortoise won, not the hare.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±
Watching Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenkai, among others, heading enthusiastically to the mountain stairs, from the back of the crowd, Zhou Chengyeughed and patted Yan Wenxiu on the shoulder.
¡°Your big sister is really the life of the party, just look, the Little Prince¡¯s face has been smiling non-stop because of her.¡±
Yan Wenxiu didn¡¯t dare agree with that outright but said with a smile, ¡°My big sister grew up in the countryside and is quite naive and cheerful, she¡¯s not too knowledgeable about rules and etiquette. So when she¡¯s with the Little Prince, there¡¯s less restraint, which might be a novel and rxing change for him.¡±
Zhou Chengye smiled, noticing Yan Wenxiu¡¯s cautiousness, and did not continue.
Indeed, they had only just be acquainted; it really wasn¡¯t appropriate to delve into topics that were too profound, especially those involving the Little Prince.
However, he decided then and there that when he left, he would speak to his mother, urging Jingwan to spend more time with the Yan Family¡¯s eldest daughter in the future.
He could tell that the rtionship between the Yan Family and the Little Prince was mostly tied to the eldest daughter of the Yan Family.
Of course, Yan Wenkai and Wentao were indeed valued in the heart of the Little Prince, but the Little Prince¡¯s side was never short ofpanions; although the brothers had good temperaments, they were receable.
But this eldest daughter of the Yan Family¡
He thought it over and couldn¡¯t find anyone among the youngdies he knew who was quite like her, daring to joke and mess around so naturally with the Little Prince.
In her interactions with the Little Prince, if you said she was fawning for favor, on several asions, he saw her daring to turn a cold shoulder to the Little Prince. Some things they would never dare to say, she would just blurt out, seemingly fearless of offending the Little Prince.
What was most surprising was that the Little Prince¡¯s tolerance for her was indeed very high.
Of course, he also observed carefully, and the eldest daughter of the Yan Family knew her boundaries very well. This sense of boundaries was different from what was cultivated by aristocratic families.
The restraint shown by the children of aristocratic families was a result of weighing all the pros and cons before making a decision.
But with the eldest daughter of the Yan Family, her understanding of restraint felt devoid of any ulterior motives or utilitarianism, as if her actions were entirely sincere, prompted by her heart. She did it because she felt it should be done that way.
Many times, her actions were just right.
Combined with her radiant smile, she was truly hard not to like.
Chapter 136: 122, Stubborn Yan Wenkai_1
Chapter 136: Chapter 122, Stubborn Yan Wenkai_1
Xiao Yeyang led a group of people from the back mountain with a hubbub, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding tourists. Ordinary people didn¡¯t dare to approach, but some from aristocratic and official families were not afraid.
Among them, a few were acquainted with the Dong, Su, and Zhou Families, and as soon as they saw Dong Yuanxuan, Su Hongxin, and Zhou Chengye, they immediately went up to greet them.
Xiao Yeyang walked at the forefront,pletely ignoring these people with an unwavering gaze, heading straight toward the mountain stairs. With his demeanor, no one dared to approach.
Daohua, being close, could make out the impatience hidden between his brows.
Interacting with people was already a taxing affair, and if they had ulterior motives, it would be even more mentally exhausting.
Daohua could quite understand Xiao Yeyang.
If she had to deal with people crowding around her every day, she guessed she would quickly be a shut-in.
Daohua, holding onto Zhou Jingwan, followed closely behind Xiao Yeyang, protected by Yan Wenkai and Wentao.
¡°Why are you looking around?¡± Daohua reminded Zhou Jingwan.
¡°Why?¡±
Daohua exined in a low voice, ¡°If you see someone you know and theye up to greet you, then say they want to join us, would you agree or not?¡±
Now was not the time for them to be out enjoying themselves alone; Xiao Yeyang had made it clear that he disliked disturbances, so it was best for them to keep a low profile.
Zhou Jingwan immediately averted her gaze; she had just seen a familiar youngdy waving at her. ncing at the silent Xiao Yeyang and shrinking back a little, she certainly didn¡¯t dare to annoy this master.
The youngdy would have to have her fun on her own!
Soon, the group arrived at the mountain stairs.
At that moment, many tourists were climbing the mountain.
Xiao Yeyang didn¡¯t do anything domineering like ordering his bodyguards to block the path; he arrived at the foot of the stairs and looked towards Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, ¡°All right, we start from here, we¡¯ll give you a fifteen-minute head start.¡±
Yan Wenkai said with a grin, ¡°Big sister, you¡¯d better hurry, I won¡¯t go easy on youter.¡±
Dong Yuanxuan, having just escaped the crowd, overheard this and couldn¡¯t help but tap his own head with his fan.
Among so many people, likely only this one was actually treating the mountain climb as apetition.
Competing with young girls, how shameless is he?!
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
Daohua ignored her second brother, and seeing more and more people paying attention to them, she began to climb upwards, pulling Zhou Jingwan with her.
¡°Daohua, are we reallypeting against them?¡± Zhou Jingwan was fretful; she was active and her physique was better than other youngdies, but when it came toparing herself to her martially trained brothers, she felt timid.
Daohua replied, ¡°Just think of it as a game to pass the time. Otherwise, it¡¯s going to be really boring just staying in the back mountain with such arge group!¡±
Zhou Jingwan nodded in agreement, then said with enthusiasm, ¡°Daohua, let¡¯s you and I have apetition!¡± She didn¡¯t dare topete with her brothers, but it was okay amongst sisters.
Daohua smiled, ¡°Alright!¡±
Behind them, Xiao Yeyang saw that Daohua and Zhou Jingwan¡¯s figures had quickly disappeared from view and chuckled, ¡°They¡¯re not slow!¡±
Yan Wenkai was eager to try, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we start, we¡¯ll catch up in no time.¡±
Xiao Yeyang didn¡¯t say anything in response, but Dong Yuanxuan and the others all looked up at the sky, and Yan Wenxiu let out a sigh. His brother took everything too seriously!
While waiting, some well-informed people heard that Xiao Yeyang and his group werepeting in a mountain climbing race and gathered around, saying they wanted to join.
Such matters were always ignored by Xiao Yeyang; Dong Yuanxuan handled these affairs.
Dong Yuanxuan nced at Xiao Yeyang and, seeing that he was only concerned with timing and kept looking up the mountain, knew he didn¡¯t mind, so he smiled, ¡°Sure, everyone together; the more, the merrier. Just be mindful of safety.¡±
Upon hearing this, even some of the youngdies joined in.
¡°Yihuan, let¡¯s go too!¡±
Bi Lan wanted to pull Yan Yihuan toward the mountaindder.
Yan Yihuan, always remembering what Daohua had said about being brave enough to say no to things she disliked and didn¡¯t want to do, shook her head, ¡°Sister Qian, you go with the otherdies, I can¡¯t climb.¡±
¡°This¡¡±
Seeing Yan Yihuan¡¯s clear reluctance, Bi Lan knew better than to insist and suppressed her own desire to participate, smiling, ¡°If little sister isn¡¯t going, then I won¡¯t go either.¡±
Her mother had instructed her before to make sure she bonded well with the Yan sisters.
At the first opportunity, she sought to engage the eldest daughter of the Yan family in conversation, but after boarding the boat, she hadn¡¯t had any further chance to interact, so she settled for apanying Yan Yihuan instead.
Yan Yihuan was sensitive by nature and could see Bi Lan¡¯s reluctance, but since Bi Lan insisted on sticking to her, she didn¡¯t know quite what to say.
Soon, a quarter of an hour had passed, and Xiao Yeyang and the others began to climb the mountain.
In the beginning, no one held back, and everyone climbed with all their might.
Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenkai were the most enthusiastic, leading at the front.
The two did not spot Daohua and Zhou Jingwan as quickly as they had expected; instead, it took quite a while before they could see the two girls¡¯ figures.
¡°Your eldest sister is indeed in good shape!¡±
Yan Wenkai boasted with pride, ¡°Of course, she¡¯s my own sister after all, and her body is as great as mine.¡± He paused for a moment, then added, ¡°It¡¯s just my older brother, he only loves studying, never took the time to train properly. Of the three of us siblings, he¡¯s the weakest.¡±
Xiao Yeyang gave him a sideways nce, ¡°Your older brother is a schr, and you practice martial arts, how can youpare?¡±
Yan Wenkai retorted with a question, ¡°And what about my eldest sister? She¡¯s a woman, isn¡¯t she?¡±
Xiao Yeyang was momentarily speechless, then he looked up to see Daohua, who had left Zhou Jingwan behind by a distance, smiled, and said, ¡°She¡¯s different, she ought to be this energetic.¡± After that, he quickened his pace again.
As time passed, the number of people on the mountaindder began to dwindle.
The young lords anddies who were determined to get closer to Xiao Yeyang, unable to sustain their physical strength, gave up midway.
After chasing for a while, Xiao Yeyang quickly surpassed Zhou Jingwan, who was sitting on the mountaindder, catching her breath.
Zhou Jingwan looked ahead to Daohua, not too far in front, shook her head and said, ¡°We lost!¡± Then she looked resentfully at Dong Yuanxuan and several others who were climbing up one after another.
¡°You guys won¡¯t even let us win!¡±
Yan Wenkai passed Zhou Jingwan without stopping, ¡°This is apetition, how could we just let you win? If people knew we lost to two youngdies, would we have any face left?¡±
Hearing this, Dong Yuanxuan could no longer hold back, caught up with Yan Wenkai, and slung an arm around his neck.
¡°Hey, Brother Dong, what are you doing? I have to chase after my elder sister!¡±
That was exactly why Dong Yuanxuan had grabbed him.
Out of breath, Dong Yuanxuan said, ¡°Brother Yan, I can¡¯t climb anymore, help me for a bit! As for your elder sister, the Little Prince is with her.¡±
Behind them, Zhou Chengye and Yan Wenxiu saw Dong Yuanxuan clinging to Yan Wenkai and couldn¡¯t mask the schadenfreude on their faces.
Bringing up the rear, Yan Wentao saw Zhou Jingwan sitting on the mountaindder, thought for a moment, then stopped, choosing not to climb and to stay by her side instead.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you climbing anymore?¡± Zhou Jingwan asked, tilting her head to look at Yan Wentao.
Yan Wentao was silent for a moment, ¡°There are fewer people on the mountain, and you are only with a maid¡ I¡¯d better stay with you.¡±
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingwan was immediately touched beyond measure, ¡°Thank you, Third Brother Yan. You¡¯re so much better than my big brother. Look at him, climbing up by himself, he didn¡¯t even think to look after me!¡±
The used Zhou Chengye sneezed, looked back at his sister, and seeing that Yan Wentao and the Little Prince¡¯s bodyguard, as well as their own servants, were there, continued climbing without concern.
Chapter 137: 123, Awkward_1
Chapter 137: Chapter 123, Awkward_1
¡°I¡¯ve caught up with you!¡±
Xiao Yeyang passed by Daohua with a smug look, giving her a provocative nce along the way.
They had been climbing for roughly over half an hour now. Daohua wasn¡¯t very tired. Seeing Xiao Yeyang¡¯s punchable expression, she graciouslypeted with him for a while.
But it wasn¡¯t long before Daohua¡¯s pace slowed down, and eventually, she simply climbed a bit and rested for a while.
¡°You can¡¯t handle it, huh? You¡¯re running out of energy so quickly, and we still have a distance to go to reach the top of the mountain!¡± Xiao Yeyang stood on the mountain stairs,ughing as he looked down at Daohua.
Daohua looked at him and massaged her legs without speaking.
Earlier, she had been so focused on chasing Xiao Yeyang that she didn¡¯t pay attention and overexerted herself. She reckoned she would need to rest for a couple of days after returning.
Xiao Yeyang touched his nose. She¡¯s tired? He then looked at Defu beside him with a questioning gaze.
Even though Defu was a delicate-looking eunuch, his martial skills were not inferior to those of a bodyguard.
Defu lowered his head, sighing inwardly, My Prince, you, a martial man, are stubbornlypeting with a young girl, and even if you win, what¡¯s the point?
Couldn¡¯t you just let her win!
Look, the girl doesn¡¯t want to y with you anymore, right?
If it were up to him, it¡¯s deserved!
Even he, a martial artist, was a bit short of breath, let alone a delicate young girl.
Of course, these were thoughts he dared only entertain in his mind, never daring to say them out loud.
Seeing that Daohua had stopped climbing, Xiao Yeyang found it boring to climb alone, so he simply stopped too, waiting for her.
Daohua snorted inwardly at this, considering that he hadn¡¯t given her any ck just now.
Moving her gaze away, Daohua continued to rest. She did not move until Dong Yuanxuan and a few others caught up. She waited until Zhou Jingwan slowly arrived before turning around to continue.
This time, everyone noticeably felt the pace had slowed down quite a bit.
Watching Xiao Yeyang climb a bit and then turn back to look, everyone was holding back theirughter.
Usually, they were the ones amodating this little tyrant. This time, it was his turn to taste the vor of yielding to others.
¡°Are you still up for it? You are too slow!¡±
After climbing for a while, Xiao Yeyang couldn¡¯t help calling out to Daohua who was behind him.
Daohua replied without hesitation, ¡°I can¡¯t climb anymore, you go ahead!¡± Like she had a bump on her head to continuepeting in mountain climbing with a boy older and stronger than her!
¡°You¡¡±
Xiao Yeyang was a bit frustrated, but found he had nothing to say to urge Daohua on.
At that moment, unable to bear it any longer, Defu decided to salvage his master¡¯s dignity: ¡°Little Prince, Miss Yan is only ten years old.¡±
Who knew that Xiao Yeyang would retort with, ¡°Well, I¡¯m only thirteen, not that much older than her!¡±
¡°Uh¡¡±
Salvage attempt failed, Defu decided to shut up, to keep from being needlessly implicated.
Xiao Yeyang waited for a while, and seeing that Defu was keeping his head down and staying silent, he hesitated and then said, ¡°I¡¯ve already slowed down a lot, how can she not keep up?¡±
Defu thought for a moment: ¡°The young girlcks physical strength. Look, of those who started climbing with us, how many are left? Even some men have given up. It¡¯s quite impressive that Miss Yan has persisted up to now.¡±
Looking down, Xiao Yeyang noticed that on the mountain stairs, only Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were left among the women. He pursed his lips: ¡°Girls are just frail.¡±
Defu decided, once again, to remain silent.
Seeing Daohua moving intermittently, Xiao Yeyang grew anxious; at this pace, who knows how long it would take to reach the peak.
Suddenly, his gaze caught a dried-up branch. He immediately said to Defu, ¡°Go, pick up that branch for me.¡±
Defu immediately did as he was told.
While Daohua was busy counting the steps, a tree branch suddenly appeared in front of her. Puzzled, she looked up to see Xiao Yeyang awkwardly holding the branch.
Seeing that Daohua didn¡¯t move, Xiao Yeyang had no choice but to speak, ¡°Grab it. I¡¯ll pull you up.¡±
Upon hearing this, Daohua¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and with a beaming smile, she reached out and grabbed the branch, ¡°Make sure you hold on tight, don¡¯t let me fall.¡±
¡°I¡¯m already doing you a favor by pulling you up, and you¡¯re stillining!¡± Seeing Daohua smile again, Xiao Yeyang felt relieved, but then he scolded himself silently. He was the Little Prince. Shouldn¡¯t Daohua be the one amodating him? Why had it turned out the other way around?
ncing at Daohua, who was grinning as she let herself be pulled along, Xiao Yeyang thought that it would be fine to just leave it at that. If this girl really didn¡¯t want to climb, could he actuallymand her to do so?
Behind them, Dong Yuanxuan and the others watched as Xiao Yeyang slowed down to amodate Daohua, and now he was directly pulling her along, which left them somewhat amused and bemused.
Yan Wentao saw this and his eyes lit up; he quickly picked up a branch from the nearby woods and handed it to Zhou Jingwan.
When Zhou Chengye looked back at his sister, he saw this scene and said with augh, ¡°Wentao certainly catches on fast.¡± After that, he didn¡¯t pay it any further attention.
At this moment, the people around them didn¡¯t have many other thoughts on the matter.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were too young. As little sisters, wasn¡¯t it only right for their older brothers to protect them?
And just like that, Daohua was pulled to the top of Xiangxia Mountain by Xiao Yeyang.
Pulling Daohua up was exhausting for Xiao Yeyang.
As they were climbing thest few steps, Daohua pulled the branch with force, and then, taking advantage of Xiao Yeyang¡¯s pause, she stepped ahead and reached the top first.
¡°I win!¡±
Daohua looked somewhat smugly at the stunned Xiao Yeyang, then waved at Zhou Jingwan, who was still on the stairs, ¡°Jingwan, we won! Remember to ask them for a reward!¡±
At this oue, everyone was a mix of amused and bemused.
Xiao Yeyang red fiercely at Daohua, but seeing her smiling at him with open arms, somehow he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to verbalize his irritation.
¡°Hand it over, my reward.¡±
¡°No!¡± Xiao Yeyang huffed and walked away briskly.
Daohua stiffened her face, furrowed her brows, and thought, it was just a joke, was there really a need to be angry?
She didn¡¯t go after him. When Zhou Jingwan arrived, Daohua just took her to look at the scenery.
The scenery from the mountain peak was even more magnificent and beautiful.
Watching Daohua and Zhou Jingwan ying andughing, Xiao Yeyang felt a bit frustrated but entered a nearby pavilion and sat down without a word.
Dong Yuanxuan¡¯s group stood outside the pavilion, all of them somewhat troubled, hesitating whether to go over or not.
What were these two troublemakers up to now?
From afar, Zhou Jingwan pulled on Daohua, ¡°Is it really okay to just leave the Little Prince by himself in the pavilion like that?¡±
Daohua widened her eyes, ¡°What do you mean I left him there? He went there by himself.¡±
Zhou Jingwan replied, ¡°Anyway, I think it feels a bit wrong.¡±
Daohua nced at Xiao Yeyang who was sitting alone in the pavilion, thought for a moment, thenpromised, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go and ask him if he wants to enjoy the view with us, okay?¡±
In the pavilion, Xiao Yeyang saw Daohua approaching hesitantly and his stiff expression softened a bit. He thought to himself that maybe his attitude had been somewhat inappropriate.
But for him to apologize first, that was a blow to his pride.
After all, there were so many people around!
¡°Xiao Yeyang, there¡¯s a really tall and big maple tree over there, do you want toe take a look?¡± Daohua decided she shouldn¡¯t be upset with a little brat who was used to being pampered, so she smiled and walked into the pavilion.
Xiao Yeyang gave Daohua a look, his expression still a bit awkward, ¡°I¡¯ve barely made it up here; of course, I want to look around!¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±
Chapter 138: 124, Ruhuas Smiling Face_1
Chapter 138: Chapter 124, Ruhua¡¯s Smiling Face_1
Atop Xiang Mountain, there lies a secluded stone path nked by tall maple trees. Walking on the path stained red by maple leaves, watching the slowly falling leaves, one feels as though they have entered a fairy tale world.
Xiao Yeyang led the way, followed closely by Dong Yuanxuan and several others, as the group leisurely admired this rare and beautiful scenery.
Some ten meters ahead, two little girls were ying andughing together.
At the moment, the two girls were constantly bending down to pick up maple leaves from the ground and throwing them at each other.
Amidst blossoming smiles and joyfulughter, they added a special touch of color to the serene, red maple tree-lined stone path.
¡°Hey, it would be a waste not topose poems in such a beautiful setting. I propose that we each write a poem and then take it back to the Academy for our master to critique. What do you say?¡±
Dong Yuanxuan said with a smile.
The rest had no objections. Even Xiao Yeyang, watching the two girlspletely immersed in joy ahead, couldn¡¯t help but want to express the happiness in his heart.
All those present were carefully nurtured by their respective families and were naturally well-versed in literature, not the least bit intimidated.
However, Yan Wentao took a step back, ¡°You all write. I¡¯ll pass, I¡¯m worried about Daohua and the other girl upfront. I¡¯ll go keep an eye on them.¡±
Having said that, he didn¡¯t wait for a response, but took off running.
When it came to martial arts, he was fearless. Butposing poetry? Spare him. He was the kind of person who struggled with even the simplest verses.
Yan Wenkai was also not adept at literature and wished to leave, but it was toote. Zhou Chengye grabbed him and wouldn¡¯t let go.
Ahead, Daohua¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat, and she was slightly out of breath. Despite feeling weak in the knees from climbing the mountain, nothing could dampen her enthusiasm to frolic freely at that moment.
After arriving in ancient times, even in the countryside, she had to mind her behavior due to constant surveince. As a youngdy, she couldn¡¯t act too unrestrained, the most she could do was to run along the fields with her third brother.
Such carefree y without concern for the gaze of others and withpanions to join in was almost unheard of for her.
Seeing Zhou Jingwan across from her with flushed cheeks, Daohua smiled.
What adult spirit, what child, before y andughter, age doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?
Thus, she swung the maple leaves even more vigorously.
Yan Wentao stood a few meters away, watching the two with an amused smile.
Big sister must be very happy today, look how much fun she¡¯s having!
Ever since returning to her uncle and aunt¡¯s side, big sister¡¯s opportunities to go out had lessened, and she must have been stifled at home.
Hmm¡ the Little Prince loves to y, so next time if hees out to y, should I remind him to invite big sister along? Oh, and also the Zhou Family¡¯s youngdy.
¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore, I can¡¯t y anymore!¡±
Zhou Jingwan, gasping for air, waved at Daohua, then ungracefully plopped down on the ground.
Normally, she would never dare to do this, but weren¡¯t there no adults around now?
Daohua also stopped, put her hands on her hips to catch her breath, and looked up at the red maple leaves in her hair, ¡°It¡¯d be great if the maple leaves could just fall down by themselves!¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Wentao¡¯s expression shifted and he located the maple tree closest to the two girls. Nimble, he climbed it, and then began vigorously shaking the maple tree.
¡°Wow, so beautiful!¡±
As the red maple leaves cascaded down around her, Zhou Jingwan immediately got to her feet, jumping and pping her hands in delight.
Daohua was also filled with joy, extending her arms, allowing the maple leaves to flutter onto her.
Themotion caught the attention of the peopleposing poems behind them. When Xiao Yeyang turned around, his eyes fell on Daohua, bathed in a shower of maple leaves.
Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
He really liked Daohua¡¯s smile, especially the kind that curved her eyes and brows, which made one feel warmly enveloped.
Not just him, but Dong Yuanxuan and a few others behind him also had the warm smiles of an indulgent uncle.
After ying around for a bit, Daohua waved at Yan Wentao, who was still shaking the maple tree, ¡°Third Brother, that¡¯s enough, we¡¯re not ying anymore,e down quickly.¡±
Zhou Jingwan immediately took over the conversation, ¡°Yes, Third Brother,e down quickly, if you keep shaking it, your arms will start to ache.¡±
Hearing the calls of the two, Yan Wentao indeed stopped and then, holding onto the tree, he climbed down swiftly.
¡°Third Brother¡¡±
Just as Daohua was about to hand over the handkerchief in her hand for Yan Wentao to wipe his sweat, she noticed someone had beaten her to it.
¡°Third Brother, wipe off your sweat, look how tired you are,¡± Zhou Jingwan said as she stuffed the silk handkerchief into Yan Wentao¡¯s hand without any exnation.
¡°No need¡¡± Holding the handkerchief, Yan Wentao was at a loss. He couldn¡¯t possibly use a young girl¡¯s handkerchief, and it belonged to someone else at that, but unfortunately, Zhou Jingwan didn¡¯t give him a chance to refuse.
¡°What are you staring at, hurry up and wipe your sweat! Look at you, all sweaty, dripping down your neck, does that feel good?¡± Zhou Jingwan urged him repeatedly.
Daohua stood by, watching the two, and when she saw Zhou Jingwan¡¯s eyes were clear and without a hint of other intentions, she couldn¡¯t help butugh.
What was she thinking?
Miss Jingwan was still but a young girl in her teens.
Daohua snatched the handkerchief back and stuffed it into Zhou Jingwan¡¯s hand, then handed her own to Yan Wentao: ¡°Third Brother, hurry and wipe your sweat.¡±
It was only then that Yan Wentao dared to pick up the handkerchief to wipe his sweat.
Seeing this, Zhou Jingwan pouted, ¡°What¡¯s that for, can¡¯t you use mine?¡± After speaking, she red at Daohua, ¡°Isn¡¯t your brother just like my brother? Why make such a clear distinction?¡±
Daohua looped her arm around Zhou Jingwan¡¯s, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just to avoid dirtying your handkerchief?¡±
Zhou Jingwan: ¡°If it gets dirty, it gets dirty. I have others, I can just change to a new one.¡±
At this moment, Xiao Yeyang and the others walked over.
¡°Done ying?¡±
Seeing the two girls¡¯ flushed faces, everyone smiled.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan shook their heads simultaneously.
Suddenly, Daohua caught a glimpse of a hand reaching towards her from the corner of her eye, and she immediately turned her head aside.
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s hand awkwardly paused mid-air.
Daohua eyed Xiao Yeyang, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±
Xiao Yeyang looked irritably at Daohua and reached out, plucking a piece of leaf from her hair, then pursed his lips, ¡°yfulness aside, you should at least pay some attention to your image.¡±
Before Daohua could respond, Zhou Jingwan turned her around, ¡°Daohua, take a look at me quick, there¡¯s nothing on my head, is there?¡±
Daohua tidied up the strands of hair hanging by Zhou Jingwan¡¯s ear, then shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±
Zhou Jingwan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good. If my mother saw my hair in disarray, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let mee out next time.¡±
Hearing this, Daohua also grew nervous, ¡°You should check mine too, and tidy it up for me.¡± Her mother was also very particr about appearances; she didn¡¯t want to be confined to the rear courtyard in the future.
Zhou Jingwan fussed with Daohua¡¯s hair a bit and smiled, ¡°Yours looks just fine too.¡±
Daohua, feeling relieved, looked at the sky and suggested, ¡°Should we head down? It¡¯s not good to keep thedies and young misses of the various families waiting!¡±
Chapter 139: 125, Colorful_1
Chapter 139: Chapter 125, Colorful_1
¡°Going out like this isn¡¯t great because you can¡¯t tell the exact time. For someone like me who can only tell early, mid, orte daylight, it¡¯s easy to lose track of time if you¡¯re not careful.¡±
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan walked shoulder to shoulder towards the middle of the mountain.
Zhou Jingwan: ¡°Don¡¯t you have servants? Surely there must be someone among the servants who can read the sky.¡±
Daohua shook her head, ¡°What others can do is after all theirs; it¡¯s never as convenient as knowing how to do it yourself.¡± That was the trouble with ancient times, there wasn¡¯t anything like a wristwatch, and for time, she was flying blind.
Xiao Yeyang, who was walking in front, nced back at Daohua, with a sh in his eyes.
By the time Daohua and the others returned to the temple on the mountainside, it was already a quarter past the hour of the rooster (5:15 PM), but it wasn¡¯t toote. Quite a fewdies and young misses were still out admiring chrysanthemums and the scenery.
When the Madam Zhou saw theme back, she instructed the servants to call the otherdies and get ready to leave the mountain.
¡°It will probably take a while to get all thedies and young misses back. It¡¯s boring to wait here in the temple, so why don¡¯t we start walking down?¡±
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua.
Daohua thought for a moment and felt he was right, ¡°I¡¯ll go and let my mother know.¡±
At that moment, Zhou Chengye came over with a smile, ¡°No need. I¡¯ve already spoken to your mother and Aunt Li; they already know and have agreed to let us go down first.¡±
Xiao Yeyang immediately said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s go.¡±
Daohua, finding no objection, shrugged her shoulders and took Zhou Jingwan by the hand to follow.
It was a quick descent from the mountain, and Xiao Yeyang led the two of them to their pleasure boat.
¡°I didn¡¯t feel it while walking, but now that I¡¯ve stopped, I realize how sore my legs are!¡± Daohua, sitting on a stool, continuously patted her legs.
Zhou Jingwan was in the same boat.
Yan Wentao: ¡°Big sister, what¡¯s the fuss about? Our first time practicing the horse stance was truly miserable; we couldn¡¯t even walk afterward.¡±
Daohua rolled her eyes at him, ¡°Fourth brother, there¡¯s no pointparing with us!¡±
Yan Wentao was at a loss for words.
The others, seeing this,ughed without reserve.
Amidst theughter and chatter, Madam Zhou came down the mountain with a group ofdies and young misses.
¡°Jingwan, let¡¯s go. We should join them too.¡± Seeing that the otherdies and young misses were already boarding the boat, Daohua quickly stood up, smiling as she spoke to Dong Yuanxuan and the others present.
¡°I had fun today, thanks to all the brothers¡¯ care. If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, please visit my house, and I will be sure to wee you warmly.¡±
Dong Yuanxuan: ¡°Miss Yan, you¡¯re too polite. We also enjoyed the barbecue you made today, but¡ there wasn¡¯t quite enough. Next time, you¡¯ll have to make more.¡±
With a smiling nod, Daohua turned to Xiao Yeyang, ¡°Little Prince¡ take care of yourself!¡±
Xiao Yeyang¡¯s face fell, ¡°What, you¡¯ll invite them to your home, and all I get is a simple ¡®take care¡¯ as a send-off?¡±
Daohua tilted her head with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s because you cane to our house anytime, but for Big Brother Dong and the others, I worry they might feel embarrassed to just show up without an invitation.¡±
Seeing that there was no hint of estrangement in Daohua¡¯s tone, the corners of Xiao Yeyang¡¯s mouth curved up, but he quickly straightened his face: ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m thicker-skinned than they are and I¡¯d show up uninvited, is that it?¡±
Daohua shrugged nonchntly, ¡°If you think you¡¯re thick-skinned, that¡¯s fine by me, I don¡¯t mind.¡±
Hearing this, everyone else covered their mouths and snickered.
Xiao Yeyang gave Daohua a re, his face stern but without a trace of genuine displeasure.
Daohua took Zhou Jingwan by the hand, ¡°Alright, we really have to go now. You guys should hurry back to the academy.¡± With that, the two of them made their way down to the boat.
¡°I¡¯ll escort them!¡± Zhou Chengye spoke up.
¡°Wait!¡±
Xiao Yeyang called to Zhou Chengye.
Zhou Chengye: ¡°Little Prince, is there something you need?¡±
Xiao Yeyang nced at Daohua who had just walked down the boat, ¡°Didn¡¯t they win the mountain climbing contest earlier? I haven¡¯t given out the prize yet.¡±
Hearing this, Dong Yuanxuan and the others all looked over.
Yan Wenkai: ¡°Really going to give a reward? Little Prince, why not forget about it? In the final stretch, if it weren¡¯t for Daohua¡¯s trickery, surely you would have won.¡±
Xiao Yeyang spoke with a stern face: ¡°A true man admits defeat when he is defeated. I said I¡¯d give a reward, how can I go back on my word?¡± Then, looking at Zhou Chengye, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent De Fu to fetch it. In a while, you¡¯ll deliver it to them.¡±
Zhou Chengye smiled and said: ¡°Then on behalf of the two youngdies, I thank the Little Prince for his generosity!¡±
Yan Wenkai¡¯s face fell: ¡°What should I give? I only have a few hundred copper coins on me.¡±
Dong Yuanxuan also joined in with augh: ¡°We don¡¯t have anything on us that could serve as a reward.¡±
Xiao Yeyang waved them off: ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately dropped the subject, knowing that their means paled inparison to the Little Prince.
Before long, De Fu arrived carrying two exquisite jewelry boxes.
Xiao Yeyang was somewhat dissatisfied: ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± He had originally nned to give them to Daohua in person, but now he couldn¡¯t very well go to the neighboring boat himself and had to entrust Zhou Chengye with the task.
De Fu bent his body slightly: ¡°There are too many items, and my lord wanted something appropriate fordies, so this servant had to carefully search for a while.¡±
The main reason was that the Little Prince valued the eldest Miss of the Yan Family greatly; he couldn¡¯t just pick any random gift to dispatch the matter.
Xiao Yeyang said no more and used his fan to point at Zhou Chengye: ¡°Give it to him!¡±
Zhou Chengye hesitated to ept, murmuring: ¡°This is too valuable¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s not for you. Am I supposed to wear these myself?¡± Xiao Yeyang cut him off. All these items were left by Uncle Rui Wang, who said they were for him to use as rewards.
Only then did Zhou Chengye take the jewelry boxes and leave with them.
After he left, Xiao Yeyang thought for a moment, called Wentao over, and whispered something in his ear. The others watched as Wentao quickly took his leave.
De Fu, watching his own Little Prince¡¯s actions, couldn¡¯t help but shed bitter tears.
Not only did the Little Prince give the Yan Family¡¯s eldest Miss the Qilin Jade Pendant awarded to him by the Emperor, but today he even gave away the pocket watch that he always wore, a tribute from a foreign country.
Could he be any more wasteful?
Daohua was unaware of their side of events; after boarding the Zhou Family¡¯s boat, she and Zhou Jingwan received warm greetings from the Madam and youngdies of various families.
At that moment, she was frantically trying to respond to them!
Not until Zhou Chengye came over with the jewelry boxes did the attention shift from them, giving the two youngdies a reprieve.
Zhou Jingwan didn¡¯t say a word; she grabbed Daohua and escaped to the third floor of the boat to hide.
Luckily the two of them left in time; otherwise, when Zhou Chengye announced that the jewelry boxes he brought over were rewards from the Little Prince to them, everyone would undoubtedly have insisted on seeing them opened on the spot.
The Madam Zhou epted the rewards on behalf of the two of them, and although the other Madams were curious about the contents of the boxes, they were all promptly dispatched by Madam Zhou¡¯s few words.
Soon, the boat began to move slowly.
By the time the boat arrived at Xingzhou Port, it was nearly dark.
The two jewelry boxes were identical, but Madam Zhou still happily let Madam Li choose first.
Madam Li hastened to decline, her face showing hesitation.
Before getting married, she had always followed her elder and second brother and had seen quite a few fine things. The jewelry boxes were made of fine materials and featured exquisite carvings that immediately appeared very valuable.
The Little Prince presented such gifts to her daughter, and she truly felt they were too hot to handle.
Madam Zhou, skilled at reading people, instantly knew what Madam Li was thinking and pushed the jewelry box in her hands into Madam Li¡¯s: ¡°Rest assured and take it. Didn¡¯t the Little Prince say that these are for thepetition¡¯s reward? To speak the truth, it is my Jingwan who is basking in the light of your Daohua.¡±
Madam Li shook her head with a smile: ¡°Miss Zhou is cute and lovable, who wouldn¡¯t like her? It is my foolish girl who is benefiting.¡±
The two mothersplimented each other¡¯s daughters, stopping only when Daohua and Zhou Jingwan came down from the boat.
Seeing both were worn out, they didn¡¯t say much more. After saying goodbye, each took a jewelry box and boarded their respective carriages.
Chapter 140: 126, Pocket Watch_1
Chapter 140: Chapter 126, Pocket Watch_1
¡°What is this?¡±
After boarding their own carriage, Daohua pointed at the jewelry box in Madam Li¡¯s arms and asked.
Madam Li looked at her daughter in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±
Daohua shook her head.
Madam Li ced the jewelry box on Daohua¡¯sp, ¡°This was sent by the Little Prince through Young Master Zhou, saying it¡¯s a gift for you.¡±
Daohua¡¯s face lit up with joy, ¡°Xiao Yeyang didn¡¯t go back on his word!¡± she said, then opened the box eagerly, and immediately, a whole set of pearl hair ornaments caught her eye.
¡°So beautiful!¡± Yan Yihuan couldn¡¯t help but exim.
Even Madam Li, who had seen many fine things, was dazzled by the sight.
The set of pearl hair ornaments was exquisitely delicate, just perfect for young girls around their teens to wear. To find this, De Fu had spent quite some time and effort.
Daohua picked up a butterfly hairpin made of pearls the size of rice grains and marveled, ¡°The craftsmanship is so exquisite.¡± The butterfly seemed toe to life, ready to take flight with its wings spread.
Madam Li smiled and said, ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll have a piece of jewelry to wear when attending various gatherings.¡± Her daughter didn¡¯t have many pieces of jewelry because there were many expenses at home, and she hadn¡¯t been able to prepare much for her.
Daohua nodded and, catching the envious nce from Yan Yihuan out of the corner of her eye, she smiled and passed the jewelry box to her, ¡°Second sister, choose one.¡±
Since the hair ornaments were designed for young girls, there were many styles to choose from. Daohua herself had four butterfly hairpins, and that wasn¡¯t even counting the various floral ones.
Yan Yihuan kept shaking her hands, ¡°These are for you from the Little Prince, how could I take them?¡±
Daohua, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there are plenty.¡±
Seeing that Yan Yihuan was still reluctant to choose, Daohua thought for a moment, then directly inserted the butterfly hairpin she was holding into her sister¡¯s hair.
¡°There are exactly four butterflies, one for each of the four sisters in our family.¡±
Madam Li sat by without interfering in Daohua¡¯s distribution. She was pleased to see her daughter¡¯s generosity and even more satisfied with her final decision.
This time, she hadn¡¯t brought Yishuang and Yile with her, and no matter how justified her reasons, there would still be those at home who were discontented. Now that her daughter had obtained an entire set of hair ornaments, had she not shared any with her three younger sisters, she¡¯d likely be criticized for hoarding.
¡°Thank you, big sister.¡±
Yan Yihuan touched the butterfly hairpin on her head, her face beaming with joy.
¡°No need to be polite!¡±
Daohua closed the jewelry box and handed it to Madam Li to keep for her.
Madam Li took the box and then handed a purse to Daohua.
Daohua looked puzzled, ¡°Mother, why are you giving me a purse?¡±
Madam Li, ¡°Right before we set sail, your third brother came by and said it was for you. I haven¡¯t opened it to see what¡¯s inside.¡±
Daohua was intrigued, ¡°A gift from third brother?¡±
Upon opening the purse, a golden pocket watch was revealed.
¡°Ah!¡±
If seeing the pearl hair ornaments made Daohua happy, then seeing the pocket watch could be called a surprise.
She had just beenining about not being able to tell the time easily when outside, and she had not expected to receive a pocket watch so soon.
Yan Yihuan had never seen a pocket watch before and didn¡¯t know what it was, but Madam Li¡¯s expression changed instantly.
She hadn¡¯t seen such a thing before, but she had heard about it. It was said to be a precious object presented by foreigners, only avable to royal rtives favored by the Emperor.
This wasn¡¯t something Wentao could afford to give!
Without a doubt, it must have been a gift from the Little Prince.
Daohua didn¡¯t think too much about it, delightfully cing the pocket watch around her neck. She then opened the case to check the time and said with a smile to Madam Li, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s the third quarter of the hour of the Dog (7:45 PM).¡±
Madam Li¡¯s cheeks stiffened a bit, ¡°Would it be okay to ept such a thing?¡±
Daohua also knew the pocket watch couldn¡¯t possibly belong to her third brother. Smiling, she nodded, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Hmm¡ but I need to think of something to give Xiao Yeyang in return.¡±
Sighing, she patted her head, ¡°My chrysanthemum wine! I actually forgot about it, had I known, I would have given it to Xiao Yeyang.¡±
Upon hearing this, Madam Li¡¯s cheeks twitched a few times.
So, the Little Prince gifts you a valuable pocket watch, and all your daughter gives back is a few bottles of chrysanthemum wine?
Yan Yihuan curiously asked, ¡°Big Sister, what is this?¡±
Daohua, ¡°It¡¯s for telling the time.¡±
Just then, the voice of Madam Qian could be heard from outside the carriage.
¡°Sister Li, our carriage has encountered a little issue. May Bi Lan and I ride with you back to Xingzhou City?¡±
Madam Li hurriedly lifted the carriage curtain and smiled, ¡°Of course, you can. Get on quickly.¡±
Madam Qian immediately boarded the carriage with Qian Bi Lan.
Daohua quickly took a seat next to Madam Li, leaving the seat on the left for Madam Qian and her daughter.
After climbing the mountain all day, she was actually very tired. She had nned to rest in the carriage, but now with visitors, she had to muster her energy again.
¡°Big Sister Yan, Second Sister Yan!¡± Qian Bi Lan greeted Daohua and Yan Yihuan as soon as she sat down.
Madam Qian had already started chatting with Madam Li.
Both mother and daughter¡¯s gazes fell on the butterfly hairpin atop Yan Yihuan¡¯s head, as for the pocket watch around Daohua¡¯s neck, sorry, they hadn¡¯t seen one before and thought it was a gold locket.
¡°That must be the prize Little Prince gave to the younger sister, right?¡± Qian Bi Lan looked at Yan Yihuan enviously, ¡°It¡¯s truly beautiful.¡±
Madam Qian followed withpliments, weaving Xiao Yeyang in and out of the conversation.
Daohua actually found such socializing quite tiresome, but she had to smile and be cordial, otherwise, by the next day, her reputation for being aloof and arrogant would spread throughout Xingzhou City.
Seeing her daughter¡¯s eyelids fighting to stay open, Madam Li tried her best to fend off the questions from Madam Qian and her daughter.
By the time they returned to the back courtyard of the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office, it was pitch dark, and Daohua was extremely sleepy.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll speak to your grandmother; you go back to your quarters to sleep!¡± Madam Li called Wang Manman over to help Daohua back to Daohua Pavilion.
Daohua shook her head, yawning as she said, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve been out all day. Grandmother will surely worry if she hasn¡¯t seen me; I won¡¯t be much longer.¡±
In the olddy¡¯s courtyard, after having dinner, the Yan Family hadn¡¯t left yet; they were all waiting for the three from Madam Li¡¯s group to return.
Yan Zhigao sighed with relief upon seeing Madam Li return with Daohua and Yan Yihuan, ¡°Why did youe back sote?¡±
Madam Li couldn¡¯t mention that Mrs. Zhou had been amodating the Little Prince¡¯s schedule, so she only smiled, ¡°There were quite a few people who went, and everyone got a bit carried away, so we came backte.¡± After speaking, she pushed Daohua and Yan Yihuan forward.
¡°These two girls have been ying all day. They¡¯re now extremely sleepy. Go and see your grandmother quickly, so you can go to bed.¡±
The olddy had long noticed the tiredness on Daohua¡¯s face, while Yan Yihuan seemed very energetic, ¡°Alright, alright, go back now. There¡¯s no need for formalities!¡±
Daohua didn¡¯t linger, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ll go rest now. I¡¯lle over and chat with you tomorrow.¡±
At that moment, Yan Yile spotted the butterfly hairpin on Yan Yihuan¡¯s head and eximed, ¡°Second Sister, where did you get that hairpin?¡±
Ignoring Yan Yile¡¯s question, Daohua paid her respects to the elders of the household and left.
Only after Daohua had departed did Yan Yihuan smile and say, ¡°It was Big Sister who gave it to me.¡±
Yan Yile immediately moved closer, ¡°I want one too, I want one.¡±
Yan Yishuang, sitting next to Yan Zhigao, also looked on with desire.
Madam Li smiled, ¡°Alright, you won¡¯t miss out. There¡¯s one for everyone.¡±
Yan Zhiyuan took over the conversation, ¡°This hairpin is made of pearls; it looks quite valuable. How did ite about?¡±
Madam Li, ¡°At Xiangxia Mountain, we encountered the Little Prince. Daohua and the young Miss from the Zhou Family had a mountain climbing race with the Little Prince, and this was the prize for winning.¡±
Yan Zhigao¡¯s expression brightened, ¡°You met the Little Prince too?¡±
Madam Li smiled, ¡°Not just the Little Prince; our three boys, Wen Kai and Wentao, are now in the same ss with the Little Prince.¡±
Chapter 141: 127, Father_1
Chapter 141: Chapter 127, Father_1
Because it was already veryte and she had been out all day, Madam Li briefly recounted her time at Xiangxia Mountain and then showed signs of fatigue.
Even though others still wanted to listen, it was not appropriate to ask too many questions at this time.
The olddy spoke up, ¡°Alright, the sky is already dark. Everyone go back and rest. We can talk more tomorrow.¡±
Soon, everyone left the olddy¡¯s courtyard.
Yan Zhigao returned to the main courtyard with Madam Li.
Behind them, Yan Wenbin and Yan Yihuan were somewhat disappointed to see their father had not gone to Shuangxin Courtyard.
Yan Yishuang looked somewhat sullen, ¡°Father now spends so much less time visiting mother!¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Wenbin immediately looked around and, seeing everyone was some distance away and hadn¡¯t heard his sister¡¯s words, he sighed with relief, then spoke somewhat reproachfully, ¡°Sister, pay attention to how you refer to people in the future.¡±
Yan Yihuan was startled, then looked angrily at Yan Wenbin, ¡°What, are you going to be like everyone else now? What¡¯s wrong with calling my own mother ¡®mother¡¯?¡±
Yan Wenbin was both anxious and frustrated, ¡°Acting like this will only cause misfortune for Auntie. Don¡¯t you remember,st time because we misspoke, grandmother scolded Auntie and father didn¡¯t even speak up for her?¡±
¡°Obviously, in father¡¯s eyes, the way we address people is also improper.¡±
Yan Yishuang¡¯s anger red up, ¡°Rules, rules, it¡¯s all about rules. During lessons, Master Shen goes on and on about rules, and now you¡¯re talking about rules too.¡±
¡°When did we ever care about rules before? Didn¡¯t father still love us just the same? Howe everything has changed since we arrived in Xingzhou City?¡±
Yan Wenbin was silent for a long while, ¡°Sister, we have to recognize the reality. Uncle was right; now that our older brother and older sister are more aplished than us, father¡¯s heart has gradually been drawn to them. If you keep making a fuss like this, father will only grow to dislike us more and more.¡±
Yan Yishuang was stunned, murmuring, ¡°Could it be? But father clearly said that his most beloved daughter was me!¡±
Yan Wenbin felt somewhat exhausted, ¡°Father still loves us, it¡¯s just¡ he has also shared his love with our older brother and older sister. So, sister, we need to work hard, not just for Auntie¡¯s sake, but for ourselves too. We must show our worth.¡±
Yan Yishuang sniffled, her lips pressed together in silence. After a while, she spoke with a crying tone, ¡°I will make an effort.¡±
¡
After Madam Li and Yan Zhigao returned to the main courtyard, the couple washed up before lying down on the bed.
In bed, Madam Li told Yan Zhigao in detail about the day¡¯s outing.
Hearing that the Little Prince had given the eldest daughter a pocket watch, Yan Zhigao, who had been leaning against his pillow, sat straight up in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Little Prince being too generous to our Daohua?¡±
A pocket watch was something he had only heard about but never seen. When he went to the provincial capital to report for his duties, he didn¡¯t see any high-ranking officials wearing one.
Such precious western items, seldom given as tribute by foreign states, were only owned by royal family members or ministers held in special favor by the Emperor.
Yan Zhigao thought sourly that despite all his running around, he had never seen such a thing, yet his eldest daughter had gotten hold of one first.
Madam Li was silent for a moment before musing, ¡°Perhaps the Little Prince thinks Daohua has a pleasant personality, easy to get along with?¡±
Hearing this, Yan Zhigao was skeptical.
Of the four youngdies in the house, he would believe that Yihuan and Yishuang had good temperaments.
The eldest daughter was both forthright and stubborn, even daring to argue with him, her father; how was that considered having a good temperament?
Seeing that Yan Zhigao was unconvinced, Madam Li hastily added, ¡°The beginning of people getting along hinges on first impressions; continuing the rtionship depends on character.¡±
¡°Our Daohua, without boasting on my part,pared not just to the three girls at home, but even Miss Zhou, I believe she¡¯s iparable.¡±
If it weren¡¯t for your daughter, could Miss Zhou have received an entire set of pearl headdresses?
Yan Zhigao did not entirely agree, ¡°Daohua has yet to fully grasp the rules; she even dared to act wilfully towards the Little Prince. It¡¯s only because the Little Prince didn¡¯t take it to heart, otherwise, how awkward would it have been? It might even negatively impact Wenbin and the others¡¯ image in the Little Prince¡¯s mind.¡±
¡°You need to talk to her more about these things. Don¡¯t be so headstrong outside, especially in front of the Little Prince, someone who is pampered by everyone. Others are vying to please him; she must bow her head when it¡¯s time to do so, and not becent just because she has the merit of having saved a life.¡±
¡°You should know that even this favor could one day be exhausted.¡±
Seeing that Madam Li did not respond, Yan Zhigao looked over and saw Madam Li yawning, her face unconcerned.
¡°Hey, are you listening to what I¡¯m saying?¡±
Madam Li yawned and nodded as she spoke: ¡°I heard you, my lord. I think you¡¯re worrying too much. Don¡¯t judge children¡¯s interactions by adult standards.¡±
¡°But is the Little Prince an ordinary child?¡± Yan Zhigao was somewhat dissatisfied with Madam Li¡¯s attitude and decided to talk to his eldest sonter, asking him to keep an eye on the eldest daughter.
Seeing Madam Li was too sleepy to continue, he did not prolong the conversation and called for the maids to extinguish the light, and the couple went to bed.
¡
The second house.
Yan Yihuan had just finished narrating her outing when Sun Family immediately knocked on her head.
¡°You girl, didn¡¯t I instruct you to stay close to your elder sister when you went out? But at the crucial moment, you failed to do so. If you hadn¡¯t gone out with the other misses and had instead gone to see the Little Prince with your elder sister, perhaps you could have received a full set of pearl headdresses!¡±
Sun Family looked at Yan Yihuan with a heart full of distress.
Normally, when faced with her parents¡¯ chiding, Yan Yihuan would silently bear it. But this time, perhaps because the experiences from her outing had enlightened her, she found the courage to look straight at Sun Family.
¡°Mother, even if I had stayed with the elder sister the whole time, I wouldn¡¯t have received the headdress, because I simply couldn¡¯t climb to the top of Xiangxia Mountain. Besides, going out for fun, if I had just followed elder sister all the time, what difference would there be between me and her shadow?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t regret not going to see the Little Prince with elder sister. I had a lot of fun during the trip and made a few friends. I feel like I gained a lot from talking and chatting with them.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Sun Family was stunned; she did not expect her obedient eldest daughter to retort.
Yan Zhiyuan also looked over.
After a while, Sun Family, frustrated that her daughter wasn¡¯t living up to her expectations, said, ¡°Making a few youngdy friends, can that bepared to getting close to the Little Prince?¡±
Yan Yihuan replied, ¡°But even if I were in front of the Little Prince, I¡¯d still be nothing, wouldn¡¯t I? Last time the Little Prince came to our house, aside from elder sister, did you see him nce at anyone else?¡±
¡°You¡¡± Sun Family realized her daughter had quite a gift for words, leaving her without aeback: ¡°Even so, couldn¡¯t you find an opportunity to talk to the Little Prince?¡±
Yan Yihuan frowned: ¡°Why bother doing something that is known to be impossible, making both oneself and others ufortable?¡± She thought her elder sister was right; making friends should be about feeling happy andfortable.
With that, Sun Family was left speechless, looking at her daughter with annoyance.
On the side, Yan Zhiyuan, however, was smiling. He preferred his daughter like this, assertive and speaking out for herself,pared to how she was before¡ªsilent and never fighting for her own interests.
¡°Enough, Yihuan is right. How she interacts with other misses outside is her own business. Why are you needlessly interfering?¡±
With the affirmation of her father, Yan Yihuan¡¯s eyes brightened, and her brows and eyes could not help but curve into a smile.
This was the first time her father had openly acknowledged her!
Sun Family red at Yan Zhiyuan: ¡°Who am I doing this for?¡± Eventually, when the olddy is gone, the house will inevitably be divided, and she must think long-term for the second house.
Chapter 142: 128, Grain_1
Chapter 142: Chapter 128, Grain_1
After the Chongyang Festival, Daohua¡¯s life returned to what it was before.
Every day after ss, she would finish the homework assigned by the Shen tutor and then join her grandmother in the olddy¡¯s courtyard to tend to the flowers and nts together.
Recently, Daohua had read several ancient books on grafting and was excited about researching flower grafting to cultivate some unique nts.
In ancient times, there weren¡¯t many types of flowers and nts suitable for pot nting, and due to regional differences, the varieties of flora that peoplemonly saw were somewhat limited.
Now, the flower shops were sellingmon varieties, and other flower shops sold the same, too. If you wanted your flower shop to keep thriving, Daohua felt it had to be irreceable.
In the courtyard, Madam Yan watched Daohua recklessly pruning the flowers and felt pained, wanting to stop her. Yet, the girl insisted she was improving the nt varieties, putting the olddy in an awkward position whether to speak up or not.
¡°Mother, you should speak to Daohua, even though there are many nts in your courtyard, it¡¯s still not appropriate for her to be so rough with them!¡±
When people paid their respects recently, they all saw Daohua with her hands covered in mud, plucking and throwing nts around in the courtyard. Even Yan Zhigao, who usually paid little attention to the backyard matters, knew that the eldest daughter was wreaking havoc in the olddy¡¯s garden.
One evening, while the Yan family was waiting for dinner in the olddy¡¯s courtyard, Yan Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help butin to his grandmother.
This time, before the olddy could respond, the usually taciturn Yan Zhiqiang spoke up to defend Daohua.
¡°Daohua isn¡¯t mistreating the nts; she is improving the nt varieties,¡± he said.
Yan Zhiyuan sneered, ¡°Younger brother, I admit that Daohua has a gift for growing and caring for flowers, but to say that a young girl like her is improving nt varieties, isn¡¯t that a bit much? It seems more like mischief to me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not ignorant, second brother. Over the years working alongside our eldest brother, I¡¯ve also been to many wealthy and influential households. Those families with real heritage have specialized gardeners for their nts, and yet, have you heard anyone talk about any new varietiesing from those households?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s not even mention other families, just take the first aristocratic family of Xingzhou City, the Zhou Family. Old Master Zhou is famously passionate about flowers, but aren¡¯t the varieties he nts all well-known to everyone?¡±
After saying this, Yan Zhiyuan looked at Yan Zhigao and Madam Li with a smile.
¡°Big brother, sister-inw, I know that the family¡¯s finances have loosened up a bit this year because of watermelon sales, but I feel that we should still be frugal where we can, shouldn¡¯t we? We can¡¯t be wasteful,¡± he said.
It was Yan Zhiqiang who spoke this time to counter Yan Zhiyuan, ¡°Second brother, all you say is true, but our Daohua has a good hand with farming. If she says she is improving the nt varieties, then she is improving them.¡±
As he spoke, without waiting for Yan Zhiyuan to reply, he turned to Yan Zhigao, ¡°Big brother, the autumn grain from our farm has already beenpletely harvested, and I have sent the ounting books to sister-inw.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t say much, just that for the same mu of paddy field,mon rice varieties can yield about four stones of grain, but with the rice varieties improved by Daohua, you can reap at least one more stone. With careful attention, an increase of two stones isn¡¯t impossible.¡±
Upon hearing this, others in the room did not particrly react, but Yan Zhigao, who always cared about the people¡¯s welfare, suddenly stood up, eagerly asking, ¡°Are you telling the truth? Are you not deceiving me?¡±
If it weren¡¯t for the crowd present, he would have wanted to rush forth and shake his younger brother to see if he was speaking nonsense.
Yan Zhiqiang replied, ¡°Big brother, you canpare the ounting books from our past years with this year¡¯s. This year, because we bought the farmte, we missed the spring plowing. Otherwise, you could see the bountiful harvest with your own eyes.¡±
Yan Zhigao stared intensely at Yan Zhiqiang and seeing his serious face with no signs of deceit, felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
What is an achievement?
Ensuring that themon people have enough food and clothing is the greatest achievement and the original intent behind his role as an official.
Yan Zhigao couldn¡¯t care less about the others present and, excitedly rubbing his hands, began pacing around the room.
Seeing this reaction, everyone was taken aback.
Maintaining his dignified demeanor as the head of the family, Yan Zhigao rarely showed his feelings openly in front of his family, so this unrestrained disy of emotion was extremely rare.
¡°Where¡¯s the ounting book? Hurry, bring it for me to see!¡±
After pacing for a while, Yan Zhigao hastily grabbed Yan Zhiqiang and asked.
Yan Zhiqiang had not expected Yan Zhigao to be so agitated, and for a moment, he was somewhat stunned.
¡°Third brother,e on, speak up, where is the ount book?¡± Yan Zhigao couldn¡¯t wait, really following his heart¡¯s desire, he grabbed Yan Zhiqiang and shook him a few times.
At this time, the Old Madam of the Yan Family spoke, casting an annoyed look at her eldest son: ¡°Eldest, let go of your third brother. Look at yourself now, do you appear at all like a Prefectural Governor?¡±
Yan Zhigao sheepishly withdrew his hand: ¡°Mother, your son is just excited!¡±
Seeing her eldest son was indeed in a state of urgency, the Old Madam summoned the nanny: ¡°Go, bring me the ount book from the chest in the inner room.¡±
During the wait, Yan Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t quite believe it and looked towards Yan Zhiqiang: ¡°Third brother, I know you like the girl Daohua, but don¡¯t lie to your elder brother just to speak up for her!¡±
¡°Bang!¡±
The Old Madam of the Yan Family forcefully set her teacup on the table: ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother has never lied. Do you not know that?¡±
Seeing this, Yan Zhigao¡¯s anxiety, which had been stirred by Yan Zhiyuan¡¯s words, settled down again. With mother reacting like this, the words spoken by the third brother just now must be true.
¡°I¡¡±
Yan Zhiyuan choked, just as he was about to defend himself, at that moment, the nanny came out with the ount book.
Yan Zhigao eagerly took the ount book, and seeing the childish handwriting on it, he was surprised: ¡°The ount book was written by Daohua?¡±
The Old Madamughed, ¡°Your daughter said that only by fully understanding the harvest from the fields can we improve the grain strains better. Since she and your Great Uncle mastered reading, she has been keeping the family ounts.¡±
Yan Zhigao examined the ount book very carefully. It was meticulously recorded¡ªthe wet fields, dry fields, and even the yield of the barren hills and wastnd were all documented.
The more he read, the more shocked Yan Zhigao became.
The records in the ount book were clearer and more detailed than those in the Governor¡¯s Office.
There wereparisons of the yields of wet and dry fields, evenparisons of different types of grain crops, and they used a clear,parative chart that made everything evident at a nce.
¡°Mother, did Daohua truly write this?¡± Yan Zhigao asked again, his toneced with disbelief.
The Old Madam retorted irritably: ¡°If not her, could it possibly be this old woman?¡±
Yan Zhigao turned to look at Yan Zhiqiang, who immediately nodded in confirmation.
Just at that moment, Daohua walked in. Seeing that no one in the room was speaking, she felt puzzled: ¡°What¡¯s going on with everyone?¡± Sitting down next to the Old Madam, she said, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m hungry. Isn¡¯t it time for dinner yet?¡±
¡°Daohua, your father is asking you, did you record this ount book?¡± Yan Zhigao held out the ount book as he asked.
Upon seeing the household grain harvest record ount book, Daohua¡¯s spirit immediately perked up.
She had wanted to promote her own grain strains for more than just a day or two. The production of grain in ancient times was too low, causing many people to not have enough to eat. Blessed with a space where she could grow grains, she also wanted to do her part, so her journey to the ancient past wouldn¡¯t be in vain.
¡°Yes, Father, as I was saying, the grain strains that I¡¯ve improved are really good. When can we start promoting them in Xingzhou City?¡±
The experience of fleeing disaster had left a deep impression on her.
It truly was a scene of widespread starvation and endless sorrow!
She had originally thought that, having missed the spring nting this year, it wouldn¡¯t be until next year at the earliest that the issue of grain strains woulde up. She hadn¡¯t expected happiness to arrive so suddenly.
Looking at his eldest daughter, who seemed even more excited than he was, Yan Zhigao¡¯s mind reeled.
Chapter 143: 129: Not Asking for Much_1
Chapter 143: Chapter 129: Not Asking for Much_1
¡°`
Seeing that her adoptive father remained silent, Daohua thought he hadn¡¯t understood clearly and immediately took the ount book from his hand. She flipped to the most important pages and exined them one by one to him.
¡°Father, let me tell you, if you¡¯re not at ease, you can start with a small-scale trial cultivation. If the yield really turns out to be higher than that of ordinary grains by the time of the autumn harvest, then you can promote it on arge scale.¡±
¡°Increasing the grain yield, you know, food is crucial for the livelihood of the people. Father, think of how many people in Xingzhou City, or even those further afield, would thank you if they stopped going hungry.¡±
¡°Oh, and there¡¯s more¡¡± Daohua quickly flipped to aparative chart she had made in the ount book: ¡°Father, look at this. I believe that if you can promote the improved grain variety, I can continue to improve it.¡±
The grain varieties currently stored by the Yan Family were cultivated from the least fertile yellow soil in her space. If red or ck soil were used, the yield would certainly increase further.
However, to avoid drawing too much attention, this matter had to be approached slowly.
Even the current grain varieties were something she had spent three years time yfully testing out openly at the various households in the Yan Family vige before daring to introduce them.
Otherwise, what would people think if they learned that a girl of less than ten years old had improved a grain variety? She didn¡¯t want to earn some reputation as a blessed prodigy and then be the target of those with ulterior motives.
There¡¯s a saying, what¡¯s it called again, ¡°Once the deed is done, leave without attachment, keeping one¡¯s achievements and fame hidden!¡±
Oh dear, she couldn¡¯t continue to think about this. If she dwelled on it further, she would end up moving herself to tears.
Yan Zhigao watched his eldest daughter, who was showing such enthusiasm to him for the first time, and felt slightly ufortable.
Howe his eldest daughter seemed to care more about the people¡¯s welfare than he did?
¡°Ahem!¡±
Yan Zhigao cleared his throat and took the ount book from Daohua¡¯s hand, cing it on the table and pressing down on it with his knuckles. Only then did he speak, ¡°I see this ount book is two years old. Such a significant matter as grain varieties, why didn¡¯t you write to inform me?¡±
Daohua: ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t believe it? Besides, without having sown it yourself, how can one casually bring up such a matter!¡±
Yan Zhigao looked at his eldest daughter and gained a whole new understanding of her.
He now believed that what his mother anddy had said about his eldest daughter being level-headed was true.
¡°I will take the ount book with me. I will see to the grain matter,¡± he said, then turned to Yan Zhiqiang, ¡°Third brother, do you have any winter wheat seeds?¡±
Winter wheat was cultivated in Xingzhou City. If possible, he wanted to see the results this year.
Yan Zhiqiang nodded, ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t have a veryrge supply of seeds stored in our family. Big brother, if you want to promote it greatly, you can purchase some from the n. Nowadays, every household in the n uses the grain variety cultivated by Daohua.¡±
¡°Third brother!¡±
Madam Li suddenly spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t go telling others that the grain varieties were cultivated by Daohua.¡±
¡°Ah?¡± Yan Zhiqiang was startled.
Madam Li exined, ¡°Daohua is a maiden confined to domestic quarters. It¡¯s enough for our own family to know, not something to be spread externally.¡± In these times, a woman being too capable was not necessarily a good thing.
¡°Oh!¡±
Yan Zhiqiang nodded in agreement.
After that, Yan Zhigao took Yan Zhiqiang to discuss the matter of grains without even stopping for a meal.
After dinner, when Daohua was preparing to return to her own courtyard, Madam Li called her back.
¡°Mother, do you need me for something?¡±
Madam Li touched her daughter¡¯s head and took her hand, walking slowly: ¡°Growing flowers, opening a florist shop, these are elegant pursuits suitable for a youngdy, and I won¡¯t object if you wish to do them.¡±
¡°But the matter of grains is a significant concern for the people¡¯s livelihood and is not something for a youngdy to handle. If your improved grain variety truly increases the productivity of the fields, it would be a great matter and might even attract the Emperor¡¯s attention.¡±
Daohua opened her mouth in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s unlikely, isn¡¯t it? It hasn¡¯t improved that much, just by a bushel or two.¡±
¡°`
¡°A single stone?¡± Madam Li shook her head, ¡°You must not underestimate this one stone of grain. If we were to encounter a year of famine, this food could save countless lives.¡±
Daohua smiled, ¡°Mother, I understand your concern. Rest assured, your daughter will only make a fuss at home. As for everything else, leave it to father to handle.¡±
After all, it¡¯s fine as long as the family knows, especially her step-father. Having profited, he surely can¡¯t p her like before every time he bes upset.
What she wanted wasn¡¯t much, just to live more freely in this family, to do what she wished, to have her own thoughts, and when it came to decisions about her, not to have her opinions ignored, doing away with the dictum that one must blindly obey a parent¡¯smand.
In fact, since his promotion to Prefectural Governor of Xingzhou, she felt a change in her step-father¡¯s attitude towards her and Madam Li, and that was very good.
She was well aware that no matter how capable she was, in this ancient patriarchal society, as a youngdy hidden away in her boudoir, to live well, she could not do without the support of her father and brothers.
Helping them was also helping herself.
Madam Li smiled contentedly, ¡°You are smart. You must know, it¡¯s not easy for us women to be stronger than men, or else, you won¡¯t be able to marry off!¡±
Daohua blurted out, ¡°Then I just won¡¯t marry.¡±
¡°p!¡±
Madam Li struck Daohua on the forehead, and this time she didn¡¯t hold back much.
¡°Mother~¡±
Daohua, rubbing her forehead, looked at Madam Li with an usatory gaze for suddenly hitting her.
Madam Li sternly said, ¡°You must not speak such nonsense about not marrying in the future.¡±
Daohua nodded gloomily.
When it came to the matter of marriage, both Madam Li and Old Madam Yan held surprisingly simr stances.
¡°Then I want to find someone I like, and you can¡¯t just marry me off carelessly!¡±
Madam Li red at Daohua, ¡°You just said you wouldn¡¯t marry, and now you want to choose on your own. You certainly change your mind quickly.¡±
Daohua: ¡°¡.¡±
¡
Yan Zhigao took the matter of the seed grains very seriously. It was now the end of September, prime time for nting winter wheat. After obtaining the seed grains from Yan Zhiyuan, he gathered a group of experienced farmers and personally led them to plow and sow on the official fields.
Generally, the fields owned by the Governor¡¯s Office weren¡¯t so easily gathered for use.
However, now that his sons and nephews were ssmates of the Little Prince, the officials in the Prefectural Governor¡¯s Office were very obedient to his orders. With a single word from him, his subordinates would get things done.
It was also for this reason that he dared to boldly nt his own family¡¯s seed grains.
If it had been before, he would have had to give it serious thought, considering whether someone else might steal the credit.
Time flew, and by mid-October¡
Wangyue Academy.
Brothers Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao supported each other back to their residence.
Yan Wenkai grimaced, ¡°Ah, I definitely won¡¯t be able to move tomorrow!¡± Today¡¯s training was too harsh; there wasn¡¯t a single spot on my body that didn¡¯t ache.¡±
Yan Wentao curiously asked, ¡°I see the Little Prince and the others have almost the same intensity in their training, so why do they seem much more at ease than us?¡±
¡°That¡¯s because they take a medicinal bath after every martial arts session to relieve body aches,¡± Yan Wenkai exined and then paused suddenly.
It seemed they could also take a medicinal bath!
Chapter 144: 130, Medicinal Bath_1
Chapter 144: Chapter 130, Medicinal Bath_1
¡°Shall we take a bath?¡±
Yan Wenkai held the medicine packet given to him by Daohua, looking at Yan Wentao with a hesitant face.
Yan Wentao, without a word, called the servants to prepare the hot water. Then he said, ¡°Little brother, use it with confidence. Daohua won¡¯t harm us.¡±
Yan Wenkai: ¡°¡¡±
Is the third brother trusting Daohua too much?
He wasn¡¯t saying that Daohua would harm them, but he worried that as a young girl, she might not understand medicine. Even if she had read a few medical books, that didn¡¯t mean she could concoct medicines!
¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that the bath might ruin your body? If our health breaks down, we will no longer be able to practice martial arts!¡± He couldn¡¯t ignore this, first because martial arts were his dream, and second, as the legitimate son of the Yan family, he wanted to contribute to his family.
Yan Wentao hesitated for a moment, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll take the bath first. If there¡¯s nothing wrong with my body, then you can take one?¡±
Yan Wenkai immediately frowned, ¡°Third brother, what do you take me for? How can I let you take risks for me? If someone is to test it, it should be me first.¡±
No sooner had he spoken than their servants came over with steaming hot water.
The just recently decisive Yan Wenkai immediately wimped out, looking at the medicine packet with a profound sense of suffering.
Seeing this, Yan Wentao snatched the medicine packet and threw it into the bath barrel. The clear hot water soon turned into a dark brown herbal solution.
¡°Really going to take a bath?¡±
Yan Wenkai was still hesitating, while Yan Wentao had already started undressing.
¡°I¡¯m going in first!¡±
Yan Wentao quickly sat down into the bath barrel.
Seeing his grimacing, Yan Wenkai immediately asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable?¡±
Yan Wentao shook his head and shivered before saying, ¡°The water is too hot! If you¡¯re going to take a bath, remember to wait until the water cools down a bit before getting in.¡±
Hearing this, Yan Wenkai fell silent, then kept a close eye on Yan Wentao. If he showed any signs of difort, he was ready to call for help.
However, apart from the initial grimacing due to the high temperature, Yan Wentao¡¯s expression gradually eased, and to the surprise of his brother, he even disyed a look of enjoyment.
¡°Little brother, you should take a bath quickly too! I don¡¯t know if Daohua¡¯s medicine packet can invigorate the blood and strengthen the body, but soaking here is trulyfortable.¡±
Upon hearing this, Yan Wenkai appeared skeptical but struggled for a while before finally gritting his teeth and sitting down in his own bath barrel.
However, to set his mind at ease, he still instructed the servants to keep a close eye on their conditions. If anything unusual happened, they were to immediately call a doctor.
¡°Mmm~¡±
A moan of relief came from Yan Wenkai. After soaking in the herbal bath, he realized he was wrong. His elder sister hadn¡¯t lied to him; the soreness in his muscles caused by overexertion was truly dissipating bit by bit.
Wuwu~
If he had known the effects were so good, he would have taken out the medicine packet a long time ago. He had suffered in vain for so many months!
Outside the door, Yan Wentao¡¯s servant Tietou and Yan Wenkai¡¯s servant Tieshou asionally peeked into the room to see if the two young masters were alright, then quietly began to discuss.
Tietou whispered, ¡°Do you think we should tell the Madam and the master that other noblemen practicing martial arts not only had forms for medicine baths prepared by experts but also had personal doctors to look after them?¡±
Tieshou looked hesitant, ¡°This¡ wouldn¡¯t be right, would it? Since the two young masters haven¡¯t mentioned it themselves, wouldn¡¯t bypassing them and going to the master and Madam risk angering the young masters?¡±
Tietou sighed, ¡°s, the young masters don¡¯t want to cause trouble for the family!¡±
Tieshou: ¡°Isn¡¯t it just so! Had it been before, I really wouldn¡¯t have thought that the household of a Prefectural Governor would fall short of that of a County Magistrate.¡±
Before he was sold into the Yan family, he had worked in the household of a County Magistrate in the neighboring state. Because the County Magistratemitted embezzlement, he was stripped of his position, and that¡¯s how Tieshou ended up being sold.
Tietou: ¡°This shows something, it shows that our master isn¡¯t greedy, and truly serves the people.¡±
Tieshou nodded in agreement, a face full of approval. Not being greedy was good. If you weren¡¯t greedy, you wouldn¡¯t be dismissed or have your property confiscated, and they, as servants, wouldn¡¯t be sold from one owner to another.
This time, having been sold, he was lucky to have met a good master like Young Master Wenkai. But what if there were a next time? Who knew what kind of master he would end up with?
From a young age, he had been sold from one person to another, and had often seen servants ground down to death because they had ended up with cruel masters.
For people like them, their greatest wish was to find a good master and live a peaceful life.
Tietou was somewhat luckier than Tieshou. At least, he knew where his parents and home were. Because of the drought, there was no way to make a living. As the eldest in the family, he sold himself, and the silver he got from it was what kept his parents and younger siblings alive.
Young Master Wentao was very kind, he had hardly ever beaten or scolded him. Moreover, he loved tending to the fields, and Tietou liked his master from the bottom of his heart and hoped he would be well.
Thus, Tietou, devoted to his master, spoke up: ¡°Madam and master are the same. Not to mention the two young masters, don¡¯t they know about preparing this kind of stuff?¡±
This really wasn¡¯t Yan Zhigao¡¯s and Madam Li¡¯s fault; neither of them had ever dealt with martial arts, so how could they know about the need for medicinal baths?
Upon hearing Tietou¡¯s words, Tieshou¡¯s expression changed drastically: ¡°You insolent guy, do you want to die? Are master and Madam something we servants can talk about?¡±
Considering that the two young masters were almost always together and that he and Tietou would have to continue being around them for a long time, Tieshou couldn¡¯t help but remind him to avoid implicating himself.
¡°The master being good to uses from his kind heart. Don¡¯t ever think that because of that we can treat our master without respect. The third young master also treats the master and Madam with the utmost respect. If you gossip like this behind their backs, do you think he will still want you?¡±
Tietou was so frightened he could barely respond: ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, did I?¡±
Tieshou gave him a look: ¡°If you want to stay by the third young master¡¯s side, just do your own job well and don¡¯t meddle in matters between the masters.¡±
Tietou nodded, promising: ¡°I understand.¡±
The two fell silent. After a while, Tietou looked into the room again: ¡°The two young masters have been soaking for a good while now, why haven¡¯t theye out?¡±
Tieshou also looked inside and saw Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai sitting motionless in the bath. Worried something was wrong, he quickly entered the room: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go check.¡±
When they arrived at the bath, they saw that Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai had simply fallen asleep and immediately heaved a sigh of relief.
¡°Are the two young masters all right?¡± Tietou asked with some concern.
Tieshou: ¡°Look at the two young masters¡¯fortable expressions. Does it seem like something¡¯s wrong? Come on, give me a hand, and let¡¯s get the two young masters onto the bed. If they soak too long and catch a chill, that won¡¯t be good.¡±
The following day.
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao arrived at the martial arts training ground feeling refreshed and invigorated.
¡°What a pity, if I had known that big sister¡¯s medicine bags were so effective, I would have used them sooner!¡± Yan Wenkai said with regret on his face.
Yan Wentao nced at him: ¡°If you had told me earlier, would this situation have happened?¡±
Yan Wenkai smiled sheepishly, quickly changing the subject: ¡°In the past, Su Hongxin, because he had more stamina than us, beat us up quite often. Today, I¡¯m going to get even with him!¡±
Soon, the students training in martial arts had all arrived one after the other.
Seeing that Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai hade so early, Xiao Yeyang and the others were somewhat surprised.
Practicing martial arts is physically demanding and exhausting work. If one doesn¡¯t rest properly after practice, it¡¯s very difficult to recover the next day.
People like Xiao Yeyang naturally had no problems. Their family members had taken care of everything for them, with medicinal baths, personal doctors prescribing special medicinal meals, and sometimes, if the training was too intense, there were even specialized massages and acupuncture. Their bodies could naturally keep up.
But Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai were not so fortunate. Because their elders at home didn¡¯t understand martial arts, they hadn¡¯t prepared any of these for them.
Although the Academy did provide abundant food for students practicing martial arts, that only ensured basic nutrition. Their bodies weren¡¯t soothed after daily practice.
As a result, the two were always thest to arrive, all because they couldn¡¯t get up in the morning due to body aches. Their perseverance in attending every day without fail was already proof of remarkable willpower.
Chapter 145: 131, Injected with Chicken Blood_1
Chapter 145: Chapter 131, Injected with Chicken Blood_1
¡°What¡¯s gotten into you today, have you had chicken blood?¡±
After being knocked to the ground by Yan Wenkai for the third time, Su Hongxin found it somewhat unbelievable.
You know, it used to be him who always suppressed the two Yan brothers!
Not only was Su Hongxin astonished, but so was Dong Yuanxuan.
Because he too had been punched in the face by Wentao, and was now grinning through the pain!
He was aware of the Yan brothers¡¯ situation and had considered whether to have his family¡¯s doctor prescribe some medicinal bath recipes for the two. However, such prescriptions are generally expensive, and the brothers were not willing to discuss it with their family, having little silver on them. Considering their pride, he had hesitated to bring it up.
After all, boys of their age are quite concerned with face, and if he identally hurt their sensitive spirits, he would be doing harm with the best intentions.
Xiao Yeyang, who was sparring with the instructor, also nced their way, surprised, ¡°Wentao and Wenkai¡¯s strength has improved!¡± As the esteemed Little Prince, who always had others to handle his affairs, he waspletely unaware of the Yan brothers¡¯ predicament.
Every time he saw them arrivingst, he felt a bit of disdain.
¡°Little Prince, focus, concentrate. When engaging inbat, thest thing you want is to be distracted; one mistake could lead to a fatal crisis,¡± the instructor¡¯s cold voice rang out.
Xiao Yeyang refocused on his sparring, but not before receiving a kick from the instructor for just a moment¡¯s distraction.
Here on the martial arts field, he wasn¡¯t treated as any Little Prince. With the instructor¡¯s stringent discipline, every sparring session was full contact, real strikes.
He would say that being strict with them now would spare them losses in the future.
Seeing that Xiao Yeyang got serious, the instructor felt satisfied and, while defending himself, also took a moment to look over at the Yan brothers.
As the instructor, no one knew the students¡¯ conditions better than him.
The reason he hadn¡¯t inquired before was to see how long the Yan brothers could hold out, of course, ensuring their bodies weren¡¯t damaged in the process.
The brothers had been practicing martial arts for several months, and their perseverance had earned his approval. He had already nned to find an opportunity soon to discuss health maintenance with them, but it seemed these two had already started taking medicinal baths on their own.
Judging by their appearance, the medicinal baths seemed to be effective.
Since they had already taken care of it themselves, there was no need for him to get involved.
In the following period, after each training session, the Yan brothers would take a medicinal bath.
As a result, the martial arts field saw two more vigorous figures, to the misfortune of the other sparring students.
Even though everyone took medicinal baths, the effects varied. Even Xiao Yeyang, who was under constant care of the Imperial Physician, couldn¡¯t say his body was in peak condition every day.
During the break, seeing the Yan brothers, still full of energy after having taken down five or six people, Xiao Yeyang gave Dong Yuanxuan a weird look.
¡°Do you think they¡¯ve secretly consumed some Ten-Complete Revitalizing Pills?¡± That vigor seemed a little too excessive!
Dong Yuanxuan was curious as well, ¡°Shall Little Prince ask?¡±
Xiao Yeyang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. After all, we¡¯re ssmates. If they¡¯ve ingested something wrong and harmed their bodies, that would be troubling.¡±
After ss, as the Yan brothers prepared to return to their room for a bath, they encountered Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan blocking their path.
¡°Little Prince, Brother Dong, is there something you need?¡± Yan Wenkai approached them naturally; after training and attending sses together for some time, they had be quite familiar.
As long as they kept a sense of proportion, a little informality wasn¡¯t a problem.
Dong Yuanxuan smiled, ¡°We do have something. You see, Little Prince and I have never visited your quarters; we were thinking of taking a look. You wouldn¡¯t turn us away, would you?¡±
Yan Wenkai hesitated, ¡°Of course, we would not turn you away, but could we possibly choose another time?¡±
Dong Yuanxuan narrowed his eyes, ¡°Why is that? Could it be that you have some unspeakable affairs to attend to?¡±
Yan Wenkai became anxious, ¡°What unspeakable affairs? It¡¯s just that my third brother and I were about to take a medicinal bath. It wouldn¡¯t be convenient for you to be there, right?¡± they couldn¡¯t just bathe in front of others.
Xiao Yeyang, not wanting to waste words, simply strode past everyone and led the way, ¡°Less talking, lead the way!¡±
Seeing their resolve, Yan Wenkai helplessly nced at Wentao, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be going to bedte tonight!¡±
Wentao didn¡¯t seem to mind much, ¡°If the Little Prince and Brother Dong want to sit with us for a while, then ater bedtime it is.¡±
¡
Soon, the group arrived at the Yan brothers¡¯ room, and upon entering, everyone could smell the faint scent of herbs permeating the space.
Unlike the slightly unpleasant smell of the medicinal concoctions they had been soaking in, the scent of these herbs wasn¡¯t offensive at all, on the contrary, it carried a faint fragrance that made one feel refreshed upon smelling it.
At this moment, Tieshou and Tietou had already prepared hot water, just waiting for the Yan brothers toe back so they could ce the herbal pouch in the water to soak.
¡°You guys go ahead and leave. We will soakter tonight,¡± Yan Wenkai told the two to remove the water.
Xiao Yeyang nced at them, puzzled, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys simmer your medicinal baths?¡±
Yan Wenkai scratched his head. ¡°Do we need to simmer it? We just soak it directly in hot water!¡± They lived in amunal dormitory, which didn¡¯t offer a kitchen to boil water and herbs.
Dong Yuanxuan also looked puzzled, ¡°What kind of herbs are you using that just soaking in hot water, it would have medicinal effects?¡±
¡°How could it not!¡± Yan Wenkai showed them a pack of the herbal mix.
Xiao Yeyang took the herbal pouch and examined it.
The herbal pouch was sewn by Daohua with white fine cotton fabric, and when she made it, she considered that her two brothers might not be able to simmer it, so she ground the herbs into a fine powder.
That way, when poured over with boiling hot water, the medicinal properties would still be released.
Yan Wenkai proudly said, ¡°This is specially prepared by my eldest younger sister for me and my third brother, I tell you, it¡¯s reallyfortable to soak in.¡±
Dong Yuanxuan puzzled, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you guys soak before?¡±
Yan Wenkai was choked up, looking somewhat sheepish.
Yan Wentaoughed and took over the conversation, ¡°That¡¯s because he was worried the bath might spoil his body!¡±
Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan both looked over.
Yan Wenkai felt ufortable, ¡°The herbal pouch was prepared by my eldest younger sister, isn¡¯t it normal for me to worry?¡± he said, looking toward Xiao Yeyang.
¡°My eldest younger sister said to share some with the Little Prince. Little Prince, do you want some?¡±
Xiao Yeyang felt delighted at the mention of Daohua preparing it for him, but soon looked at Yan Wenkai with some dissatisfaction. ¡°Since Daohua said to share it with me, why haven¡¯t you given it to me until now?¡±
Yan Wenkai scratched his head, ¡°I was afraid it might spoil you, wasn¡¯t I?¡±
¡°It seems you just can¡¯t bear to part with it!¡± Xiao Yeyang snorted coldly, and seeing Yan Wenkai standing idly by, he immediately urged, ¡°My portion, aren¡¯t you going to hurry up and bring it over?¡±
¡°Oh~¡±
Yan Wenkai moved sluggishly, filled with regret. Why had he foolishly told the Little Prince that he had a share?
As there weren¡¯t many herbal pouches left, if they gave some to the Little Prince, he and his third brother would not have many opportunities to soak.
After dawdling for quite a while, Yan Wenkai finally brought over five herbal pouches to Xiao Yeyang. Seeing Dong Yuanxuan¡¯s eager eyes, he reluctantly handed one to him.
¡°Big brother Dong, I¡¯m not being stingy, but this one¡ You take it and try the effects,¡± Yan Wenkai said with a pained expression.
Seeing Yan Wenkai¡¯s reluctant gesture, Dong Yuanxuan nonchntly snatched the herbal pouch from his hands,ughing, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely give it a good try.¡±
The robust energy of the Yan brothers in the past few days was evident to everyone, and Dong Yuanxuan also wanted to see how effective their herbal baths were.
That day, Xiao Yeyang returned to his residence and handed the herbal pouch over to the Imperial Physician for inspection.
It wasn¡¯t long before the Imperial Physician, well over sixty, arrived spryly in front of Xiao Yeyang.
¡°Little Prince, where did you get this herbal pouch from?¡±
Seeing the excitement of the Imperial Physician, Xiao Yeyang curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, is there a problem with the herbal pouch?¡±
The Imperial Physician shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the pouch, not at all. On the contrary, it has very strong effects of promoting blood cirction, removing blood stasis, and strengthening the body, most suitable for body conditioning.¡±
¡°Not only is the herbal pouch suitable for when the Little Prince practices martial arts, but the army can use it too! I came to ask if there¡¯s a prescription for it? It might be useful for the Governor!¡±
Xiao Yeyang was startled, ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Imperial Physician was his uncle¡¯s man, and his uncle was currently in charge of military affairs for the northern three provinces, including Zhongzhou Province, to eradicate bandits remaining from the period of drought.
He understood that the strength of his troops was the key to betterbat capabilities and knew that families like his maternal grandfather¡¯s relied on their own groups of experts.
Xiao Yeyang fell silent for a while, ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask about this. I¡¯ll let you know once I have news.¡±
The Imperial Physician was a little disappointed not to get an immediate answer because the herbs in the pouch had been ground into powder, and although he could identify some of the herbs used, he couldn¡¯t estimate the proportions.
Chapter 146: 132, Celebrating a Birthday_1
Chapter 146: Chapter 132, Celebrating a Birthday_1
¡°Such a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts!¡±
Xiao Yeyang told the Imperial Physician how the Yan brothers were using the medicinal packets, and the physician immediately became so angry that he blew his beard and red, ¡°Little Prince, I¡¯ve checked, and the efficacy of these medicinal packets is very high. If boiled, a single batch could easily suffice for baths for three men at once.¡±
¡°The sons of the Yan Family are truly squandering their wealth. Even if they invited fellow martial arts students to share the bath, it would be better than such wastefulness!¡±
All the ingredients in the medicinal packets were precious herbs. Just thinking about them being wasted like this made the old physician¡¯s heart ache unbearably.
Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s cheek twitched. Imagining several grown men stripping naked and soaking together, he shuddered suddenly.
Imperial Physician: ¡°Little Prince, allow me to boil the medicinal packets for you. After you¡¯ve taken your bath, let two other people use it. Who do you think those two should be?¡±
Having others bathe in his used medicinal bath¡
Xiao Yeyang felt that it seemed somewhat dirty.
Yet, seeing the serious look on the Imperial Physician¡¯s face and knowing that the medicinal packets were truly beneficial for the body, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can ask Defu and Zhao Ergou, see if they¡¯re willing?¡±
¡°Of course they¡¯d be willing. The Little Prince always looks out for them in good things; how could they not be?¡± The Imperial Physician stated matter-of-factly, then hurriedly turned and went to prepare the medicinal bath.
The next day, there were several more people looking rejuvenated on the martial arts training grounds.
The Instructor, learning that the Little Prince and Dong Yuanxuan had used the medicinal bath packets given by the Yan brothers and had be so invigorated, gave the two brothers several thoughtful nces.
He had originally thought that the Yan Family,ing from a humble background, had only risen by attaching themselves to the Little Prince by a stroke of luck. Little did he realize, they had some substance of their own.
Having practiced martial arts from a young age, he knew full well how precious a good medicinal bath recipe could be!
Many a martial family¡¯s recipes were handed down from one generation to the next.
Xiao Yeyang knew that he had to ask Daohua about the medicinal form. As he was pondering when to visit the Yan Family again, Zhou Chengye presented him with the opportunity that very day after ss.
Zhou Chengye handed out invitations to Xiao Yeyang and a few others: ¡°Next month, my grandfather will be celebrating his birthday. I sincerely invite all of you to grace the asion with your presence.¡±
Xiao Yeyang epted the invitation, flipped through it, then handed it to Defu standing behind him: ¡°As old Lord Zhou is celebrating his birthday, we should certainly go and offer our congrattions.¡±
Yan Wenkai said with a smile, ¡°This will be a good opportunity for us to visit home as well.¡±
The others: ¡°¡¡±
This straightforward fellow, are some thoughts not better kept to oneself? Why speak them aloud?
Zhou Chengye shook his head with a smile and did not take offense.
Since he couldn¡¯t withstand the rigors of martial training and focused on schrly subjects, he had be quite familiar with Yan Wenxiu, often gathering to discuss and inquire together. He also understood the character of the Yan brothers well.
¡
In the back courtyard of the Yan Family.
Daohua also received the invitation sent by Zhou Jingwan, opening it while asking, ¡°What brings the young miss herself here? Oh, is it Lord Zhou¡¯s birthdaying up?¡±
Zhou Jingwan smiled while munching on the fruits in Daohua¡¯s room. Her family was not short of fruits, but for some reason, she felt that the fruit here tasted iparable, ¡°Yes, what gift do you n to give my grandfather?¡±
Daohua rolled her eyes at Zhou Jingwan, handed the invitation to Wang Manman to give to Madam Li, and then turned to Zhou Jingwan, ¡°How bold of you, asking for gifts so openly?¡±
Zhou Jingwan with a face full of entitlement: ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good, don¡¯t fail to recognize kindness! Think about it, when giving gifts, shouldn¡¯t you give what the recipient treasures the most?¡±
¡°As my grandfather¡¯s most beloved granddaughter, I know better than anyone what he likes. If you tell me, I can help you choose the right gift!¡±
Daohua wore an expression of ¡®please, continue your performance¡¯ as she looked at Zhou Jingwan.
Zhou Jingwan, not minding at all, cheerfully pointed at a pot of lush green chrysanthemums in Daohua¡¯s room and said, ¡°I think this pot of green chrysanthemums is quite nice. The weather is getting colder, and it¡¯s approaching snowfall, making it the perfect time to appreciate such green flowers.¡±
Daohua rolled her eyes: ¡°You do have good taste!¡±
Zhou Jingwan put down the fruits, sat next to Daohua, and nudged her arm, ¡°Dear Daohua, we don¡¯t have this color of chrysanthemum in our garden, and if you were to give it to my grandfather, he would surely be overjoyed.¡±
Daohua feigned a troubled expression.
Zhou Jingwan, willing to humble herself for her grandfather, spent the better part of the day tteringly cozying up to Daohua and finally wore her down into nodding in agreement.
¡°Then I¡¯ll take it back today to show my grandfather!¡±
¡°Wait a moment!¡± Daohua hurriedly called out to Zhou Jingwan, who was about to move the flower pot, ¡°If you take it away now, what will I bring with me when Grandpa Zhou celebrates his birthday?¡±
Zhou Jingwan waved her hand dismissively, ¡°We are so close to each other, there¡¯s no need to mind these formalities.¡±
Daohua disagreed, ¡°No, this is the gift I prepared, and I want to give it myself. I won¡¯t let you curry favor with Grandpa Zhou.¡±
Zhou Jingwan said, ¡°Good Daohua, doesn¡¯t it amount to the same whether you give it or I give it?¡±
Exasperated by her insistence, Daohua thought for a moment and then said, ¡°You can take the flower today, but on Grandpa Zhou¡¯s birthday, I will alsoe to your garden to pick a kind of flower that I don¡¯t have here. If you agree, you can take the flower away. If you don¡¯t agree, then hurry back to where you came from.¡±
Zhou Jingwan pouted, ¡°You really won¡¯t allow yourself to be at a disadvantage at all. Fine, I agree. But let¡¯s get it straight first, you can¡¯t touch those few pots that my grandpa likes the most.¡±
Having achieved her goal, Daohua nodded her head with a smile.
¡
The day when Old Master Zhou of the Zhou family celebrated his birthday soon arrived.
On that day, the main gate of Zhou Residence was exceptionally lively; it was said that many officials from the provincial government hade in person.
This time, the entire Yan Family participated.
In the main hall of the Zhou Residence¡¯s back courtyard.
After paying respects to Madam Zhou, Daohua, concerned that Grandmother Yan might feel uneasy sitting among the variousdies, pulled Zhou Jingwan aside and said, ¡°My grandmother and I are going to have a look in your garden.¡±
Zhou Jingwan nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have a maid apany you there.¡± She was busy hosting the youngdies from various families and couldn¡¯t apany them personally. ¡°Oh, and we¡¯ve invited an opera troupe today; you can listen to the performance after strolling in the garden.¡±
Daohua replied, ¡°Great, go on with your duties; I¡¯ll send for the maid if there¡¯s anything.¡± She had visited the Zhou Residence several times before and was quite familiar with the ce.
After informing Mrs. Li, Daohua led Grandmother Yan out of the room.
The Sun Family¡¯s matriarch nced their way, but after some thought, she decided not to let her daughters follow. With all thedies present, it was an excellent opportunity for her daughters to make an impression.
Yan Yishuang also looked over but didn¡¯t express the wish to follow. She quietly sat beside Mrs. Li, the picture of docility and obedience.
Before leaving, her aunt had instructed her to make a good impression in front of the otherdies, as it would be beneficial for her future marriage arrangements.
Thinking of marriage, Yan Yishuang felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She lowered her head and began listening carefully to the conversation among thedies.
The Zhou family¡¯s garden was vast and well-cared for. Although it was already November, there were still many flowers in bloom.
¡°Oh, aren¡¯t these sunflowers?¡± Daohua eximed with surprise, gazing at the several sunflower nts in the corner of the garden.
The Zhou family¡¯s maid smiled and said, ¡°Miss Yan has a sharp eye. These flowers were brought back from overseas by the Old Master¡¯s friend. They are lovely to look at, although they have a somewhat short blooming period.¡±
Daohua nodded, thinking to herself that she had never seen sunflower seeds in her hometown, nor had she seen them in Linyi County or Xingzhou City. It seemed that sunflowers were still only regarded as ornamental flowers at this time.
Daohua cheerfully said to Grandmother Yan, ¡°Jingwan mentioned that this time I could choose any flower from their garden to take back with me, so I want to choose this one.¡±
Grandmother Yan hesitated slightly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that inappropriate? You said they were specially brought over from overseas by Old Master Zhou, must be quite precious, right?¡±
Daohua replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. There are several nts here, and once I have grown them sessfully, I can return many more in the future.¡±
After strolling in the garden for a while, Daohua, led by the maid, helped the olddy to the stage to listen to the opera.
Daohua wasn¡¯t particrly fond of ancient operas, but that didn¡¯t stop her from admiring the beauty.
Those who performed in operas, regardless of gender, had exquisite features and figures, making for a delightful viewing experience.
More people arrived gradually, including some elderlydies of considerable age.
These astute individuals, upon seeing Grandmother Yan and knowing that she was the mother of the Prefectural Governor of Xingzhou, made a point of including her in the conversation.
Having lost her husband at a young age and raising several children by herself, Grandmother Yan was both shrewd and articte. With each party exchanging words, the atmosphere remained quite pleasant.
Seeing someone entertaining her grandmother with conversation, Daohua focused even more on appreciating the beauties on the stage.
¡°Bang!¡±
Just as Daohua was engrossed in the performance, suddenly, her forehead was gently tapped. Looking up, she discovered it was that rascal Xiao Yeyang!
Chapter 147: 133, Waving a Fan in the Dead of Winter_1
Chapter 147: Chapter 133, Waving a Fan in the Dead of Winter_1
¡°`
¡°How did you get here?¡± Daohua looked at Xiao Yeyang in surprise.
Xiao Yeyang nced at her andposedly took a seat next to her, only then slowly and leisurely speaking, ¡°Well, if you cane, why can¡¯t I?¡±
Daohua gave Xiao Yeyang a sidelong nce, only then noticing that the previously bustling stage was now somewhat quieter. Loudughter had turned into whispering.
¡°Hello Brother Dong, Brother Zhou, and all the other brothers!¡±
Not only Xiao Yeyang, but Dong Yuanxuan, her three brothers from the Yan Family, and a few other young gentlemen she had seen on the day of the Climbing Festival had alle.
After greeting these people, Daohua prepared to leave.
She had no choice; earlier, to get a better view of the beauties, and seeing that the audience was sparse, she had taken a seat in this row facing the stage.
Xiao Yeyang was certainly going to take the best seat, and since he had brought quite a few people with him, she would need to give up her ce.
¡°Where are you going?¡±
As soon as Xiao Yeyang saw Daohua getting ready to leave, he immediately asked.
Daohua nodded towards Dong Yuanxuan and the others with her chin, ¡°There are so many of you, there surely won¡¯t be enough room; I¡¯ll go sit by my grandmother.¡±
Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s face immediately showed displeasure as he frowned.
Zhou Chengye, nearby, hurriedly smiled and said, ¡°Miss Yan, please feel free to stay seated. If there aren¡¯t enough seats, we can simply add a few more chairs and tables, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± After speaking, he immediately waved to beckon a servant, instructing him to bring more tables and chairs.
Daohua hesitated, ncing at thedies from various families who kept looking over in this direction, feeling it was somewhat inappropriate for her to sit with Xiao Yeyang and the others.
¡°It¡¯s better not to, as a girl, sitting among you, it¡¯s not proper!¡±
Zhou Chengye was taken aback; he had no response for that, as what Daohua said was the truth.
Even though Miss Yan from the Yan Family was only ten years old, after all, there was a distinction between male and female, and matters concerning a woman¡¯s reputation indeed required careful consideration.
But it was clear that the Little Prince wanted to talk with Miss Yan from the Yan Family, what to do?
Just as Zhou Chengye was uncertain how to proceed, Zhou Jingwan arrived with a group of youngdies.
The best ces to watch the y were, of course, those directly facing the stage.
So, as soon as Zhou Jingwan arrived, she led her group straight towards Daohua.
¡°Miss Yan, I was wondering where you¡¯d gone off to; turns out you hid here to enjoy the y. I love watching ys too; you should have called me to join you.¡±
As soon as everyone arrived, Qian Bn started speaking to Daohua with a smile.
Daohua replied with a smile, ¡°I just saw you chatting away so enthusiastically with the other youngdies, I didn¡¯t dare to interrupt.¡±
Qian Bn choked on her words thenughed it off without continuing the conversation.
Zhou Jingwan took over, ¡°Alright, everyone find a ce to sit down and enjoy the y!¡±
By then, the servants had also brought over tables and chairs, arranging them ordingly.
Everyone found their ces to sit down.
Now that so many youngdies hade, Daohua didn¡¯t have to worry about her reputation anymore and went straight back to the seat she had initially chosen.
This seat, after all, was one she had changed several times to find ¨C the best view for admiring the beauties.
Since it wasn¡¯t the very center seat of honor, she had no concerns.
Seeing Daohua sit down beside him, Xiao Yeyang¡¯s face looked much more pleased.
Nearby, Zhou Chengye, seeing that Xiao Yeyang was seated off-center, hesitated about whether to ask him to move to the main seat. However, seeing the smile on his face after Miss Yan from the Yan Family had taken her seat, he decided to stay silent.
¡°Jingwan, quickly serve some tea and snacks!¡±
Zhou Jingwan had intended to sit down next to Daohua to rest, but upon hearing her elder brother¡¯smand, she was somewhat reluctant. She had been busy since early in the morning and was very tired!
However, considering it was the birthday of her beloved grandfather, her duty was to ensure all guests had a good time and not to bring shame to the Zhou Family. She sighed resignedly and stood up to prepare the tea and snacks.
Daohua looked at Zhou Jingwan with sympathy, ¡°Jingwan must not have slept wellst night!¡±
Xiao Yeyang immediately followed up, ¡°How do you know? Are you staying with the Zhou Family?¡±
¡°`
Daohua said irritably, ¡°Just by looking at Jingwan¡¯s somewhat mottled eyes, one would know!¡±
Xiao Yeyang thought about it and felt a bit embarrassed; he shook the fan in his hand.
Seeing him like this, Daohua struggled to withhold herughter.
Xiao Yeyang, puzzled, asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±
Daohua didn¡¯t hold back and replied directly, ¡°In the middle of winter, what are you fanning yourself for? Are you trying to affect an air of elegance?¡±
At that remark, the hand Xiao Yeyang used to shake his fan seemed to hit an abrupt pause button and just stopped mid-air.
Not only him, but others around who had fans, such as Dong Yuanxuan and Yan Wenxiu, also had synchronized pauses in expression and awkwardly put away their fans.
¡°Big sister, you don¡¯t understand. Brother Dong and the others fan themselves in the dead of winter because they fancy themselves as schrly and refined gentry; that¡¯s just their thing.¡±
Yan Wenkai¡¯s loud voice rang out.
Daohua tilted her head and looked at Xiao Yeyang and the others, who seemed a bit ufortable, and smiled yfully. However, she thought better of continuing to tease them: ¡°Then second brother, why don¡¯t you have a fan?¡±
Yan Wenkai said, ¡°Big sister, didn¡¯t you just say it? It¡¯s the dead of winter, and with the weather so cold, I¡¯d have to be sick in the head to be fanning myself right now!¡±
Uh¡
Daohua was taken aback. Could she say that she actually wanted her fourth brother to change the subject?
She hadn¡¯t expected her fourth brother¡¯s words to be even more ruthless than hers!
To have a fan in the dead of winter¡ one must be sick in the head¡
His words made so much sense that she found herself unable to argue.
¡°Yan Wenkai!¡±
Everyone who had a fan, including Xiao Yeyang, turned their gaze toward Yan Wenkai in unison, and if looks could kill, Yan Wenkai would have been executed by the crowd several times over.
Feeling the danger, Yan Wenkai shrank his neck and muttered, ¡°What I said isn¡¯t wrong!¡±