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: The Way of Favors Chapter 9\n
: The Way of Favors Chapter 11\n
On the day Fu Rong came home, she begged Qiao Shi to allow her to go out, as she wanted to go to Ruyi House.\n
Ruyi House specializes in jewelry.\n
Fu Rong was fidgety since she was young and with her fatherâs love for her, she had walked in almost every place in Xindu City. Qiao Shi began to indulge her, but as her daughter slowly grew up, her appearance became too outstanding. Since last year, Qiao Shiâs control over her has gradually tightened, and she wouldnât allow Fu Rong to run out unless there was an adult with her.\n
âWhat do you want to buy? Mother will order people to go, then have them bring the things over for you to choose.â The more Little Guan didnât want to leave someone, the more Qiao Shi was unwilling to go out, and she asked her daughter doubtfully, âArenât you afraid that youâll be seen by others? Why do you still want to go out?â\n
Fu Rong didnât answer and was rather a little jealous as she watched her younger brother in her motherâs arms, drinking milk and waving his hands. She mumbled quietly, âMother is partial, youâve never fed me.â\n
Qiao Shi has five children. Fu Chen and Fu Wan were both born in the capital. At that time, Fu Pinyan needed a large sum of money for his examinations, and to save money, Qiao Shi didnât hire a wet nurse and fed her son and daughter personally. Later, Fu Rong and Fu Xuan were fed by wet nurses. Now, it was the youngest Little Guan. It could be because he was her last one, as Qiao Shi suddenly didnât want others to take care of him. She did everything personally, and the wet nurse only worked when it wasnât convenient for her to do the work. The so-called âyoungest son is favoredâ is like this.\n
âYouâre already thirteen, and youâre never serious.â Qiao Shi reached out her hand and gently tapped on her daughterâs forehead, saying with large eyes, âAbout partiality, who in this family can compare to you? Donât think that youâll be able to put all the blame on partiality if you donât talk. You tell me, why do you insist on going out on an errand if you could save yourself the time?â\n
âI want to go wander around!â Fu Rong leaned on her motherâs shoulder, whispering, âIâve lived in the mansion for almost a month. Mother, just let me go out this one time. With Nanny Sun with me and our family guards protecting me, what does mother have to be worried about? Anyhow, if you donât agree, then it means that you donât like me!â\n
What she wanted to buy was something that Ruyi House wouldnât deliver, so she had to go there personally to choose.\n
The mother and daughter stood there, frozen. Fu Pinyan walked in, and Qiao Shi turned around with her son in her lap, her back towards him. They have been husband and wife for a long time, so she naturally wasnât afraid of being looked at by her husband, but her daughter was here, and it wouldnât be proper if their daughter saw his eyes flutter to her.\n
Fu Pinyan didnât go to the couch and sat on the table, smiling as he asked his daughter, âI heard from far away that you were pestering your mother. What do you want this time?â\n
Fu Rong poured a cup of tea for her father respectfully, then massaged his shoulders and back, âI want to go to Ruyi House. Mother wonât let me, so daddy should help me persuade my mother.â\n
When Qiao Shi heard the words, she turned her head and glared at her husband, the meaning evident, even without words.\n
But the power of this short glance was not as powerful as the pouting of the daughter next to them, so Fu Pinyan nodded his head, agreeing before he even finished his tea.\n
Seeing her daughter fly out the room like a lark out of its cage, Qiao Shi yelled resentfully at her husband, âFine, I wonât care about Nong Nongâs business in the future. I wonât care, she can just ask you! You are her biological parent, Iâm her stepmother, am I not!â\n
Fu Pinyan laughed and sat on the sofa, hugging his wife from behind, âWhoâs to blame that Nong Nong can pout, didnât she learn it from you?â Out of his three daughters, this one was most similar to his wife, no matter if it was beauty, voice, or temper.\n
He drilled his hand under her skirt, and Qiao Shi couldnât help but lean back with her son in her arms. Fu Pinyan leaned over to taste her rosy lips, âYou guys are all my treasures, I am willing to dote on all of you.â He was the magistrate, and if his daughter wanted to go out, the entire Jizhou Mansion would follow her to walk horizontally.\n
She moisturized twice in a row in one night. On the second day, Qiao Shi was as beautiful as a crabapple branch, stunning without the need for powder.\n
Fu Rong and her sisters came over to greet their parents, and seeing some charm remaining in her motherâs eyes, Fu Rong silently praised her father. It was always said that women would talk quietly to men, but it was still the same when the saying was flipped over. When they are in love, everything is blurry. Calling the personâs name was most important, and she just wished for her other half to make her happier.\n
With the thought, Xu Jinâs strong and tight arms suddenly appeared in her mind, followed by a strong attack in the darkness, as if she was there.\n
Fu Rong poured a cup of tea for herself silently and had to say that it had nothing to do with love. It was pure physical work.\n
Qiao Shi saw that her face was slightly red and only thought it to be excitement. She had said a few cold words to her, but she saw the messy hair in front of her daughterâs forehead and couldnât bear it, so she turned around and asked Fu Wan and Fu Xuan, âNong Nong will go to Ruyi House today. You guys can go along and take a look to see if they have any new styles. If you like some, you can buy a few.â\n
When they were poor, the thing she had wished for the most was to have money, but when they had the money the first thing that came to mind wasnât herself, but rather to dress her three daughters up prettily.\n
Fu Xuan said first, âIâm still young and donât need a lot of jewelry, so I wonât go.â\n
Fu Rong looked at her younger sister, knowing that her younger sister didnât want to delay her studies. They had invited a female professor to teach them. They started learning at six years old and finished at thirteen. Studying was in the morning and they had female etiquette in the afternoon. After that, they stayed with their mother to learn how to manage a household. The sisters had all followed this path. Only she, relying on her parentsâ love, never paid real attention to her studies.\n
Therefore, in the previous life, she did well in etiquette but didnât know much about the pen and ink, liking to dress herself up.\n
At that time, she was young and disobedient and would always have poem reciting competitions and other activities with other girls at banquets. Afterward, she would go along with them to roam around, their noses up high. Up to now, she didnât like this kind of elegance, but, since sheâs learned it, she needed to show it off. Those princess consorts in the capital, which one has no talent?\n
After thinking, Fu Rong rubbed her younger sisterâs head, and smiled, praising, âXuan Xuan is good, Iâll study with you afterward. We can learn new things by studying what we have learned before. (1)\n
Fu Xuan didnât believe her at all, but also didnât question her, not thinking too much about it.\n
Fu Rong looked towards her older sister.\n
Truthfully, Fu Wan didnât want to go out. Her younger sister was beautiful and almost ready, but she was still worried about her, âMother, Iâll go with Nong Nong.â\n
So Qiao Shi asked the lead maid Qiao Xing to arrange for the two girls to go out in the carriage.\n
Fu Xuan went to Calming Heart Hall for her class while Fu Rong complained in front of the mirror as her mother applied makeup on her, â\n
Fu Xuan went to the Calming Heart Hall for her class, while Fu Rong complained in front of the mirror as her mother put makeup on her, âOh, mother, what if the wind is strong out there and my hair blows up? I donât want others to see.â She looked towards her motherâs jewelry box as she said it, but there wasnât any jewelry that could hide her forehead.\n
She came out from her stomach, so how could Qiao Shi not know what her daughter was thinking?\n
After giving Little Guan to Fu Wan to watch over, Qiao Shi walked to the front of the mirror, lifting her daughterâs bangs and taking a look. She then took out a silver pearl forehead pendant from the jewelry box and placed it in front of her daughterâs forehead, facing the mirror and asking, âHow about this?â\n
The little girl in the mirror already had a curved smile, âMother, help me put in on.â\n
Qiao Shi pinched her little face and redid her daughterâs hair, making a bun shaped like a twisting cone. She was about to stick a flower pin into her daughterâs hair when Fu Rong hurried her anxiously, âPut on the pendant first, put on the pendant first!â\n
All the people inside the room were of their family, so Qiao Shi said, annoyed, âAfraid of us looking at it? Iâve even helped you wipe your buâŠâŠâ\n
âMother!â Fu Rong plugged her eyes, not wanting to listen.\n
On the couch, Fu Wan was laughing so hard that her face was red. She looked at her younger sister from far away and liked her squeamish look.\n
They finally cleaned up everything, and Fu Rong ran to her older sister, purposely lifting her head, âDoes it look good?â\n
Fu Wan looked at it with her younger brother in her arms.\n
The little girl had only a white jade beaded flower hairpin in her bun, which matched her soft and bright blue silk. She wore a silver pearl pendant on her forehead, the few little pearls forming a plum blossom, covering up the little pit, and also matching the white jade hairpin. Fresh and elegant, they set her younger sisterâs skin as natural snowy white, like a flower and like a fairy.\n
Fu Wan nodded her head, then analyzed her from head to toe, suggesting, âGo and put on lighter colored clothing. This set is too bright, it doesnât match the jewelry.\n
Fu Rong also had this thought. She kissed her younger brotherâs little face and went back with Lan Xiang.\n
Qiao Shi was still standing in front of the mirror and beckoned her eldest daughter over, smiling, âCome here, mother has a gold and red agate pendant. Mother will comb you a bun like your younger sister.â Her heart wasnât biased at all and also prepared to give her youngest daughter one as well.\n
The forehead pendant was honestly very flaunting. Fu Wan was embarrassed to wear it and even with some persuading words, refused to go over. Qiao Shi didnât give away and re-dressed her eldest daughter. It so happened that Fu Wanâs clothing was just the right color, so Qiao Shi didnât allow her to leave to prevent her from secretly changing back in her room.\n
Fu Rong came back after a moment. Seeing her sister when she walked in, she stood frozen on the spot, âOlder sister looks so beautiful like this!â\n
If she was dressed like a white rose, pure and elegant, her older sister would be a red rose, bright and charming.\n
Fu Wanâs face was a little red, and bid their mother farewell, pulling her younger sister, âThen weâll go now.â\n
Qiao Shi sent her two daughters to the doorway, âCome back earlier, donât delay for too long.â She then ordered the maids and nannies to serve them well.\n
Everyone replied obediently.\n
âWhat exactly does younger sister want to buy?â Fu Wan asked curiously as the horse carriage drove steadily.\n
Fu Rong sorrowed, âA flower ornament. No matter how good-looking a forehead pendant is, it wonât stick tightly here, and it will be easy for people to see when I lower my head.â\n
Fu Wan nodded her head, âThen why do you need to go there personally?â\n
Fu Rong smiled, âI want to see if Ruyi House has a skilled craftsman who knows how to make a flower ornament. If there is, Iâll buy one and have the person make them for me. Then, Iâll switch styles every day. It will all depend on me, so wonât it save the time to go out to choose every time?â\n
Flower ornament, this kind of thing, was bright and noticeable and very popular in the previous dynasty, so the domestic maidservants all knew the skill. Unfortunately, the founding emperor of the Liang Dynasty was a reckless man and liked the luxury style the least, so he gradually suppressed some of the customs of the previous dynasty, including the flower ornaments. Nowadays, the elegant dress is the most prevalent, and very few women wear flower ornaments. Normally, no one would learn it, and it had taken Fu Rong a lot of effort in the previous life to find a true craftsman.\n
âYouâre smart.â Fu Wan smiled. She also wanted to ask her younger sister why she didnât call the people from Ruyi House to send the candidates over but realized that they had already left and there was no point in asking too much.\n
In a flash, the carriage stopped in front of Ruyi House.\n
The nanny in the back quickly walked over, set up the wooden chair, and pushed the curtains aside to help the two of them down the carriage.\n
The sky was clear and bright, shining brightly on the skirts of the two sisters and the pearls and agates, the reflection dazzling peopleâs eyes.\n
On the second floor of Ruyi House, a youth in a brocade robe originally just wanted to stand next to the window for some fresh air, but seeing a somewhat familiar horse carriage approaching from a distance, he couldnât help following it with his eyes. When the Fu sisters got off the carriage one after another, the folding fan in his hand stopped moving and he couldnât help but walk forward a step, closer to the window, as if he could see more clearly like this.\n