When Mu Qing Ling thought about the congratulatory gift she had prepared, she could not wait to present it in front of everyone and step on Ruan Xiâs face viciously. The other noble daughters had thoughts similar to Mu Qing Ling; they wanted to display their talents in front of the guests, but the unfortunate part was that they could not find the chance and they could only hope that Qin-Wen shi would put in more effort.
Qin-Wen shi evidently noticed the scorching hot and expectant gazes coming from the womenfolk section, so her thoughts turned, and she immediately understood their intentions. Her lips hooked up. Since they wanted to be in the limelight, she would be the eastern wind and grant their wishes.
Once those words left Qin-Wen shiâs mouth, Duke Anâs countenance darkened instantaneously.
This younger sister of his was still a huge nuisance.
Today was their motherâs major birthday; would it kill her concoct less wicked ideas?
Wen lao-furen also felt a burst of suffocation in her heart. No matter how strict her teachings were, this daughter of hers never improved ever since she was young, and she was still giving her stress during her longevity feast.
Ruan Xi was rendered speechless by Wen Ting Zhouâs irksome paternal aunt. To say that she was outrageous would be going too far, but she was definitely the type of person who would vocalise whatever came to her mind, and could not hold herself back from speaking.
æć (pinyin: zi pin) â in slang, it means outrageous, but Ruan Xi was probably going for a double meaning, since it can also mean âhighest rankingâ and âannoying to the extremeâ.
Hence, the husband that Qin-Wen shi married was an uncouth and older general that had been carefully selected by the Wen Family, who could tolerate Qin-Wen shiâs personality. Or else, she wouldnât be as stagnant as she was, even at this age.
Wen Ting Zhou had once mentioned Qin-Wen shiâs past achievements to her before. She looked at the surrounding guests who were keeping their calm in face of the unexpected, then she turned towards Qin-Wen shiâs husband general who actually looked approving as he nodded his head.
She suddenly sympathised with Wen lao-furen a little. This pair of husband and wife were a perfect match.
Having a daughter as Qin-Wen shi was already as vexing as it was, but now there was the addition of an annoying son-in-law.
The worst part was the fact that the male guests left and right of them, who were military officers, agreed with them greatly.
âLao Furen, I think that Old Qin speaks correctly, rather than making them present their congratulatory gifts after the longevity banquet, perhaps they should present it in front of everyone, and allow us to broaden our horizons. In any case, they will be entering yĂ”ur Wen Family.â
âHear, hear.â
ââŠâŠâ
Upon obtaining support from her husband and his cadre of military officers, Qin-Wen shi became even happier.
âMother, look, they feel like my suggestion isnât bad as well!â
The members of the imperial family and royal clan: ââŠâŠâ
They really did not want to admit that Qin-Wen shi had the imperial bloodline.
It was apparent Mu Qing Ling and the other noble daughters were slightly excited, and they secretly felt like Qin-Wen shi was truly giving it her all.
On the other hand, Zhang shi was pretending to comfort Ruan Xi in a low voice.
âSi niang, you donât have to worry. It doesnât matter if your congratulatory gift isnât valuable; as long as your heart-felt intentions are in the right place, Wen lao-furen will not mind it.â
She knew that si niang had prepared a congratulatory gift, and while she did not know what the specific item was, Zhang shi felt assured in the knowledge that Mama Lin would ensure that quality. Furthermore, Earl Chengyi was already aware of Ruan Xiâs congratulatory gift, and he was not worried in the least.
âMother speaks rightly.â
âMn, itâs good enough that youâre cognizant of the situation.â
âMother, please rest assured, I will not throw the Earl Residenceâs face.â She would throw Ting Zhou da geâs face even less.
As Ruan san niang listened to her mother comfort her fourth sister, she took a glimpse at her fourth younger sister who was unperturbed and calm as always. A wave of displeasure swept through her heart. Honestly speaking, this event also happened in her past life, and even though she had some fame to her name, her family background was not enough so she did not have the right to attend Wen lao-furenâs banquet. While she did not know the exact details, the vexations that Qin-Wen shi had caused during Wen lao-furenâs longevity banquet was made known to the public, and she remembered it clearly.
She had been waiting for this scene the entire time. Sure enough, it was the same as her past life, wherein Qin-Wen shi had started causing trouble.
Ruan san niang was waiting to see her fourth sister being made a joke.
She wondered, would her fourth sister be at a deficit once her congratulatory gift was shown?
Ruan Xi was responding to Zhang shiâs false display of affection with a smile when she keenly sensed the changes in Ruan san niangâs emotions. Slanting her head to look at her, she caught the schadenfreude and glee in her eyes. Ruan Xi went silent. It seemed like Ruan san niang really wanted to see her being humiliated.
She glanced in Wen Ting Zhouâs direction, meeting Wen Ting Zhouâs worry-filled gaze. She gave him a placating smile before she said two words soundlessly.
Rest assured.
Once Wen Ting Zhou saw Ruan Ruan being calm and self-possessed as always, he proceeded to look at Earl Chengyi and his furenâs expression before he settled his heart slightly.
Although Wen lao-furen had yet to speak, Duke An could not restrain himself any longer.
âDa mei, stop making trouble.â
性ćŠč (pinyin: da mei) â oldest younger sister.
Qin-Wen shi became unhappy immediately. âHow am I making trouble? Iâm just trying to make Mother happy on this truly auspicious day, besides, everyone agrees with my suggestion.â
Duke An was irritated by his annoying younger sister.
What of making their mother happy? Their mother would already be very happy if she stopped adding to her stress and creating trouble.
If it werenât in the consideration that it was their motherâs major and festive birthday, he would be itching to severely reprimand this untactful and ruckus-causing da mei of his.
âSince everyone is in agreement with Ah Lanâs suggestion, I will open this precedent.â
The guests below immediately roused their spirits, and they did not mind the fact that Wen lao-furen was bringing them into the equation. Duke An became more vexed upon seeing this.
Mu Qing Ling and her ilk became delighted instantaneously.
Ruan Xi held onto the wooden case and stepped forward, her bearing scholarly in taste, her expression calm, and the posturing of her body perfectly straight. Her aura was formidable, her etiquette and mien conformed to the standards flawlessly, and not a single blemish could be found.
The guests present nodded their heads slightly.
A smear of approval emerged in Wen lao-furenâs eyes.
Mu Qing Ling, who was lined up behind Ruan Xi in offering birthday felicitations, bit her lips, a glint of jealousy flitting past her eyes.
Ruan san niang, who had been waiting to see Ruan Xi being humiliated, widened her eyes in shock and she nearly flipped over the teacup in her hand.
She had always known that her fourth sister had gone through great changes under Mama Linâs guidance, but she did not expect that her fourth sister would be so outstanding and dazzling to the point where she could overshadow the brilliance of the three noble daughters preceding her with just her innate aura alone.
As Wen Ting Zhou stared at the dazzling Ruan Ruan, his eyes brightened up, a glint of pride flashing across his eyes unconsciously.
Wen furen smiled.
Whereas the mood of the noble daughters who were just suppressed by a small illegitimate daughter from an Earl Residence did not feel any better, and they could only pray that her congratulatory gift was unpresentable and unworthy of the stage. After all, it was just a present case, what kind of decent gift could it have?
âEarl Chengyi Residenceâs Ruan Xi wishes Wen lao-furen happiness and longevity that will extend continuously, and to be of sound health.â
After saying that, Ruan Xi offered up the present case with both hands. She did not immediately announce what kind of congratulatory gift it was like the other noble daughters, nor did she take it out for everyone to view.
âHuh, itâs actually a hand-copied Avatamsaka Sutra, Ruan yatou has the heart.â
Truth to be told, Wen lao-furen had learned the fact that Ruan Xi had burned incense, prayed for her blessings, and copied the scriptures as her congratulatory gift from Mama Lin early on. She was content to begin with, and in addition to loving the house and its crow, she was naturally liberal with her praise.
Once Wen lao-furen made that utterance, Wen Ting Zhou relaxed internally, his mouth quirking up slightly.
Ruan Ruan, this naughty little girl, she made him worry for nothing.
No one was surprised by Wen lao-furenâs open praise, since there was no one among the circle of influential officials who was oblivious to the fact that Wen lao-furen was fond of delving into and studying the Avatamsaka Sutra.
Copying scriptures for her elder, Ruan si xiaojieâs congratulatory gift conformed with the norms of their society. It was not remarkable, but its dependability and sincerity were more than enough. No flaws could be picked from the gesture, and it also suited Ruan si xiaojieâs identity and social position.
This Ruan si xiaojie was not simple.
The impression that the guests had of Ruan Xi was pushed up a notch.
Perhaps because copying scriptures was too normal and commonplace, the thought did not occur to them at all; they only wanted to reveal their talents and showcase the best image of themselves. But in front of Ruan Xiâs average and mundane hand-copied Avatamsaka Sutra, their selfish motives seemed slightly heavy, their sincerity insufficient, and they were forcibly removed from their pedestals.
The distant Li Cheng Jing felt his mouth twitch. He knew Zi Run and Ruan si xiaojie were a match made in heaven. Tsk tsk, they were equally cunning and equally good at pulling hate.
The manâs congratulatory gift pulled ahead and took first place with its incomparable earnestness and sincerity, whilst the womanâs present was not precious, but her piece of genuine sincerity was not something the other noble daughters could compare to.
Ruan san niang was not stupid either. She realised that her fourth sisterâs congratulatory gift had been delivered to Wen lao-furenâs heart directly. Her heart ached from the suffocating anger. She originally wanted to see her fourth sister being made a joke of, but not only did not she not see it, she even had to stew with a stomach full of anger.
Her fourth sister was truly her unlucky star.
Mu Qing Ciâs eyes glittered and brightened. Ruan si xiaojie was truly amazing; she had exhibited her intelligence thoroughly and vividly.
please read this on yuulation dot wordpress dot com
After Ruan Xi withdrew respectfully, the Mu Qing Ling behind her scolded Ruan Xi for stealing the limelight. Maybe because she had too many thoughts and found it hard to recompose herself, everything from her etiquette, protocol, bearing, and behaviour were inevitably a grade lower, which made people frown involuntarily.
Mu Qing Lingâs congratulatory gift was a âgood fortune as one wishesâ painting. In terms of painting skills, she was equally matched with Marquis Dingbeiâs legitimate youngest daughter, making it evident that she was quite talented in the painting aspect.
âLao Furen, there has been hearsay that Ruan si xiaojieâs training Mama is yĂ”ur trusted Mama Lin. With Mama Lin guiding Ruan si xiaojie, her congratulatory gift would surely suit yĂ”ur heartâs intentions the most.â
She was short of directly pointing out the fact that Ruan Xiâs congratulatory gift was quietly suggested by Mama Lin.
With this splash of ink, the sincerity in Ruan Xiâs congratulatory gift would then change in taste, making it seem a little utilitarian.
The smile on Wen lao-furenâs face converged, and coldness seeped into Wen Ting Zhouâs smile.
The education of this Mu Familyâs young lady was truly an eye-opener for him.
Assistant Minister Mu and Mu furenâs complexion darkened instantaneously, and they fervently wished that they could stitch up Mu Qing Lingâs mouth.
She was truly a disgrace.
On the other hand, Ruan san niangâs spirit was greatly roused. Mu Qing Ling was truly impressive; she just vocalised her thoughts.
As she gloated in her fourth sisterâs misfortune, she looked towards her and deliberately asked in a small voice:
âSi mei, did you copy the scriptures for Wen lao-furen because of Mama Linâs suggestion?â
The womenfolk that were the closest to their table perked up their ears in succession.
Zhang shi shot a vicious glare at the trouble-making counterfeit.
âSan niang, still your tongue, your si mei copied the scriptures and prayed for Wen lao-furenâs good fortune out of genuine sincerity.â
âSan jie, when youâre preparing a congratulatory gift for an elderâs major birthday, arenât you supposed to follow your own heartfelt thoughts, why would you listen to another personâs suggestion?â
Ruan Xi pretended to be surprised as she looked at Ruan san niang.
Zhang shi heaved a sigh of relief in her heart as she said smilingly: âSi niang speaks correctly. San niang, you have to remember that when youâre giving your elders a congratulatory gift in the future, your intentions are the most important, not the value of the gift.â
Ruan san niangâs attempt to send out the figurative troops was unsuccessful once more, and she was severely reprimanded by her mother too, so her complexion became uglier.
The surrounding womenfolk who were eavesdropping nodded in agreement.
The pointed nature of Mu Qing Lingâs words was too strong, and anyone could hear the malice in her words as long as they were human. It goes without saying that the noble daughters who were part of the comparison were well-aware of her ill-intentions, but they inwardly praised Mu Qing Ling for vocalising their thoughts well, as they prepared themselves to watch a good show.
But before Wen Ting Zhou could stand out and use his strength to protect his wife, Qin-Wen shi took to the stage again, and she antagonised Mu Qing Ling without the slightest courtesy.
With Qin-Wen shiâs prattling rant, she tore apart that smudge of selfish intention that Mu Qing Ling possessed, scolding Mu Qing Ling to the point where she was covered in dirt had her complexion was ghastly pale.
A person with an ineffectual upbringing reprimanding another person for their seemingly worrying upbringing was terrible, because it made people want to laugh uncontrollably.
However, they had no choice but to admit that Qin-Wen shiâs words were extremely reasonable.
This was the first time Wen lao-furen felt that her vexing daughter was very pleasant to the eye.
Similarly, Wen Ting Zhou felt that this paternal aunt of his was actually quite decent.
âAh Lan has spoken well, some people have their own selfish intentions so theyâre framing others in a bad light too, why donât they look at what kind of trash they are first?â
In a momentâs work, Mu Qing Lingâs face had been completely swept to the ground.
In spite of that, the people antagonising her were her elders, and she could only swallow this bloodied loss, or else her reputation would become more unpleasant.
Assistant Minister Muâs face was green. No matter how much he liked this daughter, he could no longer muster any adoration for her.
Whereas Ruan Xi was split between laughter and tears, because she did not expect that Qin-Wen shi would carry her out of her predicament.
She looked at Wen Ting Zhouâs visage and realised that he felt the same, so she could not resist chuckling soundlessly.
Just like that, the small disturbance passed.
Once Wen lao-furen finished eating the longevity noodles in front of everyone, the longevity banquet officially began. There was fine liquor and delicacies, wine cups and gambling chips lied intertwined, the entire banquet rang out with well-wishes endlessly and it was full of joy.
Ruan Xi discovered that a fair number of womenfolk and Wen family members would occasionally cast their glances towards her, paying attention to her table etiquette.
Ruan Xi was rather stable and proper; her manner of eating and wine toasting was elegant and well-practiced, but she did feel extremely helpless in her heart.
Fortunately, she knew that she was not the only one enjoying this treatment.
Once the longevity banquet concluded, the younger generation went out to take a breather and chat, whereas the older guests did not leave.
The matured princes took the chance to make friends with the cabinet ministers, but the Fourth Prince did not join in.
Meanwhile, Ruan san niang had been paying attention to the Fourth Princeâs movements once the banquet concluded. Upon seeing the Fourth Prince leave, she quickly followed him.
Ruan Xi: ââŠâŠâ
Ruan san niang was clearly holding onto her hopes still. She hoped that the Fourth Prince would not be as unlucky as their last encounter, since the male and female protagonistâs first encounter had been a spectacle too horrible to endure because of Ruan san niang sticking a foot in.
She could still remember the hilarious sight of the Fourth Prince being thwacked with a stuffed bun by the female protagonist even now.
Ruan Xi proceeded to throw Ruan san niang to the back of her head as her gaze intersected with the distant Wen Ting Zhou, and Wen Ting Zhou proceeded to smile slightly before he abandoned Li Jing Cheng and the rest. Under their teasing looks, he walked over to Ruan Xi in large strides and speak in a warm voice:
âRuan Ruan, zu mu is tired. Letâs go out and walk around first, Iâll bring you over to greet zu mu later.â
Smiling, Ruan Xi nodded. âAlright.â
When Wen furen saw them leaving shoulder-to-shoulder, she laughed wordlessly.
please read this on yuulation dot wordpress dot com
Wen Ting Zhou wanted to interact with Ruan Xi alone, so he did not go to the flower garden or the pavilions. Rather, he brought Ruan Xi to a secluded area.
But who could have known there would be people here? Moreover, it was the familiar trio they encountered in the small forest at the flower banquet last time.