Chapter 217 A Solo Meteor Shower

The Lin family residence, Jiaoyun Garden, and the Star Gazing Pavilion.

Today's Star Gazing Pavilion is different from the past; all the flowers and fruits of the past have been replaced.

"Daiyu, come and see the gift I gave you." Yuan Hongqu adjusted the star-gazing mirror and then beckoned Daiyu to come and see.

Daiyu leaned closer curiously, "Granny, are you giving me a star as a gift?"

"I really don't have that ability, but... it's starting!" Yuan Hongqu gestured for Daiyu to go and see.

Daiyu looked over,

In the view through the astroscope, stars with long tails seemed to slide down from the sky.

"Granny, a star has fallen!" Daiyu's voice was filled with fear.

"It's a meteor shower! Quick, make a wish! Wishes made upon shooting stars are the most effective."

Daiyu couldn't bear to close her eyes; the scene before her was too magnificent.

The stars, like raindrops, slid down before her eyes, one by one...

"This is the Winged Meteor Shower, the biggest meteor shower of the month, and it just so happens to be today. It's specially made to celebrate your birthday."

Without hesitation, Daiyu quickly made a wish and opened her eyes, only to find that she could still see a shooting star.

"This meteor shower is quite far away from us, and it's completely invisible without a stargazing telescope, so this is a meteor shower that belongs only to you."

Yuan Hongqu said softly,

"Daiyu has grown another year older, safe and healthy. May she continue to be healthy, happy, and carefree in the years to come."

“As long as you are here, I am happy every day. You are here, so I wish that my father will be healthy and well, and that he can finish his business and come to the capital soon.”

"Daiyu's wish is real, and it will definitely come true."

Yuan Hongqu thought that Daiyu's wish might be related to Lin Ruhai, and it turned out to be true.

The two returned to the main hall of Jiaoyun Garden from the Star Gazing Pavilion.

The Jiaoyun Garden has also been redecorated tonight.

The birthday banquet held during the day was ostensibly to celebrate the birthday of the newly crowned Princess Lin, but it was nothing more than a social gathering for fame and fortune.

The evening's celebration was the one the Lin family held to celebrate their daughter's birthday.

This celebration included flowers, cakes, and gifts meticulously prepared by the maids and servants of the Lin family to celebrate the young lady's birthday.

These gifts were not as valuable as those given by the ladies of the court during the day, but the Lin family had prepared them for a long time and put in a lot of effort.

In order to find a meteor shower that could be observed tonight in the vast sky, Yuan Hongqu had consulted the Imperial Observatory's data many times, and even promised to teach them how to adjust and maintain their stargazing telescopes.

Finally, her efforts paid off, and she found in an ancient document that there are usually three meteor showers in February.

The first and third meteor showers were both relatively short-lived, and the number of meteors was also small.

During this particular event, approximately one hundred meteors could be seen every hour, which was quite spectacular.

Yuan Hongqu has been searching for the exact location of this meteor shower in the night sky whenever she has free time these past few days.

She hoped that the meteor shower would happen to occur on Daiyu's birthday.

If this happens today, Yuan Hongqu will have to give Daiyu a different gift instead.

Thankfully, the meteor shower actually happened!

The gifts from other members of the Lin family were also varied and diverse.

The kitchen staff put a lot of effort into preparing a table full of dishes that Daiyu loved. Xiangtao also came up with a unique idea: she made an eight-layer cake with lifelike buttercream drawings on top.

The old women who kept fish in the garden rowed small boats and scattered fish food on the water, attracting koi to peck at it. The koi, in rows and clusters, formed the four characters "生辰吉乐" (meaning "Happy Birthday").

They led the swan to dance on the water again to celebrate Daiyu's birthday.

The steward and others outside brought in a land deed, which was for a horse farm.

Daiyu was about to learn to ride a horse, and this horse farm made things much more convenient.

The sewing shop also gave them a double-sided embroidery piece with different colors.

Although she knew the sewing room would send this, Daiyu was still surprised by the framed and fixed embroidery.

The servants from other places also brought their gifts one by one.

"Everyone has worked hard these past few days. This month, everyone's monthly salary will be doubled, and everyone will get an extra set of summer clothes. In addition, starting this month, everyone's monthly salary will increase by 30%. The doubled salary is after the increase, not before! Tonight, everyone except the aunties and sisters on duty are not allowed to drink and make merry. Everyone else can eat and drink as much as they want."

Daiyu began to take over the Lin family in a very professional manner.

Yuan Hongqu stood to the side, looking gratified, as if saying, "My daughter has come of age."

...

The address left by the Xue family was a house not far from the Rongguo Mansion. The next day, Mi Ling took the two of them to the Xue family.

One of these two was Teacher Yu, who registered Xue Baochai, and the other was Teacher Ji, who made outrageous remarks about Aunt Xue in the garden.

After returning to the Rongguo Mansion from the Lin family's birthday banquet, Xue Baochai felt her eyelids twitching, sensing that something was about to happen.

She moved back to the Xue family home early this morning with Ying'er and Aunt Xue.

She knew about the interview for the girls' academy. The address they had given was this house. After the written test, she moved here with Aunt Xue.

I went to Rongguo Mansion yesterday because I was going to attend the Lin family's birthday banquet.

When she goes to study at the academy in the future, she will still live in the Rongguo Mansion.

The Xue family's house hasn't been repaired much; they're just staying there temporarily. Her brother is still recuperating in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

If they all move back, I'm afraid that if my brother's injury changes, their family won't be able to find a good doctor or a royal physician.

Aunt Xue also knew that the matter was important. This time, Baochai was determined to enter the girls' academy, and Aunt Xue could not stop her.

It was not proper for a woman to live alone in this dilapidated house, so these past two days, Aunt Xue had neglected Xue Pan and only followed Xue Baochai back and forth.

“Baochai, I heard that the results will actually be available tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll go to the academy to inquire about it tomorrow.”

This courtyard of her own is not as good as Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and Aunt Xue herself doesn't want to stay here.

We should wait until Xue Pan's injuries have healed before having someone properly repair them.

For now, let's just make do!

Aunt Xue was thinking to herself that Baochai had been absent-minded and hadn't responded at all when she had just mentioned going to the academy to ask.

"Baochai, what are your thoughts? How about we go to the academy together, mother and daughter, and ask them?"

Aunt Xue's voice was tinged with apprehension, clearly indicating that she was now mostly following Baochai's arrangements.

Except for that one thing:

If Baochai fails to pass the entrance exam for the girls' academy, then she must return to the Rongguo Mansion and find a way to become Bao Er's wife!