The opening ceremony of Ruyilou will be held in three days, on the east side of Qiushui Street, the grandest street in Lihu Town.

Lihu is a small town with beautiful mountains and clear waters. In addition to the people who have lived here for generations, there are also many wealthy families from the capital. The rich families have spare money and like to buy manors. Lihu has a unique scenery and is not far from the capital, so it has become the first choice.

Now it has just entered the dog days, and the weather has not yet reached the time of raging heat, but many people have come to Lihu to escape the summer heat. The town has become lively.

Baoning, wearing a festive pomegranate red dress, is eating tea and snacks in a restaurant on the west side and watching the unveiling ceremony.

Su Mingyou and Yuanzi are here, and Wei Meng is also here. Su Mingyu had seen too many people before, and was afraid of being recognized, so she covered her face with a white veil and sat opposite Bao Ning. The two of them talked from time to time, but there was nothing much to say. Most of the time, they stared downstairs and watched the bustling crowd.

Bao Ning put all the small toys she had made during this period on the stall at the door, and hired a few managers who could speak well to demonstrate and shout. There were colorful bamboo dragonflies, small wooden horses that could run by themselves, and a tumbler that was one meter tall. There was also a row of swaying small wooden horses in front of the door, where children could sit. The wooden horses swung like small swings. It cost ten cents for a quarter of an hour, and many children lined up to ride.

Business was much better than she had imagined.

Su Mingyu looked downstairs for a long while, then said with some sourness: "Baoning, your sister-in-law really envies you."

Baoning smiled and asked: "Why do you envy me?"

"I envy your good fortune, and everything you wish for comes true." Su Mingyu sighed, "Unlike me, my husband disappeared without a trace, leaving me with a posthumous child. My parents refused to receive me, and I am penniless. I used to be of noble status, but now I have to live a hard life under someone else's roof."

She described her sorrow, and Baoning didn't know how to respond for a while.

She felt that Su Mingyu had become more and more strange these days. When she first came, she smiled a lot. After wandering for a long time, she finally had a stable home, so she should be very happy. But as time went on, she smiled less and less.

Bao Ning probably understood Su Mingyou's feelings. A stable life was no longer a rare thing for Su Mingyou. She was used to it and wanted more. When she recalled the days of wealth and freedom in the past, she felt that her current life was very poor.

This was human nature, but for Bao Ning, it was still a bit difficult to describe, like raising a wolf that could never be full.

Bao Ning comforted her: "At least your sister-in-law has a child, and she will be your support when she is born. No matter whether it is a boy or a girl, I will discuss with A Yuan and give you a house so that you and your mother can live a stable life. If your brother comes back in the future, that would be the best, and you can be reunited as a family. If by any chance... you don't have to worry, we will take care of you."

Su Mingyou smiled, and through the veil, Bao Ning couldn't tell how sincere her smile was. She said, "Then thank you, sister-in-law."

Bao Ning didn't say anything else. She had other thoughts and didn't have much energy to deal with Su Mingyou.

Bao Ning glanced across and saw that the full-fledged lady on the second floor of Ruyi Building had already gone upstairs and was ready to throw the embroidery ball. She couldn't help but get nervous.

I don't know if my sister will come.

The purpose of looking for the eldest sister is to convince her, or better yet, to find out the secret report in Jia Ling's hands. As the commander of the imperial carriage, Jia Ling is in charge of all matters concerning the carriage of the emperor when he goes to the palace to

escape the summer heat. He has joined forces with Pei Xiao. If Pei Xiao has the intention of assassinating the emperor, Jia Ling will undoubtedly provide him with the best help. Calculating the date, there is about half a month before the emperor sets off. Jia Ling's deployment should have been completed. He has not had any contact with Pei Xiao recently, and the secret report in his hand should not have been delivered to Pei Xiao.

If the secret report can be changed or exchanged to give Pei Xiao the wrong direction, it will be of great help to Pei Yuan's next action.

Bao Ning roughly understands what it means if Pei Yuan succeeds in protecting the carriage this time. He can regain the emperor's favor and clear his current charges. If he can take this opportunity to get rid of Pei Xiao, he may even be able to take the throne of the Eastern Palace. Pei Yuan's current situation is much better than at the beginning, but he is still a criminal, and in the eyes of most people, he cannot hold his head up.

His Majesty's attitude towards him now is to ignore him, but what if His Majesty changes his mind and wants to pursue it in the future? Both

Pei Yuan and she will be in danger. Even if they run to the ends of the earth, they will still be worried and it will be difficult to be safe.

Bao Ning knows that even if she can't convince her elder sister to open the way for Jia Ling, Pei Yuan will have other ways, but she hopes to give Pei Yuan her own strength. In a big way, she is planning for their future. To put it simply, from a selfish point of view, Bao Ning has always felt that a man's heart will change.

If she wants to hold Pei Yuan's heart tightly and maintain their current loving days, she must do something. In addition to taking care of food and clothing, she must also let Pei Yuan see her brilliance and let Pei Yuan feel that she is irreplaceable.

This is Bao Ning's little selfishness. She doesn't want temporary stability, she wants a long-term relationship. No matter what position Pei Yuan holds in the future, she can stand by him confidently and manage the days she likes.

Therefore, whether she can help Pei Yuan with Ji Xiangzhen's problem this time is very important.

...

Pei Yuan and Wei Meng were drinking tea at the next table separated by a curtain. Su Mingyu was there, so it was inconvenient for them to eat at the same table, so they pulled a curtain. Yuanzi

sat by the window, crunching the hard candy in her mouth.

That night, Yuanzi insisted that candies would fall from the tree. Pei Yuan and Bao Ning sat there all night. The next day, the sun rose and the sky was bright, but they still didn't see the woman Yuanzi mentioned. Yuanzi didn't believe it and cried loudly. It took a long time to comfort her.

Pei Yuan said to Wei Meng, "The candies thing is a bit weird. It's true and false. You'd better keep an eye on it."

Wei Meng asked in a low voice, "Could it be that the concubine really crawled out of the grave, changed her appearance and sneaked into the prince's mansion, and tried to get close to the son at the end of the month? This is too mysterious."

"Don't miss any clues." Pei Yuan peeled melon seeds from the handkerchief and said slowly, "Keep a close eye on it. At the end of next month, we'll see whether it's a human or a ghost."

Wei Meng agreed readily.

There was a sudden burst of cheers downstairs. The two looked outside and saw that the lucky lady had thrown the embroidery ball down and it landed in the hands of a young wife. The young wife was very happy and jumped up. The waiter led her into the store. The waiter flattered her: "It is a good omen to take this embroidery ball. The young lady will definitely be a happy person in the future. Her parents are alive, her children are both alive, her husband and wife are loving, her brothers are friendly and her younger brothers are respectful..."

The lucky money was taken away and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Baoning searched the street anxiously. After a while, he finally saw a luxurious carriage at the corner of the street. It was covered with curtains all around. He could vaguely see the shadow of the woman inside. She looked very familiar. A maid went to buy some snacks and lifted the curtain when she brought them in. Bao Ning saw the woman's face at a glance. It was her elder sister! She really came!

Bao Ning stood up and ran out the door, telling Aunt Liu who was guarding to chase her.

Pei Yuan had never met Ji Xiangzhen, but seeing Bao Ning's reaction, he understood what was going on. He went to the door, stuffed the handkerchief filled with melon seeds into Bao Ning's hand, and told her: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do it if you can. Otherwise, just treat it as meeting a sister and reminiscing about the past."

"I understand." Bao Ning nodded in response. She adjusted the hem of her skirt and asked Pei Yuan, "Am I dressed well?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Very beautiful."

Bao Ning took a deep breath. Pei Yuan looked at her and felt that she was ready to make a decisive move. Bao Ning said, "Then I'll go!"

She ate all the melon seeds in the handkerchief, patted the crumbs on her hands, and turned to walk out the door.

Bao Ning and Ji Xiangzhen met in the second-floor room of Ruyi Building, which is opposite the tavern where they are now.

Pei Yuan stood at the window and watched her holding a white paper umbrella, walking slowly and gracefully across the street with her skirt lifted. She looked very dignified and generous, which was very different from the shy look when he first met her. In private, when facing him, she was still gentle and shy, but in front of others, she had gradually acquired the demeanor of a lady of a wealthy family, reserved and charming.

Pei Yuan felt happy and proud, but he also felt anxious in his heart.

Bao Ning became better, but he was more afraid. What if she was seduced by a thief? There will definitely be short-sighted thieves in the future, or younger guys? What should shameless men do if they want to seduce others?

Wei Meng didn't know what Pei Yuan was thinking. He looked at Bao Ning's back and praised: "The young lady has grown up. Now she can share your burdens, and she will definitely be able to settle down in the future. When you stand on a high position, she can stand shoulder to shoulder with you. My original worry was probably unnecessary."

Pei Yuan stared at him hatefully. He couldn't stand people praising Bao Ning now. Looking at Wei Meng's gloomy face, he actually felt that he had evil intentions and was a little lewd.

Pei Yuan slowly uttered three words: "Shameless."

"Ah?" Wei Meng was stunned by the scolding and looked at him in confusion.

...

Chang Xi and Pei Xiao were sitting in a teahouse, watching Bao Ning slowly walk across the street with an umbrella. She had a woman's bun, revealing a white and slender neck.

Chang Xi now thinks of Pei Yuan and the box of golden carp when he looks at Bao Ning. He feels his teeth trembling and his mouth is full of the fishy smell.

"Your Highness, are we going to pick up the little grandson now?" Chang Xi gathered his mind and asked respectfully.

Pei Xiao shifted his gaze. He knew Pei Yuan was watching from the opposite side and it would

be a bad idea not to go over now. He hoped to have some time alone with Bao Ning, so he said, "Wait a minute." Pei Xiao considers himself not an amorous person and he doesn't bother wasting time on love affairs. But this feeling of secretly following a beautiful woman, with a hint of adultery, is unexpectedly fascinating. Pei Xiao stroked the rim of the cup with his fingers. He told himself that he was here to pick up Yuanzi and was doing serious business, so there was no need to feel ashamed.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Chang Xi yelling "Ouch".

Pei Xiao asked, "What did you see?"

Chang Xi pointed in the direction of Su Mingyu with trembling fingers and asked, "Your Highness, look, that is..."

...

Ji Xiangzhen was invited up by Madam Liu and went through the back door, so no one saw him.

Baoning had been waiting for a long time. When she heard the sound of someone coming up the wooden steps, she hurriedly stood up to greet him and called him affectionately, "Big sister!"

Ji Xiangzhen was skeptical when she heard Aunt Liu say that Baoning was waiting. Now that she saw the real person, she was excited and held Baoning's hands with both hands: "Baoning, it's really you! How did you get here?"

Baoning invited her to sit down: "I live in Lihu now and have opened a shop, which is Ruyi Building. I didn't expect to see Big sister."

Ji Xiangzhen had no doubts and just kept saying, "What a coincidence, what a coincidence."

Baoning poured her tea and looked at her expression. Ji Xiangzhen had a simple and gentle appearance, a long face, and always had a faint smile. Now her face was haggard and no longer as beautiful as before. Baoning felt a little distressed.

Ji Xiangzhen drank some tea, then thought of something and asked again: "Bao Ning, did the Fourth Prince allow you to open a shop in public like this?"

Bao Ning nodded: "He agreed, and he helped me arrange it."

"That's great." Ji Xiangzhen showed a trace of envy. She didn't want to show her sorrow to others, but everyone in the Chongyuan Marquis's Mansion was an outsider, and there was no one for her to complain to. Now that she saw her sisters, she had an outlet for the emotions she had been holding back for a long time, and her eyes gradually turned red.

Baoning was thinking about how to bring the topic to Jia Ling. Before she opened her mouth, she heard Ji Xiangzhen say, "Baoning, my elder sister really envies you and your husband's harmony. You don't know that the prince and I..."

Baoning asked expectantly, "What happened to the prince?"

Ji Xiangzhen said, "Your elder brother-in-law had an affair with a woman from Qingluofang behind my back, and she got pregnant. He even asked me to pay to bring her home!"

Baoning knew that Qingluofang was Pei Yuan's business, a ready-made clothing store.

But what was Ji Xiangzhen talking about? Baoning didn't react for a while. She asked, "Why did my elder brother-in-law go to Qingluofang? He had to go there in person to make clothes for the mansion. He had an affair with Xiu Niang."

Ji Xiangzhen looked at her strangely, "What Xiu Niang? She's a prostitute!"