Chapter Seventeen
Liu Qin and Yan Shujin stayed in the palace for lunch. Liu Qin stayed to talk with Chen Qiu, while Yan Shujin went home first, as she had to go to Mr. Du's place to study in the afternoon.
Yan Shujin took a carriage back. She opened the carriage window and peered out. During her time in the capital, she hadn't had a chance to properly enjoy herself or see the city's prosperity. She hoped to bring her mother, younger brother, and grandmother along sometime when she had more free time.
Grandma went straight to the palace as soon as she returned to Beijing, and didn't get a chance to have a proper time to play. I heard there are lots of delicious food and fun things to do in the capital.
Yan Shujin suddenly saw several people blocking a simply dressed girl from leaving the street. The girl was holding her basket tightly with her head down, and it was unclear what she was saying. Behind the group of people, a young man was holding a fan and pointing at things from time to time.
Yan Shujin vaguely heard that the man's words implied that he was humiliating the girl. It seemed that the girl's family had some status in the previous dynasty, but they had fallen from power. The two families used to know each other, and it was likely that the young man's family was among the first to seek refuge with his uncle.
Yan Shujin had no idea what happened to that girl.
Yan Shujin frowned and said, "Stop the car."
Just as Yan Shujin said, if doing good deeds would implicate herself and her family, then Yan Shujin would not do it. However, helping this girl would not hinder Yan Shujin in any way, so she would choose to do it.
The guards stopped the carriage, and without anyone helping her, Yan Shujin got off the carriage herself. Just as she was about to walk over, she saw another young man in brocade robes leading a group of people past.
The young man in brocade robes was arrogant, but only because he was so good-looking, his demeanor didn't make people feel disgusted; instead, it made people feel that he deserved to be that way.
Yan Shujin stopped in her tracks, wanting to see what the young man in brocade robes was going to do, as he walked toward the group of people with fans.
The young man in brocade robes seemed not to see the people with fans. Even though the young man with the fan dodged him, he still bumped into them. Before the young man with the fan could speak, he immediately clutched his arm and cried out in pain.
Yan Shujin: "..."
If she wasn't mistaken, she had bumped into the right arm, but the young man in brocade was covering his left arm, clearly indicating he was looking for trouble.
The young man with the fan angrily retorted, "Hey, Han, what do you mean?"
"Ouch, that hurts so much!" The boy surnamed Han jumped up and down, "Hey Wu, I didn't even say you blocked my way and hurt me, and you're asking me what I mean? Are you looking for trouble?!"
The young man surnamed Wu gritted his teeth and said, "That's enough, it's clearly..."
"It hurts so much!" said the boy surnamed Han. "Beat him up!"
The next sentence was spoken to the people he brought with him. Those guards were not to be outdone. Although they did not directly attack the young man surnamed Wu, they directly suppressed and beat the young man surnamed Wu and his men.
Enraged, the young man surnamed Wu lunged forward to hit the boy surnamed Han. The boy surnamed Han glared at Yan Shujin with his charming eyes, and just when Yan Shujin thought he was going to fight back, he started running away.
The boy surnamed Han ran while shouting, "Someone's being hit! Someone's being hit! Help!"
So cowardly it's unbearable to watch.
Yan Shujin: "..."
The guards couldn't just stand by and watch the boy surnamed Han get beaten, so they all went to protect him. The young man surnamed Wu and his men went to stop them, and for a moment it was all in chaos. The girl who started the fight was ignored. She bit her lip, looked at her basket, lowered her head, and walked around to leave.
After watching for a while, Yan Shujin silently boarded the carriage, but she made a note of the two people's surnames, waiting to ask Mr. Du when she got back.
When they got home, Yan Shujin went to see her younger brother first, as this was the first time Yan Qiyu had been home alone.
Yan Qiyu was practicing calligraphy in her small study when she saw Yan Shujin and quickly ran over, saying, "Sister, I've missed you so much."
Yan Shujin chuckled and pinched her younger brother's chubby cheek. Even though he exercised every morning during their time back in Beijing, Yan Qiyu had still gained quite a bit of weight: "What did you eat for lunch? Did you drink the chicken soup?"
"I drank it, and even ate two chicken legs." Yan Qiyu obediently let Yan Shujin pinch her, and asked, "How are Grandma and Aunt?"
Yan Shujin sat down in a chair and took a few sips of water: "Everything is fine, but I just miss you. Next time we have a break, let's go to the palace together to see them."
Yan Qiyu agreed.
Yan Shujin stretched her arms and said, "I'm going to take a nap. I still need to go see Mr. Du later."
Yan Qiyu was actually sleepy, but was waiting for Yan Shujin. Upon hearing this, he said, "Okay."
The siblings went back to their room to rest.
In the secluded courtyard, Madam Xu looked at the satin bestowed upon her by the palace, twisting her handkerchief tightly. When Granny Sun came in, she said with red eyes, "Granny Sun, how can I wear this out?"
Granny Sun personally saw the palace servants off and slipped them a purse. Only then did she learn the gist of the matter: "They said that Miss Yan mentioned your pregnancy, which is how she managed to persuade the old lady to bestow this reward."
There's more that Granny Sun couldn't find out.
Madam Xu gritted her teeth, secretly resentful, knowing that Yan Shujin, that brat, had ill intentions.
Granny Sun was Xu's wet nurse, and having taken care of her for so many years, she naturally knew that Xu couldn't suppress her emotions: "Miss, then..."
Madam Xu tore the handkerchief fiercely, and finally said, "Have it cut up and made into clothes for me."
Yan Shujin will probably have to tell Yan Zhili about the gifts bestowed by Old Madam Yan. If she doesn't wear them or shows displeasure, it might be inappropriate.
Granny Sun knew all this, and sighed inwardly.
Xu touched her belly and couldn't help but cry softly.
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