Two or three years later, once they have earned enough to live on and for their dowry, they can change careers without affecting their reputation or delaying their marriage.
After more than a month of preparation, the young girl has recruited more than a dozen girls who have been practicing. The only thing missing is a capable female manager to take care of them.
Jiayin intended to ask the head steward of the Marquis's mansion to help find a matron, since she would be coming and going in the inner quarters of various households, and the female steward should know some etiquette...
After talking for a while, Caiyun picked up two boxes of pastries and happily went home with the good news...
As night fell, the Earl's mansion in the new capital became unusually lively.
These past few days, the eldest young mistress and the children have been staying at Suijin Beach, making the mansion inevitably quiet and deserted.
But today, not only have the Earl and the Third Master returned, but the young masters are also hosting a banquet.
The lanterns under the eaves swayed in the evening breeze, illuminating the maids and servants coming and going, and also the cooking in the kitchen.
After finishing his meal, Li Lao Er went off to write official documents, while Li Lao San, having nothing to do, wandered around the mansion.
He went to the city to buy things today, which delayed him for a while, so he came back to stay for the night and will return to the academy tomorrow morning.
At this moment, seeing that his nephew's study was brightly lit, he asked the servant who brought the tea out of curiosity.
"Who are the guests that the young master is hosting today? It sounds like a lively gathering?"
The servant quickly replied, "Reporting to Third Master, the eldest young master is having a wedding feast with Young Master Jia and Prince Lu. The Emperor has decreed that the Third Princess and Prince Lu will be married, and Prince Lu will become the imperial son-in-law."
"Perhaps Young Master Lu was too happy, so he came with Young Master Jia to have a drink with the eldest young master."
Li Laosan frowned as he listened, recalling what he had witnessed before, and felt uneasy about it.
So he made an excuse and had his servant call Jiaren out.
Jiaren was talking to Jiaxu and Lu Zong when he saw Lu Zong finish a pot of wine and grab a second one, so he tried to stop him.
Before he could even speak, the servant knocked on the door. "Young Master, the Third Master says he wants to ask you for some primers. Apparently, there's a talented farm child in town who can't go to school, and the Third Master intends to help him out."
Jiaren, without suspecting anything, quickly got up and said to Jia Xu and Lu Zong, "You two drink, I'll go check on him. My third uncle rarely troubles the family, this is the first time he's asked, perhaps he has some kind of difficulty."
After saying that, he went out the door.
Li Laosan was pacing outside when he saw his nephew. He grabbed him and pulled him to a quiet spot, asking, "Jiaren, Prince Lu has been betrothed today and is going to be the heir apparent. That's wonderful news! But why isn't he celebrating at home? Why is he drinking at our house instead?"
Jiaren was stunned for a moment. He usually got along very well with Jia Xu and Lu Zong, almost like brothers.
When Lu Zong and Jia Xu came over earlier and mentioned the arranged marriage, he immediately ordered the preparation of food and wine without giving it much thought.
"Does Third Uncle feel... something is amiss?" Jiaren asked tentatively.
Li Laosan hesitated for a moment, then gestured for him to come forward and whispered a few words to him.
Jiaren's brows furrowed more and more as he listened, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Third Uncle, this...this is impossible! Putting aside everything else, the age difference is just too great!"
Li Laosan was honest and hardworking, and he felt bad about gossiping behind his back. He rubbed his hands together and said softly, "I was afraid I was mistaken, so I told you so you could be more careful. Anyway, no matter how good the relationship between friends is, they can't be closer than a sister."
"Don't worry, Uncle, I know about this." Jiaren suppressed his anxiety and comforted his uncle. "You can go back and rest. I will handle it."
Li Laosan nodded, patted his nephew on the shoulder, and turned to go back.
Jiaren stood in the night for a long time before returning to his study.
Jia Xu was already half drunk, his face flushed. When he saw Jia Ren return, he slurred, "I can't take it anymore, this guy can drink too much! Find me a room, let me take a nap, you drink with him."
This was exactly what Jia Ren wanted, so he immediately called Zheng Yi and a few others to help Jia Xu to the guest room to sleep.
For a moment, only Lu Zong and Jia Ren remained in the room.
Jiaren picked up a piece of braised meat with his chopsticks and said casually, "Don't just drink. Come on, have some food. The recipe for this braised meat is something my sister figured out after a long time. I dare say it's a unique delicacy in the entire Tianwu."
Lu Zong immediately put down his wine cup, ate the braised meat, and praised in a low voice, "The princess is intelligent and skillful; this braised meat is indeed delicious."
Jiaren's heart sank further, but he still smiled, showing no change in his expression.
"Of course, even the Emperor acknowledges my sister's intelligence; otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on summoning her to the palace to be the Third Princess's study companion. The Emperor simply felt that the Third Princess was too unruly and wanted my sister to help discipline her!"
As he spoke, he poured Lu Zong a glass of wine and joked, "The Third Princess is much more dignified and composed than before. Now that she has been betrothed to you, you should thank my sister properly."
Lu Zong's heart skipped a beat. Clinging to the last glimmer of hope, he slowly looked up at Jia Ren, only to see that Jia Ren had stopped smiling and his eyes were filled with cold sharpness.
A wave of grievance and resentment washed over Lu Zong, and though he wanted to speak, he couldn't utter a single word.
But Jiaren seemed oblivious to his pain. He lowered his head, poured himself a glass of wine, and said, "Brother Lu, as you know, my sister is the treasure of our whole family. She has never suffered any grievances."
“You are the same age as me, but more than ten years older than her. Although we are not blood brothers, over the years, whenever there is something good, my sister has never left you out of it.”
Now, my sister deserves some credit for your marriage; you should at least prepare a generous gift to thank her!
Lu Zong gripped the wine glass tightly in his hand, his mouth filled with such bitterness that he couldn't open it.
He knew, of course, that what he hoped for could never be realized from the very beginning.
But people are strange like that; their minds are clear about everything, but their hearts just keep heading down a dead end, and you can't stop them.
That elfin girl, every smile and frown seemed to be etched into his soul.
She's like a little sun; wherever she goes, warmth and laughter follow.
Every time he spent countless days and nights guarding the desolate and spacious mansion, he couldn't help but imagine how much more interesting life would be if he could be with her.
She can cook delicious meals, chat and laugh with him, and accompany him to see all the beautiful scenery in the world.
And he will cherish her wholeheartedly, providing her with a safe and peaceful haven...
But once the dust settled, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only accept his fate.
He replied in a hoarse voice, word by word, "Don't worry, Princess... from now on she will be my own sister, and I will definitely thank her properly."
Jiaren looked up and clinked glasses with him, but in the end, he felt a little reluctant and whispered, "People can't always do whatever they want in this world. A great man has the world in his heart, why be so attached to personal feelings?"
Lu Zong didn't respond, but tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp, choking and bringing tears to his eyes...
After seven or eight days of preparation, the Earl's mansion's flower-viewing banquet finally began. When the sun was high in the sky, the ladies of each household arrived one after another with their invitations.
Two updates today!
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