"You are a filial son."
Xiao Yunying put the second batch of pastries into the kiln, and then took the baked tray into the kitchen to cool it down before packing it into a food box.
Zuo Qingzhi followed behind her: "Actually, my mother is very good to me. She just sides with Zuo Lanzhi when I have conflicts with her. It doesn't mean she doesn't love me at all. So I love my mother very much and don't want to see her sad."
Fortunately, after that day, Zuo Lanzhi dared not provoke me anymore. She was probably afraid that I would spread the news, so she avoided me whenever possible and was trying to hide from me.
But she still acts arrogantly and domineeringly, relying on her status. I can't stand her behavior, so I despise her even more.
Xiao Yunying asked curiously, "I just heard you say that the Minister's wife has three biological children. Do you have a younger brother or sister?"
Zuo Qingzhi looked around the kitchen with curiosity and replied, "I also have an older brother. We are twins, and he was born only half an hour earlier than me."
Xiao Yunying nodded, so she had a younger brother.
"How old are you this year?"
"I was born in the same year as Yao Yao, only five months older than her. I should be three years younger than her, and I'm fifteen this year."
Xiao Yunying looked up at her and said, "You seem to know me quite well."
Zuo Qingzhi chuckled: "Mother told me all of this. She remembers everything about my eldest sister very clearly."
Xiao Yunying stopped what she was doing, sighed helplessly, and said seriously, "You don't need to try to speak well of the Minister's wife anymore, Miss Zuo. I think the Minister's wife has already told you that I will not acknowledge this marriage, and I will not return to the Zuo family."
I've already made it very clear to her that no matter what you say or do, it won't change my mind, so please stop calling me "big sister."
Zuo Qingzhi said pitifully, "Didn't my older sister say she wouldn't hold a grudge against me?"
“I’m not holding a grudge against you. I just don’t want to have any further involvement with the Zuo family. Since we’re going to sever this relationship, I think it’s better to do it cleanly from the start.”
Zuo Qingzhi rolled her big, clear eyes, leaned over and said, "It's okay if you don't want to acknowledge the Zuo family, big sister. The Zuo family is the Zuo family, and I am me. You can separate me from the Zuo family and just acknowledge me as your younger sister."
Xiao Yunying took two small steps to the side and looked at this quirky and somewhat shameless girl: "You've only met me twice, so there's no need to pretend to be so friendly."
Zuo Qingzhi immediately took her arm: "I'm not pretending. Why would I pretend? There's no benefit to it."
Although we've only met twice, I just want to be close to the older sister, probably because of our shared blood.
Xiao Yunying awkwardly withdrew her arm, and was about to speak when the girl spoke first.
"Big sister, please don't say you don't recognize me as your sister anymore, okay? It really hurts me. I really, really enjoy being with you, just like Yao Yao likes you. I have no other intentions."
I don't ask for much, I just hope that my older sister will treat me the way she treats Yao Yao. I'm easily satisfied.
Xiao Yunying was always one to respond to gentle persuasion rather than force. Seeing the little girl looking at her pitifully yet expectantly, she couldn't help but soften her heart.
"Fine, you can come with Yuan Yao if you want in the future, just don't say those things that I don't like to hear."
Zuo Qingzhi immediately changed her demeanor, smiling with her eyes crinkling: "Thank you, big sister, I understand."
Xiao Yunying shook her head helplessly again and packed various snacks into the food box.
"Big sister, let me help you pack it."
Before Xiao Yunying could refuse, Zuo Qingzhi snatched the bamboo tongs from her hand, picked up pastries from the plate, and placed them on the tray.
Xiao Yunying looked at the energetic girl with a mix of amusement and exasperation: "Then you can plate them here, and then go have some tea and rest. I'll go check on the other batch of pastries."
"I understand, big sister, go ahead and get busy."
Xiao Yunying filled three large food boxes with the various pastries she had made, giving two boxes to Chen Yuancheng and the other to Zuo Qingzhi.
Zuo Qingzhi hugged the food box with delight before asking, "Is this for me?"
Chen Yuanyao said from the side, "If he's holding it in his own arms, who else could it be for if not you?"
Zuo Qingzhi replied just as bluntly, "Can't I just say I'm surprised? I'll just ask."
Xiao Yunying quite enjoyed watching the two girls' love-hate relationship, and said, "I saw that you really liked the pastries I made, so I brought you some."
Zuo Qingzhi smiled shyly: "The food and pastries made by you, big sister, are so delicious. I couldn't resist and ate a lot. I'm still a little full."
Chen Yuanyao wanted to laugh at her, but when she looked down at her stomach and rubbed it, she swallowed her words.
There was no way around it, because I was already stuffed.
Xiao Yunying caught a glimpse of Chen Yuanyao's subtle movements out of the corner of her eye, and said to the others with a smile, "If you feel too full, go back and make some hawthorn water to drink, it can help with digestion."
Chen Yuanyao was about to reply when Zuo Qingzhi spoke first.
"I understand, thank you for reminding me, big sister."
Chen Yuanyao rolled her eyes at her helplessly, but when she thought of her good friend's relationship with Sister Yunying, she swallowed back what she wanted to say.
Fine, I'll let her have her way this time.
After seeing the group off, Xiao Yunying returned to the kitchen to organize the things they had brought.
One of the baskets contained a very exquisite wooden box. Xiao Yunying opened it out of curiosity and found two square brocade boxes and a letter inside.
She first opened the two brocade boxes and looked inside. One of them contained a string of beads that emitted a faint fragrance of osmanthus, while the other contained a jade pendant carved with a cute rabbit.
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