Chapter 26 The banquet was bad, but it's part of the main plot.
As expected, nothing good came of it.
Jin Suiqing stood in front of the mansion, looking at Huangfu Li who was waving to him.
Huangfu Li wore a light blue undergarment, covered by a gardenia-colored outer robe with a dark dragon pattern. With phoenix eyes and long eyebrows, she exuded a powerful aura.
The premise is that you don't laugh.
He was already disliked to begin with, and when he smiled, Jin Suiqing saw him as no different from a young man who had just farted.
He's a cunning, two-faced scoundrel who'll try to sabotage her at any time.
Even more unpleasant to look at.
Huangfu Li smiled and shook his folding fan: "Sister, are you touched that I have come to personally escort you to the palace today?"
"Touched my foot!" Jin Suiqing smiled shyly, "Yes, thank you for coming to pick me up, Crown Prince."
"Oh, little sister, you're so cute today," Huangfu Li said, opening his arms wide. "Let your brother give you a hug."
Jin Suiqing pretended to jump into Huangfu Li's arms, rolling her eyes repeatedly when he couldn't see her.
I wonder when Huangfu Li will ever get tired of this brotherly and sisterly charade. The moment they met, Huangfu Li bombarded him with questions. The Crown Prince is such a chatterbox; he was the one who leaked the news that she was on the bottom of the list to Jin Shiyu.
Jin Suiqing stepped back and looked around: "Where's my brother?"
Huangfu Li's face fell: "Which brother? Aren't I your brother?"
This is absolutely outrageous, Jin Suiqing thought.
Blinking, Jin Suiqing poked him: "Stop teasing me, Crown Prince, I'm talking about Jin Shiyu."
“Oh, him,” Huangfu Li said, “My mother needed to see him, so he abandoned his sister and went to the palace ahead of time.”
That's not the case. Jin Shiyu originally intended to pick up Jin Suiqing, but Huangfu Li intercepted him.
Knowing full well that the gold was broken but the green was oblivious, Huangfu Li still insisted on saying it that way.
He quietly observed Jin Suiqing's expression.
The light in Jin Suiqing's eyes went out: "Alright."
He smiled and put his arm around Jin Suiqing's shoulder: "Don't be angry, little sister. There's a lantern festival at Jiuzhou Pond tonight. After the banquet, you can go on a painted boat to admire the lanterns. It's fun and beautiful."
Jin, dressed in light blue, followed Huangfu Li into the carriage.
Huangfu Li was pleased with her disappointment, unaware that he had inadvertently played right into Jin Suiqing's hands.
After the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, she was certain that Jin Shiyu had established contact with the two Huangfus. Huangfu Li was also suspicious, so she couldn't appear too cautious and let Huangfu Li discover that she had already noticed something.
Every day, every moment, I'm constantly reading the air; it's exhausting.
*
Upon entering Ziwei City and arriving at Xige City, Jin Suiqing disembarked from the carriage and was startled by the scene of Jiuzhou Pond before her eyes.
As the sun sets and the lake ripples, four double-decker pleasure boats float on the Jiuzhou Pond under the bright lights. On either side of the boats, huge brass gears, like waterwheels, rotate to drain water, occasionally emitting dazzling fireworks.
Couples on the boat released sky lanterns, enjoying the flowers and the moon. The crowds were numerous, and the lights were dazzling, creating a lively atmosphere.
Jin Suiqing frowned, thinking it was just a small banquet, but unexpectedly so many people had gathered. She felt a strange sense of familiarity about the atmosphere.
Seeing her frown, Huangfu Li said, "Sister, do you not know what day it is today?"
Jin Suiqing shook her head. Little did she know, she was currently preoccupied with the matter of finishing last and had no time to care about anything else.
Huangfu Li raised his fan and gently tapped her forehead: "The Red Thread Festival is a day when men and women carry lanterns and stroll at night to spend a pleasant evening together and find a suitable marriage partner."
The capital city has a developed economy, an open social atmosphere, and relatively free marriage customs.
Although it is still difficult to escape the requirement of matching social status, those who can enter the Ziwei City to participate in the lantern festival are definitely not ordinary families. They are all powerful and noble families, newly appointed officials, and newly appointed scholars.
A matchmaking event, huh? Jin Suiqing clearly recognized me; no wonder he looked familiar.
etc.
Since it's a matchmaking event, why did they invite her here?
Huangfu Li smiled and said, "I suppose Sister Suiqing is almost of age. Just like Mother mentioned, I brought her here to play."
Jin Suiqing mentally made a convex shape with her fingers.
You little brat, your grandma hasn't earned enough money yet, so she doesn't want to find a partner; she's full of resentment and doesn't want to see others find partners either.
To make matters worse, Huangfu Li asked her, "There are many fun things to do. Little sister, this is a good opportunity to relax. Are you happy?"
"Happy my foot!" Jin Suiqing smiled and nodded.
During their conversation, a servant approached the two and silently led the way.
Huangfu Li was very popular among the young masters and ladies of noble families. They greeted him constantly along the way, and he responded to each one with a smile. His every move showed that he was well-mannered and dashing.
Jin Suiqing tugged at his sleeve, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Crown Prince, is Aunt urging you to get married and find me a sister-in-law?"
Huangfu Li chuckled and pressed his cheek against hers, saying, "Little sister, you guessed wrong. It's not me who's worried about your aunt."
Just as they arrived at Yaoguang Palace, Huangfu Li's words came to an abrupt halt. People gathered around to exchange pleasantries, and Huangfu Li winked at Jin Suiqing, instructing a maid to lead her to a seat.
Jin Suiqing followed the maid, searching for her seat while glancing at Jin Shiyu's figure in the men's section.
There were few vacancies, but Kim Si-ok was not seen.
It seems the person hasn't arrived yet.
Jin Suiqing refused a seat near the front and chose a corner seat instead. In addition to the fruits and snacks on the table, she asked the waiter for two more plates of pastries.
Ignoring the strange looks from others, she hugged the pastry and started eating.
While Kim Shi-ok is away, quickly pick out something sweet to eat.
*
A few years ago, in a small courtyard in the suburbs, she was unsupervised and ate a lot of candy behind Kim Shi-ok's back. As a result, she developed cavities and endured them for many days. When she saw her face swelling up, Kim Shi-ok discovered that he was holding her down and pulling out her tooth.
Kyushu has a well-developed machinery industry, and its medical standards remain comparable to those of ancient times. When teeth were extracted, a layer of sticky powder was simply applied to the gums, which did not numb the tooth root.
The pliers clamped onto Jin Suiqing's back teeth, causing her so much pain that she almost jumped up.
"Brother, it hurts, it hurts!" Jin Suiqing cried out, "I don't want it pulled. Won't the new tooth just push it out when it grows in?"
At that time, Jin Shiyu was growing tall and thin, and his strength was not diminished. He used his rope-like arms to tie her in his arms, and pressed his chin against the top of Jin Suiqing's head: "If you don't pull it out now, it will rot and you will still want to grow new teeth."
No matter how much Jin Suiqing begged for mercy, Jin Shiyu remained unmoved.
While having her tooth pulled, Kim Si-ok whispered, "I know it hurts, little sister. Just bear with it; it will hurt even more if you don't pull it."
Jin Suiqing was in so much pain that she couldn't hear anything.
The removal of the molar by the doctor signifies the beginning of a one-sided cold war between Jin Suiqing and Jin Shiyu.
Why is it one-sided?
Because Kim Si-ok tirelessly cleaned his teeth twice a day, watching over his teeth.
After brushing her teeth in the yard, Jin Suiqing turned to go into the room, but Jin Shiyu was quick to grab her, pinched her cheeks, and said ruthlessly, "Open your mouth."
Jin Suiqing's resistance was futile, so she could only open her mouth and let him examine it thoroughly. Only after Jin Shiyu's cold hands had swept over her mouth did he nod in satisfaction and let her leave.
For two months, Jin Suiqing refused to communicate with Jin Shiyu in any way. All the conversations were one-sided and revolved solely around teeth.
The Cold War ended one day. Before Jin Suiqing went to bed, Jin Shiyu took out a bag of jujube blossom pastries: "Little sister can eat sweets now."
For the past two months, Jin Shiyu has been withholding her allowance for sweets and has also told Huihong not to feed them. Huihong then told the big dog and the little sheep, which caused Jin Suiqing to completely give up sweets.
Seeing the jujube flower cake, Jin Suiqing's eyes lit up with envy. She swallowed hard, then turned her head away with pride, refusing to look at him or the cake.
Jin Shiyu sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead: "It was my fault, don't be angry anymore."
When had Jin Suiqing ever seen Jin Shiyu take the initiative to admit his mistakes? She lifted her eyelids and glanced at him: "Really?"
Kim Si-ok nodded.
Jin Suiqing: "I don't believe it. What did my brother do wrong?"
Jin Shiyu had a headache: "I shouldn't have pulled your tooth without my sister's consent."
Jin Suiqing tilted her nose up and raised an eyebrow: "Anything else?"
Kim Shi-ok: "..."
"Jin Suiqing, I'm warning you, don't push your luck."
Jin Suiqing immediately backed down.
She's thought things through over the past two months. After all, not brushing her teeth properly is indeed her own problem, and her cavities really should be extracted. Her silent treatment is just because she's unhappy with Kim Shi-ok's discipline.
Now that we can eat sweets, we should seize the opportunity!
Just as Jin Suiqing was enjoying his meal, Jin Shiyu suddenly said, "After you finish eating, I need to have my teeth checked."
What an incredibly handsome father!
*
Thinking of this, Jin Suiqing couldn't help but laugh, spraying pastry crumbs all over the table. She casually swept them up and continued eating.
As a result, the girls stopped their murmurs and tentatively picked up the pastry that Jin Suiqing was eating and took a bite.
Jin Suiqing smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Hehe, isn't it delicious?"
The atmosphere among the girls became more relaxed. Seeing that she had big eyes and a round face, she was very endearing. Those who were close to Jin Suiqing secretly grabbed some candy and tossed it onto her table.
Jin Suiqing accepted all the thanks: "Thank you, sisters."
Suddenly, the laughter and hushed conversations ceased abruptly, and the large hall, which could hold a hundred people, fell silent as everyone's eyes were fixed on the newcomer.
Jin Shiyu and Huangfu Li entered one after the other, barely half a step behind, attracting much attention. He was still wearing the same light gray round-necked robe he had worn that morning, which was much more plain than the rest of the disciples.
Jin Suiqing took a big bite of the cake amidst the slightly dense breathing sounds, chewing it thoroughly.
No matter what she wears, even if she's naked, her face still outshines everyone else.
If he were naked, Kim Shi-ok would probably be stared at and killed.
Jin Suiqing chuckled smugly, but Jin Shiyu swept his gaze across the crowd and quickly locked onto her, who was sitting in the corner of the last row, giving her a cold look.
Eat less sweets, and he'll glare at you.
Jin Suiqing put down the cake and shrank back to avoid his gaze. As Jin Shiyu turned around and sat down, Jin Suiqing picked up a small piece of cake and stuffed it into her mouth.
The gulp was quite large, and Jin Suiqing choked and coughed. He hurriedly looked for water to drink, but couldn't find any, which startled the woman who had run over.
The woman's face was unadorned, but her features were striking and spirited. She patted Jin Suiqing's back and said, "Little girl, are you alright? I'll go get you a pot of fruit syrup."
"No...it's alright, sister," Jin Suiqing said, swallowing the pastry with difficulty. "Sister, don't worry about me. The banquet is about to begin, please take your seats."
The woman said awkwardly, "Young lady, it's not that I don't want to sit, it's that you've taken my seat."
"ah?"
She whispered, "I am Yin Rushi, the only daughter of the Marquis of Huai'an. I just arrived in the capital from Qingjiang. This is my seat."
Jin Suiqing stared wide-eyed in surprise.
She was actually Yin Rushi!
In the original story, Yin Rushi, the daughter of the Marquis of Huai'an, returns to the capital, enters the National Academy, and recommends a student.
That student was none other than the protagonist, Huangfu Feng.
Yin Rushi found Jin Suiqing pleasing to the eye and liked her very much. She pinched Jin Suiqing's face and said, "Make way for your older sister, okay?"
Jin Suiqing snapped out of her daze and pleaded, "Sister Yin, I've already taken this seat and made such a mess of the place. It's not right for you to sit here like this. Can we switch seats?"
Jin Suiqing had a sweet tongue, big, bright eyes, and an innocent, pure appearance. Yin Rushi couldn't refuse, so she agreed and sat down in the front row seat that Jin Suiqing pointed to.
Watching her retreating figure, Jin Suiqing grabbed a piece of candy and stuffed it into her mouth, biting hard to vent her anger.
I thought to myself, wow, no wonder the dog system has been silent for so many years, it turns out it's been holding back for a long time.
Yin Rushi's appearance signifies that the main storyline is about to begin.
On her way back to the capital, Yin Rushi encountered danger and was rescued by Huangfu Feng, who used the alias Huang Tufeng. They took refuge in the mountains for a few days and the two talented women developed a mutual respect for each other.
Yin Rushi was unaware of the situation, but felt sorry for Huang Tufeng, who was full of knowledge, growing up in a mountain village, so she suggested recommending her to study at the National Academy.
This is the beginning of the novel "The Wind Descends Upon the World".
Yin Rushi's appearance in Ziwei City signifies that her role as the villainous female supporting character is about to begin.
It's truly despairing.
Jin Suiqing was so engrossed in her thoughts and eating that she didn't notice Jin Shiyu watching her the whole time.
Jin Shiyu's expression was slightly cold as he stared intently at his sister's constantly moving mouth. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, secretly calculating how many sweets she had eaten.
Author's Note: 20,000 words completed. See you next week! [heart emoji]
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