Chapter 597 A Dream of Youth 129
With the arrival of rain, the drought was alleviated, and the new law that the court had just ordered to be stopped was put back into effect, only with a different leader.
Xie Ning had just returned home and hadn't even changed her clothes yet when she was told to go and pay her respects to her elders.
"I see."
Seeing Xie Ning sitting in front of the dressing table, Qing Le stepped forward and gently opened the exquisite dressing box. Inside the box were neatly arranged various hair ornaments and combs. Qing Le picked up a sandalwood comb and said softly, "Miss, let me style your hair into a pretty double-loop bun."
Her hairstyling skills were excellent, only slightly inferior to those of the principal wife, the delicate and graceful elder sister.
"good."
Xie Ning closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. If she were to comb her hair herself to greet the guests, she would probably be impolite.
Qing Le skillfully spread Xie Ning's hair out and gently combed it with her fingers. She first divided the hair into two parts, then braided each part into two small and exquisite loop-shaped buns, tied them tightly with blue ribbons, and finally inserted a butterfly hairpin into each bun. The long pearl and jade tassels hung down, swaying slightly as she walked, making her look even more elegant and quiet.
After changing her clothes, Xie Ning asked, "Where is Father entertaining the guests?"
"Reporting to Miss, Master wants you to go directly to Minglan Courtyard."
That's the garden, and the main study is also there. It's where Xie Ning and Xie Qi usually have their classes. Occasionally, when close colleagues or friends come to visit, Xie Wangzhi will take them there to burn incense and brew tea. If they are not familiar with someone, they will be received in the main hall in the front courtyard.
As Xie Ning stepped out of the gate of her small courtyard, she saw Xie Qi, dressed in a new outfit, standing in front of the coral vines that had climbed over the wall, muttering something.
"Brother?"
Xie Qi was startled.
"Bao'er, why are you walking so quietly...?" It scared him to death, like a ghost.
Xie Ning twitched the corner of her mouth, ignoring his muttered complaints, and walked together toward the study.
Seeing Xie Qi's low spirits, Xie Ning couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what's wrong with you today?"
Xie Qi glanced at Qing Li and Mo Qi who were following behind, then pulled Xie Ning aside and asked, "Bao'er, do you know any good medicines for stopping bleeding and reducing inflammation?"
"You got into a fight?" Xie Ning asked Xie Qi with a suspicious look.
"No!" Xie Qi quickly denied. "Your brother is a virtuous gentleman, how could he go into a fight!"
Xie Ning fell silent. Her memory was still quite good. When she was a child, Xie Qi liked to climb trees to steal bird eggs and use a slingshot to shoot sparrows. It was alright in town, but when she returned to her hometown, she would play like crazy.
When he first arrived in the capital, some people ostracized him and bullied him with other students. Instead of going home to complain, he turned around, grabbed a sack, and secretly beat up the bullies.
Xie Ning was the lookout.
If Xie Qi can't beat her, he'll try to take her side.
After all, although Xie Wangzhi taught them to be gentle and polite, they should not be afraid of trouble. If they were bullied, they should fight back, and he would take care of the consequences.
The students at the Imperial Academy all came from similar backgrounds, and they would form cliques in private. However, they didn't dare to tell their parents, because they were afraid that the students at the Imperial Academy might have connections with the children of powerful and wealthy families at the Imperial College. Being targeted by such students meant being bullied.
Although Xie Wangzhi held a low-ranking official position, he was favored by the emperor, and he also had his younger sister Xie Ning, who frequently visited the inner palace. Therefore, Xie Qi was even less afraid when he fought back.
As a result, those who had previously ostracized him began to try to win him over. Although Xie Qi said he didn't care, he held a grudge in his heart and would never confide in someone who had bullied him.
After all, those people were only trying to win him over because he was of higher status or more valuable to them. If he were to fall on hard times, those same people would be the most ruthless in turning their backs on him.
Xie Qi hesitated for a moment before whispering, "A friend of mine got injured, and her family isn't well-off, so I wanted to give her a bottle of good quality wound medicine."
"Oh, I see. I'll have Qingli get it for you later. It's freshly made at the small pharmacy, and there aren't many bottles left. It's best for external injuries, and it's less likely to leave scars."
Hearing this, Xie Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
As they spoke, the two had already reached the open pavilion, and Xie Wangzhi beckoned them over.
Xie Ning saw a middle-aged man wearing a headscarf and a moon-white cross-collar robe sitting opposite Xie Wangzhi. His face was dignified and serious, but his gaze toward Xie Ning and her brother was extremely gentle.
"These must be Brother Qi and Sister Ning?"
Xie Wangzhi nodded with a smile, then introduced them, "This is your Uncle Zhao Chengran."
"Greetings, Uncle Zhao." Xie Ning and Xie Qi greeted each other and then sat down to one side.
Xie Ning chatted with him for a while, then realized that he was just a supporting character. Zhao Chengran was probably targeting Xie, and now Xie was so nervous that he was rubbing his little fingers together.
"Not bad." Zhao Chengran nodded slightly, seemingly very satisfied, and then said to Xie Wangzhi.
"Qi Ge'er has a very good foundation. Based on his current level, if he plays next year, he should be able to make the list if nothing unexpected happens."
It's just a matter of ranking.
Then he looked at Xie Ning. Originally, Zhao Chengran only wanted to give her a simple test. After all, Xie Ning was young and a woman, so how much could she learn?
She was just like his eldest daughter, who knew a little about poetry and literature.
Xie Wangzhi often praised his youngest daughter, Xie Ning, in his letters. Zhao Chengran could understand this, as he also felt that his eldest daughter was lovable and talented.
Even ordinary children cannot compare.
No matter how talented you are, you're still only compared to ordinary people.
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