Chapter 179 Touring the Capital
Jiang Ling then realized that the things Cheng Fang bought from her shop before setting off were actually at Jiang Yi's request.
She said to Jiang Yi, "If you liked it, you should have said so earlier. If I had known it was you who wanted it, I would have prepared several more copies and brought some other suitable ones as well."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi was even more grateful and quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Miss Jiang, you are too kind. This is already very good and more than enough!"
He knew that these things were rare and useful, and would be of great help to him, who often needed to work night shifts or go out on errands.
He finally got it last time, but it was confiscated before he could even enjoy it for more than a few days.
After so long, he finally had them again. He couldn't wait to go back and try them out.
Seeing that Jiang Ling and the others looked tired, Jiang Yi didn't want to stay any longer.
He carefully packed the bundle and bowed again, saying, "Miss, you must be tired from your journey. I won't bother you any longer. Please rest early. If you need anything, just tell the servants here. His Highness has already made arrangements."
After seeing off the satisfied Jiang Yi, the courtyard finally quieted down.
The servants had already prepared hot water and dinner.
The first day in the capital came to a close amidst exhaustion and joy.
The next morning, the capital was shrouded in a thin mist, and glistening dewdrops hung on the osmanthus trees in the courtyard.
Jiang Ling had just finished washing up when she heard a familiar voice coming from the courtyard:
"Sister Jiang! Sister Jiang! I've come to see you!"
Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Ling had only taken a few steps out of the room when a figure in a pink embroidered ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) ran over and threw herself into her arms.
"Sister Jiang! You've finally arrived in the capital! I've missed you so much! I've been waiting for you for days!"
It turned out to be Cheng Jiaojiao.
Behind her, Cheng Fang strolled over slowly, looked at his younger sister, and smiled helplessly at Jiang Ling:
"This girl insisted on coming over early this morning, and I couldn't refuse her, so I had to bring her along."
Cheng Jiaojiao immediately lifted her head from Jiang Ling's embrace and retorted indignantly, "Brother, you're talking nonsense! What do you mean by 'you insisted on coming'? Sister Jiang isn't just yours; she's clearly closer to me!"
As she spoke, she affectionately took Jiang Ling's arm.
Jiang Ling smiled and patted her head: "Long time no see, Jiaojiao, how are you?"
"I'm fine, I just really miss Sister Jiang!" Cheng Jiaojiao then raised her hands, showing off the pink gloves with plush rabbits on them.
"I love the gloves Sister Jiang gave me! They're fluffy, warm, and pretty!"
This was the gift that Jiang Ling had asked Cheng Fang to bring to her. Little girls love pink, and the rabbit is her zodiac animal.
"I'm glad you like it," Jiang Ling said with a smile.
Cheng Jiaojiao asked impatiently, "Sister Jiang, how long are you staying in Beijing this time? Can I come with you and have fun? I know so many fun places! Unlike my brother and Brother Jingxing, when they take people out to play, it's just sightseeing and eating, which is no fun at all."
Cheng Fang sighed helplessly, "Miss Jiang prefers quiet. With your loud and boisterous nature, don't disturb her trip."
"A trip should be lively! If you're all so dull, what kind of fun can you possibly have? Do you even know what girls think? Do you even know what girls like?"
"Don't categorize yourself as a girl. I remember there aren't many girls in the capital who can get along with you."
"What are you talking about? I have plenty of friends who get along well with me! Miss Pei, Miss Biao, Young Master Taiping, Miss Wen Er..."
Jiang Ling found it quite amusing to watch the siblings bickering, so she said to Cheng Fang, "It's alright. I miss Jiaojiao very much too. It's good to have her with me. If you and Young Master Zhao are busy in the future, you can let Jiaojiao accompany me for a stroll."
She knew that Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing were busy helping disaster victims and couldn't possibly have time to spend with her every day.
Today, Zhao Jingxing went to work on the disaster relief efforts. He and Cheng Fang took turns working, and Jiang Ling didn't want them to be so tired.
She could have played by herself, but she hadn't figured out how to bring it up when Cheng Jiaojiao happened to show up.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Jiaojiao raised her head even higher and snorted triumphantly at her brother, "See! I told you Sister Jiang likes me more!"
Cheng Fang could only shake his head and sigh, "I really can't do anything with you."
Jiang Ling then called Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi over and introduced them to Cheng Jiaojiao.
"Meet Miss Cheng."
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi bowed and performed the greeting with great skill, which Jiang Ling had specifically asked Fu Chengze to teach them.
Cheng Jiaojiao was the first to notice Xiao Yi, her eyes fixed on his blue cloak.
"Your cape is so beautiful! It's so soft, like a little fox's fur!"
Xiao Yi raised her little face and said, "My sister bought this for me. And Xiao Ran's brother's is too."
Cheng Jiaojiao then glanced at Xiao Ran beside her, and simply smiled and nodded.
They were about the same age and had become somewhat respectful of the boundaries between men and women. In addition, Xiao Ran's expression was quite serious, so it was not appropriate for her to joke around like Xiao Yi did.
"Sister Jiang, have you had breakfast yet?" Cheng Jiaojiao asked.
"Not yet, I was a little tired yesterday and got up late." Jiang Ling said somewhat embarrassed.
In ancient times, people worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. She was used to sleeping in late in modern times, and she was also very tired yesterday. Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi came to find her, so she got up.
Cheng Jiaojiao's eyes lit up, as if she had anticipated something. "That's perfect! We haven't eaten yet! I know a teahouse on East Sixth Street. Their morning tea and dim sum are absolutely amazing in Beijing. They have a wide variety and the taste is fantastic! Let's go there to eat!"
Jiang Ling looked at her expectant eyes and nodded with a smile: "Okay, let's go try the morning tea that Jiao Jiao mentioned."
Seeing that his sister was making arrangements with great enthusiasm, and Jiang Ling also readily agreed, Cheng Fang waved to stop the servants who were preparing to set out the meal in the courtyard.
Before long, two carriages stopped at the gate of the courtyard.
Cheng Jiaojiao insisted on squeezing into a carriage with Jiang Ling, but the carriage was too small, so Xiao Ran had no choice but to share a carriage with Cheng Fang.
The carriage drove out of the quiet courtyard and merged into the streets and alleys of the capital city, which were gradually awakening in the early morning.
Fireworks lit up the sky, and pedestrians thronged the streets.
Cheng Jiaojiao chattered away in the car, constantly introducing Jiang Ling to the scenery along the way and interesting stories about the capital.
"Sister Jiang, the crystal shrimp dumplings at Yuelai Teahouse are so delicious! The skin is so thin you can see the shrimp inside, and every bite is bursting with juice! And their crab roe soup dumplings are amazing too. I ate three in one go last time! You'll definitely love them!"
A short while later, the carriage stopped in front of the Yuelai Teahouse.
The teahouse is a two-story wooden building with a black plaque with gold lettering hanging at the entrance, which reads "Yuelai Teahouse" in large characters.
Two waiters in blue cloth gowns stood at the door. Seeing them approach, they quickly greeted them with smiles.
"Please come in, esteemed guests!"
Jiaojiao took Jiang Ling's hand and walked in first, followed closely by Xiaoyi, while Cheng Fang and Xiaoran followed slowly at the back.
The shop is elegant and already has many customers. The air is filled with the aroma of tea and the sweet scent of pastries.
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