The two returned to the courtyard, where there were many more people than before. Madam Qin was already inviting everyone to sit down.
Yang sat at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, looking somewhat reserved. After Lili greeted Qin Fu, she sat down next to Yang.
"mother."
Lili smiled faintly, just as she had before.
Mrs. Yang breathed a sigh of relief. She was a little worried because Lili rarely attended such banquets.
The mother and daughter had just whispered a few words when they saw the ladies who had been in the garden earlier also take their seats.
Bai Weiwei walked at the front, with Yu Siting beside her, surrounded by people in the middle.
The hem of her skirt was embroidered with delicate patterns, which swayed gently as she walked, revealing her gentle and charming nature.
To be honest, Bai Weiwei is also extremely beautiful.
With delicate features and a charming smile, if Xia Ning is the dignified and noble peony in Li Li's heart, then Bai Weiwei is the demure and graceful lotus.
It would be even better if Bai Weiwei didn't say anything.
Lili chuckled softly. She suddenly became curious about who could make her feel so threatened and throw Bai Weiwei off balance.
Bai Weiwei seemed to notice Lili's gaze, paused, and looked in her direction.
Lili looked back without any hesitation, and even smiled.
Bai Weiwei's smile faded, and she looked away.
Bai Weiwei and Yu Siting sat down at the front. As soon as they sat down, several ladies came over with their daughters to chat with them.
Bai Weiwei wasn't annoyed and listened to the ladies talking with a smile.
Madam Yang looked at Lili, who was eating cloud cake by herself, with some concern and said, "I was chatting with some ladies just now and heard that the heir of the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion is fond of poetry and books, and even the young master is fond of poetry and books at such a young age. Madam Qin specially arranged a poetry writing event."
To compose a poem?
This is quite novel. I used to see this kind of scene in novels. Usually, this kind of plot is where the male and female protagonists meet or have a big misunderstanding.
But there are neither male nor female leads here, nor any plot points where characters have to be proven wrong.
Lili nodded: "Young Master?"
The last time I saw this young master, he was just a newly formed embryo. I wonder what he looks like now. Judging by his age, he should be about four years old.
“The point isn’t the young master,” Madam Yang said helplessly. “Lili, you’ve never participated in this kind of activity before, and I’m worried about you.”
"Mother, don't worry. Mother, have you forgotten? Great-grandfather always praises Lili for being so capable."
Grandpa Yang praised her, but Lili didn't learn from him and wasn't really that good. Lili just had a little bit of a cheat code (???)?.
However, Lili wasn't afraid. She had already decided to remain a silent observer.
If there's really no other way, I can only say a few words.
She doesn't care whether what she says is good or bad.
Over here, after exchanging a few words with Bai Weiwei, Madam Zhang, the wife of a registrar, confirmed that Bai Weiwei seemed to be good-tempered, and then pulled her daughter out.
“Miss Bai, this is my second daughter, Yin Yin. She is the same age as you. I thought you young ladies would have more to talk about, so why don’t you let Yin Yin keep you company for a while?”
These people from the capital might only meet once in their entire lives, so they had to seize the opportunity to leave a good impression.
What if you get lucky and get recognized?
Wouldn't it be incredibly easy for the husband in that family to get a promotion?
Zhang Yinyin gave a slightly shy curtsy to the two women and said softly, "This humble girl, Zhang Yinyin, greets Miss Bai and Miss Yu."
Bai Weiwei smiled politely: "Just call me Weiwei."
Zhang Yinyin was overjoyed and immediately called out, "Weiwei."
Seeing this, the other ladies followed suit and brought their daughters over.
The young ladies present were all around the same age, the oldest being thirteen or fourteen, and the youngest, like Lili, being eight or nine.
The older girls are all engaged and married, and the younger ones are too young to understand, so they generally won't come. Therefore, the ladies present are all of similar age, and there isn't much of a difference in age.
Bai Weiwei welcomed everyone and spoke a few friendly words to each of them.
Seeing that their daughters were talking to the nobleman, the ladies wisely left, giving the young man space. They also reminded their daughters to say a few good words for their fathers in front of the nobleman.
Yu Siting was very annoyed. She didn't like these young ladies very much because she felt that they all came from humble backgrounds. Apart from Qin Fu, the daughter of the prefect, the others were at most daughters of county magistrates. She came from the capital, so naturally she looked down on these people.
Zhang Yinyin was the first to receive Bai Weiwei's words, so she felt that she had more initiative among the young ladies and took the lead in talking about the customs of Nanlin County.
When the adults were around, Yu Siting was more restrained, but now that only the girls were left, she said unhappily, "Stop arguing! What are you doing all this time? Your chatter is so annoying!"
Zhang Yinyin's face turned deathly pale. She didn't know what she had said wrong, and she stood there frozen, not daring to move.
The other girls also remained silent, looking embarrassed.
Looking at these people, Yu Siting looked down on them even more.
"snort."
People from small towns are so petty. She only said a few words, and they were terrified.
The commotion naturally attracted the attention of others, including Lili.
For a moment, the scene became somewhat quiet. The ladies who had been there earlier all looked on nervously, hesitating to go over.
Lili whispered to Huang Ying behind her, "What's going on over there?"
Huang Ying gave a brief explanation, then quietly added, "Why is Miss Yu so temperamental? She was acting quite unreasonably on the street the other day too."
Lili frowned and shook her head slightly: "Sister Huangying, please don't let anyone else hear this."
Huang Ying replied, "Don't worry, Miss. I only dare to say a few words to you."
Madam Yang frowned, clearly disliking the man: "Isn't he a noble lady from the capital? How can he be so temperamental? He's truly a headache."
This hollyhock banquet was organized by Madam Qin, so naturally she didn't want anything to go wrong.
Therefore, Madam Qin, who was making arrangements, went over as soon as she heard the commotion. After looking around at the somewhat frightened young ladies, she asked, "What's going on?"
Zhang Yinyin didn't dare to speak, but subconsciously glanced at Yu Siting.
Yu Siting snorted and crossed her arms, ignoring her.
Zhang Yinyin swallowed hard, about to speak, when Bai Weiwei, who had been silent, stood up and said with a smile, "It's just a young lady's little squabble, how could we trouble Madam Qin to handle it?"
Zhang Yinyin gave Bai Weiwei a grateful look.
Qin Fu followed behind Madam Qin, somewhat disbelieving.
She had seen it clearly: Zhang Yinyin and the others were talking peacefully when Yu Siting suddenly changed her expression.
The banquet was about to begin, and she had to go out to greet the young master's wife immediately. She didn't have time to waste here. From a broader perspective, Madam Qin naturally wanted to minimize the problem and let it go.
After much deliberation, Madam Qin said to Qin Fu behind her, "Fu'er, you stay here with Miss Bai and Miss Yu. If there's any misunderstanding between the young ladies, just clear it up. Don't spoil the young master and his wife's enjoyment."
"yes."
Qin Fu answered obediently. Madam Qin glanced meaningfully at Bai Weiwei, who was smiling, and Yu Siting, who looked arrogant, before turning and leaving the courtyard.
Bai Weiwei chuckled and explained softly to Qin Fu, "My cousin has always been this straightforward since she was little, Miss Qin, please don't mind."
Qin Fu said in surprise, "Why would I mind? I wasn't the one who was being vented on. Miss Bai should be saying that to Miss Zhang."
Bai Weiwei covered her face with a small fan and chuckled: "Miss Qin is right."
Despite saying that, Bai Weiwei showed no intention of continuing to speak.
Qin Fu frowned. Her mother had instructed her to resolve this matter, and she couldn't simply ignore it.
Qin Fu had no choice but to ask, "Miss Yu, what happened just now?"
Yu Siting looked displeased and said bluntly, "Nothing more, I just don't like them."
Zhang Yinyin's face turned green. She was a proper young lady, and this was the first time someone had so bluntly told her that they didn't like her!
Bai Weiwei chuckled and turned her head to reproachfully, "Cousin, why are you talking like that? Yinyin only meant well, that's why she specifically mentioned the customs and habits of Nanlin County."
Yu Siting maintained the same expression and remained silent.
Zhang Yinyin glanced gratefully at Bai Weiwei again and nodded repeatedly.
Bai Weiwei glanced lightly at Zhang Yinyin, whose eyes were full of gratitude, and casually asked, "Yinyin just said that every city in Nanlin County has its own unique trees. What are the trees in Liucheng?"
Bai Weiwei changed the subject, and Zhang Yinyin felt that Bai Weiwei was helping her out of an awkward situation. She was extremely grateful to Bai Weiwei and quickly replied, "If I remember correctly, it should be the osmanthus tree. Oh, is Miss Shen from the Liucheng County Magistrate's family here today? Weiwei, why don't you ask Miss Shen? I'm sure Miss Shen knows better than we do."
Bai Weiwei: "Oh, really?"
Lili: "……."
Lili paused, and since Bai Weiwei's side was already the focus of attention, Zhang Yinyin's words drew attention from all directions.
Pear: I'm such a jerk.
Zhang Yinyin also looked around very helpfully, pinpointed Lili's location, and ran over to pull her: "Miss Chen, Miss Bai is calling you!"
Zhang Yinyin's eyes were shining. This innocent child was even gesturing to her with her eyes, this was a great opportunity to show herself in front of an important person.
Lili didn't get up; she didn't want to get involved.
Bai Weiwei looked over with a half-smile, her gaze meeting Lili's.
There was no childlike innocence in his eyes, but rather a worldliness and shrewdness beyond his years. It flashed by, and when you looked again, there was that innocent and naive smile, like a little white flower swaying in the wind.
Lili smiled and stood up: "Let's go."
Ms. Yang stood up with concern.
Bai Weiwei stood in the middle of the crowd, staring intently at Lili's movements, her expression unreadable.
Lili followed behind Zhang Yinyin, walking step by step in that direction.
interesting.
Bai Weiwei...
That's quite interesting.
Lili is composed in her actions because she is not an eight-year-old child; her soul is already over thirty.
But what about Bai Weiwei?
Is the capital really that terrifying, that it can cultivate such a profound mind in a child who is only ten years old?
If she hadn't already exchanged a few blows with Bai Weiwei, she probably wouldn't have been able to understand Bai Weiwei's moves.
Lili stood steadily in front of Bai Weiwei, looking her in the eye: "Miss Bai."
Bai Weiwei seemed very happy and took her hand affectionately: "Miss Chen, I didn't have a chance to chat with you more when we met before. Shall we have a good talk today?"
"OK."
Lili paused for only a moment, then immediately smiled and took the initiative, holding Bai Weiwei's hands with both of hers. She laughed even more heartily than Bai Weiwei, appearing to be very much like sisters.
Bai Weiwei glanced at their clasped hands but said nothing.
"Alright, alright, everyone, you can all leave now. Miss Chen is here to keep me company," Bai Weiwei said to the ladies around her.
After what happened with Yu Siting, the young ladies' desire to show off in front of important people was no longer so strong. After Bai Weiwei finished speaking, Zhang Yinyin and the others left.
Qin Fu hesitated, but Bai Weiwei didn't give her a chance: "Miss Qin, we're all settled here. Would you like to sit down and have some tea with us?"
Qin Fu was naturally worried about leaving Lili alone, so she immediately agreed.
Bai Weiwei didn't react much; instead, she personally poured tea for the two of them.
“This tea is quite unique. The tea leaves are not as delicate as Silver Needle, the tea soup is not as clear as West Lake Longjing, and the aroma is not as rich as Wuyi Oolong.” Bai Weiwei paused for a moment and smiled, “I just don’t know how it tastes.”
Lili pondered the matter carefully, her intuition telling her that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Qin Fu chuckled lightly, pretending not to understand the deeper meaning in Bai Weiwei's words, and echoed, "This is a green tea specialty of Nanlin County. Its advantage lies in its delicate nature, so it is naturally not as good as the tea that is presented as tribute to the capital."
Bai Weiwei covered her mouth in surprise: "So this is a green tea specialty of Nanlin County? No wonder, I've never seen it before."
Yu Siting didn't even bother to act; she glanced at it disdainfully and put it down without drinking a drop.
Qin Fu: "Hahaha."
Lili then realized what was going on.
Oh, so Bai Weiwei meant that the tea here was rotten; she had only ever drunk the best tea in the capital.
Oh, no wonder Lili couldn't understand.
She had no idea about Baihao Yinzhen or West Lake Longjing tea.
If you ask Pear the difference between her lemon-flavored green tea and lemon-flavored black tea, Pear can confidently say that green tea is more refreshing and black tea is more mellow, and can even tell you not to try drinking glutinous rice green tea.
However, she understood as soon as Qin Fu said it; the young lady was subtly putting her down.
"Miss Bai, do you know where this tea came from?"
Bai Weiwei paused in her tea-tasting, then glanced at Lili with a probing look.
Yu Siting scoffed, "Our Weiwei is a true lady from a respectable family. She has to learn these things since she was a child. How could she not know?"
Bai Weiwei chuckled and finished her tea before saying, "Of course I know. First, the tender buds and leaves are picked, then naturally withered and manually killed, followed by hand-rolling to shape the tea leaves. Some teas also need to be fermented, and finally dried and stored. The whole process emphasizes meticulous craftsmanship to preserve the natural flavor and quality of the tea to the greatest extent."
After saying that, Bai Weiwei gazed at the tea in her hand and smiled, "But the taste of this tea... is truly unique."
Qin Fu frowned, but didn't know what to say.
Lili nodded in agreement, then stretched out her little head and sniffed around: "Hmm, it's really unique. It's clearly green tea, but why do I smell a hint of white tea? Did the white lotus mutate and grow tea leaves?"
Bai Weiwei didn't understand and looked at her suspiciously.
Lili smiled and remained silent.
Bai Weiwei suddenly got a little angry and slammed the cup down on the low table.
Yu Siting looked over in surprise. She had been following this cousin for so long and had always gotten along very well with her. She rarely saw her have such a big emotional fluctuation.
Bai Weiwei smiled sweetly, then suddenly asked about something else: "I've long heard that Prefect Qin loves the people like his own children, and Magistrate Shen has also attached great importance to people's livelihood since taking office. Even Miss Shen is very close to the people?"
“Of course, as the saying goes, ‘coming from the masses and returning to the masses,’ and as the daughter of the county magistrate, I should certainly do my job well.” Lili asked, “But I don’t know which aspect Miss Bai is referring to?”
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