Princess Ming nodded and went out with Princess Cheng.
The garden of Prince Cheng's Mansion is very large. After passing the artificial lake, there is a large orchard. The orchard covers a considerable area, and the breeze carries the fragrance of ripe fruit.
"Alright, you can all go now. The young ladies and mistresses need to use this place!" After leading everyone into the orchard, Granny Zhu said to the servants around her.
After the servants left, Granny Zhu said to everyone, "Alright, ladies and young ladies, this is the venue for this round of the competition. You can pick as much fruit as you like. You have half an hour. When the time is up, please bring out the fruit you picked. However, there is one thing you need to be aware of: although the area outside this orchard is still within the Prince's mansion, it is a steep high ground. Please be careful and try to avoid going there if possible!"
The Prime Minister's wife, who was standing at the front, smiled and said, "Granny, we know everything. Thank you for your help!"
"No trouble at all!" Granny Zhu said with a smile. "Then I wish you all the best." After she finished speaking, she walked out, and everyone began.
Looking at the trees laden with fruit, no one was in a hurry. Since they had already entered the forest, the servants of each household were allowed to follow. Peony and Granny Wang said to Bai Nuo, "Young Madam, please find a place to sit. We'll help you pick the fruit." They were always concerned about Bai Nuo's pregnancy and wouldn't let her do any strenuous work, like climbing up or down trees.
Picking fruit was an exceptionally arduous task in the eyes of Mudan and Granny Wang.
"Alright, alright!" Bai Nuo smiled slightly as she looked at Zheng Qing'er and Huang Ziyao, who were eagerly waiting in front of her. "We're not in a hurry. Let them pick them. We don't have a competition."
When this rule was explained, it was already very clear that it was just a lucky draw for the young ladies of each family, and it had nothing to do with the ladies. Although those ladies tried their best to help their own daughters, that didn't mean they had to help Zheng Qing'er, since Zheng Qing'er had nothing to do with them.
Whether she wins or loses is none of her business.
Peony and Granny Wang glanced at Zheng Qing'er's struggling back. Since Bai Nuo said she wouldn't help, then they wouldn't go either. Anyway, Zheng Qing'er and the others had brought maids with them, so they would let the maids handle it.
"Young Madam, let me pick you a fruit to eat!" Granny Wang brought Bai Nuo a stool, and Peony said with a smile. Bai Nuo nodded, and Peony began to gather the fruits of her labor.
Half an hour had passed, and many ladies had returned. They all came to where Bai Nuo was sitting to count how much they had picked. The Prime Minister's wife saw Bai Nuo sitting there, but after looking around, she couldn't see Zheng Qing'er or Huang Ziyao. She couldn't help but ask, "Young Madam Hu, where are your two young ladies?"
When asked about Zheng Qing'er and Huang Ziyao's whereabouts, Bai Nuo couldn't refuse to answer. Looking around but not seeing them, she said, "It's not time yet, they're probably still in the woods!"
"Oh dear, your daughter is really serious. It's just picking fruit, winning or losing doesn't matter, it won't affect anything!" said the Prime Minister's wife. The ladies present all nodded in agreement. The most important thing about the results was the competition of talent, and the number of fruits was just an auxiliary factor. Everyone should act according to their abilities and not get too hung up on it.
"Maybe they just want to have some fun!" Bai Nuo replied with a smile. "They've been cooped up in their rooms all day, never coming out. Now that they've finally come out, it's understandable that they've lost track of time!"
The Prime Minister's wife laughed and said, "Then you should have someone remind them. Their performance was quite good. It would be a shame if they missed it because they forgot the time."
Bai Nuo nodded to indicate that he understood.
As they were talking, Huang Ziyao returned, her face still slightly sweaty and flushed, looking somewhat flustered. She had come straight for Bai Nuo, but seeing so many people there, she was too embarrassed to answer. Seeing this, Bai Nuo asked, "What's wrong? Where's your cousin?"
"My cousin is still behind us!" Huang Ziyao bit her lip, walked closer to Bai Nuo, whispered something in Bai Nuo's ear, and then showed a pleading look.
"Peony, you should go with Ziyao!" Bai Nuo looked at Huang Ziyao with a half-smile. Under her gaze, Huang Ziyao lowered her head in shame. "Sister-in-law, I didn't want to trouble you, but my cousin doesn't want to come back. I can't persuade her, and neither can the people around her. You should go!"
"It's no use you going, I can go!" Bai Nuo sneered. Doesn't this little girl Huang Ziyao know that Zheng Qing'er hates her?
Huang Ziyao's face burned; she clearly knew Bai Nuo was right, but thinking of her cousin and Zheng Qing'er's words, Huang Ziyao gritted her teeth and said, "Sister-in-law..."
Seeing that they seemed to have something on their mind, the Prime Minister's wife asked, "Young Madam Hu, what's wrong?"
Huang Ziyao looked pitifully at the Prime Minister's wife, "Prime Minister's wife, my cousin absolutely refuses to come back. It's almost time, and I'd like to ask my sister-in-law to persuade her."
The Prime Minister's wife clearly didn't understand why Zheng Qing'er was still unwilling to return when it was almost time, and why Bai Nuoqun had to persuade her. Would Zheng Qing'er really agree to return if Bai Nuoqun persuaded her?
Seeing that the Prime Minister's wife still looked puzzled, Huang Ziyao said, "Madam, sister-in-law, it's like this. My cousin was immature in the past and did many bad things, so I wanted to take this opportunity to make things clear to you, so that we can still be family when we meet in the future."
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