Chapter 114 "The Crown Prince's wife is truly blessed..."
Azhi is still young, and her emotions come and go quickly. After being comforted by Shen Lingyue, she suddenly understood and took on the role of a serious little host leading the tour.
My cousin's wife just promised to throw her a huge banquet for her birthday, and she can invite all her classmates if she wants.
There will only be more guests coming to the mansion then. Does she really want to divide them into different classes based on how close or distant their relationship is?
Ah Zhi secretly made up her mind that since she had agreed to Wu Qiong's invitation to today's small gathering, she should try her best to treat everyone equally and make sure everyone had a good time.
Although it was Huang Qiaoni and Chen Xiaoya's first time visiting such a distinguished family, they quickly relaxed under Azhi's gentle introduction and chased each other around the garden with smiles.
Liu Qiao and Fang Yuanyuan had attended banquets with their elders before, and they were quite composed, focusing on appreciating the scenery in the garden and admiring the homeowner's ingenious design.
"Ah Zhi, you are so lucky to live in such a big garden and you don't have to squeeze in with other people."
Liu Qiao was filled with envy. Her family still had three generations living together under one roof. The whole family saw each other all day long, and it was inevitable that they would quarrel and argue. There was never a quiet moment.
If it weren't for the fact that she had arranged to visit Ah-zhi's house, she would rather stay at the girls' school on her day off. At least all her other roommates had gone home, and she could have some peace and quiet.
Fang Yuanyuan nodded in agreement. Her father was just a minor official of the seventh rank, and the family of three still lived in a rented house. Her mother dreamed of owning a house in the capital and lived frugally every day.
Azhi quickly waved her hand, "It's all thanks to my grandmother and uncle's kind-hearted family that my mother and I, the three of us, have been able to live here for so long. I am very grateful to them."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Qiong suddenly looked up at her, seemingly with a hint of sympathy.
Azhi didn't understand what she was thinking, but in order not to neglect her, she politely tried to start a conversation: "The scenery at Prince Chun's Mansion must be even more beautiful. Sister Wu must have seen it all before."
Wu Qiong smiled faintly and said softly, "It's alright. Just like Sister Azhi said, the house and garden belong to other people. We are just living under someone else's roof."
Liu Qiao couldn't help but glance at her.
It's strange. No matter what, Azhi is the Marquis's own niece. This is her uncle's house. How did she become someone who lives under someone else's roof?
Wu Qiong is usually quite normal in her interactions with others in class, so what's wrong with her today?
Fang Yuanyuan tugged at her twice and gently shook her head, stopping Liu Qiao's impulse to "stand up for the injustice".
Although girls' schools emphasize equality and mutual assistance, everyone knows in their hearts that there is no real equality.
Someone like Wu Qiong, who came from a prince's mansion and was clearly brought in through connections, regardless of whether she was the biological daughter of the Princess Consort of Chun or adopted, all the daughters of minor officials had to treat her with respect.
Of course, this only applies to daily interactions; they won't go easy on you during the monthly or ten-day exams.
Ah Zhi was also embarrassed by Wu Qiong's words. She had never handled such a situation on her own before and was worried about how to smooth things over when suddenly the shouting between Cat Flying and Fox Leaping came from the rooftop in front of her.
"...Those are my aunt's cat and my second cousin's fox!"
Thank goodness, this is how the topic came about?
Azhi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pointed to the two balls of fur on the roof to explain, while also giving the group a briefing on the fox-cat-fox love triangle that had been playing out every day at the Marquis's residence recently.
“Look, the one squatting at the highest point of the roof is Little White Fairy,” Azhi said with a smile. “My cousin and his wife are making a bet on when Little White Fairy will agree to have a baby with Weibo.”
No girl can resist furry things. Even Huang Qiaoni and Chen Xiaoya came back, hoping to have a chance to pet them themselves today.
Soon the group arrived at Plum Shadow Pavilion.
Dong Lanyi knew that her younger sister was bringing friends over to play today, so she came out to greet them.
Fang Yuanyuan suddenly took a breath, pressing her philtrum while pinching her thigh.
"Ahhh, Azhi, why didn't you tell us your sister is Lan Jun?!"
She's a die-hard fan of Lan Jun's books! She knows every volume of "The Jade Hairpin" by heart!
I even tried submitting my work to Langhuan Pavilion before, but the owner rejected it because of its "immature writing and simple story," sob sob...
Fang Yuanyuan was so excited to see her idol that her eyes were red, and she looked like she was about to cry.
"Uh, didn't I say that?" Azhi touched her nose sheepishly. "Actually, my family doesn't want me to brag about it everywhere, and I thought you guys don't read these kinds of stories..."
For example, Liu Qiao is still completely bewildered: Who is Lan Jun? What is "Yu Tang Chai"?
Then Fang Yuanyuan enthusiastically recommended it to me, successfully adding a new reader to Dong Lanyi's collection.
Holding the freshly signed latest volume of "Jade Hall Hairpin," Fang Yuanyuan leaned limply against Liu Qiao, "I could die without regrets..."
"Pah, pah, pah." Azhi chuckled and covered her mouth. "What nonsense are you talking about? 'Jade Hall Hairpin' isn't even finished yet, and you're already willing to give it up?"
Dong Lanyi sat down and chatted with the young women for a while before going back to continue working on her manuscript.
Before leaving, she glanced back and saw Miss Wu from the Prince Chun's Mansion sitting next to her, engrossed in reading the book she had left for Fang Yuanyuan.
For some reason, she felt a strange sense of unease.
But with the deadline fast approaching, she didn't have time to think about it too much, so she shook her head and went back to her room.
...Since she is the daughter of a prince and a classmate invited by Azhi, there shouldn't be any problems, right?
...
Because there was an extra person at today's gathering, Liu Qiao and the others were a little reserved at first, but Wu Qiong just sat quietly reading a book. Soon they forgot about it and started chatting about the gossip and interesting things at the girls' school.
The room was filled with the girls' unrestrained laughter, which was quickly suppressed by Fang Yuanyuan's forceful "shh" sounds.
"Keep your voice down, don't disturb Sister Lanjun's creative process!"
"Oh oh oh..."
Everyone started whispering furtively again, as if spies were making a rendezvous.
"Oh, right, I have something good to show you."
Ah Zhi proudly presented a box containing a carefully bound picture book.
Liu Qiao turned to the first page and was immediately drawn to the illustrations. "So cute!"
The painting depicts a round-faced little girl with double buns grooming a large cat. It is completely different from the meticulous paintings they usually see. The brushstrokes in this painting are round and lively. The little girl in the painting is short and has unusually large and round eyes. She doesn't look like a real person, but she looks particularly childlike and cute.
Ah Zhi tilted her head and swayed her body, "This was drawn for me by my eldest cousin's wife, there's more in the back."
The group flipped through the pages one by one. In the paintings, little Azhi was sometimes petting a cat, sometimes chasing butterflies, sometimes climbing a tree and then unable to get down, sitting on a branch rubbing her eyes and crying. On the next page, she was holding a fruit bigger than her face and eating it with gusto.
"Your cousin's wife spoils you too much. My older brother can also paint, but he'd rather go out with his friends and paint flowers and plants than paint a portrait of me," Liu Qiao complained angrily.
Ah Zhi chuckled. She didn't actually want to show off that she lived in a big house with a large garden, but she wanted her girlfriends to know that she had super, super good relatives.
Wu Qiong watched intently, then suddenly asked, "The eldest cousin-in-law you're talking about, is she the wife of the heir of the household?"
"Yes, the one standing with me at the door just now, the one in the sky-blue dress, is her."
Wu Qiong's eyelashes trembled slightly. "I heard that the lady of the manor comes from a humble background and was only able to marry the eldest son of the Marquis's family because of His Majesty's arranged marriage. She is really lucky."
Ah Zhi held back for a while, but still couldn't hold back. "Sister Wu, my cousin's wife has many good qualities. Her family background is just the most insignificant one. She is loved by our whole family because she is inherently good, not simply because she is 'lucky'."
"That's right. I think the Crown Prince's wife is beautiful and kind. She looks like a fairy when she stands there. Just looking at her face every day makes me want to eat two more bowls of rice."
After Huang Qiaoni finished speaking, the others immediately echoed their agreement.
"Yes, yes, not only the Crown Prince's wife, but also Ah Zhi's second cousin-in-law is very nice. Isn't this toffee her idea? It's much better than the ones sold in the pastry shops outside. Hehe, remember to pack a few more for me to take with me later. I want to take them back for my mother to try."
"I'm sorry, Sister Azhi, I didn't mean to."
Wu Qiong's eyes suddenly reddened, and she looked at her with a wronged expression, "I, I just suddenly thought of myself. You only see me in the Prince's mansion, but my life isn't much better..."
For once, Ah Zhi's little brain was quick-witted, and she quickly interrupted Wu Jie's self-pitying reminiscence, "Sister Wu, let's have fun today. Think positively, you're actually doing much better than many people."
"That's right. How many people outside can't even afford to eat white rice every day? If I hadn't been lucky enough to get into Yunshao Girls' School, would I even have the chance to sit and talk with you girls from official families?"
Huang Qiaoni made a self-deprecating joke, which made Liu Qiao and Fang Yuanyuan laugh heartily. They pinched her round face and called her a little village girl, putting on a comical scene of a rich young master harassing a country girl.
Wu Qiong looked somewhat lost, as if she didn't belong with them. She quickly got up and said she needed to change her clothes, then followed her maid outside.
When she returned, she deliberately walked lightly and quietly approached the window paper. She heard Liu Qiao mutter unhappily, "...She ruined the whole gathering. What's she so upset about?"
"That's right. If she hadn't been adopted by the Princess Consort, who knows where she would be now. Isn't that good fortune? And she actually looks down on your cousin's family background."
"Alright, alright, it was all my fault for not thinking things through this time. I'll invite you all over to my house another day..."
A cold glint flashed in Wu Qiong's eyes. She slowly took a few steps back, then deliberately made her footsteps louder to remind the people inside that she had returned.
The conversation inside the room vanished instantly. When she pushed the door open, the group of people started peeling oranges as if nothing had happened.
"Ah, my second cousin said she prepared a stove for us to brew tea in the pavilion in the back garden, and we can also roast oranges, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes."
Azhi smiled and stood up. "Sitting inside isn't very interesting. Let's go to the garden. Maybe we can wait for Weibo'er and Rongtuan'er to pass by."
Guests follow the host's lead, and everyone readily agreed.
Wu Qiong, who was walking behind, suddenly exclaimed, "I lost one of my earrings. You guys go ahead, I'll go back and look for it, maybe it fell on the road."
Azhi nodded: "Okay, Sister Wu, you go ahead and look for it. We'll wait for you in the pavilion in front, the one on the artificial hill to the east. It's easy to spot."
Wu Qiong watched them walk away, pretending to look around for something, while secretly returning to Azhi's room.
She took the picture book that Azhi cherished very much out of the box, her gaze falling on the teapot on the table beside her, and picked it up with one hand.
...
The girls spent the whole day playing at the Marquis's residence, and only reluctantly returned home in the evening. Each of them carried a package filled with snacks carefully selected by Shen Lingyue.
Liu Qiao held onto Azhi's hand tightly, grinning foolishly, "Oh dear, when I get back, my mother will definitely scold me for taking food and gifts while visiting someone's home."
But the toffee was delicious and the milk tea was so good, I'll come again next time!
Azhi watched them get into the carriage, and then sent two maids from the Marquis's mansion to escort Huang Qiaoni and Chen Xiaoya home. After arranging everything, she finally stretched and let out a long breath.
"No wonder my aunt doesn't like organizing banquets. I only entertained a few people and I'm already this tired..."
She complained to her maid, dragged her heavy steps back to her room, not even wanting to eat dinner, just wanting to lie down and rest for a while.
The maid went outside to tidy the room and suddenly exclaimed, "Why is water dripping here?"
Azhi sat up in bed and saw the wooden box that was still dripping water in the maid's hands. She suddenly screamed.
"Ahhh, my painting—!"
...
When Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi arrived after receiving the news, Azhi was crying uncontrollably, holding the ruined picture album, and was panting heavily.
What happened?
Shen Lingyue quickly went over and hugged her little cousin, wiping her face with a handkerchief. "You were playing happily with your friends during the day, what happened?"
Ah Zhi hiccuped as she cried, her eyes swollen as she looked at Yan Yi, "Big Cousin, all the paintings you drew for me... are gone, waaaah..."
She lifted the limp sketchbook she was holding in her arms; it was soaked in water and stuck together, the ink stains on it a mess.
Yan Yi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly comforted her, "It's okay, don't cry, I'll draw you another set."
These are some short comics she drew for Azhi when she had nothing else to do. They are all ready-made templates, so it wouldn't take much time to redraw them.
"No, it's different." Azhi sobbed, "This was a gift from my eldest cousin's wife. I kept it safe and sound, how could it suddenly get soaked in water..."
"Ah Zhi, there's something wrong with your classmate."
Dong Lanyi arrived a step too late and said as soon as she entered, "She came into your room alone at noon. I happened to see her when I was standing by the window keeping watch."
"Who?" Azhi blinked, realizing what was happening. "Is it Wu Qiong? She said she lost her earring and searched for it in the garden for ages before coming to meet us..."
Did you lose your earring?
Shen Lingyue sighed, this was the excuse she had used eight hundred times.
"But why would she do that?"
Shen Lingyue recalled Wu Qiong, a pretty and quiet young girl, and a young lady from the Prince's mansion. She had no reason to do such a thing.
Dong Lanyi shrugged. "Anyway, I saw her go into your room. I thought she came back to get something. Why don't you ask her again when you get back to the girls' school tomorrow?"
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Author's Note: [Let Me See] is here.
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