The afternoon sun was still quite glaring, and it took Old Madam Lin quite a while to bravely open her eyelids against the sun.
Her eyes were no longer as clear as before; her cloudy eyeballs made it difficult to distinguish between the whites and pupils. Her pupils, which were once deep black a few years ago, were now covered with a layer of white film, making Wanwan's heart clench.
Time has made Wanwan grow up, but it has also made the elderly people who love her weak.
"It's Wanwan." Wanwan choked up a little, her throat tightened, as if she had swallowed a thin needle that was stuck in her throat.
Hearing Wanwan's familiar voice, Old Madam Lin smiled with satisfaction, smoothing out the wrinkles around her lips.
"Oh dear, I'm getting old, I can't see clearly anymore." Old Madam Lin's cheerful and humorous nature hadn't changed. She laughed as she spoke, then turned to look at Wanwan, but could only see a blurry outline. Old Madam Lin subconsciously raised her hand to rub her eyes, but it was in vain.
Lin Lan and Lin Yang'er, who were standing to the side, felt a little sad. After standing for a while, Lin Lan said, "This junior will go and pour you a cup of tea."
"I'll go!" Wanwan had an idea and took the initiative to go to the tea room before everyone else.
The jasmine tea in the tea room was brewed to perfection. Wanwan took a spoon and carefully added some tea leaves to the boiling water.
The withered tea leaves tumbled a few times in the boiling water, absorbing the moisture and immediately turning a vibrant green. The leaves unfurled, tinging the boiling water with a touch of emerald green. A few white jasmine blossoms floated to the surface, transparent and pure, and a delicate, fragrant aroma immediately filled the room.
If only Lady Lin could be young again like tea leaves!
Wanwan sighed silently in her heart. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and her body trembled at the thought.
Mermaid blood can cure all poisons, so can it make people young?
Wanwan held the warm teacup in her hand, her forearm trembling with excitement. The cup on the teacup made a crisp clinking sound from the slight shaking, which made Wanwan's nerves tense up.
She's twelve years old now, and she's no longer as afraid of pain as she used to be.
With a soft, crisp "drip," a drop of blood flowed from the fingertip and mingled into the emerald green tea. The scarlet color vanished in an instant, and the green deepened.
Mrs. Lin was very satisfied with the tea brewed by Wanwan. After drinking it, she felt refreshed and her vision became brighter and clearer. Her joints became much more flexible, and she seemed to have become ten years younger.
Lin Lan and Lin Yang'er were both somewhat surprised, but they assumed that Lin Taijun's previous state of near death was due to her excessive longing for Wanwan, and they both asked Wanwan to come and visit more often.
Wanwan hid her scratched finger and stayed with Lin Taijun until dusk before going home.
Madam Cao hadn't left yet; she was still chatting with Wan Yuechi at the Wan family's house. When she saw Wanwan return, she hurriedly pulled her to sit down beside her and then called Zhang Xiu. The two adults flanked Wanwan and began discussing the banquet together.
The Wan family, being a collection of restaurants and jewelry stores scattered throughout the country, naturally didn't need to purchase food and decorations from elsewhere. Zhang Xiu obtained a batch of tea snacks, fruits, and tea from the new stock, while Wanwan obtained a batch of flower arrangements from the jewelry store. All that was needed was to discuss the guest list and the specific decoration arrangements.
Time flies, and the day of the banquet is fast approaching.
Wanwan chose her backyard as the location. The yard was spacious and flat, with artificial hills, streams, and red plums that Wan Kongshan had dug up for Wan Suizhou. Although it was not the season for plum blossoms to bloom, who wouldn't think of noble character and recite a few lines of poetry just by seeing plum blossoms?
Then we won't even need Wanwan to create a festive atmosphere.
Wanwan was happily making her own plans, but as she watched the guests arriving one after another, each a stranger to her, she still felt a little uneasy. After all, it was the first time she had hosted so many unfamiliar rich young ladies.
Although she had greeted many older sisters and brothers in the past, that was in Hailan Village, where everyone was approachable and knew each other well, and many of them even played and joked around together.
Now that we are in the capital, the young ladies are all very proper, dressed in colorful clothes, looking splendid and adorned with jewels. They all carry round fans and are followed by two or three maids. The maids all keep their heads down and don't talk much when they arrive. They only talk to their close companions in soft voices.
The young ladies had all arrived, and Madam Cao nudged Wanwan with her shoulder, signaling her to hurry up and say a few words.
Wanwan stood reluctantly in the middle of everyone, and the young ladies immediately cast curious, expectant, or scrutinizing glances at her.
After calming down, Wanwan felt much more relaxed. She flicked the whip in front of her behind her, looking both dashing and adorable. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the crisp sound of jade pendants clinking behind her.
Before she could turn around, the housekeepers in front of her suddenly stood up from their stools and bowed respectfully behind her.
"Long live the Prince."
The ladies said in unison.
Turning around, she saw a young man dressed in vermilion red walking towards her.
He was tall and slender with handsome features. He wore a white jade hair crown, secured by a polished white jade hairpin. His hands were behind his back, and his steps were calm and steady, exuding a relaxed and leisurely air.
This is the current emperor's younger brother, Prince Gan.
Wanwan paused for a moment, then looked at the neatly arranged ladies who were a head shorter than her, and followed suit and bowed as well.
"No need for formalities," Prince Gan said with a bright smile. "I'm quite the uninvited guest this time; I hope I haven't startled you all."
The ladies chimed in, saying they wouldn't disturb Wanwan.
Lady Cao was quick-witted. She took a few quick steps and apologized to Prince Gan, saying that he was too busy with state affairs to invite her.
Prince Gan was unpretentious, waving his hand to dismiss the matter, and then turned his gaze to Wanwan. "I came here at the special request of my elder brother. He knows that the banquet is hosted by the Wan family, but he is too busy to visit Mr. Wan himself, so he asked me to bring him a gift."
Just as Wanwan was about to thank him subconsciously, she noticed that his hands were empty, wondering what kind of riddle this royal was playing.
Seeing the puzzled looks on Wanwan and Madam Cao's faces, Prince Gan seemed somewhat pleased, his smile widening. "The gifts I brought are not ordinary ones, but rather a special invitation to include the Wan family in the list of candidates for the Imperial Merchants Award. I urge Mr. Wan and Miss Wanwan to prepare as soon as possible and participate in the selection process."
Upon hearing this, the ladies present all covered their mouths with their fans.
This is the family the Emperor has chosen! Will we need to buy things from other stores in the future?
After the Prince of Gan spoke, he gave the Wanwan family a great deal of publicity. Madam Cao then gently nudged Wanwan's arm, and Wanwan finally realized what was happening and quickly knelt down to thank the Emperor for his grace.
After the banquet, Wanwan hurried to find Zhang Xiu. The two of them worked through the night to take inventory of the items. They even woke up Wan Kongshan, who was fast asleep, in the middle of the night to help with the sorting so that they could finish the work before the selection date.
The selection process went smoothly; Wanjia successfully passed all the rounds and was included in the list of imperial merchants.
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