Wanwan, half asleep and half awake, managed to obtain the title of a princess, and was still in a daze when she returned home.
When Wan Yuechi saw the two return, he quickly came out to greet them, carrying a box in his hand. He walked up to Wanwan, handed the box to her, and said with a wry smile, "Wanwan, outsiders knew about your title of princess before we did."
Curious, Wanwan craned her neck to look and saw many visiting cards lying haphazardly in the box.
It turned out that during the time she was on her way home, the news of her being granted the title of princess had already spread to many noble families in the capital. The two of them had only traveled halfway when many noble ladies instructed their servants to deliver invitations to every household.
At that time, only Wan Yuechi was at home. He could barely handle the one or two people who came early to deliver invitations, but later more and more people came, even exceeding the number of people who came to announce good news a few days ago. He had no choice but to casually take a box and put it at the door, and sit in front of the door himself, indicating that the people who came to the door should put the invitations inside.
Before long, the box was filled with colorful posts.
Wanwan took it and flipped through a few pages. Most of the posts had the same words, the only difference being the handwriting and tone. The signature was someone she didn't recognize.
"Taiwanese people should also respond to these posts properly," Wan Yuechi reminded them.
Upon hearing this, Wanwan froze for a moment as if a pause button had been pressed, her almond-shaped eyes widening in surprise and confusion. "Do I have to reply to all these posts? Every single one?"
Wan Yuechi's lips curled up, and when he smiled, his eye bags were very prominent, making his dark eyes appear even gentler. His eyes were rippling, like the surface of a frozen lake just ruffled by the wind, elegant and soft. However, his words caused Wanwan great pain: "Replying to a visiting card is basic etiquette. Wanwan should learn the rules of the capital as soon as possible."
"ah?"
Wanwan let out a pitiful upward glissando, wishing she could hug the box and sit on the ground. From childhood to adolescence, the thing Wanwan hated had never changed: "Wanwan hates writing the most! This time she has to write a lot."
As she spoke, she slumped into the box like a deflated balloon, unable to throw it away, yet unwilling to write anything. Her lips were pouting so much they could practically hang an oil bottle.
“You don’t have to reply to every single one!” A loud female voice suddenly came from the front door of the Wan family’s house.
As if grasping at a straw, Wanwan's face lit up and her eyes filled with stars. She looked up, and the others turned their heads as well.
The magistrate's wife was walking into the courtyard, lifting her skirt. Time had left wrinkles around her eyes, and although her skin was still fair and smooth, it had become somewhat loose. However, the kind smile on her face, always ready to help others, had never changed.
"Aunt Cao!" Wanwan's eyes shone even brighter, like jewels sprinkled with sunlight, and she quickly ran over with the box in her arms.
The visiting cards scattered haphazardly in the box rustled and swayed with her running movements, making a soft, nibbling sound. The emerald ribbon wrapped around her head fluttered behind her like the long tail of a butterfly, lively and nimble.
"Oh, Wanwan." As soon as the magistrate's wife arrived, she cupped Wanwan's face in her hands and pinched it lightly, her gentle smile filled with affection. "You've gained so much weight since you came to the capital! Have you been eating a lot of snacks?"
"No way!" Wanwan winked mischievously, lying through her teeth. Then, half-pleading and half-urgent, she shook Madam Cao's arm. "Auntie, please tell Wanwan what to do! Otherwise, Wanwan will have to write so many words!"
Madam Cao was getting impatient with the bouncing and jumping Wanwan, so she reached out her other hand to hold her down. "Alright, alright, today your aunt will teach you a trick. You can just hold a banquet and invite all the rich young ladies who have sent their visiting cards. That way you can reply to them all at once and won't have to write any more replies."
Upon hearing this, Wanwan lowered her head thoughtfully, pinched her chin with her slender white fingers, pouted her pink lips, and the clear, bright sunlight shone down, making Wanwan's skin look like white jade.
In this way, not only can we write less, but we can also take advantage of the banquet to promote Wanjia's shop!
Wanwan felt a surge of excitement, but she had no experience in hosting banquets and was new to the city, so she didn't know what the noble ladies in the capital liked.
The magistrate's wife noticed Wanwan's worry and reached out to pinch her chubby cheeks. "Auntie will help you."
"Thank you, Auntie!" Wanwan's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with joy as she hugged Madam Cao's waist tightly.
As they were discussing this, two more people came in from outside.
Everyone looked over and saw Lin Lan, dressed in a gray-blue robe, leading Lin Yang'er in.
After not seeing him for many days, Lin Lan had lost some of his former mischievous boyishness and gained more composure and depth. His playful and mischievous nature had softened considerably and was hidden in his still bright and sparkling eyes.
Dressed in a light gray robe, she appeared even more refined. Her cascading black hair was held in place by a single white ribbon. She wore no hair ornament, and her ponytail was tied very high, so the color of the ribbon could be seen from the front.
Lin Yang'er has grown much taller and entered her teenage years. The lines of her face are smoother and softer, and her eyes are watery, like uncongealed glass. She is wearing an iris blue dress, which is usually an elegant and dignified color, but she wears it in a bright and lively way.
"Sister Wanwan!" She was as enthusiastic as a child, rushing over and hugging Wanwan's waist. The intense enthusiasm made Wanwan fall backward.
Lin Lan had fallen in love with a woman in the capital. Since some of his family's businesses had also moved with the Wan family, he moved his entire family to live in the capital.
"It's been a long time. Wanwan has grown quite a bit taller." Lin Lan opened a white folding fan and smiled as she fanned herself at the two little girls.
"Brother Lin, it's been a long time." Wanwan responded with difficulty while enduring Lin Yang'er's enthusiasm.
After Lin Yang'er let go of her hand, Lin Lan revealed the reason why she had come to see her.
It turned out that Old Madam Lin had also moved to the capital. The fatigue of many days had made the old lady quite weak. For some reason, she kept mentioning Wanwan's name lately, so Lin Lan brought Yang'er to pick up Wanwan and take her to visit her.
After hearing this, Wanwan informed her grandfather and brother, and discussed with Madam Cao about discussing the banquet later. Without even changing her clothes, she and the Lin siblings headed to the Lin residence.
Unlike usual, Old Madam Lin did not come out to greet her. When Wanwan entered the courtyard, she saw Old Madam Lin sitting in a recliner with her eyes closed, basking in the sun.
Nearly ten years have been even more cruel to the old lady. Her eyesight and hearing have deteriorated, and when she bent over and gently called to her, she did not respond for a long time.
Wanwan felt a pang in her heart and grasped her exposed hand; it was soft and cool.
"Is that Wanwan?" Old Madam Lin asked incoherently as she woke up, struggling to open her eyes.
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