Chapter 25: Ripples on a Quiet Lake
"I didn't say that, you said it yourself." Mingzhao put down his armband, untied his belt, and turned to go to the bathroom.
Ming Zhouqing snorted and walked out of his yard with his hands behind his back.
The next day, Mrs. Yuan came to see Yuan Yuhe early in the morning.
When Yuan Yuhe saw her, she hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is Wan'er interested in Qing'er?"
Madam Yuan waved her hand, "Wan'er has no interest in Qing'er, but she has her eyes on Zhaohuan."
Yuan Yuhe was delighted at first, but then sighed, "This won't work."
"Why not?" Mrs. Yuan asked, noting that she was in a low mood but did not seem to think that her daughter was unworthy of her nephew.
"This is a close relationship, and it's risky." Yuan Yuhe sighed again and told her sister-in-law what her second son said yesterday.
"If a deformed baby is born, do you think you should raise it or not? I can't bear not to raise it, since it's my grandson after all."
Madam Yuan was silent for a long time. "Well, let's just leave it at that. Just consider us visiting relatives."
"I told Wan'er that Zhao Huan had no interest in her. She has a stubborn personality, so I tried to prevent her from still thinking about Zhao Huan after hearing that."
Yuan Yuhe nodded, "Okay."
…
Shi Jianli would pay her respects to the old lady once every half month, so after school today, she took Lanxing to the old lady's Fushou Hall.
Mingyuelin, Mingyuesi and Yuan Wan were walking side by side with him. Yuan Wan looked a little absent-minded.
"cousin!"
"Hmm?" Yuan Wan came back to her senses. "What's wrong?"
"What are you thinking about? I called you several times but you didn't respond." Mingyue Linxiao complained.
Shi Jianli also glanced over, playing with a jade flower bracelet on her hand. Thinking of something, she looked back ahead and lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes obscuring the expression in her eyes.
"Nothing." Yuan Wan shook her head and didn't want to say more.
When they arrived at Fushou Hall, the four girls were welcomed in and greeted.
"Hello, old lady. I haven't seen you for a long time. I see that you look good. Is there anything happy happening recently?" Shi Jianli bowed to the old lady as a junior, and waved to Lanxing to take the thing he was holding.
The old lady smiled and took her hand, saying, "There's nothing to worry about. It's just something to be happy about. You know you haven't come to see me for a long time. Why don't you come more often?"
"I'm afraid if I come too often, you'll get tired of me. I'll come once in a while so you can keep me in your thoughts." Shi Jianli held the headband in both hands and brought it to the old man, smiling sweetly, "It's cold in the mornings and evenings in spring, so I made you a headband. The pattern is nothing fancy, just pine, cypress, and flowers. I wish you good health, a long life, and a happy life."
"You're such a mischievous creature, you've got such thoughts in mind." The old lady took it, her smile widening. "You're so considerate and filial, and you've got a deft hand. You embroidered this pattern beautifully, the stitches are so precise and lifelike."
"As long as the old lady likes it." After acting cute, Shi Jianli sat down in a seat farther away from the table with great propriety.
She took the tea offered by the maid and drank it slowly while listening to the grandparents and grandchildren having fun together, occasionally adding a word or two.
Yuan Wan was also questioned by the old lady and talked about the interesting things that happened in Runan.
Mingyue Si, who was a little quiet, also responded from time to time.
The old lady invited him to have lunch at her restaurant. When he saw that the pear had been eaten, he went back to take a nap. When he woke up, he took Lanxing Xianyue to inspect his shop.
After checking out the incoming goods and the warehouse, Shi Jianli came out of the cloth shop and ran into Xie Xuezhi, whom she had met at the flower viewing banquet before.
Xie Xuezhi was a little surprised to see her, and stepped forward and said, "Miss Shi, what a coincidence, we meet again."
"It's quite a coincidence."
"Miss Shi, do you have time to go out for a walk today?" Xie Xuezhi looked at her and asked with a smile.
"I just finished my homework. I've been sitting still for a long time and felt bored, so I came out to get some fresh air." Shi Jianli met her gaze and said indifferently, "I'm tired of shopping too. I'm going back now. Thank you, Fourth Miss. Goodbye."
"Okay." Xie Xuezhi nodded, and when she saw her turn around, her smile faded.
She took her maid to a nearby restaurant and went up to a private room on the second floor. The servant saw her and opened the door for her.
Xie Xuezhi walked in and saw the figure standing by the window. She clenched her fists slightly and said, "Brother."
Xie Weisong turned to look at her with a smile on his face, "The one who just spoke to you was the cousin from the Duke of Anguo's mansion?"
Xie Xuezhi sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of tea. "Yes, a very beautiful woman with a good personality. Do you know her, big brother?"
"We met once in front of Princess Kunyi's residence." Xie Weisong put his hands behind his back, "Aren't you happy to bring you out to play?"
Xie Xuezhi looked up at him and smiled, "I'm happy. I'm just a little tired after walking around for so long."
"That's good."
…
After parting with Xie Xuezhi, Shi Jianli took another walk before going back and took out the "Book of Gold and Stone" to read again.
In the guest house of the East Palace, Yuan Wan went to look for Madam Yuan as soon as she entered the yard, and waited for a while before she came back.
She went up to him and asked, "Mother, what did my aunt say?"
Madam Yuan shook her head, looked at her expression, and said slowly, "Zhao Huan doesn't have that kind of intention towards you."
Yuan Wan pursed her lips, her expression darkened in an instant, and her eyes turned red.
Mrs. Yuan patted her head and said, "Let's end this matter here, okay?"
After a while, Yuan Wan nodded, but she was reluctant to give up.
Early in the morning, Shi Jianli changed into a jade riding suit and headed for the private school. On the way, she met Ming Zhaohuan again, who was wearing a crimson official robe, with a tiger lying dormant on his chest.
"Cousin."
Meeting him every morning was like an unspoken agreement.
Shi Jianli couldn't help but sigh in her heart every time. When he appeared from the corner surrounded by flowers, he seemed to be walking out from the vibrant spring, which made people's hearts stir in an instant.
It’s nothing, this cousin is just very handsome.
Mingzhao's eyes fell on her with a gentle smile. He paused for a moment and asked, "Shooting practice today?"
Mingzhao still knew a little about the school arrangements for his younger brothers and sisters in the private school.
"Um."
He bent down slightly, looked into her eyes, and asked, "You won't hide your incompetence today, will you?"
The other person's eyes were bright and lively, and seemed to be stained with morning frost and dew, a little cold, but when he approached, he felt a little surprised, just like ripples on a quiet lake.
Shi Jianli blinked and shook her head.
He didn't believe the lies she told that day.
Mingzhao chuckled softly, then stood up and left.
Shi Jianli looked at his back, pursed her lips, and walked towards the private school.
When choosing a bow, Shi Jianli took a bow that was half a pound heavier than the last time. This time she practiced double-shooting, that is, shooting two arrows at a time.
Drawing the bow, aiming, gathering strength, two arrows simultaneously pierce the target, one in the bull's eye, the other on the edge. If we were to use a human analogy, it would be like a sword piercing the collarbone and an arrow piercing the shoulder blade.
When he released his fingers for the second time, the two arrows still hit the target, and at the same time another arrow grazed its feathers.
Noticing someone was looking at her, Shi Jianli turned her head and met the other person's bright gaze. She was silent for a moment and said calmly, "Second cousin Yuan, you missed the target."
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