Xu Di rode in a very ordinary green-curtained, oil-painted carriage from the mansion. There were many such carriages on the streets, and some families with a little money could afford one.
Xu Yao looked out through the small curtain of the carriage and saw that the street outside was a completely different scene from daytime. Lanterns were lit in front of the open shops, and some small stalls also had lanterns hanging in front of them. Some of the more elaborate ones even used transparent glazed tiles as lampshades, making the lanterns much brighter.
The application of glass is becoming more and more widespread. It is not only used to make some exquisite utensils, but some people also install glass, which is not very well made, on their windows. The room is bright during the day and can block the wind better than using paper windows. However, due to the production process, only a few families can afford it.
After Xu Di made money, he replaced the windows of the old lady's house and the Marquis's study with glazed windows, and even decorated his own courtyard with bright glazed windows.
Xu Yao looked outside curiously. Although girls could play on the streets, it was only during the day. They rarely came out at night. Xu Yao only went out to see the lanterns with her siblings one year during the Lantern Festival. Because there were many people, the old lady told her to take a look and then quickly take the young masters and ladies of the mansion back home. Every year during the Lantern Festival, there were cases of children going missing.
Xu Yao watched for a while, then lowered the cloth covering the window and asked Xu Di, "Brother, where are we going?"
Xu Di said, "Of course, we're going to see Prince Yang."
Xu Yao sighed and said, "I know you all think I'm being stubborn and reckless, but if I could control my heart, I wouldn't have ended up like this. Big brother, I promise I'll only see him once, and then I'll go back to the manor with you. My mother is going to send me to Liaodong, and I don't know what kind of family I'll marry into."
Xu Di asked, "Have you thought about what kind of family you want to marry into?"
Xu Yao thought for a long time and said, "I originally thought that I would marry someone like Prince Yang. He seems to have a good temper and is gentle and polite to people. But he is already engaged to my cousin. If I continue to pursue him, I will become a laughing stock, and our Yongning Marquis's Mansion will be ridiculed."
Xu Di smiled and said, "Don't you already know that?"
Xu Yao said, "I'm not stupid, of course I know, brother. Is getting married something that girls have to do when they grow up? I see many men who don't have to get married, so why do girls have to get married?"
Xu Di said, "I also want to know why."
Xu Yao said, "Sometimes we girls are actually better at studying and doing things than our brothers. Why is it that our brothers can do whatever they want, while we can only wait to get married? Big brother, I really don't understand. I feel like I want to do something, but I don't know what to do. Grandmother said that since I don't know what to do, I should go out and see the world. My mother told me to go to my eldest sister's house for a while to see what Liaodong is like. Then she also told me to go to Aunt Ru's house to see what the academy Aunt Ru runs is like."
As Xu Yao spoke of these things, her eyes shone with light, which made Xu Di feel a little sad. These teenage girls originally had their own ideas and ideals, but they could only be confined to the small inner quarters, like little birds with broken wings who could not fly away no matter how hard they tried.
Xu Yao said, "Brother, I've thought it all out. I'll take advantage of this trip to see the local customs and culture. I'll write a letter to my grandmother in each place I visit, and later I'll compile all these letters into a travelogue."
When talking about her thoughts, the girl was a little shy, but she still bravely spoke her mind. Xu Di nodded and said, "People need to have ideas. Only with ideas can you do things according to your ideas. If a person doesn't even have ideas, he won't know what to do."
As they were talking, the carriage stopped. Xu Di lifted his robe and got off the carriage. Xu Yao followed behind Xu Di and was helped off the carriage. Only after getting off the carriage did she realize that it was parked in front of a seemingly ordinary courtyard.
Xu Yao found it a bit strange, but instead of asking Xu Di, she carefully examined the small courtyard.
Two large red lanterns hung on either side of the courtyard gate. The spring breeze blew freely, and the lanterns danced in the wind, giving the courtyard, whose size was not clearly visible, a slightly ambiguous feel.
Xu Di saw that Xu Yao was only observing her surroundings and not asking him anything, and he couldn't help but nod in approval. This younger sister seemed a bit domineering, but she was actually a very organized person.
Xu Di leaned close to Xu Yao and whispered, "From now on, you will be my page. You will follow behind me and, no matter what you see, do not say a word."
Although Xu Yao was puzzled, she nodded nonetheless.
Xu Di stepped into the courtyard. Xu Yao gritted her teeth, looked up at the dark courtyard, and felt as if she saw a giant beast with its mouth wide open waiting for her. She couldn't help but feel a little scared. But seeing that Xu Di had already gone in and that she had arrived at her destination, it was too late to back out. So she gritted her teeth and followed Xu Di into the courtyard.
Once inside, they discovered that past the back gate was a hanging flower gate, where someone was already waiting to greet them. Upon seeing Xu Di, the person stepped forward to pay their respects and then led Xu Di directly to the backyard.
Xu Yao followed behind Xu Di, feeling as if they had walked quite a long way. Although the lights were dim along the way, she could still vaguely see the exquisite roadside scenery, and smell the fragrance of various flowers amidst the blossoms and willows.
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