Chapter 95: Cultivating Nature

Listening to the tune of "I only accept gifts from Wanglaiju", the servants passed the tune from mouth to mouth and gradually spread it to the circle of managers and masters of the house. In addition, the reputation of Wanglaiju as a "lucky pot" was spread by the chief clerk. Nowadays, in the capital, if anyone has not heard of the name of Wanglaiju, he would not even dare to speak of it.

When visiting each other, they would bring each other the newly launched glutinous rice cake daifuku from Wang Lai Ju or reservation invitations for the newly launched scorpion hotpot from Si Li. If anyone did not bring Wang Lai Ju's newly launched snacks as a gift when traveling, they would seem to be inferior to others and their words would lack some energy.

The dim sum at Wanglaiju is no longer just dim sum. People talk about the effort put into it at banquets, the huge queues in the queues, and how exquisite the boxes that decorate it are. It is no different from talking about the clothes and jewelry in any famous shop before.

Si Li's plan to divide the residential area into high-end and civilian areas has been realized. Limited food has become a new trend and a symbol of the nobles' status.

As the end of the year approaches, there are many banquets and parties. Mrs. Si, who in previous years could talk with other ladies at the banquets about her daughters' studies and her husband's love and favor, and gain admiration and respect from them, is now living a rather unhappy life. Faced with the word "living together" that is always mentioned, she tries to find excuses to change the topic from time to time, but she can never get around it.

After all, with the endorsement of Wuweilou and Qunying Academy, everyone now knows that Wanglaiju was run by the eldest daughter of the Si family who had been hidden for more than ten years. Mrs. Si has also left the impression in people's minds that she treats the daughter of the first wife of the Si chief assistant as her own daughter for more than ten years. So, if you put yourself in their shoes, what topic is more flattering than praising their children or pets? As for the two young ladies of the Si family, one was taken home by her father to be disciplined, and it was obviously not easy to offend Mrs. Si, so naturally, she could only praise and flatter the eldest young lady.

Mrs. Si was in deep pain. She listened to all the compliments and envy as people talked about how discerning, kind-hearted, and skillful the owner of Wanglaiju was. But she couldn't get a word in and could only put on airs and deal with the situation.

I'm afraid no one would believe it if they told others that, as relatives who often visited the owner's house, they were the only family that was completely turned away.

After all, there were many rumors about the conversation between Miss Si and her father at the Qunying Academy. She was courteous and polite, always considerate of her father, and was a typical lady from a wealthy family. It was precisely because of the conversation spread by the female students that the ladies of various families believed that Mrs. Si loved her daughter wholeheartedly.

Didn't you see that it was Miss Si who was taken home for discipline for being "naughty" and "selfish"? Mrs. Si was so busy educating her eldest daughter that she even neglected her own daughter. It was really a pity.

A small banquet was just over, and it was the time for the nobles to compare themselves with each other as usual. After enduring the endless flattery in her ears throughout the banquet, Mrs. Si returned home early on the pretext of feeling unwell. Si Tang, who was detained in the small Buddhist temple in the mansion to copy scriptures to cultivate his body and mind, saw his mother coming back, stopped writing, and complained, "Mom, Dad is not here, I will just copy it twice, there is no need to do this..."

"Be careful with your words!" Mrs. Si shouted. Seeing Si Tang's trembling expression, her eyebrows softened and she sighed, "Ah Tang, now that you are back from the academy, all your previous business has gone to waste. The situation is getting difficult step by step. You can't do things as you like in the past. Do you understand?"

Si Tang lowered his head in grievance and said bitterly, "It's all Si Li's fault. She hid us for so long and didn't treat us as family. Now she bites back so viciously! She deliberately wants to ruin my marriage!"

"You have already seen it, Prince. Under the circumstances, your father could not disobey him, so he had to let you down. Fortunately, it is still early for you to leave the palace, and you can avoid the limelight for the past two years, so there won't be many obstacles. According to mother, the prince has a cold personality and is not a good man. Why not take advantage of the flower show this time to win the favor of the prince and the Princess of Yue."

Mrs. Si talked for a while, but Si Tang's mind was completely immersed in the icy, immortal-looking young man in his memory. He looked dazed and only came back to his senses after his mother called him several times.

Si Tang pursed his lips, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is almost an adult, it will be too late if the marriage is not settled. Looking around the capital, who else but me can be a good match for him? Mother is being too cautious! Besides, you have heard that the Prince of Yue and Si Li are close. The Princess of Yue is just a well-known person in the capital who is dignified and elegant, and has been a good judge for many years. She can make the Prince and the merchants friendly, and I don't even know what her upbringing is like. How can you bear to let me marry into his family?"

"Atang!" Mrs. Si was a little helpless in her headache. The daughter she had pampered for many years finally made her suffer a little. "Where did the etiquette I taught you go? I think you haven't cultivated your character enough by copying scriptures! Do you think you can choose all the good men in the capital?"

Si Tang frowned and said nothing, obviously thinking so. Si Ji was even more disappointed, "If you miss the Prince of Yue's Mansion, your only choice is the Princess of Le'an's Mansion, or the families of those dukes, which would be considered a good marriage, but which of those families is not complicated? I just want you to be safe and sound, and to be rich and noble for the rest of your life. If your grandfather were still alive, seeing that you are so obsessed with marrying into the royal family and dazzled by beauty, I would punish you by making you kneel in the ancestral hall!"

Thinking of the deceased Ji Xueshi, Mrs. Si burst into tears and choked up and couldn't speak any more. Seeing her mother crying, Si Tang panicked, "Mother, I will listen to your arrangements, I will be good! Mother's vision must be the best."

As she spoke, she was sure in her heart that what her mother said was true. The Le'an Princess's mansion alone was in chaos, and the Dongyang Prince's slick appearance made Si Tang feel sick. All families were in the same circle, and the children of several families of the same marriageable age had met each other. Everyone in each family had a concubine before marrying a wife, which was very annoying. In this case, the Prince of Yue, who loved painting and followed his parents' early promise to marry only one person, was the most suitable candidate besides the prince who promised the Queen that he would be with her for the rest of his life.

Si Tang paused, and suddenly hesitantly began to arise in his heart. In order to marry the man she had chosen, her mother would rather wait until Si Jian died of childbirth, and married into the Si family with the suspicion of killing the original wife. Now her life seems... not so good.

Seeing her pause, Mrs. Si looked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing."

Si Tang didn't dare to say that she had doubted for a moment whether the good her mother said was really good, and she dealt with it vaguely. Seeing her careless look, Mrs. Si sighed helplessly, turned around and called the maid to confirm that Wanglaiju and the Jian family still hadn't responded to her letter. Seeing that the flower show at the Prince of Yue's Mansion was the day after tomorrow, she finally couldn't bear it anymore, picked up the pen and ground the ink, wrote a letter and asked someone to take it to Si Li, asking her to talk at Wuwei Tower in the evening.

After sending the letter, Si Tang said unwillingly, "Why should mother bow to her? It's not like I can't cook."

Madam Si pointed at her forehead and said angrily, "What do you know? Even if you can't use her to go to the flower show, you should at least take some as a bargaining chip. Do you think it's a matter of honor to tell others that your sister doesn't agree with you? You seemed to know a little bit in the past, but why are you so aggressive after being hurt by her several times? Although she lost the limelight at the tea party, she did leave some impression on people. You can't miss this opportunity at the flower show. Concubine Yuan, who hasn't left the palace for many years, and the two princes will come. If you can get a compliment from the palace, all your previous mistakes will be written off."

Of the two princes, she can only marry one, and the second prince is still just a child, so Si Tang has no interest in him at all. Moreover, if it is a mistake, it is because of the trouble caused by Si Li that she has been in this situation. If she can marry the prince, who will care about what she did in the past?

But she still had to listen to her mother. Thinking about meeting Si Li at the flower show and pretending to be close sisters, Si Tang felt upset. She responded sullenly and said nothing more. The sun was gradually setting. Si Tang, who was copying the scriptures in the small Buddhist temple, had yawned several times. Mrs. Si was also anxious, but she still pressed the key.

Nanny He, who was sent to deliver the letter, walked in a hurry. When she saw Madam Si, she still had a look of disbelief on her face. Her hands were empty and tears welled up in her eyes. "Madam, I, your old servant, have failed to live up to your trust..."

Mrs. Si's expression changed slightly, "Tell me quickly."

Nanny He did not see Si Li, but only got a message. The steward who came from Si's manor was not polite at all when he saw her. He went in and came out soon after delivering the message. "My shopkeeper said that if you really want to see her, please ask Madam to think about what you have done in the past few years, and ask Miss to think about what you said before you fell into the water. Once you understand what you have done, come to the teahouse and wait."

The answer was vague and no one responded when I asked again.

Mrs. Si clenched her handkerchief tightly. The guess that had been floating in her mind finally came true. Si Li really knew what she had done, but...what does this have to do with Atang? Mrs. Si turned to Si Tang, who frowned as he heard the story, and asked, "What did you say to her before she fell into the water?"

Previously, she only knew that the two had an argument on the way to Guangji Temple, Si Li accidentally fell into the water, and also dragged her daughter into the water. She originally blamed Si Li for not knowing the situation, but now, after hearing it, it seemed that there was another hidden story behind it.

Si Tang stammered, "No, nothing. Liu Wuling and An Yao laughed at her and called her a waste. It was a disgrace to the family and brought shame to you and father... I even blocked her twice. Who knew she was so petty!" Seeing her mother's bad expression, she quickly changed the subject to shirk the responsibility. However, after years of ups and downs in life, Mrs. Si had already understood what had happened.

Mrs. Si slowly closed her eyes. The quarrel between the son and his parents was already a very vicious quarrel. In Si Li's heart, she probably never regarded her as a mother. It was normal for her to be angry and unwilling to go home after being insulted. If Si Li was not Jian's daughter, but her biological daughter, she would admire such a character.

Now...it's too late to say anything.

"You." Mrs. Si sighed, "Watch the young lady. She is not allowed to eat until she has copied the Qingxin Mantra ten times, and no one is allowed to help her. Aunt He, help me open the storehouse to prepare a gift and take out some old things from the Jian family." She paused, "The gifts that the Jian family has sent over the years should also be sent back? Atang, take out the set of Dongzhu's forbidden steps that you have hidden. It is not ours and cannot be kept."

"Mother?!" Si Tang shouted in disbelief.

Mrs. Si looked tired and stood up from the futon. "No need to say more. The Jian family is not your uncle's family after all. Now is the time to pay it back. I will give you a chance even if it means sacrificing my reputation."

Si Li, who was regarded as a villain and whose only chance of survival was snatched from her, had no idea that Mrs. Si was already so grief-stricken. After crumpling up the ball of letter paper and throwing it into the room to accompany the previous ones, she leaned on the newly made rocking chair under the warm sun and breeze of early winter, ate the egg yolk pastry sent by Guan Ji, and wrote down the shortcomings, preparing to meet tomorrow to communicate.

With the lovely little beauty Princess Jinhe resting on his knees, and next to him is the taro milk tea that Shopkeeper Tang has re-developed after recuperating for many days. It is soft, sweet and salty at the same time. It is a life that even a god would not trade for.

As soon as Xiao Qi entered the room, she saw Si Li eating and drinking without caring about her image. She was very jealous, "I am exhausted, but you are enjoying it. Give me two bites!"

"Hey, how could yours be missing?" Si Li pointed to the food box beside her, looked at Xiao Qi and asked curiously, "Why are you dressed so fancy today?"