When Fourth Master left, a sudden downpour began from the clear sky that had lasted for several days.
Rainwater, like pillars, flowed down the heavy glazed tile eaves, forming a natural rain curtain.
Lanqin, dressed in a light purple qipao, stood on the porch in front of the main house, watching the rain pour down. She felt a pang of longing for the Fourth Master who had just left. She thought she wouldn't care too much, and that the Fourth Master hadn't taken her this time to avoid her being too favored and attracting too much jealousy, but she still felt inexplicably sad.
Is this what they mean by deep affection?
Lanqin stood under the eaves, stretching out her fair and slender hand. Immediately, large raindrops, as big as crystals, pattered into her palm.
"Princess, although it's June, it's still a bit chilly after the rain. Please take care of yourself, standing in the wind and rain like this!" Nianxue took a moon-white gauze cloak and draped it over Lanqin's shoulders from behind.
"It's alright. Did you bring Fu Bao in? With this heavy rain, its doghouse is probably going to leak," Lan Qin asked.
She slowly withdrew her hands, which were soaked by the rain, and Nianxue immediately used a handkerchief to gently wipe the water off them.
"Uncle Li has already taken her to his room, Gege, don't worry." After wiping Lanqin's hands, Nianxue took her arm and tried to pull her into the house. The rain was too heavy, and Lanqin's qipao was already a little wet from the rain and wind. If she stood there like this, she might catch a cold.
Lanqin let Nianxue pull her back into the house.
"Princess, the head nanny just sent word that she will have one of the embroiderers from the manor come over at noon to take your measurements," Nianxue said as she untied her cloak. Xicha immediately brought Nianxue a cup of warm mare's milk.
"Making clothes again?" Nianxue never really cared about the fabrics and such. When she married into the family, Madam Anjia had already prepared a whole trunk of summer and winter clothes for her, far more than she could ever wear.
"The head nanny said that each princess will receive ten bolts each of silk, satin, brocade, and twill; the secondary consorts will receive fifteen bolts, plus five bolts of brocade; and the primary consorts will receive twenty bolts, plus ten bolts of brocade and five bolts of antique satin. These fabrics are all suitable for clothing made in summer and autumn," Huanbi said enthusiastically. She was far more adept at networking with the people in the mansion than Nianxue and the others. As she spoke, she brought out a tray with two small plates of delicate pastries. These were unique to their courtyard and not found elsewhere, naturally made by Old Man Niu.
"My mother still has new clothes that I haven't worn yet, why make so many more?" Nianxue picked up a piece of what looked like a soft and sticky pastry, took a bite, and said dismissively.
Yesterday, in the front yard, the Fourth Prince instructed Zhao Quan to allow Lanqin free access, and then summoned the head nanny. They talked for a long time in the room, and no one else knew what they discussed. Later that night, the Fourth Prince came to Lanqin's place, and the two of them made love in bed for quite some time until Lanqin was too exhausted to keep her eyes open. This morning, when the Fourth Prince got up, Lanqin was still asleep. By the time Lanqin woke up, the Fourth Prince had already left, sending someone to tell them not to see her off.
Lanqin was in a bad mood from early morning, so she had no interest in making clothes.
"Princess, this is the first time you've had clothes made since you came to the manor! Although Madam gave you many dowry clothes, you can never have too many clothes." Xicha said, puzzled. Only Nianxue knew that Lanqin was unhappy because the Fourth Master had left the manor.
“Princess, these are all the rules of the manor, you can just follow them. Now, we servants will play cards with you for a while, shall we?” Nianxue winked at Xicha and Huanbi.
After playing cards for a while, Lanqin's expression finally relaxed, and the maids also relaxed.
Lanqin also realized that she couldn't continue like this. The Fourth Prince wasn't just hers; he belonged to all the women in the inner quarters. He was also the fourth son of the Qing Emperor, and the responsibilities he bore were predetermined from birth. She needed to pull herself together and live her life well. Even without the Fourth Prince, she should make the most of every day.
After having lunch, Lanqin rested for a while. When she woke up, Nianxue helped her change clothes, comb her hair, and wash her face before saying to her, "Princess, while you were asleep, the head nanny had someone bring over all the fabrics for you. The embroiderer originally came with her, but seeing that you were still asleep, she went to another princess's place first. She said she would come back here later to take your measurements."
Lanqin looked at herself in the mirror. Her complexion had improved a lot after a good night's sleep. Hearing what she said, she casually replied, "Okay, I'm not waiting for clothes anyway."
Seeing that Lanqin wasn't interested in the fabrics, Nianxue took the initiative and said, "Princess, in addition to your share, the Fourth Prince also specially gifted us some very beautiful plain satin fabrics this time. They feel so comfortable to the touch. Would you like to take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Lanqin's face remained expressionless, but her heart warmed, and she nodded gently.
Seeing that Gege's face was no longer gloomy as it had been that morning, Nianxue was delighted and worked even harder. In less than a quarter of an hour, a unique little double bun was completed.
When Lanqin arrived at the main room, she saw a pile of cloth on the long table, which had not yet been put away. The colors were all her favorites, all in lighter shades: pale pink, pale green, pale yellow, and pale purple. Among them was a piece of milky white plain satin, which was exactly what Nianxue had just mentioned.
“Princess, this plain satin is extremely rare; it’s said to come from Shu. This satin is incredibly light, soft, and smooth, making it the most comfortable material for underwear,” Huanbi said to Lanqin as she came to look.
"You seem to be very familiar with fabrics?" Lanqin stepped forward, raising her hand to stroke the piece of plain satin. It was indeed as smooth as silk, perfect for making some summer undergarments.
When Huanbi heard Lanqin ask this question, she hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to say, "My father once served as an advisor in the Shuzhou Textile Bureau. I have been dealing with these silks and satins since I was a child, so I am quite familiar with these fabrics."
"Oh, then when the embroiderers come over later, you'll be in charge of taking these fabrics over to have them made into new clothes." Lanqin hadn't considered Xicha's feelings and just said that directly. In the past, Xicha was always in charge of her clothes.
Nianxue glanced at Xicha and saw the sadness in her eyes.
Huanbi has been here for a while now, and it's clear that she's not content to be a second-class maid; she's showing it off in front of Lanqin!
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