"Wanwan, my good niece, come and let your aunt see if you have grown taller again?" Liu was wearing a brand new brocade dress with a hypocritical smile on her face. When she saw Shen Weiwan coming out, she immediately greeted her enthusiastically and pretended to hold her hand.
Shen Weiwan sneered in her heart, but her face showed a flattered look, and she shrank back: “Good morning, aunt.”
Liu's hands froze in mid-air, a hint of displeasure flashed across her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, still smiling with a "loving" look on her face: "Silly child, why are you being so polite to your aunt? Come, let your aunt take a look at you."
This time, Shen Weiwan did not hide anymore and let Liu hold her hand. Liu's hand was indeed as soft and smooth as in her previous life, with a faint scent of powder.
"Wanwan," Liu sighed, pulled her to sit at the table, and began her performance, "time flies, you're already fifteen. Speaking of which, your mother passed away early, and your father is away all year round. When I look at you, it's like looking at my own daughter."
Shen Weiwan lowered her eyes, hiding the sarcasm in her eyes, and whispered, “Thank you, aunt, for loving me.”
"Silly child, why are you saying thank you to your aunt?" Liu patted the back of her hand, her tone becoming gentler. "By the way, Wanwan, do you still have the red gold hairpin your mother left for you?"
Here we come!
Shen Weiwan's heart trembled, but a confused look appeared on her face: "Buyao? Is it the one that mother wore when she was buried? I put it in the dressing box. Why are you asking this, aunt?"
A trace of greed flashed across Liu's eyes, but she pretended to sigh and said, "Ah, I've seen that buyao. It's a rare and precious item. Look at your cousin Ruorou. She's also at marriageable age. A few days ago, a good family came to propose marriage. Ruorou has set her eyes on a golden buyao, but my aunt's family is poor and she really can't afford that much money..."
She paused, observing Shen Weiwan's expression. Seeing that she was just listening blankly, she continued, "I thought, your hairpin is just sitting there anyway, why not give it to Ruorou as an engagement token? When she gets married well, she can still help you in the future, right? Don't you think so?"
Shen Weiwan raised her head, blinking her big, innocent eyes and looked at Liu: "Aunt, is what you said true? If Sister Ruorou wears my hairpin, she can marry into a good family?"
Liu was delighted and nodded quickly: "Of course it's true! Could your aunt lie to you?"
"But..." Chen Weiwan frowned, looking embarrassed. "Before she died, my mother told me that the hairpin was her favorite and asked me to keep it well and not show it to anyone. Also, I seem to have heard my nanny say that if you touch the late lady's belongings, you must follow the 'five grains clean hands' ritual, otherwise it will disturb the late lady's heroic spirit."
"Wash your hands after every five grains?" Liu was stunned. She had never heard of this rule before. "What do you mean by wash your hands after every five grains?"
"It's just washing your hands with grains," Shen Weiwan said seriously, "The nurse said that this is the rule of our general's mansion to show respect for the late lady. I'm not sure how to do it specifically, I have to ask the old housekeeper."
Liu cursed inwardly at the hassle, but for the sake of the red-gold hairpin, she patiently said, "Since it's a rule, it naturally can't be broken. I just don't know how to do this five-grain hand cleansing ritual specifically."
Shen Weiwan sneered in her heart, but her face showed an ignorant look of "I don't know either": "I'm not sure either. How about my aunt accompany me to ask the old housekeeper? By the way, let the old housekeeper prepare it. After all, it's my mother's relics, so we can't be careless."
Liu was a little hesitant. She didn't want to serve that old butler. But then she thought, as long as she could get the hairpin, why not endure it? So she nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll go with you to ask."
Shen Weiwan was already very happy in her heart, but her face was still innocent: "Thank you, aunt! Then let's go now?"
"Now?" Liu was a little caught off guard. "Isn't it too early?"
"Not too early, not too early," Shen Weiwan took Liu's hand and said enthusiastically, "the sooner you ask clearly, the sooner you can rest assured. Let's go, auntie!"
Having said that, she didn't care whether Liu was willing or not, and directly pulled her out. Liu staggered under her pull, secretly cursing why this damn girl was so enthusiastic today, but she had no choice but to follow her.
The two came to the front yard and happened to meet the old housekeeper who was instructing the servants to do something. Shen Weiwan immediately let go of Liu's hand, ran to the old housekeeper, and bowed: "Old housekeeper, I have something to ask you."
The old housekeeper saw Shen Weiwan and nodded slightly: “What’s the matter, Miss?”
Chen Weiwan pointed at Liu who had followed and said, "Aunt wants to borrow the red gold hairpin left by my mother for my cousin as an engagement token. I remember the nurse said that if you touch the late wife's belongings, you must perform the five grains hand-washing ceremony. I wonder how this ceremony should be performed?"
The old housekeeper glanced at Liu with a hint of barely perceptible contempt in his eyes, and then said to Shen Weiwan: "The eldest lady still remembers this rule, and this old servant is very pleased. This five-grain hand-washing method must use the five-grain cereals that the late lady loved most back then, stir-fry them, mix them with warm water, and then wash your hands three times to show respect."
"We need roasted grains?" Liu couldn't help but ask, "That's really troublesome. Where can we find them in such a short time?"
The old housekeeper gave her a cold look and said, "The late Madam's favorite grains are readily available in the mansion's treasury. As for the trouble, it's only natural to do it as a sign of respect."
Liu was choked and speechless, her face looking a little ugly.
Shen Weiwan acted as if she hadn't seen it. She took Liu's hand and said expectantly, "Aunt, look, the old housekeeper said that we have to perform the ritual of washing our hands with grains. How about we go to the storehouse to get the grains now?"
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