The old woman and maid dared not move again, but Xiao Youran ran wildly in circles, shouting, "Hey, hey, pull me up! You guys have to pull me up! I can't stop!"
Everyone was furious, but dared not speak out.
Nobody's stopping you, so why can't you stop?
Who would dare to pull you up again? Everyone just now fell at least three times.
Xiao Youran finally stopped playing, panting heavily.
Well, the main problem is that everything that could be broken in this flower hall has been broken.
She waved her hand, "Oh, I really didn't expect that you would all come to play hide-and-seek with me on my fifth birthday. Hehe, it's so much fun!"
“You…you spendthrift…get out of here…” Lady Yong’an said weakly, leaning against Madam Gao.
Xiao Youran put her hands behind her back and walked out, saying, "Okay, I'm off!"
Lady Yong'an nearly coughed up blood again, but she finally regained some of her senses. She tugged at Madam Gao and whispered, "Quickly, think of something! We can't let her leave the manor!"
Quick-witted, Madam Gao said, "Little Youran, wait a minute! We haven't given you the birthday gift we prepared yet!"
Little Youran, who had only taken two steps, turned back upon hearing this and stretched out a hand. "Oh right! Grandmother, Aunt, where's my birthday present?"
Lady Yong'an pinched Gao's arm angrily, telling her to leave Xiao Youran behind, but she didn't say she was going to give this spendthrift a gift!
Besides, the Earl's household is already struggling to make ends meet; where would they get the money to send her any gifts?!
Madam Gao had no choice but to calm Xiao Youran down first, and awkwardly pointed to the broken pieces on the ground, saying, "Xiao Youran, your aunt and grandmother prepared a birthday gift for you, which was originally placed on this antique shelf, but now it's all broken. How about... you stay at the mansion for the night, and we'll prepare a new birthday gift for you tomorrow?"
Xiao Youran raised an eyebrow, looking down in thought, "Hmm... but my mother is waiting for me to come back for dinner... She said she'd prepare eight-treasure osmanthus duck, pigeon stewed with century-old ginseng, turtle soup with fish maw, and ginseng bird's nest for me tonight!"
Madam Gao quickly replied, "Yes, yes, we have some too! Little Youran, wait a little longer! Look, we haven't had lunch yet, how can we let you go back hungry?"
Just then, Jiang Mingwei's voice came from outside, "Get out of the way! The soup is getting cold!"
Madam Gao quickly said, "How about this? You and your aunt are close! You can stay in your aunt's courtyard, and she can bring the soup to her courtyard so you can eat together, okay? Surely it won't be poisoned!"
Xiao Youran raised her chin. "I can have my meals in my aunt's courtyard. But if I'm to stay, I want to stay in my own courtyard! Didn't Father say last time that he had reserved a room for me? Could it be that there's no place for me in this manor at all?"
Gao was determined to keep her there. "Yes, yes, yes, it's right next to your aunt's courtyard. I'll have someone go and get you a new set of bedding! You can have your meal with your aunt first."
Xiao Youran pouted and said, "My boudoir should be decorated just like it was in Dingzhou!"
Madam Gao was now in a dilemma, "That double-sided embroidered glass screen..."
Xiao Youran waved her hand generously, "This is fine, as for the rest...?"
Gao nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, let's arrange them the same way!"
Xiao Youran was finally satisfied and went out to meet Jiang Mingwei, who was being stopped by the old woman. "Auntie, it's too messy inside. Auntie said to come to your room for soup!"
Jiang Mingwei was naturally delighted, "Sure! Let's go sit in Aunt's room!"
In the afternoon, after taking a nap, Xiao Youran said she wanted to go and see how her room was decorated.
Jiang Mingwei was also very happy, thinking that her sister-in-law had finally come to her senses. After asking the old woman, she went with her.
When they arrived at the courtyard, Xiao Youran looked disgusted and said, "This is nowhere near as nice as my room in Dingzhou!"
Hearing this from the side, Madam Gao's face turned grim. She turned to Jiang Mingwei for help and said with difficulty, "Mingwei, you know the current situation of the Marquis's mansion. All the good things we can offer are here."
Jiang Mingwei put her arm around Xiao Youran's shoulder and said, "Youran, the Marquis's mansion is indeed facing some difficulties right now. Why don't you make do with staying here? If it's really not good, you can sleep with your aunt tonight! We'll ask your sister-in-law to bring some nice things tomorrow!"
Xiao Youran shook her head. She knew they were going to harm her tonight, so how could she let Jiang Mingwei get involved?
She walked around the room and then exclaimed, "There's not even a glass mirror! How am I supposed to do my makeup? This curtain is made of cotton gauze? That's terrible! I want a curtain with gold thread and cloud patterns! And this thin quilt, how am I supposed to cover myself in this sweltering heat of July? Replace it all with silk quilts! Aunt, I can overlook the other decorative items and screens, but these three things must be done the way I say!"
Gao suppressed her anger. If her mother-in-law hadn't told her to make sure Xiao Youran slept in her own room and never let her sleep with Jiang Mingwei, she would have already lost her temper.
She swallowed her anger and forced a smile, saying, "Alright! Auntie will think of another way!"
Even she herself didn't have a gold-threaded brocade curtain with cloud patterns! This one would cost at least a hundred taels of silver!
Where can I find it?
She hastily arranged this courtyard, bringing all her most treasured possessions and even asking her mother-in-law to bring out some of her private stash.
Jiang Mingwei noticed her sister-in-law's pleading look and advised, "You Ran, why don't you squeeze in with your aunt? Your aunt hasn't held you while you slept in a long time!"
Madam Gao quickly said, "No, no, we can't let outsiders say that the Earl's family has mistreated their granddaughter! You all go back to your courtyard and rest first. We'll have dinner sent over from the kitchen later. I'll have someone prepare it right away, and tonight You Ran, you'll definitely sleep in your own room!"
When the reputation of the Earl's Mansion was brought up, Jiang Mingwei gave up the idea of forcibly keeping him.
In the afternoon, Su Yue indeed arrived with a food box.
Xiao Youran happily welcomed her into Jiang Mingwei's courtyard, where she shared with her aunt the bubble tea and small cakes that Su Yue, whom she had recently taught, had made.
Jiang Mingwei repeatedly praised the delicious food, "No wonder you overturned the dining table at the Earl's mansion. Compared to the food you make, the food at the Earl's mansion is really hard to swallow!"
Xiao Youran said to Suyue, "Tomorrow morning, have Zhao Mama make breakfast and bring it over. Let Auntie try our family's breakfast too! Also, after breakfast, I'm going to distribute porridge. Have Chicken Wing Brother wait at the door with the grain cart."
Jiang Mingwei perked up at the news, "You Ran, can your aunt come with you? I'm so bored being cooped up in the mansion all day!"
Xiao You nodded, "Of course."
As expected, Xiao Youran moved into her own courtyard that evening. She smiled as she looked at the palm-sized glass mirror, the mismatched gold-threaded brocade curtain, and the thin, small silk quilt.
It seems this Earl's mansion is truly dirt poor!
They were really lucky in their past life!
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