After Luo Shenyuan passed the imperial examination, his family was flooded with visitors, renowned for their reputation. Luo Chengzhang, expecting his eldest son to be somewhat timid, was surprised by his composure and eloquence. This reassured him, and he told the household steward that from now on, all matters, big or small, could be addressed to the third son, not to him.
After all, Luo Shenyuan is the eldest son of a concubine and has to shoulder the responsibilities of the second wife.
Luo Shenyuan became even busier because of this, and sometimes he was not seen for several days. The last time Yining saw him, he was surrounded by several managers and disappeared from a distance. He rarely even went back to his residence Fengxietang.
Yining was even more bored, mostly accompanying Old Lady Luo and seeing Mother Zheng for acupuncture. Or Luo Yixiu would ask her to go to the back hills to pick osmanthus flowers and make osmanthus molasses.
As Luo Shenyuan's status rose, so did Lin Hairu's position in the family. Not only did Luo Chengzhang respect her even more, but Chen Shi even started talking to her. Furthermore, the wives of various families took turns inviting her to the theater. Madam Gao alone had already invited Lin Hairu three or four times.
Lin Hairu had finally assimilated into the circle of Baoding's aristocratic wives. She hadn't been able to integrate successfully in the five years since her marriage, but after Luo Shenyuan won the title of Jieyuan, she was enthusiastically sought after. Yi Ning was delighted for her. Previously, they only invited Chen's daughters, but now she finally had some social connections.
Lin Hairu occasionally took her to the theater. When they heard that she was Luo Shenyuan's biological sister, the ladies stuffed sunflower seeds and snacks into her hands as if they were free, and praised her with compliments such as being smart, cute, and sensible.
The governor's wife once pulled Lin Hairu aside and said, "...I have a niece in Xuzhou. Not only is she pretty, but she's also very skilled in needlework. Her grandfather was the prefect of Xuzhou. If you're interested, let's find a Taoist priest to match your horoscopes."
Yi Ning, who had been stuffed with snacks, was munching on chestnut cakes in a trance when she heard this and nearly choked. The Governor's wife was a lady with a title, after all. Why was this so urgent?
Lin Hairu felt a little embarrassed by the Governor's wife's warm reception. Everyone thought she had the final say on Luo Shenyuan's affairs, but in reality, she had no control at all. She could only say, "It all depends on Shenyuan's opinion. I don't understand."
The Governor's wife was even more delighted when she heard this and said, "That's absolutely right! It's up to the young people to make the decision on this matter. I'll write to my sister right away and ask her to ask my niece's opinion..."
Seeing that Lin Hairu was confused by other people's words again, Yining quickly said with a smile: "Grandma said that third brother still needs to study for a few more years!" She was just a child now, and no one would blame her for saying it.
But after a few such visits, Yining grew tired of it and didn't want to go anymore. Lin Hairu soon didn't want to go either. She'd seen every popular play in Baoding at least three times, and it was meaningless. Besides, people weren't there to see the play, they were there to see her.
Yi Ning also asked Mrs. Luo for her opinion: "Third brother has been asked to marry a lot lately. Who do you think is the best?"
The old lady raised her eyelids and asked her lazily, "Which one do you think is better?"
Yi Ning naturally felt that no woman was worthy of Luo Shenyuan, so she picked one at random and said, "I think the young lady from the Gao family next door is pretty good."
Mrs. Luo laughed when she heard this and asked her, "They bribed you with a few pieces of durian cakes, and you're even going to sell out your third brother?"
Yining was at a loss for words, she didn't mean that at all!
Mrs. Luo continued, "I'm not anxious about his affairs, and I won't care about him. If he passes the imperial examination again, there will be an endless stream of marriage proposals coming to him."
Seeing that the old lady had no such plan, Yining finally breathed a sigh of relief. She no longer had to go around watching plays.
Lin Hairu secretly leaked this news, and as a result, fewer people invited her to parties.
Autumn arrived soon after. Yining was a bit afraid of the heat, so she was relieved by the cooler weather. She turned a page in the Book of Songs and continued reading, stuffing another piece of pear into her mouth.
At this time, the maid who was guarding outside came in and told her that the third young master came to see her.
Yining sat up straight. Didn’t he say he went to the shop in Tongzhou? Why did he come back at this time?
When Luo Shenyuan walked in, he saw that the little girl had prepared a plate of sliced pears for him. He took a quick look and handed her the item in his hand: "I brought it back for you from Tongzhou."
It is the newly made osmanthus and poria cake this year.
Yining had recently been upset by all the cakes and pastries at the banquet, and she probably wouldn't like them again anytime soon. Of course, she didn't dare say anything. She put them in the box, pulled his arm as he was about to drink tea, and asked with a smile, "Third Brother, is Tongzhou fun?"
She had never been to this place in either of her past lives. She heard that it was close to the capital and a hub of the canal, so it was very prosperous.
Luo Shenyuan raised his head, slowly covered his teacup, and said, "Not bad. But I heard you were going to sell me out for a few cakes, so I brought some back for you."
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