By the end of the banquet, Yang Cui had gotten to know all the most prestigious ladies in Kyoto.
Meanwhile, Er Ya, San Ya, and Qiu Qiu made many new friends. The snacks and treats prepared by Yang Cui were very popular with the children. Er Ya even showed off her arithmetic skills, which amazed everyone.
"Qiuqiu is amazing at math! I never knew Sisi was so good at it too!" Xia Zhen exclaimed.
Yuan Qiu went to the South Study to study, and on the fifth day, he demonstrated his arithmetic skills, which amazed everyone present.
"It's mainly because my mother taught me well; everyone in our family knows how to do it," Er Ya said with a smile, praising Yang Cui again.
“Learning this is useless, it’s not like we’re doing business. Even if we were, we could hire an accountant.” Lin Qinya felt a little uncomfortable seeing everyone surrounding Er Ya.
“Miss Lin, you are mistaken. My mother said that learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting can cultivate one’s character, but it can only be a seasoning for life. However, arithmetic is different. In the future, you will be managing the inner quarters and running the family business. If you can do arithmetic, it will be more convenient, and you will not have to worry about the people below you making false accounts to deceive you.”
The young ladies present are all legitimate daughters of prominent families, destined to marry into wealthy households as principal wives. They will then manage the household affairs and the inner quarters. Knowing arithmetic and accounting will naturally make things much easier for them.
"Sisi, can I learn from you?" Chen Shiqi said, linking arms with Er Ya.
Gu Minghua's eldest daughter is fourteen years old this year. She knows her father's purpose in asking her to bring her younger sister to the Cen family. She thinks that if she can get along well with Er Ya and San Ya, it might help her sister and Yuan Qiu's situation.
She immediately said, "Miss Yang, if you're going to teach, could you also teach us sisters?"
"Teach us while you're at it?" Xie Tong hated studying, but she still wanted to join in the fun when it came to something new and interesting.
Madam Chen looked at Er Ya with admiration in her eyes: "Miss Yang is right, Madam Cen, you really know how to educate children. I remember Miss Yang is ten years old, right?"
"I'll be eleven years old after the New Year."
In this day and age, people marry and have children early, and Yang Cui was really worried that she would say something like, "I want to be a matchmaker for Er Ya."
Fortunately, she didn't say anything more.
However, Madam Chen did have some ideas. Sanya's appearance hadn't fully developed yet, but she had a very good foundation and it was clear that she would definitely be a beauty in the future.
Although her demeanor is not quite up to par with that of a young lady from a wealthy family, it's still passable, and there's something she can learn.
The only thing that troubled Madam Chen was her background...
Cen Xiao and Cen Xiao were just her aunt and uncle; her biological father was only a minor county magistrate. Moreover, with Yang Cui and Cen Xiao around, Lin Shikang had no chance of rising in rank. Therefore, Er Ya's status couldn't be very high...
Yang Cui had no idea what Old Madam Chen was thinking. If she did, she would only reply with a "hehe".
After the banquet ended, the guests left one after another.
Before leaving, Xia Zhen said to Yang Cui, "Aunt Yang, the lamb trotters are delicious. I'll come back in a few days."
Xia Zhen, that brat, really has no manners. He's nothing like a grandson of the emperor, and he even calls Yang Cui "Auntie" in a very familiar way. In modern times, even your friends' parents would call you "Uncle" or "Auntie," but in this era where imperial power reigns supreme, he's absolutely unique.
After Xia Zhen finished speaking, the other kids who were playing with him quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, let's join in! The lamb trotters and spicy strips are so delicious!"
"I think that Sudoku puzzle is very interesting. I'll go back and think about it carefully."
The boys were playing Sudoku when a few other children came and found it interesting. So Sudoku turned into a lesson in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
...
Before we knew it, it was the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The Spring Festival is the most important day of the year, and every family eats a reunion dinner. Therefore, every year on the evening of the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the palace holds a banquet. Those who attend are members of the imperial family, officials of the fourth rank and above, and their families. Except for the emperor's concubines, no other concubines are allowed to attend this banquet.
Yang Cui and her family also attended the event in their finest attire.
This was the first time Yang Cui had ever attended such a large banquet, and she was somewhat nervous.
The seating arrangement here is also significant; the closer one is to the emperor, the higher their rank or the more favored they are.
Fine wine, fruits, and snacks were already laid out on the table. After everyone arrived, the palace servants served the dishes in an orderly manner. There were ten dishes on the table, symbolizing perfection.
After all the dishes were served, the emperor and empress gave speeches, and then an acrobatic troupe came to perform.
"You two sit quietly, I'll be back for a bit." After drinking two cups of tea, Yang Cui desperately needed some relief.
Yang Cui quietly left and, guided by a palace servant, went to the urinal. The urinal was a bit far from here, otherwise the smell would be too strong and affect the meal.
As Yang Cui emerged from the latrine, she encountered Zheng Yuling, the Crown Princess of Qingyang.
"Mrs. Cen, what a coincidence."
"What a coincidence," Yang Cui replied with a light smile. For some reason, she felt that Zheng Yuling had deliberately waited for her here.
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