"Your humble servant greets Princess Jing." Qin tugged at her clothes, smoothed her hair, and awkwardly bowed and greeted Yin Qianhua.
"Mrs. Xiao, there's no need to be so formal. If we were talking about the Yuan family, I would have to call you aunt." Seeing that Qin was a little uneasy, Yin Qianhua comforted her with a smile.
"How can I talk about relatives with you, Princess?" Qin waved her hands in fear.
"Please don't be so polite with me. We owe you and the old general a lot. I'm really sorry that we have to trouble you to travel such a long distance and lend a hand to help my prince."
"You're too kind. This is the duty of a minister. How dare we take credit for it?" Tong Mingyu saw that her mother-in-law was like a frightened deer, so she had to speak up and continue what Princess Jing said.
"I brought some blood swallows and donkey-hide gelatin with me. I have someone prepare them for Madam Xiao to use on a daily basis. If there's anything we can help with in the mansion, please feel free to ask. Don't be shy."
"Your humble servant thanks the princess for her concern and care for the Xiao family." Tong Mingyu stood up and saluted. The princess's presence was a gift to the Xiao family. As for seeking help from Prince Jing's Mansion, Tong Mingyu did not dare to say that she would never ask the mansion for help. Even if she did, it would be a trivial matter. It would not even concern the court or politics.
Seeing that the polite words were almost finished, Yin Qianhua asked about Xiao Yao and Xiao Yuan.
"I will send someone to find them right away. Ever since they went to visit the princess, these two children have been clamoring to transform the courtyard where they live into the look of the garden in your palace!" Li Jiaoying always wanted to smile when she thought of the cute and naive Xiao Yuan.
"That child is obviously simple and honest. Her personality is completely different from Ping An's."
"My daughter is sometimes very naughty and gives me a headache." Tong Mingyu shook her head and chuckled.
Although Qin Shi stopped talking, she didn't like her daughter-in-law talking about her granddaughter in such a tone. A mother should praise her child more. If she could leave a good impression on the princess, the princess only needed to say a word. Would Ping An not be able to marry into a noble family or a prestigious family? As for the royal palace, Qin Shi had never dreamed of it.
"I just like her playful side, she's lively and smart. My daughter is a quiet person and doesn't get along with most people except Ping An and Ru Yi. Whenever she mentions these two sisters, her face is full of smiles."
"It is the good fortune of these two children to be favored by the princess." Tong Mingyu did not suggest that her daughter and niece get closer to the princess. If the princess and the princess were interested, they would naturally mention it. If they were just being polite, there was no need for her to forcefully promote her children, as it would make people look down on her own girls.
"If the princess is willing to interact with them, let them visit the palace more often. It is a blessing for the two children to be able to accompany the princess." Qin responded happily. This is a rare opportunity and must not be missed.
Tong Mingyu lowered her eyes, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves. If the other person was not her mother-in-law, she might have retorted long ago. Why should her pampered daughter be sent to someone else's home to be a slave?
It was true that the princess was noble, but his daughter was not a wild girl without status. She should be respectful to the princess, because of her status! However, Tong Mingyu would never agree to his daughter's flattery or fawning.
"Ping'an and Ruyi are both excellent children. As long as they don't mind my daughter's eccentric personality and poor communication skills, I wish they could go to the palace to play every day! Look, when Ruonan heard that I was coming to see you, she specially selected some small gifts and insisted that I bring them to the two sisters. I thought they were quite novel and didn't refuse." Yin Qianhua gestured to Qiuying to bring a box. When she opened it, there were some small ornaments, small jade ornaments, and brightly colored beads and gems... It was full.
"This is too expensive." Tong Mingyu quickly refused after recovering from her shock.
"Yes! Yes! These gifts are too valuable." Qin said as she thought about what to give back to the princess! It seems that she will have to open her own private treasury. The return gift must be worth more than the gifts sent by the palace. She gave Yu Ma a look, and Yu Ma immediately understood and went to make preparations.
In fact, some of the gifts that Yin Qianhua gave to the Xiao sisters were naturally selected from Yun Yichen's box, and some were added by her. Yun Ruonan also added some jade carvings and beads. The three of them put together a full box.
"There are guests at home. Is it the princess aunt? Is my cousin the princess here?" Before the guests even entered the door, Xiao Yuan had already asked a series of questions like a machine gun.
"Since you ask this, which one should Xiying answer first?" Xiao Yao looked at Xiying sympathetically. It's not easy to be a maid. It would be okay if the master was normal, but it's hard to deal with someone like Ruyi who talks nonstop.
"Aunt Princess, you're here." Xiao Yuan trotted all the way to Yin Qianhua.
"Greetings, Princess." Xiao Yao bowed respectfully to Yin Qianhua.
"You two are so heartless. If your aunt doesn't come, won't you go to the palace?" Yin Qianhua glanced at them with a reproachful look. It's true, she really missed them after not seeing them for many days.
"Ping'an, don't call me Princess from now on. Call me Auntie like Ruyi. If I hear you call me Princess again, I'll be angry."
"How can this be!" Tong Mingyu stood up to object. Ruyi and the princess were relatives, so it was natural for her to call her aunt. But Ping'an was different. Among the Xiao family, the princess and the palace, only General Xiao and the prince had some connection. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the rest of the people had nothing to do with each other.
"Then from now on, when there are outsiders around, I will call you Princess, and when it's just you and me, I will call you Aunt, okay?" With you and me, there must be at least a maid, so let Ruyi call her Aunt.
"You girl, call me whatever you want." Yin Qianhua heard her husband talk about the Xiao family, saying that they didn't curry favor with the powerful or form cliques. Yin Qianhua didn't expect that not only the adults in the family were like this, but even the children were so clear-cut. Even if someone offered her an opportunity, she would remain unmoved. What a unique family!
"Here is a gift from Ruonan for you. See if you like it." Yin Qianhua waved the two people over to look at the box on the table.
"Wow! Beads! It will look great if my sister makes a curtain with them."
"Is this bead made of glass?" Xiao Yao picked up a bead and looked at it against the light coming in from outside. It was clear and transparent. Could it be that the level of glass manufacturing in this era has reached such a high level?
"Those that are not very transparent are glass, and the others are water jade." Yin Qianhua explained.
"They are so beautiful. It would be great to string them together and make a bracelet." Xiao Yao thought happily.
"You really know how to waste things. Such precious glass and water jade are given by the princess, how can you use them so easily! It will be more appropriate to use them to make jewelry when you are older." In Qin's eyes, things from the royal family and the prince's palace are treasures and should never be used casually. They are all capital worth showing off to outsiders.
Is that really necessary? Didn't the princess send these things for me and my sister to play with and enjoy? I can only look at them but not use them. No, no. Xiao Yao put the beads back and sat down next to Tong Mingyu obediently.
Yin Qianhua sat for another half an hour, then asked someone to go back and find her son to pick her up.
"Sister, what should we give to the princess and cousin as a return gift?" Xiao Yuan rubbed against Xiao Yao, and the two sisters whispered in each other's ears.
"I've asked someone to prepare it, you don't have to worry." The more sophisticated the place, the more elegant it is in the imperial palace or the royal mansion, so it would be inappropriate to send food to the princess. Last time, she wore a new skirt from someone else, so today she would return one to the princess. It was a pattern designed by Xiao Yao herself, embroidered with pandas in various poses, some eating bamboo, some climbing ladders, some doing somersaults... embroidered in a circle around the hem of the skirt.
Xiao Yuan has been coveting this skirt for a long time. She is simply unable to resist those cute little animals. Xiao Yao has asked the sewing room to make a new one for her.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived."
"Let's go out and welcome the prince." Qin stood up hurriedly, straightened her clothes and was about to go out.
"He's just a child, why do you need to welcome him?" Yin Qianhua's biggest feeling when she came to the Xiao family was that Qin was too reserved. She had an inexplicable admiration for the royal family and was afraid that she would be inconsiderate. She was a little nervous the whole morning. It seemed that there was nothing wrong, so it was better not to come to the Xiao family.
If Qin knew that her behavior had caused Princess Jing to have such thoughts, she would definitely regret it. She was so eager to get closer to the Jing Palace, and it was not her intention to make things worse.
"Aunt Princess, this is a gift from my sister to the princess." Outside the gate, Xiao Yuan held a new skirt in both hands. As for the ones that Qin had people prepare, Yin Qianhua did not take them at all.
"Safe!"
"My sister twisted her ankle when she went out just now, so she can't come to see the princess aunt off." Xiao Yuan said to Yin Qianhua according to what her sister taught her.
"Is it serious?" Yin Qianhua paused. Ping'an was not a rash person, so how could he have twisted his foot?
Yun Yichen glanced towards the gate of the Xiao family. Could it be that the little girl was still angry with him? But he had already given her a gift, what else did she want?
Girls are really troublesome. Yun Yichen felt a headache for the first time.
"It's okay, just rub it for a while and it will be fine." Tong Mingyu said in a relaxed manner. Although he was very worried in his heart, he couldn't show it on his face.
After returning to the palace, Yin Qianhua gave Xiao Yao's gift to her daughter, and Yun Ruonan put it on immediately.
"Ping An is a really smart girl. She does everything in a professional manner."
"It looks good." Yun Ruonan repeatedly stroked the panda on the hem of her skirt, unable to let it go. What her mother said was absolutely right. Miss Xiao was very smart.
"Ping'an and Ruyi like the beads you gave them very much. Ping'an even said she wants to string them into bracelets!" Yin Qianhua said casually while admiring her daughter's new outfit.
It turned out that she liked brightly colored beads, and Yun Yichen silently took note of this.
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