The Tang family's house is naturally incomparable to the Tong family's. The reason why it is so lively today is entirely because eighty-year-old centenarians are rare in this era, and everyone wants to witness it with their own eyes and participate in this happy event in person.
As the highest-ranking official in Suzhou City, Tong Guangyu and his family's arrival naturally attracted everyone's attention. Lord Tang personally went to the gate to greet them and accompanied them to meet his grandmother, the birthday girl today.
The old man is currently sitting in the hall accepting congratulations and worship from his younger generations.
Mr. Tong and Mrs. Tong, Tong Guangyu and his wife Wang paid their respects to the old lady, while the younger generations of the Tong family and the sisters of the Xiao family kowtowed to the old lady.
"Whose child is this? Come over to me so I can take a closer look." The old lady of the Tang family waved enthusiastically to the child of the Tong family.
After chatting briefly with the grandchildren of the Tong family, when it was the turn of the Xiao sisters, before the old lady could speak, Tang Hao next to her took the initiative to introduce them with a smile: "These two are from Kyoto, their surname is Xiao, and they are relatives of the Tong family."
"Kyoto! I went there when I was young." The old lady vaguely remembered her great-grandson begging her to be more hospitable to the guests from Kyoto. She had originally thought they would be boys, but she didn't expect them to be two little girls.
"You have been to Kyoto more than once, and you have often mentioned this matter before. I just don't know if the two Miss Xiao have ever been to Jiangnan before." Tang Hao seemed to be asking on behalf of his great-grandmother, but in fact, he just wanted to take the opportunity to say a few words to Xiao Yao.
Madam Tong and Nanny Ruan exchanged glances. One said, "This kid really doesn't have good intentions." The other nodded in agreement and said, "Let's see what else he wants to do. If he goes too far, don't blame me for being rude."
"This is our first time in Jiangnan." Xiao Yuan, who was gently pushed from behind by her sister, had to speak. She didn't understand why her sister didn't say anything but asked her, her younger sister, to speak.
According to etiquette, Xiao Yao was seven years old, and had reached the age of separation between men and women. Tang Hao should have avoided her, but the old lady probably liked her great-grandson too much, and kept holding his hand and refused to let go. Everyone had no choice but to turn a blind eye, because today was her birthday!
"There are many beautiful sights in Jiangnan. I wonder if you two ladies have ever been there." Although Tang Hao was a little disappointed that the person who replied was not the one he was paying attention to, he did not dare to have too many extravagant expectations. He could only comfort himself in his heart to take it slow and not to rush. He should be content with the opportunity to get close to her today and must not scare the girl.
How should I answer Mr. Tang’s literary words? Xiao Yuan turned to look at Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao was hesitating whether to speak when she heard Madam Tong's voice from above her head: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Tang. My two granddaughters, accompanied by their sister-in-law, have already traveled to many places."
Tang Hao knew that he could no longer ask Xiao Yao any questions, as her grandmother was already alert. In order to leave a good impression on them, he smiled and stopped the topic. There was still a long way to go, so there was no need to rush.
Xiao Yao took the opportunity to retreat to the side of Aunt Ruan. She had no interest in Tang Hao's ideas. What made her even more impatient was the group of ladies pointing fingers at her. This was also one of the reasons why she didn't want to attend the banquet. She always felt like she was being treated like an animal in a zoo for people to visit.
"This is the first time for you two to come to the Tang family, so take these two little things and play with them." The old ancestor of the Tang family picked up a red coral bracelet from the tray brought by the maid and waved to Xiao Yao. Xiao Yao looked back at her grandmother and Nanny Ruan, and when she saw them nod, she slowly walked forward to receive the gift.
The old lady looked at Xiao Yao carefully again. This must be the little girl that her great-grandson had been thinking about. She was quite good, with clear eyes, full of spirit, and outstanding appearance. The good boy had good taste.
"Little girl from the Xiao family, right? Here, I give this to you. I have carried it with me for decades. I hope it will bless you with a peaceful and smooth life." After saying these words, the old lady took out a jade pendant from her collar. The jade pendant was crystal clear. Even Xiao Yao, who didn't know how to appreciate it, could tell that it must be an item with a long history and was very valuable.
"How can this be? How can you give your personal belongings to a junior like her?" Madam Tong hastily declined, fearing that the old lady would propose marriage after giving her the jade pendant. How would she respond then? At this moment, she really regretted bringing Xiao Yao as a guest. If she didn't go and give up her granddaughter, General Xiao would eat her alive!
"I, an old woman, believe that I have had a smooth life without any disasters or troubles, so I decided to give the Guanyin jade pendant that I wear close to my body to this little girl, hoping that she can also be blessed by the Bodhisattva. Why do you dislike my things?" asked the old lady of the Tang family.
Who dares to say that he despises it? Besides, the old man is right. The personal belongings of a blessed and long-lived person are often not obtained even if you beg for them. People will only give up their possessions because they like the girl.
"It is a blessing for me to receive your personal belongings. Thank you for giving them away. I will definitely cherish them." Xiao Yao saw that she couldn't refuse, so she accepted it with pleasure. She had already thought about what gift to give to the old man in return.
"None of you are as insightful as a child. Little girl, what's your name?" After going through so much trouble, he must take the opportunity to find out some information for his great-grandson.
"In reply to the old lady, my surname is Xiao and my name is Yao."
"Xiaoyao, this name sounds nice. How old are you this year?"
"Seven years old."
"What a well-behaved and sensible child!" The old lady winked at Tang Hao. Great-grandmother can only help you so much. If you ask more questions, people will become suspicious.
If Madam Tong and Nanny Ruan knew what the old lady was thinking, they would definitely tell her loudly, "We have long suspected your grandson's motives, and today they have been further verified."
After hearing the news he wanted to know, Tang Hao automatically withdrew. Although the young ladies who arrived earlier than the Xiao sisters had already hidden in the side hall, this was a room full of female relatives after all, and it was indeed not suitable for him to stay too long.
After Tang Hao left, the ladies who came to attend the birthday banquet returned to the hall.
"We adults are talking together, so don't restrict the young ladies. They are enjoying the flowers and scenery right now, so they can't sit still. We have a few pots of flowers that are pleasing to the eye. Go and have a look!"
Mrs. Tang forced a stiff smile on her face. It seemed that her youngest son really had some feelings for her. What should she do?
Xiao Yao took Xiao Yuan's hand and walked out with the crowd. When they got out of the hall, the familiar ladies gathered in twos and threes, chose a place to go, and left. Only the Xiao sisters were ignored and excluded by the group of ladies as they didn't know anyone.
"Ruyi, don't ever come to a party with me again. Look, no one wants to play with you anymore because of me." Xiao Yao felt very sorry. It was all her fault. She had implicated her sister. If she wasn't here, Ruyi would definitely be able to make friends with her easy-going personality.
"I don't care about them! As long as my sister is here, I don't care even if all the other girls don't play with me." A group of self-righteous guys, obviously jealous that my sister is prettier than them, and more popular with adults than them, but they pretend nothing has happened in front of others and exclude my sister behind her back. The more these people want to isolate my sister, the more it proves that my sister is better than them.
"Let's find a place to sit down." Xiao Yao didn't want to follow the others. Since those people had already made their attitude clear, why would she bother to make herself unhappy? In Xiao Yao's opinion, as long as the people she cared about liked her, she didn't care what others thought!
The two sisters found a pavilion from which they could see the hall from afar and sat down. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Xiao Yao suddenly felt homesick. She wondered how her parents were doing. Her brothers and Aqi should have gone to school. And her second brother would be taking the Spring Examination in a few days. What would the results be like?
Doctor Qiao Hui had said that all she needed to do was rest and recuperate, and that there was no need to seek out miracle doctors or famous physicians. She would definitely recover in two years. So what was the point of staying in Suzhou?
Xiao Yao has secretly decided that when her second brother is about to finish his exams, she will write a letter home and ask him to pick her and Ruyi up.
Tang Hao sat in his study, gathering his thoughts and neatly scribbling information about Xiao Yao onto rice paper. His biggest headache was that the girl wasn't from here and would likely return to Kyoto soon. He didn't know when they would meet again. What if her family arranged an engagement for her after she returned? What if she forgot about him after a while?
It seems that the only way to get close to her is to be admitted to the academy in Kyoto. "Xiao Yao" is a unique girl, and even her name is so attractive. If Tang Hao knew how this name came about, he probably wouldn't praise her so much.
"Young master, can I come in?" Yanbo asked while standing outside the door.
"Is there something you can do?" He didn't know who was looking for him again. Tang Hao didn't like this kind of party. Everyone said he was a child prodigy, and word spread like wildfire. So whenever there was a party, he would be asked all kinds of questions. Some of the questions were meaningless, but he couldn't refuse to answer them, which was a headache.
"It's that Miss Xiao..." Before Yanbo could finish his words, the door creaked open.
"What's wrong with Miss Xiao?" Tang Hao asked anxiously. He hoped nothing happened to her, otherwise it would be useless even if he was admitted to Kyoto.
"Don't worry, Miss Xiao is fine, but..." The master was too nervous about this young lady. He was worried that what he was going to say next might irritate her. Yanbo blamed himself for speaking too quickly. Why did he have to report back? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if he pretended he had never heard the news?
"It's because those young ladies just ignore Miss Xiao and don't want to play with her."
"Do you know why?"
"I don't know."
What happened? Tang Hao wanted to go over and ask for clarification.
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