After returning to the Tong family, Xiao Yao wished she could go to the northwest to see for herself how her grandfather and uncles were doing, but what could a seven-year-old child do? She could only pray silently in her heart that her grandfather and his family were all well.
Qian told Madam Tong about today's itinerary in detail, especially the part about the restaurant. At the end, she did not forget to express her inner feelings: "The third son of the Tang family is too cunning. He only pretends to be a good person in front of my cousin. I must be extra careful with him in the future."
"It won't be long before Ping An returns to Kyoto. Can he still chase her into Kyoto? I'm more worried that Ping An will make a scene and ask to go home. Alas! General Xiao's love for her is not in vain. It's normal for her to worry. If she hears the news and doesn't care, we should be more worried."
Who doesn't want their children and grandchildren to be affectionate and loyal? Mrs. Tong no longer cared about joking with her granddaughter-in-law, and hurried to her granddaughter's residence, thinking about how to comfort her granddaughter as she walked.
With a calm face, she was telling stories to her three little great-grandchildren. Is it her granddaughter who is safe? Mrs. Tong watched quietly for a while without saying a word, then turned and left.
This child's temperament is really hard to understand. When you think she is sensible and well-behaved, she will do something unexpected; but when there are things that most children would choose to act like a spoiled child and cry, she acts as if nothing has happened, making it impossible for you to understand her true thoughts.
No wonder my daughter complains of headaches every day. Mrs. Tong now has the same feeling. Ping'an is too unusual. His behavior is completely different from that of other children of the same age.
One day in early April, two men on horseback came to the gate of Tong’s house.
"Please inform them that someone from the Xiao family in Kyoto has arrived." The visitors were Xiao Jingmin and Xiao Lang. Actually, Xiao Jingkang really wanted to come and pick up his daughter in person, but his wife Tong Mingyu's words dispelled his idea.
"Do you think it's appropriate for you to go? Are you sure my father would happily let Ping An leave with you?"
It was not appropriate for him to go, and his son could not leave, so Xiao Jingmin became the most suitable candidate, and Xiao Lang was assigned to protect several people.
"Let me see who our family has sent to pick us up." Xiao Yao ran towards the gate without caring about her image.
"Run slower and be careful not to fall." Mrs. Tong held Xiao Yuan's hand, who had not yet reacted to what was happening, and shouted to her granddaughter who had already run far away.
She had always been worried that Xiao Yuan would lose weight after spending the New Year at her home, so she asked the kitchen to cook different kinds of food for her every day. Perhaps because she had gotten older, Xiao Yuan no longer gained weight even by drinking water like she did when she was a child, but she didn't lose weight either.
After the door opened, Xiao Yao saw her third uncle and eldest brother. Although she felt a little disappointed that they were not her father and second brother, she was very happy as long as someone came to pick her up.
"Uncle San, Big Brother, thank you for your hard work. Please come in." Xiao Yao bowed and made a gesture to invite him in.
"Little rascal, you are already seven years old, why don't you look like a grown-up girl? You are the eldest daughter of the Xiao family, you must always remember to maintain the image of a lady." Xiao Jingmin has studied a few more years than his elder and second brothers, and knows that steady and elegant girls will have a better reputation. The children are growing up, and it is time for them to pay attention to their manners.
"Hehe." Xiao Yao smiled without saying anything. Uncle San, you will see who is the least ladylike in a moment.
"It turns out that it's Uncle San and Brother Lang. Thank you for your hard work on the journey. Please come in." Tong Jinsheng happened to be at home today, so he represented them to welcome the guests.
"Are these two children naughty and causing trouble? Especially my little daughter, she must have caused you a lot of trouble." In other people's families, no one knows their daughter better than their mother, but in Xiao Jingmin's family, it is just the opposite. The mother is careless, and many things require the attention of him, the father.
"Uncle San, you don't know, but thanks to the two cousins, our New Year has been much more fun. Cousin Ruyi is cute and well-behaved, and the children in our family especially like to play with her." Tong Jinsheng said with a smile.
"I'm afraid they've gotten into a lot of trouble. Ah Yi told us when he got home that these two kids aren't the type to be content."
"We are very good, aren't we, cousin?" Xiao Yao asked her cousin for help with a smile.
"It's strange that you'll be good. You can fool others, but if you want to fool Third Uncle, you need to practice for a few more years."
"Sister, you must have learned martial arts secretly. This speed is like using Qinggong. I'm so tired." Xiao Yuan stood there panting, fanning himself back and forth with his hands in a very ungraceful manner, just like a little boy.
"Xiao Yuan." Xiao Jingmin said gritting his teeth. If Ping An had lost the image of a lady just now, then Xiao Yuan had no image at all. She looked like a street thug.
"Dad, why are you here? Where is my second brother?" Could it be that his personal servants were on strike?
"What do you mean? Don't you want to see your father?" Xiao Jingmin had only heard of stepfathers before, but now he felt that his daughter must be a stepfather.
"It's all right, it's all right." Seeing his father's face becoming more and more gloomy, Xiao Yuan hurriedly began to make amends.
"Uncle Ping'an will take you in." Xiao Jingmin, who was treated perfunctorily by his own daughter, planned to teach his daughter a lesson and let her know that girls like this are not likable.
How could Xiao Yao have fallen into her uncle's trap? She had already taken her eldest brother Xiao Lang's hand, and the two of them walked towards the yard, chatting and laughing.
"Daddy, I know you are too excited to come here. I will not be like this next time. Please don't be angry, okay?" Xiao Yuan adjusted her appearance and tried hard to behave like a little lady. She didn't dare not change. If she wanted to go out and play in the future, she would have to bow her head.
Xiao Jingmin didn't bother to consider how much truth there was in his daughter's words. He held the chubby little hand and went to meet Mr. Tong and Mrs. Tong.
After meeting the two elders, Xiao Jingmin finally understood why his eldest brother hadn't come in person but instead sent him. From the moment he entered the living room, the old man kept muttering about how there were still many places in the south he hadn't taken his children to, and how he was getting old and didn't know how long it would take to see his granddaughter again.
In the end, it was Mrs. Tong who took over the conversation. Xiao Yao had to comfort and appease him, and promised that she would come as soon as she had time, before the old man stopped nagging.
"Her third uncle, please don't take my old man's words to heart. It's true that we like the two children, but we also know that they have been away for a few months and should go home." Although Mrs. Tong said this, she really couldn't bear to part with her granddaughter. When she thought about when they would see each other again, she couldn't help feeling melancholy and reluctant.
"It's their blessing to have you two elders love them so much. When you have time in the future, let the two children come over to pay their respects to you two elders."
It's not that easy. My granddaughter is getting older every year. In a few years, I'm afraid she won't even leave the house, let alone come all the way to Suzhou. Mrs. Tong looked at Xiao Yao with a smile. Although she has many grandchildren, this granddaughter has always held a special place in her heart. Now that she is leaving, she is really reluctant to let her go.
When Xiao Jingmin came, he brought many gifts for the two elders and the Tong family. Now that he was going back, Mrs. Tong prepared several times more things for her in-laws, daughter, and grandson, including food and clothing. In addition to what Xiao Yao and her sister bought, Xiao Jingmin had to ask Tong Guangyu to help him rent a large boat, because the boat he brought here could not carry so many things.
The departure date was set for five days later. Xiao Jingmin and Xiao Lang used their free time to take the child to play around Suzhou. Also coming this time were Aunt Ruan and the old couple from the Tong family, probably because they wanted to spend more time with their granddaughter.
"Master, I've noticed a few strangers at the Tong household these past few days. Could they be from Kyoto?" So, was Miss Xiao, the young master's beloved, about to leave? Yanbo couldn't bear to see his master's expression. There were so many families and young ladies in Suzhou who were interested in the young master, but he chose a young lady from far away instead. But it had to be said that the young master had good taste; the young lady from the Xiao family was much more pleasing to the eye than any other young lady he had met before.
"Go down." Tang Hao held a book in his hand, but his eyes did not linger on the pages. He was also anxious, but what could he do? Miss Xiao's home was in Kyoto, and she would have to go back sooner or later.
There are only two paths before him, either give up or study hard and enter the academy in Kyoto in a few years. Only when he passes the imperial examination and becomes the top scholar in the future will he be qualified to go to the Xiao family to see her or propose marriage. Now he can do nothing but watch her silently, pay attention to her, and leave the rest to fate.
One morning a few days later, the housekeeper of the Tong family came to pay a visit and said that the cousin had a gift for the ancestor of the Tang family.
"Bring it here and let me see it." The old ancestor of the Tang family was also very curious. What would the little girl that his great-grandson had always missed give him?
The housekeeper of the Tong family presented a long box with both hands. After opening it, everyone found that it was a scroll. When the maid carefully unfolded the scroll, they saw that the Tang family members all had surprised expressions.
I was also stunned by my cousin's painting skills this morning. I don't know what method she used, but the characters she painted are so vivid and lifelike.
Xiao Yao prefers to draw portraits. Since she didn't have charcoal pencils, she experimented with many kinds of charcoal and then had someone sharpen them into the shape of pencils. She had already finished drawing the portrait of the old lady of the Tang family.
Thinking that her grandfather's family would definitely ask for them after seeing them, Xiao Yao decided to treat them as a parting gift. She quietly painted a portrait for each master of the Tong family. After painting so many portraits, her skills had obviously improved to a higher level. This time, she had lived up to Nanny Ruan's expectations, and she believed that everyone would be satisfied.
As for Xiao Yuan and his family who were shouting that it was unfair, they could go back and draw it. They could have as many as they wanted.
"When grandpa has his birthday in the future, Ping'an will help me draw a portrait. Grandpa doesn't want anything else."
"Grandma wants one too."
"And uncle and aunt."
"We want that, too."
…… ……
Xiao Yao didn't dare to paint too well in order to make her paintings fit the standards of a seven-year-old. Unexpectedly, she still received such great reviews. Xiao Yao smiled and promised everyone, while mentally promising that her portraits would get better year after year.
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