After the banquet, Xiao Yao got on the carriage and couldn't help asking Tong Mingyu: "Mother, I think the second sister-in-law you chose should be Miss Liu, right?"
"Why do you think it's her!" Tong Mingyu showed a bright smile. This child has a unique vision. She can pick out Miss Liu among so many people. It seems that she can never underestimate her again.
"She has a good temperament, is calm and generous. I think she is very suitable to be the eldest daughter-in-law in the eldest house."
"We need to discuss this matter with your grandfather and grandmother before making a decision. Madam Liu and I get along well, and the young lady's brother and your second brother also have a good relationship. This marriage should be no problem."
"Everyone will be watching you, good girl. We have to take the initiative. Mother, you have to act quickly. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again."
"Look how anxious you are. Marrying a daughter-in-law is a big deal. Your second brother is the eldest son of the eldest house, so there are many things to consider. You should stay out of it."
"That won't do. Ruonan and I made a bet. How things go on here is directly related to my honor and disgrace. I have to pay attention to it!"
"You...you still dare to make a bet with the princess? Tell me what you bet on?"
"If I lose, I will play ten games of chess with Ruonan. If she loses, I will embroider ten purses."
"You..." Tong Mingyu didn't know how to teach his daughter a lesson as he looked at her with a sly smile. Then he thought again whether his daughter was too close to the princess's family. Even the Princess of Qi would think so, what about others!
"What do you think of Prince Jing's Mansion and Prince Jing's family?" Tong Mingyu looked into her daughter's eyes and asked word by word. She believed that with her understanding of her daughter, she would be able to see the clues if she had any ulterior motives.
"Yes! The princess is very good. I can see that she truly likes me and Ruyi. The princess is also very good. At first, I was really worried that I wouldn't get along with her. After getting to know her for a long time, I found that she is very kind and simple. She looks aloof, but she has a kind heart."
"Where are the prince and the crown prince?"
"The prince is very nice. Sometimes he will greet me and Ruyi when he sees us. Is he the prince? I'm not familiar with him." Xiao Yao decisively ignored the person she hated.
Looking at her daughter's clear, bright eyes and her unflinching gaze, Tong Mingyu believed that she was speaking from the heart. Besides, her daughter and the prince were not very familiar with each other, and with the prince's aloof personality, it would probably not be easy to get along with him.
The Xiao family was a very open-minded family. As long as the old Marquis and his wife were satisfied with their son and daughter-in-law, they rarely raised any objections. Qin Shi had no intention of forcing a daughter from her own family to marry her grandson. After all, with the Xiao family's current status, it was impossible for them to marry into a merchant family. Furthermore, with the lessons learned from the past, she would never again bypass her family to make decisions for her grandson.
The Xiao family then entered another round of busyness, discussing who to hire as a matchmaker and determining the location of the new house...
On this day, the doorman of Prince Jing's mansion delivered a letter to Jinhua Garden. Prince Jing and his son happened to be there, and the four members of the family were very curious about who the letter was for.
"It was sent by Miss Xiao's maid, who said it was for the princess." The servant quickly reported.
Yun Ruonan did not hide it and opened the envelope quickly without delay. The four people gathered around and found that there was not a single word on the piece of rice paper, only a drawing of ten slender jade fingers and an exquisite purse.
"What is this?" King Jing admired Xiao Yao, who was always innovative and had endless ideas. If this little girl were a boy, he would probably be able to pass the imperial examination and become the top scorer!
"This is..." Yin Qianhua and her daughter looked at each other in silence, neither of them understood the meaning of the painting.
"Ruonan lost the bet." Yun Yichen, who had some understanding of Xiao Yao's style, spoke the truth. "This little girl, can't you just say something clearly? You make some weird things every day, who are you trying to test? How could I understand what she meant at a glance? Could it be... in my heart... Yun Yichen was frightened by himself and quickly suppressed that inexplicable thought.
"Achen really knows Miss Xiao very well!" King Jing teased his son.
"Brother, how did you know about the bet between Ping An and me?" Yun Ruonan asked in surprise.
"You and mother were talking so loudly that day, it was hard for me to pretend not to hear." Yun Yichen would never admit that he had intentionally eavesdropped.
"When will I be able to finish embroidering ten purses? When will I be able to win peace for once?" Yun Ruonan was speechless about her repeated failures. They were the same age and had similar birthdays, so why was there such a big difference in their vision!
"Achen, did Miss He offend you a few days ago?" King Jing suddenly remembered what Lord He had asked him to do, and asked out of curiosity.
"She offended my cousin in the temple. I just said a few words to her for the sake of Lord He." Yun Yichen brushed his sleeves unintentionally. He would not tell anyone that he had sent guards to watch her. He only took his cousin there after knowing that she was going to burn incense. The opportunity to make a fool of herself in front of everyone was specially prepared for her.
"Brother, have you helped Ping'an and me teach her a lesson? Let's see if she dares to bully Ping'an again next time." Yun Ruonan grabbed Yun Yichen's sleeve and pulled it.
King Jing automatically shut up after his daughter opened her mouth. What a foolish son he was! He wasn't just standing up for his cousin, he was actually seeking revenge for the little girl from the Xiao family.
"Well, I've forgotten about your affairs a long time ago. If she hadn't offended my cousin that day, I wouldn't have said anything." Yun Yichen would rather die than admit it, and at the same time, he glanced at King Jing in a way that made it even more obvious, his eyes showing how guilty he was.
"Next time Ruonan sees Ping'an, tell her that your brother has avenged you two." King Jing planned to take this opportunity to teach his son a lesson. Sometimes, good deeds must be recorded in a name, and the bigger the noise, the better for his side.
"I've already told you it has nothing to do with my sister and the others. Please don't let my sister go out and spread rumors." Yun Yichen jumped up from his chair as if pricked by a needle, and stopped her in a panic. As long as the little girl wasn't angry, it would be fine. I never expected her to thank me.
"I thank my brother on behalf of myself and Ping'an." Yun Ruonan thanked him happily.
King Jing was filled with worry as he watched each child, each more innocent than the last. His son, clearly already beginning to fall in love, could only quietly watch the girl from behind; his daughter, even though she was unaware of her brother's ill intentions, considered him a good person. He couldn't believe that two such foolish people would appear in the prestigious King Jing's mansion.
"Embroider your purse well! Don't forget to leave one for your brother when the time comes." Yun Yichen changed the subject.
"I lost the bet to Ping An, so my brother's has to be put in the back row." I don't know when I can finish embroidering these ten!
"Then what kind of punishment will Ping An receive if he loses?" King Jing asked curiously.
"Play ten games of chess with me. If you fall asleep in the middle, you can continue playing when you wake up." Yun Ruonan roughly recounted the bet between the two of them.
"Ping'an is such an interesting kid. This is the first time I've seen someone so afraid of playing chess! I really want to try it next time we meet." King Jing said with great joy.
In the mansion of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, Qin and Tong Mingyu were educating Xiao Yao. This child was simply lawless. She actually dared to make a bet with the princess. It would have been fine if she had just made the bet, but she actually dared to come to the house to ask for the bet. The two generations of mistresses of the Xiao family didn't know how to convict her.
"Ping'an! Ping'an, you are such a smart child on weekdays! Why do you get confused when encountering big things! Being able to make friends with the princess is something others would love to have. It would be fine if you didn't do everything according to the princess's wishes, but you actually came to her house to ask for a bet. Do you need money? Or have your grandmother and your mother treated you badly?" Qin asked questions in a barrage of questions, and did not allow Xiao Yao to argue, wishing she could vent all the dissatisfaction accumulated in her heart.
Tong Mingyu was not as angry as her mother-in-law. She just felt that her daughter had gone too far. Regardless of winning or losing, it was all said and done. How could she seriously ask the princess for money? Tong Mingyu felt very distressed when she saw her daughter lowering her head and fiddling with her clothes. However, her mother-in-law had not vented her anger yet and could not stop at all. She could only endure it and listen with her daughter.
"What's wrong with you? I can hear you scolding Ping'an in the yard, but why haven't I seen you teach Xiaosi a lesson like this? If you think us, the grandparents and grandchildren, are an eyesore, just say so. No one bullies people like you." Old Marquis Xiao walked towards Xiao Yao breathlessly, took her in his arms and looked her over carefully. Seeing that his granddaughter was fine, he hugged her and patted her back gently as if to comfort a child who had suffered a great injustice.
"Ask her what good things she has done?" Qin was very angry and pointed at Xiao Yao.
"Don't be afraid, Ping'an. Tell Grandpa what happened?" Old Marquis Xiao simply squatted down, his eyes fixed on his little granddaughter. Normally, he would have gone to comfort his angry wife, but today, he didn't want to do that. Even if Ping'an had made a mistake, she was just a child. As a grandmother, a few words of lecture would be enough. If everyone in the mansion knew about it, would it make the elders look good?
"I made a bet with the princess, and she lost. I sent a maid to tell her the news and mentioned the bet in passing, so... it's all Ping An's fault for not thinking it through. Grandfather and grandmother, please don't be angry. I can write another letter to tell the princess that it was just a joke and I don't want the bet anymore."
Xiao Yao didn't think this was a big deal. It was normal for friends to play around and have fun together. The princess wouldn't be upset over such a small matter. She really didn't know why her grandmother was making such a fuss.
"Yes, you should quickly write a letter to the princess, apologize, send some gifts, and tell her that you will never do this again and ask her not to be angry with you." Qin said this as if it was a matter of course.
At this time, the talents who were left behind by the old Marquis Xiao walked into Ninghe Hall one after another. When they heard Qin's words, both the young and the old frowned. Ping'an is not a maid, so why should she be servile to others? Even if the other party is a princess, she cannot belittle herself without any bottom line and flatter outsiders!
"Haha, the Xiao family has not fallen to that point. I will never allow my children to be servile and fawning. If anyone does that, he is not my descendant, Xiao Hu. Although Ping'an handled this matter inappropriately, let's just treat it as a joke between two children. Why take it seriously?" Old Marquis Xiao said slowly, suppressing his anger.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
