Xiao Jingkang had a gloomy face the whole time when he returned to Yayuan. It would be strange for a parent to be happy if his beloved daughter was rejected by others.
"Okay, don't be angry. There are some misunderstandings between a group of kids. Let's just pretend we don't know. What else can we do?" Tong Mingyu waved everyone away and said helplessly.
"Why do they bully my daughter like this?" Xiao Jingkang vented his dissatisfaction in a childish manner.
"It's not entirely a bad thing, actually. Ping An has had it too easy, so encountering setbacks is actually a kind of training for her."
Is this his biological mother? This idea is really incomprehensible. Xiao Jingkang strongly disagrees with his wife's statement.
"I'll go see if my daughter is asleep." Don't sleep restlessly because of sadness. The more Xiao Jingkang thought about it, the more he felt sorry for his daughter.
Tong Mingyu sighed silently. She was sure that her daughter was either asleep or having fun with Xiao Yuan. The situation her husband was worried about would never happen.
After feeling emotional in her heart, Tong Mingyu stopped her husband who was about to stand up to comfort her daughter, as she had something important to discuss with him.
"My eldest sister told me today that Nanny Ruan has left the palace. The Wen family has arranged for us to meet her in three days. Let's see if Ping An can catch the Nanny's eye."
"If we still have to choose, then forget it. Why let our daughter suffer this injustice?" Xiao Jingkang, who didn't know how to feel sorry for his daughter, jumped out to object as if irritated.
"Ping'an will be six in a few months. Even if we don't hire Nanny Ruan, it's time for her to learn various talents and etiquette. Look at Ping'an's talent for painting. Don't you hope she can meet a famous teacher?"
After hearing what his wife said, Xiao Jingkang was somewhat moved. His daughter's affairs were the most important in the world and could not be delayed at all.
Seeing that her husband was about to be persuaded, Tong Mingyu continued, "Madame Ruan has been in the palace for many years and has been responsible for teaching the princesses. All the princesses she taught were titled and very favored. Now in Kyoto, every family with a young lady of similar age is trying their best to invite her to their home. I heard that several families have been rejected." Tong Mingyu thought a little uneasily, wondering if Ping An would have the honor of receiving Madame Ruan's favor.
"It's okay to meet him once. If he's chosen, then choose him. If he's not, that's okay too. By the way, does Ping An know about the trip to the Wen family?" Xiao Jingkang suddenly asked.
"Know."
"Do you know what you're going to do?"
"I haven't said it yet."
"That's good, that's good." Xiao Jingkang said thankfully.
Tong Mingyu looked at her husband in confusion. Was this the aftereffect of the shock? Why were his words so incomprehensible?
"You only need to know the reason for this matter. There's no need to tell Ping An. Think about it, if you tell her the reason, she'll inevitably be nervous and more likely to perform poorly during the meeting. If she's chosen by that maid, it'll be fine. But if she's not, Ping An will be very hurt. Why make her feel unhappy? Don't you think so?"
There is no father dearer than this one. He really doesn't want his daughter to suffer any harm, even the slightest hint of harm. No wonder what happened just now made him so angry.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Tong Mingyu thought about what her husband said and agreed because she felt it made sense.
After hearing the important things his wife said, Xiao Jingkang still didn't forget to comfort his daughter. Unfortunately, just as he reached the door, the maid told him that his daughter had already gone to bed. He had no choice but to walk back, looking back every few steps. As he walked, he thought that he was so angry that he might not be able to fall asleep tonight, but this child fell asleep so quickly.
As long as my daughter is not sad, it doesn’t matter if I can’t sleep, Xiao Jingkang comforted himself.
Tong Mingyu followed her husband's advice and, as expected, didn't tell her daughter the reason for their visit to the Wen family. With no one to share her inner anxiety and anticipation, she focused all her energy on choosing clothes, headwear, and shoes for her daughter, carefully considering every detail before finalizing them.
Xiao Jingmin has started his second term in Songjiang. Now everything is under control, so he plans to take advantage of his father's birthday to stay for a few more days before going back.
Xiao Yuan was the happiest person to hear the news. He could enjoy himself for a few more days. His grandfather had promised to take him and his sister out for a walk. First, they'd go to Wangxianju for a big meal, then to Yixiangyuan to buy some new dim sum, and then visit the bustling market. Even better, it would be better if they could get out of the city.
General Xiao was a man of his word, especially when it came to things he promised his granddaughters. Even if they forgot, he would remind them promptly. This made Xiao Rui feel unfair. He had wanted his grandfather to take him out to play before, but every time he would either just go to the nearest place for a tour or try to delay, even using his uncles as a shield.
Now that he had a grandson, everything had changed. He had the time and the place to go. He was so thoughtful and enthusiastic, like a completely different person. It was fair! It was equal! Sometimes Xiao Rui wanted to blame his parents for not giving birth to him as a girl, so he wouldn't have to look at Ping An and Ru Yi with envy every day.
Because they were going to visit the Wen family the next day, Tong Mingyu asked her husband to talk to her father-in-law to see if they could just take the two children for a short while and come back after having a meal, so that Ping An could rest early and get enough rest.
After hearing what his son said, General Xiao thought for a moment and agreed. His granddaughter was growing up day by day, and it was time to hire a nanny. Since the Wen family helped to find someone, it must be the right one.
If General Xiao knew that tomorrow was just a meeting between his granddaughter and Nanny Ruan, and it was uncertain whether she would be selected, he would definitely not agree so readily.
It was a rare opportunity to go out, so Xiao Yao wanted to go to a bookstore. Visiting bookstores was a hobby of hers in her previous life. Although e-books had largely replaced paper books later, her love for them remained unchanged.
Xiao Yuan had been coveting places like Yixiang Garden and Wangxianju for a long time, and he wished he could go there right away to have a feast.
General Xiao silently weighed the pros and cons in his mind, then asked his two granddaughters for their opinions. "Let's go to Yixiang Garden to buy some snacks first, then go to the bookstore for a walk, and when we're tired, we can go to Wangxianju for dinner. What do you think?"
Both of their requests had been fully considered, so the sisters readily agreed to their request. General Xiao also praised himself in his heart. How attentive and thoughtful he was. Where else could you find such a grandfather?
As planned, the three of them, one old man and two children, went to Yixiang Garden. This shop, a century-old institution, was located right in the middle of the street, beautifully decorated, and bustling with business. General Xiao had already sent people to line up in advance. Xiao Yuan ordered lotus cakes, rose cakes, and steamed custard cakes with sugar. As her chubby fingers rose and fell one by one, the light in her eyes grew brighter.
When she mentioned the name of the seventh dim sum, Xiao Yao hurried over to stop her sister and said, "Ruyi, are you here to buy dim sum, or are you planning to buy something from someone else's shop?"
It didn't take long before the fragrant snacks were placed in front of Xiao Yuan, and the three of them began to head towards their next destination as planned.
Xiao Yao casually wandered around the bookstore, asking the staff for recommendations for some recent travelogues and history books. The staff enthusiastically recommended a few. As she spoke, she couldn't help but wonder, "Aren't the Xiao family military commanders? How could they have raised such a beautiful and refined young lady? Just look at her little face! I've never seen a prettier child!"
"Whatever books Ping'an likes, let's buy them all." General Xiao waved his hand proudly.
Xiao Yao smiled silently. She wanted to pick out a few picture books, whether about talented scholars and beautiful women or about love and hatred. She was curious! She had never read such books before! Thinking of her mother, Xiao Yao immediately gave up the idea. It was better not to provoke her boss. Copying "Nujie" as punishment would not be pleasant.
The last stop, Wangxianju, was a place Xiao Yuan had longed to visit. After the waiter led the three of them into a private room, while Xiao Yuan was quietly thinking about the menu, he heard General Xiao say very generously, "Bring us one of each of your signature dishes."
Grandfather was truly understanding. Xiao Yuan looked up at General Xiao with stars in her eyes, and no words of praise could express her excitement at the moment. General Xiao and Xiao Yao laughed out loud at the sight of her incompetent appearance.
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