After getting on the carriage, Xiao Yao rubbed against Tong Mingyu, took her arm affectionately, and blinked her big eyes, which were full of "Are you hiding something from me? Tell me quickly!"
Tong Mingyu cheerfully explained to her daughter, "That elegant woman just now was Nanny Ruan. When she was in the palace, she taught princesses of high rank, and they were all outstanding in etiquette and talent. Now that she's left the palace, she wants to find a suitable young lady from an official family to teach her, and also find a suitable place to spend the rest of her life."
"So?" Xiao Yao sat up straight, an answer already forming in her mind.
"You've probably been chosen. Just wait a couple of days to see if our family is compatible with her. Then it will be finalized."
Xiao Yao: … …
She really wanted to be hypocritical and say that she didn't want to learn. For her now, what could be more painful than watching her free time getting shorter and shorter?
How great it would be if there was a magic pill that could freeze a person in childhood forever so that they never had to grow up.
"You don't know, just now when Nanny Ruan didn't agree, mother was still thinking that it was a good thing that she didn't tell you the real purpose of coming here today, otherwise you would definitely be sad." Tong Mingyu judged others by herself and thought that if it were her daughter, she would also be very sad.
Xiao Yao wanted to yell at her mother, "You're really overthinking it. I'm so happy to have one less person to control me. My family and I have no plans to enter the palace to be selected as concubines, so why bother studying all those complicated etiquette and rules?" One look at Nanny Ruan's smooth movements told her it would take three to five years, or even ten or eight years to learn. Xiao Yao didn't know what others were thinking, but she really didn't want to go through that kind of suffering.
"Fortunately, the final result was satisfactory. From now on, you must listen to Nanny Ruan and learn more skills. This is crucial to your future life. Maybe you can't understand what mother is saying now, but just know that everything mother does is for your own good."
Xiao Yao was touched by her mother's good intentions. For a woman, the more than ten years of her youth spent at her parents' home are the most beautiful and relaxing. The quality of life after marriage depends largely on one's upbringing and personality, so her mother would plan and pave the way for her early on. It's truly pitiful to see the love of parents in the world!
"I'll listen to you." Xiao Yao snuggled in Tong Mingyu's arms, listening to her mother's soft whispers in her ears, her heart full of happiness.
"Mom knew that Ping'an was the best." Tong Mingyu said with relief.
Two days passed quickly. In order to welcome the arrival of Nanny Ruan, the Xiao family made sufficient preparations and the welcoming lineup was also very strong. All the women in the family except Qin were outside the gate. Xiao Jingkang took a day off to welcome the two distinguished guests. All aspects showed that the Xiao family attached great importance to this meeting and Nanny Ruan.
General Xiao originally wanted to take the opportunity to ask for a day off, but after calculating the time, he sadly discovered that the day when Nanny Ruan came to visit was the day when he went to the Imperial College to teach martial arts to a few boys. Thinking of the person who gave him a headache, General Xiao once again hoped that this day would end soon.
Seeing the carriage carrying Madam Wen and Nanny Ruan stop, Xiao Jingkang and Tong Mingyu hurried forward with Xiao Yao.
"Greetings to Auntie Ruan." The couple said in unison.
"Jingkang is here too. Look at the scene. It's obvious that Sister Ruan is much more popular than me." Mrs. Wen intended to tell Nanny Ruan how much the Xiao family valued this meeting.
Nanny Ruan smiled without saying anything, her eyes involuntarily searching the crowd for the figure she had been thinking about for several days.
"It's been a long time since we last met. You are still as charming as ever, Aunt Ruan. I have heard of your great name for a long time. It is my great honor to meet you today." Xiao Jingkang said politely.
"That's what I like to hear, aunt." Mrs. Wen responded with a smile. Who would have thought that Xiao Hu, who came from a humble background, had such outstanding sons and such a good reputation. Such a family has a bright future. Her old sister's vision is indeed unique.
Seeing that she was being targeted, Xiao Yao quickly and consciously walked out.
"Greetings to the grandmother of the Wen family and to Madam Ruan." The smiling little girl bowed solemnly.
Li Jiaoying and Yuan Yutong also came over to greet her warmly and took the initiative to support Madam Wen. Tong Mingyu and her daughter accompanied Madam Ruan as they walked towards Ninghe Hall.
Xiao Jingkang escorted everyone to the door of the upper room and then said goodbye and left. As a host, as a father, and especially as a man, this was all he could do.
Qin personally greeted them at the door. These two guests were extraordinary. One was the wife of a contemporary great scholar, and the other was a famous governess in Kyoto.
After they sat down to rest for a while, they toured the Xiao family's compound accompanied by Tong Mingyu and her sisters-in-law. Compared to the courtyards of real princes and nobles, the Xiao family's was neither the most luxurious nor the largest.
But here there is a warm and harmonious atmosphere that is not found in many wealthy families. The mother-in-law, daughter-in-law and sisters-in-law are affectionate with each other, and the servants have relaxed brows. You can tell at a glance that they live a good and satisfying life here.
Nanny Ruan stopped in front of a brand new embroidery building and asked Tong Mingyu curiously, "Excuse me, Madam, where is this..."
"This is the embroidery building that my father-in-law personally ordered and supervised. He planned to let the two girls move in when they are older."
"Is it finished? Can I take a look?"
"Of course, please."
The embroidery building was indeed completed. The first and second floors were shared, with a study and a reception room. The third floor was divided into two large suites, each with a separate study, a living room, and even an embroidery room.
One of the large suites was decorated in a light and elegant style, with light purple bed curtains and drapes, huanghuali wood tables, chairs and dressing table, an ivory carved screen inscribed with symbols of all diseases, and a marble table by the window, on which were placed papers, pens and books.
The main color of the other suite is pink, and there are many small decorations in the room. The bead curtain made of necklaces will make a crisp sound when touched. There is also a small nest under the corner of the bed specially built for Xiao Yuan's pet Xiaobai.
The different decoration styles reflect the different personalities of the two little girls.
"What is the name of this place?" Nanny Ruan didn't find any plaques or inscriptions. It seemed that it had not been named yet.
Xiao Yao didn't know how to answer Nanny Ruan's question. After all, it was not her responsibility to name someone.
Tong Mingyu really wanted to ask Nanny Ruan to choose one for her, but since the two parties were not in a proper relationship, it was not appropriate to ask for it rashly.
"Miss Xiao, why don't you choose one for yourself?" Nanny Ruan suggested. Although it is just a name, it can reflect many issues, such as a person's hobbies and a person's mind.
"Ping'an, you live by yourself, so of course you should give it your own name. Second Aunt supports you and believes that you can do it."
Second Aunt! How can you be said to be supporting me? You're clearly trying to put me on the spot! Sometimes I really don't understand where your trust in me comes from.
"But my younger sister also has a share here. I have to discuss it with her before I want to name it!" I'm not the only one living here. What if my younger sister has her own plans?
"Ruyi will definitely agree with your decision, you just make the decision." Yuan Yutong quickly stated her position. Ruyi cannot be allowed to choose the name. Otherwise, even if it is not called Yixiang Garden or Wangxianju, it will probably not be too far from here.
"Is it okay?" Xiao Yao didn't expect that she would be entrusted with such an important task. Seeing everyone's serious expressions, she knew that this was not a joke, so she thought hard.
"How about calling it Yaoyuanlou?" Xiao Yao also knew that this name was not very nice, but since she took one character from her own name and her sister's name, this was the only possible result.
"Why is it called this name?" asked Nanny Ruan curiously.
"Because my name is Xiao Yao and my sister's name is Xiao Yuan, and since we live here together, the name we choose should naturally be related to both of us, right?" Xiao Yao didn't know whether her reason could convince everyone.
"It sounds really good." Loyal fan Li Jiaoying always supports her niece unconditionally.
—— —— ——
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