Xiao Yao easily found her sister in the warm room, still enjoying the fun. She had agreed to visit Fourth Auntie! She had agreed to accompany her sister to the garden!
Qianyu and Qianxiang bowed apologetically to the eldest lady. The second lady was so fascinated by the fun that she refused to leave no matter how they were called. As a maid, what could they do?
A little girl, about ten years old, with round eyes and a rosy face, was folding various patterns with a handkerchief, her fingers moving up and down. Xiao Yuan, squeezed in at the front, watched intently, constantly commenting, "This mouse is too small," "This rabbit is a little skinny," and so on.
Xiao Yao stood speechless behind Xiao Yuan. Her sister was far less attractive than a handkerchief. Depressed wasn't enough to describe her current mood. She had always been afraid that someone would use food to abduct her sister, but now she realized that it wasn't just food. As long as there was something new in front of her, Ruyi would automatically follow someone.
The burden on my shoulders is not light. It seems that there is no better way than to stay by my side all the time.
There were about twenty young ladies in the warm room. Six or seven of the older ones were accompanied by Yuan Min, and a dozen of the younger ones were divided into several groups, playing chess or games. Yuan Jing and Yuan Ying walked among them. The scene looked lively and harmonious.
Slowly, people began to notice Xiao Yao who had just walked in. Who doesn't like to look at a beauty? Although the beauty in front of them is still very young, she is still pleasing to the eyes!
The older ladies were secretly thankful that the other party was still a child, otherwise, wouldn't they have a strong opponent out of nowhere? The younger ladies tried to stay away from Xiao Yao as much as possible, so as not to be used as a foil for her.
Xiao Yao calmly accepted all kinds of scrutiny and gazes, and didn't care about the whispers of some people. If she was scared away by these young ladies today, she would not be able to gain a foothold in the circle of noble ladies in Kyoto in the future. By then, they would not only laugh at her, but Ruyi and the entire Xiao family might also be implicated by her and become the topic of conversation and jokes for others after dinner.
Xiao Yao looked around and smiled generously, completely ignoring the atmosphere which had become a little weird.
There were some things she couldn't control, like being liked by others, or the inexplicable rejection and hostility. Xiao Yao was very open-minded about these things, letting things take their own course, not demanding or flattering. If she found a girl she liked and could get along with, she would get to know her, but if not, she wouldn't force it.
Xiao Yuan also realized belatedly that the atmosphere was a little unusual. When she came back to her senses from the game, she finally remembered that she seemed to have been so busy watching the fun that she forgot about and abandoned her sister.
The second daughter of the Xiao family, who always knew how to judge the situation, decisively turned around and ran to her sister. She confessed her guilt to Xiao Yao with an extremely sincere attitude, "I'm sorry, sister. I will never leave you alone again. Please forgive me this time. I beg you."
Xiao Yao could even recite this set of rhetoric backwards, and she believed Qianyu and Qianxiang were also very familiar with it, otherwise they would not have looked numb and kept silent with their heads down.
Xiao Yao had no good way to deal with her sister. She couldn't beat her, nor could she scold her. She could only give in and compromise again and again.
"Who is that lady?" The little girl holding a handkerchief tilted her head and asked Yuan Jing.
"She is my cousin's elder sister, General Xiao's eldest granddaughter."
"You're so pretty!" I'm so envious! I can only attract attention if I'm nice, but that girl! Even if she just stands there and does nothing, she can still attract attention.
At this moment, a maid came to invite the young ladies from each family to sit in the hall, and then the young ladies walked to the banquet in groups of three or four.
According to her status, the person sitting at the head seat at the main table should be Princess Jing, but Yin Qianhua said, "Today is a family dinner," and helped Yin to sit at the main seat. She sat below her aunt. Several female elders of the Yuan family and several relatives sat around the same table.
The Xiao Yao sisters, Yuan Jing and several other young ladies of similar age sat at the same table, and were taken care of by one of Xiao Yuan's cousins.
Yin Qianhua paid special attention to the direction of the little girls and found Xiao Yao among them very easily and quickly. Judging from where she was sitting, even if she was not a relative, she must be the family member of a high-ranking official.
Qiu Ying, noticing her master's movements, walked over to a woman behind Yin and started chatting quietly with her about family matters. After a few words, Han Ying casually asked, "That lady in the blue dress looks unfamiliar. I wonder if Madam Lin recognizes her."
"Several people have asked me about her today. She's General Xiao's eldest granddaughter, the apple of his eye and the apple of his eye."
"Is it General Xiao who taught our prince martial arts?"
"She's from General Xiao's family. This young lady and her brother are twins, a boy and a girl. This was a sensation in Kyoto back then."
Yin Qianhua, who was sitting next to them, heard the conversation between the two people clearly.
It turned out that she was a daughter of the Xiao family, the granddaughter of his son's master. It seemed that he and this girl had some kind of fate. He believed that he would meet her again in the future. She must be the kind person with a good temperament and good family background that his husband mentioned. He must let his daughter meet her if he had the chance.
When Xiao Yao just entered the hall, she saw Yin Qianhua sitting at the first table. It seemed that she had underestimated the status of this lady. After taking a glance, she no longer paid attention to her. The two people who met by chance should not have any intersection in the future. Just treat today as an accident.
Xiao Yao settled down to eat, and while doing so, she served her younger sister's maid. To be more precise, she ate her own meals while doing her job. She was already accustomed to this. She had a small appetite and was full in just a few bites. Seeing others enjoying their meals would also make her feel better. This was her experience.
The atmosphere was lively among the women, and even more so among the men. General Yuan had many relatives and was incredibly popular. It had been nearly a decade since they last met, and for the men at the table, wine was the most direct way to convey and express their feelings. Therefore, the atmosphere in the front yard was incredibly lively, something the women could neither understand nor imagine.
King Jing didn't see his son again until the banquet started. Before he could ask any questions, he found that the boy looked unhappy. Was it because his wife was bullied behind his back, or was it because his son had a fight with others? King Jing really couldn't think of anything that could make his usually calm son look like this.
King Jing turned his gaze to Xiao Anzi, hoping he would explain the reason.
Xiao Anzi only understood the general situation and told him that it was not a big deal. He did not expect that the prince, who had always been careless about trivial matters, would become so fussy today.
General Xiao accidentally saw Yun Yichen, whose expression was unwavering. He was surprised that the brat had the guts to show his father a displeasure. King Jing, though seemingly in high esteem, was actually a pathetic creature. He had no idea that Yun Yichen's sour expression was due to his own granddaughter's anger.
"My dear relative, when I build the martial arts training ground, you must come and help me." General Yuan said, patting his relative on the shoulder.
"I know that your Yuan family has many grandchildren and they need a large place to practice martial arts. If you need me in any way, just let me know." General Xiao agreed very readily.
"General Yuan, until your family's martial arts arena is built, you can leave your grandchildren to Old Xiao. He's quite experienced," Minister Tong said, deliberately irritating General Xiao. He knew how much the old man wanted to get rid of those princes and grandchildren. He absolutely couldn't let him have any free time, or he would have no chance to get close to his granddaughter.
"Old Tong, don't think I don't know your little tricks. Let me tell you, don't try to harm my family. I know you, but the military stick in my hand doesn't know you."
Well, for the sake of safety, the two started fighting again. Xiao Jingkang and Tong Guanghui sighed and skillfully separated them.
～ ～ ～
See you at eight!
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