Chapter 2 I Want to Hang a Painting
Zhu Yuhuan took Zhu Youtong to visit the market and bought a lot of small things. Although they did not encounter the temple fair, the two sisters watched the street tricks for a long time, such as balancing on the head and going through the hoop.
Zhu Youtong had never seen such a lively scene before. Even after the crowd dispersed, he still felt unsatisfied. He pulled Zhu Yuhuan's sleeve and asked, "Sister, can we come out and watch again in the future?"
Seeing her eager expression, Zhu Yuhuan said, "Of course, I'll take you to South City next time."
"Okay—" Zhu Youtong shook Zhu Yuhuan's hand and said happily, "The farther away, the better!"
Zhu Yuhuan took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his sister's forehead. He smiled and said, "Let's go to Taiping Teahouse for tea with me."
The carriage stopped at the door of the teahouse. The owner saw Zhu Yuhuan's bell hanging on the carriage and knew who was coming. He quickly asked the doorman to go and greet him. Unexpectedly, a hand wearing bracelets reached out from the carriage, holding Han Guilan's hand and jumping down. It was Zhu Yuhuan, but dressed as a woman.
The person in charge was shocked and asked the men to disperse to avoid accidentally exposing Zhu Yuhuan's identity.
Zhu Youtong stepped down from the carriage. She looked up at the Taiping Teahouse bathed in sunlight and exclaimed, "This house is so big! It feels even more spacious than the one we live in."
Zhu Yuhuan was a little amused when he heard this and said, "It's because there are no walls outside, so the light is better, so it looks spacious."
As for the size of the house, how could the outside world compare to the palace? However, the palace was full of high walls and towers, and unlike the bustling outside, it always made people feel a little lonely.
Zhu Youtong giggled, shook Zhu Yuhuan's hand, and said, "Sister, I like it here."
Zhu Yuhuan led her inside and said, "I'm glad you like it. Sister has something fun to show you."
The two sisters entered the teahouse together. They saw that the layout of Taiping Teahouse remained unchanged, but the decoration inside had changed a lot. There were not only flower arrangements and incense, but also high-hanging scrolls. The aisles and private rooms were full of people evaluating the paintings, which surprised Zhu Youtong very much.
She had also learned these things from her master, but they were just little things for fun, played with occasionally. How could they be as elegant as those in the teahouse?
Zhu Yuhuan found her eyes wide open and found it a little funny. He patted Zhu Youtong's head and said, "Is it fun?"
“Fun!”
Zhu Yuhuan then explained, "The Xingbang exam will be released soon, and the capital city is bustling with activity. Using these elegant items to attract people is a good way to attract customers."
Zhu Youtong's attention had long been drawn to the various paintings. Pointing at the peony painting on the wall, he said, "Isn't this something my aunt took out..."
Zhu Yuhuan quickly covered her mouth and whispered, "It's good that you recognize it, but be careful not to tell others about it."
Zhu Youtong nodded obediently and followed Zhu Yuhuan into the private room. Then he said, "Isn't that the dowry that grandma gave to Aunt Jiaxing? Why is it in the teahouse?"
Zhu Yuhuan held his chin with one hand and said, "Of course I borrowed it. My sister's things are all in the palace, registered and can't be taken out of the palace at will. There are a few pieces of my father's imperial calligraphy in the princess's mansion, but they can't be hung here for people to admire and comment on."
Zhu Youtong finally understood and couldn't help but sigh: "Aunt is really generous."
Zhu Yuhuan wanted to call her a silly girl, saying that she didn't send the money to others on time, so why should she do so many favors? But his sister was still young, so why should he let her worry about these things?
So Zhu Yuhuan just handed the milk tea to Zhu Youtong and said, "Try this, is it delicious?"
Zhu Youtong took a sip of the milk tea and exclaimed in surprise, "It tastes good! It's sweet and tastes better than the tea in the palace!"
Zhu Yuhuan was amused by her and said, "Then the small kitchen in the palace will make these for you in the future, okay?"
Zhu Youtong nodded, looked towards the aisle, and suddenly said, "Sister, can you take out my paintings and hang them up too?"
Zhu Yuhuan exchanged a glance with her, rubbed her sister's head, and said, "Of course you can. Which one do you want to hang? I'll have it framed for you and hang it in the most conspicuous place in the teahouse."
Zhu Youtong's eyes lit up when he heard this. He looked at Zhu Yuhuan expectantly and asked, "Any one is fine?"
"Of course." Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile, "As long as it's your painting, you can hang it wherever you want."
Zhu Youtong couldn't help but reach out and hug Zhu Yuhuan, saying coquettishly: "I know that my sister is the best to me!"
Zhu Yuhuan also hugged her, patted her back, and comforted her: "As long as your sister is here, you can do whatever you want."
In fact, since he started to learn Taoism, Zhu Yuhuan was able to perceive the emotional changes of his mother and sister. Hu Shanxiang was an adult after all and could resolve and digest her emotions, but Zhu Youtong was a child and there were many things that were difficult for her to understand, such as why her father Zhu Zhanji was absent from her growth process, and the different treatment of princesses and princes by relatives inside and outside the palace.
If Zhu Youtong had been raised as a girl, she might not have realized these things so early on. But once she felt true, thoughtful love, she would have understood the dilemma she was in.
Zhu Youtong is different from Zhu Yuhuan. Zhu Yuhuan once had another life. In that life, she was a healthy person who knew how to love herself, but Zhu Youtong is an ordinary child who grew up normally. She is only more vulnerable than her mother.
Zhu Youtong felt a lump in her throat when she heard her sister was as reliable as ever. After a while, she murmured softly, "I know, sister, you've worked very hard. No matter what others think, in my heart, you'll always be the most powerful person! Even more powerful than Father Huang!" She became a little embarrassed when she said this, and whispered, "So sister, don't give up on yourself..."
Zhu Yuhuan was originally still worried about his sister's growing pains, but when he heard this, he was quite puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by giving up on yourself?"
How come she doesn't know that she's giving up on herself?
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