Chapter 78: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 78: Reception
"Second sister, should we follow them?"
Looking at the group of girls led by Daohua, who had already exited the courtyard, Yan Yile glanced at the red-eyed Yan Yishuang, hesitating before turning to Yan Yihuan.
Yan Yihuan felt a little hesitant, recalling how the young ladies had ignored them earlier. But then she remembered her mother's recent advice to get close to these official young ladies, and bracing herself, she said, "There are so many people, elder sister must be quite busy, we should go and help."
Yan Yile, who enjoyed lively gatherings and wanted to meet those young ladies dressed in more elaborate outfits than theirs, immediately smiled and nodded, pulling Yan Yihuan along as they hurried to catch up.
Yan Yihuan did not forget to pull Yan Yishuang, who was standing aside, and seeing the tears in her eyes, she gently advised, "Third sister, we’re hosting guests today, it's not good for others to see you like this."
Yan Yile chimed in, "Yes, third sister, you really should stop crying so often."
At these words, more tears welled up in Yan Yishuang's eyes, and she looked pitiful, on the verge of sobbing.
Yan Yihuan, feeling troubled, shot a glare at Yan Yile.
Yan Yile pouted. Back in Linyi County, their eldest uncle was the most powerful, and even though Yan Yishuang was a concubine's daughter, most of the young ladies visiting would always surround her. But now, in Xingzhou, where there were many people of higher status, these distinguished young ladies did not give Yan Yishuang the time of day. Yet, she still tried to force herself into the conversation, only to be embarrassed.
Yesterday, their aunt had repeatedly reminded them to follow the elder sister’s lead in hosting the other young ladies, but Yan Yishuang insisted on drawing attention to herself, and now, she had received nothing but disdain.
Seeing that Yan Yishuang's eyes were brimming with tears, Yan Yihuan hurriedly grabbed both Yan Yile and Yan Yishuang and quickly left the main courtyard.
In the guest hall, the young ladies were interacting, and the respective families' matrons were quietly observing. Naturally, they noticed how Yan Yishuang seemed to be neglected.
Madam Li was fuming inside. She had done so much preparation to ensure that the Yan family wouldn't be looked down upon by the families of Xingzhou, but now Yan Yishuang had ruined it. She had acted so small and unrefined, and these official ladies were likely laughing at her and the Yan family behind their backs.
"Please forgive me, ladies," Madam Li forced a smile, her words laced with embarrassment.
The other matrons merely shook their heads, showing no real concern. To break the awkwardness, the wife of the local official stepped forward to redirect the conversation, and soon, the talk shifted to other topics.
Daohua's Courtyard.
Daohua led the young ladies into the courtyard, taking them straight to the flower trellis and corridor.
The climbing roses hadn't bloomed yet, but their green vines had already covered the trellis, with tendrils hanging down from the gaps in the framework, creating a unique charm.
"Sister Yan, your flower trellis is beautifully made, and the vines are growing so well."
Qian Bilian, the young lady from the Tong family, who loved flowers, couldn't help but approach to admire the trellis.
"It’s only just been completed. Right now, we only have green leaves, but when the roses bloom, the view will be even more beautiful," Daohua said, leading the girls to the long table in the corridor. "Once the flowers bloom, I’ll send out invitations for everyone to come and enjoy them."
Qian Bilian clapped her hands and cheered, "That sounds wonderful! I’m looking forward to it."
Daohua smiled, "I’ll definitely invite you."
As they were chatting, Zhou Jingwan, feeling ignored, walked over to the long table in the corridor, picked up a small rattan flower basket, and said with disdain, "What are you bringing us here for? To make baskets?"
Daohua quickly moved to the table, picked up the delicate basket, and said with a smile, "Of course not! We’re not here to weave baskets. We're going to arrange flowers."
She waved to Wang Man'er, who immediately brought over several prepared bouquets of colorful flowers.
"These are such beautiful flowers!" Qian Bilian exclaimed as she rushed to examine them.
The other girls also gathered around.
Daohua chuckled, "These are just wildflowers. It’s already April, and many wildflowers have bloomed in the mountains. To help me collect them, my third uncle has been making trips to the mountains outside the city."
Of course, she had also added many wildflowers she had gathered from her space.
Zhou Jingwan sneered, "So you brought us wildflowers to pass the time?" She looked disgusted, yet her hands couldn’t help but examine the flowers more closely. She had a lot of expensive flowers at home, which were her grandfather's treasured possessions. She was forbidden from touching them, so the wildflowers, though simple, were nonetheless attractive to her.
Ignoring Zhou Jingwan’s conflicting words, Daohua smiled at the others and said, "I know you all have ornamental flowers at home, but those are too precious to practice with. These wildflowers may not be much, but they can only be found in the mountains. Using them to arrange baskets and place them in our rooms gives a different kind of charm."
Qian Bilian nodded enthusiastically, "That sounds like a great idea!"
All the young ladies, being fond of flowers, agreed eagerly.
Daohua continued, "So, we’ll spend the morning learning how to arrange flowers, and in the afternoon, we’ll have a competition to see whose flower basket is the most beautiful."
Zhou Jingwan, seeing Daohua looking at her as if asking for her approval, arrogantly nodded, "Fine. We’re already bored with poetry games, so I’ll go along with this. Let’s play at arranging flowers this time."
Her quick change in attitude left Daohua in awe.
The other girls, equally excited, eagerly reached for the flowers on the table, each considering how best to arrange the flowers in their baskets to make them look the most beautiful.
Seeing that the girls were all absorbed in the activity, Daohua finally relaxed. Turning around, she saw Yan Yihuan and the others walking into the courtyard.
"Elder sister!"
Daohua looked at the three, her gaze lingering on Yan Yishuang, whose eyes were still red, and frowned. "What’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve been bullied."
Yan Yishuang bit her lip but didn’t speak.
Daohua rubbed her forehead, feeling weary of dealing with such sensitive girls. She quickly turned to Yan Yihuan, "Second sister, if you want to join in the flower arrangement, you’re welcome to, but please keep an eye on third and fourth sisters."
Both Yan Yishuang and Yan Yile liked to show off, and Daohua didn’t want the flower arrangement activity to be spoiled.
Yan Yihuan quickly nodded, "Don’t worry, elder sister. I’ll take care of them."
Daohua gave them one last look, "I’m going to make tea now. You girls take care of yourselves." With that, she turned and headed back to her room.
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Inside the room, Wang Man'er had already prepared a pot of jasmine tea.
Daohua said, "Take this pot of tea and the jujube paste cakes and pea flour cakes on the table to big brother. Let him use them to entertain the guests."
"Got it!" Wang Man'er responded, grabbing the tea and cakes before leaving.
Once she was gone, Daohua brewed another pot of jasmine tea herself and brought it to the young ladies in the corridor.
"This tea smells so nice!" Zhou Jingwan remarked.
As Daohua poured tea for the girls, she smiled, "It’s just ordinary jasmine tea."
"Really? It tastes better than the tea at home," Zhou Jingwan said.
Daohua grinned at her, "If you like it, I’ll wrap some for you later." Then she turned to the others, "If any of you like it, I’ll wrap some for you too."
Qian Bilian laughed, "Thank you, we won’t be polite!"
In the outer courtyard.
Seeing the young masters from various families enjoying the tea and cakes, Yan Wenxiu silently let out a sigh of relief and continued to converse with the guests more comfortably.
(End of Chapter)
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