Chapter 117: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 117: Good Brother
The young ladies gradually paired off to explore, and the room became much quieter. The various madams chatted about their experiences and amusing anecdotes, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan sat at the lower end, quietly sipping tea.
“This tea isn’t as good as your family’s flower tea!” Zhou Jingwan took a sip, then set the cup down with a slight look of distaste.
Daohua thought to herself, of course it’s not as good, as the tea she served was grown in her own space to ensure the Yan family appeared presentable in front of others.
“In the mountains, everything is inconvenient. Just drink what you have,” she said, finishing her cup and asking a maidservant to refill it.
Zhou Jingwan pouted but didn't move.
Since childhood, her tastes had been spoiled, and simple things rarely satisfied her.
At that moment, she noticed her mother's head maid walking briskly into the room. As she passed them, she glanced over.
Feeling a bit bored, Zhou Jingwan’s gaze followed the maid. She quickly saw the maid lean in and whisper something into her mother’s ear.
Madam Zhou listened, then smiled and spoke aloud, "Some children from good families are resting at the temple as well. They’d like to come over and greet us, which is a good opportunity for everyone to see them. They’re all fine children."
She then turned to Madam Li with a smile. "Your two sons are also here on the mountain, aren’t they?”
Madam Li’s expression shifted slightly. She knew Madam Zhou was referring to Wen Kai and Wen Tao.
Earlier, she had only seen Wen Xiu, and she had suspected the other two would show up eventually.
Since she, as an elder, was already present, the younger ones were naturally required to come and pay their respects.
Soon, a few maidservants led in six or seven young boys, each around ten to twelve years old.
The first was Dong Yuanxuan from the Provincial Prefect Magistrate’s family, followed by Su Hongxin from the State Councillor’s family, Wu Hongda from the Imperial Physician’s family, and finally, the two Yan brothers.
Zhou Chengye had already greeted the madams earlier; this time, he was simply accompanying the others, acting as a guide.
"Little nephew greets Aunt Zhou and salutes all the madams!" The boys bowed respectfully to the women present.
Madam Zhou quickly invited them to stand and enthusiastically introduced each boy to the others.
Immediately, the madams began praising them effusively.
Madam Li sat quietly to the side, her face maintaining a composed smile. She watched with satisfaction as Wen Kai and Wen Tao responded so naturally to the various ladies, impressed by how well they had adapted.
She couldn’t help but marvel at how, in such a short time since entering Wangyue Academy, the two brothers had already become so poised in their interactions. They were now much more composed than when they were at home.
Though they were still a bit lacking in smoothness and tact, they had held their own well and weren’t overshadowed by the more refined young masters.
Meanwhile, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, observing their brothers being praised and discussed by the madams, couldn’t help but giggle quietly.
"I’ll tell you, these ladies are so eager because they’re evaluating potential future sons-in-law!" Zhou Jingwan whispered.
Daohua rolled her eyes inwardly. "In this crowd, the oldest are probably your brother and Dong Gege. They’re only about fifteen or sixteen, why are they so eager already?"
Zhou Jingwan gave a knowing look. "Fifteen or sixteen is plenty old enough! They’re just starting to evaluate, and when it comes to marriage, the timing can be discussed later!"
Daohua shook her head and sipped her tea in silence.
The thought of marrying and having children at such a young age made her anxious and unwilling to accept it.
Meanwhile, Dong Yuanxuan and the others had almost finished their conversation with the madams.
Yan Wenkai and Yan Wentao spoke briefly with Madam Li, reassuring her that they were in the same class as the young prince and were studying and training together. They told her to rest easy.
"Don’t worry, mother, no one dares to bully us anymore," Yan Wenkai said in a low voice. Seeing Dong Yuanxuan and the others getting ready to leave, he added, "Next time, when the academy takes a break, we’ll come home."
Madam Li nodded in approval.
Dong Yuanxuan and the others stood to leave. Yan Wenkai smiled and walked away from his mother. As he spotted Daohua and Zhou Jingwan sitting in the corner, he quickly made his way over.
"Why aren’t you two going out to play?"
Daohua smiled, "We're just resting." After sitting for a while and drinking two cups of tea, both of them had recovered.
Yan Wenkai's eyes shifted as he thought for a moment. "So, have you rested well?" He knew his younger sister couldn’t sit still. Was it that his mother was keeping her from going out to play?
As a good older brother, it was his duty to rescue his sister from boredom.
Daohua looked at Zhou Jingwan, who also glanced at Daohua. Then, they both nodded in unison, "We’re good now."
Seeing the expectant look on their faces, Yan Wenkai thought to himself, just as he suspected. Even Mother, who had kept her at home, allowed his younger sister to go out, so why was he holding Daohua back?
"Alright then, the view at the back of the mountain is especially beautiful. Come, I’ll take you both on a tour." With that, he turned to look at Madam Li.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan also turned to look at Madam Li and Madam Zhou.
Clearly, both of them wanted to visit the back of the mountain.
Madam Zhou's expression changed slightly. The servants had already reported that the back mountain of the temple had been closed off. She knew that it was due to the young prince—he was there enjoying the scenery, and outsiders weren’t allowed to disturb him.
This was a golden opportunity to get closer to the young prince.
She smiled and said to Madam Li, "The girls rarely get out. Let’s not hold them back, they can go have fun. But, Chengye, you must keep an eye on your two sisters. If they get hurt or fall, I’ll make you pay."
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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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Zhou Chengye laughed, "Don’t worry, Mother. Even if I get hurt myself, I’ll make sure nothing happens to my sisters."
Though Madam Li was cautious, thinking of propriety, she realized that with Zhou family girls present and Wenkai and Wentao accompanying them, and considering how well Daohua usually behaved, she didn’t stop them. She simply reminded them, "No mischief. If you get tired, come back with the Zhou family girls quickly."
Madam Zhou, seeming to understand Madam Li’s concerns, smiled. "There’s an older brother looking out for them, what’s there to worry about?"
In the Great Xia Dynasty, although there were strict rules regarding men and women, they were not extreme—there were no such prohibitions as "no seating together before the age of seven."
During holidays, young ladies could go out with their parents, elders, or brothers, as long as they followed the rules. Occasionally meeting other young men was not an issue.
Besides, the two girls were only around ten years old, still young, so there was no need for excessive concern.
Seeing that her mother had agreed, both Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were thrilled. They nodded repeatedly, promising not to cause any trouble.
Madam Zhou waved her hand, "Alright, go enjoy yourselves with your brothers."
Upon hearing this, the younger ones bowed and left.
As they watched them leave, the other madams had different expressions. Some, whose facial expressions couldn’t hide their thoughts, were clearly regretting not having kept their daughters from going out. If they had held them back, they would now be able to join the trip to the back mountain.
(The End of this Chapter)
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