The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 120: with great fanfare
Chapter 120: Fanfare
“Not yet!” Madam Tong held her hand and whispered, “Yesterday, Chunyan came to me crying and said that she knew she was wrong and wanted to return to serve the young lady. She also gave me a gold bracelet, and I accepted it.”
In the vermilion lacquered and carved corridor, the white lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed gently in the wind.
Bai Qingyan held the hand warmer in his hands, his expression calm and gentle.
Everyone in the Duke’s Mansion knew why Chunyan was moved out of Qinghui Courtyard, so naturally they would not give Chunyan any good face. If Chunyan did not have the gifts and money that Bai Qingyan rewarded her with, she would probably not even be able to drink a sip of hot water.
Seeing that her belongings were about to be stolen by those servants who flattered the powerful and bullied the weak, she then remembered the benefits of Qinghui Courtyard.
After she was reborn, she kept wondering how King Liang in her previous life put those letters with imitations of her grandfather’s handwriting into her grandfather’s study.
There are not many people who can enter and leave her grandfather’s study, except her grandmother, the eldest princess.
After thinking about it, she thought of Chunyan. In her previous life, she trusted Chunyan very much. Chunyan and Chuntao were the most respected girls in front of her. What if Chunyan used the excuse of getting something from her grandfather’s study for her, or used the excuse of returning the books in her grandfather’s study for her, and took the opportunity to hide the letter in it?
In her previous life, when she found those letters in her grandfather’s study, she had already been sent out of the capital city by Dong. The specific details are not very clear and can only be guessed.
Now that she had set the trap, she would put Chunyan back by her side and send someone to keep a close eye on her.
After a moment, she said quietly, “I have been thinking about the taste of oil tea noodles these days, but no matter whether it is the big kitchen, the small kitchen, or Chun Tao, Chun Xing, etc., they can’t make that taste.”
Tong Mama was already a very smart person, so she understood Bai Qingyan’s words. She just said, “In the winter of previous years, Chunyan liked to make oil tea noodles, and she got a lot of rewards from the eldest lady! The eldest lady wanted to make this dish, so I went to give Chunyan some advice, just as if the gold bracelet she gave me was not in vain!”
“Madam, let’s do it! Chuntao can just accompany me to the mourning hall.” she said.
·
When Chunyan heard Aunt Tong say that Bai Qingyan wanted to eat oil-tea noodles today, tears welled up in her eyes and she kowtowed to Aunt Tong: “Thank you Aunt Tong for your advice! Thank you Aunt Tong for your advice!”
“It’s not easy for us slaves to save up some presentable items. I can’t just accept your gold bracelet for nothing.” Nanny Tong’s eyes were fierce. “But I have to say this in advance. If the young lady really cares about the old times and allows you to return to Qinghui Courtyard, you better be careful! If you do it again… I will deal with you before the young lady even asks. Don’t say that Nanny is heartless then.”
“Got it! Got it! Madam, don’t worry, I will never do it again and will serve the young lady wholeheartedly!” Chunyan said as she took out a few golden peanuts given by Bai Qingyan from her bosom and handed them to Madam Tong, saying with sincerity, “This is the last bit of my private property, which was given by the young lady last year! Consider it Chunyan’s way of thanking you, Madam!”
Nanny Tong took the golden peanuts, chuckled and said, “The eldest girl is keeping vigil in the funeral hall. She must be cold and hungry in the second half of the night!”
Chunyan’s eyes lit up and she kowtowed heavily: “Thank you for your advice, Madam!”
It’s just past midnight.
Bai Qingyan asked Bai Jinzhi, who was still injured, to take her three sisters back to rest, while she, Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jintong stayed in the mourning hall.
Nanny Tong came in carrying a black lacquer and gold-painted food box and knelt quietly behind Bai Qingyan: “Miss, you, the second and third girls, please use something! Otherwise, you won’t be able to hold on.”
“Yes!” She nodded, “Jinxiu, Jintong… come here and use something.”
The three sisters were sitting aside. When they saw Nanny Tong opening the food box, Bai Jintong was attracted by the aroma and moved over: “It smells so good…”
“Oil tea noodles!” Bai Jintong was quite surprised.
Nanny Tong responded with a smile, served a bowl to each of the three people, and took out a few freshly made refreshing side dishes from the food box.
Bai Qingyan took a sip from the small bowl, then turned her head to ask Aunt Tong: “Who made this oil tea noodle today? It tastes exactly the same as Chunyan’s.”
Tong Ma Ma knelt down beside her in a proper manner, with her hands folded in front of her belly, and whispered, “It was Chun Yan who made it! The girl heard that the eldest lady had the courtyard make oil tea noodles, but she always felt that it didn’t taste right. Thinking that the eldest lady was tired of keeping vigil at the funeral hall, she made oil tea noodles and sent them over.”
Bai Jintong chuckled as he ate the oil tea noodles made by Chunyan. He didn’t show any sign of being ungrateful. He sneered, “I think she wants to ask the elder sister to let her go back to Qinghui Courtyard! But I heard that this girl has had a hard time recently.”
Bai Qingyan pursed his lips and said nothing. He finished a bowl of oil tea noodles, put down the bowl and spoon, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and then asked, “Where is Chunyan?”
“Still waiting outside.” said Nanny Tong.
Bai Jintong sneered: “Sure enough…”
“If she wants to go back to Qinghuiyuan, let her go back. Tell her to behave herself and not hang around in front of me.” After saying this, Bai Qingyan stood up and continued to keep vigil. It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry.
Nanny Tong waited until Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jinzhi had finished eating before she cleared the dishes and walked along the corridor to the hanging flower gate. Chunyan held onto the wall and took two steps forward impatiently: “Mammy! Did the eldest lady say she wanted to see me?”
Tong Ma Ma held the shelf and handed the food box to Chunyan. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and said, “The eldest lady is nostalgic for the old times. This is your luck! Pack up and go back to Qinghui Courtyard! Behave yourself and don’t hang around the eldest lady. If you can stay here quietly for a year or two, I’m sure the eldest lady will still remember your kindness and maybe promote you to her side again.”
“Thank you, Ma’am, for your advice! Thank you, Ma’am, for your advice!” Chunyan cried with joy, covering her mouth with her hands.
“Alright! Go pack your things and go back to Qinghuiyuan tomorrow morning.”
“Okay!” Chunyan thanked him profusely and left with the lunch box, feeling that the hard days had finally come to an end.
Nanny Tong looked at Chunyan’s back as she walked unsteadily, with a cold look in her eyes. She threw away her handkerchief, turned around and walked towards the mourning hall to report to Bai Qingyan.
“I specifically told her to return to Qinghui Courtyard early tomorrow morning. Given that girl’s unwillingness to suffer any loss, now that she has the eldest lady’s permission, she must return to Qinghui Courtyard with great fanfare tomorrow to vent her anger.” Matron Tong said in a low voice.
When Nanny Tong was speaking, Bai Qingyan did not avoid Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jintong.
Bai Jintong’s eyes widened as he listened: “Elder sister? You asked Chunyan to return to Qinghui Courtyard, not because of our old relationship? Could it be… that you have some plan?”
She relit the incense respectfully, kowtowed and knelt on one side, then said: “Mammy has asked people to keep an eye on Chunyan, Chuntao, you should get closer to Chunyan these few days. You are the most important maid in front of me now. If you get closer to her, she will spread it to five times.”
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Xiao Rongyan: Yuan Peng…
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Xiao Rongyan: …