The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 400: Sister
Chapter 400 Sister
The last time Bai Qingyan returned to Shuoyang, he stayed in Boyun Courtyard for one night and didn’t feel dissatisfied with anything.
Chuntao placed the blue and white tea set with lotus flowers that Bai Qingyan was used to using on the round table. She turned around and saw her daughter leaning on a turmeric-colored double-blessing Ruyi pillow reading a book. She lifted the bamboo curtain and went out to tell the maid who was sweeping the yard to keep her voice down.
Nanny Tong stepped into the Boyun Courtyard, hurriedly opened the curtain and entered the upper room, bowing to Bai Qingyan: “Miss, someone is here…”
Nanny Tong was talking about Bai Qingping.
She put down the book in her hand and said, “I’ll go over and see him.”
“I will help the young lady change her clothes.” Nanny Tong turned around and prepared to get clothes.
“No need, just like that…” she said.
Bai Qingping sat in the main hall, feeling quite uneasy. He didn’t know what arrangements Bai Qingyan had in mind for calling him here alone, but he knew that it might be because he settled the mute girl out of guilt, allowing Bai Qingyan to see that he still had some kindness in him compared to the people of the Bai clan.
But he…didn’t do anything worthy of praise or admiration, he just did what an ordinary person should do.
Knowing all this, Bai Qingping felt even more anxious and uneasy, realizing how disappointed Bai Qingyan was with the Bai family.
Bai Qingping saw Bai Qingyan, who was dressed neatly, stepping into the doorway. After a moment of surprise, he stood up and saluted Bai Qingyan: “Greetings, Princess.”
Today’s Bai Qingyan was different from the one he had seen before. The last time Bai Qingyan came back in full princess attire, she was dressed in gorgeous and formal clothes, and was supported by maids when she went in and out like those high-ranking daughters in the capital. But perhaps because Bai Qingyan had been on the battlefield, the heroic and murderous aura on her body made people afraid, so he thought that was Bai Qingyan.
At this moment, Bai Qingyan was wearing the most neat and ordinary clothes. Bai Qingping finally understood what murderous aura was. Although his brows were calm, his imposing manner made people feel scared.
“No need to be polite, sit down…”
Seeing Bai Qingyan walk straight to the main seat and sit down, Bai Qingping grabbed the corner of his clothes tightly and sat down stiffly.
“Regarding the training of troops and the suppression of bandits, the Crown Prince and the current emperor have already known about it, and will also ask the local officials to assist the Bai family in completing it. What do you think about the matter of recruiting people?”
The maid brought a black square tray with black lacquer and gold decoration, served the tea with light steps, and left in a hurry.
“We dare not deceive the princess. As for the training of soldiers and recruiting soldiers, all members of the Bai family thought that the princess would be in charge after her return, so they have been waiting for your instructions.” Bai Qingping was a little nervous when he replied.
“I’m not asking about the Bai clan, I’m asking about your thoughts…”
Bai Qingping raised his head and met Bai Qingyan’s deep and calm eyes: “My princess, do you want me to do this? But I’m still young, I wonder if I can’t do it well…”
“Ten-year-old boys of the Bai family in Dadu have already gone to the battlefield. Are you still young?” Bai Qing spoke calmly.
Although Bai Qingyan did not speak in a condescending manner to him, perhaps because the Bai family had done too many wrong things, Bai Qingping felt that he could not raise his head in front of Bai Qingyan: “Bai Qingping is ashamed.”
“You don’t have to admit your mistakes so quickly. I didn’t say you were wrong. If it were an ordinary family… you are indeed still young at this age, but we are not descendants of ordinary families. We are descendants of the Bai family.” Bai Qingyan looked at his cousin who was sitting there with his brows lowered, and said softly, “No one is born knowing everything, but we can slowly explore while doing it. We don’t have to assume that we can’t do it well from the beginning. This is not like our style of the Bai family. The Bai family… never get discouraged! Even if we make a mistake or do it poorly, we just need to find out the reason and correct it.”
Bai Qingping’s eyes turned red as he looked at Zhengping and Bai Qingyan who were patiently teaching him.
Ever since he could remember, his grandparents and his mother had always told him…he was still young and children shouldn’t interfere in adult matters. No one had ever heard him say this.
“Are you willing to give it a try?” Bai Qingyan said in a gentle voice.
Bai Qingping gritted his teeth, stood up and bowed solemnly to Bai Qingyan: “Please… Sister, teach me how to do this!”
When he suddenly heard the word “Sister”, Bai Qingyan’s fingers moved slightly, and he couldn’t help but think of Ayu.
She looked at the handsome young man in front of her, her pupils trembled and she came back to her senses. She spoke again, her voice was inevitably gentler: “We have a lot of land in our clan. You can first work hard on the tenants. For example, if you can send a few young and strong people from your family, you can exempt some of the rent. The Bai clan can give you a lot of silver. There must be someone willing to try. Everything is difficult at the beginning. As long as you get started… it will be much smoother later.”
Bai Qingping listened carefully and nodded, thinking that there were many other places where he could find solutions besides the tenants.
“Sister, since you have entrusted this matter to me, I will do my best. If there is anything I have not done well, please point it out to me!” Bai Qingping said.
“You are responsible for recruiting people. Bai Jinzhi and Lupin will bring the Bai Mansion guards to train the soldiers. If the silver embezzled from the clan before is not enough, you tell me and I will find a way.” Bai Qingyan said.
“I understand!” Bai Qingping said.
After seeing Bai Qingping off, she sat there and didn’t stand up for a long time.
As the sky gradually darkened, the lamp-lighting maids came in one after another in small steps, walking along the four ebony pillars with curtains on both sides of the main hall. They gently lit up the sixteen copper lamps with golden lotus flowers that were more than one person tall and were placed on both sides.
The hall gradually became brighter, and Chuntao also stepped into the main hall and whispered in Bai Qingyan’s ear: “Miss, Nanny Qin is here to call you over to have dinner with Madam.”
Bai Qingyan finally came back to his senses and slowly stood up holding Chuntao’s hand.
Stepping out of the main hall, the hexagonal Ruyi lanterns in the corridor have been lit up, and the warm light reflects on the bluestone floor and vermilion red pillars in the corridor. The Xiangfei bamboo curtain has also been lowered, isolating the flying insects that love to chase the light and fire hiding in the weeping willows and tall locust trees in the courtyard outside the corridor.
She walked along the corridor towards her mother’s courtyard, her ears filled with the sound of copper bells ringing in the wind, just as she could not stop missing Ayu.
Ayu, I still owe her a piece of the most beautiful pigeon blood stone in the world.
In fact, she still held a glimmer of hope in her heart, hoping that Ayu was not dead, and that he was just trapped there like Ajue and Ayun… or was rescued by some kind-hearted person.
She knew that her mother also missed A-Yu, but they were both afraid of making the other sad, so they kept silent about it.
Dong asked Nanny Qin to prepare the simple meals that Bai Qingyan liked, and while having dinner with Bai Qingyan, she discussed the banquet to be held on the sixth day of May.
“Just now, the clan leader’s wife, Fang, sent someone to deliver a message saying that the Bai family of Dadu had just returned to Shuoyang, and there might be some unclear relationships. If she can be of use, she will definitely serve.” Dong put a piece of steamed ham on Bai Qingyan’s plate, lowered her eyes and drank a mouthful of shredded chicken porridge in the bowl, and said, “This Fang… I’m afraid she is not an easy person to deal with. She wants to use the Bai family of Dadu to give her a good reputation.”
Third update!
Various rolling requests for monthly tickets…