The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 527: sensible
Chapter 527: Reasonable
When the carriage came to a complete stop, Chuntao helped Bai Qingyan bend down and walked out of the exquisite elm carriage. Old Lady Dong could not help but look delighted. She hurried to the lower steps and called out with great joy, “A Bao…”
“Mother, please slow down!” Cui was also smiling. She and Dong Qingyue stood on both sides and carefully protected Old Lady Dong as she walked down the high steps.
Ever since she knew that Bai Qingyan was not willing to marry Dong Changyuan, Cui felt a little relieved. She would no longer be a mother-in-law but only an aunt… Cui still liked Bai Qingyan very much.
In addition, Cui and Dong Qingyue had a big fight later, which affected Dong Changyuan’s mood and caused him to not do well in the exam. It was only when Bai Qingyan stepped in to mediate that Dong Changyuan was able to win the emperor’s favor in the palace examination.
Later, Dong Changyuan and Dong sent letters back one after another, which prevented Dong Qingyue and Cui from divorcing or reconciling.
Cui liked Bai Qingyan even more because he was sensible and had a general sense of things.
“Grandma!” When Bai Qingyan saw Old Lady Dong, who was in good health and mental state, she smiled like a child. As soon as she got off the carriage, Old Lady Dong held her hand.
“Why didn’t you even bring a nanny? Isn’t Nanny Tong very useful?” asked Old Lady Dong with a frown.
“Madame Tong is old, and I originally wanted Chuntao to stay at home to help train the maid who was just sent to the courtyard. I am used to going out alone, and the carriages and horses are moving fast. I was afraid that Chuntao and Madame Tong would not be able to bear it, and it would slow down the travel speed. But Chuntao insisted on coming, so I took her with me!”
Bai Qingyan answered Old Lady Dong’s question, then knelt down and saluted, calling everyone one by one: “Uncle, Aunt!”
Old Lady Dong looked at Chuntao with a smile, her eyes full of joy: “This girl is a good one!”
Chun Tao blushed when she was praised by Old Lady Dong, and hurriedly bowed: “Hello, Old Lady!”
“Cousin!” Dong Changmao, Dong Qingyue’s illegitimate son who was half a year younger than Dong Changlan, stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Bai Qingyan.
Dong Changmao’s features are not as delicate as those of Dong Changyuan and Dong Changlan, but he is also a rare handsome young man. Wearing a dark grey robe embroidered with bamboo patterns, he looks steady yet a bit old.
The two concubines, Dong Tingyun and Dong Tingzhi, also hurried forward to pay their respects.
Dong Tingzhi was wearing an apricot-colored dress, had her hair in a bun, and had only a jade hairpin on her head. She looked a little timid.
Dong Tingyun, who had always been raised by Old Lady Dong’s side, was dressed very formally today. She wore a light red gauze dress with a goose yellow middle coat with golden cloud piping underneath, a light red silk skirt embroidered with golden butterflies, and a hairpin with golden branches and rubies. After paying her respects, she stood up and said to Bai Qing with a smile, “My cousin is finally here. Grandmother has been talking about her every day these days!”
Little Cui Rongjie also stepped forward and asked Bai Qingyan with a smile: “Cousin, was your journey safe? Why didn’t you bring more guards?”
“Don’t stand outside and talk!” Old Lady Dong’s eyes were full of joy, and the wrinkles on her face deepened as she smiled. She just pulled Bai Qingyan’s hand and looked him up and down, “Come on! Let’s go inside and talk!”
Old Lady Dong almost held Bai Qingyan tightly in her arms and walked all the way towards the Chuihua Gate, while ordering people to quickly bring the food prepared for Bai Qingyan to the table.
Dong Qingyue laughed along, and seeing that Bai Qingyan looked much better than before in the capital, he knew that his sister’s letter saying that Bai Qingyan was getting better day by day was not just a consolation.
Dong Tingyun was very brave. She followed Xiao Cui and kept asking Bai Qingyan about the wars in the southern and northern borders. Old Madam Dong held Bai Qingyan’s hand and turned her head to say angrily, “Your cousin just came in and she hasn’t even caught her breath yet. How can you have so much to say?”
Dong Tingyun smiled and covered her lips with a handkerchief, joking with Grandma Dong: “My cousin just arrived and she complains that Yunjie talks too much! Cousin, please judge for yourself… Usually, grandma says that I talk too much! Grandma, maybe you think that my cousin is prettier than Yunjie and throw Yunjie aside.”
Bai Qingyan had a faint smile between his brows, but did not say a word.
Xiao Cui smiled and raised her hand to poke Dong Tingyun on the forehead, but she also understood that only Dong Tingyun, who was raised by Old Madam Dong, dared to say this.
The Dong family of Dengzhou is also a prominent family with deep roots. The pavilions, towers, carved corridors and painted buildings are all arranged in an ancient style, elegant, restrained and noble.
Old Madam Dong disliked Dong Tingyun for being talkative, so she asked Bai Qingyan questions all the way. Only after they passed through the corridor and stepped into Old Madam Dong’s yard did Bai Qingyan go to the warm room that Old Madam Dong had ordered people to prepare for her to change her clothes and wash up.
Old Madam Dong loved Bai Qingyan. Cui and Little Cui originally wanted to clean up a yard for Bai Qingyan, but Old Madam Dong was reluctant to leave Bai Qingyan somewhere else. She wanted to keep him under her nose and settle him down here.
Bai Qingyan washed off his dusty body, changed into a frosty single-piece dress, and holding Chuntao’s hand, he came to Old Lady Dong’s main room. He just happened to hear a commotion in the room. Someone brought in some cold sour plum soup. Old Lady Dong had the sour plum soup removed and had yogurt served in a silver cup. She also instructed her daughter-in-law, two granddaughters, and granddaughter-in-law that if Bai Qingyan went to their place, the ice must be removed and not used again.
Bai Qingyan said that people with colds should not touch cold things. Old Lady Dong always kept this in mind, and Bai Qingyan felt warm in his heart.
“Cousin!” Nanny Wang, who was beside Old Madam Dong, hurried out and opened the curtain to invite Bai Qingyan in. Nanny Wang was neatly dressed and had a round face, looking very kind.
The bamboo curtain made a sound, and everyone in the room looked towards the door. They saw someone walking around the screen, through the bead curtain, and towards the inner room.
Little Cui hurriedly stood up to greet her: “Cousin, come and sit next to grandma…”
Bai Qingyan smiled and nodded, then walked to Old Madam Dong, held her hand and talked for a long time. She also asked the maid sent by Old Madam Dong to serve her to present the gifts she had brought to the Dong family. After dinner, when everyone left, Bai Qingyan did not have the chance to say a few serious words to her uncle Dong Qingyue.
Old Lady Dong left Bai Qingyan in the room to talk. Nanny Wang used the excuse that the embroidery on Chuntao’s clothes was beautiful and wanted to ask Chuntao to draw a pattern for her, so she took Chuntao out of the upper room.
The gilded auspicious beast incense burner placed in the center of the upper room emitted curls of smoke that dissipated into the room like clouds.
Not until the swaying sound of the pearl curtain stopped did Bai Qingyan talk about his intention to bring Old Lady Dong to Shuoyang.
Old Lady Dong sat on a rosewood couch, her elbows resting on a small square table painted black and painted gold. She put down the teacup in her hand and said with a smile, “Grandma is old and can’t stand this long journey. When… our Abao gets married, grandma will go to Shuoyang again! This time Abao is here… let him stay with grandma for a few more days. Grandma doesn’t know how many days she has left to live.”
First update! Keep going back and forth to ask for monthly tickets!