"Treasure Piggy."
Tan’er held the little one up and, spotting the bangle in her hand, asked curiously, "Where did you get that?"
"Not giving it to you."
Bao Shu imdiately hid the bangle behind her back.
Tan’er pouted. "It’s not like you can eat it, so I don’t even want it!"
At this mont, Liu Changsheng ca upstairs.
Bao Shu instantly twisted her pudgy body, slid off the stool, and stretched out her little arms toward Liu Changsheng: "Liu, Uncle Liu."
Though still wobbling a bit, her steps were much faster now.
Liu Changsheng gave a gentle smile. "Miss Bao Shu."
Bao Shu hugged his leg. "Grasshopper."
Liu Changsheng understood imdiately, deftly pulling a small grasshopper woven from straw out of his wide sleeve as if by magic.
"Wow!"
Bao Shu dropped the shell bangle in her hand and clutched the straw grasshopper tightly.
Kids are just like that: always chasing sothing new while discarding the old.
Liu Changsheng chuckled, picked up the shell bangle, wiped it clean with his sleeve, and stashed it in Bao Shu’s little pouch.
Bao Shu, with her new grasshopper buddy, wandered off to play.
Tan’er’s lips curled upward in obvious dissatisfaction.
"Miss Tan’er." Liu Changsheng extended an intricately crafted little dragonfly to Tan’er. "This is for you."
Tan’er’s eyes lit up and she imdiately grabbed the dragonfly. "Wow, what a pretty little dragonfly!"
Bao Shu suddenly found her grasshopper lacking in appeal. She tossed it aside, thought again, picked it back up, and sweetly offered, "Let’s trade."
Tan’er giggled mischievously. "You little rascal, I don’t want to trade with you!"
Bao Shu frowned. "Tan’er, you’re not adorable."
The shop was bustling with business, so ng Qianqian hardly got a chance to exchange a few words with Liu Changsheng before he had to rush off again.
ng Qianqian turned to Liu Qingyun and suggested, "Mother, there are quite a few shops on East Street. Let’s go take a stroll."
Liu Qingyun did not refuse.
Bao Shu didn’t want to go; she stayed upstairs fighting with Tan’er over the grass dragonfly.
Ever since Liu Qingyun had seen the clothes from Yanyu Pavilion, she found other fabric shops uninteresting and instead focused her attention on jewelry shops.
In Miaojiang, silver ornants were common, but when it ca to gold accessories, they had to be sourced from the Central Plains.
"So tacky."
As Liu Qingyun scoffed at the selection, she still managed to empty the shop’s cabinets, saying, "Deliver everything to the Governor Mansion."
ng Qianqian added, "Ask the Grand Commander to settle the bill."
"Settle the bill with him? Why?" Liu Qingyun glared at her daughter-in-law and addressed the shopkeeper, "Ask the Miao King!"
The Miao King, just erging from the Imperial Palace, inexplicably felt a chill down his back, as though sothing had been drained from him.
After leaving the gold shop, the pair visited a jade and gemstone boutique.
What ng Qianqian hadn’t expected was to encounter Yu Family there.
The shopkeeper was patiently introducing a few jade bangles to Yu Family. From their conversation, it was clear Yu Family was a regular at this boutique.
Beside Yu Family stood a young girl around ng Qianqian’s age, holding Yu Family’s arm. The two were so close they seed like a true mother-daughter pair.
"Mother, this one is beautiful."
The girl pointed to one of the bangles.
"Alright, let’s get this one."
Yu Family gazed at the girl with doting affection.
This kind of treatnt, ng Qianqian couldn’t recall ever experiencing.
An ache suddenly surged within her heart.
Are you feeling sorrowful, ng Qianqian?
She understood—the pain didn’t belong to her, but to the forr inhabitant of this body.
Even though the real ng Qianqian was gone, the yearning and regret for maternal love were forever etched into the heart.
Liu Qingyun noticed ng Qianqian’s odd behavior and cast her an intrigued glance before following her gaze toward Yu Family and the girl: "What’s the matter?"
ng Qianqian quickly looked away and replied calmly, "Nothing."
Liu Qingyun had never t Yu Family and naturally couldn’t guess she was ng Qianqian’s biological mother, though Liu Qingyun did know her daughter-in-law’s background.
She assud ng Qianqian was triggered by the sight of the affectionate mother-daughter pair, reminding her of her own late mother.
"It’s just a bunch of worthless stones. I don’t care for them. Let’s go sowhere else."
Liu Qingyun led ng Qianqian away from the boutique.
Yu Family instinctively turned to look toward the door.
Xie Lingling, puzzled, asked, "Mother, what are you looking at?"
Yu Family shook her head. "I must have misheard sothing."
How could it be so coincidental, running into that girl here?
The shopkeeper, ingratiating as ever, said, "Our jade business has been thriving for decades, but not everyone can afford it. Only families like yours, madam—born into noble hos and married into aristocratic households—are truly worthy of such treasures."
ng Qianqian handed the dicine to Liu Changsheng. "Take one dicine pill orally in the morning and evening. Apply the ointnt once a day, before bedti, for ten consecutive days. I’ll co back after that."
Liu Changsheng replied with a conflicted expression, "Madam, really, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. If my legs can’t be healed, it’s perfectly fine."
ng Qianqian said, "Just consider it as helping test the dicine. If there are any discomforting symptoms, let know."
"Ah... alright."
At this point, Liu Changsheng could no longer refuse.
He truly was such a humble man, insignificant to the point of nothingness, yet even if his legs weren’t treated, he would conscientiously manage his duties.
ng Qianqian seed to rember sothing else and added, "Oh, there are too many books at ho, and there’s no space left for them. Just like before, help sort them into the study."
"Yes, madam."
Liu Changsheng agreed.
-
After leaving the shop, ng Qianqian and her group returned to the Governor Mansion.
Bao Shu went off to find Grandfather to play horse riding, hoping to soothe the disappointnt of not winning the grass dragonfly.
Liu Qingyun accompanied her.
Tan’er followed ng Qianqian back to the main courtyard.
As soon as they entered the room, Nanny Li handed an invitation to ng Qianqian, her expression slightly uneasy.
ng Qianqian took the invitation and glanced at it, instantly understanding the cause of Nanny Li’s hesitation.
She smiled faintly. "So it’s the Marquis Mansion inviting us to a banquet."
Tan’er looked up. "Marquis Mansion? That na sounds so familiar!"
Ban Xia whispered, "The lady’s mother is the current Marchioness."
Tan’er suddenly realized. "Oh, it’s her!"
Nanny Li sighed. "The old madam of the Marquis Mansion is turning sixty. When the young lady and master got married, they sent a wedding invitation. By the rules of etiquette, sending us this invitation now is only right."
No wonder Yu Family was picking out bangles earlier—she must have been selecting a gift for Lady Xie’s birthday.
Ban Xia muttered, "They know the lady’s identity, yet they send an invite to the Governor Mansion? If the lady doesn’t go, she’s accused of being unfilial. If she does go and sees their happy, harmonious family, who wouldn’t feel annoyed?"
Speaking of this, Nanny Li also grew irritated.
She let out a deep sigh.
Ban Xia couldn’t help but grumble, "When they found out the master was the Grand Commander, they ca to acknowledge her. Later, when the master ran into trouble, they distanced themselves imdiately. Now that the master is rising again, with a Miao King as his grandfather, are they trying to curry favor again?"
Tan’er swung her legs while seated. "How shaless!"
Nanny Li sternly said, "The lady is already upset enough—you two should stop talking!"
Ban Xia imdiately shut her mouth.
Tan’er stared at the ceiling.
Nanny Li said, "Lady, perhaps you shouldn’t go? I reckon they sent the invitation just for formality’s sake, not expecting you and the master to actually attend."
ng Qianqian stroked the invitation, her calm deanor hiding a stormy rage underneath. "By seniority, I ought to address Lady Xie as grandmother. As her granddaughter, it’s only right that I attend her birthday and show my respect."
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