Chapter 100: Chapter 99: The Proud Little Peacock
Lady Tang couldn’t help wondering if the Tang Family might have spies from the county magistrate’s house? Had the officials already extended their reach into their ho? How terrifying!
At this thought, Lady Tang broke out in a cold sweat; engaging with an official’s wife required utmost care when speaking.
Her husband and father-in-law were both businessn, conducting legitimate trade, but which trader was without fault? Even if she knew nothing about business,
she was aware that their wealth was not solely from the size of their trade; she was utterly clueless about the tricks of the business.
Worried that her husband and father-in-law had caught the county magistrate’s attention, she feared that not only might her interactions with the official’s wife fail to help her family, but they could also drag them down.
Lady Tang just paused for a mont, her mind brimming with worries, which almost drove her to despair.
...
As she was consud with worry, her son Tang Shunyan entered through the door, forcing a smile as he said:
“Yan’er, you’re here at last, Miss ng and Mrs. ng have been waiting for quite so ti.”
Tang Shunyan didn’t co alone; a maid and Mrs. Li followed behind her.
Upon entering the living room and seeing Mrs. ng and ng Zhaojun, he first greeted his mother, then paid his respects to Mrs. ng and ng Zhaojun. After sitting beside his mother, he then said to her:
“Mother, Mrs. ng and Miss ng are here to visit you. I just ca by chance. Sorry, as a young man, of course, I must focus on my studies. Even if I don’t pursue scholarly honors when I grow up, a man should know how to read and count, so he can do business with father in the future.”
Lady Tang nodded and said, “Yan’er, your mother has sothing to discuss with Mrs. ng. Why don’t you take Miss ng out for a walk? Miss ng is very talented; you can learn from each other.”
Mrs. ng, with her dignified smile, knew Lady Tang was just making an excuse. She wanted the children to go out for a walk, mostly to allow them more ti together.
She and Lady Tang had an unspoken agreent, and her husband, too, supported her and her daughter’s interactions with the Tangs.
Upon hearing Lady Tang’s words, ng Zhaojun’s bright eyes fixed on Tang Shunyan, waiting eagerly for his agreent.
His mother had spoken, and with ng Zhaojun looking at him with such eyes, Tang Shunyan had no choice but to agree.
It wasn’t lunchti yet, so going out was an option. Tang Shunyan, a child not yet three years old, despite trying to act mature, was still at an age where play was irresistible.
“ng Zhaojun, let’s go catch butterflies!”
“Tang Shunyan, I’m tired of catching butterflies. I’d rather see the present you received yesterday.”
ng Zhaojun had motives Tang Shunyan couldn’t understand, but it was no trouble for him to show soone the gift he received. Yet, he rembered an issue and said:
“ng Zhaojun, when you see my toy, you mustn’t snatch it. It’s a gift from a little sister, carved by her father.”
As Tang Shunyan and ng Zhaojun conversed, they had already left his mother’s courtyard and were heading towards his own.
Following behind the two children were Mrs. Li and Xiu Zhi.
“Hmph, as if I would want it. I just want to have a look, to see what’s so special about this toy you cherish— it might even be ugly.”
ng Zhaojun made a face of disdain. She naturally had no interest in boys’ toys, a view consistent across her past and present lives. She loved plush toys, dolls.
Her boudoir was decorated according to her own design, full of handcrafted plush toys made from cotton and fabric by the servants, all based on her own cute animal and character sketches, brought to life for her room.
Once, her father’s favored concubine’s daughter, a half-sister who was only two months older than she, tried to take her dolls. How could she possibly allow her to succeed?
Her adult soul let a child snatch her things, not to ntion her mother was the Madam.
In this ancient world, she really detested the n with three wives and four concubines. Her mother was such a good person, yet her father also took concubines, possibly sent by superiors and thus, unavoidably accepted, becoming a disaster at ho.
It was clear that there were other influences at play in their ho now, and her powerful mother had to worry about it.
As a last resort, they arranged for their daughter to have a child betrothal, which was tacitly accepted, without even the exchange of gifts.
Tang Shunyan brought ng Zhaojun to his room and then instructed Mrs. Li to open a chest, pouring out the toys inside.
ng Zhaojun looked at the toys with a fixed gaze, her expression one of shock.
She had such an expression because she saw toys from her previous world, like Ultraman, but this toy was made of wood and painted to look like a heavenly god warrior.
There were also fairies, various wooden animal toys, and even little wooden figurines, which seed very delicate and pretty.
ng Zhaojun, who lacked expertise, failed to realize that the toys were not made by a single person.
“Miss ng, let tell you what this is. Do you know? It’s a Heavenly God Warrior! And these animal toys, seeing them makes feel as if I’ve entered a world of animals,” said the young master.
As Tang Shunyan spoke, a lot crossed ng Zhaojun’s mind, wondering if soone else had traveled to this world. She heard Tang Shunyan ntion the Heavenly God Warrior, a term she had never heard before—could the world’s Heavenly God Warrior be Ultraman?
In fact, ng Zhaojun still didn’t understand this world deeply; in such a confined space at ho, there might be many things she was unaware of.
“These toys, were they carved by your husband?”
ng Zhaojun didn’t respond to Tang Shunyan but looked towards Mrs. Li, who stood by her side.
Mrs. Li kept her head lowered; in front of the young Master and guest, she could still clearly see their conversation and expressions.
She found Miss ng’s expressions strange and subconsciously chose not to reveal that her little daughter also carved these toys.
“Miss ng, yes…”
“Has the Tang Family already collaborated with your family in the business of carving these toys?”
ng Zhaojun couldn’t get an answer from Lady Tang earlier, so asking Mrs. Li seed feasible; perhaps this countrywoman wouldn’t be as crafty and would be easier to coax.
“This… I truly don’t know, how could I know so much?”
Mrs. Li felt terrified by this little girl’s presence; were children from rich families all so mature and formidable?
“You won’t say, will you? I will find out sooner or later. Tang Shunyan, if your wet nurse won’t speak up, then you tell !”
ng Zhaojun turned her head back towards Tang Shunyan.
“Miss ng, we’re all just kids, can we really ddle in adult affairs? Are you perhaps short of money?”
“What a joke, I am the official’s daughter, the legitimate one at that. I receive a monthly salary, and every birthday or New Year, there are red envelopes. Would I ever be short of money?”
ng Zhaojun answered Tang Shunyan with her head held high in arrogance, her deanor like that of a proud little peacock.
Tang Shunyan didn’t mock ng Zhaojun. Just two months ago, he was poorer than ng Zhaojun and dared not make light of her again. He had already experienced the little girl’s formidable nature.
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