Chapter 191: Zhang, Get Your Ass Back Inside

On the second day,

"Ah!"

"Little Five! Stop it!"

"Hahaha!"

"Xu Xu Zaijing!"

"Xu Xu Zaijing, if you have guts, don't run!"

"Aiya! Don't throw anymore!"

In the Matriarch's courtyard, hearing the laughter from the yard, Sun Shi helplessly shook her head.

"Puh!"

A snowball struck the house door.

Sun Shi waved her hand; Dan Mama beside her turned to open the door, preparing to tell the Young Master and Miss to quiet down.

As soon as the door opened, the sounds of frolicking and play grew louder.

Then she smiled at the doorway: "Wu Da Da Niangzi, look quickly!"

"Whoosh—"

A snowball flew into the front hall.

Inside the room, Little Zhu, who was soon to become Zhu Mama, also smiled.

"These two little beasts."

Sun Shi stood up and walked to the doorway to look; she saw Xu Xu Zaijing standing by a snow pile in the yard. He and his female servant Seeing Seeing Qingcao each held something resembling fire tongs, but the lower ends of the tong arms had become two semi-circular pieces.

After scooping up a pile of snow, it instantly became a snowball.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhang and Xu Xu Anmei were still grabbing and squeezing snow with their bare hands; between the two of them, their female servants and young attendants totaled five or six people, yet they were being overwhelmed and beaten by the master-servant pair of Xu Xu Zaijing.

Sun Shi looked at her laughing children, took a deep breath, and said: "Xu Zhang, get your ass back inside! You're getting married in a few days, yet you're still playing here!"

"Yes, Mother—"

A snowball smashed into his face.

Sun Shi pointed a finger; Xu Xu Zaijing also raised his hand to indicate he would not throw anymore. Sun Shi immediately turned her head to look at Xu Xu Anmei, and Xu Anmei lowered the snowball in her hand.

Sun Shi returned inside the room and closed the door.

Xu Xu Zaijing said: "Sister, hand over the cat; I truly have great use for it!"

"Fine, fine, fine! Here you go!"

Hearing that the merriment outside had ceased, Sun Shi sighed inside the room and continued reviewing the arrangements for the wedding day.

Shortly after, Little Zhu walked over and said: "Wu Da Da Niangzi, Young Master Jing wants to take several pieces of fine fur from the storeroom."

"The Imperial Palace gifted those to him; let him take them himself."

"Yes. Young Master Jing has also transferred several of our household's skilled female servants and the embroiderers from the shops to his courtyard."

"Mm, just ensure it does not delay his Second Brother's wedding."

In Xu Xu Zaijing's courtyard,

Xu Xu Zaijing hugged the cat, dipped its paws in ink, and then pressed them onto white paper to leave Zhao Yin.

Xu Anmei stood aside, looking at the cute cat head portrait drawn on the paper on the table, and her heart instantly melted from the cuteness.

Just as she was about to hide this paper inside her purse, Xu Xu Zaijing grabbed her hand and said: "Sister, this has great use; you must let me redraw it for you."

Xu Anmei gave the paper to Xu Xu Zaijing, then curiously picked up a curved bamboo strip from the table to examine it.

Putting down the bamboo strip, she picked up several snowball makers of different styles and nodded.

Soon, the Xu family's female servants and the shop's embroiderers, following the patterns, drew designs onto either silk or fur, then either sewed or stuffed them.

By afternoon, Xu Xu Zaijing looked at the items in his hand and nodded with satisfaction; professionalism and the skill that puts food on the table are indeed different.

Quickly, the first few finished products were taken into Xu Anmei's hands, prepared to be gifted to her friends.

That evening, the Xu family sent someone to the Sheng family and learned that Scholar Zhuang had largely recovered and would resume classes normally the next day.

On this day,

Early morning,

Although the sun had not yet risen, the sky was clearly bright.

Xu Xu Zaijing selected a few items from the finished products in his room and had Seeing Seeing Qingcao pack them to take to the Sheng family.

Although the morning with melting ice and snow was exceptionally cold, Xu Xu Zaijing still gritted his teeth and got out of bed.

Arriving at the horse track, the master's small hut still had a lantern hanging.

The one-eyed master, wearing a fur hat, walked out of the stable; the soft fur around his ears and cheeks made him feel very comfortable.

The leather gloves on his hands also kept them from feeling so cold.

Returning to the small hut, Seeing Seeing Qingcao followed him in.

By the candlelight inside the room, looking at the large, fluffy earmuffs Seeing Seeing Qingcao wore, which featured a cute sketch of a cat, he was stunned.

'Hiss, somewhat adorable.'

After Xu Xu Zaijing and Xu Zhang left for school,

Xu Anmei, having finished breakfast, arranged for people to deliver gifts to Lady Ningyuan Hou Fu and the Duke of Britain's mansion.

At the Sheng family, during lunchtime,

Minglan returned to Shou'an Hall wearing the cute cat earmuffs.

"Grandmother, look at what Jing Biao Ge sent."

The Old Lady looked closely: "Oh my, what pattern is this? Why does it look so cute?"

"Grandmother, is it beautiful?"

The Old Lady smiled, glanced at Mother Fang, and hurriedly nodded.

"Hmm, these strokes depict a cat, don't they?"

"Yes! Grandmother, look, there are even the cat's paws!"

Minglan held out her own gloves.

"Beautiful, truly adorable. Go, show them to your Wei Wei Xiaoniang."

After Minglan left Shou'an Hall, the Old Lady and Mother Fang exchanged a glance.

The Old Lady raised an eyebrow (Did you remember the pattern?), and Mother Fang nodded (I remembered).

Soon, Minglan came to Jin'an Zhai again, circling in front of Wei Wei Shuyi, which made Wei Wei Shuyi equally full of interest.

After Minglan ate her meal there and left for school, Wei Wei Shuyi went to the table in the room, used a brush to draw a few strokes on paper, looked at the cute pattern, and smiled while shaking her head.

Wang Wang Ruofu looked at the large earmuffs on Hearing Rulan's head and asked Liu Mama with curiosity, "Tell me, how did these few strokes manage to draw a cat?"

"In this servant's view, the maker must be clever-hearted!"

Linqi Pavilion,

Lin Lin Qinshuang looked at Seeing Mo Lan wearing the earmuffs, nodded, and said, "Hmm, the maid from Xu Zaijing's household is truly skilled. Seeing Mo Lan, you wearing this look better than all the Misses in the Sheng family!"

"Of course, I am my mother's daughter!"

Sheng Hualan, whose dowry embroidery was nearly finished, was also looking at the fluffy, cute, large earmuffs in the box. After taking the earmuffs out, Sheng Hualan looked left and right. Cui Chan, standing nearby, said, "Miss, when Seeing Seeing Qingcao delivered them, she said Zhang Si Ge personally picked them for you, saying this plain color would look good on you."

Another maid standing nearby also nodded and said, "Zhang Si Ge is indeed right; the plain color looks good."

Duke of Yingguo's Hou Fu

The Lady of the Duke of Yingguo, having just returned to the Hou Fu from outside, dismounted her carriage at the Second Gate and, accompanied by Mamas and maids, was walking the path back to the courtyard.

Walking along the covered corridor in the Hou Fu, the Lady of the Duke of Yingguo's gaze sharpened, and she stopped her steps; she saw the railing beside the corridor lined with numerous fist-sized, cute little figures.

"Who did this?"

"Replying to the Lady, it was Han Wu Niang." A servant by the corridor hurriedly replied.

Seeing the Lady's expression, the servant added, "It was Seeing Seeing Qingcao, the Miss from the Xu family of Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu, who sent someone to deliver items, saying it was to make Han Wu Niang happy too."

The Duke of Yingguo, who was behind, walked over and said:

"Hmm, our Han Wu Niang indeed has patience; she actually molded so many snowmen."

"She only knows how to play."

"For a young girl, it is good to run wild at home!"

As the couple continued walking forward, the voices of a boy and a girl came:

"Third Brother, you mold the vanguard; Fourth Brother, you mold the rearguard; I will mold the central army!"

"Okay, Sister!"

In the courtyard, Zhang Zhang Fangsong and Zhang Zhang Fangling, listening to their younger sister's commands, happily played in the snow holding snow tongs.

The Duke of Yingguo: "Two rascals, they only know how to play!"

The Lady of the Duke of Yingguo: "For boys, how can they not be mischievous?"

As the couple spoke, another Mama carrying a wooden box approached and said, "Duke, Lady, Seeing Seeing Qingcao from the Xu family has sent items for Han Wu Niang again."

The Lady of the Duke of Yingguo lifted her chin, and the Mama opened the wooden box.

"Hmm, tsk, truly adorable. I think your daughter will definitely go to the Xu family tomorrow."

Hearing the Lady's words, the Duke of Yingguo looked into the box and nodded with a smile.

Soon, Han Wu Niang was called forward. Seeing a large, cute cat earmuff and a pair of gloves embroidered with pink cat paw patterns inside the wooden box, Han Wu Niang jumped up with joy.

Her surprised screams caused the Duke and Lady to shake their heads repeatedly.

Southern Jiang Tang Lane

The Rong family,

An eunuch arrived at the main gate in a sedan chair and left the Rong family in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Huixue Courtyard

A Mama of Lady Fu Fu Chang Hou carried a wooden box to the courtyard and handed the items to the maid Seeing Xi Bu.

"Miss, this was sent by the Niangniang from the palace."

Rong Rong Feiyan put down her small soft bow and nodded, saying, "Hmm, what is it?"

"This servant cannot understand it either. However, the Mama who delivered the message said it was sent by the Xu family to the palace; the Niangniang felt this appeared too childish and unsuitable for the Niangniang, so she sent it to you, Miss."

Upon hearing 'Xu family', Rong Rong Feiyan immediately walked over quickly, frowned while looking at the fluffy items in the wooden box, picked one up casually, and said in confusion:

"What object is this?"

Afterwards, she discovered there was also a paper with a drawing of a little figure inside the box.

After putting it on her head according to the instructions on the paper, Seeing Seeing Ningxiang, standing nearby, was already completely captivated by the pattern on the earmuffs.

After all, few girls can refuse a cute pattern, especially when it is also fluffy.

"Hmm, this Miss from the Xu family is quite clever; the pattern she drew is so adorable."

Xu Xu Zaijing, who was preparing to board a carriage to return home at the Sheng family, sneezed and shook his head in confusion.

Another day passed,

Han Wu Niang, the fifth daughter of the Duke of Yingguo, the top noble of Bianjing, sent invitations to the noble ladies and officials' wives of various families, inviting them to attend the Fragrant Robe Elegant Gathering at her residence.

When the day arrived,

Many young ladies from the noble official families of Bianjing came to the Zhang family,

and then saw Han Wu Niang, Miss Rong Rong Feiyan, the eldest daughter of the Gu family, and Seeing Seeing Qingcao from the Xu family; these few were wearing earmuffs and gloves with different patterns, similar styles, and all explosively cute.

Thus, the noble ladies all crowded around, offering heartfelt praise before beginning to ask questions.

As the top nobility, a trend was set in motion.

At this time, the clothing and hat shops under the Liang, Gu, and Xu families received new orders for custom-made ear muffs.

Noble ladies and officials' wives in Bianjing who had seen them and were clever and dexterous had already begun to imitate and innovate the styles and patterns of the ear muffs, such as Miss Yu Yu Yanran, the eldest daughter of the Yu family.

At this moment, the day for Xu Xu Zaijing, the second son of the Xu family, to welcome his bride was approaching.

Sheng Family Academy,

Tutor Zhuang, wearing fluffy ear muffs with a bamboo pattern, strolled leisurely toward the courtyard, sighing as he walked: "Sigh, there's trouble again. How many in this academy can pass the metropolitan examination?"

After speaking, he adjusted his ear muffs.

"Hmm, very warm."

That was all.

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(End of this chapter)