Chapter 598

On a spring afternoon,

the sunlight was bright and warm,

the warm breeze was pleasant,

at the entrance of Quyuanjie,

on the side of the road,

an elderly flower vendor pinning fresh flowers to her hair looked at the young lady in front of her, smiled, reached out and pointed to the bamboo basket at one end of the pole, and said: "This young lady, you came a bit late today, there is only this bunch of Daphne flowers left."

"Why are your flowers selling so fast today?" the young lady asked in confusion.

The flower vendor smiled: "It's a coincidence today; the maids from the Marquis's Mansion passed by the street in the morning and bought quite a few."

"No wonder! How much for this bunch?"

"Sixty wen, thank you!"

"I see you are about to close your stall, and these flowers are a bit wilted, make it cheaper!"

The vendor looked at the flowers in the bamboo basket and smiled: "Alright, you give me fifty-five wen."

"Fifty wen! I'll take this bunch of Daphne! I'll come back to buy flowers from you in two days!"

"This young lady really knows how to bargain!" the elderly flower vendor said, taking the Daphne out of the bamboo basket.

After a while,

the money and goods were exchanged,

the flower vendor looked at the young lady who was leaving towards Quyuanjie and smiled: "Walk slowly!"

After speaking, the flower vendor looked at the copper coins in her hand and smiled as she put them into her money bag.

Afterwards, she began to stack the empty bamboo baskets on the ground beside her pole.

After stacking them, she placed them at both ends of the pole and secured them.

At this time, the pole was much lighter than when it was full of fresh flowers in the morning.

The flower vendor stood up lightly with the pole, looked at the other flower vendors around who were still selling flowers with a hint of pride, and prepared to leave with a smile.

Suddenly,

the flower vendor's eyes froze, and she hurriedly stood to the side to make way; it was three dark, luxurious carriages driving towards this side on the street.

The flower vendor had stayed in Bianjing for a long time; looking at the large shape of the carriages and the exquisite carvings all over the carriage bodies, she knew that the people in these carriages were either rich or noble.

Moreover, there were two luxuriously dressed young masters riding horses nearby to accompany the three carriages.

Seeing the carriages, the flower vendor's peers nearby also hurriedly started shouting to sell their goods.

Amidst the shouting and selling,

the three carriages passed by the elderly flower vendor and turned into Quyuanjie.

The flower vendor was not a greenhorn; having lived to an old age, she had a lot of life experience and naturally would not look randomly at the carriage windows, lest she bring disaster upon herself.

While the flower vendor was lowering her head waiting for the motorcade to pass,

"Mother, Third Sister, we are about to arrive at Quyuanjie."

The noble young master riding the horse said in a loud voice.

"I know, brother."

Chai Zhengzheng responded from inside the carriage, then she took a deep breath and looked at Madam Chai, her mother, on the side.

Looking at Madam Chai, who was closing her eyes to rest and was very calm, Chai Zhengzheng pursed her lips and looked out through the thin gauze on the carriage window.

In her field of vision, there was a young lady holding a bunch of Daphne flowers, walking lightly on the side of the road.

Hearing the sound of the carriage behind her, the young lady turned her head in confusion to look.

At this moment, a spring breeze happened to blow by; the spring breeze passed through the thin gauze, gently messing up the hair on Chai Zhengzheng's forehead, and also blew Chai Zhengzheng into closing her eyes.

After opening her eyes, Chai Zhengzheng found that the young lady holding flowers on the side of the road was looking at her in a daze.

Chai Zhengzheng smiled at her in a friendly way.

The carriage rattled, and the motorcade soon passed the young lady and drove to the main gate of the Marquis Yongyi's Mansion.

The young lady on the side of the road looked at the departing carriage in a daze, then walked forward quickly.

Arriving at the entrance of a courtyard and stepping into the courtyard, the young lady shouted: "Eldest Sister! Eldest Sister!"

Zou Daniangzi, with a rosy complexion and a relaxed expression, supported her waist, lifted the door curtain, frowned as she looked at Zou Xiao Mei in the courtyard, and said: "What are you screaming about?"

"Eldest Sister! Just now on the side of the street, I saw a fairy in a carriage, and she even smiled at me!"

Zou Daniangzi reached out to take the Daphne flowers and asked: "Fairy? What fairy?"

"It's a noble young lady from a high family who looks very good! Sister, you didn't see that carriage, it was so luxurious..."

"Can it be more luxurious than the carriages in the Marquis's Mansion?" Zou Daniangzi turned back into the house and asked.

"It looks about the same! But, I feel the ones in the Marquis's Mansion are still a bit lacking." Zou Xiao Mei replied.

Zou Daniangzi nodded and said: "Perhaps it's some high-ranking noble family in the capital visiting the Marquis's Mansion!"

As she spoke, Zou Daniangzi put the Daphne flowers away, walked to the side table, took a string of copper coins from a locked wooden box on the table, and handed them to Zou Xiao Mei.

Afterwards, Zou Daniangzi tried her best to act as if nothing was wrong, looked at Zou Xiao Mei, and said: "Today, the three of you, go stay at the foot shop again!"

Zou Xiao Mei bit her lip, tried hard to hold back her smile, and nodded: "Eldest Sister! Are Brother-in-law, Brother Geng, and Brother Duan coming back to stay tonight? This Kang'an Earl's Mansion is really something, not even caring about where they stay!"

Zou Daniangzi glared and said: "Our family is here, how can we let Old Geng and Little Duan stay elsewhere?"

"Then let the three of us siblings go out and stay?"

"When can you not stay at home? Go, go, go!"

"Eldest Sister, we still need to eat, give us some more!"

Zou Daniangzi looked at her younger sister reaching out her hand, helplessly took out a dozen more copper coins from the wooden box, and said: "Tomorrow morning, you go directly to the shop."

"Oh!"

Zou Xiao Mei responded after taking the copper coins.

Afterwards, Zou Xiao Mei called her two brothers, Zou Ming and Zou Chu, and walked out laughing and joking.

In the evening, only Shen Congxing himself returned to this courtyard, but that was a later matter.

Marquis Yongyi's Mansion,

at the second gate,

Xie Shi accompanied Madam Chai walking at the very front,

Sheng Hualan was holding Chai Zhengzheng walking in the middle,

behind them were Xu Zaijing and the Chai family brothers,

and the maids and mamas followed behind the three.

"Jingge'er, yesterday when you grabbed the carriage shaft of our carriage, you used quite a lot of force; do your palms still hurt?"

Chai Bo asked with concern.

Xu Zaijing stretched out his palm wrapped in thin cloth strips and smiled: "It was just uncomfortable yesterday afternoon, today it's already fine!"

"Let me see."

Chai Dalao, on the side, grabbed one of Xu Zaijing's hands and said.

"It's really fine!" Xu Zaijing smiled.

Soon, the cloth strips on his palm were untied by Chai Dalao. Looking at the appearance of Xu Zaijing's palm, Chai Dalao said in surprise: "Jingge'er, did you practice again today?"

Chai Zhengzheng, who was talking to Sheng Hualan in front of the three, heard this and looked back.

But Chai Zhengzheng only saw Xu Zaijing behind her lowering his head to re-tie the cloth strips on his hand.

"It's just a piece of skin falling off, this little injury is nothing."

"Compared to this, the uncomfortable feeling of not practicing is more severe."

As Xu Zaijing was talking, Chai Jin, on the side, gave him a thumbs up and said: "You're really something!"

Soon,

everyone arrived near the main hall for receiving guests.

Looking at Sun Shi, who was heavily pregnant and standing at the door, Madam Chai hurriedly walked a few steps and smiled: "Why did you come out to welcome us yourself!"

Sun Shi smiled and waved her hand: "Madam, you are here, of course I have to come out to welcome you! Besides, sitting all the time is not comfortable either."

"Zhengzheng meets Madam."

Chai Zhengzheng stood beside Sheng Hualan and bowed to Sun Shi with a smile.

Sun Shi smiled: "Young Lady Zhengzheng, you are too polite."

Xu Xingdai and Xingzhong, the two children standing beside Sun Shi, looked at Chai Zhengzheng with glowing eyes and also bowed and saluted in a proper manner: "Xu Xingdai/Xingzhong meets Madam and Auntie Zhengzheng."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a smile on her face.

Madam Chai smiled: "Oh my, these two young masters even recognize Zhengzheng!"

After calling the people, Xu Xingdai looked at the Chai family brothers he didn't recognize, turned his head and scratched his head with embarrassment, and said to Xu Zaijing: "Little Uncle..."

Seeing this scene, everyone around laughed one after another.

Xu Zaijing smiled: "You should also call them Uncle."

The two children followed suit and saluted the people.

The Chai family brothers also smiled and bowed in return.

After the pleasantries, Sun Shi reached out to invite them and smiled: "Come, let's all go inside!"

Entering the room and taking their seats,

Madam Chai and Sun Shi sat on the Luo Han chair, separated by a small table.

The maids served the prepared hot tea,

and Madam Chai naturally talked to the Xu family women about yesterday's encounter again; of course, there were quite a few more details.

Listening to Madam Chai's words, Xu Zaijing realized that the Chai family had even inquired about the background of the family whose carriage axle broke on the bridge yesterday very clearly.

As she spoke, Madam Chai sighed again: "Yesterday, if it hadn't been for Jingge'er, our mother and daughter, plus these two, would certainly have suffered."

The "these two" in Madam Chai's mouth were Miss Yun Mu and Madam Chai's personal maid.

Hearing Madam Chai's words, Miss Yun Mu and the Chai family maid bowed to Xu Zaijing.

Afterwards,

Madam Chai reached out and held Sun Shi's hand on the table, looked at Sun Shi with emotion, and said:

"Sister Sun, I just feel that! Your family's Jingge'er solving difficulties and saving people is just like my family's life-saving immortal."

Listening to Madam Chai's words, Chai Jin and Chai Bo smiled and looked at Xu Zaijing.

Sun Shi understood in her eyes and smiled: "Madam, you are too polite."

Xie Shi and Sheng Hualan, who didn't understand the situation, also echoed: "Yes, Madam, you are too polite."

Madam Chai looked at Xie Shi and Sheng Hualan's appearance, nodded with a smile, and held Sun Shi's hand slightly.

The meaning behind this was something only Sun Shi and Madam Chai knew.

(End of chapter)