Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Pomegranate Flowers Are Like Fire
Chapter 599: Pomegranate Flowers Are Like Fire
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Old Madam Yu was not surprised at all. She only asked curiously, “What did your Cousin Zhou give your big sister this year?”
Yu Zongzheng and Yu Zongshen were also very interested.
Madam Yao put down her teacup and stopped drinking her tea.
Yu Shuangbai sighed. “I can’t say. I have to give Eldest Sister a chance to show off.’
Everyone in the room laughed, but they were also whetted by her sighing att.i.tude.
Yu Youyao glared at her. “You don’t want the three pomegranate flowers anymore?”
“Big Sister, I was wrong. I was wrong, okay?” When Yu Shuangbai heard this, she rushed up to Big Sister and quickly apologized.
It was April, and the pomegranate flowers were as red as fire.
Eldest Sister had picked pomegranate flowers that were as hot as fire and made pomegranate water. It was clear and refreshing. She had also extracted the dew of the pomegranate flowers, making one’s face look rosy and delicate. She even made pomegranate flowers look beautiful.
Not only her, but even Yu Lianyu and Yu Fangfei came over. They served tea and fanned themselves, making the elders in the room laugh non-stop.
Madam Yao’s eyes lit up.
In the past few years, the family had been used to using the ointment and fragrance that Yu Youyao had made.
Yu Youyao liked incense medicine and had taught a few useful maidservants by her side. It was not difficult, and the elders would not take her things for nothing. They would always compensate her in other places.
Yu Youyao was caught between laughter and tears. “Go to my house to get it later. I’m really afraid of you..
The juniors joked around. For some reason, Yu Zongzheng glanced at his second brother, Yu Zongshen.
He thought about how he had been suppressed by his second brother since he was young. Even when he married, his mother had to sacrifice him to pave the way for his second brother. In terms of resentment, it was not to the extent of jealousy and unwillingness.
However, at this moment, Yu Zongzheng suddenly felt proud.
His eldest daughter was stronger than his second brother’s daughter.
Yu Zongshen’s fingers trembled slightly as he looked down at the teacup in his hand. His ears were filled with the sweet laughter of an oriole, clear and bright. When he heard it, he couldn’t help but feel dazed.
That year, the pomegranate flowers were as bright as fire. He went to Quanzhou and accidentally met Eldest Master Xie.
The first time he visited the Xie Residence, he was standing at the white jade bridge above the lake. The lake was filled with green leaves.
Xie Roujia was wearing a gauze dress with pomegranate flowers. She stood under a pomegranate tree and instructed the maidservants to press down on the pomegranate branches. She stood on her tiptoes and twirled the flowers into the basket. Her figure was light and slender, and the flowers were like fire. From a distance, her delicate voice could be vaguely heard.
Later on, he often used the excuse of being at sea to enter and leave the Xie Residence.
Although the Xie Residence was a merchant family, be it knowledge, breadth of mind, or horizons, they were definitely not ordinary. He had wild thoughts, but he did not dare to show them rashly because they were of equal status.
The Xie Residence was not so easy to fool.
Without his mother’s approval, he did not even dare to reveal his thoughts to anyone. He was worried that he would be rude to Xie Roujia, and even more worried that the Xie family would find out that he had ulterior motives and would not allow him to enter and leave the Xie family…
He had gotten into the rankings and entered the Hanlin Academy. He was the “Prime Minister.” His mother had always hoped that he would marry a daughter-in-law of a suitable family.
His mother was a widow. She had suffered for him and his eldest brother for many years. He couldn’t disappoint her.
In this way, he had to let his mother know that the Xie family had done him a favor and this was beneficial to his career.
He had used the “Sea Map Strategy” to make a contribution and ask for credit from the emperor for the Xie family. He claimed that the Xie family had contributed greatly to his completion of the “Sea Map Strategy”. In the future, when the sea ban was lifted, he still needed the Xie family’s help.
Indeed!
The emperor rewarded the Xie family and valued them very much.
He even instigated Xie Jingliu to take the scholarly examination. With this scholarly status, the Xie family was not just a merchant family.
It was true that Xie Jingliu had not even taken the Elementary Scholar examination at that time, but he was not in a hurry.
Xie Jingliu was talented and even 30% better than him. As long as he convinced his mother to postpone his engagement for a year or two later, Xie Jingliu’s stunning talent would sooner or later spread throughout the world.
At that time, everything would fall into place.
However, he had never expected…
Immediately, praises, sighs, and gasps sounded in the room. Yu Zongshen’s hand trembled, and the teacup in his hand shook. The tea spilled onto his hand, and even his sleeve was wet.
He composed himself, put down his teacup, and looked up.
The first thing he saw was the lively and bright zither box. The first thing he thought of was that on the Eight Treasure Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, there was a peony-patterned colorful vase that was half the height of a person. It had been pa.s.sed down from the previous dynasty. After a thousand years, it was still as bright as before, but when compared to it, be it in terms of carving skills or craftsmanship, the peony-patterned colorful vase was still inferior.
Then, he saw the seven-stringed zither in the box and was stunned for another moment.
All kinds of amazed and admiring voices sounded in his ears— “It’s really an eye-opener today…”
“This zither that took three years to make is just different from ordinary zithers…”
“Linghuai is good at the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, carving and so on.
I wonder what else he doesn’t know…”
“In the past, there were rumors in the capital that in order to please the
Princess Consort, Prince Li of Zhou, who had yet to marry into the Prince’s Residence, found many craftsmen who were good at lacquer carving and learned how to carve. Today, in order to please his cousin, he spent three years making this zither. Oh my, why do I find it funny…”
“Our Linghuai is really impressive. There’s no one else in the entire Great Zhou..
Hearing that everyone was praising her cousin, Yu Youyao felt both proud and happy. She couldn’t help but look at her cousin. His eyes were as dark as ink, and he looked a little out of place in this noisy and lively environment.
As if noticing his gaze, Zhou Linghuai looked up.
Yu Youyao fell into his eyes.
In an instant, she was sucked into a dazzling galaxy.
The family banquet soon ended.
Yu Youyao and her cousin left the north courtyard together. Suddenly, she looked back. The north courtyard was silent after the celebration.
An indescribable feeling lingered in her heart.
“Yao Yao—” Zhou Linghuai called her.
Yu Youyao suddenly came back to her senses and looked at her cousin. She couldn’t help but smile. “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Linghuai also smiled. “I’ll send you back to the Jade Courtyard.”
Yu Youyao nodded. “Thank you, Cousin!”
In the dead of night, there were spa.r.s.e lanterns hanging on the corridor. The lights were dim, and the light and shadow were lingering.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Jade Courtyard, Zhou Linghuai wanted to return to The Green House.
Perhaps because the lights along the way were dense and she felt emotional, Yu Youyao suddenly felt a sense of reluctance. She watched as her cousin turned his wheelchair and was about to return. For some reason, she didn’t want him to go.
“Cousin!” Yu Youyao called out.
Zhou Linghuai’s hand paused, and the wheelchair stopped.
Yu Youyao picked up her skirt and ran to her cousin. “I forgot to say goodnight to you just now.” Her heart was beating wildly, and her heart was in turmoil. She panicked.. “Goodnight!”