Chapter 321

Chapter 326: The Dragon Boat Festival (Part 2)

Lady Lin chuckled. "These two look like true sisters."

Eleven Miss smiled. "Our families live next door to each other, but who knew they’d hit it off like this?"

"Indeed!" Lady Lin chimed in before leading Eleven Miss and Zhenjie to see the Lin matriarch.

The Lin matriarch, dressed in an unadorned Hangzhou silk overrobe of amber hue, was waiting in the hall. Upon seeing them enter, she greeted them warmly.

Eleven Miss quickly curtsied with Zhenjie to pay their respects.

The Lin matriarch took Eleven Miss's hand. "You are a rare guest." Then she turned to Zhenjie. "It’s only been two months, but you seem to have grown taller!"

Zhenjie blushed slightly.

The Lin matriarch then led Eleven Miss into the inner chamber.

Everyone took their seats according to rank, and maids served tea and snacks. Eleven Miss presented a few handkerchiefs, and after the Lin matriarch inquired about elder madam's well-being, she signaled with her teacup. "Stay for lunch later."

Eleven Miss respectfully agreed and took Zhenjie to Lady Lin’s courtyard.

Lady Lin served Eleven Miss some first-flush Longjing tea.

As she sipped the tea, Eleven Miss spoke of the gifts Huijie had sent. "...I had only heard of Huijie's talent in calligraphy and painting, but I never expected her to be skilled in making Sichuan fans. The fans she gave to our Zhenjie are so fine they could pass as tribute goods. Especially the one with the moonlit night-blooming jade hairpins—it’s not just innovative in concept, but it depicts the flowers blooming at midnight. Only someone who has observed them closely could paint such a scene, not just relying on imagination." She smiled warmly at Huijie. "How thoughtful of you!"

Huijie, being the pampered daughter of the family, did as she pleased, unlike Zhenjie, who could be ruined by the smallest slip-up. Eleven Miss had encouraged Zhenjie to spend time with Huijie, hoping she would find a suitable playmate her age.

Yet, what worried her most was the possibility of both girls unknowingly doing something improper, only to be taken advantage of by others, ruining their reputations...

With these thoughts, Eleven Miss’s gaze toward Huijie carried a measuring look.

Lady Lin, hearing Eleven Miss praise her daughter, quickly demurred. "Oh, she’s always tinkering with something."

Huijie, however, squirmed.

Under Eleven Miss's gaze, her face flushed crimson.

Zhenjie, mistaking Huijie's reaction for shyness, beamed at her, glowing with shared pride.

Eleven Miss understood clearly. Keeping her face carefully neutral, she smiled at Lady Lin. "Actually, I came today with a favor to ask of Huijie."

Lady Lin was surprised. "However could Huijie be of service, Lady Xu?"

That painting so captivated me," Eleven Miss replied, "that I wanted to ask Huijie to paint another one for me—as a reference for embroidery. I’d like to make a jade hairpin flower screen." She then turned to Huijie. "Would you have the time for it?"

Lady Lin was immediately intrigued.

She knew her daughter was skilled in painting, and if Eleven Miss could embroider it into a screen... it might bring her great acclaim.

Before her daughter could respond, she eagerly interjected, "She spends her days dabbling in this and that—of course she has time!" Then she instructed Huijie, "Just paint another one like the fan!"

Huijie, however, fidgeted in shame, her face reddening. After a long pause, she stammered out, "That... that fan wasn’t painted by me..."

A stunned silence fell over the room.

Huijie wore a look of shame.

"I... I had planned to wake up at midnight, but... I overslept," she stammered out. "Then it rained a few times... When Cousin Zhong Ran found out, he painted one for me... I meant to copy it later. But the fan frame was made by a eunuch from Fang Jieer’s family, and it needed multiple layers of lacquer. The weather was sunny those days, and if I didn’t settle on the fan’s artwork soon, it would be too late. And since you love jade hairpin flowers the most, I just..." She looked remorseful. "I never meant to mislead..."

Lady Lin was dumbfounded.

Miss Eleven, however, felt a wave of relief wash over her, her anxious heart settling considerably.

Zhenjie was startled at first but quickly recovered, even comforting Huijie: "You just overslept! Otherwise, you would have definitely painted the jade hairpin fan for me yourself!"

Huijie grew even more uneasy. She lowered her head and explained, "Cousin Zhong Ran's painting was just too good. Even copying it, I wasn’t entirely confident. That’s why I changed my mind..."

Zhenjie quickly reassured her, "It's fine, really. That fan really is beautiful. Not just you—even I love it." At this point, she grew concerned about Miss Eleven, fearing she might think Huijie lacked sincerity and hold it against her. She hastily glanced at Miss Eleven, her eyes pleading, "Mother likes it too!" She looked like she was pleading for Huijie.

Even if Zhenjie hadn’t tried to smooth things over for Huijie, Miss Eleven would have stepped in anyway.

"I also think the fan painting is lovely," she said with a smile. "I was even planning to ask Zhenjie for it!"

Seeing that Miss Eleven wasn't upset, Zhenjie let out a long sigh of relief and smiled.

Huijie, noticing that neither Miss Eleven nor Zhenjie blamed her and even comforted her, had gratitude show in her eyes. Flushing red, she said, "Then, Aunt Xu, please give me a few days—I’ll paint a jade hairpin picture for you. It may not be as good as Cousin Zhong Ran’s, but it won’t be too bad either."

She'd turned to this alternative because she wasn’t skilled at painting jade hairpins yet wanted to please Zhenjie.

Miss Eleven wouldn't dream of making things hard for her.

Remembering Zhenjie mentioning that Huijie’s courtyard was full of crabapple trees, she smiled and said, "What made the jade hairpin fan special was its fresh concept. In terms of technique, the other fans were just as good. How about painting crabapple flowers for me instead? I’ve always loved them."

Zhenjie nodded enthusiastically.

Huijie flushed deeper and murmured, "Since the screen is meant for Zhenjie, I should still paint jade hairpins."

Miss Eleven was about to persuade her further when Lady Lin, who had been silent until now, suddenly chuckled and said, "Let her paint the jade hairpins! It’s her own fault for slacking off." She added, "And she must make up for the fan she promised Zhenjie."

Huijie agreed meekly.

Lady Lin then cheerfully urged Miss Eleven, "Have some tea, have some tea. It’s top-grade Mingqian Longjing tea." Thus, she steered the conversation away.

Miss Eleven smiled and picked up her teacup, but she noticed Lady Lin gazing thoughtfully at Huijie.

She thought to herself.

Lady Lin truly lived up to her reputation as the capable lady of Weibei Marquis’s household.

She must have realized something as well.

In that case, it was best to speak plainly sooner rather than later. Otherwise, Lady Lin might think she harbored resentment and had come solely to confront Huijie.

Taking a sip of tea, Miss Eleven said to Lady Lin with a smile, "With us grown-ups talking, the girls must feel constrained—why not let them have their own private chat?"

Huijie, already feeling awkward, immediately stood up at these words and tried to pull Zhenjie away.

But Lady Lin laughed and said, "Your Aunt Xu rarely visits. Instead of staying to attend to her, where are you running off to?" She then instructed, "Accompany Zhenjie to my inner chamber and sit there." She refused to let them leave, insisting on keeping them within sight.

Huijie sulked.

Lady Lin's face clouded slightly.

Miss Eleven felt even more assured.

Her last worries melted away.

With Lady Lin keeping watch, there would likely be no further complications.

Huijie didn’t dare go against her mother’s wishes. She bowed to Eleven Miss and went to the inner chamber with Zhenjie.

Eleven Miss then said quietly to Lady Lin, "This embroidered screen is for Zhenjie—her marriage will be in two or three years. I thought it would be nice to give her a keepsake. It just so happened that Huijie painted that fan with the hosta flowers, and our Zhenjie loves hosta flowers the most. That's what gave me the idea. I didn’t expect it would make Huijie uncomfortable." As she spoke, she laughed.

Her smile was radiant, betraying no resentment.

Lady Lin heaved a sigh of relief.

First, she had made the marriage proposal herself, and then Huijie had sent the fan. Even if there had been no such intention before, it looked that way now.

She silently fumed at her nephew’s impulsiveness and was grateful to Eleven Miss for offering her an out.

"This is exactly why I want to marry her off to Cangzhou," Lady Lin sighed. "This child—she’s neither stupid because she learns everything quickly, nor clever because she never reads between the lines. I must rely on my family to keep an eye on her. Only close relatives will overlook such things."

This was her way of apologizing to Eleven Miss.

Eleven Miss quickly replied, "She’s still young. Remember how scatterbrained we were at her age. She’ll mature!"

Lady Lin looked at Eleven Miss’s porcelain-pure face and couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re only a few years older than our Huijie!"

Eleven Miss had forgotten that herself!

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she gave an embarrassed smile.

Lady Lin hid a laugh behind her sleeve.

The mood lightened.

A young maid announced from behind the curtain, "Madam, your nephew is here!"

Lady Lin stiffened slightly.

Could this nephew be the "cousin Zhong Ran" Huijie had mentioned?

Eleven Miss was taken aback.

Coincidence or design? Or had he come knowing she and Zhenjie were visiting?

She stood up and said with a smile, "Since you have a guest, I’ll excuse myself."

Lady Lin rose as well.

"My younger brother has brought several young men from the family to the capital. First, for Mingyuan and Huijie’s marriage arrangements. Second, to make connections in the capital ahead of next year’s military exams. Third, to give the younger generation some exposure so they won’t be overwhelmed when their time comes. Zhong Ran is sharp and level-headed and isn’t taking next year’s exams. That’s why my father specifically assigned him to assist my younger brother with errands. I’m not sure why he’s come to see me now."

With this explanation, even if Shao Zhongran had come intentionally, it now seemed unintentional.

Lady Lin was clearly worried Eleven Miss might misunderstand.

Eleven Miss nodded with a smile. "He must have urgent business." She accepted Lady Lin’s explanation.

Lady Lin gave a slight nod.

Eleven Miss withdrew to the inner chamber.

Huijie and Zhenjie were sitting side by side on the kang by the window, whispering to each other.

When Huijie saw Eleven Miss enter, her face turned red, and she called out, "Aunt Xu."

Noticing the glass windows in the inner chamber, Eleven Miss sat down on the kang and said, "Your cousin’s here—I thought I’d step aside."