Chapter 365: Chapter 343: The Elbow Turns Outwards_1
“Why are you taking a food box with you when you go out? What’s in it?”
Zhou Jingwan spotted a food box inside the carriage and directly reached out to open it. As soon as she opened it, she saw the bright red lychees inside, and her eyes suddenly lit up: “I want to eat some.”
Daohua gave her a look: “You and your appetite.”
At that moment, the voices of Madam Li and Madam Zhou came from outside the carriage. Daohua hurriedly snatched the food box lid from Zhou Jingwan’s hand and covered the food box.
“You’re not going to let me eat?”
Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua with a pitiable expression.
Seeing that Madam Zhou had already boarded the carriage, Daohua quickly leaned over to Zhou Jingwan and whispered, “I’ll give you some when we get home.”
Zhou Jingwan glanced at her mother and Madam Li, then winked at Daohua: “Why do I feel like you’re acting guilty of something?”
Daohua rolled her eyes in response, “Hmmph,” and said nothing.
She just didn’t want to make a fuss over nothing!
Later, when her mother and Madam Zhou asked her where the lychees came from, how was she supposed to answer?
Her friendly relations with Xiao Yeyang had already caused misunderstandings for Zhou Jingwan and Dong Yuanyao. If Madam Li and Madam Zhou found out that Xiao Yeyang had privately given her lychees, what would they think?
A joke among children was one thing, but a misunderstanding by adults could make a big fuss.
“What new tricks are you two playing now?”
Madam Zhou glanced at the food box without concern, and joked.
Madam Li looked at Daohua with a somewhat stern expression: “Behave properly when you visit others in the future, don’t play around too much without a sense of propriety.”
Daohua knew Madam Li was referring to the cake incident, and she kept her head down without speaking.
Seeing this, Zhou Jingwan quickly spoke up: “Auntie, Daohua isn’t to blame for this. If you must, blame the Little Prince for making a big deal out of nothing. It’s just a pink pig’s head cake, it’s nothing worthy of his anger.”
On hearing this, Daohua looked up and explained, “He didn’t get angry, it was just… a bit of fun.”
Madam Li’s brows furrowed and her expression became displeased: “Playing around like that in front of so many people?”
The pig’s head cake was her daughter’s thoughtful gift. The Little Prince did not even express his thanks, instead making her daughter eat a piece of cake she couldn’t finish, and in front of so many people at that, wasn’t he deliberately making her daughter lose face?
If it were another girl, she’d surely already be crying by now. This Little Prince really didn’t understand the concept of cherishing the fairer sex.
At the last banquet at the Zhou Family’s, it was the same story: he left abruptly, without a second thought for whether or not the girl was frightened. This sort of temperamental disposition, she really should keep her daughter away from him.
Daohua lowered her head again, not speaking. She felt it, her mother was truly getting a bit angry.
Madam Zhou laughed, trying to smooth things over: “Okay now, it’s not such a big deal. The Little Prince is of the Imperial Family, his temperament is… somewhat carefree. And didn’t everything turn out fine afterwards?”
Madam Li sighed: “This is exactly why I’m worried. My daughter is so stubborn and headstrong; she won’t back down when facing the Little Prince. They’re always butting heads. But what can a young girl like her do against the Little Prince? Now, she’s the one who has suffered, right?”
Zhou Jingwan looked at Madam Li with a strange expression, feeling like she had misunderstood the relationship between Daohua and the Little Prince.
Daohua suffering a loss from the Little Prince?
Whenever there was a conflict between the two, wasn’t it the Little Prince who came to make amends?
Zhou Jingwan glanced at the food box in the corner, saying nothing; those lychees were surely meant as an apology.
Lychees… She had only eaten a few in the year her grandfather retired, and they weren’t even that fresh.
Now that the Little Prince presented a whole dish of them, she felt his intentions were quite sincere.
Madam Zhou pointed at Zhou Jingwan with a smile: “My daughter is just the same…”
Seeing that Madam Zhou had changed the subject, Daohua inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.
The carriage rolled on slowly, but after a short distance, it suddenly stopped; then they heard the Coachman say: “Madam, it seems that the carriage from the Jiang Family has broken down. They’re fixing it now. We might have to wait a while.”
Madam Li and Madam Zhou quickly exchanged a look.
“Understood, we’ll wait if we have to.”
In front, Xiao Yeyang, utterly bored, sat on his horse. Seeing the Yan Family carriage right behind, he thought of going over to share a few words, but he just couldn’t shake off the dream he had during his nap, and now he felt somewhat apprehensive about meeting Daohua.
Inside the carriage, Daohua and Zhou Jingwan were also bored, so they lifted the carriage curtain to look at the scenery outside.
Suddenly, Zhou Jingwan nudged Daohua’s arm with her hand and nodded her chin towards the front, “Quick, look ahead.”
Daohua’s gaze shifted, and soon, she saw Xiao Yeyang and Jiang Wanying standing together.
Jiang Wanying first passed a cup of tea to Xiao Yeyang, then stood by his side, fanning him with the round fan in her hand.
Watching this scene, Daohua furrowed her brows and pursed her lips, “They’re not being discreet at all.” So many people are watching!
Zhou Jingwan leaned close to Daohua’s ear, “Why do I feel you’re a bit jealous?”
Daohua immediately shot her a sidelong glance, “Who’s jealous? I just think it’s an eyesore.” After saying that, she huffily withdrew into the carriage and stopped looking outside.
Zhou Jingwan stayed at the window without moving, watching intently.
As she watched, she saw Wentao riding over on a big horse, instantly breaking into a smile, “Wentao, brother.”
“Sister Zhou!”
Wentao also looked up smilingly at Zhou Jingwan by the window, heard Madam Li’s voice, and only then did he come back to his senses and dismounted.
Madam Li opened the carriage door, looked at Yan Wentao outside, and asked with a smile, “Wentao, is there something you need?”
Yan Wentao quickly stepped forward and replied, “Great-aunt, the Jiang Family’s carriage has broken down, and it will take some time to repair. In a moment, the Jiang Family will move their carriage to the side of the road, and the Little Prince has asked everyone to go ahead.”
Madam Li nodded with a smile, “That’s it? You’re such a straightforward child. You could have just sent someone to tell us, why bother coming yourself? Alright, I’ve got it. Go on with your business.”
Yan Wentao scratchend his head with a smile, “Great-aunt, I’m not too busy; I’ll just wait here until your carriage has passed, then it won’t be late for me to leave.”
Madam Li shook her head smilingly, “As you wish.” After saying that, she closed the carriage door and said to Madam Zhou, “This nephew of mine, always too sincere.”
Madam Zhou smiled, “What’s wrong with being sincere? I like people like that. It’s much better than those slick talkers who can never get anything serious done.”
Zhou Jingwan suddenly joined the conversation, “Mother, you like Wentao brother, too?”
Madam Zhou gave her daughter a sidelong smile, “Not only do I like your Wentao brother, I also like your Eldest Yan brother, and your Fourth Yan brother.” After finishing, she looked at Madam Li, “All your kids are good ones.”
Madam Li chuckled non-stop, “They can’t compare to Chengye, who is going to get married before long.”
Madam Zhou nodded, and then the two women started chatting about the children’s matrimonial matters.
Outside the carriage, Yan Wentao walked up to the window and handed Zhou Jingwan a silk pouch from his bosom.
Zhou Jingwan took it, “What’s this?” Upon opening it, she was startled to see several lychees inside.
“Wentao, what did you give Jingwan?”
Daohua came over and saw that it was lychees.
Zhou Jingwan quickly put away the silk pouch, looking warily at Daohua, “This is mine, yours is over there.” She said, pointing to the food box.
Ignoring her, Daohua turned to Yan Wentao, “Wentao, brother, you seem to be favoring others over your own sister. You didn’t give anything to your own sister, but you gave it to an outsider.”
Zhou Jingwan wouldn’t have it, “Who’s an outsider? Aren’t I a sister, too?”
Seeing Daohua glaring at him, Yan Wentao immediately explained, “It’s for both of you to share. Eat it together,” he said with an embarrassed smile, “It’s just I didn’t have much.”
Zhou Jingwan quickly asked, “Wentao brother, where did these lychees come from?”
Yan Wentao, “The Emperor bestowed them upon Governor Guo, just a small basketful.”
Daohua asked with a smile, “How did you get them?”
Yan Wentao blushed and scratched his head, “Yesterday in the military camp, I beat his trusted aide. The Governor said my martial skills weren’t bad and rewarded me with a few lychees.”
“Wow, Wentao brother, you’re so amazing. You even beat Governor Guo’s trusted aide. I’ve heard my brother say, the people by Governor Guo’s side are all battle-hardened.”
Zhou Jingwan looked at Yan Wentao with unabashed admiration, and Yan Wentao could only smile foolishly in response.
