Chapter 384: Chapter 360, Contradiction_1
“Miss, you’re finally back!”
In Daohua Pavilion, Wang Manman, hearing the sound of knocking, immediately opened the courtyard door, and upon seeing her miss return, her face instantly relaxed with relief.
Ping Tong slipped into the yard, glanced at the silent rooms, and asked in a low voice, “No one knows I went out, right?”
Wang Manman shook her head: “No one knows. I even sent Guyu and Lixia away.”
Ping Tong felt relieved and quickly returned to her room.
Wang Manman brought hot water, first helping Ping Tong wash her face and then helped her remove her hairpins and let down her hairdo, finally bringing over a nightgown and sleeping robe for a change.
After changing her clothes, Ping Tong said to Wang Manman, “Alright, I’m fine now. You’ve waited for the better part of the day and must be tired. Go to sleep.”
Wang Manman nodded: “Then have a good rest, miss.”
It wasn’t until Wang Manman left that Ping Tong lay down on the bed, her heart still racing until that moment.
She placed her hand on her chest, and through the thin fabric of her gown, she could clearly feel her heart pounding forcefully.
Thinking about the scene earlier where she almost got caught by Uncle Qin, the corners of Daohua’s mouth lifted slightly. Apart from the initial nervousness, the memory now seemed quite thrilling.
It’s just…
The unintentional intimate actions from Xiao Yeyang left her somewhat at a loss. Rationally, she knew she should keep her distance from him, but every time she saw him, she couldn’t ignore him. Moreover, the kindness Xiao Yeyang showed her wasn’t something she found objectionable; on the contrary, she sometimes quite enjoyed it.
Feeling a bit restless, Ping Tong turned over. Her heart was in disarray and conflicted. Her mind felt groggy as though she had entered a maze of confusion, wanting to find a way out yet irresistibly drawn deeper in.
So annoying!
I won’t think about it anymore!
Unwilling to delve deeper into her thoughts, Ping Tong gazed out the window at the moon hanging in the sky, lost in contemplation. It wasn’t until much later that she slowly closed her eyes.
The next morning, Wang Manman woke Ping Tong up early. While helping her with washing and dressing, she noticed dark circles under her eyes and immediately asked, “Miss, did you not sleep well last night?”
Ping Tong, rubbing her eyes, nodded: “I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning all night.”
Guyu said with a smile, “It’s probably because of the heat. It’ll get better after August.”
Wang Manman glanced at the several ice basins in the room, puzzled—this hadn’t been an issue for the miss before; she had never had trouble sleeping like this.
Yawning, Ping Tong said: “Bring me a basin of cold water later; I need to wake up.”
Guyu cheerfully agreed.
When Ping Tong arrived at Madam Yan’s courtyard, the rest of the Yan Family was already there, and Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan were among them, chatting with Yan Wenxiu.
After exchanging greetings with everyone, Ping Tong sat down beside the old lady.
Xiao Yeyang noticed that she didn’t look well and frowned slightly.
He felt a bit of regret in his heart; he shouldn’t have tempted her up to the rooftop to admire the moon last night. Not only had she drunk a little, but she also got a fright from falling out of a tree, no wonder she hadn’t slept well.
He wanted to look at her some more, but sensing Madam Lee’s gaze, Xiao Yeyang discreetly shifted his attention away, turning to chat idly with Dong Yuanxuan and the others.
After breakfast, the women of the Yan Family saw Yan Wenxiu to the entrance of the house and stopped there, while the men were to accompany him to the docks.
Ping Tong wanted to follow, but Madam Lee held her back. After Yan Yihuan and others expressed their good wishes, Ping Tong also spoke to Yan Wenxiu: “Big brother, don’t panic during the exams, don’t rush, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just perform as well as you normally do.”
Hearing this, Yan Wenxiu smiled with understanding.
His family had high expectations of him, and correspondingly, the pressure on him was quite considerable. These days, he had heard too many blessings about achieving high results; only his younger sister had considered the pressure he was under.
This sister could be worrisome at times and then incredibly heartwarming at others.
Suddenly, Su Hongxin spoke with a laugh: “Miss Yan, your advice is not quite right. How can you just perform normally? He must perform extraordinarily well!”
Daohua looked over, smiling, and said, “Surpassing oneself is for those whose knowledge isn’t solid. My elder brother’s scholarship is top-notch; he just needs to perform normally.”
Su Hongxin laughed, “You’re certainly not modest about your own brother.”
Daohua shrugged her shoulders and spread her hands, an innocent face saying, “It’s a universally acknowledged fact, I can’t be modest even if I want to.”
Seeing her like this, everyone else immediately laughed.
Yan Wenxiu’s mood also became much lighter, and after saying goodbye to the Yan Family, he mounted his horse, ready to leave the city.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua, who was nestling next to Old Madam Yan, then quickly mounted his horse, and soon, the group of people left.
…
A few days after Yan Wenxiu left, rumors began to spread in Ningmen Prefecture that Xiangyang Glass Factory was going to start selling glassware.
When Daohua heard the news, she was somewhat surprised; however, she soon came to terms with it. The glass factory had been built for some time, and it wasn’t strange for it to start producing glass, so she sent Xiaoliu to inquire about the glass market.
“Miss, Xiangyang Glass Factory’s first batch of glass will go on sale on the first day of August. Also, starting on that day, they will begin to take preorders.”
Hearing this, Daohua had no particular reaction, but Wang Manman suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “The first day of August, isn’t that the Miss’s birthday?”
Daohua’s eyes flashed, Xiao Yeyang couldn’t possibly have chosen this date on purpose, could he?
Xiaoliu continued, “The Glass Factory is spreading the word: on that day, they’ll give away thirteen sets of glass tea sets for free. Anyone who visits the Glass Factory that day will have a chance to get one.”
This made Daohua sure that Xiao Yeyang was doing it on purpose, and her lips curved up, amusement twinkling in her eyes, “That guy… I have to say, he’s quite clever.”
Wang Manman, however, looked distressed: “Thirteen sets of glass tea sets, oh, how many silvers is that? Giving them away for free, it would be better to give them to us.”
Daohua, who was in high spirits, glanced at Wang Manman with some speechlessness, “You don’t understand, Xiao Yeyang is drumming up popularity.”
“Think about it, if people know they can get free glass tea sets, wouldn’t they all pay attention for that slim chance of obtaining one? Word of mouth spreads, and soon everyone will know.”
Wang Manman’s face lit up with realization and laughed, “I didn’t expect the Little Prince to be quite the businessman, huh?” After a pause, she asked with a smile, “Miss, with the Little Prince opening the Glass Factory, do you think he’ll send us something?”
Daohua: “…your Miss here has money and can buy on her own.”
Wang Manman: “But buying it ourselves wouldn’t be the same as the Little Prince gifting it, would it?”
Just as she finished speaking, Ping Tong walked in with a laugh.
Daohua was surprised, “Sister Ping Tong, what brings you here?”
Ping Tong handed over a letter she was carrying, “This slave is here to deliver a letter; it’s from Fourth Master to the Miss.”
Daohua took the letter, puzzled, “What’s this, a letter from my fourth brother for no reason?” She opened the letter as she spoke.
The letter was written by her fourth brother, but the content was clearly in Xiao Yeyang’s tone.
No need to say more; this letter must have been instructed by Xiao Yeyang for her fourth brother to write, a joint effort from the two of them.
Seeing Daohua’s increasingly joyful smile, Wang Manman and Ping Tong were both curious.
“Miss, what did Fourth Master say to make you so happy?”
Daohua tucked away the letter, reigning in her smile a little, “Nothing much, just that Fourth Brother managed to secure a batch of glass for our family through his good relations with the Little Prince.”
Wang Manman blurted out, “Will it cost silver?”
Daohua was taken aback again, “You girl, why do you always talk about silver? Are you obsessed with money?”
Wang Manman grumbled, “Well, glass is so expensive, I can’t help but feel distressed about it.”
Daohua smiled, “It’s said to be a birthday gift, so it should be for free, I suppose.”