Chapter 562: Chapter 513, Asking for a Visit_1
“Snap!”
The sound of glass shattering on the ground echoed from the pharmacy, followed by Gu Jian emerging dust-covered and disheveled.
Grandma Gu: “Did the potion not come out again?”
Gu Jian shook his head, somewhat dejected, “No, it didn’t.”
Seeing her brother display such emotions was somewhat amusing to Grandma Gu.
Gu Jian frowned and said, “I did exactly as Daohua instructed, so why can’t I get it right?”
The potion Daohua made was colorless, tasteless, and transparent, whereas his best attempt had turned out faintly pink with a pungent odor.
Grandma Gu gestured for Caiju to tidy up.
Once Caiju entered the pharmacy, she noticed that almost all the glassware Daohua brought had been broken. She couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth, and after she tidied up and came out, Gu Jian said.
“Well, find some time to visit Ningmen Prefecture, and have that Yang lad bring another set over. No, bring three sets. I refuse to believe that if my apprentice can make it, I, as the master, can’t!”
After he finished speaking, he pondered for a moment, then stood up, went back to his room, and came out with a steel pen and two bottles of potion, handing them to Dongli, “You go in person and hand these to Xiaowu.”
Dongli took the items, hesitated while looking at the bottles filled only one-third with potion, and said, “Master, should we ask Miss Yan to come over and make some more potion?”
Miss Yan had left for the Yan Residence yesterday, and the Little Prince had left with her.
Hearing this, Gu Jian immediately became huffy and said, “It’s all because that Yang kid is too stingy. Even though Daohua made two more bottles of potion, he couldn’t bear to spare me one and left me only this much.”
Grandma Gu glanced over with a look of disdain, “Humph, I wonder who overestimated their own abilities yesterday, claiming they could make it themselves? If you had really wanted it, would the Yang lad have refused you? You’re not young anymore; stop shifting the blame onto the kids.”
Gu Jian looked embarrassed, genuinely thinking it was simple to watch his apprentice make the potions; after all, wasn’t he a master at potion making? How could he fail to produce it?
Well, apparently he couldn’t.
The main problem was the burette; he just couldn’t get the dosage right, which was driving him crazy.
Seeing the two masters stray from the topic, Dongli had to speak up to bring the conversation back, “Shall I go and fetch Miss Yan right now?”
Gu Jian waved his hand dismissively, “What reason would you give for inviting her? That girl is shrewd. Last time I brought up the ‘Tao Te Ching,’ she started probing whether I knew the Eighth Prince. If you go now, pfft, she might even suspect you as a spy from some faction.”
Dongli immediately fell silent.
When he and Caiju first came to serve the old masters, Miss Yan was quite wary of them, having several tenant farmers from the estate keep an eye on them.
Thinking back to the time when he would be greeted by someone every time he stepped out, inquiring with enthusiasm about where he was going and what he was doing, it made him feel somewhat bemused yet frustrated.
Gu Jian: “Alright, it’s not much, but tell Xiaowu the potion formula and the process, and he’ll find someone to make it. Oh, and remind Xiaowu that my apprentice created this, so make sure to credit the young lady.”
He felt a bit ashamed for secretly sharing his apprentice’s creation with the Emperor and could not miss the opportunity to claim some credit for her efforts.
Dongli nodded, “I will do so.”
…
Yan Residence.
Since Sister Zixuan was getting married on the twentieth day of the first lunar month, Daohua had returned from Taohua Village to the residence on the twelfth, as they needed to head to the Li Family several days in advance.
That afternoon, while Daohua was packing for the trip, Xiujun came to see her.
Smiling at Xiujun, Daohua asked, “Xiujun, we’re leaving tomorrow, have you packed your things yet?”
This time to the Li Family, Madam Li had also decided to bring Xiujun, but Yan Siyu stayed at home to accompany Old Madam Yan.
Xiujun nodded with a smile, “I don’t have many things; I’ve already packed.”
Daohua: “That’s good. Did you need something from me?” While asking, she continued to choose the jewelry to wear for the trip.
Looking at the several cases of jewelry before Daohua, Xiujun was slightly dazzled and said with a lowered gaze and a smile, “I just had some free time and thought I’d sit with my cousin for a while.”
Daohua: “Sure, have a seat. I’ll keep packing and we can talk.”
Xiujun nodded and sat down on a couch near the window.
“Miss, do you think these sets of dresses will be enough?” Guyu placed the selected Aoqun dresses one by one on the rack.
Daohua glanced over, “Sister Zixuan is getting married; it should be festive. Take out the silver-red fox fur Ao and the pomegranate Kesi Silk skirt. Oh, and since it’s still cold, don’t forget the new red mantles made of rhesus monkey fur. We’ll surely need them to go out and watch the lanterns during the Lantern Festival at night.”
Guyu complied and immediately turned around to look for clothes.
Sitting aside, Yang Xiujun’s eyes twinkled with envy as she looked at the clothes scattered everywhere.
Although her aunt had prepared three sets of clothes for her outings, neither the fabric nor the styles could compare to those of Sister Yiyi.
Seeing Yang Xiujun’s silence, Daohua tried to make conversation, “Do you like the clothes your mother prepared for you?”
Yang Xiujun quickly responded, “I like them very much.”
Daohua smiled, “That’s good. If you feel the size or style isn’t suitable, you can ask the sewing room to alter them. All these dresses of mine were made according to my own preferences.”
Yang Xiujun’s face showed sudden realization, “No wonder I found Sister’s clothes quite different from what Yiyi and the others wear.”
Daohua smiled, “The needlework of the seamstresses in the residence is beyond reproach, it’s just that their aesthetic and mine differ a bit. Every time they send over new designs for clothes, I make some changes to them accordingly.”
Yang Xiujun smiled, “I find all of Sister’s clothes so pretty, which just shows Sister has better taste than others.”
Daohua shook her head with a smile, “It’s not about having good taste. I just know what suits me.”
Yang Xiujun noticed that Daohua was in a good mood, hesitated for a moment, and then looked at Daohua with some reluctance to speak.
Seeing this, Daohua raised her eyebrows, “What’s the matter?”
After a moment of silence, Yang Xiujun mustered her courage, “Sister Yiyi, you know about uncle’s plan to send my brother to Wangyue Academy early, right?”
Upon hearing this, Daohua’s smile faded slightly, “I’ve heard.”
Yang Xiujun said, “Sister Yiyi, could you speak to uncle and ask him not to send my brother to the academy so soon?”
The smile disappeared from Daohua’s face, and she looked at Yang Xiujun perplexed, “I don’t understand. Didn’t your brother come to Zhongzhou to study? The academy is about to start its term. Why doesn’t he want to go now?”
Yang Xiujun quickly explained, “My brother wishes to gain more insights by staying with Teacher Xiao and Cousin Wenxuan. It wouldn’t matter if he starts at the academy a bit later.”
Daohua put down the pearl hairpin she was holding, “I can’t agree with you, cousin. It’s good that he wants to gain insights, but attending the academy is equally important.”
“You see my brother working with Teacher Xiao, looking quite simple and relaxing, but he actually faces various problems in the process, and solving those problems truly tests a person’s abilities.”
“Where do these abilities come from if not from books? In the past few years, my elder brother has been studying hard in the academy without any slack.”
“Only this year, he became a recognized scholar. With academic knowledge as his foundation, he could work smoothly with Teacher Xiao, otherwise, even with the pull of my father’s connections, my brother would be ashamed to stay without any real knowledge to offer.”
“Cousin Xiujun, don’t you think that makes sense?”
Yang Xiujun’s face stiffened slightly.
Daohua continued, “There’s an old saying that one must work step by step. Your brother is at the prime age for studying. It’s better for him to go to the academy with a peaceful mind.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Xiujun, still not giving up, tried again, “My brother is quite solid in his studies; uncle himself has said so. He won’t be delayed for too long, just following Teacher Xiao until cousin Wenxuan leaves for Beijing.”
Daohua was silent for a moment. She felt she had made herself very clear. Usually, cousin Xiujun was quite sensitive. How come she couldn’t pick up the refusal this time?
Did she see her as being too easy to persuade?
Daohua looked at Yang Xiujun with detachment, “Is this how you usually interact with elders at home?”
Yang Xiujun was a bit stunned, “Huh?”
Daohua asked, “Do you repeatedly contradict things your parents disagree with?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiujun became anxious, “That’s not what I mean. I’m not asking you to contradict uncle. I just hoped you might plead on my behalf.”
Daohua frowned, “Plead? Cousin, I do not understand these words. Is father punishing Hongrui or admonishing him? He is merely following your request by sending him to study. Why then do you use the words ‘plead’?”
Seeing Daohua’s expression turning sour, Yang Xiujun quickly explained, “Please, Sister, don’t be annoyed. I misspoke. I just…”
Daohua raised her hand to interrupt her, “Regardless of cousin’s intentions, I can offer no help. I won’t plead, nor do I have any reason or standing to do so.”
“Compared to me, Cousin Xiujun, if you have any thoughts, you’d be better off speaking directly to father instead of coming to me in a roundabout way.”
Having said that, she picked up the teacup on the table.
Seeing Daohua’s gesture to end the visit, Yang Xiujun felt an uneasy flicker in her heart, “I was presumptuous. Please don’t take it against me, Sister. If there’s nothing else, then I’ll take my leave.”
Daohua nodded, “That’s all right. I’m busy here and won’t see you out.”
Source: NovelFull.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co