nycdaug Chapter 146 Tips
Chapter 146 Tips
Prince Duan: "Yes, in the future, you must speak well of me to your sister Zisu, understand?"
Yue'er: "I know, I just wanted to say a few good words for you!"
Prince Duan said very seriously, "A few kind words are not enough; you must say many kind words often! Do you understand?"
Yue'er giggled and said, "I know, once she becomes your bride, I can call her aunt!" But then she frowned and said, "But, Brother Chun likes her too! Sigh, should I help you or Brother Jiang Chun?"
Prince Duan reached out and tapped her forehead: "Of course you'll help me. I'm your uncle, we're family. If you don't help me, are you going to help an outsider?"
Yue'er wasn't fooled. She said seriously, "But Chun-gege is my cousin, and we share the same surname, Jiang. Come to think of it, I seem to be closer to Chun-gege. You seem to be the outsider!"
Prince Duan reached out and ruffled her hair vigorously: "You little rascal, you're quite the smooth talker! I'm your uncle, I'm not an outsider, remember that!"
The eldest princess couldn't help but scold, "Yue'er, how can you speak to your uncle like that? Your uncle is family, not an outsider!" Naturally, she felt closer to the Xiao family. Of course, Jiang Chun was a sensible and good child, and she considered him one of her own. However, in her heart, she still felt closer to Xiao Hao. After all, they all shared the same ancestor.
Yue'er chuckled, "Mom, I know, I was just teasing Uncle. In Yue'er's heart, Uncle is just as close as Big Brother, they're both family!"
Upon hearing this, Hua'er couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Prince Duan is also pursuing Sister Zisu. Not only is Fang Heng involved, but now there's Prince Duan too. It seems my eldest brother has no hope! Alas, my eldest brother is quite pitiful; it's all Mother's fault. If Mother hadn't interfered, hadn't treated Sister Zisu like a monster, perhaps my eldest brother would have been with her long ago!
In that case, what role would Prince Duan and Fang Heng play?
Hua'er could tell that Zisu treated the Jiang family very well and admired her eldest brother. Otherwise, given the concubines her mother had made for Zisu, Zisu would never have offered a helping hand when the Jiang family fell on hard times.
Sister Zisu's kindness to the Jiang family is something the Jiang family can never repay in this lifetime! If Sister Zisu could be with my eldest brother, he could cherish her and love her even more. However, my mother has completely destroyed this opportunity.
With Prince Duan and Fang Heng around, what need is there for the eldest brother?
Alas, having such a mother is a calamity for my elder brother, and also for her. Now in the capital, many of his former friends avoid her and are unwilling to get close to her. The reason is simply that she has such an unreliable mother, and the ladies are worried that their daughters will be bullied and harmed if they associate with her.
That is, Sister Zisu remained unchanged in her treatment of her, harboring neither resentment nor disdain. Sister Zisu treated her with utmost sincerity, without a trace of pretense. Fortunately, Sister Zisu never neglected or avoided her, which is why a few of her former friends were still willing to associate with her.
Otherwise, how can we go on living like this?
Now, she's almost twelve years old, and still no one has come to propose marriage. It's all her mother's fault. Her second brother is also getting on in years and should be married, but he can't find a suitable match. Even her eldest brother isn't as sought after as before; many families who initially favored him have changed their minds.
A tear silently slid down her cheek, wetting her clothes.
The eldest princess noticed this and couldn't help but sigh deeply in her heart. She quickly and gently comforted her, "Good child, don't be sad. You can tell your aunt anything that's making you sad. Just treat me like your mother, just like Yue'er does. Your aunt won't interfere with your marriages!"
"Auntie, I'm so sad. Why did my mother become like this? She tore our family apart. Many people don't want to associate with me anymore, as if getting close to me will bring bad luck!" Hua'er nestled in the princess's arms and burst into tears.
At this moment, Prince Duan and Yue'er were riding thirty paces away; otherwise, Hua'er wouldn't have dared to cry out loud.
The Eldest Princess said, “My good child, this is not your fault. It’s all your mother’s fault. Don’t be sad. Those who have distanced themselves from you are not true friends. Didn’t your sister Zisu say something like, ‘One true confidant is enough. Good friends are about quality, not quantity! In other words, it’s better to have none than bad ones!’”
After a pause, the princess finally spoke the words she had kept hidden in her heart for so long: "Your sister Zisu is a good person worth getting to know sincerely. You should cherish her and not let your mother cause any distance between you. If there are any misunderstandings, you can speak them out directly, don't keep them bottled up inside. Your mother hurt her deeply in the past, yet she remains unchanged towards you. This is very rare; if it were someone else, they certainly couldn't do that!"
She's so generous and sincere; you can't take it for granted. Relationships are reciprocal. If she's good to you and generous, you must reciprocate with sincerity. Otherwise, you'll hurt her feelings and never be able to connect with her again! Someone as good as her, someone you can be a lifelong friend, someone who will unconditionally lend a helping hand when you need it—you must cherish her!
Hua'er: "Auntie, Hua'er understands. Hua'er will cherish this opportunity and will never do anything to upset Sister Zisu. In this life, I will treat Sister Zisu well and regard her as my own sister!"
The eldest princess nodded in satisfaction and handed her a clean handkerchief: "Wipe your tears. Don't be sad, and don't cry easily. Your sister Zisu is right. No matter what difficulties you encounter, you must face them bravely and not run away. Running away from difficulties is definitely not a good way to solve problems! In fact, sometimes, as long as you grit your teeth, you can get through it!"
Hua'er: "Thank you for your comforting words, Auntie. I feel much better now! Please rest assured, Auntie, I will definitely learn from Sister Zisu and become a strong and brave person!"
As they spoke, the carriage stopped at the entrance of Little Stone Pool, and Zisu hurriedly came out to greet them warmly. Seeing Hua'er, she was overjoyed: "Oh, you've finally arrived! Come in quickly! It's very sunny outside, come inside quickly, I've prepared some chilled mung bean soup!"
Hua'er held Zisu's hand, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice choked with emotion: "Sister Zisu, I missed you so much!" She couldn't help but hug her, tears streaming down her face.
Zisu looked helplessly at the eldest princess, her eyes asking: What exactly happened?
The princess smiled helplessly and waved her hand, "It's nothing. She just remembered something sad and couldn't help but cry. She cried once on the way."
"Oh, I see!" Zisu felt relieved and gently comforted the flowers, "Flowers, don't be sad. Tomorrow I'll take you to see the sunflower field. It's in full bloom right now!"
Hua'er then stopped crying and smiled, nodding, "Yes, thank you, Sister Zisu."
Zisu looked at the back of the carriage and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, where is Yue'er? Why didn't she come with us?"
Princess: "Yue'er is with Prince Duan. They went to the banana grove, saying they're going to pick some bananas to eat!"
To get from the county town to Wuliping, you have to pass through the banana plantation. The main road is only about a kilometer away from the plantation, very close. If you're riding a horse, you can get there in the blink of an eye.
Zisu couldn't help but laugh: "There shouldn't be anyone in the banana grove at this time of year. Even if they went, they wouldn't be able to get in!"
The eldest princess couldn't help but laugh: "Prince Duan might climb over the wall to get in."
Zisu: "Hmm, that makes sense. The courtyard wall isn't very high; Prince Duan could easily fly over it. With his lightness skill, he could fly over with the flowers without any problem!"
The eldest princess sighed, "But what's the difference between this and being a thief?"
Zisu couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Your Highness, you're really funny. It's just a few bananas, and you've dragged it into the topic of thievery."
Princess: "Speaking of which, since the banana grove is unguarded, would the people in this area steal bananas or other plants?"
Zisu: "That's inevitable. No matter where you are, there will always be some scoundrels who like to steal. The Li family has caught several people climbing over the wall to steal things. Once, Li was even beaten up."
The Eldest Princess said, "That won't do. It would be best to send some people to keep an eye on those three manors. It's never good if thieves are eyeing them!"
Zisu: "Yes, I've already spoken to my father. I've asked him to find some retired soldiers, his former subordinates. Those who have served on the Northwest battlefield all know some martial arts. As long as they are honest and reliable, they can be hired to work. Then, Li Mao and Shen Laihui can give them some pointers!"
Princess: "Your idea is excellent. I'll also talk to Prince Duan about it later. He should know quite a few honest and loyal retired soldiers."
Talk about Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here.
"What are you saying about me?" A deep, melodious voice came from outside the courtyard. Zisu subconsciously looked up and saw Prince Duan standing tall and elegant, holding a horse by the reins. He was dressed in a white silk robe with a five-clawed python design and a golden jade belt around his waist, exuding a graceful charm.
I apologize; I made a mistake with the character relationships in the previous chapter. Prince Duan should be Yue'er's uncle, but I wrote him as her brother. I don't remember if I made a mistake in previous chapters. This is a correction.