Chapter 144: Foolish Fantasies

 Chapter 144: Foolish Fantasies

The next morning, Yan Zhiyuan woke up with a slight headache.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t have yesterday?”

Sun Shi gave him a disdainful look. “It’s a good thing you still remember. Yesterday, you were quite arrogant, even slamming the table in front of mother and elder brother and sister-in-law. You not only did that but also shouted loudly that Daohua was an uncivilized wild girl.” 

“Listen to yourself. That one sentence insulted mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law all at once.”

Yan Yile, who was sitting nearby waiting for breakfast, interjected. “Mother, I think father was right. Big sister did shout at father, she really has no manners.”

“Shut up! Adults are talking, what do you know?” Sun Shi shot a glare at her younger daughter. Yesterday, elder brother and sister-in-law were both angry.

Now that Wenjie wasn’t grown yet, their family still depended on elder brother’s support, and they couldn’t afford to create conflicts over small matters with the main house.

Yan Zhiyuan furrowed his brow. He was thinking even more long-term than Sun Shi and immediately said, “Elder brother probably hasn’t gone to the office yet. I’ll go apologize right now.”

Watching her father leave without even eating, Yan Yile pouted and muttered, her expression showing dissatisfaction. “Mother, why do we always have to watch elder uncle and aunt’s faces when we do anything? Yesterday, big sister was clearly disrespectful to father.”

Sun Shi was silent for a moment, glancing at her discontented younger daughter and the eldest daughter, who was lost in thought. After thinking for a moment, she said,

“Just because your uncle is an official and your father is a commoner, our second branch has to defer to the main house.”

“As for your big sister, she dared to defy your uncle, so why would she care about your father?”

Yan Yile pouted. “Mother, I know. The reason big sister dares to act like this is because she’s close to the young prince, right? If uncle gets promoted, it will be because of the young prince, so he tolerates big sister like that.”

“But mother, things are different now. Before, the young prince only played with big sister, but now he’s willing to play with me and second sister too. We’re not powerless anymore.”

Sun Shi looked at her youngest daughter in surprise, not expecting her to have thought so much at such a young age. She smiled and patted her head. “The young prince has only played with you once. We don’t even know what will happen next.”

Yan Yile raised her head confidently. “The young prince will definitely play with us again. You don’t know, yesterday he talked to us for a while, and he was smiling the whole time.”

“When we get to know the young prince better, I’ll have him help father get an official position. The young prince is so powerful, it’ll be easy for him.”

Sun Shi was stunned upon hearing this, but her eyes showed a hint of expectation.

Over the years, she had made some connections with the wives of officials and heard them talk about buying official positions. However, buying an official title required strong backing.

The young prince might actually be able to help their family.

At this point, Yan Yihuan couldn’t help but speak up. “Fourth sister, you’re just daydreaming. The only reason the young prince chatted with us is because you took the flowers that big sister raised to him.”

She had seen it clearly from the side.

Moreover, the topics of conversation between them and the young prince had all revolved around big sister.

“Also, buying an official position is a major issue. It’s not something we should be involved in.”

Yan Yile disagreed, “The flowers were just a way to get his attention. After that, the young prince continued talking to us because we’re interesting and made him happy, right?”

“As for buying an official position, big sister managed to get the young prince to secure a place for elder brother in the academy. So getting father an official position isn’t such a big deal.”

Yan Yihuan wanted to argue further, but Sun Shi spoke up.

“Enough, stop arguing. No matter what, you two must remember one thing: in the future, you must maintain a good relationship with the young prince and never offend him like your big sister did.”

“Mother, don’t worry, we won’t be as foolish as big sister!”

In the main courtyard.

When Yan Zhiyuan arrived early in the morning to apologize, Yan Zhigao felt that he couldn’t say much anymore.

Although Madam Li was still somewhat upset, she didn’t press the matter further, considering the presence of Old Madam Yan and her husband.

Thus, with everyone either purposefully or unintentionally ignoring the issue, the events that took place on the Eighth of December were soon forgotten.

Two days later, Zhou Jingwan sent a box of silk flowers to Daohua.

“These are so beautifully made!”

Daohua happily examined the silk flowers in the box, and immediately picked a plum blossom to have Wang Man’er pin it in her hair. Then she looked at Zhou Jingwan. “Do I look good?”

“You look good, you always look good no matter what you wear!”

Seeing how much Daohua liked the gift, Zhou Jingwan was very happy. “Let me tell you, these are the most fashionable silk flowers in the capital. My second uncle specially brought them back for me. He said they are for wearing out during the New Year celebrations.”

Daohua was surprised. “Your second uncle is back?”

Zhou Jingwan shook her head. “He’s too busy to come back right now. It was one of the servants who brought the New Year gifts back and happened to bring these for me.”

Daohua laughed. “Your second uncle really sends the gifts early. There are still about twenty days before the New Year.”

Zhou Jingwan shook her head. “It’s not too early. Ever since my grandfather came back, my second uncle always sends the gifts first, and then my mother prepares the return gifts. It’s better to send them early so that we don’t miss sending the return gifts before the New Year.”

Daohua’s expression changed slightly. “Has your family already sent the New Year gifts?”

Zhou Jingwan replied, “Not yet. My second uncle’s gifts only arrived yesterday. My mother still needs to check everything, so it’ll take some time.”

Daohua asked, “Did your family send the gifts by water route? Could we send our gifts together with yours to the capital?”

After December arrived, Madam Li had started preparing the New Year gifts, with the focus being on the gifts for her fourth aunt, who lived in the capital. Since the distance was considerable, she had to arrange for a good route and send someone to deliver the gifts early.

She knew that her grandmother had always thought about her daughter, who had married far away, and had kept it in her heart for many years.

Zhou Jingwan was surprised. “You have relatives in the capital?”

Daohua nodded. “Yes, my aunt.”

Zhou Jingwan immediately said, “I’ll go back and ask my mother and get back to you right away.”

Daohua smiled and agreed.

That same day, Zhou Jingwan sent a message to Daohua, saying that her mother had agreed. The Zhou family used their own boat for sending New Year gifts, and it was no trouble to take the Yan family’s gifts along.

After receiving the confirmation, Daohua immediately went to find her grandmother and Madam Li.

When Madam Li heard that the gifts could be sent together with the Zhou family’s boat to the capital, she was pleased. “That’s great. I won’t have to go searching for another boat.”

Daohua sat beside her somewhat silent grandmother. “Grandmother, this year Father has been promoted to the position of Prefect. We must prepare a good New Year gift for Fourth Aunt.”

Thinking of her daughter, whom she hadn’t seen in many years, Old Madam Yan’s eyes grew a little misty. “Good child, you’re still thinking about Fourth Aunt.”

Daohua smiled. “Of course, I’ve been thinking about Fourth Aunt, and also about my cousin and cousin’s sister. Oh no, I haven’t sent them any gifts yet! Grandmother, you have to help me pick something good so I don’t lose face in front of them.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Yan’s face softened into a smile. “Alright, grandmother will help you choose, I’ll make sure you don’t lose face.”

Daohua continued, “Since we’re sending them by water, it shouldn’t take too long to reach the capital. The vegetables you planted in the warm room must already be ripe. Let’s send some to Fourth Aunt as well so that she can eat vegetables grown by her own mother, even though she’s far away.”

Old Madam Yan’s throat tightened, and she nodded with red eyes.

Once a daughter marries, she never eats the food or dishes her mother cooks anymore. Although she couldn’t personally prepare a meal for her, sending her some vegetables she had grown was still something.

“Also, I still have several vats of the grape wine I made. Let’s send two vats to Fourth Aunt. Whether she drinks it herself or gives it to others, it will be presentable.”

“And the wine yeast and potted plants.”

“Grandmother, what flowers does Fourth Aunt like? You know best, you have to choose them.”

At the side, Madam Li, seeing how enthusiastically the grandmother and granddaughter were discussing the New Year gifts, couldn’t help but feel relieved.

These past years, due to the deliberate distancing by the Yang family, her husband’s official position hadn’t been promoted, and they hadn’t dared to mention her sister-in-law in front of Old Madam Yan.

Now, things were different. This year, her husband had been promoted, and their family had earned some extra money selling watermelon, so they could afford to prepare a generous gift for her sister-in-law.

It seemed that the Yang family would no longer dare to treat her sister-in-law lightly.

(End of Chapter)