Chapter 187: Differentiated Treatment

 Chapter 187: Differentiated Treatment 

Yan Zhigao had a new concubine, Concubine Liu. Despite this, the presence of Concubine Liu did not cause much disruption in the Yan family. Everyone continued their daily routines as usual.

Liu Shi was very low-key. After moving into Shuangxin Courtyard, she only went to the main courtyard every morning to greet Madam Li, and rarely left the Western Chamber at other times. She made no attempt to flaunt her youth or beauty. 

This left Sun Shi, who had been hoping for some drama, disappointed. She had assumed that with a new concubine in the main household, there would be some commotion, but surprisingly, both her sister-in-law and Concubine Lin seemed to have silently chosen to ignore Liu Shi.

And as for Liu Shi, she was of little use. She only had a pretty face, and it was said that her eldest brother hadn’t even entered her room yet.

As for Daohua, she paid little attention to these matters. After the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather grew increasingly hot, leaving her feeling sluggish and unwilling to move.

"Miss, the melons and grapes from the farm have arrived."

On the 1st of June, Wang Man’er entered the room smiling broadly, holding a large watermelon.

Seeing the watermelon, Daohua perked up a little. "Quick, put it in the well to chill. We can eat it later."

The farm had a few acres of watermelon and grapes, all grown from seeds she had cultivated in her spatial black earth. These ripened faster than those from other farms.

She didn’t plan to sell the watermelons and grapes; they were meant for her own consumption and to give to families she was close with.

"Man’er, I’ll go," said one of the maids, a girl with twin braids, as she smiled and spoke.

Wang Man’er didn’t refuse and quickly handed the watermelon to the maid.

Now, Daohua’s household had several more people. Apart from Wang Po, who looked after the gate, and two maids responsible for cleaning, there were two more maids similar in age to Daohua, named Gu Yu and Li Xia.

Li Xia was the one who had just left, carrying the watermelon.

Because Wang Man’er had been with Daohua the longest, she had become the senior maid in the household. Gu Yu and Li Xia were newcomers, second-class maids, under Wang Man’er’s charge.

Daohua turned to Wang Man’er and said, "Go and send a few watermelons and some baskets of grapes to Jingwan. That girl has been asking me for some for the past few days."

Wang Man’er smiled and left the room.

After she left, Daohua took Gu Yu to the study.

Gu Yu quickly set up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and asked with a smile, "Miss, are you going to write a letter to the master?"

Daohua nodded as she spread out the paper. "It’s been a while since my brothers have returned. Now that the watermelons and grapes are ripe on the farm, I should send some to them."

In addition to her three brothers, she also planned to send some to Xiao Yeyang.

A few days later, at Wangyue Academy.

As soon as Yan Wenkai finished his class, he dashed out of the academy like a wild horse set free.

Seeing this, the group of Xiao Yeyang and his companions behind him shook their heads.

Su Hongxin couldn’t help but say, "It’s just some melons and fruit. Do you need to be so excited?"

Yan Wenkai didn’t slow down, turning his head to shout, "You don’t understand! The melons from my family are perfect for quenching thirst! I’ve been practicing martial arts in the sun these past few days, and my throat is nearly on fire. These melons are just what I need to cool down."

Soon, the group arrived at the academy gates.

The person delivering the items this time was Qin Xiao Liu. Upon seeing Yan Wenkai and the others, he immediately greeted them with a smile.

After a few months of training, he was no longer the same naive young man who had once cried loudly on the street. Now, he was much more confident and composed.

"I offer my respects to the gentlemen."

Yan Wenkai knew that this was Daohua’s person, so he raised his hand to signal for him to rise and then walked toward the carts.

There were three carts in total, each stacked high.

"Why so much?" Qin Xiao Liu bowed and replied, "The young lady instructed me to bring more. She said the three gentlemen have many classmates here at the academy, and it would be good to let them try some too."

Hearing this, Yan Wenkai nodded in satisfaction. "Big sister always thinks ahead."

At this moment, Dong Yuanxuan and the others also gathered around, staring at the large, round watermelons and the plump purple grapes on the carts, unable to stop swallowing.

Watermelons and grapes weren’t particularly rare, but the key was they wanted to eat them, and at this time, they couldn’t buy them.

It was only mid-June, and they weren’t in season yet.

Yan Wenkai waved generously. "Don’t be polite. Take whatever you want."

Hearing this, Dong Yuanxuan and the others, who hadn’t planned to be polite anyway, immediately began to roll up their sleeves, ready to carry watermelons and grapes.

At this moment, Qin Xiao Liu noticed Su Hongxin reaching for the third cart and quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"Young Master Su, you can’t take anything from this cart. It’s reserved specifically for the Young Prince."

As soon as he said that, everyone stopped and turned to look at Qin Xiao Liu.

Qin Xiao Liu, feeling the stares, took two steps back.

What was going on?

He hadn’t said anything wrong!

Yan Wenkai looked at Qin Xiao Liu and then at the Young Prince, whose mouth was already grinning, and confirmed, "A whole cart just for the Young Prince?"

The emphasis on "a cart" was heavy.

Qin Xiao Liu nodded.

Yes, that’s exactly what the eldest young lady had said.

Cough, cough...

Xiao Yeyang coughed a few times and, in a good mood, waved at his servant, Defu, beside him. "Didn’t you hear? That cart is for me alone. Go on and take it away."

"Understood!" Defu raised his voice in response.

Looking at Defu who was hauling away a cart of watermelons and grapes alone, Dong Yuanxuan and the others couldn’t help but feel sour.

Su Hongxin said with a hint of jealousy, "Can the Young Prince really eat an entire cart by himself? There are so many of us, and we’re splitting two carts. This sister Yan really knows how to play favorites."

Yan Wenkai didn’t mind at all: "What’s the big deal? If we don’t have enough, we can always write back for more. My big sister is generous; eat as much as you want!"

Dong Yuanxuan and the others exchanged looks, speechless.

It wasn’t about whether there was enough to eat or not. It was about the favoritism.

The cart for the Young Prince was solely for him. Whether he ate it all himself or gave some away, it was entirely up to him.

As for them, they had to rely on Yan Wenkai and his brothers to eat, and even then, they had to watch their manners, be grateful, and couldn’t even think of sending any home for their families to taste.

Xiao Yeyang ignored the others and, happily fanning himself, went back to eat the watermelon and grapes.

For some reason, he felt particularly pleased with the special treatment from Daohua. There was even a vague sense of secret joy.

This was completely different from how he felt when other officials sent him gifts.

Because of his status, he had been treated well like this since he was young, and he had never thought much of it before. But now, seeing the sour expressions on Dong Yuanxuan and the others’ faces, he felt very happy—extremely happy.

As for the reason, he didn’t analyze it deeply. He simply felt that his relationship with Daohua was better than with others.

That was enough for him.

Because of the special treatment of getting a whole cart of fruits, the teachers and students who attended class with Xiao Yeyang noticed that his mood had been particularly good these days. Unlike before, when the hot weather made him sulk every day.

(End of Chapter)