Chapter 199: Horseback Riding Outfit

 Chapter 199: Horseback Riding Outfit

"Huh? Why isn't the boat moving?" 

When the boat suddenly slowed down and stopped, Daohua immediately stood on tiptoe and craned her neck to look outside. She then saw some commotion at the harbor.

At that moment, Qin Wu approached.

Qin Wu was skilled and steady, and now, whenever Yan Zhigao went out, he would always bring him along.

"Miss, the master asks that you return to the cabin. It seems someone has fallen into the water up ahead, and the boat is blocking the harbor. We may have to wait a while before we can disembark."

Daohua nodded. It was the Chongyang Festival, a time when many people went out to enjoy the holiday, and with so many boats clustered together, accidents were bound to happen.

She glanced around, noticing other boats approaching, and pulled Zhou Jingwan back into the cabin.

The two of them entered the cabin, bowed to Yan Zhigao and the others, then went straight to the window, leaning over to look outside.

"Hey, Daohua, look, isn't that your brother and my brother? What are they doing? Are they rescuing someone?" Zhou Jingwan suddenly pointed towards the harbor.

Daohua quickly looked over and immediately spotted Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye in the crowd.

In the chaotic, noisy harbor, the calm and collected Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye stood out, directing the boats to dock. They were clearly noticeable among the crowd.

Moreover, both of them were handsome and elegant, giving off a refined, gentle air that made them easily distinguishable.

"It’s them. They must be helping to maintain order!"

On the other side, Yan Zhigao and Old Master Zhou had also noticed Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye at the dock.

Seeing the two of them directing the boatmen to dock and clear the area calmly, both fathers looked satisfied.

"Young Wenxiu is becoming more and more capable, just like your brother Yan," Old Master Zhou said, complimenting Yan Wenxiu.

Yan Zhigao, though proud of his eldest son’s excellence, still modestly responded, "He’s not as steady as Chengye. Wenxiu still has much to learn from him."

Indeed, due to their different upbringings, Zhou Chengye, who had grown up accustomed to large-scale situations, was more meticulous and composed in some aspects compared to Yan Wenxiu.

The two fathers continued to praise each other’s sons, while their invited guests occasionally chimed in with their own remarks.

The harbor quickly returned to normal, and not long after, Daohua and her group were able to disembark.

"Which family’s young master is that?"

"If they hadn't helped, we don’t know how long we would have been stuck here."

"From their appearance and behavior, they must come from a noble family, right?"

When Daohua and Zhou Jingwan stepped off the boat, they happened to overhear voices from the boat across from them.

They exchanged glances, then both turned to look over, where they saw a few young ladies, around fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing veiled hats and gazing at them.

"Do you think they’re looking at your brother or my brother?" Zhou Jingwan whispered with her hand over her mouth.

Daohua paused for a moment before answering, "Maybe they’re interested in both."

Zhou Jingwan immediately chuckled softly and, in a mature tone, sighed, "Ah, my brother is at the age when he should be considering marriage." She glanced at Zhou Chengye, who was greeting everyone, and quietly added, "I’ve heard that my mother has already started looking for a wife for him in secret."

Daohua suddenly understood, "No wonder your family has been hosting so many banquets lately. I thought you were just gathering people, but turns out you’re eyeing someone’s daughter?"

Zhou Jingwan was displeased, "It’s not about eyeing someone, it’s about mutual selection." She nudged Daohua and continued, "I remember Brother Yan is only a year younger than my brother. Has your mother been looking for a match for him too?"

Daohua thought for a moment and said, "My mother did mention it a few times, but then nothing came of it. I suppose she wants my brother to focus on his studies for now."

Her father had received praise from the emperor for his work with grain seeds, and given the increased interactions with other families over the past year, it seemed likely that after his term ended, he would be promoted.

Since her mother wasn't making any arrangements for her eldest brother right now, she probably wanted to wait for her father’s promotion before proceeding.

After all, this way, the pool of potential matches would be larger, and the options would be better.

Meanwhile, after Yan Wenxiu, Zhou Chengye, and Yan Zhigao finished their conversation, they walked over to Daohua and the others.

"Take care of your younger sisters. Don't let anything happen to them. If anything does, I’ll hold you responsible," Old Master Zhou advised.

Zhou Chengye immediately smiled and said, "Father, don’t worry. We won’t let anything happen to them."

Yan Wenxiu also reassured, "Please don’t worry, Father and Uncle, there are several young horses at the stables, all very docile, and there will be servants watching over them. Nothing will happen."

Only then did Yan Zhigao and Old Master Zhou nod in approval, signaling they could leave.

"Huh? I thought we were going to the stables? Why are we at the palace?" Daohua asked, puzzled when she saw Yan Wenxiu leading them into the palace.

Yan Wenxiu glanced at his sister and Zhou Jingwan’s attire, smiling. "The stables are not far from the palace. I brought you here so you could change your clothes."

Daohua looked at her outfit, which was neat and convenient. "Do we need to change into special clothes just for riding?"

Zhou Chengye smiled. "Elder Gong specially prepared these for you. It wouldn't be polite to refuse his kind gesture. The Young Miss Dong who arrived earlier has already changed, and she looks very beautiful in it."

Daohua was taken aback. "Young Miss Dong? Is she big brother Dong’s sister, Dong Yuanyao?"

Zhou Chengye nodded, recalling the meeting of the two girls during this year’s Lantern Festival, and chuckled. "Yes, that's her."

Zhou Jingwan tugged at Daohua’s sleeve. "You know Miss Dong?"

Daohua nodded calmly. "I met her once." Then she leaned in and whispered, "That time, she disguised herself as a man and tried to tease me."

Zhou Jingwan’s eyes widened in surprise, then she laughed. "Miss Dong is playful. Did she give you trouble?"

Daohua tilted her head back confidently. "Who am I? How could I be at a disadvantage! I turned the tables and teased her back, leaving her with a flushed face and unable to speak."

Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua’s proud expression and shook her head. "I thought I was already mischievous enough, but compared to you two, I’m completely outclassed."

Soon, the four of them arrived at a palace.

"The stables are behind the palace. Go ahead and change your clothes; someone will take you there shortly," Yan Wenxiu told Daohua and Zhou Jingwan.

Daohua glanced at the palace, where a maid was waiting. She murmured, "Isn’t this a bit too formal just for riding a horse?"

Zhou Jingwan responded directly, "You’re too easygoing. Of course, you need to wear proper riding clothes. If I had more time, I would have had my family’s seamstress make me a set too."

"Now that someone has prepared them for us, why not wear them? Haven’t you heard that Miss Dong is wearing one too? Come on, let’s change. We can’t let her outshine us," she said, pulling Daohua inside.

Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye shook their heads with smiles and turned toward the stables at the back of the palace.

"From Jingwan’s tone, it seems like she’s quite familiar with Miss Dong?"

"We’ve met a few times. Miss Dong is lively and open-hearted, just like sister Yan, and they get along very well with my family’s Jingwan."

"Wow, these clothes are beautiful!" Zhou Jingwan exclaimed when she saw the neatly arranged riding outfits in the room.

Daohua’s eyes lit up, and she immediately picked up a robin’s egg blue riding outfit. "This design looks like it’s from the northern grasslands, doesn’t it?"

The maid standing by smiled and answered, "Miss Yan has a sharp eye. The nomadic people from the northern grasslands are especially skilled at riding horses, so most riding outfits are modeled after their designs. They’re both practical and beautiful."

Daohua touched the clothes in her hands and smiled. "They really are beautiful."

Zhou Jingwan touched one set of clothes, then another, her expression filled with hesitation. "Daohua, help me choose. Which one looks better on me?"

Daohua glanced at them and pointed to a pink riding outfit. "This one."

"Just as I thought, great minds think alike. I also think this pink one looks better," Zhou Jingwan said, picking it up and holding it against herself. While doing so, she asked, "How about you? Which one are you going to wear?"

Daohua raised the outfit she was holding. "I like this robin’s egg blue one."

Zhou Jingwan looked up and quickly nodded. "Yes, this one suits you very well. Most of your dresses are also in shades of green and blue. My mother says you look especially good in those colors."

"Let's hurry and change." 

(End of chapter)