Chapter 467
~ COMING OF AGE CEREMONY ~
Zhang Wan looked at the camellia pots on the ground and couldn’t help but smile, “Second Aunt, please help me thank Miss Mu. It’s not convenient today, so I’ll come to Second Aunt’s courtyard to thank you alone another day. Little Sister Su You, how is her health?”
Noticing Zhang Wan’s gentle attitude, Second Madam could not help but smile even more, “It’s all good. We will be family from now on, so there is no need to be too polite. If you lack anything here, you must get someone to tell me in time. Although I can help you, I will definitely reach out when it’s time.”
Zhang Wan was stunned for a moment before she smiled. “Alright, thank you, Second Aunt.”
“I’ll get someone to cook a bowl of noodles and bring it to you. You’ll have a good rest tonight, and you’ll have to pay our respects to the Elders tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.”
Leaving Zhang Wan’s courtyard, the Second Madam smiled, thinking that the residence was getting more lively.
In the following days, the news of the Su family would occasionally spread.
Jin Qiao vividly reported to Mu Yunyao: “At the beginning, the Sixth Princess marrying into the Su family is still considered stable. After that, Su Qingwu made a trip to Madam Zhang’s courtyard, and the Sixth Princess started to stir things up. After that, she even found an excuse to look for Madam Zhang for trouble. I heard that she accidentally bumped Madam Zhang into the pond. On the second day, Madam Zhang directly ordered someone to fill the pond...”
After Mu Yunyao finished washing her face, she took the handkerchief and wiped the water droplets off her fingers. “Falling into the pond in the winter is extremely dangerous. Is Zhang Wan alright?”
“It’s okay. The Second Madam acted in time, and not long after she fell down, she was rescued. She was then taken care of by a doctor, so there weren’t any major problems. But after going through this matter, the Sixth Princess was extremely dissatisfied with the Second Madam, as if she wanted to seize her authority as the person who charges in household’s affair.”
“The authority of the person who is charge in household’s affair is not to be trifled with. Su Wenyuan will not be the first to agree.” If he were to hand the Su family over to the Sixth Princess, who didn’t have any experience, wouldn’t Su Wenyuan have trouble sleeping all night? In addition, Su Jin was still here. If Yang Lian really had something to do with the salt tax, it is almost time for the Su family to take action at this time.
Entering February, the weather gradually became warmer. After being taught by Mu Yunyao several times, Su Qing slowly felt better, and her body recovered a lot.
Jin Lan and Jin Qiao were painting paper kites in the courtyard, but unfortunately, the two of them couldn’t paint properly, so they could only ask Mu Yunyao for help, “Miss, come help the two of us quickly. We can’t lose to Elder Sister Si Qin and the rest.”
Mu Yunyao changed into lighter spring clothes. At this moment, she was in a good mood as she grabbed her sleeves to help Jin Lan paint the patterns on the paper kite.
Seeing this scene, Si Qin was upset again and again: “Miss, how can you help Jin Lan and Jin Qiao? If they win, this servant will have no monthly silver.”
Mu Yunyao looked down at the complacent Jin Lan and Jin Qiao. “When you win the monthly money, don’t forget to split half with me.”
“Yes, Miss. We will share most of it with you.”
Su Qing watched this scene with a smile, and the depression in his heart gradually loosened a lot.
Although the courtyard wasn’t too big, it was enough to let the paper kite fly.
Mu Yunyao raised her head to look at her depiction of the eagle flying into the sky and couldn’t help but raise the corner of her lips. “Mother, the person that Grandmother had sent to verify our identity has returned. In a few days, she will recognize us as her family members at my coming of age ceremony.”
Su Qing nodded. “Yao’er, can you promise me one thing?”
“Mother, please speak your mind. As long as it is within my capabilities, I will definitely agree to your request.”
“Mother hopes that you can carefully ponder over the relationship between you and Yue Wang. A friendship is hard to come by, and one shouldn’t give up easily because of a bond.”
Mu Yunyao fell silent for a long while before speaking again, “Mother, I am clearly related to Yue Wang by blood, so why didn’t you stop us from being together, but instead persuade me to be more open?”
“Yao’er, this world is not fair to women. It is not easy for you to obtain a sincere relationship. Compared to the ethical relationship, Mother cares more about whether you live a happy life or not, and she cares even more about whether your husband can treat you wholeheartedly. To a man, getting married and having children was something happy about. But to a woman, every step was a hurdle. After the marriage, you will be bound with this man for the rest of your life. You will be together with him, sharing both honor and disgrace. You will have children, and giving birth is half-stepping into the gate of hell. Women could die because of childbirth. The situation of your adoptive mother during childbirth is the best example. If you can’t marry someone who loves you, what support do you rely on to spend this long life?”
Mu Yunyao’s gaze wavered violently. She felt as if something had poked her heart. “Mother, it’s still too early to say all this now. Let’s talk about it slowly.”
“Sigh, that’s fine. Has Mother been getting more and more long-winded recently?”
“How could that be? Mother is doing great!”
Su Qing couldn’t hold back her laughter. “You.”
The invitation for Mu Yunyao’s coming of age ceremony had already been sent out, and the location was set to be in Grand Princess Yi De’s private garden — Qin Fang Garden. It could be said that the date had been selected by the Venerate Heavens Sect after repeated calculation, and everything is appropriate.
Ever since the New Year, Ni Yun Fang stopped taking an order on the clothes business and wholeheartedly helped Mu Yunyao and Su Qing prepare the clothes they would be wearing on the day of the coming of age ceremony.
Everyone in the Capital already knew that this time’s ceremony not only signified Mu Yunyao’s coming of age but also the day when Grand Princess Yi De would recognize her daughter.
Everything involving Grand Princess Yide is enough to make people pay attention to it. Now that the Grand Princess had found her daughter, whom she had searched for more than thirty years, the various officials and aristocratic families began to attach great importance to it.
Qin Fang Garden has been renovated, and the whole garden has attracted hot spring water from the mountains. Despite the cold weather of the spring in the past few days, there were still countless flowers blooming in the garden. It could even be seen that the colorful butterflies were flying and dancing among the flowers. In Shang Pavilion, where the hot springs converge to form a small pool, a dense mist rose into the air as they strolled along the nine winding corridors. It was as though they had stepped into a fairyland, causing people’s hearts to be captivated.
The sixth day of February is a good day for everything. Mu Yunyao and Su Qing were resting in Qin Fang Garden one day in advance. That day, they had gotten up early and changed into a set of white clothes after taking a bath.
Su Qing helped Mu Yunyao comb her hair and watched as her hair flowed down her back like a silk waterfall behind her. With eyes filled with love, she said, “Yao’er, the last ceremony was completely messed up, but it will definitely go smoothly this time. After the ceremony, you will be an adult.”
Mu Yunyao turned around. “Mother, no matter how old I am, I’ll always be a child in front of you, and I’ll always need your love.”
Su Qing reached out to stroke her hair and combed it neatly with a rhinoceros’s horn comb. She simply pulled up her hair into a bun and said, “You’ll have to add hairpin later, so I just need to comb it simply.”
Mu Yunyao nodded. “Grandmother wants to host my coming of age ceremony personally. Today, I’ll have to trouble her to meet me.”
“Your grandmother was happy, and even if it was hard, she would be willing.”