The Humble Family s Daughter Has A Spatial Pocket! - Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: Chapter 522, Knocking_1
Chapter 571: Chapter 522, Knocking_1
On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, during the Dong Family banquet, beginning at 9:00, Madam Li and the Fan Family, along with Daohua and Li Zixin, set out.
As the most senior officials of Zhongzhou Province were hosting the feast, each family naturally did not dare to neglect it. By the time Daohua and her party arrived, quite a number of carriages and horses had already gathered in front of the Dong Residence.
Because there were carriages and horses ahead, Daohua and the others sat inside their carriage and waited for a while.
“Wenxiu!”
A cheerful and smiling male voice called out from outside the carriage.
“Where are Wenkai and Wentao? Why haven’t they come?”
Then, Yan Wenxiu’s voice responded.
“They’re busy with something and will come over with the Little Prince around noon.”
Unable to resist, Yan Yile lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and immediately saw Dong Yuanxuan, who was joking and laughing with Yan Wenxiu in front of the Dong Residence.
Looking at the elegant Dong Yuanxuan, a hint of admiration appeared on the faces of several girls inside the carriage.
Daohua glanced at him, her eyes also filled with appreciation.
Perhaps the girls’ gazes in the carriage were too intense, Dong Yuanxuan felt it and looked over in their direction. Recognizing the girls from the Yan Family, he smiled and nodded.
Seeing this, Daohua quickly said, “Quickly put the curtain down, don’t let others see.”
Outside, Yan Yile was decent and polite, obediently lowering the curtain. After sitting upright, she said with a smile, “Just now, Brother Dong smiled at me.”
Yan Yishuang snorted, “Don’t flatter yourself, Brother Dong was clearly smiling at all of us.”
Yan Yile was about to retort, but Yan Yihuan pulled her back.
Daohua, playing with a ribbon in her hand, paid no attention to them. As long as they didn’t make noise, she generally did not intervene in their playful bickering.
Yan Yihuan changed the topic with a smile, “Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since Brother Dong has visited our house.” Looking at Daohua, she continued, “Big sister, Brother Dong used to always come and go with the Little Prince, Third Brother, and Fourth Brother, but they haven’t been together this past year. Why is that?”
Daohua replied, “Brother Dong is about to come of age and has already begun to take over the family’s affairs, so naturally he has less free time.”
Dong Yuanxuan’s situation was different from that of the third and fourth brothers; the Dong Family had already paved the way for him, he just needed to follow the family arrangements to have a promising future, without the need to struggle like his brothers.
Everyone looked enlightened.
Hearing the increasing hustle and bustle outside, Li Zixin interjected, “In the last month or two, the Dong Residence has hosted no fewer than a few banquets, allegedly to seek out a match for Young Master Dong.”
At these words, Yan Yihuan and the others turned their gaze towards Li Zixin.
Yan Yishuang asked eagerly, “Are you telling the truth? You’re not deceiving us, are you?”
Feeling questioned, Li Zixin became slightly upset, pouting, “Why would I lie to you? Before the New Year, I went with my mother to visit other residences, and I heard many young ladies discussing this matter.”
Daohua glanced at Yan Yishuang, who had reacted strongly, then at Yan Yihuan, who was twirling her handkerchief nervously, and frowned slightly, “What’s there to be surprised about Brother Dong’s marriage talk? The Provincial Governor’s term ends at the end of this year. Even if they don’t choose a match in Zhongzhou, they’ll go back to Beijing to look for one.”
With that, her expression turned more serious.
“When you go out as guests, don’t make a fuss about every little thing you hear. If people see that, they might think the girls of the Yan Family lack dignity. Today’s attendees are high-ranking officials of Zhongzhou and the womenfolk from established aristocratic families. If you don’t want to leave a poor impression with the various madams, pay close attention to your behavior and conduct.”
Hearing this, Yan Yishuang and the others began to behave more demurely.
These girls, now thirteen or fourteen years old, knew that in a couple of years they would start negotiating marriages. Every outing was an opportunity to build a good reputation and make a favorable impression; they dared not act willfully in matters concerning their future prospects.
Having delivered a few admonishments and seeing that her sisters had calmed down, Daohua felt relieved and said nothing more, leaning against the carriage to rest with her eyes closed.
After that, Yan Yishuang and the others fell silent.
Yang Xiujun noticed that Yan Yishuang and Yan Yihuan seemed somewhat distracted; catching a glint in their eyes, she realized they were probably thinking about the elegant young man they had just seen.
Soon the carriage started moving again, entering through the side gate and heading straight for the Chuihua Gate.
Upon reaching the Chuihua Gate, Daohua and the others got out of the carriage and were welcomed by Madam Dong and Dong Yuanyao themselves.
Madam Dong affectionately took Madam Li’s hand and did not forget about Madam Fan as she warmly said, “You’ve finally arrived. The stage for the performance is all set up. Come, let’s go watch the play quickly.”
Madam Li laughed and said, “You should at least let us pay our respects to Old Madam Dong first.”
Madam Dong replied with a smile, “Mother is also over by the stage.”
Madam Dong led the way with Madam Li and Madam Fan, while Dong Yuanyao walked arm in arm with Daohua, following behind with a few other young ladies.
In a low voice, Daohua said, “Your family has invited quite a number of guests today, haven’t they?”
Dong Yuanyao, covering her face, nodded, “Indeed, I’ve been up since early morning and haven’t even had a moment to rest.”
Daohua patted her hand sympathetically, knowing all too well how exhausting hosting a banquet could be, and said, “You’ve worked hard.”
Soon, everyone arrived at the stage area.
Daohua glanced at the performers preparing on the stage and asked, “Did your family invite the Shuangxi Troupe?”
Dong Yuanyao nodded.
Daohua inquired, “Is An Xi here too?”
Dong Yuanyao nodded again, “He’s here. After all, he’s the mainstay of the Shuangxi Troupe. Everyone loves the plays he’s in; he has to perform them.”
Daohua said with a sigh, “Just yesterday, he was punished by kneeling and beating, I wonder if he can perform today.”
Dong Yuanyao remarked, “Actors performing while injured is quite common in a troupe. Even if they’re uncomfortable, they have to endure it.”
Afterward, Madam Li, along with Daohua and a few others, paid their respects to Old Madam Dong. Once Madam Dong had them seated, she became busy tending to other guests, and Dong Yuanyao stayed for a short while before leaving when she saw other young ladies arriving.
At that moment, the play had begun.
The first scene was specifically requested by Old Madam Dong to feature An Xi.
Daohua was cracking melon seeds while watching An Xi on the stage.
“I used to think eating these seeds was pointless, but now that I’ve gotten used to it, I can’t do without them while listening to a play.”
“Same here. Whenever I have some free time, I can’t help but crack a few.”
“At Madam Xue’s banquet before the new year, we did nothing but crack melon seeds in the room, and it didn’t feel boring at all.”
“My grandmother also enjoys chatting with us while cracking melon seeds.”
Hearing the other young ladies’ conversation, Daohua’s lips curled slightly. It seemed that melon seeds were gradually becoming popular.
During the time of Wu Shi (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM), Madam Jiang arrived with Jiang Wanying.
As soon as Jiang Wanying appeared, a crowd of young ladies gathered around her, complimenting her beautiful clothing and unique head ornaments…
Jiang Wanying smiled and listened to the ladies’ praises for a while. When she noticed Daohua sitting aside, her expression faltered for a moment. Just as Daohua looked over as well, they exchanged nods and then both shifted their gazes away.
Behind the stage, An Xi, having sung several acts in a row, was starting to feel worn out. It was then that a servant from the front courtyard came to inform him that he was needed to perform there.
The troupe leader quickly bowed and accepted the request.
After the servant left, the troupe leader turned to An Xi. Seeing him in makeup but unable to hide his fatigue, he felt some regret. If he had known, he wouldn’t have punished him so severely yesterday.
But then again, An Xi was so stubborn. He even dared to show disdain towards the son of an Advisor. The troupe leader had to be severe in punishment; otherwise, An Xi’s behavior could bring trouble upon the entire troupe.
“Hold on for one more act,” the troupe leader said. “Once you finish, I will have Ning Xi replace you immediately.”
An Xi remained silent.
The troupe leader sighed and signaled for others to apply his makeup.
An Xi was still, letting others work on him, but his hands tightly clenched atop his knees.
The injury on his back, where he had applied the “golden sore medicine” left by the young lady yesterday, was already much better. However, his legs, from kneeling too long in the cold, were now severely sore and aching.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co
