Chapter Ten Rebuke

  Ning Xi's lips didn't say anything, but in her heart, she secretly sneered: thinking that reading books and writing characters, needlework and embroidery, playing the zither and chess, painting... what does it all amount to? In my previous life, wasn't I proficient in these things too? But what did I get in return? This life, don't even think about making me live according to the life you've planned out for me.

  But this could not be said to Lao Taizi and Haitang. On the way back to the "Bai Shao Yuan" of the third house, several maids came up and said: "Where did you go? The lady was anxious and couldn't find a way, she sent people to look for three times, even the old lady was startled, Lao Taizi didn't let Haitang come back and say a word, look at what time it is now?"

  Lao Tai Tai also knew she had been remiss. With a face full of shame, she entered the house and was about to apologize to Yu Shi when she heard Ning Fenbi giggling: "Mother, don't scold Tai Tai, it's my fault for being too happy in Xinglin Garden. Third Master knows so much, those medicinal herbs are really interesting, even Lao Tai Tai and Haitang were entranced, so we all forgot about the time."

  Lao Lao stared at the young master in shock, thinking to herself: "I... I didn't, I was just stunned because you liked those medicinal herbs so much, not because I was entranced by Third Elder's explanation of medicinal knowledge. You can't wrongfully accuse me like that, miss."

  Yu Shi was talking to Lan Aunt when they came in, and he stood up with a few pieces of cloth on the table. He walked over with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly showing his displeasure: It's understandable that his daughter had been out since afternoon, but now it was sunset before she returned. He had sent several people to look for her, even disturbing Old Lady Yu. Losing face in front of the first and second branches of the family was one thing, but what was worse was that people would gossip about his daughter.

  Who would have thought that before she could even speak, Ning Fengbi suddenly burst out laughing and started talking. For over a month now, Madame Yu hadn't seen her daughter so carefree, not to mention the past month since she was born, she had never seen her laugh so radiantly. She was taken aback, looked at Lao Tai Po and asked: "What's going on? Xinglin Garden? Isn't that Third Master's courtyard? How did the young lady end up there?"

  Lao Lao was also puzzled in her heart, but she had to help Ning Fengyi cover it up, and smiled: "Sixth Miss is so filial, when I took her to the garden, we happened to see the apricot forest in the northeast corner, so she wanted to go and pay respects to Third Master. I couldn't stop her either, after all, it's a good thing that she's showing filial piety."

  "Ah, this Apricot Forest Garden is outside the Second Gate," said Lan Yiniang with a smile, "but the garden itself is to the northwest. How did you happen to see it, miss?"

  One sentence made Lao Lao speechless, her old face slightly flushed, but then she heard Ning Fengbi chuckle and say: "It was I who saw the corner of the house, all the places in the mansion have been turned over, so I thought to go to Xinglin Garden to take a look, I like the few old apricot trees there."

  Yu nodded and smiled: "No wonder, I said why you ran there. It's just that this is too much, look at what time it is now? In the future if you still don't have any sense of propriety, be careful or I'll tell your father to beat you..."

  Before she could finish speaking, Ning Xi saw her daughter come over and hug her leg, giggling and saying: "I know Mother won't tell on me, and Father wouldn't hit me because of this."

  Her words fell, and Yu's family pinched her cheek, hearing her cold hum: "Don't be arrogant, there will be a time when your father deals with you." After finishing, she raised her head to instruct her maid: "Cherry, go to the old lady's house and tell her that the sixth girl has gone to the third old man's place, let the old lady not worry about her."

  Cherry nodded, and Yu Shi bowed her head to Ning Fengbi: "Did you hear that? Even the old lady was startled. You're too outrageous today." After finishing, she looked at Liao Mama and said: "You are all people around the young lady, usually should be vigilant, this time is forgiven, next time if such a thing happens again, even if I'm soft-hearted, there's no reason to spare you. Did you hear clearly?"

  Lao Lao and Hai Tang both responded in unison, feeling very fortunate in their hearts, knowing that this was the Yu family. If it were those two madams from the other houses, they would not have let them off so easily. Even Ning Fenbi couldn't help but secretly stick out her tongue, thinking to herself that she had indeed been a bit too much today and needed to be more careful in the future.

  The cherry has already walked to the door, and suddenly heard the little girl by the door say: "Qing Ge sister has arrived." Cherry hurriedly went forward to lift the curtain, smiled and said: "Madam just sent me to report to the old lady's house, didn't expect my sister to come."

  Yu Shi and Lan Yiniang also stepped forward two steps. Qing Ge saw Ning Fenbi, a few happy smiles appeared on her face, and she said to Yu Shi: "Old lady has been thinking about it all the time, isn't this Sixth Young Lady who was ill before? So I'm especially worried, now that she's back it's good, but I don't know where she went, how did she delay until this time?"

  Yu Shi hastily smiled and said, "This child went to Xinglin Garden and chatted with her third grandfather for an entire afternoon. She listened to Third Elder Master talk about those medicinal herbs and was so captivated that she became dazed. Fortunately, the people around her reacted in time; otherwise, who knows if she would have returned by now? I've already scolded the maidservants and nursemaids attending to her, which only worries Old Lady even more."

  Qing Ge smiled and said: "This is nothing, as long as Liu Niang is safe. Since that's the case, I'll go back and report to Old Madame, so she can also be at ease." After speaking, she turned around and left.

  Yu's family was scolding Ning Fengbi again when they suddenly heard a burst of laughter coming from the courtyard, and then the maids all smiled and said: "The master is back."

  Yu Shi and Lan Ayi both showed joyful expressions on their faces, and they hurriedly went out to greet him. They saw Ning Shibo walking in with a flushed face, and Yu Shi smiled and said: "Sir, have you been drinking? What's making you so happy?"

  Ning Shibuo smiled and said, "At noon, I met a few close friends and got a bit carried away with the drinking. But now I'm fine. This afternoon, I rested for a while at Nian Shi's place and managed to sober up." As he spoke, he walked over to sit down in his chair, chuckling and saying, "Guess who I ran into this noon?"

  Yu Shi laughed and said: "I don't have eyes that can see a thousand miles or ears that can hear the wind, how would I know?" After finishing speaking, she heard Ning Shibo laugh loudly and say: "Mr. Qi Zhong, a great scholar of our time! If it weren't for Brother Nian, I wouldn't have been able to meet him today. His learning is truly good, we several people have always thought that our own talents were not bad, but who knew that after hearing his views today, we realized that we are actually frogs at the bottom of a well."

  Yu smiled and said, "As for the great Confucians of this world, my sister and I don't know anything about it, so you don't have to show off in front of us. Instead, since you're back, hurry up and take care of your daughter, she's really getting out of control, wandering around outside all afternoon today."

  Ning Shi Bo's eyes widened as he saw Ning Xian Bi and Xuan Ge Er playing together. He got up and walked to the front of the two children, first picking up his daughter to take a look. Seeing that Ning Xian Bi's face was full of smiles, she giggled and said: "This afternoon, my daughter went to San Ye Ye's place, there are over a dozen kinds of medicinal herbs in his yard, it's really fun."