Volume 1 Chapter 50 Fireworks (Part 1)

  "No need, no need. Outside the flower hall came Du's mother's smiling voice, "Miss Qiao was just watching the lights and walked a bit slower. She'll be here soon!"

  With her voice, a woman walked in with a wooden expression.

  Snow-white skin, delicate features, if it's not Qiao Lingfeng, who is it?

  "Lotus Room!" Mrs. Qiao's face was not pleasant, "The meal is about to start, where did you run off to? Hurry up and sit down with your sisters!" Then, as if she had seen something, her expression changed, full of confusion, with a hint of strange color on her face, "Lotus Room, why have you changed..."

  "Alright, alright." The old lady suddenly smiled and interrupted Mrs. Qiao's words, "As long as the person is here, that's all that matters. Mrs. Qiao, say a few less words." She also smiled at Lianfang and said, "Come, sit next to me, or you'll be nagged by your aunt."

  Everyone was stunned.

  Unexpectedly, Qiao Lianfang won the favor of Tai Furen.

  Some showed envy, some showed jealousy, some showed surprise, and some showed confusion. In an instant, she became the target of public criticism... Qiao Lianfang herself did not expect it, her face revealed shock, staring at Tai Furen for half a day without saying a word.

  Mrs. Qiao's eyes flashed with surprise and she hastily pushed Qiao Lianfang: "Don't you go keep company with Old Madam yet?"

  Qiao Lianfang stumbled a little as she was pushed by Madam Qiao, and with a somewhat dazed expression, she uttered an "oh" and walked to the side of Old Madam.

  In the bright light, Eleventh Sister noticed that Qiao Lian's skirt was a deeper color than elsewhere...

  She seems lost in thought.

  The three madams on the other side had come to their senses, and were busy adding a brocade to the corner of Tai Furen and Huang Furen, but couldn't help glancing at Qiao Lianfang several times.

  Qiao Lianfang sat between the two of them like a child.

  The old lady nodded in satisfaction, smiled and said: "Let's start the banquet! It's getting late, later everyone will watch the fireworks!" After finishing speaking, she stood up and raised her wine cup: "Everyone is a rare guest, I'll drink this cup first." She said, raising her hand and drinking it all at once.

  Several ladies responded in unison, each holding up their wine cups to answer. The elderly ladies followed suit and took a sip of wine, while the young ladies symbolically raised their tea cups and took a small sip. The old lady then smiled and picked up her chopsticks.

  Everyone raised their chopsticks, and the banquet began.

  Miss Tang at the next table spoke with Miss Lin: "Say, where did Lianfang go just now?"

  The girl at the next table heard everything clearly.

  Miss Lin smiled and said, "Didn't I say we're watching lanterns?"

  Miss Tang smiled slightly, her eyes showing a few points of disdain: "A big red lantern, what's so good about it? Which family doesn't hang a row under their eaves?"

  Miss Lin didn't make a sound.

  Miss Tang said, "This is also something that can't be said for certain. Perhaps the lanterns at Xu's house really do have some unique feature! At least, the corridor at Xu's house is different from others. As I walked along, my skirt actually got wet."

  The eleventh girl was quite surprised.

  Miss Tang is really observant... and also very clever.

  But it's still somewhat improper to gossip about Jolin like this...

  She coughed softly, just about to say something to change the subject, but Gan Jia Qi had already loudly said: "Eldest sister, Tang Miss says that the fish is delicious and wants another dish." Interrupting Tang Miss's words.

  Everyone smiled and looked over.

  Miss Tang's face turned purple with rage as she stared at Miss Gan: "You..."

  Miss Gan Qi smiled slyly and winked at Shiyi.

  She must have thought Miss Tang's words were too excessive, so she spoke out to stop her.

  The eleventh girl's good impression of her doubled, and she couldn't help but smile.

  "You want to eat it yourself, but you're blaming me for it!" Miss Tang sneered, "Isn't your family being too harsh..."

  "My sister wants to eat, she will ask Mrs. Xu herself." Before Miss Tang could finish speaking, the third miss of the Gan family suddenly stood up, sideways, with an air of "turning her back" and a tone of "no need to rely on you".

  Eleventh sister was quite unexpected.

  She never thought that the always rule-abiding third Miss Gan would presumptuously help her sister "frame" Tang Miss, and even more unexpected was that she would stand up for her sister...

  "You!" Miss Tang was so angry that she trembled all over and was about to get up and argue with the third miss of the Gan family, but was pulled back by Miss Lin.

  "Cao Jiao!" Madam Gan called out somewhat at a loss, "Quickly sit down. What kind of behavior is this?!"

  The eleven girls were all flushed with embarrassment.

  One is called Cao E, one is called Lan Ting...... Two famous model calligraphy copies. No idea who gave them these names?

  Madam Huang stroked her forehead and smiled: "Cao Jiao, don't always indulge Lanting, look at how spoiled she's become... Hurry up and sit down, it's not like it's some rare treasure, letting someone serve Tang Miss a plate of trout is nothing!"

  Miss Gan sat down with a huff.

  Miss Tang's gaze swept around the third Miss Gan like a knife, then turned her back on the Gan sisters and spoke in a low voice only to Miss Lin.

  The third Miss Gan glared at her sister fiercely and said in a low voice, "Lan Ting, if you continue like this, I'll go back and tell Grandmother!" She looked very angry.

  Miss Gan sighed helplessly towards Shining and said: "It's all like this - if you can't control it, you have to tell the adults!"

  The tenth girl covered her sleeve and smiled, but her eyes drifted towards the eleventh girl.

  The eleventh daughter sits upright with her skirt properly arranged, but she is invisible when looked at.

  "You two sisters are really interesting!" Miss Qi of the Gan family looked at Shiniang and then at Shi'niang, "I'll come to play with you guys next time!" This made Miss San of the Gan family stare wide-eyed.

  Miss Qianjin, it's not easy to come out. However, as long as she can come out, treat herself with heavy gifts. Because whether it's some older sister or a delicate and transparent younger sister, they are not confused in major events and are worth interacting with.

  The eleventh girl smiled and nodded.

  And thinking of his three sisters, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

  The girl listened with a smile and nodded repeatedly: "Great! I'll wait for you."

  Miss Gan sat up straight and began eating seriously. She was indeed a dignified and elegant young lady from a good family.

  The dinner table of grandma and the ladies only had the soft sound of porcelain clinking, but on Mrs.'s side it was much more lively. You persuade me to have a drink, I persuade you to try this dish.

  Qiao Lianfang sat beside Old Mistress all along, being looked at and watched by others, feeling very embarrassed and uneasy.

  After dinner, everyone moved west to have tea, and Old Mistress still invited Qiao Lianfang to sit by her side.

  A rough-handed old woman took down the window lattice, and the young servants either arranged or hung big and small firecrackers of various shapes on the open ground in front of the flower hall or on the trees.

  Xu Wuya, having removed his makeup, led four or five young servants over.

  He smiled and bowed to the ladies, then shouted "Light it up", and the little servant behind him lit the long incense stick with a fuse.

  In a series of long or short "sizzling" sounds, red, yellow, blue, white, green and purple fireworks burst out one after another, turning the veranda in front of the flower hall into a dazzling world of fire trees and silver flowers.

  "How beautiful!" Shining Girl gazed at those purple and red colors, murmuring to herself.

  The colorful colors reflected her beautiful face, as bright and vibrant as a blooming flower.

  The third Miss Gan handed a handkerchief to her sister: "Quickly cover it. Be careful that the smoke gets into your throat."

  Miss Gan hastily pulled out her handkerchief and kindly reminded the tenth and eleventh sisters, "The smoke has a nitrous smell, it's unbearable to smell."

  Eleventh Sister nodded and, imitating Seventh Miss Gan's mannerisms, took out a handkerchief and half-covered her nose.

  The young lady looked at the fireworks and smiled: "Being able to smell the gunpowder is not bad... I'm afraid that in the future, even if you want to smell it, you won't be able to."

  The eleventh daughter seemed to have an epiphany.

  Then a young servant took some thick firecrackers and scattered them around, taking advantage of the remaining fireworks to light them up again.

  In the midst of dull "popping" sounds, fireworks shot straight up into the air, and people inside the house had their view blocked by the eaves, only seeing half of a blooming firework.

  "It's hard to see." Madame Huang got up and went under the eaves of the flower hall.

  The old lady smiled and said, "Let's go take a look too?"

  Everyone should be fine naturally.

  The old lady then took Qiao Lianfang's hand: "Come on, let's go watch the fireworks together." Very intimate.

  Qiao Lianfang softly replied "yes" and obediently followed Tai Furen under the eaves.

  Gan Jia Qi's seventh sister pulled La Shiniang: "We'll go take a look too!"

  The girl nodded.

  The two of them skipped away.

  Gan's third miss looked at her sister's back and sighed helplessly, inviting Shiyi Niang: "Let's go take a look too!"

  "Alright!" She smiled and stood up with Gan Jiaqi, just to see Lin and Tang walking hand in hand past them, with Wu Niang following behind with a forced smile.

  She saw Miss Gan and the eleventh girl, and greeted them warmly: "Are you also going out to watch the fireworks? Let's go together!" As she spoke, she leaned over.

  The eleventh girl couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.

  Some circles aren't that easy to break into...

  The three madams had already arranged for a Taishi chair to be placed under the eaves, and several madams sat casually, while others stood around, either looking up at the fireworks in the sky or gathering in twos and threes to whisper to each other.

  Then a little maid walked up to Mrs. Qiao and whispered a few words in her ear.

  Mrs. Qiao looked surprised, glanced at Qiao Lianfang standing beside Mrs. Ta, hesitated for a moment, whispered a few words to Lin Furen beside her, and then got up and followed the maid back to the flower hall.

  Eleventh Girl stood on the eastern edge of the roof, seemingly watching the fireworks, but in reality she was vigilantly paying attention to her surroundings.

  As soon as she saw Mrs. Chiao enter the flower hall, her eyes immediately followed her.

  Mrs. Qiao dismissed her personal maid and quietly followed a small maid out of the flower hall, heading east.

  East is where the small courtyard is located.

  When Qiao Lianfang appeared at Dianchuntang, "The Pipa Song" was singing the grand finale, and everyone's attention was drawn to it. Later, when Tai Furen appeared, she took her by her side, so that Mrs. Qiao never had a chance to talk to Qiao Lianfang.

  Now, Yuan Niang again sent someone to fetch Mrs. Qiao over...

  What did the three of them - Lady Tai, Master Hou and Yuan Niang - say to each other when they were locked in the room?

  The eleventh girl felt somewhat uneasy.

  She turned her head and saw Old Mistress twisting her neck to look at the back of Mrs. Qiao.

  In the midst of dazzling brilliance, her gaze was as dull as a midnight sky.

  Is it helplessness? Or disappointment?

  Eleventh daughter is somewhat indecisive!

  Looking at Mrs.

  The lady was watching the fireworks with a pleased expression and smiled at Mrs. Gan beside her, saying, "Still, this skyrocketing firework is more beautiful."

  Mrs. Gan didn't notice anything unusual and smiled at Mrs. Dai: "You'll be staying in Yanjing for a few more days, right? June is the Dragon Boat Festival. Every year, they use cannons to set off fireworks that shoot all the way up into the sky, and everyone in the entire city of Yanjing can see them. It's truly a rare sight in this world."

  The lady nodded: "There's nothing at home either. I plan to stay in Yanjing for a few more days. Also, let the girls gain some experience, so they won't be timid and shrinking when they encounter things in the future..."

  Mrs. Gan agreed: "Girls should go out and see the world, it will make them more open-minded in their future endeavors!"

  "It's just this principle..."

  They were chatting with each other as if they were old friends.

  It's a bit late for an update, don't wait up everyone. I'll see you all early tomorrow morning. Hehe...