Stealing Jade Hair Pin

Autumn rain is a cool one. It is the autumn season in early October. Due to the rainy season, it rained in Bojing continuously for several days. On the day after the rain, the sky was blue. The Qionghua trees which were all over the city were full of red fruits.  Some of them must have been knocked down by the wind and rain, and some of them are trapped in the mud, which made people feel a little withered for no reason.

[T/N: qionghua: white jade flower; a species of a flowering plant; is of great cultural significance in China ]

In the residence of the Prime Minister on the right side of Bo Jing in the state of Qu, a girl of the age of 13 or 14, strolled under a Qionghua tree and saw this scene, she couldn’t help frowning. She turned her head to the green-clothed girl who was following her and said, “Xizhi, many fruits have fallen from the Qionghua tree. If guma sees it, she’ll inevitably feel sad. Go get a broom and sweep it up and bury it under the tree.”

[T/N: guma: father’s sister. I am going to use ‘aunt’ from now on. Just wanted to let my dear readers know the family dynamic.]

“Yes, Miss, slave servant will go now.”

Xizhi answered, turned around, and returned along the original path, and in a short while disappeared into the flowering shadow of the trees. The young girl stood alone under the not too high Qionghua tree, looking at the red fruit all over the tree, lost in thought.

Qionghua is the national flower of Qu country. It is planted all over the city. It is not surprising that there are one or two plants in the prime minister’s residence. In early autumn, the white Qionghua flowers have fallen, and they have been replaced by a tree full of red fruits. Clustered together, the branches that were not sturdy enough could not straighten under the weight of red fruits. The rain just stopped so the fruits on the tree were soaked with water droplets, which became more and more crystal clear.

However, if Feng Shi, the prime minister’s wife, sees such beautiful scenery, it would certainly provoke her sadness. Not only Feng shi, but also Feng Rong herself was very sad. Speaking of the reason, it was because Feng shi’s mother, Sui shi, loved Qionghua the most. Not long ago, news came from Ci Yu Temple that Sui shi had passed away. Feng Rong was sad. After all, Sui shi was Feng Rong’s grandmother. After her death, for Feng Rong, there was no other person in this world except for Feng shi.

“Biao Miss”

[T/N: Biao: Cousin]

It happened that a couple of maids passed by and saw Feng Rong standing here alone and greeted her. Feng Rong nodded and saw the porcelain cups in their hands. She asked, “What is this?”

The leading maid replied: ”Back to Biao Miss, this is the pig’s trotter and tremella soup that Madam asked this servant to stew earlier, and I am about to bring it to the young master.”

This maid is the second-class maid of Feng’s Yinchuan courtyard, named Rongxiang, which Feng Rong naturally recognized, and this road is also the path leading to Yinchuan courtyard, so she naturally understood, and said with joy in her tone: “Is cousin back?”

Rongxiang nodded yes, and didn’t dare to delay, she bowed her knees slightly and then left with the two little girls. As soon as Rongxiang left, Xizhi came back with a dustpan and a small hoe. She moved very quickly. The Qionghua tree was not particularly tall, and there were not many fruits that fell, so it was cleaned up in no time.

“Miss, it’s rare for you to be so careful. Your aunt must be very pleased to know.” Xizhi put away the dustpan hoe and followed Feng Rong behind. She was very happy to see that her young lady was only 13 years old and had a way of doing things.

Feng Rong listened, poked her on the forehead, and said with a smile: “I usually dote on you too much, so you dare to say anything. I originally didn’t want to make my aunt sad. What else is there to tell her?”

She paused for a moment and then said in a wistful tone: “My parents passed away when I was ten years old, and the Feng family was defeated. Grandma couldn’t bear me to suffer with her in Ciyu nunnery and entrusted me to my aunt. Although I was under someone else’s roof she always took care of me. Naturally, I shouldn’t make my aunt worry. You have followed me since you were a child, from Feng Mansion to Prime Minister Li Mansion. Think twice before you do anything. Don’t let others look down on you. ”

When Xizhi saw that her young lady was young but sounded a little old-fashioned, she sighed in her heart. If her master and mistress were still alive, they would spoil her infinitely. However, in just three years, the naive young lady had disappeared.

Thinking of this, Xizhi replied: “Miss is right, Xizhi knows, and will not talk nonsense again. But just now when the servant came back and saw that Miss was talking to Sister Rongxiang?”

Speaking of Rongxiang, Feng Rong just remembered, and immediately pulled Xizhi, her tone rose a little: “It’s my cousin who is back, let’s quickly go over.”

Xizhi had no choice but to follow. As Feng Rong’s personal maid, of course, she knew what Feng Rong was thinking. A girl’s feelings were always like poems, but Biao Young Master was the direct son of Xiangfu, and he would definitely marry a well-matched young lady as his wife in the future. Xizhi didn’t know whether knowing this was a blessing or a curse.

[T/N: Xiang fu: Ministerial family]