The Royal’s Little Lady

After returning to her room, Gu Sui’er happily spread out the three scrolls of plum, orchid and bamboo paintings on the bed. Then she fetched the brush and paper to paint a copy of those three types of flowers, intending to begin embroidering the patterns as soon as possible.

At this moment, Nanny An came over and took a look at her three paintings: “Young Mistress, you painted really well. They are not worse than those three paintings at all.”

Gu Sui’er naturally knew her own capability: “How can this be? When I was in the countryside, I merely helped some people to make a copy of some flower paintings. This is nothing more than that. It’s just that I’m a little skilled with my hands. However, if you were to ask me to paint by myself, I absolutely wouldn’t know how to paint.”

However, Nanny An didn’t to hear words at all. She looked at the copies that Gu Sui’er  painted with a keen interest.

Taking a look at the paintings, Gu Sui’er picking out different fabrics of different colors and textures to match with the flower that was to be embroidered. She decided to use a thin white silk for embroidering the plum blossoms in winter, and a brocade of light color to embroider the orchids. Gu Sui’er also brought over a lot of silk yarns of different colors for her work.

She used to help the people embroider when she was in the countryside. Later she also helped people embroider when she was working at the inn in the town, but the thread she used at those times was not as good as the ones she was using now. Even the colors were not as diverse as the ones available here. For example, the red threads she used at that time were precisely of the red color only. However, here, she came to know that there were several other kinds of red– phoenix red, peach blossom red, begonia red, scarlet red, carmine red, etc. After choosing and pairing these red colours, she could the pattern appear more vivid and at the same time, the embroidery would become much more exquisite.

For the next few days, whenever Gu Sui’er was free, she would continue with the embroidery. She had to embroider the uppers of shoes, a robe, handkerchiefs and a pillow. She was a little experienced in embroidering and her hands were nimble, so after about only ten days, she had already finished embroidering all these things.

By some lucky coincidence, Xiao Jin didn’t have to go to girls’ school on this day and there was a little autumn rain outside. The Old Madam passed on a message saying that she had nothing to do, so she wanted to play some mahjong and make the atmosphere lively.

She also specifically instructed Nanny An to make sure that some maidservants also followed Gu Sui’er while coming to her courtyard so that she doesn’t get drenched.

When Nanny An heard this, she knew that the opportunity had come. She quickly guided the maids to wrap up the gifts that Gu Sui’er had embroidered. After that, she found an umbrella, supported Gu Sui’er and held it over her. Jing Yue and Yao Guang carried the gifts and followed them to the Old Madam’s courtyard.

When they arrived, the atmosphere there was already very lively. The Old Madam’s two granddaughters, Xiao Jin and Xiao Xu were sitting beside her. The eldest Young Madam, Li XiuRong and the second Young Madam, Bai YuQing were also present. The Madam was estimated to be busy over some matters of the residence so she was absent but there was another person present. It was the Madam’s younger Sister’s daughter, called Lu QingYi. She was the eldest Young Miss of Marquis TaiPing’s family, and she was sitting next to Xiao Jin.

When she saw that Gu Sui’er had come, the Old Madam immediately called her to beside her. After Xiao Xu went back that day, she had narrated everything that happened in TingZhu Courtyard to her birth mother, Concubine Sun. Although she didn’t understand all the things that Concubine Sun had told her after that, Xiao Xu thoroughly realized the fact that she needed to curry favor with this third Brother of hers.

Hence, when she saw Gu Sui’er, she was busy flattering her little Sister-in-law. She even gave up her seat for Gu Sui’er to sit.

In this kind of a situation, Gu Sui’er naturally knew that she could not take either Xiao Jin’s or Xiao Xu’s seat. So she stood aside, refusing to sit in Xiao Xu’s place.

After some time, a Nanny brought over an embroidered low stool for Gu Sui’er to sit down.

The Old Madam reminded: “You are pregnant so your body is heavy now. Be careful or else you might slip and fall down.” 

Gu Sui’er smiled and said: “Don’t worry, Old Madam. This low stool is very secure, I won’t fall.”

Hearing this, the Old Madam felt relieved. However when she looked at Gu Sui’er again, she noticed that Gu Sui’er was still wearing a thin summer dress and her dark long hair had some droplets of water in it. She asked again: “It’s raining outside. Why didn’t you take an umbrella while coming here? Your dress is also a somewhat flimsy.”

Nanny An hurriedly replied: “We had opened the umbrella when the Young Mistress came over. Maybe some drops of rain had blown over due to the wind. However, the rain outside is light, it’s not heavy.”

In the Marquis residence, new clothes were prepared four times throughout the entire year. However, the measurements for the clothes to be sewed this year had already been taken. The cold weather was not much of a problem for the other people of the residence since they could wear the clothes from previous years for now, but Gu Sui’er didn’t have that option. Moreover, she had a big belly now, so it was not possible for her to borrow any clothes from anyone.

The Old Madam was a little unhappy: “This won’t do. She still has three months to give birth. Now, it’s the matter of one body and two lives. If, by any chance, she catches a cold, wouldn’t the situation be awful then? Moreover, her dress is very thin too.”

Saying this, she instructed the maidservant standing at one side: “Go and bring over the brocade cloak with fur of mine from last year. Also, choose some brand-new double layered jackets and pants to send them over later. For now, put the cloak on Sui’er so that she doesn’t catch a cold.”

When she said this, Li XiuRong said with a smile: “Old Madam, yesterday when I went to the Madam, I heard her mention this. She said that she had already ordered the people to make some more clothes for Sui’er as soon as possible. But nobody would have thought that this rain would come so abruptly today making the Madam unable to keep up with the situation. She had sent over a maid early in the morning, asking me to send some of my pregnancy dresses to Sui’er to deal with the emergency. It’s my fault that I forgot this! The brocade cloak is okay, but Old Madam, you should still keep the double layered jackets and pants for yourself. Sui’er has a big belly now, so I don’t think she can even wear it. I will send over my clothes to Sui’er later.”

Originally, the weather was still very hot. But the sudden rain in the morning made the weather turn cold. And because the Madam was in charge of the food and other internal affairs of the residence, she was too busy to keep note of this.

This was what Li XiuRong feared. She was afraid that the Old Madam and Xiao Heng would have some opinions on this matter about her mother-in-law. Therefore, she promptly took this fault upon herself.

When the Old Madam heard this, although she understood the ins and outs of this matter in her heart, she still followed Li XiuRong’s words and said: “It’s your mother-in-law who is the most thoughtful. It must be very tough for her to deal with the family affairs and still remember this.”

Bai YuQing also heard this. She added: “I also have some of the pregnancy clothes. I’ll choose some of the good ones and send them over soon.”

The Old Madam did not see anything wrong with their words. She smiled and said, “Alright. Both of your clothes might fit her better.”

Gu Sui’er couldn’t help but feel moved at this scene.

In fact, she had made a lot of clothes for herself when she was living in the residence. All of those clothes fitted her perfectly and the materials were all good. Since it rained suddenly, she didn’t realize that the weather had turned cold until she stepped outside her room. But she still gritted her teeth and came over without turning back.

Now that everyone gave her their clothes, she felt grateful. She thanked everyone with a smile, and took out the gifts she personally made to give them to everyone.

Thanks for reading٩(๑ᴗ๑)۶! If you like my translations, please consider supporting me on: