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Chapter 117: The Villa (Part 3)

No one had expected that it would rain that night, and it continued raining for three whole days.

General Xiao didn’t know what everyone else’s feelings were, but he was overjoyed. He didn’t have to teach those little rascals martial arts; he could stay behind to chat and play with his old wife and granddaughter. He even wished the rain would last a few more days!

Madam Qin, Aunt Yu, and the two maids were sitting together playing cards. Xiao Yuan couldn’t sit still; she would run to the door and peek outside every now and then, or run over to General Xiao and insist on combing his beard.

“Where has your sister gone with Grandma Ruan again?” General Xiao asked unhappily. He had finally found some free time, but his granddaughter was busy again. She spent more time with Grandma Ruan than with her grandfather during the day.

“This is the winter melon and old duck soup that the young lady asked me to bring you, General. She says it’s the best time to drink it now, as it helps to expel heat, strengthens the spleen, and eliminates dampness,” Xiao Fu said as she placed the soup bowl down, and Xiao Hui, who was following her, carefully handed a bowl to each of the masters.

“Did the young lady make this herself?” General Xiao asked.

“The ingredients were all personally chosen by the young lady, the duck was prepared by the cooks, and the soup was stewed by our young lady herself. I only helped a little,” Xiao Fu quickly responded.

“What’s the use of you people? How could I let my granddaughter do such things!” General Xiao grumbled, but the pride and joy on his face were evident and could not be hidden.

Just now, he had thought that his granddaughter had abandoned him, but it turned out she was making soup. What a thoughtful child! Winter melon and old duck soup were perfect for this season and weather, so he decided to drink it all, regardless of the taste, in order to honor his granddaughter’s kind intentions.

After drinking a couple of sips, General Xiao felt even happier. His granddaughter might be young, but her culinary skills weren’t bad at all, so he drank three more bowls.

“You can’t drink like that without stopping!” Madam Qin interrupted in a stern voice.

“This is no simple bowl of soup; it contains my granddaughter’s filial piety,” General Xiao responded.

“I know your granddaughter is filial, but should I send someone to announce it outside the villa?” Madam Qin thought. The family often said she favored her younger son, but in her opinion, the one who favored others the most was clearly her husband. It’s just that no one dared to say it aloud.

“You’re jealous and envious because you see my granddaughter being sensible, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m extremely jealous and envious,” Madam Qin replied.

The exchange between the two brought a burst of laughter. Sometimes, General Xiao and his wife really acted like two children squabbling.

“Where has your young lady gone now?” General Xiao asked.

“She’s gone to prepare some incense dew. The young lady said she knew the old lady liked the faint fragrance of lotus flowers and wanted to see if she could replicate it. If all goes well, there will be results today. She also said she would spend the whole day with you and the second young lady tomorrow.”

This made the old couple speechless and unable to find any complaints.

The next day, the rain finally stopped, and the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed. By afternoon, the long-awaited sun came out.

The air after the rain was particularly fresh, and the mixed scents of various flowers, herbs, and fresh grass created a refreshing and pleasant aroma that made people feel invigorated.

Xiao Yao and Xiao Yuan both came to the courtyard. Seeing her sister happily fluttering around like a bird released from its cage, Xiao Yao also joined in and had a fun time.

“Grandfather, are you going out?” Xiao Yao asked when she saw General Xiao changing into an outfit for going out.

“Tomorrow, Prince Jiu and Yun Xiao are returning to the capital, so I need to go see them off,” General Xiao replied. The planned martial arts training had been delayed by the heavy rain, and Prince Jiu could not stay outside for too long. Yun Yichen was also worried about the Princess Consort and the Princess, so after discussing, they decided to return to the capital tomorrow. The courses they missed would have to be made up after General Xiao returned.

“After they leave, can you take me and Ruyi to the royal villa to take a look? I want to see what the Emperor’s villa looks like.”

“Sure, Grandpa agrees.” General Xiao thought that he could arrange for someone to communicate with the guards of the royal villa and maybe even take a tour inside.

After hearing the news, Madam Qin sighed with regret. Such a good opportunity to get close to royalty had been wasted. It seemed that her granddaughter had no destiny with these imperial relatives.

If she knew that her husband and son had once turned down the request for Prince Jiu and his entourage to visit, she wondered how depressed she would feel!

“Can we go out of the villa tomorrow?” Xiao Yuan anxiously confirmed the reliability of the news.

“Tomorrow afternoon, you should be able to go out,” Xiao Yao replied. She also wanted to go out for a walk.

With a clear answer, Xiao Yuan couldn’t wait for nightfall to eat dinner, sleep, and regain her energy for the lake outing tomorrow.

By the time the sun rose the next day, Xiao Yuan was already restless, eagerly waiting for the day to pass. After a hurried lunch, the sisters quickly changed into the outfits they had first tried on, and hand in hand, they hurried outside, showing how impatient Xiao Yuan was.

Seeing the two granddaughters walking out side by side, Madam Qin couldn’t help but sigh. If they had been so eager earlier, it would have been much better. Now that the royal guests were already gone, no matter how beautiful they looked or how long they stayed out, it was all in vain.

Outside the villa, the ground was still muddy. After walking a short distance, they reached the edge of the forest. Passing through the forest, they should be able to see the lake.

A group of people ahead were arguing, and Xiao Yao thought the people from the royal villa hadn’t left yet. She turned to go back, but Xiao Yuan, having finally gotten the chance to go out, was unwilling to turn around.

“Manager Zhao, what’s going on with that group of people ahead?” Xiao Yao stopped when she saw Zhao Mian coming towards them.

“Miss, Second Miss, the carriage in front got stuck in the mud. I was planning to go back to the villa and call a few people to help push it.”

“What’s in the carriage?” Xiao Yao asked.

“We were going to the capital to buy some things. The old lady asked us to deliver some fruits and vegetables to the house along the way, but the wheels got stuck not far from here.”

It must have been for wedding supplies. When Grandma heard about it, she asked them to bring some fresh vegetables and fruits back to the Xiao family. Xiao Yao smiled and asked, “How many people are by the carriage?”

“Four, including myself.”

“You don’t need to go back. We’ll go and take a look together,” Xiao Yao told Zhao Mian.

Zhao Mian hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed Xiao Yao’s orders. He was curious to see how the young ladies would solve a problem that several grown men couldn’t.

When they arrived at the carriage, the group of big men stopped what they were doing. They didn’t understand why Zhao Mian had returned with two children instead of calling for help.

Xiao Yao walked around the carriage. The left wheel was stuck deeper, and before they arrived, someone had already tried using stones and sticks to fix it, even attempting to remove a wheel or swap to another carriage.

“Have you tried pushing the carriage?” Xiao Yao asked.

“Yes, Miss, we’ve tried several times but it didn’t work,” one of the men replied.

“I’ve thought of a way now. Let’s see if it works.”

“Miss, please tell us.”

“Here’s the plan. You all push the carriage, and I’ll shout the countdown. When I say one, two, three, push, you all push together, alright?”

It was a novel idea, and since the young lady had suggested it, they decided to give it a try.

The men stood in position, and Xiao Yao cupped her hands to her mouth and called out, “Are you ready?”

“Ready, ready!” the men responded, playfully. If this plan didn’t work, they could always switch to another carriage.

“I’m going to start now. Get ready: one, two, three, push!”

Xiao Yuan watched for a while, then started shouting along with her sister.

“Whose kids are these? So amusing!” From behind a few trees, three young men on horseback watched the scene with interest. They were Prince Jiu and his companions, who were originally supposed to return to the capital this morning.

They had been unlucky. It had rained as soon as they arrived at the royal villa, and now, they had been delayed. Yun Can from the Qi Jun Wang family had fallen ill, having a fever all night, and they had only just managed to leave when the Xiao family’s carriage blocked their way.

“They are…” Yun Yifan glanced ahead, already guessing the identities of the two girls.

“The carriage is out! The two young ladies are so smart,” the men, still covered in mud, marveled. The simple solution the two girls came up with worked far better than all their complicated attempts. It showed that often, the simplest solutions are the most effective.

“Go change your clothes,” Xiao Yao said, stepping aside.

“This game was so fun! Are there any other carriages stuck in the mud? I want to try again!” Xiao Yuan said, still not satisfied, as the carriage was finally freed. She tugged at Xiao Yao, eager to continue.

“Pfft, little girl, how about we push that carriage back into the mud again?” Mu Fengwu, who had ridden over, teased with a laugh.

Xiao Yuan recognized him immediately and fumed, “Get away from here, don’t come near my house!”

With her playful and cute demeanor, she looked more endearing than angry.

Xiao Yao saw the three men and inadvertently met Yun Yichen’s gaze. He quickly looked away, his eyes cold.

Yun Yichen had never wanted to come to the royal villa, and now, being blocked on the return trip, he was clearly displeased. His expression was as cold as ever, and his glare made it obvious that he wasn’t happy.

Having avoided each other for days, Xiao Yao felt like fate was mocking her. It seemed that she and this young master were truly destined to cross paths.

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