Chapter 67: The Gift

---

During the family banquet in the evening, everyone learned about what Xiao Yao had done that day. Xiao Jingyan circled around his niece, inspecting her thoroughly before asking, “Where did you hide the fleas? Bring one out for me to see. It’s been years since I last saw one, and I kind of miss them.”

“Fourth Uncle, have a conscience. For whose sake did I go through all this trouble? My image as a refined lady is ruined, yet you still make fun of me. Really!”

“Ping’an, you’re overthinking. Nobody thought you had a refined lady image in the first place. Ruined or not, it doesn’t matter. We won’t laugh at you,” said ten-year-old Xiao Rui, attempting to comfort her in a serious tone.

Xiao Yao was about to retort when Xiao Yuan’s pleasant voice interrupted, “Fourth Brother, is this how your teacher taught you to comfort people? I can do it too. Listen—”

Clearing her throat, Xiao Yuan began pacing back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back, mimicking a serious demeanor. “Xiao Rui, your calligraphy exudes character. You should put it up on display—a masterpiece!” Xiao Yuan swayed her small head smugly as she spoke.

Xiao Rui, who despised writing and often slacked off, had been punished countless times by his teacher for his sloppy work. Xiao Yuan’s mockery was like sprinkling salt on her brother’s wounds.

“Are you really my sister? As a kid, you didn’t look much like one, and now your every move reeks of betrayal. Were you swapped at birth?”

“I call this…” Xiao Yuan paused, struggling to find the right term. She glanced at the adults, seeking help with a pitiful expression.

“Righteousness over kinship,” Xiao Jingyan kindly suggested. Actually, he knew “loyal to reason, not relations” would be more appropriate, but he just wanted to stir things up. The messier the situation, the happier he felt.

Xiao Yuan clearly didn’t trust her fourth uncle. She scrutinized his expression before turning to her father for assistance.

General Xiao smiled at the lively exchange between his grandchildren. As for his youngest son, who enjoyed chaos, he was directly ignored. Feeling good today, the general decided not to bother with him.

“Don’t you kids have gifts to present to your grandfather? Hurry up and bring them out,” Xiao Jingtai said, curious about the children’s preparations.

Starting with Xiao Lang, each child presented their personally prepared gifts: intricate drinking vessels, fine wine, and Xiao Yang’s self-drawn Five Animal Exercises book, encouraging their grandfather to maintain his health even off the battlefield.

Xiao Rui, initially planning to give a military manual, reconsidered since his grandfather was illiterate. Instead, he prepared a handmade horsewhip, though simple in design, it was polished smoothly and showed his sincere effort.

However, the highlight was the gifts from the youngest children.

Xiao Jun and Xiao Qi presented a handmade chess set they had crafted together.

Before Xiao Yao could act, Xiao Jingyan interrupted, “Ping’an, today is your grandfather’s birthday. You can’t just wing it like before. Your gift must be decent, don’t you think?”

Xiao Yao silently vowed to never help her fourth uncle again. Next time he’s in trouble, not only will she stand idly by, but she’ll also cheer from the sidelines. Hmph! Luckily, she had prepared well this time.

“Bring my gift!” Xiao Yao commanded grandly.

“And mine! I’m part of it too,” Xiao Yuan quickly added, afraid of being left out. This hitchhiking approach was tough—she resolved to prepare her own exclusive birthday gift next year.

Xiaofu and Xiaohui brought out a scroll and unrolled it before General Xiao.

The family gathered around curiously. Xiao Yao had never shown any interest in painting before, nor had anyone seen her pick up a brush. For her to present a painting at such an important occasion piqued everyone’s curiosity.

The scroll slowly revealed a small, unframed painting depicting a warm scene of a grandfather enjoying time with his granddaughter. The old man was spirited and majestic—clearly General Xiao. The little girl, cheerful and smiling, was unmistakably Xiao Yao. The painting was simple, elegant, and captivating at first glance.

“Who knew my little niece was such a talented artist?” Xiao Jingyan finally said something genuinely complimentary that evening.

“Ping’an’s painting is excellent, lifelike,” General Xiao nodded appreciatively after admiring it for a while.

This statement might be exaggerated—Ping’an’s work was decent, but even a paper smeared with ink would likely be comparable to a masterpiece in his eyes.

Seeing that others only nodded without offering any praise, General Xiao grew displeased. Surely, they were jealous of Ping’an’s beauty and talent, reluctant to admit it even though they agreed deep down.

“Yuan, where’s your contribution?”

Xiao Yao wanted to ask her fourth uncle if he was afraid of being forgotten. Why did he feel the need to stir up trouble now and then? Maintaining his suave demeanor in front of outsiders must be exhausting.

“Xiaofu, Xiaohui, lower the scroll—yes, like that. Come over here, and I’ll show you.” Xiao Yuan proudly pointed to two slightly crooked lines of text beside the painting and announced, “I wrote this.”

“Blessings as vast as the East Sea; longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains.” This was Xiao Yuan’s calligraphy, which she had practiced many times before inscribing next to her sister’s painting.

Yuan Yutong offered Tong Mingyu an apologetic smile—her daughter’s obvious freeloading was somewhat shameful. However, Tong Mingyu’s mind was elsewhere, marveling at her daughter’s unexpected talent. It seemed that even if she couldn’t become a well-rounded prodigy, at least she had one notable skill.

Women need more than just beauty. Virtue, appearance, speech, and skill are all essential. While few achieve mastery in all, parents naturally hope their daughters will excel as much as possible.

“Ping’an is excellent, and so is Yuan. This gift pleases me greatly. Ping’an, study painting diligently. Yuan, improve your calligraphy. In a few years, give me another masterpiece, alright? Steward Feng, have someone frame this and hang it in my study—I want to admire it daily,” General Xiao instructed, stroking his beard with a smile.

As expected, this was the outcome. Xiao Rui pouted, feeling indignant. Despite his hard work over several days, his sister’s cleverness still won their grandfather’s favor. It wasn’t fair.

“Grandmother, today my sister and I hosted some ladies in the garden, but they all avoided her,” Xiao Yuan tattled.

This was intolerable! General Xiao immediately grew indignant. To visit their home and dare to ostracize his beloved Ping’an?

“Yuan, tell me which young ladies dared to mistreat your sister,” General Xiao demanded, ready to confront the culprits.

The family shared his surprise. Ping’an, known for her good nature and thoughtfulness, rarely clashed with anyone. That she would be disliked in her own home was outrageous.

“Ping’an, did you say or do something that might have caused a misunderstanding?” Tong Mingyu asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.

Xiao Yao knew those girls were merely jealous of her looks and later misunderstood due to the princes’ presence. Although she understood the reasons, she couldn’t voice them. Whether or not anyone believed her was unclear, but her mother’s reaction would likely be drastic.

“Ping’an is not reckless. Perhaps those girls are envious because the princes attended our banquet,” Li Jiaoying speculated angrily.

Second Aunt, you’re close to the truth—keep going! Xiao Yao thought.

As the family left Ninghe Hall and prepared to part ways, Xiao Jingyan suddenly exclaimed, “I understand now.”

“Why?” everyone asked in unison.

“They were jealous of Ping’an’s beauty. Finally, someone in this family understands my plight! This is wonderful,” Xiao Jingyan said gleefully.

Hearing this explanation, everyone fell silent. That young girls could harbor such intense envy was unsettling.

General Xiao snorted angrily and left, fuming—whether at his son or those young ladies was unclear.

---