Over the past few days, Jian Chuxue had clearly sensed that Min no longer looked at her the way she once had. There was still a mother's love in her eyes, but something was missing.
Her elder sister Xilu paid far less attention to her, too. She could clearly feel that Xilu cared more for Jian Ruonan.
It was as though, overnight, Teng, her father, her mother, and her eldest sister had all shifted their attention to Jian Ruonan.
Her mother, especially, spoiled Jian Ruonan beyond all reason. Not only had she given Zang Chun to Jian Ruonan, she even let her sleep until noon every day.
Her mother said that she and Jian Ruonan were twins, but they looked nothing alike. She had puzzled over it endlessly, until three days ago, when a maid from the Old Madam's courtyard told her that she was Concubine Zhou's child, while Jian Ruonan was Min's biological daughter. Concubine Zhou had maliciously switched the babies and had even tried to sell Jian Ruonan to a wealthy gentleman as a concubine.
Min hated Concubine Zhou to the bone.
Having gone from a legitimate daughter to a concubine's daughter, Jian Chuxue felt as though the sky were about to collapse.
All of this was Concubine Zhou's wicked doing. She had still been a babe in swaddling clothes back then. An innocent child, she had nothing to do with it, yet Min seemed to resent her as well.
Min had taken shops and farmland from her own dowry and divided them between Jian Ruonan and Jian Xilu, leaving her out entirely.
Teng had also been taught to keep his distance from her.
Her father and mother had not exposed her status as a concubine's daughter only because they wanted to protect Jian Ruonan. A girl raised on a farm estate could never marry into a good family.
Although she still held the status of a legitimate daughter, her marriage prospects would certainly suffer, and Min would not contribute to her dowry.
If she could not marry into a good family, the rest of her life would be ruined.
Fortunately, her grandmother still cherished her... She simply had to shine at the Eldest Princess's flower-viewing banquet.
As a modern transmigrator, Jian Chuxue considered herself highly knowledgeable. Only marrying a prince would do justice to her vast learning and all her wonderful qualities.
Watching Teng skip into Deer Song Courtyard, Jian Chuxue nearly wrung the handkerchief in her hands to shreds.
Jian Ruonan struggled out of bed and sat groggily on its edge to wash up. Ever since moving into Deer Song Courtyard, without Min around to keep her in line, she had spent most of her time in bed.
She had just put down her washcloth when she saw Teng staring at her with his big, round eyes, his head tilted.
When his fifth sister looked over, Teng immediately offered up his chubby face with an ingratiating look. Jian Ruonan pinched his cheek. "Skipping school again today?"
"How could I?!" Teng protested in his childish voice. "It's a day off today! Father has the day off, too!"
Jian Ruonan stretched. "Oh. Then what are you here for?"
A young maid brought a little table and set it on the bed, then arranged the food on it so Jian Ruonan could eat breakfast without getting out of bed.
*!!*
His fifth sister was actually this lazy!
She even ate in bed!
Teng's young heart was shaken once again. His fifth sister's laziness kept redefining what he thought possible.
"Fifth Sister, Mother sent me to ask how your performance preparations are coming along." Teng covered his mouth and snickered.
At the mention of this, Jian Ruonan lost all her energy.
The Eldest Princess's Residence had sent an invitation to view the flowers, but every woman attending the banquet had to perform a talent. Jian Xilu would play the zither. Surely she could not demonstrate sleeping straight through until noon.
Actually, she could sleep straight through until two in the afternoon, but a virtue like that was considered an affront to convention in Great Xia.
The flower-viewing banquet at the Eldest Princess's Residence was extremely famous. Almost all the capital's renowned talented ladies had been selected there. One could put it this way: any woman who stunned the gathering with a single performance would certainly marry into a good family. That was why an invitation to the Eldest Princess's flower-viewing banquet was so hard to come by.
After racking her brains, she finally decided to demonstrate "Paper-Window Cutting."
She had learned to make a Three-Dimensional Snowflake while volunteering in college, and it was reasonably presentable.
Afraid she was merely going through the motions, Min had even specifically made her cut one out for inspection.
Having gone too long without practice, she had made an utter mess of it. Min had said nothing, but had someone supervise her practice every day.
After moving into her own courtyard, she did nothing but eat, sleep, and read storybooks. She had no idea where she had tossed the scissors and red paper.
A maid brought her the red paper and scissors. Jian Ruonan folded the paper, made a few haphazard cuts, and unfolded it. Who knew what that thing was supposed to be.
"Teng, do you think this looks like a snowflake?" Jian Ruonan asked.
"Fifth Sister, who do you think you're fooling?!" Teng said.
[Well, damn. I can't even fool a three-year-old. Clearly, my cutting really is terrible.]
Teng: *...*
Fifth Sister, I'm six!!
His eldest sister had been practicing the zither every day lately. He had heard the maids say that sometimes she could not even spare time to eat.
How was his fifth sister ever going to get married when she was this lazy?!
Teng was worried sick!
On the day of the Grand Princess's flower-viewing banquet, Dantai Mo rose early to prepare.
After spending most of the day with Jian Ruonan last time, he had miraculously discovered that he could move his big toe.
Although he had lost all feeling in both legs again the next day, it had still given him hope.
Just as the Useless System had said, he had a chance to stand again.
He had also confirmed that Jian Ruonan did indeed have a mission to win him over.
He just did not know when that lazybones would finally start working on it.
At the Grand Princess's residence, Dantai Mo spotted the carriage from the Jinyang Marquis's Residence in the distance.
Once the carriage stopped, Jian Ruonan stepped down with a maid's hand supporting her.
She wore a gauzy, pale-yellow silk dress, looking charming without losing her grace, with quite the air of a young lady from a distinguished family.
Dantai Mo went over to greet her. As soon as he drew near, he heard her inner voice.
System: [Ding-] [Nannan, I've detected some juicy gossip nearby. Want a taste?]
What? A huge juicy scandal the moment I arrive? What luck! Report!
System: [This one's a little spicy... If you know, you know.]
Jian Ruonan's drowsiness vanished. She grew so excited that the Gold Buyao on her head swayed. Quick, your big sister Nan needs something stimulating to wake her up.
To attend the banquet, she had gotten up before ten that morning and still had not slept enough. Some juicy gossip would be just the thing to perk her up.
Oh, my heavenly goose, is it really this steamy?!!
While the Eldest Princess is entertaining guests, her husband is in the rockery conducting an academic exchange on depth and length...
*!!*
Oh my, I can't bear to look... They're getting pretty adventurous.
The princess's husband can both top and bottom. Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Which rockery? Should I go for a chance encounter?
Jian Ruonan was eagerly preparing to head for the rockery when the system suddenly paused. [!! The male and female leads are about to meet. They're right at the gates of the Princess's Residence.]
*?!!*
Aaaah, I really want to see the male and female leads meet, too!
Their path to love was supposedly full of twists, turns, and outrageous melodrama.
The system spoke again. [Report! The Fourth Prince is here, fifty meters straight ahead of you.]
What a dilemma!! What a headache!! Which one should I watch, aaaaaah!!
A screaming groundhog!!
System: [Why not greet the Fourth Prince first? He's the closest, after all.]
What are you talking about? Am I the kind of woman who gives up on juicy gossip just because it's far away?
Obviously, I'm going to the rockery!
Dantai Mo: *...*
Before you continue