Chapter 106: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 106: Not That Important
Daohua Xuan.
Zhou Jingwan leisurely sat under the flower pavilion, enjoying the view of the garden full of blooming flowers while having tea and snacks.
"Daohua, your family's snacks are really delicious. Where did you buy them?" After becoming more familiar, Zhou Jingwan started calling Daohua by her nickname.
The two girls were of similar age, so there was no need for formal titles like "sister" or "younger sister."
Wang Man’er smiled and replied, "The snacks were made by our young miss. She knew you were coming, so she prepared them in advance."
Hearing this, Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua in surprise. "Really?"
Daohua smiled, "My grandmother loves soft and sticky sweets, so whenever I have time, I make some for her."
Zhou Jingwan admired her. "Daohua, you’re really amazing. You’re a master in the kitchen!"
Daohua laughed modestly, "It’s not that exaggerated. It’s just that practice makes perfect."
In truth, her cooking skills weren’t extraordinary; it was mostly due to the high-quality ingredients from the space.
Zhou Jingwan quickly finished the osmanthus cake in her hand, wiped her mouth, and then pointed at the remaining snacks on the table. "Daohua, these are for me, right?"
Daohua nodded.
Zhou Jingwan’s face lit up with joy. "Then I won’t eat them now. I’ll take the leftovers with me when I leave. I’ll bring them home for my mother. She also loves sweets."
Daohua playfully rolled her eyes. "You’re not shy, are you?"
Zhou Jingwan gave her a flirtatious glance. "What’s the matter? We’re like sisters now."
Seeing this, Daohua couldn’t help but laugh.
Compared to girls who always kept things unsaid, or spoke in ways that required guessing, Zhou Jingwan’s straightforward nature was refreshing. Daohua really liked her.
"Go ahead and eat!" Daohua pushed the sweets closer to Zhou Jingwan. "You can’t let the leftovers meant for your mother."
Wang Man’er added, smiling, "Our young miss already prepared another batch of sweets for you to take home, and there are also special mooncakes."
At the mention of the mooncakes, Zhou Jingwan’s eyes brightened, and she continued eating without hesitation, happily devouring the treats.
Daohua smiled as she watched her eat with such joy, then she asked, "My brothers are coming back tomorrow. Is your brother coming back?"
Zhou Jingwan shook her head. "He’s not coming back. The newly appointed Prefect Magistrate Guo invited officials from Zhongzhou Province to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, and my grandfather is going as well. For such an occasion, my elder brother, as the Zhou family’s eldest grandson, has to accompany him."
She paused for a moment, tilting her head to ask, "Isn't Uncle Yan going?"
Daohua was a bit taken aback. She had learned about high-ranking officials in the Great Xia Dynasty, knowing that the Prefect Magistrate was a second-rank official, higher than the Provincial Minister who managed civil affairs, and people who became governors were usually the emperor’s trusted confidants.
"My father is just a fifth-rank official, so he probably won’t be invited to the Prefect Magistrate's banquet," she explained.
Zhou Jingwan nodded. "That’s true. I heard from my mother that only the top officials from Zhongzhou will be attending, which is why my elder brother was invited to gain experience. But…"
Zhou Jingwan hesitated, glancing at Daohua.
Daohua smiled and asked, "What’s the matter? Is there something you can’t say?"
Zhou Jingwan set down the snack she was holding. "It’s not that I can’t say it, it’s just that I find it strange. Your family is close to the Young Prince, right? With that connection, Uncle Yan should have been invited too."
"We’re not really close to the Young Prince," Daohua explained first, then asked, "Why would knowing the Young Prince mean an invitation?"
Zhou Jingwan replied, "Prefect Magistrate Guo is the Young Prince’s maternal uncle! Didn’t you know that?"
Daohua shook her head, surprised. At this moment, the depth of a powerful family’s network was truly evident. They had access to information that few others did, and it was rare for anything to be kept from them.
She had never heard of this Prefect Magistrate Guo before, and it seemed her father didn’t know much about it either.
Zhou Jingwan noticed Daohua’s confusion and continued, "I heard from my grandfather that originally, when Prince Rui returned to the capital to report, the Young Prince was supposed to go back with him. But after Prefect Magistrate Guo was appointed, the Young Prince stayed behind to study at Wangyue Academy."
Daohua listened attentively. News of this level of government activity was something the Yan family, with their relatively shallow connections, could never have known.
However, Zhou Jingwan didn’t know much either, and most of what she knew was gossip. Even in large families, no matter how much they valued the education of their children, they wouldn’t involve them in major affairs.
After chatting for a while, Zhou Jingwan left with the gift that Daohua had prepared.
Once she saw Zhou Jingwan off, Daohua went to the old lady’s courtyard. Upon entering the room, she found that her father had returned early from the office, but his expression didn’t seem too good.
Madam Li smiled and asked, "Did Miss Zhou leave?"
Daohua nodded.
Because of Yan Zhigao's sour mood, dinner was quiet and brief. They finished quickly, and the meal ended without much conversation.
On the way back to the main hall with Madam Li, Daohua couldn’t help but ask, "Mother, what happened to Father?"
Madam Li gave a bitter smile. "He heard a few words, and it upset him."
Daohua asked, "Is it because of the Prefect Magistrate’s banquet for the officials of Zhongzhou?"
Madam Li showed surprise. "You know about it?"
Daohua nodded. "Zhou Jingwan just told me. But why would this upset him? The Prefect Magistrate holds such a high rank; it’s normal that Father wasn’t invited, right?"
Madam Li moved her lips and sighed deeply. "Sometimes, one can't have too high of expectations. Once they’re exceeded, it’s easy to feel a sense of disappointment. And once that disappointment sets in, it’s hard to shake off."
Daohua thought for a moment and then asked, "Could it be that Father thought that since our family knows Xiao Yeyang, the Prefect Magistrate should have invited him?"
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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Madam Li patted Daohua’s hand. "Everyone has some unrealistic hopes, and your father is no exception."
Daohua frowned slightly.
Seeing this, Madam Li smiled. "Don’t worry. Your father is a sensible person. He just overheard a few gossiping words, which made him feel a bit down. He’ll get over it soon."
If her father had been stuck in a county magistrate's position for so long without recognition, it would have been hard for him to stay unaffected.
Daohua thought for a moment before saying, "Mother, the gap between Xiao Yeyang and us is too big. As for the life-saving favor, in my view, he’s already repaid it."
"So unless he comes to us, we have no right to go to him. Hoping that he will continue to help us or look after us is not a good idea."
To someone as high as him, the Yan family was not that important.
Madam Li smiled and tapped Daohua's forehead. "Do you think I don’t understand this? Your father knows this too. That’s why after the Young Prince stayed with us, he didn’t punish anyone in the local government."
"In the end, one must rely on their own abilities in this world."
(End of chapter)
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