Chapter 79: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 79: Discussions Among the Families
After dinner, Yan Zhigao and Madam Li began to send off the guests who had attended the banquet.
Dahua was also busy, following the adults and bidding farewell to the young ladies who had come.
"Yan Yiyi, my family will host banquets from time to time. I'll send you an invitation," Little Miss Zhou Jingwan said, still holding a bit of her proud demeanor. However, after spending the day together, her attitude had improved significantly. At least she no longer looked down on others.
Dahua smiled and nodded, "I'll be looking forward to it."
These past few days, Madam Li had been briefing her on the prominent families in Xingzhou, and the Zhou family was one of the most renowned. Having spent so much time in ancient times, she had yet to visit the grand estates of the nobility.
Zhou Jingwan nodded primly, then followed her mother onto the carriage, still holding a basket of wildflowers.
Once they were on the carriage, Madam Zhou glanced at her daughter. She knew her daughter well. Being spoiled at home, she often looked down on others and had quite a proud disposition.
"What's this? Do you like Yan family’s eldest daughter?"
Zhou Jingwan fiddled with the basket of flowers in her hands, first nodding, then shaking her head. "Not really. But she's different from the other girls. She doesn't constantly try to cling to me. She's... easier to get along with."
Madam Zhou glanced at the flower basket in her daughter's hands, then smiled. "I heard you spent the whole day making flower baskets today?"
Zhou Jingwan nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, and we even had a competition. Look, this is my basket. I came in second!"
Madam Zhou raised an eyebrow. In the past, whenever her daughter participated in any competition, she always placed first, no matter her actual skill. It was all because of their family’s influence.
This was the first time Madam Zhou had heard her daughter admit to not being in first place, which intrigued her.
"Who got first place?"
"Qian Bilan," Zhou Jingwan replied. "Her basket was gorgeous. I wanted to swap with her, but Yan Yiyi said it’s our first time making our own basket, and it’s meaningful to keep it. So, I decided to keep mine."
Madam Zhou smiled and nodded. "Good thinking. If you'd taken Qian Bilan’s basket, people would’ve praised you for it. But keeping your own will earn even more respect from your grandfather."
Meanwhile, in the carriage of the Qian family.
"From the dishes served at this banquet, it seems the new Magistrate of Xingzhou is quite a clean and honest man," Master Qian, commented as he reminisced about the meal.
Madam Qian hesitated. "Maybe, but I’ve heard that Master Yan didn’t get promoted for nine years while he was a county magistrate. There might be some stains on his record."
Master Qian shook his head. "You’re being short-sighted. Do you really think official promotions are easy? Yan family is of humble origins and has been suppressed in the official world. It's only natural they face challenges."
"Master Yan managed to go from a seventh-grade county magistrate directly to a fifth-grade Prefect Magistrate. That takes real skill," he added.
Madam Qian pursed her lips. "I heard that Master Yan’s promotion was because of his connection to a powerful person, not because of his own abilities."
Master Qian sighed. His wife was well-meaning but lacked a broader perspective due to her lower social standing. "Getting noticed by a powerful person is also a skill."
Sitting beside them, Qian Bilan noticed her father seemed a bit upset. She quickly changed the topic, holding up her flower basket. "Father, mother, I won first place in the flower basket competition. Look, this is the basket I made."
Madam Qian didn’t seem pleased at all. In fact, she shot her daughter a disapproving look. "Why do you always want to stand out? Didn’t I tell you to be more humble around the Zhou family? Why did you insist on getting first place?"
Qian Bilan's smile instantly vanished, and her hand holding the basket froze in midair. The joy she had felt earlier was completely gone.
Master Qian shot his wife a stern look. "What are you talking about?" He took the basket from his daughter and praised it. "Our Lan’er has a deft hand. The basket she made is beautiful."
Qian Bilan's expression softened a bit. She hesitated before quietly replying, "I’ll be more mindful next time and won’t try to outshine the Zhou family."
Master Qian waved his hand. "This isn’t your fault. As a guest, you naturally follow the host’s lead. The competition results were probably decided by the Yan family’s eldest daughter, right?"
Qian Bilan nodded. "It wasn’t entirely her decision, but everyone did have their say."
Master Qian chuckled. "Did you girls not quarrel over the result?"
Qian Bilan shook her head. "At first, Miss Zhou wasn’t happy, but after Yan Yiyi spoke with her, Miss Zhou stopped complaining."
Master Qian thought for a moment before smiling at his daughter. "In the future, try to spend more time with Yan Yiyi. She’s a thoughtful person."
Qian Bilan nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Zhou has a bad temper and is quite proud, but Yan Yiyi wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Today, when Miss Zhou and Miss Wang Yuwei had an argument, Yan Yiyi didn’t side with Zhou, but was fair."
Master Qian commented, "That’s rare in a young lady."
Madam Qian disagreed slightly. "What’s so rare about it? The Yan family is new to Xingzhou, and if they offend the Zhou family, Yan Zhigao won’t be able to keep his position for long."
Master Qian shook his head, unwilling to argue with his wife. He turned back to his daughter.
Meanwhile, in the carriage of the Wang family.
"Although the Yan family’s background is modest, their home-cooked meals were quite good," Master Wang remarked, still savoring the meal.
Madam Wang laughed in exasperation. "Look at you. You find anything edible pleasing to the taste."
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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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Wang Jiahua, Master Wang’s son, spoke up in defense. "Mother, the food at the Yan family’s place was really good."
Wang Yuwei rolled her eyes. "Brother, you and father must be so used to extravagant meals that even simple dishes like rice porridge and side dishes taste good to you."
Master Wang dismissed their conversation with a wave of his hand. "Alright, enough of this nonsense. Tell me, what do you think of the Yan family’s children?"
Wang Jiahua thought for a moment. "The eldest son is very learned and calm."
Wang Yuwei sneered. "The eldest daughter isn’t impressive at all. She’s sly and manipulative. Today, I had a small argument with Zhou Jingwan. We could have handled it ourselves, but she had to butt in, trying to please Zhou Jingwan. I don’t like her."
Madam Wang commented, "I noticed the Yan family’s rules are a bit lacking. Li’s from a merchant background. She seems virtuous, but there’s probably something hidden beneath the surface. The illegitimate daughter was raised to be petty and seems quite embarrassing."
Master Wang rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Did you find out anything about the Yan family?"
Madam Wang shook her head. "Madam Zhou didn’t say anything. Madam Qian, on the other hand, tried to ask in front of everyone, but Li didn’t seem to catch on and just changed the subject."
"Master, I don’t think the Yan family is capable of connecting with influential people. Perhaps you were mistaken," Madam Wang mused.
Master Wang didn’t answer, his mind preoccupied with the words he had received from Du Canji’s messenger.
(End of Chapter)
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