"Are you worried I wouldn’t have any snacks to offer?" Shen Jin smiled.
Two maids brought sweetened stead custard, and two types of fruit-filled puff pastries. Shen Jin and Lian Manman returned to the pavilion to enjoy the tea and snacks. Lian Manman gave Xiao Xi a glance, and when Shao Yao and Agilawood left, Xiao Xi handed each of them a small pouch with a smile.
After the snacks, Shen Jin asked Lian Manman if she knew how to play chess.
"I learned a bit from Mr. Loo, just the basics," Lian Manman replied.
So Shen Jin ordered soone to set up the chessboard, and the two sat across each other and started playing.
Pi Pa set up the chessboard and stood nearby without leaving, smiling as if she had sothing to say.
"...Sothing on your mind?" Shen Jin asked.
"Miss, it’s... it’s the little maids in our courtyard, they would like the two sisters following Miss Manman to help with sothing," Pi Pa quickly curtsied and said with a smile.
"What is it? If they can help, just say so," Lian Manman replied, "But let warn you, they are infamous for being clumsy at ho; be careful they don’t make things worse for you. If they run away at the ti, I won’t be responsible."
Shen Jin laughed heartily, and Pi Pa laughed along.
"Which one of you is being lazy again, asking the guests for help? I’m embarrassed for you," Shen Jin laughed after a while and said.
"It’s not to help us maids with chores. It’s... that little vegetable garden. Everyone finds it interesting, but many vegetables are unrecognizable, so we’d like the two sisters to help identify them," Pi Pa explained.
It turns out that within the Nian Garden, there was also a small vegetable garden. The maids around Shen Jin grew up in the manor, so they recognized the dishes on the table, but didn’t know the ones growing in the garden. The little garden had its own caretakers; these pampered little maids didn’t want to mingle with the elderly caretakers.
So they wanted to find Xiao Xi and Xiao Qing, the idea being the young girls of the sa age like to gather and play together.
"If it’s just recognizing vegetables, they can manage that," Lian Manman said.
"I’ve spoiled them; they only think about playing," Shen Jin remarked.
Lian Manman just smiled. Shen Jin and her group ca to Nian Garden as if they were on a holiday. The young maids followed to such a beautiful and novel place, with fewer eyes watching them than in the manor, so they surely wanted to relax too. They were just in their early teens, the age of enjoying play.
With these words, they both agreed. Pi Pa quickly curtsied and went out. Xiao Xi and Xiao Qing ca back in, and Lian Manman instructed them before letting them leave with Shen Jin’s young maids.
The ti passed quickly while playing chess; seeing it was nearly noon, after finishing another ga, Lian Manman bid farewell to Shen Jin, saying she wanted to fetch Xiao Qi and go ho.
"...Yesterday, you stayed for dinner and said you would return to inform your parents. Why are you leaving again today? I’ve already instructed the kitchen to prepare food; Ninth Master will surely eat with your brother. Sixth Brother, I don’t know if he’s eating alone or with them, but I’m alone; you must stay to keep company."
Lian Manman made so excuses, but eventually agreed.
"This Chinese hour, class should be over soon, I think I’ll go to Xiao Shan Ju and check," Lian Manman said to Shen Jin.
Shen Jin, knowing Lian Manman was concerned about Xiao Qi, nodded in agreent.
"I’m feeling a bit lazy today, so I won’t accompany you. Let a maid escort you," Shen Jin said.
Yesterday’s cherry custard, Shen Jin ate cold; today’s sweetened stead custard was warm. Shen Jin sat on the couch, with a quilted pillow stuffed with a hand warr. Lian Manman saw Ju Ying changing the hot water and naturally understood what it was about.
Lian Manman left the Lotus Pavilion, accompanied by a young maid nad Bingbing, and walked towards Xiao Shan Ju. Shortly after, she saw a maid carrying a bucket of water, gesturing for Bingbing to co over and help.
Bingbing seed to know the maid and wanted to go over.
"You go ahead, I know the way," Lian Manman said. A turn ahead was the Stone Arch Bridge. Xiao Shan Ju was different from other places in the garden, with only one path leading out, so she wouldn’t get lost. Lian Manman had played here before, so she knew.
Seeing Lian Manman say this, young Bingbing was more than eager, happily running over.
Lian Manman shook her head slightly but didn’t mind, continuing to walk forward.
"Miss Manman, sothing terrible happened." Before reaching the corner, she heard soone shouting behind her.
Lian Manman hurriedly turned around and saw a maid rushing over, wiping sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
"What happened?" Lian Manman recognized it was Cai Xiu and saw her anxious face, so she quickly asked.
"Miss Manman, sothing terrible happened. It’s the Young Master Jixian..." Cai Xiu arrived, wiped her forehead again, and said breathlessly.
Hearing Cai Xiu ntion Xiao Qi, Lian Manman’s heart skipped a beat.
"My brother, what’s wrong with my brother?" she asked, turning around, eager to head toward Xiao Shan Ju.
"Miss Manman, it’s not that way, it’s this way," Cai Xiu grabbed Lian Manman’s sleeve, "Young Master Jixian finished class and was playing with our Ninth Master, accidentally fell from a rock... He’s already been carried out, and they’re seeking an Imperial Physician to treat him."
"How could this happen..." Lian Manman, though speaking, was already thinking about the terrain of Xiao Shan Ju, and knowing that Xiao Qi and Shen Qian liked playing together, her mind was imdiately in a ss.
*****
First, update one Chapter, another will be updated in the evening.
Requesting for support in pinks, original subscriptions, and recomndation tickets. (To be continued. If you like this work, welco to visit Qidian (qidian) to vote for recomndation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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