Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 519 - 271: Meeting Again_3

Chapter 519: Chapter 271: Meeting Again_3

Next to the bed, there was a small door that led to a tiny washroom when opened.

Leaving the room, she arrived at the maid’s quarters. Qian Yixiu had the maids move elsewhere to make room for Monkey Brother and Monkey Sister.

Monkey Brother and Monkey Sister were taken aback by the sparse furnishings in the room, turning up their noses at its simplicity. Qian Yixiu laughed and said, "The things we brought haven’t been unpacked yet. Tomorrow, once we’ve opened the trunks, we’ll set up your new home."

Only then did the two monkeys reluctantly agree.

Exiting to the backyard, she found peach trees, banana plants, and bamboo growing; at the far end stood a row of houses, totaling six small rooms. Three were for the servants, one was a small kitchen for boiling water, and the remaining two were storerooms. Qian Yixiu had one of the storerooms cleared out for the maid’s residence.

After giving her instructions, she was extremely tired and went to the washroom. After freshening up, she went to bed.

The next day, she was still sleeping soundly when Blue Bead and Zhi Fen woke her up. The Empress Dowager wanted an audience with her, so she needed to get up early for breakfast and to dress up.

Pink Pearl, Bai Zhu, and Xiao Hong brought breakfast back from the kitchen: three bowls of stiff rice porridge, three steamed egg custards, six small pearl meatballs, six steam buns, four scallion oil rolls, four rose pastries, and four plain buns.

This was the breakfast for Qian Yixiu, Monkey Brother, and Monkey Sister.

The maids were astonished to see Monkey Brother and Sister eating at the table with their master, skillfully using spoons.

The two monkey children were attention-seekers; seeing others watching them made them extremely pleased, smacking their lips with an ear-shattering volume.

While they were eating, the maid at the gate reported, "Miss, the heir to Prince Ning has arrived."

Before the words had settled, Zhu Sujin strode in, calling out incessantly, "Sister, sister..."

Though they had been separated for just over three months, seeing him again gave Qian Yixiu an almost dreamlike feeling. She greeted him with a smile, saying, "Brother, it’s been so long. I’ve missed you terribly."

He seemed to have grown taller and was dressed in a bright yellow dragon-embroidered robe, with a seven-bead gold dragon crown on his head and black court boots on his feet. These must be the garments of the imperial grandson.

"I missed you too, missed Mother and the brothers and sisters, missed Grandfather and Great-grandma... Ah, I missed everyone," Zhu Sujin said with a smile. Seeing Qian Yixiu examine him, he continued to laugh, "Today, the Imperial Great Grandmother and the Emperor will meet Mother and the little ones, so I dressed in my court attire to accompany you to the palace." He added, "I went to see Mother first, but she was still in bed. Thinking that Great-grandma and Grandpa wouldn’t be up this early either, I came to you first."

Behind him followed Tiaotiao and Yin Feng, with Monkey Brother and Monkey Sister thrilled to cozy up to them.

Qian Yixiu smiled and offered him a seat, inquiring about the health of Prince Ning and the Princess.

Zhu Sujin replied with a laugh, "The double-headed Golden Crow Snake gallbladders you sent home are excellent. My father took them and said his leg isn’t hurting as much now. The imperial physician says that if he continues the Expelling Cold Medicine for another half year, his chronic arthritic legs could be completely cured. My mother," he said, face darkening slightly as he mentioned Princess Ning, "is not in great health, and despite taking so much medicine, she doesn’t seem to be getting much better."

Qian Yixiu thought about the Red Demon Fruit in her possession; it seemed she would need to give one to Princess Ning. There was no time now; she would discuss it another day.

Qian Yixiu comforted him for a while, and the two enjoyed a meal amidst laughter.

Blue Bead came out with a set of clothes, commenting, "Mr. Pan said that the Empress Dowager is certain to meet with the Commandery Princess, Miss, and the young masters this morning, so you must dress more formally."

Having heard this, Qian Yixiu went to her bedroom with Blue Bead and changed into her clothes. She wore a pomegranate red embroidered gold silk yun brocade short jacket on top, and a pink flower sprinkle long skirt on the bottom. She had her hair done in a dangling hairstyle with a part in the center, adorned with a Morning Bead Gold Phoenix Dot Emerald Hairpin, and a Seven Treasures Beaded Necklace around her neck. She also put on light makeup.

After the preparations, Blue Bead gazed at Qian Yixiu in the mirror, dumbstruck, and murmured, "No wonder my mother always said that Princess Zhenyue was as beautiful as a fairy from the moon palace. Miss must resemble the Princess to be so pretty."

Nobody dislikes hearing praises; Qian Yixiu smiled with pursed lips.

When she came out, Zhu Sujin looked her up and down several times, laughing and said, "My sister is really beautiful."

Qian Yixiu giggled; his comment reminded her of their childhood when he always liked to say that.

Afterward, Qian Yixiu and Zhu Sujin, accompanied by Blue Bead, went to the Xiyue Pavilion where their stepmother lived. Before leaving, they ordered Bai Zhu to keep an eye on Monkey Brother and Monkey Sister, as well as Tiaotiao and Yin Feng, and not to let them run around and get into mischief.

Xiyue Pavilion was a two-courtyard compound with four corners, and there was also a small side courtyard. Qian Manjiang and Pan Yue lived in the main courtyard, while Mingming and Jingjing resided in the small side courtyard.

Just like in her previous residence at the Rongen Earl Mansion, Pan Yue decorated the main room luxuriously and elegantly, with exquisite taste. The furniture was all made from golden Phoebe wood and the finest agarwood was used for the incense. The Bogu shelf displayed the finest collectibles and ancient curios and the walls of the main hall were adorned with Grandpa Pan’s paintings of phoenixes mingling with peonies and several portraits of ladies.

Qian Yixiu thought to herself that even a fourth rank military officer like Father Jiang, with all his money spent and risking death by corrupt means to flatter his superiors, could not afford to provide for her stepmother alone.

Pan Yue had just gotten up and it was Qian Manjiang who had coaxed her out of bed. She hadn’t rested well after the journey. Mingming and Jingjing were also whining; they hadn’t slept well either.

Upon entering the room, Zhu Sujin bowed to Pan Yue and Qian Manjiang, saying, "Mother, General Qian."

With these two titles, he delineated the distance and closeness of their relationship.

At the sight of Zhu Sujin, Pan Yue was overjoyed and began calling him "Jinwa," pulling him into her embrace. Jingjing and Mingming woke up from their drowsiness and ran over to hug him as well, and there followed a bout of tearful expressions.