Chapter 425: You’re Poor Yet You’re Proud
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The seats at the banquet were all arranged in advance, so it was more comfortable for familiar people to sit together and eat and drink. Now that such a large table was empty, it must be because the people they invited didn’t come.
Zuo Xiangling and the others looked at their seats, then at the Crown Prince, who was far away from them. After exchanging glances, they came to an agreement. “Hey, you. Yes, it’s you.”
After summoning a maidservant, they said arrogantly, “Change our seats over there.”
The maidservant was neither servile nor overbearing. “Miss, please forgive me. There’s someone there.”
Upon hearing this, the young mistress in the light pink dress immediately sneered. “Who? Did you see that? I didn’t see it anyway.”
Of course, the others agreed. Seeing that the maidservant was disobedient, they stood up themselves. “We’re covering up for your master. Don’t be ungrateful.”
“That’s right. Isn’t it glorious that the people she invited didn’t come?”
“You have to get your Miss to thank us properly later!”
As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a very rude question. “What are we thanking you for?”
“Also, why are you blocking our seats?”
The noble ladies turned around and saw Gu Ruoruo and a group of Shen Family members looking at them with unfriendly expressions. Shen Tianci, who was swinging his legs in boredom, sniffled and jumped up with an agility that did not match his figure. “Alright, you’re eating delicious food behind my back! It’s Cloud Cake, right!”
Gu Ruoruo was shocked. “Are you a dog?!”
Shen Tianci brushed past the corner of her lips smugly. “Do you see that?! Cream!”
Then, the two of them blushed. Their friends looked away kindly, but they did not stop clearing their throats.
Shen Tianci held it in for a long time before saying, “I-I-I-I didn’t do it on purpose…”
The noble ladies who were ignored were very unhappy. “Since you’re already here, why didn’t you sit properly and run around? Who knows if there’s anyone here!”
Gu Ruoruo was not so shy with them. “Didn’t you see the sign written on the table?”
She pointed to the middle of the table—
“Friends Table! Did you see that? What kind of friends are you? How dare you squeeze in here?”
The noble ladies were furious and came to pick on her again. “The servant who led the way didn’t say anything! She can’t even speak clearly. How does the General’s Residence conduct matters!”
Shen Tianci rolled his eyes. “Then, are you leaving?”
Zuo Xiangling knew Shen Tianci. She would not be polite to the son of a wealthy family. “Shen Tianci, let me tell you. Don’t put on airs in front of us just because your family has a little lousy money. I won’t fall for your tricks!” Shen Tianci chuckled. “Then should I put on the airs of ‘my father’s the imperial envoy’?”
After the harvest of the new farmland, the Emperor conferred an imperial envoy on Shen Congjun and asked him to lead the management to distribute the next round of new rice seeds to the commoners. The commoners were grateful to him, and seeing that he was gentle and did not put on airs, they affectionately called him “the imperial envoy for farming”.
Although this person was simple, his reputation and status in the imperial court and among the people were incomparable to anyone present.
The noble ladies felt aggrieved. “A petty person is successful!”
Shen Tianci was in high spirits. He crossed his arms in front of him. “Rebound.”
The noble ladies were furious, but they could not find anything to refute. They could only sit back down with a straight face.
At this moment, Xiaoxiao, who had dressed up appropriately, walked out under her escorts. She was wearing a light pink dress with hundreds of water beads and a beautiful butterfly moon gauze on the outside. Her cuffs were exquisitely decorated with hundreds of flowers, and the hem of her clothes was embroidered with light golden threads. Half of her black and shiny long hair was tied into a conch bun, and she was wearing a translucent magnolia hairpin that no one had seen before. She was also decorated with many red coral beads. The hair behind her was hung with the back pressure of thin golden threads, and there were also exquisite little gold beads, jade beads, and pearls hanging on it.
Someone said sourly, “Stingy, aren’t they? The beads are so small.”
Gu Ruoruo immediately retorted, “There’s a reason for this outfit. There are a total of 100 small beads of various colors, indicating that life is colorful, perfect, and safe, and that one can live a long life.”
She looked at the group of noble ladies in disdain. “Don’t say that you can’t think of this meaning. Can you gather 100 beads of the same size and shape in every color? Even if you can, can you find a craftsman with such good skills to put them on you one by one with golden thread?”
Only then did Xiaoxiao realize how precious the set of jewelry her mother had prepared for her was. She could almost imagine how Xiao Ran and her husband would look like when they endured their sadness and prepared a gift for their daughter, who they did not know if they would be able to meet again in their lives after being separated for all these years.
She turned to Xiao Ran and said, “Mother, I’m so blessed.”
Xiao Ran blinked, as if she did not understand. Xiaoxiao simply said more bluntly, “Mother, I’m so blessed to be your and Father’s daughter.”
This child! Xiao Ran blinked hard. “We’re the same. We’re very blessed to have you as our daughter.”
After her appearance, Xiaoxiao watched as her Father finished reading the speech that he had written for two days according to her mother’s instructions solemnly and happily. It could be considered as him officially introducing her to everyone present. She could not help but sigh at her foresight. She had already given her friends special treatment and was half full.
However, Zuo Xiangling and the others were not so lucky. They were already tired and hungry halfway through their excursion, and the time they took to sit was not awkward. They only drank a stomach full of water and were in a terrible mood.
It was not easy for them to listen to Gu Chang’an reading his solemn speech. Everyone hoped that the praisers would finish their work quickly and start the banquet. They could also use the toast to say a few words to His Highness the Crown Prince.
As a praiser, Gu Ruoruo could tell what they were thinking, so she deliberately dawdled. When she combed Xiaoxiao’s hair, she combed it slowly but did not tie it up.
It was not until Xiaoxiao could not help but yawn that this silent competition came to an end.
It was also because of this delay that Rong Yan, who had been trapped in the palace for a long time, rushed over. Before he could greet Xiaoxiao, he got someone to call Xiao Ran away for a private chat.
When they returned, their expressions were the same, but Xiaoxiao kept feeling that they were angry.
The fragrance of the food wafted over. Even Zuo Xiangling and the others had no intention of finding fault with her. They were picky as they ate.
This said, “I know these crystal prawn dumplings. Isn’t it just a snack launched by Fragrance Restaurant some time ago? This taste isn’t authentic at all. It’s far inferior to the delicious food bought in the shop.”
That person said, “You also secretly learned this Ruyi bun, right? It’s not that I want to say this, but if you want to use the name of Fragrance Restaurant, you might as well buy it and get someone to deliver it to you. Why do you have to imitate them and learn it in an irregular manner?”
Xiaoxiao looked at them curiously. “How do you know that this is definitely not the work of the master of the Fragrance Restaurant?”
Zuo Xiangling looked at her in disdain. “Who doesn’t know that the chefs of the Fragrance Restaurant never take on jobs outside? No matter how much money one has, they won’t do it.”
Xiaoxiao nodded. “Looks like this lady has tried.”
Zuo Xiangling glared at her. Xiaoxiao found her annoying. She propped her chin on her hand and asked, “Looks like your Zuo Family is quite rich?”
Zuo Xiangling was shocked and said in a panic, “What nonsense are you talking about? My Zuo Family is clean and noble. It’s different from the nouveau riche like the Li Family!”
Shen Tianci was stuffing mushrooms and prawns into his mouth when he heard this.. He chewed hard and retorted, “Are you proud that you’re poor?”
