Yan Qi pulled Qi Zhenzhen to sit down. "Zhenzhen, what good things have you brought this time? The doll you gave Ruining last time, I asked her for one, and she was so stingy she wouldn't give it to me."
"It's not good for me to give you a gift that my second sister gave me. You know her, why don't you just ask her directly?" Ruining made a face.
Qi Zhenzhen opened the wooden box she had prepared. Inside were all sorts of fabric dolls, different from the one given to Ruining before. This time, they were doll-shaped sachets. Hanging them on the waist would be both cute and practical.
"Oh, and Sister Nuan asked me to bring you sweet pear incense." Qi Zhenzhen handed a simple round box to Ruining.
The little girl happily opened the box and took a deep breath. "Sister Nuan is amazing! It really smells like sweet pears."
Yan Qi rolled her eyes. "You truly live up to your gluttonous reputation. Other girls love floral scents, but you're special, you love fruit scents!"
"What's wrong with fruit scents? A very famous lady in the previous dynasty didn't like floral scents; she loved fruit scents. I read in books that her room never had incense burned or flowers arranged. Every day, she would have seasonal fruits placed there," Ruining said earnestly. "The book said that lady achieved great things. I'm like that lady, I like fruit scents, and who knows, maybe I'll achieve great things in the future."
Yan Qi laughed without holding back. "You girl, you really know how to flatter yourself. I've heard of the lady you're talking about, but she didn't just like fruit scents; she was also skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, excelled at archery, and had the talent of a general. She disguised herself as a man and led armies in several battles where they won against overwhelming odds! Not only that, but that lady also understood medicine and was good at healing. There was nothing she couldn't do. Oh, and the historical records state her greatest contribution was the invention of gunpowder."
Qi Zhenzhen's heart was in turmoil. It sounded like this was a predecessor, and a very successful one at that! Looking at herself, Qi Zhenzhen sighed inwardly. The predecessor had lived such a carefree life.
"So, history books say that such people only appear once in a thousand years!" Ruining said nonchalantly. "It's not time yet, how can I compare? So, I'm satisfied with having just one similarity with her."
Qi Zhenzhen and Yan Qi were both amused by Ruining's twisted logic, and for a moment, only their laughter could be heard in the pavilion.
Ruining was very generous this time, letting Yan Qi pick a doll sachet and putting two sweet pear candies inside for her. "Don't call me stingy anymore. By the way, Second Sister, how are Sister Nuan and Sister Rou? I originally wanted to invite them this time, but my mother said they probably wouldn't want to go out for a while, so she asked me to wait and invite them after some time. Also, my mother instructed us to have dinner in her courtyard today. Last time you left in a hurry, she said she didn't get to talk to you properly."
The previous time, the Princess of Rui had given a very valuable见面礼 (meeting gift), which didn't seem like a perfunctory gift but rather something prepared by a close elder.
So, when they came to the Prince of Rui's mansion this time, the Old Madam had instructed them to pay their respects to the Princess of Rui if they had the chance.
"It's kind of the Princess to think of us. Sister Nuan and Sister Rou are doing well. My grandmother is a sensible person; whoever makes a mistake bears the responsibility, and there's no reason for the sisters to take the blame. However, they are still family, and it's impossible to remain uninvolved," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Grandmother intends to keep them in the mansion. After the situation calms down, she'll have them socialize more, which might help restore some of their reputation."
Yan Qi spoke casually, raising her eyebrows slightly, her disdain clearly visible. "They are all sisters, yet Li Qing's temperament can't even compare to half of Li Nuan and Li Rou's. And she's a legitimate daughter? Is a legitimate daughter supposed to be so petty? She thinks she's dignified and shamelessly tries to get close to the ladies. She's just short-sighted. Seeing that you all received gifts, she was unwilling and shamelessly asked for them herself. It's truly eye-opening!"
Qi Zhenzhen picked up her teacup and took a sip, not responding to Yan Qi.
No matter how bad Li Qing was, their sisterly relationship couldn't be discarded. No matter how much she disliked her, she couldn't agree with others speaking ill of her.
"Anyway, I don't like that Li Qing. She's too ill-mannered. But we won't have any interaction with her in the future, so there's no need to bring her up," Ruining chimed in. "We have this time, we might as well talk about you, Yan Yan. I heard from my mother that your father and mother are looking for a match for you."
Yan Qi's face instantly fell, and she glared at Ruining resentfully. "Why bring up what's inconvenient! What, are you tired of me staying here and want to kick me out?"
"Of course not, I'm just curious. Your father and mother dote on you like the apple of their eye. Most importantly, Yan family's six elder brothers have already made it clear that anyone who wants to be their brother-in-law has to pass their test first. They are like iron towers. If they stand there, who would dare to step forward? To marry a wife, you gain six brothers-in-law. If there are any conflicts in the future, how can you get past six brothers-in-law?" Ruining said with a smile. "Don't glare at me, I'm not saying these things, I heard them from my mother. Not only my mother, but my father and my eldest brother also think it's difficult to be a son-in-law of the Yan family."
Yan Qi's eyes flickered, and she assumed her usual lazy demeanor. "Whatever. If I don't like it, don't expect me to be forced into marriage. Don't get too smug either. You only have about two more years of good times. When your mother starts looking for matches for you, don't come to me to complain."
"Second Sister is lucky to be engaged to Brother A Nian." Ruining, with her plump little hands supporting her chin, steered the conversation to Qi Zhenzhen.
Qi Zhenzhen, who had been listening intently to their conversation, was suddenly brought up by Gu Sinian. She had to feign shyness and lower her head slightly. "Marriage is a major event, and it should be decided by parents."
"That's not right. Marriage is not about parents, but about the two individuals involved. If they get along, it's good, but if they don't, becoming a resentful couple and ruining both their lives, why bother? Anyway, for my marriage, I must give my consent." Yan Qi earnestly corrected Qi Zhenzhen's words. "The person I marry must be someone with whom I have a mutual understanding."
Yan Qi's eyes sparkled, and her expression was serious. It was clear that what she had just said had been pondered many times in her heart.
"My mother said that perhaps every woman has such fantasies before marriage," Ruining said. "But in reality..."
In reality, many people only meet once or twice before getting married, so where would there be a mutual understanding?
Yan Qi was stubborn. "Anyway, I want to marry someone with whom I have a mutual understanding." She repeated.
"Perhaps, mutual understanding doesn't have to be before marriage; it can also be after marriage," Qi Zhenzhen said.