Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 596 - 594

Chapter 596: Chapter 594

Xiao’er’s new little brother was named Jingzhe, implying broad knowledge and talent. Shen Chengyao hoped that he would grow up to be a wise and insightful person.

Except for Xi’er, who had not suffered much, all the other children in the family had grown up amidst hardship. Even now that the family was affluent, they remained diligent and worked hard, without any hint of arrogance or extravagance.

The youngest son can be said to have enjoyed good days from the time he was in his mother’s womb. Shen Chengyao was worried he might not understand the difficulty of attaining wealth, that he might grow up to be a wastrel. He hoped his younger son would be as intelligent, sensible, and reasonable as his older siblings, which is why he named him Jingzhe.

The day of Jingzhe’s "washing third" ceremony arrived quickly. The "washing third" was not a big event. Xiao’er’s family didn’t intend to make it a grand one, considering the subtle circumstances at the moment, flaunting too much could stir trouble!

But sometimes you can’t keep a low-profile even if you want to!

Because the Emperor was sick and temporarily unable to handle state affairs, all governmental affairs were entrusted to several princes for joint management.

Nobody knew how long the Emperor would be sick or whether he would recover from his illness, so many people hesitated for a day. Seeing some people starting to make moves the next day, many became restless.

They didn’t dare to openly disturb the princes, so they could only disturb the relatives connected to the princes through marriage. Consequently, over the past two days, both the houses of the fathers-in-law and prospective fathers-in-law of the princes saw an increase in visitors.

When everyone found out Shen Chengyao’s youngest son was having his "washing third" ceremony today, the ladies from each house ushered in their daughters uninvited.

Mrs. Liu had originally only invited the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion, the Lai Mansion, and several families like Shen Chengzu’s. Now seeing so many people arriving, she couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

Still, as it was a joyous occasion, she could only put on a smile and welcome everyone.

Mrs. Liu was in a period of confinement, the task of welcoming guests naturally fell on Xiao’er and Yun’er.

Xiao’er’s ability to handle different situations was undoubtedly a strength.

There’re people in the world who would make you feel that they haven’t neglected you, no matter how many people are present, as long as they wish to do so. Xiao’er was one of these people.

Although Yun’er preferred quiet and didn’t like to socialize, under Aunt Rong’s tutelage, she was adept at making people feel at home.

They talked about skincare routines, and everyone acknowledged their expertise. They discussed clothing and jewelry, and they made everyone feel inferior. They even shared harmless family anecdotes as they chatted about life’s ups and downs, creating an atmosphere full of laughter. They discussed managing household affairs, their insights were so incisive it made many of the ladies present feel inadequate. They thought to themselves, any family would flourish if their sons married such talented girls!

Many ladies with sons of marriageable age looked at the two beautiful and sensible sisters, feeling pity. It’s a shame that such excellent girls are already engaged, but it’s unsurprising that they’ve been chosen by the royal family given their evident good fortune!

Then their gaze fell on Xi’er, who was sitting solemnly on the side, learning to greet everyone. She is only seven or eight years old. It seems a bit early to start discussing marriage, because many good girls could end up growing crooked over time!

There’s no chance with the girls, so what about the boys?

Everyone recalled the eldest and second sons of Marquis Shengping, who were outside greeting guests earlier. Judging from the appearances of Marquis Shengping and his wife, it was evident that these two brothers were exceptionally handsome. They were like a pair of brilliant dragons and phoenixes among men and exuded a mature and reserved demeanor that surpassed many children from noble families.

Marquis Shengping’s eldest son was the top scorer in the college examination! It was almost certain that he would be among the chosen scholars in next year’s provincial examination. Then, during the central examination and the imperial examination, he was expected to score high. Given his status as a brother-in-law to a prince, could his prospects be anything but promising?

The fact that he was from a farming family didn’t matter at all. The most important thing was to look at how clean the backyard of Marquis Shengping’s mansion was? There wasn’t a hint of trouble. It was sure that their daughters would enjoy a comfortable life if they married into this family.

With this thought, some people felt their hearts stir.

Many ladies decided to discuss this marriage prospect with their husbands once they returned home. They didn’t want to lose this golden opportunity.

Xiao’er was unaware that simply because their backyard was clean, all their children were legitimate, and there were no power struggles among them, the families who initially thought their roots were too shallow and lacked depth, had all begun to change their minds.

As a result, after Mrs. Liu recovered from her confinement, their house was almost trampled by visitors! In other households, a hundred families might pursue a single girl, while in their household, a hundred families were pursuing each child.

All items for the "washing the third" ceremony were prepared, and the midwife went about it methodically. When it came time for the "adding basin" segment of the ceremony, the ladies present almost all added gold ingots shaped like wedding fruits. The midwife gave blessings corresponding to the wedding fruit shapes they chose, none of which were repeated.

Take, for instance, someone might add a gold ingot shaped like a peanut to the basin, and she said, "long life with riches and honour", and the next person might add the same shaped ingot, she would say, "blooming with wealth and good upbringing." Each blessing was different.

Xiao’er watched from the side. She noticed that several of the ladies added gold ingots shaped like peanuts. She was impressed by the midwife, who despite being old could think of so many auspicious sayings. Assisting in childbirth and conducting the "washing third" ceremony was indeed a technical job that required quick wits.

After the ceremony, many of the ladies began inquiring about Jingrui, with Xiao’er and Yun’er.

When asked whether Jingrui had an arranged marriage, Xiao’er simply said, "Our mother is considering potential matchmakers, but we don’t know if she has found a suitable one."

The ladies understood her words as an indication that there was still a chance.

As for the second son of Marquis Shengping, they hadn’t paid much attention to him. It seemed they would have to ask their sons about him after returning home. How come they had never heard their sons mention him? Could it be that he was not up to the mark?

They were entirely off-base. Their sons were reluctant to mention Jinghao, not because Jinghao was inferior, but because he was too outstanding.

He was younger than them, but he learned things faster. He finished the coursework in the academy in just over a year, which many of them hadn’t completed in several years. Currently, academicians and teachers were personally tutoring him. Once, the Imperial Master visited the academy to play chess with the academicians. After witnessing Jinghao’s profound knowledge, he took him as a disciple and began teaching him personally.

They hadn’t seen this "prodigy" for quite some time and didn’t know which teacher’s class he was attending every day.

They heard from the teachers at the academy that after Jinghao finished his college examination next year, the Imperial Master planned to take him on an expedition to various countries to broaden his horizon. It was clear that Jinghao was being groomed as the successor!

Which of them would be willing to mention such an outstanding person in front of their parents? Isn’t this self-inflicted pain? Shen Jingrui, who grew up playing with mud, beat them to be the top-scoring student in the college examination. They were already tortured enough and didn’t want to be tormented again!

Could it be that playing with mud could actually turn someone into a genius?