Mingna moved carefully on the big branches, intending to catch a beautiful blue crested bird perched on the branch. Seeing that she was only one foot away from reaching it, and the slow bird hadn't noticed it yet, she felt happy in her heart. But at this moment, a cry of "Little Miss, Little Miss" came from the distance, and she was frightened. With a jump, it accidentally shook the branch. The crested bird sensed the danger and quickly flew away.
"It's Winnie again!" She complained in frustration. When she saw a fat woman wearing a large white apron appearing at the edge of the woods, she immediately climbed back into the canopy and hid herself among the branches and leaves of the big tree. The six-year-old girl's body is thin and flexible, and the dense canopy completely hides her. She held her breath, as she always did, not letting herself make a sound. Whenever she used this move, even her father, who was a master of swordsmanship, might not be able to find her.
But today she miscalculated. Walking nearby, Winnie quickly noticed a hint of fragrance in the air. She immediately recognized that it was the scent of the perfume sprayed on the beautiful clothes that Miss Minna wore today. It was a new fragrance that was launched only three years ago. It is specially designed for children. There will never be a second bottle in this remote country like Qedun!
She will never admit her mistake! She is Winnie, the most professional nanny who has received professional training in Matt Harbor since she was a child! She can smell more than 200 kinds of perfumes and spices with her nose, and can tell the materials of more than 100 clothing fabrics just by touching them with her hands. She knows how to make more than 300 dishes and snacks, and can cook them in the shortest time. She can distinguish eighty-eight kinds of wine and beverages; she knows how to decorate the most gorgeous and comfortable living rooms and rooms, and she also knows how to take care of the elderly, pregnant women, and children. She is Winnie!
At this moment, she was standing under the big tree, proudly looking at a calf exposed among the branches and leaves: "Little miss, you can't deceive me, come down quickly."
Minna slipped down the tree in frustration, looked at Winnie's fat face, and pouted.
"How many times have I told you, little lady!" Winnie said with a serious face, "This is not what a lady should do. Climb a tree! How rude! You are a rich lady!" She couldn't help but remember in her mind Remembering the glorious past of the hostess, "I think back then, when Miss Dora was six years old, she was already a little lady praised by the whole city, and her intelligence was even better than that of Her Majesty the Queen when she was a child."
Ming Na was deeply suspicious of this and let out a sneer. Winnie gave her a stern look, inadvertently glanced at her front, and let out a terrible scream: "Oh my God! Little Miss, you actually soiled your clothes! This is precious silk! I came here especially for today. I just let you wear it as a distinguished guest. I told you not to climb trees anymore."
Ming Na made a face: "What distinguished guest? I hate that man. Every time he comes, my parents will quarrel."
"That's because my uncle is jealous." Winnie curled her lips, "Look what kind of life he made the young lady live? In this kind of countryside, surrounded by country bumpkins, the two-story building he lives in has less than ten rooms and a garden. It was overgrown with weeds! Apart from Butler Marshall and me, there was not even a maid! In order not to be rude in front of the guests, the young lady actually wanted to find a country bumpkin’s daughter to act as a temporary maid! What if she had married the daughter of Duke Chulov’s family? Master, you will never suffer such grievance! Oh, Master Chulov is such an elegant and noble person, and he is so gentle to the lady."
Minna said angrily: "That's a lie. Dad said he is a bad guy!"
Winnie glared at her sternly: "You can't say that, little miss! Master Chulov is your aunt's brother and your elder! Oh my god, the miss's daughter would actually say such rude words, she must be She was led astray by her father." She muttered a few words, raised her head and said sternly: "Come back with me quickly! The guests are coming soon, you are wearing such dirty clothes, it is really rude, come back with me quickly and change! "
She reached out to grab Ming Na, but Ming Na nimbly dodged it, and then ran quickly into the woods. She even took the time to turn around and make a face at her: "I won't go back! My mother will only tell me to pretend to be a good kid. I hate it." That!"
Winnie was almost pissed to death: "My uncle taught me the wrong thing. How could my daughter be so naughty?" As she spoke, she moved her fat body and chased after her.
=====================I am the dividing line that appears for the first time======================
Dora once again inspected the small tables, wicker chairs, and baskets placed in the garden, making sure they were perfect. She always felt that something was not good enough, but she forgot which one it was, and she was very nervous.
Today's guest is Goodwin Chulov, the wife of her husband Anlong's half-brother Yilon, the youngest son of Duke Chulov's family, and one of her past suitors. This man seemed to always be so calm, gentle, elegant and polite, and never had any emotional fluctuations. It was because she couldn't figure out his thoughts that she chose Anlong. Now it seems that this decision was the right one, because Goodwin was obviously not sad that she was married to someone else, and remained gentle and polite, giving thoughtful little gifts every time he visited from afar.
But as Anlong's wife, she did not forget her responsibilities. As an illegitimate child, Anlong has been in an embarrassing situation since he was a child. If he had not been adopted by his father's wife, Mrs. Mirabell, he would not even have a surname. But his gratitude to Mrs. Mirabell does not mean that he is willing to endure the contempt and ridicule of the Cardiff family. In order to get ahead with his own efforts, Anlong would rather work as a small border knight in a small border town like Qedun, but he just didn't want to be controlled by the Kado family anymore. Goodwin is Lilith's younger brother. When he returns to Ito City, he will definitely mention what he saw and heard in Qedon. If anything is not done well enough, Anlong and her will immediately become the laughing stock in the aristocratic circle of Ito City.
When Goodwin came here a few years ago, they were crowded into a small building with three other families and could only receive guests in a small room. She was worried that her husband and wife had been laughed at for a long time and they really didn't want to be in the house anymore. Embarrassed in front of my sister-in-law.
"Madam, the tea is ready, will it be served now?" Butler Marshall appeared quietly behind her and asked respectfully.
"Oh, Uncle Marshall, yes, please." Dora smiled uneasily and said, "What do you think of this place? Is it too shabby?"
"How is that possible? Madam." Marshall gave a satisfactory answer, "It is perfect to have a garden tea party in weather like today. Besides, you take care of every plant and tree in the garden yourself. In fact... even in Ito City, the garden of the most elegant noble lady’s house is nothing more than this.”
Dora looked at the beautiful flower beds that had been carefully tended in the small garden, with a confident smile on her face: "You are right. Every plant and tree here was planted by me, even the fences and rattan chairs. I looked at what was done, and it was not easy to organize the back garden full of weeds into what it is today. No matter how elegant those squeamish aristocratic ladies are, who can do it better than me?"
She suddenly thought of what she was wearing: "So, what do you think of my clothes? Will they be very tacky?" She knew nothing about the current fashion in Ito City. In order not to be laughed at, she chose the latest clothes. The traditional garden tea party costume fabric is printed cotton, and even the style is the simplest one.
Marshall always knew how to deal with women who were worried about their clothes: "It's not tacky at all, ma'am. This is the most classic style. The so-called classic will never go out of style."
Dora smiled with satisfaction again, looked around, and asked doubtfully: "Where is Bree? Is it in the kitchen?"
"The butcher's child just called her home, saying that her stepmother beat her brother again. But she said she would be back soon."
"What day will her brother not get beaten? The guests will be arriving soon. What if she can't come back in time?!"
"Don't worry, madam, if she can't come back in time, Uncle Marshall will take action himself." Marshall smiled and bowed, "Then, I'll go bring tea." He returned to the house quietly.
Dora watched him leave gratefully. Old Marshall was really an outstanding housekeeper, just like Winnie, he was the most professional.
She looked towards the woods not far away. Why hasn't Winnie brought her daughter back? God of Light bless you, Ming Na must not be naughty today, even if she is not as good as the two daughters of Elon and Lilith, at least she should look like a young lady.
A gentle male voice came from the front door: "Good day, is anyone there?" Dora took a deep breath and greeted her with a smile.
A handsome, mature, healthy and charming man stood at the door, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a pleasing smile on his face. He gently held the three fingers of Dora's right hand, elegantly He bent down and bowed: "Long time no see, Dora, you are still as beautiful as ever."
"Thank you for your compliment, my friend." Dora was in a happy mood. Gentlemen who are gentle and courteous are always popular. At this moment, she felt as if she was not in a small house in a northern mountain city, but in a respectable aristocratic mansion in Ito City.
Goodwin Chulov was an elegant and courteous man, and every move he made was in line with aristocratic norms, even the topics he chatted about. They talked about the weather, then inquired after each other's health, and then Goodwin began to praise the flowers in the garden before asking about the man of the house.
Dora only vaguely said that he was very busy at work. She was a woman with traditional ideas. As long as she knew that the man was working outside, she didn't care about the specific work content. Moreover, she concealed Goodwin's visit in advance, because her husband never liked to see this former classmate, and every time they met, they broke up on bad terms.
Goodwin seemed to be very interested in the work situation of his old rival. When Dora saw this, she quickly changed the subject: "Look at me, I forgot to serve tea. I am really negligent." She picked up the small shaker on the table. Ring the bell to call the servants for tea. When she saw the girl wearing a white headscarf and apron appear, she nodded with satisfaction: This girl Bree has finally caught up.
Bree carefully placed the tea and various pastries in front of the guests and her employer, as she had practiced for the past three days, bowed gracefully, and stepped aside. Although her movements are still a bit unfamiliar, she already looks like a living room maid.
Dora smiled and asked Goodwin to taste the pastry, and gave Bree an appreciative smile, but her face quickly froze... At the hem of Bree's skirt, a pair of old shoes with holes in them exposed her toes. Straw sandals, how could this happen? ! She had clearly prepared small black leather shoes for this country girl! She turned her head stiffly and looked at Goodwin, praying in her heart that he would never find out. However, when she saw the direction of Goodwin's gaze, she knew that it was just her delusion.
Goodwin's upbringing told him that he should not embarrass his host, especially a beautiful hostess, so he smiled quietly and said: "It's really good tea. It's the top quality produced by Xiao's Tea Company." Black tea, right?”
"Ah...yes, yes."
"The orange cake is also delicious. I once heard that the Happy Forest under the name of the Xiao family has the best wine and food in the world, and the barbecue garden has the most delicious barbecue in the world. But when it comes to tea, only Mrs. Meili's craftsmanship is the best. It can be considered top-notch, so the making of this pastry must have been taught by Mrs. Mei Li herself, right?"
"You're too polite." Dora finally calmed down and quickly winked at Bree, hinting her to leave. The poor little girl didn't know what she had done wrong, so she could only retreat inexplicably.
Dora was about to continue the conversation with the guest, but was interrupted by the sound of thumping footsteps. When she turned around, she froze this time.
Her daughter Mingna ran out of the woods all dirty and was rushing toward her, shouting "Mom, help me, Winnie is crazy." Behind her was the fat nanny Wen who was running out of breath. Ni, was also running and shouting: "Don't run, I must catch you!"
Dora's eyes suddenly darkened, and she seemed to have seen Lilith and other ladies snickering and talking about, "The daughter of the Zhufa family is just like this. Not only is the maid in the living room wearing rotten straw sandals with open toes, the daughter is also a dirty girl with no ladylike temperament." naughty guy..."
Goodwin Chulov once again covered up his host's embarrassment: "Long time no see, little Mingna, I'm so happy that you are still so energetic."
Ming Na had already seen that annoying man, and he was still talking to herself with that extremely fake smile. She ignored him and just got into her mother's arms: "Mom, Winnie is going crazy. She actually said that if I don't obey again, she will tie me up."
After Winnie caught up with him, she immediately noticed Goodwin present. She hurriedly arranged her hair and clothes, and saluted him: "Good day, Master Chulov, I'm sorry that I was rude. , please forgive me." She completed this action as gracefully as possible, but she didn't know that the bumps of fat on her body and the sweaty head had nothing to do with grace. Ming Na hid in her mother's arms and snickered, earning a glare from her.
"Winnie, you don't have to be so polite. I'm very happy to see you in such good spirits. Mingna is still a child, please don't be too harsh on her." Goodwin remained unchanged and smiled gently. , turned to Dora and said, "You don't have to mind it too much. In fact, my sister's two daughters, Beryl and Manda, although they are very well-behaved in front of others, they often act coquettishly toward me in private."
"You are so considerate, Goodwin." Dora said to him gratefully, while giving her daughter a stern look in her arms. Minna pouted.
"Okay, children naturally like to play, don't blame her too much. I brought a gift today, why don't we open it together? I hope you and Ming Na will like it." He called the valet to bring the gift The gifts that came were two large paper boxes tied with beautiful ribbons. He smiled and handed the smaller box to Mingna: "I picked it specially. It is said to be the most popular thing among little girls at the moment. I wonder if little Mingna will like it?"
"She will definitely like it, thank you so much." Dora said with a smile, and then whispered to her daughter, "Say thank you quickly, don't be rude again, and be a good child."
Minna stared at Goodwin fiercely, broke away from her arms and ran away regardless of her mother's words. Dora apologized anxiously to Goodwin, but the latter still comforted her gently and didn't take it to heart at all.
Ming Na felt very wronged. That man was like this every time, pretending to be a good person, which made her get blamed by her mother every time. Dad was indeed right, that man was a big bad guy!
She ran into the hall and stopped. When she looked up, she could see two portraits hanging on the wall. One painting shows a young man with black hair and black eyes, holding a long sword in his hand, with a vague smile on his face and deep eyes. Another painting depicts a woman in her thirties, with a hint of melancholy on her beautiful face and a gentle and kind look in her eyes.
She knew that the man was her grandfather, the legendary hero, the strongest swordsman in the continent, and the richest earl Xiao Tianjian. Legend has it that he had been to the Elf Forest, the Demon World and Dragon Island, had a deal with a dragon, and could live forever. , and is still traveling throughout the mainland. And that woman was her grandmother, Mrs. Meili, who died long before she was born.
She thought of her grandfather's legendary deeds and felt very envious. Unfortunately, she had never seen him. Why did her grandfather never come to visit her family? Grandpa comes every year.
Just as I was thinking about it, there was a sound of footsteps in the corridor not far away. I looked up and saw my father Anlong sneaking into the study from the back door, followed by a woman with a tall and fit figure and golden brown hair tied in a bun. Behind the head, there is a reddish-brown tunic and long skirt, a black tight-fitting leather vest, long leather boots of the same color, and a very smart and neat riding outfit.
She remembered that this woman had come to her house several times, and every time she came, her mother would have a quarrel with her father. She was a little curious, what was this woman doing here? Why did Dad enter the house through the back door? After thinking about it, she tiptoed over, holding her breath, and leaned against the study door to eavesdrop on what was going on inside.
She only heard one sentence: "About this mission, the deputy director wants you to follow me..." At this moment, the voice stopped, the door suddenly opened, and a dagger appeared in her throat like lightning, making bursts of sounds. Cold light. She was too frightened to move.
The person holding the dagger was the woman with golden brown hair, about twenty years old, her beautiful face covered with frost, staring at her coldly. Even if he knew who she was, the other party had no intention of removing the dagger, and the murderous look in his eyes was still there. Ming Na trembled slightly, and tears began to fill her eyes.
An Long hurriedly said to the woman: "Veronica, my daughter was just naughty for a moment, please let her go."
Veronica stared at Minna expressionlessly for a while, then took back the dagger and snorted: "Kid, go back to your room, this is not a place for children to play." Then there was a snap. She slammed the door and almost hit Ming Na's nose.
Anlong quickly opened the door again and said softly to his daughter: "Go back to the room quickly. Just pretend that nothing happened and don't tell anyone. Be good and be obedient." He wiped the tears on his daughter's face with his sleeves. , patted her head distressedly, pushed her away from the door slightly, and then gently closed the door.
Veronica looked at him with a sneer: "You didn't do a good job of keeping secrets here, and your daughter almost overheard us."
Anlong smiled helplessly and returned to the topic: "What exactly does the superior want you to do? I thought you would always stay in Yidong."
"Originally, yes, but the person who originally carried out this mission suddenly lost the news. I was ordered to check. If necessary, I have to go to Maicheng personally and bring the information back." Veronica looked up at him , "Get ready, we'll set off tomorrow night."