When the expansion is over, it’s over, and then… nothing happens.
I still refused to keep vigil and slept well at night.
When Xiaocao got up in the morning and was still washing up, the servant came to report that her mother had arrived.
Xiaocao blinked, but she wasn't fully awake yet. Her brain was a little confused and she was a little slow.
She combed her hair halfway, put on her clothes hastily and went out.
It snowed again last night, but not heavily, and it has stopped now, so only a thin layer of snow has accumulated. The sky is still dark. However, all the places that need to be cleaned have been cleaned. Today is the first time that Princess Anguo's mansion is holding a banquet, and there can be no room for carelessness. Everyone is in high spirits and dares not slack off.
Han led the group, with two maids leading the way. There were many lanterns hung along the way, which did not hinder their progress.
Seriously speaking, Han was probably more familiar with the princess's mansion than Xiaocao herself. No one would stop her when she visited. Therefore, Xiaocao came out of the house and Han entered the main courtyard.
"Mom, why did you come so early? It's so cold." Xiaocao hurriedly welcomed Han into the house.
Xiaocao was about to help when a nanny nearby stepped forward, helped take off the cloak, handed it to the maid, and also handed over a hot towel. After Han wiped her hands and face, she promptly brought over a hand warmer. She was very thoughtful.
"There's nothing to do at home, so I might as well come here early." To put it bluntly, she just couldn't let it go. Although, from previous contacts, she knew that the stewards of Princess Anguo's mansion were capable and she trusted them, but, rationally, she couldn't control her emotions. This is probably a common problem for mothers. "Xuan'er, are you washing up? Go on."
Xiaocao sat back and let the maid continue to comb her hair.
Han put down the hand warmer and asked, "Where is the dress your princess is going to wear today?"
On three trays, there were three sets of neatly stacked clothes. Although they were daily clothes, they were definitely extraordinary - they were a kind of imperial crown and clothes - with patterns and accessories that could only be used by princesses of this level. These three sets of clothes were obviously carefully prepared. Xiaocao was outside most of the time, and what she did was not convenient, so she kept it simple. Those were real daily clothes, which were very different from the daily clothes today.
Han reached out and touched it, shook out one piece, and nodded secretly.
After Xiaocao had combed her hair, Han took a look and picked out a set for her without asking Xiaocao's opinion.
Xiaocao always trusted her mother's judgment and did not refuse.
But before that, I need to have breakfast first. It would be useless if Han came so early.
Although the food was only prepared for Xiaocao, Xiaocao also said not to have too much. She was not picky and would just take turns. However, given her status, it was impossible for the food to be too shabby. Therefore, let alone adding Han, even adding a few more people would be enough.
Most people eat only 70% full, but Xiaocao is used to eating 90%. She is so busy that if she doesn't eat enough, she won't be able to have a snack anytime when she is outside. She will be the only one who suffers. Today... I don't think it will be easy.
Rinse your mouth, take a short rest, put on your clothes, and then put on some light makeup - it must be said that although Concubine Kou is gone, the makeup skills she left behind are still widely used by upper-class ladies and noblewomen. Don't underestimate the spirit of research of these maids who specialize in serving their masters. Some of them are no worse than Concubine Kou.
Han was choosing accessories for Xiaocao, from her head to her body, and from time to time she would exchange opinions with the nanny next to her.
After she was completely dressed up, Xiaocao went to look at herself in the mirror. How should I put it? It was really her mother's style. It was not the first time. Xiaocao did not want to say anything. Anyway, she was perfect and beautiful.
—She is luxurious and elegant, yet cannot conceal her calmness and gentleness, and at the same time she has the delicate beauty of a girl, which blends well together. However, Xiaocao is used to her daily appearance without makeup, simple and capable. Now she looks a little strange. Although she looks good, it is really inconvenient.
"Your Highness, would you like to have your nails done?" asked the nanny.
Xiao Cao paused, remembering that Concubine Kou's specialty was not only makeup but also nail art. "No need." That thing was really inconvenient. If something really happened, it would be a big trouble.
Later, Xiaocao still habitually put on the silver needle bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet was somewhat out of tune with her current outfit, but she had basically never taken it off since the beginning. She was used to it, and many people knew what the bracelet was used for, so she didn't think much of it. But today, the nanny beside her took out a few bracelets again, "Your Highness, why don't you try these bracelets?"
These bracelets are very special. They look like they are made of silver, but no one would think they are not presentable. In fact, they are very delicate. The narrow one is only one finger wide, but the patterns are quite delicate. The wide one is as wide as a palm, but looks like a winding flower branch. There are two rings, one on the thumb, and the other on the four fingers except the thumb...
Han took one in her hand and said, "This is so exquisitely made and has a very beautiful shape. Where did you find this craftsman?"
Nanny smiled but said nothing, as if waiting for Xiaocao's comment.
Xiao Cao also took one in her hand, and then she noticed something strange at the first moment, with surprise in her eyes, "Silver needle bracelet?!" After saying that, she directly pulled out a silver needle. It felt smoother than her usual ones, and it was also quite easy to put it back in, but there was no sign of looseness at all, and it looked like a whole.
"Your Highness is right. They are indeed silver needle bracelets, and they have been processed in the way you usually do."
"This is so well done, it's simply a work of art that surpasses nature." Han exclaimed.
Xiao Cao wore two more after wearing one, and they looked perfectly natural, and basically did not affect the movement of her hands. She could roughly feel their weight. Obviously, they were considered when they were made. Not only can they be used alone, but they can also be combined at will. After being combined, they can even be connected and fixed together. Obviously, they took great care. "You are thoughtful."
"Your Highness, we dare not take credit for what you said. These bracelets were sent by the son of the Marquis of Pingyang. The workmanship is indeed unprecedented. We were shocked at first. After all, we have never seen such a work in the palace for so many years. So when Madam asked the craftsman, we didn't know."
"Tingyu..." Xiaocao murmured, and thought of his wheelchair. It was indeed not something that ordinary people could make. Could it be that this bracelet was made by the same person? Regardless of whether it was or not, this thought...
Han was surprised, and then snorted coldly, "He thinks about these little things all day long."
Han's "dissatisfaction" with her four future sons-in-law was well known, but those around her just smiled and said nothing.
Han stroked the bracelet on Xiaocao's wrist, "Since there is a more suitable one, don't wear this one today." Then he stroked the bracelet on Xiaocao's wrist, "Although it's not made of anything serious, it's still useful after all."
Xiaocao had long been accustomed to Han's attitude of admiration and disdain towards Wei Tingyu.
Xiaocao was just used to wearing the silver needle bracelet on her hand, so she would wear whichever one suited her, and she didn't have any nostalgic feelings that insisted on wearing one particular one. To be honest, the first silver needle bracelet was made for her by Wei Tingyu.
By this time, it was already light outside. Soon, people would start to arrive one after another. After all, the banquet was at noon. Speaking of banquets, it seemed that in winter, most of them were at noon, and in summer, most of them were at night.
It seemed like only half an hour had passed, and everyone in the Wen family's mansion had arrived. There were so many guests, so it was helpful to help entertain them. It seemed that the coverage was quite comprehensive from top to bottom.
It was around this time that the Princess Anguo Mansion, which had been quite quiet, became lively.
The first half are mostly relatives and friends. Of course, there are some people of noble status, but they are obviously the ones who have a close relationship with Xiaocao.
Last year, when Xiaocao celebrated her birthday, there were also many distinguished guests, but most of the nobles and bigwigs in the court did not come. This time was different, almost all of them came. Xiaocao not only had to entertain the female guests, but also had to greet the male guests. It was impossible for her to take care of everything with ease, but fortunately, everyone knew the limits.
Moreover, there are many people who can help, not to mention Wenren Taibo Han, but people like Princess Fukang and Madam Zhen, although they are not like the host family, it is completely fine for them to accompany. The older generation includes Madam Wenren and the old concubine of Dingbei County Prince's Mansion who can also help. Among the big guys, there is also Prince Duan. The younger generation includes Wenren Yang, Wei Tingyu, Fan Wuguo, Mu Bei and others. On the female side, there are Zhen Muyao, Princess Changning, and the Wenren family's own sisters. As long as they can hold up the place, there will be absolutely no problem.
Therefore, Xiaocao prepared for a tough battle, but it was not as "tragic" as expected.
Naturally, Xiaocao received all kinds of praise today. Fortunately, Xiaocao was already accustomed to this and could deal with it normally.
However, Xiaocao met relatively more people today, especially quite a few young people from various families. Apart from their superb medical skills and respected status, their demeanor and appearance were still quite attractive. Although they did not dare to act presumptuously in front of Xiaocao, they could not help but feel envious and jealous of Wei Tingyu.
In the past, they basically had no chance to see Wei Tingyu. Even after he was able to stand up, he still kept a low profile and did not have a wide circle of social contacts. Now that they have the chance, how can they not squeeze him and vent their anger.
Of course, no matter how much he squeezed, it was at most an implicit expression that he was lucky. If it only lasted for a year or two, Wei Tingyu would have no chance of getting hurt. He would not do anything excessive. After all, he was now the commander of Kaiping Guard. Not only did he crush his peers in rank, but he also had a special status and no one dared to offend him easily.
In comparison, Fan Wuguo was different. Although he knew the original situation of Xiaocao and Wei Tingyu, it did not stop him from watching the show happily. He even spoke out to help squeeze them from time to time. Others had concerns, but he did not.
Furthermore, Fan Wuguo can be regarded as Wei Tingyu's love rival to a certain extent. He has been encouraging Xiaocao to break off the engagement with Wei Tingyu and marry him from time to time. Or, if Xiaocao is unhappy in marriage, he will help her to get a divorce, and then he will marry her without any ambiguity. Or, even if he "curses" Xiaocao to become a widow early, he will still marry her.
Fan Wuguo has a bad temper, but people who really know him know that what he said might be a joke in front of Xiaocao, but if it really happened, the credibility is quite high.
Therefore, even though Prince Wei knew what was going on, he still couldn't help but feel jealous.
King Dingbei had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. Of course, he would not say anything. He now had a fiancée. If he meddled in other people's affairs, it would be disrespectful to his fiancée. If people noticed it, it would also affect Xiaocao's reputation. There were some things he could not do, so he restrained his reason and just watched from the sidelines.
As for Wen Renyang, from the very beginning, he didn't have a good impression of the person who stole his sister away. Moreover, he was a nerd, and even with so many people around, he would still be distracted from time to time. He seemed to be unaware of the situation of his future brother-in-law.
So it seems that Prince Wei is isolated and helpless, and very pitiful? Oh, that's totally wrong.
As the big winner, Wei Tingyu didn't care about this little thing at all. On the contrary, he had a faint smile on his face and his aura always remained at 2.80 meters, making people feel that he was showing off and he deserved a beating no matter how they looked at him.
So, after being squeezed for a long time, he was really furious, but he had to grit his teeth and endure it. Even the little bully didn't dare to beat him.
What to do when you are angry? The usual thing for Little Bully is to vent it.
Fan Wuguo rolled his eyes, as if thinking of something interesting. He raised the corner of his mouth, walked to Wen Renyang, and hooked his neck, "Nei, your brothers-in-law, the ones your sister let him experience giving birth, who are they? Are they here? Come out and let me meet them."
Wen Renyang's eyesight was not very good. Xiaocao initially wanted to buy him glasses, but there were no suitable materials and she did not look for them deliberately. Xiaocao did give him acupuncture treatment and controlled his reading. Although he did not fully recover, he was much better than before. After listening to Fan Wuguo's words, he did not think much and squinted his eyes to look for someone.
Before he could find the person, Zuo Guye, who was in a corner and tried his best to reduce his presence in the hope of being invisible for a day, could not stop trembling. Then, as expected, he was discovered. With so many people paying attention to him, Wen Renyang didn't need to look for him anymore, as a good person pulled him out.
Fan Wuguo walked over leisurely. The person in front of him was like a cowering quail. He sneered, "Your wife is from a well-known family. How dare you do that in front of her? I thought you were so bold that you could turn the tables at any time. Now you look like a little mouse in a dark corner."
Fan Wuguo's words caused laughter from the people around him.
Although the one-month punishment had long passed, Master Zuo didn't dare to go out, but sometimes he had to.
His condition was very bad. The physical "destruction" was actually nothing, it would pass and he would recover soon. What Brother Zuo suffered mainly was psychological trauma, which cast a shadow over him. Every time it was mentioned, the scar would probably be torn open again, and it would bleed.
However, Fan Wuguo has never been someone who would consider irrelevant people. Do you expect him to have a change of heart? Haha…
People like Zuo Guye don't deserve to be treated kindly.
"Come, tell us in detail what it's like to give birth and carry a child. Tell us in detail and in detail. If you don't tell it to warn other men, at least you can be more considerate of your wife's difficulty in giving birth and raising children."
Some people thought that it was surprising that this little bully was actually a kind and gentle man. In fact, they felt a little disdainful. It was natural for women to give birth to children. It had been like this since ancient times. This was also the greatest role of women. They were even angry at Xiaocao's behavior. However, because of Xiaocao's status, they dared not say anything, let alone do anything.
Son-in-law Zuo's lips trembled, and under Fan Wuguo's stare, he endured the great humiliation and spoke haltingly.
In the feudal dynasties, few men would ask their wives what it was like for a woman to give birth. Without having truly experienced it, listening to other people's descriptions still seems pale.
At least the little bully didn't feel much, stroking his chin, "Sister Anguo's hospital seems to have opened many departments, why don't you let her open a department specifically for men to experience childbirth?" He raised his head and glanced around with ill intent, "Let some of you go and experience it, maybe it will change something."
Fan Wuguo's words made many people shudder, and they felt that Fan Wuguo was simply an evil ghost!
However, when Mr. Zuo heard this, he felt strangely happy in his heart. Perhaps it was because he was not the only unlucky guy, not the only one who was ridiculed for being a grown man but "pregnant and giving birth to children", so he felt balanced in his heart.