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After pondering for a moment, Shui Rong stretched out his hand and gently pinched Qingwen's chin. The touch was as smooth and delicate as silk satin, and it was slightly lifted. The fair and melon-seed face, without makeup, was filled with youthful tenderness.
"Hmm!" Qingwen's delicate body trembled, and the prince pinched his chin. What was he going to do?
Qingwen clenched the hem of her skirt with her hands, her cheeks were rosy, her eyelashes trembled slightly like twinkling stars, her heart was beating in her throat, she was a little breathless, she opened her cherry lips slightly, and stared at the prince in front of her with her petal-like eyes.
Qingwen's face was shy, but her bright eyes were round and revealed a stubbornness. She was indeed different from others.
With a chuckle, Shui Rong said with a smile: "This is much better looking, keep it up in the future. If you perform well, I can consider asking the princess to come to my side to serve you."
As for Qingwen, Shui Rong still thinks of the "brave Qingwen" in his heart. He can correct her arrogance, but he should not go to extremes.
Qingwen's eyes lit up when she heard this. Although she was a maid serving the prince at this time, she was only transferred to serve tea and water, and she would have to return to the princess soon.
The prince said this at this time, doesn't it mean that he intends to keep her by his side? It's not that it's not good to have her by the princess' side, but as the mistress's maid, doesn't she also have to serve the mistress?
Thinking of this, Qingwen's eyebrows showed joy and she responded: "I will do my duty well."
Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this. Qingwen didn't say that she would do it herself, but only stated her duty, which was quite good. He released the hand that was pinching Qingwen's chin. Now that he had said this, there was no need to say more.
Qingwen looked at Shuirong's back, the corners of her mouth curled up so much that a bottle could be hung on it, and she hurriedly followed with brisk lotus steps.
They walked all the way to Ning'an Hall. When the old woman opened the curtain and was about to step in, they heard a joyful cry from inside the hall, "Hey, it's messy."
PS: I went out with some friends today, so I didn’t write anything. Now there is only one chapter. I hope you can forgive me.
Chapter 100 Shui Rong: A group of women playing dominoes
Shui Rong had a strange look on his face, and couldn't help but wonder, wasn't that voice his stepmother? What was wrong?
With a puzzled look, Shui Rong walked in, only to see Concubine Beijing sitting facing south in front of a square table, Yuanchun sitting opposite, Tanchun sitting in the east, and Keqing sitting in the west, and a group of "women" sitting around the table playing dominoes.
He thought it was a "lose" but it turned out to be a win. He had reminded Yuanchun earlier that if she wanted to please her, she could play around with the dominoes. Now it seems that Yuanchun listened to his advice.
At this time, Concubine Beijing was winning the game, and her delicate face was filled with smiles. The tassels on her forehead fluttered, her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and the sound of silver bells kept ringing in her ears, making her like an elf in the forest.
Just when she was feeling proud, Concubine Beijing saw Shui Rong at the door. She was startled, covered her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, and coughed softly, pretending to say in a clear voice, "Brother Rong is here."
Being seen by my son in such an unruly state, I felt really ashamed.
Yuanchun and the others also noticed Shui Rong coming, and they all stood up hurriedly to greet him, especially Keqing. After a graceful greeting, she looked towards Shui Rong with her affectionate and charming eyes, which were like a crescent moon and a pool of clear blue water.
Seeing this, Shui Rong sighed in his heart. He knew that he had been somewhat neglectful of Yu Keqing since the day of their marriage, but there was nothing he could do about it. At the beginning of the marriage, if he did not stay in love with his new wife but instead ran away to his concubine, wouldn't that make his new wife think too much?
After all, Shui Rong was thinking about her in his heart, and he was definitely not coveting Yuanchun's beauty. Now that the beauty was feeling resentful, he had to find an opportunity to comfort her later.
At this time, Concubine Beijing came back to her senses, glanced at the graceful Yuanchun, and nodded gently, "Rong'er, why are you here?"
Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and he understood something in his heart, and said hurriedly: "I am here to pay my respects to my mother."
After hearing this, Concubine Beijing raised her lips, her eyebrows were filled with joy, but her tone was slightly blaming: "Stop kidding me, you monkey. You clearly came to see your wife, but you used paying respects as an excuse. Do you really think I don't know?"
Shui Rong was secretly dissatisfied after hearing this. He knew it, but if he hadn't said it like that, who would have known how Concubine Beijing felt disgusted. She was so old, yet she was still jealous of her son.
But even though he was complaining in his heart, he was not stupid enough to speak it out loud, so he stepped forward and said with a smile: "I came here specifically to pay my respects to my mother, you can't wrongly accuse me."
Hearing this, Concubine Beijing smiled even more. She reached out her hand and tapped Shui Rong's forehead lovingly, then said with a sidelong glance, "Yuanchun, this monkey is always good at coaxing people with his sweet words. You'd better be careful and don't be fooled by him."
Yuanchun's cheeks were slightly drunk. She looked up at Shui Rong, then lowered her eyebrows and responded. In her heart, she agreed with Concubine Beijing's words. Her husband was always saying sweet words, which touched her heart.
Shui Rong didn't care. He looked at the pile of copper coins in front of Concubine Beijing's desk. He understood in his heart why his mother was so happy. It turned out that she had won money. She didn't care about the copper coins. It was just that there were so many of them. It was obvious that she had been winning. It was natural for her to be in a good mood.
"You guys continue to play cards with your mother, don't let me spoil your fun."
It is quite pleasing to see Yuanchun and the others playing cards leisurely and comfortably. Don't let his arrival ruin their mood.
Tanchun, who was standing by, had an idea and said with a smile, "Since the prince is here, why don't we go to the table and have some fun together?"
Shui Rong frowned when he heard this. The title of Prince was obviously not as pleasant as brother-in-law. However, he also understood that with the presence of Concubine Beijing, it would be inappropriate for Tanchun to call him brother-in-law. Therefore, he did not care about it and just let her call him brother-in-law a few more times in private.
Seeing that Tanchun had given up the brocade stool, Shui Rong knew what was going on. He stepped forward and gently pressed Tanchun's thin shoulders, pressing her onto the brocade stool, and said softly, "Third sister, you guys play your own games, I'll just watch from the side."
Tanchun felt the warm hands on her shoulders, and her cheeks turned red. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and she responded lightly without saying anything.
Shui Rong didn't say much. He moved to sit down next to Concubine Beijing and said with a smile, "Mother won't dislike the child being around!"
Upon hearing this, Concubine Beijing smiled and felt much more relaxed. She glared at Shui Rong but ignored him and turned to ask Yuanchun and the others to continue. It was obvious that she was in high spirits.
Not long after, the girls were looking at the cards, and Shui Rong suddenly said: "By the way, mother, the area in the east courtyard is about to be renovated. I think we should hire someone to renovate it, so that Yuanchun can live there. Mother What do you think?"
Concubine Beijing raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly. Although she didn't understand Shui Rong's intention, she thought it was not a big deal, so she said casually: "You monkey can do whatever you want."
Shui Rong was delighted to hear this. The reason he brought up this matter was because Yuanchun's current courtyard was next to Ning'an Hall. He was afraid that Concubine Beijing would not be satisfied with Yuanchun, so he wanted to make Yuanchun and Concubine Beijing feel a little distant. As the saying goes, distance creates beauty.
Seeing that Concubine Beijing agreed, Shui Rong immediately said to Yuanchun: "Yuanchun, since you are the housekeeper now, you will be in charge of this matter. You live in this place, so you can decide what style you like."
The girls' courtyards are naturally chosen by themselves, so they can show off their beauty.
Yuanchun has always been a quiet person, so she naturally wouldn't say much. Besides, her husband also let her make the decision herself, which made her happy, so she agreed with a smile.
Shui Rong nodded gently, turned his eyes to look at Tanchun, and said softly: "It's the same for the third sister. You can choose a place in the East Courtyard by yourself. If you need anything, let your sister buy it. Don't save money. If your sister is stingy, I will help you."
Tanchun was flattered when she heard this. She had originally lived in a side courtyard of the Jia family, but now she had been married into the prince's palace. Her status had not even been determined yet, but she had been awarded a courtyard, and she was allowed to choose it herself. It was really shocking.
But she also knew that the prince doted on her, and her heart trembled involuntarily. Her bright eyes slightly raised as she looked at the gentle young man.
Shui Rong didn't care about it. Since everyone around him was his, he naturally wouldn't be stingy. Now Yuanchun and Tanchun had been arranged, the only one left was Keqing, so Shui Rong turned his attention to Keqing.
Keqing had been secretly glancing at Shui Rong, and when she saw his gaze coming towards her, she shyly lowered her eyes and sorted out the dominoes in his hand.
Shui Rong was moved when he saw this. He hadn't seen Keqing for a few days and she seemed to be even more charming than before. Could this be what "one day without seeing you feels like three years" means?
"Ke'er, the same goes for you. If you need anything, please ask Yuanchun to send someone to buy it for you."
Keqing responded softly when she heard this. To her, she didn't care where she lived. The key was Shui Rong's concern for her and that the prince had not forgotten her.
Yuanchun agreed to all of them. After all, this was not a preference for Keqing. Her third sister should receive the same treatment. Besides, her husband always entrusted things to her, so her status was obvious.
The card game was in full swing. Shui Rong looked at the dominoes in Concubine Beijing's hand. He leaned back a little, pointed his right index finger at his chest, and stretched out his left hand with two index fingers to point at Yuanchun who was sitting opposite him.
Yuanchun suddenly realized something when she saw this. Her delicate cheeks turned red and her starry eyes were as clear as autumn water.
Husband, too, why do you have to point there?
With a light spit, Yuanchun held a domino in her bare hands and said, "Two cakes."
Naturally, Tanchun and Keqing also saw Shuixun's movements. Tanchun's gestures were shallow and he didn't understand its meaning. He just understood that it was the word "two", while Keqing's gestures were rich and clear at a glance. She blushed and lowered her eyes in silence.
"Oh, that's wrong."
When Concubine Beijing saw Erbing played, she happily spread out the dominoes in her hand.
Shui Rong looked at Yuanchun meaningfully. He knew that Yuanchun played dominoes just to please Concubine Beijing, so he offered to help. However, he was just trying it out and was worried that Yuanchun might not understand. He did not expect Yuanchun to understand it immediately. The couple was one and understood each other very well. As a husband, he was very pleased.
Yuanchun was unaware of Shui Rong's inner complaints. She took out a copper coin from the box and handed it to the daughter of Concubine Beijing. She said softly, "Mother is a great card player. If this continues, I will lose all my wealth."
Concubine Beijing raised her eyes and glanced at Yuanchun. In fact, she knew everything in her heart. At the moment, this daughter-in-law was just trying to please her. No matter how many tricks there were, at least Yuanchun's attitude made her satisfied.
After a pause, Concubine Beijing smiled and said, "Your family is very wealthy, but you still care about these trivial things. You are so petty."
When Yuanchun married into the palace, the Jia family prepared a generous dowry for her. Those were Yuanchun's personal property and had nothing to do with the palace. It was not an exaggeration to say that Yuanchun was a rich woman at this time.
Listening to the reprimand from Concubine Beijing, Yuanchun was not surprised but happy. It seemed that Concubine Beijing's tone was clearly a teasing remark, not a reprimand, which was a good thing for Yuanchun. So she humbly said, "Mother, I will keep this in mind in the future and will not lose the dignity of the palace outside."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Beijing felt relieved. Although her daughter-in-law was a little older, she knew how to respect her parents-in-law, be considerate of her husband, and was good at talking. She was really good.
Thinking of this, Concubine Beijing suddenly said, "Speaking of which, the day of 'returning to the parents' home' is coming soon. I have to prepare some thoughtful gifts for my in-laws if they have any preferences."
The so-called "returning home" means that on the third, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth day or the full month after the marriage, the son-in-law returns to her parents' home with the bride, bringing gifts to pay respects to his wife's parents and relatives. The ceremony of becoming a son-in-law, which started with the personal welcoming, is considered complete.
When Yuanchun heard Concubine Beijing take the initiative to mention the matter of "returning home" and also asked for some thoughtful gifts to be prepared, her heart couldn't help but feel happy. After all, this showed that Concubine Beijing valued her.
Shui Rong was unaware of him and said with a smile, "Don't worry, mother. I have prepared everything well and nothing will go wrong."
Shui Rong naturally attached great importance to the matter of "returning home", so he prepared the return gifts early.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Beijing rolled her eyes at Shui Rong, but didn't say anything and continued playing dominoes.
Yuanchun was delighted. She looked at Shuirong with her beautiful starry eyes, and her heart was as sweet as honey.
Chapter 101 Keqing Missed Him
After the card game, everyone sat for a while and then left. Keqing returned to the warm room of her suite, sat sideways on a brocade cushion, and started drinking tea from the cup in her delicate hands.
"Miss, the prince is here." At this moment, Shuangjiang entered the inner room and called out with a smile.
Keqing was delighted when she heard that. She turned around and saw a tall figure standing in the room with the same warm face.
Shui Rong looked at the beauty beside the couch with his eyes. She was wearing a light pink dress, with a graceful figure, an exquisite face filled with joy, and her charming eyes were crystal clear.
"Ke'er." Shui Rong moved closer and called softly.
Keqing's eyes were full of light, and she whispered, "Why is the prince here?"
Shui Rong chuckled when he heard that. Why did he come here? Of course, he came to comfort the beauty in front of him.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong took the beautiful woman's hand and sat on the embroidered couch with her. Looking at her trembling eyes, he said softly, "I missed my daughter Ke'er, so I came to see her."
Keqing listened to the prince's love words, her heart trembled slightly, her graceful body couldn't help but soften, she fixed her eyes and said angrily, "The prince and my sister are living together, how can he still think of me."
Shui Rong smiled when he heard this. He was not surprised by Keqing's jealousy. It should be noted that love between men and women is selfish, which is why women are jealous.
A closer look reveals that no one in the world can be truly selfless. Take the gentle and virtuous Yuanchun for example. She can be very tolerant of her husband's concubine. But if Shui Rong stayed overnight at Keqing's place at the beginning of their marriage, she would feel disgusted in her heart even if she didn't say it on her face.
At this time, it depends on how the husband strikes a balance.
Of course, if one doesn't care, then there is no such thing as jealousy. Doesn't Keqing's behavior also show that the beauty's mind is on Shui Rong? She is a person with an open mind. She is just acting coquettishly and complaining in front of him. She is not a narrow-minded person. Shui Rong has personally tested this.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong stretched out his hands to hold the beauty's soft face. Looking at her beautiful face like peach blossoms, there was no need to say anything at this time, just cover it up. So Shui Rong leaned over and held two petals of peach blossoms in his mouth.
After a moment, Keqing's cheeks turned red, her bright eyes were a little blurred, her small mouth was breathing softly, and her delicate body was leaning in Shui Rong's arms, almost unable to control herself.
"Ke'er, did you miss me?"
Shui Rong bit her ear lightly and whispered softly.
Keqing's cheeks were rosy and she glanced at Shuirong with her charming eyes. How could she respond to this? Could she say that she missed the prince? So Keqing said "hmm" in a trembling voice and said no more.
Shui Rong knew that Keqing was shy, so she pursed her lips. Suddenly, Shui Rong raised his eyebrows, lowered his eyes to look at Keqing's bare hands stirring the spoon, and felt melancholy in his heart. Keqing was still the same Keqing.
After unbuttoning Keqing's skirt and reaching inside, Shui Rong asked, "Ke'er, is the princess treating you well?"
In the eyes of everyone, the mistress Yuanchun treats Keqing well. Not to say that they are really like sisters, but her attitude is correct and there is nothing wrong with it.
Shui Rong was asking this question even though he knew the answer. He was just trying to comfort the beauty in front of him and let her feel that Shui Rong valued her. Girls need to be loved and cared for, and this was what he wanted.