Chapter 453: Running into the students of Anzhou Academy (1)
A Blessed Daughter
Chapter 453: Running into the students of Anzhou Academy (1)
Translator : Virichime
This translation made by Moonlight Teatime.
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Listening to everyone speak in turn to praise Wei Ruo, Yun Shi felt a shared sense of pride, and her mood inevitably lifted.
Wei Qingwan’s expression, on the other hand, was indescribably ugly. One “Miss Wei” after another—as if the only “Miss Wei” present was Wei Ruo alone.
As for Wei Ruo, who was being praised, she merely smiled. She did not take those compliments to heart.
Setting aside how much sincerity there was in their praise, she had never helped the villagers of Xishan Village for the sake of fame in the first place.
The group continued forward and soon arrived at a courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence. It was a place the Assistant Magistrate’s wife had reserved in advance for everyone to rest and have a meal.
After all, she had brought the ladies and young misses out for a spring outing—it was impossible for them to walk all day. They were all delicately raised. Not to mention a full day, even an hour of walking would be too much.
The courtyard was quite spacious. The front yard was open and fenced in, with seven or eight rooms inside. To one side grew a small grove of peach trees. It looked nothing like an ordinary farmhouse courtyard, and more like a retreat specially built by a wealthy family for leisure and rest.
What the Assistant Magistrate’s wife said afterward confirmed Wei Ruo’s guess.
The courtyard had been built by Old Master Xu ten years ago as a summer retreat.
To welcome the ladies and young misses, the Assistant Magistrate’s wife had already sent people ahead to clean the place and had left several attendants behind to serve tea and pastries.
Several square tables were set up in the open courtyard. After entering, everyone took their seats.
Yun Shi led Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan to sit at a relatively secluded spot.
Seeing that Wei Qingwan did not look well, Yun Shi asked with concern, “Wanwan, are you feeling unwell? Did you catch a chill?”
“I’m fine. Just a bit tired,” Wei Qingwan replied, her expression still unpleasant.
“That’s good, then rest for a while,” Yun Shi said, reassured.
She then looked at Wei Ruo, her gaze gentle and tinged with pride. “Ruo’er did very well today.”
Wei Ruo did not respond. Instead, she gazed absently beyond the bamboo fence.
At that moment, the sound of approaching hoofbeats grew louder, and in the distance, a group of young gentlemen on horseback rode past the area.
*Hoofbeats are the sound made by a horse’s hooves striking the ground as it walks, trots, or gallops.
Amid the crowd, Wei Ruo spotted Wei Yichen. Among the others was also a familiar face—Lu Yuhong.
Since Chu Lan was currently in Taizhou Prefecture, Lu Yuhong’s appearance here was not surprising.
Wei Ruo looked more closely. Chu Lan was nowhere to be seen. Good—fewer annoying people meant a better mood.
Yun Shi and Wei Qingwan also noticed Wei Yichen.
“Mother, that looks like Eldest Brother!” Wei Qingwan said excitedly.
“Yes, it is your eldest brother,” Yun Shi confirmed, then guessed, “They are probably students from Anzhou Academy on an outing together.”
While Yun Shi and the others were looking toward Wei Yichen, Wei Yichen and those accompanying him had also noticed the group of ladies in the courtyard.
Among them were several, like Wei Yichen, who had family members present in the courtyard.
The group came to a stop. Since propriety dictated a clear separation between men and women, none of them approached rashly.
At this moment, Xu Fengyuan, the eldest son of the Assistant Magistrate Xu, said, “Today should be the day my mother invited the ladies here for a spring outing. I’ll go over and pay my respects.”
After speaking, Xu Fengyuan dismounted and walked to the entrance of the courtyard.
The Assistant Magistrate’s wife came out to meet him, her face lighting up at the sight of her son.
“Your son greets Mother.”
“Since you and your classmates happen to be passing by, why not stay and rest for a while? Have some tea,” the Assistant Magistrate’s wife said. “There’s a separate courtyard accessible through the side gate, completely apart from the front yard.”
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