Carrying the pigeon soup, she arrived at the outer study. The study was lit, and a middle - aged servant stood guard at the door. He had served Shi Yongtang since childhood and was early on given the surname Shi.
Shi Ning'an smiled brightly at him. “Uncle Qiang, is Father busy?”
Shi Qiang also smiled gently. “Miss is here? Please come in quickly.”
The servants around Xu Youqing, in both her past and present lives, always looked down on Shi Ning'an. But Shi Yongtang was different. The people around him were as slippery as he was. No matter how disdainful they were in their hearts, they would show a humble and gentle attitude on the surface.
As for calling her “Miss”, it was because Shi Qingmei's identity was rather awkward. The servants in the mansion didn't know how to address her, so they simply continued to call Shi Qingmei the “Eldest Miss” and Shi Ning'an “Miss”, just like before. There was also a concubine - born daughter in the Shi family named Shi Ningxin, who was originally called the “Second Miss”. Now she was directly called “Miss Xin”. These days, Shi Ningxin had been following her grandmother to pray to Buddha and hadn't returned yet.
Shi Ning'an walked in briskly. Before entering the room, she poked her head out first, showing two buns with a circle of fluffy red velvet flowers on them, looking extremely cute.
When Shi Yongtang saw her, his mood brightened. He put down his pen and waved. “Ning'an is here? Come in quickly.”
Shi Ning'an placed the pigeon soup in front of Shi Yongtang and sat on the chair beside him. Leaning on her hand, she looked at Shi Yongtang eagerly. “Father, try it quickly. This is freshly stewed pigeon soup. It's been stewed for a whole hour. Great - aunt said that pigeon soup is the most nourishing.”
Shi Yongtang had already had dinner and wasn't hungry, but he couldn't resist his daughter's pleading. So he picked up the soup ladle and took a sip. Maybe because he wasn't hungry, it just tasted average.
He looked up into his daughter's bright eyes and nodded. “Ning'an is really capable. This soup is delicious.”
Shi Ning'an had been cherished and grown up by her great - aunt. How could she be asked to cook? But after marrying Wei Hongmiao in her past life, she felt that she should fulfill her duties as a wife, so she learned to make various soups.
But today she didn't do it herself. She just gave the order, and the rest was left to the kitchen staff. Since it was for the master, how could those cooks not do their best?
Shi Yongtang drank half a bowl and said he couldn't drink anymore. Shi Ning'an didn't force him and asked Lu'er to clear the dishes and leave first.
“Father, do you like it? If you do, Ning'an will make it for you every day from now on, okay?”
Shi Yongtang laughed and got up to stroke Shi Ning'an's head. “Silly girl. There are cooks in the mansion. Why do you need to make it every day? You're my daughter. Just live a privileged life.”
Shi Ning'an then acted coquettishly. “I'm not a girl raised in the capital. You don't know that for girls in Nanling, swimming and fishing in summer are common things. They're not that delicate.”
Shi Yongtang's eyes darkened. After a long time, he pursed his lips and sighed. “Fine. You're my Shi Yongtang's daughter. You don't need to be so restricted.”
Shi Ning'an's eyes lit up. “Really?”
Shi Yongtang nodded. “Of course it's true. But there's only one thing. The necessary rules must not be abolished.”
Shi Ning'an immediately smiled and wrapped her arm around Shi Yongtang's. “Father is the best to Ning'an.”
Shi Yongtang asked Shi Ning'an to write and paint. After looking at them, he just sighed. After a long time, he only sighed, “Fine.”
Shi Ning'an was a bit unhappy and reached out to rummage through the scrolls on the cabinet. “I'm going to see how good Father's paintings are that he dislikes mine so much.”
With this touch, a scroll tied on the high shelf fell down.
“Don't touch it!” Shi Yongtang shouted.
Shi Ning'an was a bit stunned. In both her past and present lives, Shi Yongtang had always been a polite person. Even when he was extremely angry, he had never roared like this.
She stared with wide eyes, tears welling up in them. She subconsciously called out, “Father?”
Shi Yongtang failed to catch the scroll. The cord of the scroll came loose, and the whole scroll fell to the ground and slowly unfurled. There was a bright and charming girl on the painting, smiling sweetly and looking tenderly. Looking closely, she actually resembled Shi Ning'an about five - tenths.
It had to be said that Shi Yongtang's painting skills were excellent. The girl sitting on the swing seemed as if she was about to swing at any moment. There seemed to be an inscription in the lower - right corner of the scroll, but it was unclear because of the wrinkles. Only two characters could be seen clearly.
“Gengyou”
This portrait was of her mother, Rong Shuyu.
But Shi Ning'an had the memories of her past life. She knew that Shi Yongtang didn't like her mother at all. Her father looked down on her mother in his heart and even hated her deeply. It was her mother who had taken a fancy to Shi Yongtang, the newly - crowned champion, at first sight and threatened him with his future to marry her.
The year Gengyou was the year before last. Judging from the paper and ink of the scroll, it was clearly not an old work from more than a decade ago. But why did her father paint such a portrait of her mother the year before last?
Shi Yongtang's eyes were filled with embarrassment and hatred. His hands were a bit shaky as he slowly picked up the scroll and put it away. After a long time, he looked up. “It's nothing. Just a painting. It's getting late. Ning'an, go back first.”
Shi Ning'an looked at his hands with protruding veins and didn't say anything else. She bowed and left.
Did Shi Yongtang actually like her mother? No, it was impossible. In her past life, she had heard with her own ears how Shi Yongtang had talked about his late wife. He had even scolded her in front of her for being too similar to Rong Shuyu, which made him loathe her.
Moreover, everyone in the Shi mansion, from top to bottom, said that the former mistress only knew how to enjoy herself and didn't know how to manage the household. She had messed up the whole Shi mansion, causing it to decline and almost never recover.
In her past life, she had been so stupid that she actually thought that it was all her mother's fault that the Shi family was only a newly - risen noble family and not a famous and prestigious clan. But she didn't expect that the Shi family was originally an ordinary family. If it weren't for the support of the Rong family, how could the Shi family have achieved what it had today with a champion who served only three years at a time?
It was ridiculous that Shi Yongtang had used Rong Shuyu's status to make the Shi family rise step by step, but at the same time, he deeply hated Rong Shuyu, thinking that he had been forced to marry the Rong family's daughter.
Xu Youqing sent another mammy over. It was Mammy Zhao, who was familiar to her from her past life. But compared to her extreme strictness in the past life, Mammy Zhao was extremely kind at this moment. She only taught etiquette and didn't talk much about the rules.
Shi Ning'an was very curious and asked once.
Mammy Zhao explained, “The master pities the young lady and said not to restrain her too much.”
Lu'er was extremely happy when she heard this. She took Shi Ning'an's hand. “Miss, the master dotes on you so much. I heard that the master didn't indulge the cousin - miss like this.”
Shi Ning'an frowned slightly and smiled, but she was actually disdainful in her heart. This kind of doting from Shi Yongtang was more like teasing a cat or a dog. He thought she was cute, so he gave her a little more care, and then Xu Youqing didn't dare to act rashly.
Xu Youqing also sent over clothes and jewelry. The fabrics were brand - new, and the jewelry was all shiny gold. At first glance, they were all valuable things. Shi Ning'an asked Cuizhi to put them all away.
It wasn't until the day of the Rong family's banquet that Shi Yongtang led the whole family and was about to go to the Rong family. They waited and waited at the door, but Shi Ning'an didn't come.
Shi Yongtang was a bit impatient. “Doesn't Ning'an know what day it is today?”
Xu Youqing quickly replied, “It shouldn't be. I was afraid that she would be scared on her first time going out, so I specially sent Mammy Xu by my side to accompany her. Qiuju, go to Jingbo Garden and see what's going on.”
Just as she was speaking, they saw a red - dressed girl walking over in a hurry.
Shi Qingmei looked up and her face showed an unhappy expression. This time, she had deliberately chosen a red dress because her dignified temperament was most suitable for wearing a bright red dress. And the clothes for Shi Ning'an were chosen by her. She had deliberately chosen a dark blue and a rose - pink color that didn't suit her complexion. Why didn't Shi Ning'an wear them?
Xu Youqing was also stunned. She stepped forward and sized up Shi Ning'an slightly. She pulled her and asked, “Are the clothes I prepared not to your liking?”
Shi Ning'an shook her head. “The clothes prepared by the mistress were made according to cousin's size, right?”
Xu Youqing was taken aback. She subconsciously glanced at Shi Yongtang and explained with an embarrassed smile, “You've only been back for a few days. There wasn't enough time to make new clothes.”
Shi Ning'an spread her hands. “I didn't know before. I thought those two sets of clothes were too complicated, so I didn't wear them. When I got up this morning and tried them on again, I found that the waist was one size too big, but the chest was so tight that I couldn't wear them. I had to quickly change into my old clothes.”
Xu Youqing frowned and said, “Your figure seems to be about the same as Qingmei's.”
Shi Ning'an tossed out a sentence, “The Zeng family doesn't advocate being thin as beautiful. Great - aunt is always worried that I don't eat well, so she makes me take supplements every day. I'm not as slender and delicate as cousin.”
Shi Qingmei's face immediately flushed red. If it was just about being fat or thin, it would be okay. But just now, Shi Ning'an had said that the waist of the clothes was too big and the chest was too tight. This clearly meant that her chest was not as big as hers and her waist was thicker.
This Shi Ning'an was really from the countryside. She dared to say anything in public. How shameless.
Seeing that Shi Ning'an had already gotten into the carriage, Shi Yongtang didn't care about their verbal sparring. He quickly said, “Okay, get into the carriage quickly.”
Shi Qingmei and Shi Ning'an were in the same carriage. But because Shi Ning'an had gotten in first and taken the main seat, Shi Qingmei had to sit on one side.
This carriage was much more luxurious than the one that had gone to Nanling to pick up Shi Ning'an. The carriage was filled with a fragrant smell, which was the peach - blossom fragrance that Shi Qingmei liked the most.
After Shi Ning'an got into the carriage, she opened the curtain and mumbled, “The smell is too strong. I don't like it.”
Shi Qingmei was very polite. She closed the curtain and took out a bottle of refreshing medicine and handed it to Shi Ning'an. “Sister, there are many rules in the capital. Now that we're noble ladies, it's not good to show ourselves in public. If you're not feeling well, use this refreshing potion. Smell it under your nose, and you'll feel much better.”
Shi Ning'an didn't take it and continued to mumble, “Father rambled on for so long last night, as if he was afraid that we would embarrass ourselves at the Rong family. The Rong family is my maternal grandfather's family. Do I have to flatter them when I go there?”
Shi Qingmei was secretly happy in her heart. She quickly resumed her posture. “Sister, don't talk like that. A girl should be humble and patient, but she can't lose the dignity of the Shi family. It's true that the Rong family is a noble family, but the Shi family is not an ordinary small family either. Father and they are colleagues in the court, and Father is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a first - rank official.”
Shi Ning'an pretended not to understand. She nodded blankly and asked, “My father is already a first - rank official. Why is the Rong family still so overbearing? Do they have a higher official position?”
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, it wasn't just about the official position. The title was more important. The Rong family was a duke family, a noble family for hundreds of years. The Rong Mansion had produced the national - protecting marshals for generations. How could an ordinary official be compared with them?
Shi Qingmei glanced at Shi Ning'an and thought that this country girl really knew nothing. She patiently explained, “Sister, don't be afraid. The power of the Rong Mansion cannot be underestimated, but Father is a civil official while the Rong family are military officials. Now that the Great Zhou Dynasty is in good weather and the country is prosperous and the people are at peace, it's a time that values civil officials. In comparison, Father is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the head of the six ministries. How can an ordinary official family be compared with him?”
Shi Ning'an's eyes flickered slightly. It was the same words. She didn't say anything.
Shi Qingmei added, “Sister, you've just come back from Nanling and don't know many people. You may be scared. Just follow me then. But I've told you many times. Just call me sister. Don't call me cousin anymore. Do you understand?”
The carriage swayed from side to side. Shi Qingmei looked up and saw that Shi Ning'an was closing her eyes to rest. She was nodding bit by bit.