238 Cousin Won’t Be Disgusted
This gave her hope, but in the end, it might have little effect. She had done something bad out of kindness. It was also because she had not thought it through in the past. She only felt that Nanny Xu was impressive and that she had lost weight, so she did not consider anything else.
Nanny Xu interrupted her with a smile. “Although you’re a little lacking in consideration, you’re just being kind. You’re also a half-grown child. Even if there are some mistakes, it’s fine. Eldest Madam Tang specially came to give you a thank-you gift today because she understands your intentions.”
Otherwise, this gift wouldn’t have been sent into the residence on the second day of Yu Youyao’s birthday banquet.
Yu Youyao shook her head. “It’s also because First Madam Tang and Fifth Sister Tang treat me sincerely that I’m worried that I won’t be able to help. I’ll only disappoint them.”
Nanny Xu handed her a cup of tea. “If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t have made a move so easily and made things difficult for you.”
Although Yu Youyao was a little lacking in consideration, she wasn’t considered rash. She didn’t take the initiative to give her the prescription. Instead, she prompted her and asked her to try it out. It was obvious that she had done a good job.
Yu Youyao’s eyes lit up and she threw herself into Nanny Xu’s arms, acting like a spoiled child. “Nanny dotes on me the most. Even if I lack consideration, she has already thought about it for me.” She looked at Nanny curiously. “I forgot to ask before. Why is Fifth Sister Tang so fat? Why can’t she lose weight?”
At the thought of what had happened at Fifth Sister Tang’s house, she was about to come up with a conspiracy theory.
Nanny Xu said, “It’s also a person’s physique. In such a situation, it’s not easy to lose weight without using some special methods. It’s not enough to just rely on medicine and eat less. We have to nourish our bodies and improve our physiques. Then, we have to practice the Body Modeling Technique and use it together.”
It was not that taking medicine and eating less was useless, but the results were minimal. Often, after eating a banquet, the fat would be eaten again, so it was not effective.
Yu Youyao nodded. “Nanny has seen such people before?”
Nanny Xu nodded. “Princess Liyang in the palace also had such a physique. The Empress Dowager likes Princess Liyang, so she asked me to help nurse her back to health. Princess Liyang has also lost weight now. In the future, her diet will be lighter and less oily. She will be able to maintain it if she insists on practicing the Body Modeling Technique every day.”
Princess Puyang was born to the Empress. She was a year younger than Yu Youyao and was very liked by the Empress Dowager.
Yu Youyao felt relieved. After asking Nanny Xu about the taboo topic of weight loss, she went to the study and took out a piece of paper to write a reply to Tang Yunxi.
First, she wrote down all the taboos about weight loss. It took her a total of three pages. Then, she wrote about her difficult experience when she first started losing weight.
After she was done, Yu Youyao showed it to Nanny Xu.
Nanny Xu nodded. “Losing weight isn’t something that can be done in a day. It requires perseverance. Most people give up halfway because they can’t take the hardship. This letter can be used to encourage her.”
With Yu Youyao’s hard work and successful experience of losing weight, Fifth Miss Tang would naturally be more confident. Even if it was difficult later on, she could grit her teeth and persevere.
This letter had also been painstakingly written.
“That’s what I think too.” Yu Youyao tilted her head. The box, which was only slightly larger than a baby’s palm, was made of rare and dark gold-threaded wood. The patterns were fine and beautiful. The golden threads shone brightly, making it look ancient and precious.
Ebony was an imperial material. All the materials used were regulated and each household could not exceed a certain amount.
Last night, she flaunted the seal her cousin had given her, but she did not dare to show off the ebony.
Since it was the size of a baby’s palm, it didn’t really overstep the rules. It was just that her cousin’s actions were a little too… unlike the Zhou family’s family background.
Due to its golden color, the Golden Steatite Stone had almost become exclusive to the royal family. The green field stone was even more popular with scholars because of its elegant appearance. The blood stone was red and pure, so it was more favored by the noble families.
However, the seal that her cousin made was made from the Golden Steatite Stone.
Yu Youyao shook off the strange thoughts in her mind and stroked the dense patterns of the ebony. Her lips curved into a smile. “Cousin just gave me a seal yesterday, but it already has a use today.”
Still laughing, she opened the box.
The longevity peach blossom stone was beautiful and glossy. No matter what, she would find it beautiful. With a blink of her eyes, she could tell that it was a little different. Even if she stared at it for a long time, she would not feel tired of it.
Yu Youyao had an idea.
She took out a high-grade piece of paper and placed it on the table. She used a paperweight to flatten it. Then, she picked out a brush that her cousin had given her. HeShegently dipped it in ink and wrote, “Shun was brought up in the fields, and Fu was brought up in a building…”
She held the brush in her fair hand and gently folded her jade wrist. The poem “Born in Troubles and Die in Peace” was completed in one breath. As she spoke, she looked left and right, looking forward to the future. There was actually a hint of lingering affection.
After writing it, Yu Youyao took a closer look and was very satisfied. “Cousin, you definitely didn’t expect that when we first met, the little girl who couldn’t even memorize the poem ‘Born in Troubles and Die in Peace’ and was scolded because her handwriting was too bad, could not only memorize it, but also write it now!”
When she finished speaking, her expression was smug. Her eyebrows couldn’t help but rise, and she looked even more energetic.
After admiring her “great work”, Yu Youyao took the seal that her cousin had given her and stroked it gently. Immediately, her hands were covered in grease. “Cousin gave me a seal so I’lll give him my first piece of calligraphy!”
Although her handwriting wasn’t as good as her cousin’s, he wouldn’t mind.
Yu Youyao opened the seal box and solemnly pressed the seal on the ink pad. She carefully pressed the seal stained with cinnabar to the place where she was supposed to sign.
The cinnabar seal landed on the pure white paper. Yu Youyao’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s actually a double fish seal.”
The seal was carved into the shape of a strange stone. Two embroidered fish, one above and one below, were in contact with each other. The fish’s body was carved with detailed scales, and every piece was exquisitely carved.
When she looked at the engraving, she couldn’t tell anything.
When it was used, the two goldfishes swayed their fish tails, looking vivid and lifelike. The apricot patterns and flowers were dyed red and looked like they were on a branch of an old village.
On the small inscription, there were a few strokes, but they formed a scene of mountains and rivers, old branches and apricots, and embroidered fish.
Yu Youyao suddenly recalled that day at the Precious Peace Temple. She had seen the old tree by the lake in full bloom, so she had wanted to break off a stalk of spring apricot and bring it home to make a sachet for her cousin. However, she had accidentally bumped into her cousin at the rock garden and had a strand of her hair cut off by a sword.
In her panic, she shouted, “Cousin, save me!”
Later, when the man in black disappeared, her cousin broke off a spring apricot for her. This spring apricot was a symbol of trust that her cousin had given her.
From then on, she and her cousin had secrets that belonged to them only, and she became closer to him.
Her cousin had engraved the scene at the Precious Peace Temple on a small seal. It was a secret that belonged only to them.