Chapter 31 - What a Good Sister!

On the way back to the Shen mansion, Bai Ruo seemed to have something to say, but she hesitated. Shen Ninghua looked at her for a long time and asked, “Do you think I did something wrong today?”

Bai Ruo quickly regained her presence of mind, “No. I just feel that you seemed to care too much about that Master Chu. He broke into…into your boudoir many times, and your reputation…”

Shen Ninghua leaned against the carriage and couldn’t stop laughing, “Ha, you’ve always been the most intelligent girl. Why did you suddenly become stupid today?”

“Miss…” Bai Ruo’s face flushed. Although she didn’t understand the reason, she felt extremely embarrassed.

“Chu Junyi absolutely has an extraordinary status. Although I don’t know why he became the adoptive son of the Xiao family or why he helped me many times, there’s no harm to make friends with such a person. As for reputation, haha, what’s the use of that? ”

If you were powerful, even if you know nothing except eating, drinking and playing, there would still be people who flattered you. Once you became helpless and powerless, even if you had the best conduct in the world, there would still be people who trampled you on the ground. Reputation was the most worthless thing in this world!

“Miss, if you allow the situation to go on, I’m afraid the first lady will make a fuss about it.”

Shen Ninghua did not say a word, but Hong Ling aside could not help it. “The first lady has always been an evil woman. Even if miss does not provoke her, she will not tolerate miss. Now she can only use miss’s marriage as a leverage against her. When the time comes, let her get sick or give her a…in advance. Well, then we’ll see how she makes more trouble for miss.”

As she said this, she stretched out her hand and made a killing gesture around her neck. Shen Ninghua chuckled, “Hong Ling is getting smarter. You have caught up with Bai Ruo.”

The maids talked and laughed until the carriage arrived at the Shen mansion. Shen Ninghua restrained her smile, tidied her dress and let Bai Ruo and Bi Zhu help her get off the carriage.

A maid came up to greet her at once, “First Young Lady, you are back. The old lady said that we are holding a welcoming banquet for the young master today. She is expecting you at the banquet.”

“Well, I see. I’ll get dressed and go by myself.”

“Yes, then I’ll leave.”

Back in Yingyue Courtyard, Shen Ninghua changed her clothes, dressed herself up and told Bai Ruo, “Today my younger brother Xuanhua is back. As his elder sister, I should send him a nice gift to make him pleased. Bai Ruo, take the book on my desk. That would be my gift to him.”

“Miss, isn’t that your manuscript?”

Shen Ninghua loved practicing calligraphy very much. She began to copy this manuscript three days ago and ordered Bai Ruo to bind it yesterday.

Shen Ninghua said blandly, “Although it’s my manuscript, Xuanhua is my brother, and there’s nothing improper to give it to him. Come on, don’t keep grandma waiting.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Today, old lady Xiao was especially happy. The Shen family had always been known for producing government officials. Shen Xuanhua had always been a brave boy since he was a kid. When he was only several years old, he declared in front of her to become a general and win honor for the Shen family. Old lady Xiao also particularly liked this lively grandson. This time, although he only marched with the army and didn’t make any contribution, but this was enough for a 13-year old boy.

If it wasn’t for General Su, who dared to let a 13-year-old go to war? Nobody expected that he not only went to the battlefield but also stayed there until the war ended.

As soon as Shen Ninghua entered the door, she heard old lady Xiao’s voice, “Hua’er, you haven’t seen your eldest sister. She has just come back from recuperation. Hurry up and greet her.”

Shen Ninghua looked up. Old lady Xiao’s face was kind and full of smile, no sign of her previous coldness. “You are much taller than before, brother Xuanhua.”

Shen Xuanhua was tall, and he was stronger than most teenagers of his age probably because of his life in the army. Shen Ninghua stood in front of him and barely reached the height of his shoulder. But he seemed very shy. When he heard Shen Ninghua’s words, his face flushed, “Greetings, eldest sister.”

“Greetings, brother Xuanhua. I’ve come in a hurry and didn’t prepare more gifts. This book is a welcome gift for you.”

Shen Xuanhua paused. He had received gifts from other sisters, which were nothing other than ink, paper and inkstone, pouch, clothes and so on. This eldest sister gave him a book, which made him feel surprised. Therefore, without letting the servant receive the gift, he took the book directly from Bai Ruo.

Suddenly a girl in a pink dress smiled and said, “This book is very new. It’s just been bound, and I think it’s just copied these two days. Elder sister, I understand that you came home late and didn’t have time to prepare a gift, but why didn’t you tell mother to prepare one for you? Why using this book as a perfunctory gift?”

This girl was Shen Yulan, the daughter of the sixth concubine. Shen Ninghua had been busy recently. She met Shen Yulan a few times, but they didn’t have much interaction. Unexpectedly, Shen Yulan took the initiative to provoke her today.

Shen Linghan was drinking tea with her head down. The tea bowl was decorated with white porcelain and blue and white flowers and was very beautiful. Shen Ninghua, however, could tell the complacency in her look.

“Mother has always been busy, and I can’t help her. How can I be so inconsiderate as to bother her with such trivial matters? Younger sister, you are 12 years old. There are many things that can be done by yourself. Don’t bother others.”

Shen Yulan didn’t think so. Instead, she boasted proudly, “Mother is fond of me. I don’t need to do those things.”

With a faint smile, Shen Ninghua glanced over the sixth concubine who was sitting aside with a pale face and said, “Really…”

Shen Yulan suddenly stopped and felt cold when she saw her mother’s awkward expression. She had boasted she was loved by her “mother”, Madam Zhao, but how could she forget her birth mother?

Madam Su glanced at Shen Yulan. The girl made a mess at Hua’er’s welcoming banquet. How dared she! “Are you two sisters standing there to be door guards for us? Come and sit down.”

Madam Su’s words reminded Shen Xuanhua. His eyes shone brightly and he pulled Shen Ninghua’s sleeve, “Thank you, eldest sister. This book is very precious. I don’t know how to thank you. ”

Shen Ninghua said with a smile, “I said it is a gift for you. We are sister and brother, there is no need to mention thanks at all.”

Shen Ninghua’s eyes and eyebrows were clear and brilliant. The moment she smiled, people seemed to see a hundred flowers blooming, which was so attractive that people couldn’t move their eyesight away from her. Shen Xuanhua’s face became more blushed. Shen Linghan was also his sister, but she was always arrogant and their relationship was restricted to the daily greetings. Now that he has met Shen Ninghua, he suddenly understood his friend’s pride when mentioning his elder sister. “I know, but still thank you, eldest sister. If you need to do something, just tell me.”

It was rare to see such a lad with childish sincerity. Shen Ninghua stopped exchanging polite formalities with him. She smiled and took the seat. Madam Su, however, smiled more cheerfully, and teased them with old lady Xiao, “Look, old lady, Ninghua abducted her brother with a book. This silly boy is even willing to take whatever orders from Ninghua. Hua’er, tell us, what can you do for your eldest sister? ”

Shen Xuanhua scratched his head, “Mom, I’ll do whatever my eldest sister needs. I’m sure I can help her anyway.”

Madam Su smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “Go to your father’s table quickly. People at our table are going to start eating.”

“It’s just a shoddy book. What’s so great about it?” Shen Yulan murmured to herself rather angrily. Madam Su glanced at her coldly and she quickly shut up.

Shen Xuanhua was a man and the center of this banquet. Naturally, he did not sit with the women. Apart from Shen Yulan, everyone else at the table looked happy.

Today they had a family banquet, and the atmosphere was more relaxed than usual. No matter how anxious the first lady was to defeat Shen Ninghua, she would not choose to make trouble on such an occasion. Shen Ninghua was also happy about that.

When the banquet approached the end, the old lady led the others to the stage to watch opera.

Shen Ninghua walked slowly in the back. As she passed through an ambulatory, there was a slight clicking sound. Qing Que immediately stepped forward to protect her and alerted, “Miss?”

Shen Ninghua glanced over the flowers not far away. She curled her lips and shook her head, “Ignore it.”

The opera had begun and the actors were performing with exquisite makeups. Shen Ninghua, however, wasn’t interested at all. She didn’t like watching opera, nor did she enjoy the plots that depicted the vicissitudes of life on the stage. But she didn’t express her dislike and accompanied old lady Xiao all the time. She stayed until the banquet was over.

She had just walked a few steps when she suddenly thought of the sound she heard in the flowers before. Therefore, she turned around to take that path. But as soon as she reached the corridor, a clot of mud flew towards her.

Qing Que helped her block the attack. Then she jumped to the flower bed and caught Shen Xuanlin in her hand, who had dirt all over his face.

“Let go of me, you bold slave maid. Let go of me.”

Shen Ninghua looked coldly at the struggling wolf cub, and suddenly she became interested, “Qing Que, let him go!”

Qing Que suddenly released her hand. Without a look at Shen Xuanlin who had fallen to the ground, she went and stood near Shen Ninghua on guard.

Shen Xuanlin got up from the ground. His palms were broken but he didn’t care. He raised his eyes and looked angrily at Qing Que.

Shen Ninghua glanced over his wet clothes and asked in a cold voice, “Why are you here alone?”

“None of your business.” When Shen Xuanlin saw Shen Ninghua’s cold eyes, he was afraid for some reason, but his tone remained tough.

“Wherever you want to be is your own business, but you shouldn’t be rude to me. I’m your eldest sister, but you threw mud at me. Therefore, I can’t easily let you get away with it.” After saying those words, Shen Ninghua looked at the muddy water in a pothole in the flowers. The gardeners probably didn’t handle the hole after watering the flowers. “Throw him down.”

Shen Xuanlin heard the words and turned to run. How could Qing Que let him run away? She took two steps, caught Shen Xuanlin again and threw him into the muddy water. When Shen Xuanlin was on his feet again, he looked like a monkey. He spat the mud out of his mouth and looked at Shen Ninghua with hatred.

“If you are not powerful enough, don’t look at me like that. You need to know that when preys fall into the hunter’s hands, the one that dies first is the one keeps struggling and threatening all the time.”

After saying those words, Shen Ninghua turned to walk out.

Shen Xuanlin made two thumps and said hatefully, “You are no different from them!”

Shen Ninghua looked back and said, “It’s funny. Everyone is like this. Why do I have to be different?”

“Sister Yulan is different. She is the only one who treats me well.” Shen Xuanlin’s face was muddy, but his dark eyes were very bright in the night.

“So that’s why she incited you to throw mud at me and destroy my clothes?” Shen Ninghua scoffed. “She let his brother stay in the newly watered flowers for a few hours, and instigated him to throw mud at his own eldest sister. After that, she didn’t care about her brother at all. She’s really a good sister.”

Shen Xuanlin got up and said angrily, “You talk nonsense. She has been very good to me.”

“Then what good did she do to you? Dress you? Feed you? You are a young master of the Shen family. Will you be short of clothes and food?” Shen Ninghua sneered and turned to walk forward.

Shen Xuanlin looked at her back, and the words resonated in his heart.

“If she really means well to you, she should teach you how to tolerate. She should teach you etiquette, rules, and knowledge. She will never let you appear here. I remember your mother is the fourth concubine. She was very strict with you when she was still alive.”

Although Shen Xuanlin didn’t care about her previous words, he shivered when he heard his birth mother being mentioned. He bit his teeth fiercely and looked down at his messy appearance, seeing nothing but darkness.

“Miss, are you trying to help the Second Young Master wise up?” Bai Ruo looked back at Shen Xuanlin who was still standing there, and asked in a low voice.

Shen Ninghua said lightly, “That depends on the fortune of the kid.”