Chapter 186: Chapter 185: Glass for a Jade Pendant
After bidding farewell to Old Man Cao, Lin Wanwan decided not to look for Old Man Sun. The past half a month of learning medicine with Old Man Sun was quite fine, but trying various strange herbs was quite daunting.
Thus, Lin Wanwan planned to relax for a day and went back directly to the Xiao Mansion with little Qingyu. She sent little Qingyu to study with the children of the Xiao Family, then, brimming with resolve, she headed straight to the Bamboo Garden with Kun Lun.
After knocking at the door for quite a while, the harelip youth came to open it. Who would have thought that upon seeing Lin Wanwan, he would slam the door shut with a "bang" and say coldly from behind the door: "My master has instructed not to see you."
Ha, isn’t this a confession without coercion? He’s so guilty that he doesn’t even dare to see me!
"Open the door quickly, I have something to ask your young mistress!" Lin Wanwan raised her hand to knock on the door, determined to get to the bottom of things.
But inside, there was only the sound of footsteps fading away, with no one paying attention to her anymore.
"Xiao Yixun, come out, I have something to ask you!" Lin Wanwan was knocking on the door here, and the news quickly reached the ears of the head mistress Yuan Madam through the servants’ network.
Moments later, Fu Yinan, the dowry maid of Yuan Madam, led a little maid over, calling from afar: "Lady Wanwan, what’s the matter? Lady Yixun has always preferred not to socialize, do you have business with her?"
In terms of relatives, Lin Wanwan naturally had closer ties to the Xiao Family. After all, she was Xiao Mother’s direct granddaughter, whereas Xiao Yixun was a more distant relative. However, Xiao Yixun’s status was noble, and staying at the Xiao Family was a gesture of goodwill. Knocking furiously on her courtyard gate like this was inappropriate.
Lin Wanwan took a deep breath, turned to Fu Yinan, and said, "I indeed have something to ask her, I just didn’t expect her to hide like a turtle, avoiding me."
Fu Yinan was momentarily at a loss due to Lin Wanwan’s candid words, then chuckled and came forward to assist her: "Lady Wanwan, please don’t knock at the door here, come with me to see the mistress, it’s just the same to tell her about your matters. Standing here in the wind isn’t good, you might catch a cold."
Lin Wanwan thought for a bit, then followed Fu Yinan into the small main sanctuary of the main courtyard, where Yuan Madam was already waiting.
Lin Wanwan entered and paid her respects, and Fu Yinan guided Lin Wanwan to sit on a cushion. Yuan Madam quickly smiled warmly and said: "Oh my dear, what has made you so angry? Tell your old aunt, and I’ll stand up for you."
"It’s nothing major, just a few questions I wanted to ask Cousin Yixun. I didn’t expect to trouble you, Aunt." Lin Wanwan replied with a smile, then asked, "Aunt, are there two masters living at the Bamboo Garden?"
Yuan Madam laughed, "How could there be two? One is already terrifying enough. You are the direct granddaughter of the old lady, and my direct niece, unlike that person. That one, after all, is a guest, so bear with it."
Lin Wanwan smiled at these words but said nothing more on the topic, instead asked, "Aunt, does Xiao Yixun have a sister with the same condition of white hair as hers?"
Yuan Madam shook her head: "I haven’t heard of such a thing, where did you get this information?"
Lin Wanwan candidly replied, "Yesterday at Lingyin Temple, I saw a little girl with white hair just like Cousin Yixun, accompanied by a foreign witch doctor, the same one as beside Cousin Yixun. She inexplicably poisoned me, so today I wanted to inquire if Cousin Yixun knew anything."
Yuan Madam raised an eyebrow with surprise: "Is there such a thing? My dear, are you alright? Have you taken any medicine?"
"No worries, with Old Man Sun’s skills, the poison has been neutralized."
Realizing Lin Wanwan wasn’t speaking casually, Yuan Madam took a more serious stance: "This is quite a strange matter. I’ve never heard of another young lady in the noble circles of Qiantang with white hair. If there were, it wouldn’t be without any word, and I’ve never heard of Yixun having a sister in Qiantang. Wanwan, are you sure you didn’t see incorrectly?"
Hearing Yuan Madam’s words, Lin Wanwan became even more puzzled, could there really be another person appearing out of thin air?
If the girl she saw yesterday was just a common civilian, it wouldn’t matter, but with her silk clothes and attendants, she was clearly a noble daughter. The size of Qiantang County made it impossible for someone unknown to the upper circles to exist.
Yet Yuan Madam claimed she was unaware, a truly baffling situation.
Finishing this topic, Yuan Madam switched the conversation to the topic of activated charcoal: "Wanwan, the activated charcoal you gave me is really useful. Just place it in the water tank, and it filters the water like mountain spring. But I’m curious if you’re willing to sell the recipe? Don’t worry, Aunt won’t let you suffer a loss."
In fact, over this period, Yuan Madam had tried making charcoal with the servants who had seen Lin Wanwan make activated charcoal. However, they never succeeded, prompting her to ask for the recipe.
Lin Wanwan replied: "It’s just a recipe for activated charcoal, Aunt. If you want it, I’ll have someone copy it for you later, no need to mention money."
"Oh dear, that’s too generous." Yuan Madam and Lin Wanwan bantered politely for a while until Yuan Madam reluctantly agreed.
Lin Wanwan chatted with Yuan Madam for a bit more in the small main sanctuary before taking her leave.
Thinking it was about time for a nap, Lin Wanwan went to the private school at home to pick up little Qingyu.
Upon returning to her quarters, the little maid Rongrong tearfully reported to Lin Wanwan that little Qingyu had given the Glazed Glass Jumping Chess to Lu Zhao Lin.
"If it’s gifted, let it be gifted, no need to cry about it. It’s not like you lost it. It’s little Qingyu’s thing, she has the right to decide." Lin Wanwan was unconcerned. It’s just a set of glass jumping chess, nothing important, costing only a few coins, with the main cost being the wooden box, and the glass marbles ten coins for a hundred pieces.
"Mother, you’re the best!" Little Qingyu hugged Lin Wanwan’s knees, acting spoiled for a while.
Little Qingyu had been taken aback when Rongrong tearfully reported to her mother, fearing she would be reprimanded.
Lin Wanwan laughed and said: "Mother told you, your toys are yours, and you can decide what to do with them yourself. Others can’t interfere."
Child-rearing books said that at this age, children can be guided to have their own opinions, so she consciously let the little one make her own decisions. Raising little Qingyu by Lin Wanwan was entirely based on childcare books.
After cuddling for a bit, little Qingyu took out a piece of fine mutton fat jade pendant from her bosom and handed it to Lin Wanwan, saying: "Mother, look at this, it’s a farewell gift from Brother Zhaolin. Mother, I remembered you said when someone gives a gift, we should reciprocate, so I gave my jumping chess to Brother Zhaolin. He seemed so pitiful, without any toys, only pen, ink, paper, and inkstones."