Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Contest for the Treasure
"Why are you all allowed to have a lively gathering, but I’m not allowed to come?" Mrs. Pei said with a smile as she walked inside.
Qu Fulan also stepped forward to greet her, paying respects to Mrs. Pei and the Heir Pei, "Having you and the princely heir gracing our humble abode truly makes it shine brightly."
Mrs. Pei, with a slightly reproachful tone, said, "On such a joyous occasion, you didn’t invite me. Are you perhaps disdaining me?"
Qu Fulan hurriedly replied that she wouldn’t dare.
Indeed, she truly wouldn’t dare. It wasn’t intentional that she didn’t invite Mrs. Pei; when writing the invitation, all aspects had been considered. For example, when the Third Miss or Fang Yuan hosted events like flower appreciation banquets, they wouldn’t invite Mrs. Pei; or when other young ladies hosted events for the youth, they also wouldn’t invite elders.
After all, it wasn’t a holiday that required the presence of all family elders.
Thus, it became an unspoken rule that elder family members were not invited to young people’s events.
Given these precedents, Qu Fulan naturally dared not rashly send Mrs. Pei an invitation, for fear of being considered thoughtless.
Pei Ji’an, standing aside, chuckled, "Grandmother, why intimidate her? You used to say she was the most well-behaved and sensible one when she was working right in front of you. You praised her to no end; why are you now belittling her?"
Mrs. Pei couldn’t help but laugh, patting Qu Fulan’s hand, "Just teasing you, don’t take it seriously. But this old lady came uninvited; don’t look down on me."
Qu Fulan laughed, "What are you saying, Mrs. Pei? We’re eager for you to come visit."
Prince An and the others also came over, and after greeting Mrs. Pei, quietly approached Pei Ji’an. "I thought you wouldn’t deign to show up," he said.
Pei Ji’an nonchalantly replied, "You came, so why wouldn’t I come?"
Prince An chuckled and said no more.
With Mrs. Pei’s arrival, the atmosphere instantly became lively. After all, these young ones had all interacted with Mrs. Pei and knew she was easy to talk to, so they didn’t fear her.
Only Yao Xing wore a pained, forced smile; everyone else was genuinely happy.
Cheng Ru whispered something in Fang Yuan’s ear, causing Fang Yuan’s eyes to light up as she spoke.
"Second brother, I heard you were recently gifted many treasures by the Emperor, including a Tributary Luminous Pearl. It emits a strong glow at night and is extremely precious. Now that we’re playing a game, how about we use it as a wager? Whoever wins gets it; what do you say?"
Upon hearing this, it wasn’t clear how Pei Ji’an reacted, but Prince An and the others were shocked.
As it turned out, on the fourteenth of August, Pei Ji’an had planned to give the Luminous Pearl to Miss Qiu. Back then, Prince An found the pearl intriguing and wanted to ask for it, only to be teased by other brothers who said it was obviously a gift for Miss Qiu.
He didn’t deny it either.
But due to certain things, the Luminous Pearl hadn’t been gifted then. Now, with Miss Qiu’s banquet, it was likely it would be given.
With Fang Yuan’s suggestion, it wasn’t easy to refuse.
Pei Ji’an said, "You and your clever ideas. What game are you playing right now?"
Fang Yuan, sensing a chance, quickly explained, "It’s a game Fulan suggested, called ’Truth or Dare.’"
She then briefly explained the rules of the game.
Pei Ji’an said, "Sounds interesting."
Fang Yuan laughed, "Right? I also find it fresh and fun. You all should join in."
However, the Third Miss said, "This game is fun, but how will we determine the winner for a prize?"
Indeed, Truth or Dare doesn’t produce clear winners, so how to judge?
"I think it would be best if, since we’re seeking a reward, we have to accomplish something, or let Si pose questions. Whoever answers correctly gets the prize, how about that?" Mrs. Pei suggested gleefully.
Prince An and the others laughed; considering Jian’s favoritism towards Miss Qiu, letting him make the questions was like openly giving Miss Qiu an advantage.
After all, they had once worked together as master and servant, and Pei Ji’an could easily come up with a question only the two of them would know the answer to. What about the others?
What Prince An could see, others naturally saw, too. Still, since the suggestion came from Mrs. Pei, no one dared voice objections.
Except for one person.
"Miss Qiu has been at the second lord’s side for so long as a handmaid; she surely knows more about his habits than others do. If the second lord sets the questions, others won’t stand a chance." It was Yao Xing who spoke.
Evidently, she also knew how precious the Luminous Pearl was and wanted to win it. Thus, she brazenly spoke up.
Pei Lian’s face darkened. However, with Mrs. Pei present, he dared not say anything, merely giving Yao Xing a subtle glare.
Yao Xing pretended not to see.
Yao Xing truly had a knack for making things awkward whenever she opened her mouth.
Mrs. Pei, however, said, "The third grandson’s wife makes a valid point. Si, how do you plan to resolve this issue?"
Pei Ji’an, without hesitation, replied, "What’s the difficulty? Since the third sister-in-law believes it would be unfair for me to pose the questions, then let grandmother devise them. For example, let everyone jot down what foods Mrs. Pei loves, what drinks, or what she’s interested in. Grandmother can pre-write the answers, and whoever answers the last question correctly wins. How about that?"
No one had objections this time, for questioning it would imply doubting Mrs. Pei’s fairness.
Though this way wasn’t completely fair to Prince An and his companions, as they weren’t from the Pei Mansion and wouldn’t know Mrs. Pei’s preferences.
However, they weren’t in dire need of wonderful treasures, so they wouldn’t compete with the young ladies for this trinket.
Besides, there weren’t many ways to please everyone present thoroughly.
Winning or losing wasn’t important for them; participation was what counted.
Pei Ji’an sent someone to fetch the Luminous Pearl. In no time, a pearl as large as a bowl appeared before everyone.
Though it was not yet dark for the pearl to glow, its quality was evident—the genuine article, almost priceless.
Seeing this object again, Prince An’s heart couldn’t help but stir.
The allure of the Luminous Pearl was undeniable.
The Third Miss, Fang Yuan, and Cheng Ru also had expressions of anticipation.
Qu Fulan was instantly captivated. Having never seen such a pearl in her life, she heard it could illuminate an entire room at night. If she obtained it, wouldn’t it be excellent for lighting in the evening?
Quickly, Mrs. Pei began posing questions.
What she loved to eat, drink, and so on.
Qu Fulan, the Third Miss, Fang Yuan, and Cheng Ru all answered correctly.
Yao Xing turned green and realized having Mrs. Pei ask the questions was no different than Heir Pei doing so. How was she supposed to know what Mrs. Pei liked?
Still, no one paid attention to her; the questions continued, increasingly difficult.
The activity Mrs. Pei enjoyed most.
This question stumped many, as it was not easily guessed. Everyone pondered for a while before writing their answers.
Qu Fulan reflected deeply.
Before finally penning four characters: Buddhist scripture recital.
When everyone’s answers were revealed, Mrs. Pei’s answer was indeed Buddhist scripture recital.
Qu Fulan had no time to celebrate before hearing someone say.
"This question was indeed hard, only two people got it right."
Two people, who else?
Qu Fulan turned to see Cheng Ru looking back at her.
Then they saw each other’s papers, both revealing the same answer.