The royal city.
The main branch of the Qiu family.
"I wonder if the branch this time will be presentable."
The speaker was Qiu Zhilan, the seventh young lady of the Qiu family's main branch.
Qiu Zhilan was nineteen years old and ranked third in the 甲榜 (Jia Bang) examination. She was one of the younger generation representing the main branch in the competition this year.
"Sister Lan, you've met the people sent by the branch every time. In the end, it's always the people from our main branch who do the work!"
The girl speaking was Qiu Shi, the eighth young lady of the main branch, though born of a concubine. She was eighteen years old and also a 甲榜 (Jia Bang) scholar.
Despite her status as a concubine-born, children with scholarly talent received treatment and status almost equal to those born of the main wife. Therefore, Qiu Shi did not show any subservience to Qiu Zhilan.
Qiu Zhilan frowned slightly, gazing absently at the goldfish swimming in the lake.
"Sister Lan, Sister Lan, did you hear me?"
Qiu Shi said with dissatisfaction.
Qiu Zhilan slowly raised her eyes and looked at the sister who was a year younger than her, sighing,
"Even so, the main branch and the branch are inseparable, and they are related to us by blood. When they arrive, it's best you don't say such things again."
Qiu Shi pouted and replied dismissively,
"I know."
......
At this moment.
Nian Jiaojiao and the others had already reached the main entrance of the Qiu manor.
After Qiu Hezi presented the green token proving their identity, a butler came out.
"You are all from Qingzhou, correct? Your courtyards have been prepared. Please follow me."
Nian Jiaojiao and the others followed the butler for a while. As they passed by a corridor by the lake, two young women were sizing them up.
No.
To be precise, they were sizing up her and her junior sister.
One of the women, who had eyebrows similar to "Crayon Shin-chan," whispered to a heroic-looking woman,
"Seventh Sister, who do you think it will be?"
The woman addressed as "Seventh Sister" glanced at the two, her gaze then settling on the junior sister.
Nian Jiaojiao knew that she was currently in a rather "unpresentable" state.
From the moment she entered the royal city, she had been possessed by "Qiu Yu," walking with a "clenched legs and翘臀 (qiào tún -翘臀)," displaying a rather "masculine" demeanor.
Therefore, the other party quickly dismissed her.
Even if the people sent from Qingzhou lacked talent, they wouldn't send someone like... this...
Qiu Zhilan thought to herself.
"Ahem!"
The butler coughed twice and enthusiastically introduced the two young ladies from the main family,
"These are guests from the branch family in Qingzhou."
The two young ladies nodded.
Qiu Zhilan said,
"May I ask which elder is sending people over this time?"
Qiu Shu chimed in with a smile,
"It's me, Qiu Shu, the current head of the Qiu family."
Qiu Hezi, worried about her disguise, had also come to the royal city. However, she had no intention of revealing her identity. Once they were settled, she would infiltrate from the shadows.
Therefore, Qiu Shu was still the one leading the group on the surface.
Qiu Zhilan nodded, displaying the demeanor of a prominent family, and instructed the butler,
"Everyone has traveled a long way. You must be tired. Please arrange for suitable hospitality for them."
After speaking, she turned to Qiu Shu and said,
"If there are any inconveniences, please feel free to ask the butler to resolve them."
Qiu Shu nodded with a polite smile,
"Thank you very much."
Nian Jiaojiao and the other two also nodded in thanks.
Qiu Zhilan then led Qiu Shi away from the corridor.
Only after they had walked away.
Qiu Shi said indignantly,
"Seventh Sister, why are you being so polite to them?"
Qiu Zhilan glanced at her faintly,
"You don't need to comment on my actions."
After speaking, she walked past Qiu Shi.
Qiu Shi watched her retreating figure, her smile unchanging, but her fists tightened within her sleeves.
"Hey! Seventh Sister, wait for me!"
......
After dinner, Qiu Hezi took her junior sister away from the Qiu manor.
However, they did not go far and stayed at a nearby inn.
Now, only Nian Jiaojiao and the head of the Qiu family resided within the Qiu manor.
Upon returning to her room, Nian Jiaojiao began to sort through the items in her package.
She took out a wooden box.
This was a wedding gift from Senior Sister Lei.
She opened the box, and a peach wood bone fan lay quietly inside.
This was no ordinary bone fan; it was a weapon for cultivators to "drive objects," capable of withstanding extraordinary energy to the greatest extent.
Starting from tomorrow, she planned to carry it with her at all times.
The royal city was far more complex than Qingzhou.
However, before that...
Nian Jiaojiao picked up the bone fan.
She had to let the fan adapt to her strength first.
Thus, she sat down cross-legged and began to continuously transmit energy to the fan, so that the fan could exert its full potential during future use.
Half an hour passed...
The fan began to levitate, and energy was still being transmitted.
One hour.
Two hours...
By now, the night outside was deep. Except for some guards and patrolling servants, almost everyone in the Qiu manor was peacefully asleep.
Another half hour passed.
The fan slowly returned to Nian Jiaojiao's hand. Nian Jiaojiao slowly opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
Finally... it was done.
Nian Jiaojiao held the fan and fiddled with it, liking it more and more.
After a while, she gently placed the fan back into the wooden box, and then placed the wooden box on her bedside table, reminding herself to bring it tomorrow.
Nian Jiaojiao lay on the bed. After ten days of arduous travel, she finally lay on a spacious and soft bed, but she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
"Alas..."
Nian Jiaojiao turned over and sighed.
She missed her husband's hot chest...
......
Qingzhou.
The Nian family.
Inside Nan Qing's room.
"Second Brother, I can't sleep."
Xingyun turned over and said to Nan Qing, who was lying beside him.
Nan Qing: "Can't sleep? Use your wife's method, and you'll fall asleep."
Xingyun: "...Oh."
So, he changed to lying flat on his back and began to mumble,
"One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep, five sheep... twenty sheep..."
Nan Qing's face was covered in dark lines.
He really wanted to drive Xingyun back to his own room.
After thinking about it, he decided against it.
Thus, Nan Qing turned over, his back to Xingyun, and closed his eyes, trying to empty his mind.
Don't think about it, don't think about it, the more he thought, the angrier he became.
However, just as Nan Qing was about to fall asleep.
"...Nine hundred and ninety-seventh sheep, nine hundred and ninety-eighth sheep, nine hundred and ninety-ninth sheep..."
Xingyun suddenly paused, turned around, and loudly asked Nan Qing,
"Second Brother, I've counted to nine hundred and ninety-nine sheep, but I still haven't fallen asleep."
Nan Qing woke up and said,
"Then keep counting!"
His words were already tinged with gritted teeth.
Xingyun: "But I don't know what comes after nine hundred and ninety-something sheep?"
Nan Qing: ......
Seeing that his second brother wasn't responding, Xingyun continued to chatter,
"Second Brother, why do you think Wife told us to count sheep? Why not chickens? Not ducks? Not cows?"
"Oh, right, I can count other things. What should I count?"
Nan Qing: ╰(‵□′)╯