Does the villain stepmother have a headache again today!

In a blink of an eye, tomorrow is the plum blossom viewing party.

At the invitation of the Emperor, the entire Nanping Marquis Mansion will attend the plum blossom appreciation banquet in the suburbs of Beijing.

To be more specific, this is the first time that the Nanping Houfu has attended such a formal occasion and made an appearance in the middle of Beijing since entering Beijing, and the Fuzhong began to prepare for it long in advance.

This includes, but is not limited to, the attire for the Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet and the etiquette for attending formal occasions. It also includes Ruan Tao asking Fang Bo to invite masters from the plum garden to introduce to the government the varieties of wintersweet from the Royal Plum Garden in the suburbs of Beijing. Let Zaizai in the house, including herself, know in advance what varieties of wintersweets she is going to see this time, what they look like and their characteristics, and do previews and homework in advance. Only in this way will the plum appreciation be more meaningful and the impression more impressive. profound.

For children, they will not feel bored because they cannot understand, but they are surrounded by people; for adults, this is a ready-made topic and conversation material, which will not be silent, but also targeted and easy to handle.

This is a must-have for every social occasion.

Education and etiquette are not only about clothing, conversation and words and deeds, but also about appropriate occasions, talking about topics, and making the host and guest enjoy themselves.

Therefore, the time spent at banquets has always been outside the banquet.

Although this is also the first formal occasion that Ruan Tao has experienced since entering the book, his previous experience may not be completely applicable, but he will not panic or be at a loss.

Although the old lady is not much of a director, luckily she still has Ruan's mother.

There is a Plum Appreciation Banquet every year in Beijing. Ruan’s mother knows all the details of who will attend the Plum Appreciation Banquet, who is not compatible with them, and who can be avoided appropriately; what are the taboos and what should be paid attention to. Clearly.

On an occasion like tomorrow, the Royal Plum Garden will definitely be crowded with people in well-dressed and well-dressed people. It will be a little crowded just for the invited princes, nobles, children of aristocratic families and officials. Except for a few royals who will bring their servants with them, the Plum Garden There will be palace servants in the center, and servants from other mansions will not be allowed to enter. Therefore, it is not feasible to rely on He Ma and a few steward mothers for the Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet. He Ma and several steward mothers will not be able to enter the plum garden tomorrow. Yes, Ruan Tao must understand this first so as not to panic temporarily.

Ruan's mother also told Ruan Tao that in fact, it was not only the plum blossom appreciation banquet this time, but also the formal palace banquets in the future, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, or the Dragon Boat Festival banquet held outside the palace, etc. As long as it is such a formal occasion, There are places where palace servants are arranged to serve. For safety reasons, most servants from various palaces will not be allowed to accompany them. Therefore, this kind of formal occasion is not easy, and you must repeatedly warn and explain to the children in the house before going out. There will be no mistakes in the presence of the emperor.

In addition, it should be noted that in most similar formal occasions, male guests are separated from their female relatives and children.

The male guests were socializing with the male guests, and most of their chats were about court and military affairs, and most of them were serious.

Women and children will gather and talk in another place. A stage will be set up, and there will also be pot throwing and playing games. Because there are more children, the atmosphere will be more lively, but it also creates another problem. When the government When all the children are gathered together, and there is no mother in charge or maid to look after them, this kind of gathering is like a mirror that reflects the upbringing of the children in each house, and even the upbringing of the adults.

Whether you can manage it, how you manage it, whether you will make a mistake, etc. Therefore, this kind of formal occasion is also a test for the women who have children in the house.

The older children in the family are fine, but the younger children, not to mention whether they are obedient or not, are children’s nature to play, especially playing together, so some play in the water, some climb rockeries to cause trouble, and some climb Anyone digging out a bird's nest from a tree is noticed by others, and inevitably one or two ladies get angry on the spot every time.

Therefore, over time, for the sake of the reputation of their respective mansions, and for the sake of relaxed and more formal occasions, each mansion has become accustomed to taking turns to only bring one or two children out to meet people at a time, so as to avoid having fun without being noticed. . For example, this time I brought the fourth child from the mansion, next time I brought the fifth and sixth child, and so on. The more important the occasion, the more obedient children must be brought. Of course, it is not so particular in less formal occasions or when traveling between familiar and familiar families.

In short, it is best not to cause trouble for yourself.

But this plum blossom feast is different.

This time coincided with the special time for the Nanping Houfu and Hefu to enter Beijing. Fu Boyun had to deal with the border affairs first. The emperor was sympathetic to the Nanpinghoufu, so he also opened the door. In the mansion, from the old lady to Ruan Tao, from Fu Aoquan to Tuanzidu I have to accept the emperor's participation in this plum appreciation feast.

An invitation from the emperor is an honor, but it is also a double-edged sword.

The moon waxes and wanes. The greater the honor, the more dazzling it is to others.

Because of the old marquis and the old lady, the Marquis of Nanping seldom moved around the capital. After Fu Boyun took over the title, he spent most of his time at the border. Therefore, the chances of the Marquis of Nanping appearing in the capital were few and far between. , that is, the wind will blow it.

During this plum blossom appreciation feast, many pairs of eyes in Beijing were watching.

Some were watching the fun, and some were eager to see the Nanping Marquis Mansion make a fool of themselves.

Even if Fu Boyun died in battle, how many others would really hope for the good of the Marquis of Nanping while feeling sorry for him?

Ruan's mother just wanted to remind Ruan Tao that not everyone from the old lady to Tuanzi might be clear about it.

Even if it is clear, if you do not repeatedly warn, it will be difficult to avoid encountering children from other families who are making trouble or provoking troubles when attending a banquet. The more children pay attention, the more troubles can be avoided; even if it cannot be avoided, they should also think about such encounters in advance. You have to know how to deal with it and how to handle it, so that you won't panic when you encounter it.

If we take another 10,000 steps back, the emperor's holy driver will also arrive at Meiyuan. If we really bump into each other and the emperor protects us, we will inevitably end up at odds with other families. If the emperor does not protect us, the scene may not look good.

Finally, remember that the emperor is determined to work hard to govern, but the aristocratic family in Beijing can rise and fall for more than a hundred years, and the tree has deep roots. The balance between the two must be managed well.

Now that Changge has not yet ascended the throne, looking at his appearance, the emperor must have intentionally put it together at the end of the year.

But even if Changge Xijue is still young, he is still young.

During this period of time together, it was lucky that the old lady could not hold him back. It would be impossible to count on the old lady for matters in the house in the future.

After that, Ruan Tao would inevitably have to come forward to move around the capital, pave the way for Changge, and large and small matters in the Hou Mansion, so she must clearly understand the subtle relationship between the emperor and the aristocratic family.

Especially, before Changge can support the Nanping Houfu, he must hide his strength, bide his time, and be wise and cautious...

Ruan Tao listened quietly.

My mother has always given people the impression that she is the mistress of the family, gentle and dignified, but she doesn't ask about the affairs of the court, and she won't say anything that can make people grab her by the tail. Wise, elegant, content in the back house, and out of touch with the world.

But today, Ruan Tao obviously has a different perception.

Whether it's the mother or the old lady of the Antang Ruan family, even in the back house, they still have insight into the affairs of the previous dynasty.

My mother rarely mentioned it, it was a taboo, but it was not unknown.

A noble mistress like the old lady is actually too rare...

"Your father is in the imperial court today, but he has something that I must convey to you when I come to the palace today." At the end of the day, Ruan's mother suddenly mentioned, "Atao, your time in the capital is still short, and Huicheng is The face of the Nanping Houfu will be looked at everywhere in the fiefdom of the Nanpinghoufu, but in the capital, at the feet of the emperor, it is not just the emperor who needs to be looked at. But similarly, the Nanpinghou and the Antang Ruan family are not soft persimmons and can be manipulated by anyone. Therefore, Tomorrow at the Plum Appreciation Banquet, how the Nanping Marquis Mansion will appear will be how the capital will be used to looking at the Nanping Marquis Mansion in the future, remember?"

Ruan Tao only paused for a moment and nodded quickly.

Ruan's mother was stunned, and then sighed, "Atao, you are really smart..."

Ruan Tao didn't care.

But He Ma understood what Ruan Mu said.

A beautiful girl who was raised in the Ruan family of Antang. She was also protected and taken care of by the old lady at home. She could be arrogant, willful and unreasonable. It was reasonable; the old lady had sent her to Beijing earlier. In the letter, the most mentioned sentence is that I am spoiled, but I have to let it go.

This is a true portrayal of the old lady’s heart at the time.

If you are fifteen and have haircuts, most girls will be pregnant with spring.

In this voice of wisdom, the lady's guilt and sadness are hidden...

How many things do you have to go through and how much experience do you have to accumulate before you can suddenly go from being "spoiled" in the early days to being so smart now that you can understand things at the drop of a hat.

What a mother hopes most is to see her daughter smart, but equally, what she least wants is to see her daughter smart...

He Ma saw through it, but didn't expose it.

But I saw Ruan Mu's eyes moistened.

Ruan Tao quickly comforted him, "Don't worry, mother. I will do as my mother said, and I will tell the house a few more times. I will have my mother take care of me tomorrow. Ao Quan and Chang Ge are sensible and can share the burden. Although Si Si Tong Zhuang Zhuang is naughty, he knows how to look after me." Although Tuanzi is smiling, he is also obedient. The Nanpinghou Mansion has just experienced this year's situation. On an occasion like tomorrow, even if there is any moth, he will not go out to rush to the Nanpinghou Mansion at this time. If he really wants to rush to the Nanpinghou Mansion Coming from the government, with such a look and rank, he won't cause any trouble in Meiyuan. I have written down what my father and mother said, so I won't be in a hurry tomorrow."

After Ruan Tao comforted her, he didn't forget to pat his mother's hand.

This is what her mother is most used to doing when she cares about her.

Ruan's mother was stunned again, as if the tacit understanding between mother and daughter was reflected in every gesture and every word.

Finally, Ruan's mother also slowly pursed her lips, "I always want to be considerate for you, but I often forget that you can actually be considerate yourself."

Ruan Tao could not fail to hear the sigh in Ruan's mother's words.

Ruan Tao also guessed Ruan's mother's thoughts.

The words "I can take care of myself" are filled with the mother's sadness and helplessness.

"We have to get up early tomorrow, so you should go to bed early. Tomorrow will not be easy with these children in the house." Ruan's mother was afraid that she would explore more, so Ruan Tao stopped exploring and responded softly.

Ruan's mother left, and Ruan Tao personally escorted her to the gate.

On the way to the door, mother and daughter talked for a while.

When they arrived at the gate, the carriage of the Vice Minister's Mansion was ready and waiting outside.

Ruan Tao took Ruan's mother's arm and walked out of the house together.

In these days of getting along, the closeness between mother and daughter does not need to be deliberate at all, it is all in the daily moments.

After saying goodbye, Mother He stepped forward and helped Mother Ruan get into the carriage.

The mansion is in two directions from the Minister's Mansion. Tomorrow's plum blossom viewing banquet was originally worried about congestion and time consuming, so she couldn't go along the way, so on the carriage, Ruan's mother still lifted the curtain on the window, gave two more instructions, and then He waved his hand, signaling her to go back quickly.

The winter was getting colder and it was past dusk, and Ruan's mother was afraid that she would catch cold and catch the wind and cold.

Ruan Tao nodded obediently.

When she first entered the capital, Ruan's mother was still frightened by her fainting.

In fact, she is in good health, but she has a kind of worry, a mother's worry...

Seeing the carriage slowly driving away, Ruan's mother still didn't put down her hand. Ruan Tao had to turn around, but in fact, every two steps she took, she would look back. But every time she looked back, her mother didn't put down her hand, and her eyes were also Always on her.

She knew that her mother, like her, cherished time together.

And she also has a secret hidden deep in her heart. Every time she says goodbye, she will think of the last time her parents said goodbye to her in another time and space.

She also always cherished the time she spent with her mother.

Every time her mother comes to see her, she must be sent to the carriage.

She uses time to make amends and let go little by little, and time will really heal some of the scars hidden in her heart, leaving behind delicacy and beauty.

Every time the carriage left, she would look at it for a long time until it disappeared around the corner.

This is the secret she keeps deep in her heart. Maybe she will tell it to the same person one day, or maybe she will never tell it to another person.

She had her persistence, but this time, perhaps because of the previous touching in her heart, the curtain in her mother's hand was not put down for a long time. She could only turn around and go back to the mansion. Then He Ma whispered to her that the curtain had been put down and the carriage had gone away. .

Ruan Tao nodded gently.

After dusk, lights were lit throughout the house.

In the sky full of clouds, the dim lights seemed unassuming.

The halo fell on the side of her face, reflecting a very beautiful face, like a silhouette in a soft light. It was clear that she didn't say a word, but it was touching.

Under the eaves, her beautiful eyes hid her thoughts, but there was still a doubt pressing in her heart that she had not asked about.

The original owner had been growing up in the Antang Ruan family and with Mrs. Tai Lao.

From the occasional exclamation from He Ma, you can tell how much the original owner was loved by the old lady!

If she doesn't want to learn anything, she can learn nothing at all. Whatever the old lady wants her to learn, she can just ask her to learn meditation. A child who is not favored at home would not dare at all.

Not only the old lady, but also the third master of the Antang Ruan family, the original owner was also the apple of his eye.

Ruan's father held the position of minister in the court, but he also held the post of minister. If the original owner was not welcomed by Ruan's father and Ruan's mother, the other children of the Antang Ruan family would not need to treat her as the apple of their eye.

Judging from their relationship during this period of time, it is impossible to say that Ruan's father and Ruan's mother did not like the original owner.

Then comes the problem.

The journey from Antang to Beijing takes at most two and a half months. Even if the journey is slow, he can reach Beijing in three months.

But whether it was mentioned by He Ma, or what Uncle Fang occasionally mentioned, or the information revealed by Ruan's father and Ruan's mother, the original owner not only grew up with Mrs. Tailao since childhood, but also rarely, even I only went to Beijing to visit my parents a few times.

Moreover, I will never stay with my parents for a long time.

Originally, there were a lot of changes between her and the original owner, but fortunately, Fu Boyun passed away, which made others think that she had learned from the pain, so her temperament changed, but she had to ask rashly why she didn't follow Ruan's father and Ruan's mother to Beijing earlier. , I didn’t follow him and rarely went to Beijing to visit my parents. This would definitely cause extraneous problems and cause unnecessary trouble.

But the guilt and sadness Ruan's mother showed in front of her today made Ruan Tao's doubts come to mind again.

Even if he went to Beijing to take office, why did Ruan's mother go to Beijing with Ruan's father, but only the original owner stayed behind?

These thoughts followed my steps and entered my mind little by little.

But perhaps, these doubts will soon be solved. As she enters the capital, and as the complicated people and things in the capital come to the surface little by little, at least, she has a vague feeling in her heart that the solution of many mysteries is not far away. Already...

Ruan Tao lowered his head, and his long shadow was fixed on the corridor.

*

A night without dreams will soon arrive the next day.

There was a plum blossom appreciation banquet today, and the Zaizai and even the old lady all got up early!

In the past six months, the Nanping Marquis Mansion has experienced many turmoils, including sadness and sorrow, but in a new place, there is always something to look forward to!

Therefore, the Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet is something that people of all ages in the mansion look forward to!

It was also the real beginning in Beijing.

Therefore, when Ruan Tao arrived in the old lady's garden, everyone, including the old lady, was already waiting in the side hall.

Ruan Tao: "..."

Oh, this is the sun coming out from the west again!

It came out quite neatly!

"Mother!" (Fu Aoquan!)

"Mother~" (from Tuanzi~)

"Mother." (Long song.)

"Mother!!" (Four-Four's!!)

"Mother!!!" (from the prairie dog!)

The momentum of the Nanping Marquis Mansion's screaming group broke through with the last two sounds, and the ears of Ruan Tao and everyone in the room were hurt.

Liu Ma and Zhu Ma were once again connected by fate and suffered a mental blow!

Before leaving the house, even the old lady Yuanzi hadn't left the house, the familiar rhythm and familiar formula appeared again!

"Daughter-in-law~" It was the old lady's turn to speak.

"Mother." Ruan Tao also stepped forward.

When I stepped forward, I didn't forget to scan everyone's body carefully!

Correct!

It's a sweep!

The one with its own x-ray radar!

For example, the most recent one is Fu Sisi.

Ruan Tao sighed, "Take out the things from your belt."

"Eh!" Fu Sisi's eyes widened!

How come you saw it in one picture!

Mother Liu’s eyes widened too!

Good guy!

When I went out, I checked carefully from head to toe and made sure everything was correct before leaving Yuanzi Gate!

How……

Mother Liu even forgot to touch the ground with her toes and just watched the Fourth Young Master reluctantly take out a small slingshot from his belt after Madam hooked her fingers.

slingshot? ! !

Mother Liu instantly regained the feeling of pressing her toes to the ground!

This familiar feeling swept through my body in an instant!

The other mothers in charge all stretched their necks, fearing that they could not see clearly!

When they saw it clearly, they all started to grow up with Liu Ma again!

Slingshot!

Although it is understandable, many children, especially naughty boys, like this.

But today is the Plum Appreciation Banquet. In addition to being a tool for mischief, the slingshot may also be coerced by someone who wants to use it as a "murderous weapon" if you are not careful!

Forty-four: u·ェ·u

Fu Sisi was obviously startled, and almost without thinking, he quickly threw away the slingshot in his hand!

But the moment I threw it away, it still hurt to the naked eye!

Then, something started to cover the hero's eyes!

Sisi's slingshot is equivalent to the hero's sword.

The hero lost all his swords!

The hero suddenly regretted it!

Although Ruan Tao also had a reason to scare the Zaizai in the beginning, bringing the slingshot to the plum blossom appreciation feast was really causing trouble for himself.

"Put it away and don't take it with you." Ruan Tao still relented!

The hero instantly learned that "a gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall". There are still tears in his eyes, but the smile on his lips has already appeared!

But before the hero could be happy for a moment, the evil stepmother spoke again, "What's in the sleeve?"

Ok?

Oops, this was discovered too!

Si Si’s little eyes suddenly started to roll!

Mother Liu’s head is so big!

When did this ancestor release it?

She is always with him!

I never saw anything special about my ancestor, or when he was out of sight!

How can I have time and leisure to put things away!

Mother Liu even had doubts about herself!

Then in the deep memories and "reflections", I reaffirmed my thoughts!

Correct!

Impossible!

But Liu Ma's suspicion was broken again when Si Si reluctantly took out a small wooden dagger from his sleeve pocket.

Liu Ma suddenly doubted life!

Fu Sisi could only hang his mouth, glanced at Ruan Tao, and then threw the small wooden dagger away.

Ruan Tao blinked and vaguely discovered some clues.

When I threw the slingshot, I threw it very sadly and reluctantly, and my eyes were filled with tears. But when I threw the small dagger, I threw it so happily, and there were no tears in my eyes. Instead, I just drooped my mouth. Throw as many pieces as fast as you want.

Oh ~

Ruan Tao turned to look at the groundhog on one side!

really!

The current groundhog looks even more nervous than Si Si!

Moreover, the groundhog was not only nervous, but also looked at the small wooden dagger thrown on the ground with a much sadder look than Si Si, just like Fu Sisi was looking at the slingshot just now...

Suddenly, Zhu’s mother also had a headache!

Madam Zhu can see it, and Ma Zhu, who is closest to the marmot and is the most familiar with it, naturally sees it too!

No wonder Liu’s mother looked in disbelief just now!

No wonder the Fourth Young Master was just upset when he was discovered for the second time, but the Fifth Young Master looked clearly anxious!

The two co-authors were in cahoots from the beginning!

No wonder! In the past, the fifth young master always cheated the fourth young master more, but since he went to Beijing this time, the fourth young master has learned to be smarter and is less likely to be cheated. At that moment, she was still thinking, how could the fourth young master be willing to be cheated by the fifth young master again? !

It turns out it’s not a trap!

It's an accomplice!

Sure enough, Ruan Tao crossed his arms and said with a smile, "Zhuang Zhuang, it's your turn, take it out~"

The groundhog pouted, the groundhog akimbo!

After the groundhog put his hands on his hips, he unhappily took out two not-so-small bottles from his sleeve pocket.

There are two in total, one for each person.

No wonder, after the benefits are exchanged, it’s bound!

This also applies between cubs.

However, Ruan Tao looked at the two bottles that looked familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere.

But Ruan Tao couldn't remember it for a moment.

On the other hand, Ma Liu and Ma Zhu turned green when they saw these two bottles!

"What's inside?" Ruan Tao asked calmly.

Sisi and Zhuangzhuang each reached out to scratch the back of their heads, but neither seemed too embarrassed to speak.

Fu Aoquan and Fu Changge couldn't understand their mute words. Only Baby Tuanzi quietly came to her mother's ear and whispered, "Mother, she is the pet raised by the fourth and fifth brothers."

pet?

A strange memory was entering her mind in a strange way. Suddenly, Ruan Tao remembered the two earthworms on the way to Beijing.

Ruan Tao frowned!