197 Cousin, Rest Early
Before Zhou Linghuai could say anything, the little girl suddenly became happy again. “Cousin, I’ve brought everything for you. Take a look.”
Her temper came and went quickly, making it impossible for Zhou Linghuai to say anything to comfort her.
Yu Youyao first took the golden beeswax Buddha pendant and placed it in her cousin’s palm. “Cousin, the red string on the Buddha pendant is a peace knot that I made myself. I heard that the peace knot is good against calamity, illness, disaster, evil, and filth. It can protect one’s safety. I originally planned to give it to you to wear around your wrist. Now, it’s just right to put on the Buddha pendant.”
Zhou Linghuai’s breathing slowed down. On the little girl’s fair palm, a five-petal plum flower was woven on the red strap, and the beeswax Buddha was hanging from it.
There were four types of plum blossoms: the first buds were called “Yuan” to indicate the beginning, blossoms were called “Heng” to indicate auspiciousness, fruit was “Li” to indicate success, and maturity was “Zhen” to indicate fertility.
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Five petals signified happiness, luck, longevity, smooth sailing life and peace.
Zhou Linghuai slowly closed his eyes. There were five virtues. The Book of Classics recorded, “The first day is longevity, the second day is wealth, the third day is peace, the fourth day is good virtue, and the fifth day is life.”
Longevity meant not dying prematurely.
Wealth was wealth, and status was noble.
Humans had to be healthy and have a peace of mind.
Good virtue is kind by nature, and is generous and quiet
A good ending is perfect, and a good beginning is a good end.
Zhou Linghuai opened his eyes. As he breathed, he could smell the faint lotus fragrance on the little girl’s body. It was refreshing and lingered in his nose, around his lungs.
Seeing that her cousin was silent and just staring at the pendant, Yu Youyao quickly asked, “Can I help you put it on?”
Zhou Linghuai’s expression froze for a moment before he nodded. “Alright!”
Yu Youyao walked behind her cousin and wrapped her arms around his chest. She put the beeswax pendant on his neck and nimbly tied a five-petal plum knot with her fingers. After examining it carefully and feeling very satisfied, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned her head in front of him. She asked, “Cousin, is the knot tight?”
The little girl leaned close. When Zhou Linghuai tilted his head, he could see her young and beautiful face. He shook his head. “Just right.”
The beeswax Buddha pendant fell below his collarbone. It was neither loose nor tight, but it was just right.
Yu Youyao moved closer to her cousin. The golden beeswax shone brightly, and the light and shadow shone faintly like Buddha’s light and looked dignified. Her cousin looked elegant and noble.
She suddenly leaned closer. Zhou Linghuai’s body tensed up and he subconsciously leaned back.
The little girl suddenly reached out and gently lifted his collar.
Zhou Linghuai pursed his lips and felt that it was inappropriate. Just as he was about to dodge, the little girl picked up the Buddha pendant on his chest and put the beeswax into his clothes. She smiled and said, “Cousin, you have to wear the beeswax.”
Zhou Linghuai was stunned. He had never liked to wear anything close to him, so he always felt uncomfortable. However, the beeswax was fine and smooth, so it was not bad to wear it on his body.
Yu Youyao did not notice her cousin’s abnormality. She smiled and said, “Cousin, let’s play chess!”
As she spoke, Yu Youyao had already walked to the window sill and put away the set of jade pieces that had been placed there. She happily set up the chessboard that she had brought with her and took out the pieces.
Zhou Linghuai sat still, but Yu Youyao called out again, “Cousin, come quickly!”
The young lady had just learned chess and was in the midst of becoming addicted. Logically speaking, this was also a good thing. Only when the young lady was interested in chess could she learn well.
However, at the thought of the little girl’s indescribable chess skills, Zhou Linghuai did not really want to accompany her. He had seen people with bad chess skills, but he had never seen someone as creative as her.
Zhou Linghuai sat in front of the chessboard. “It’s already late. It’s been a long day. Go back and rest early.”
As he spoke, he picked up a chess piece.
The chess set was made from agate, amber, and other materials. The craftsmanship was not inferior at all.
The black chess pieces was placed on the chessboard. They were pitch-black and had no other colors. When he picked one up and light shined it on it, the chess piece would be transparent and crystalline, often green or blue.
On the other hand, the white piece was as gentle as fine jade. It was slightly yellow and jade-green in color. It was beautiful and harmonious.
The chess pieces were firm and delicate. They could be thrown to the ground without shattering. When they were slapped on the board, the sound was crisp and not airy. During winter, they were gentle on the fingertips. During summer, they were cool in the palm of the hand, as if it was filled with vitality.
Yu Youyao pursed her lips, feeling a little reluctant.
However, her cousin had also gone to the Precious Peace Temple today. Thinking that he must have been through a lot, she felt a little regretful. “Then forget it. Cousin, have a good rest. I’ll look for you to play chess tomorrow.”
When Zhou Linghuai heard this, his eyelids twitched.
The little girl looked at her cousin eagerly and held his sleeve. “Cousin, what do you think!”
How could Zhou Linghuai still say no? He immediately braced himself. “Okay!”
Yu Youyao was delighted when she heard this. “Cousin, rest early. I’ll get going first!”
After returning to the Jade Courtyard, Yu Youyao went to the incense room. After processing the Bodhi Tree wood and leaf that she had brought back today, she returned to her room and asked Nanny Xu to train her body. After practicing the Body Toughening Technique for a while and taking a medicinal bath, she fell asleep.
That night, Yu Youyao had a dream.
In her dream, Little Youyao, who was five or six years old, followed her grandmother to the Precious Peace Temple. Accompanying her were her stepmother, Yang Shuwan, and her third sister, Yu Jianjia.
Little Youyao and her grandmother added oil to her mother’s lamp and were in a very low mood. When they returned to the small courtyard, they heard the two old maids chatting in the corner of the courtyard.
“Eldest Madam Xie was amazing back then. Not only was she a top-notch beauty, but she was also smart and capable. Although she was born in a merchant family, she had an imposing aura and rules that ordinary people couldn’t compare to.”
“What’s the use of this? However, it’s also not up to First Madam Xie’s liking. First Madam Xie has been married into the family for three years and has never produced a child. Even if First Master doesn’t like to go to the main courtyard, it hasn’t even been a hundred days since First Madam Xie’s death when First Master couldn’t wait to welcome First Madam Yang into the house. Old Madam couldn’t stop him either. Poor First Madam Xie’s corpse hasn’t even turned cold yet, and Eldest Miss is still in her infancy. People in the family know what’s going on. I don’t believe that there’s nothing between them…”
Little Youyao had been raised in her grandmother’s house and rarely heard anyone mention anything about her biological mother. When she heard this, she felt terrible. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stomped her feet and ran into the room.
Coincidentally, Yu Jianjia was about to leave when Little Youyao suddenly stopped in her tracks. Fortunately, she did not bump into Yu Jianjia.
However, Yu Jianjia was shocked. She staggered a step back and was supported by a maidservant that prevented her from falling.
On the other hand, Little Youyao was in a hurry. She suddenly sprained her legs and fell to the ground.
While Yu Jianjia was fine with this, the maidservant in front of her was unhappy. “Eldest Miss, don’t be rash anymore. My young miss is recovering from a serious illness and hasn’t recovered yet. If anything happens, you won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”
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