Shocking Mountain Moon

Chapter 15: Champ
Yongqing Bo turned around and said to the old lady, "I think Heng'er has learned the rules well. Let her go out and see the world more often in the future."

The old lady looked at Earl Yongqing in surprise.

When did the uncle become so concerned about the things happening in the house?

"She has only just learned the rules. She should temper her temper a little bit to avoid making a fool of herself in public."

"When you go out, you have a few sisters to look after you, so you won't make a fool of yourself. If you stay at home all the time, you will become more petty."

The old lady felt even more strange.

"Why does Uncle suddenly value Heng'er?"

"The sixth girl is quite pleasing to my eye." Earl Yongqing's tone became calmer, "Madam, please also look at Heng'er's strengths."

The old lady's heart moved.

As a married couple for decades, she certainly understood that when Uncle was like this, it was not just a casual chat but a serious matter.

Despite all the doubts in her heart, the old lady still did not object: "I know."

Not long after these words were spoken, another invitation was delivered to the Earl's Mansion - Princess Jiayi's birthday banquet, inviting the Qiu sisters to attend.

The post also specifically mentioned that he had long heard of Miss Qiu Liu's name and was looking forward to meeting her.

The old lady stared at the invitation with mixed feelings.

How did the sixth girl, who stayed in Lengxiangju all day, please the uncle at home and catch the eye of Princess Jiayi outside?

She said this girl was weird!

But the annoyance towards Qiu Heng did not affect the old lady's good mood: this was an invitation from Prince Kang's mansion.

The old lady immediately called her granddaughters over and gave them some instructions. She also urged the sewing room to quickly finish the summer dresses that had been tailored for the girls a few days ago. She even took out her private money and asked her trusted nanny to go to a famous silver shop in the capital to choose five sets of expensive jewelry.

On the day of the banquet, on the way to Prince Kang's mansion, even the somewhat spoiled Qiu Fu was quiet.

This was the first time I was formally invited to visit the palace. Would I meet the Princess of Kang County? Would it be easy to get along with noble ladies of the same status as Princess Jiayi?

Qiu Heng seemed not to be able to sense the nervousness of the others, and took out a few scent pendants: "I said before that I made a kind of scent ornament, and when it's done, I'll give it to the four sisters to play with."

Incense pendants, also called incense cards, became the most common incense ornaments in Daxia thirty years later, along with sachets. But at this time, they had not yet appeared.

Qiu Xuan and the others naturally couldn't recognize him.

"This is--"

"This is called a scent pendant, made from a variety of fragrant materials. It has the same function as a scent sachet, but the fragrance is longer-lasting and more stable."

"It has the same effect as a sachet?" Qiu Xuan picked up one of them and put it to her nose and sniffed it. It was indeed fragrant.

Qiu Ying couldn't wait to pick one up and looked at it over and over again: "I've never heard of a fragrance pendant before. Could it be that Sixth Sister figured it out herself?"

This is too awesome.

Qiu Heng shook her head: "No, I met a Taoist priest who taught me this before."

There is a Taoist temple not far from Yunfeng Village, which is very popular. That area is where spice merchants from all over the world gather.

"Sixth sister, what a great opportunity." Qiu Fu said in a stern tone, not quite believing it.

She just happened to meet a wandering Taoist priest with unique skills. Does she think she is a fairy who has descended to earth?

Qiu Heng smiled faintly: "Maybe because he saw that I have an outstanding talent in the art of incense, the Taoist priest cried and begged to teach me."

Qiu Fu: “…”

"Thanks to Sixth Sister, we are the first to gain new insights." Qiu Xuan took off the sachet she was carrying and replaced it with a scent pendant.

Qiu Ying couldn't let go of them either. Her eyes fell on the two remaining pendants in Qiu Heng's hand: "Third sister, fourth sister, don't you want to pick? I want the one with the pink tassel."

The four scent pendants were the same butterfly wings, only the tassels were different colors. Qiu Fu glanced at Bai Qiuying, reached out to take the purple tasseled scent pendant, and reluctantly replaced the sachet.

She didn't really care about the perfume, she just didn't want to stand out when she went out.

While walking in the spacious and imposing Prince's Mansion, the sisters' eyes unconsciously fell on the sachets worn by the noble ladies who came to the banquet, and their nervousness inexplicably eased a lot.

Even princesses and county ladies only wore ordinary sachets.

Many noble ladies were surprised at the appearance of the Qiu sisters, including Fang Rui, the granddaughter of Prime Minister Fang.

"How come everyone can come to the banquet?" Fang Rui glanced at Qiu Xuan and the others, and laughed with the noble lady beside her with her hands covering her mouth.

Uncle Yongqing stayed close to my grandfather every day. My grandmother had told him long ago that if he met a girl from the Qiu family, he shouldn't get too close to her, so that he wouldn't use her to get a job.

In fact, there is no need for grandmother to remind her. With an elder like Earl Yongqing who loves to flatter and fawn on others, how can a girl from the Qiu family have good character?
Isn't this just a way to sneak into Princess Jiayi's birthday party?

Fang Rui's voice was quite loud and many people heard it. They immediately looked at Qiu Xuan and the others.

Qiu Fu's face changed. Qiu Xuan gently pulled the corner of her clothes and she swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

Unlike Qiu Xuan and the other three who looked embarrassed, Qiu Heng looked as if nothing had happened.

The sharp contrast made her quickly attract many people's attention.

Is this the Miss Qiu Liu?
Are you so vulgar that you can't understand good or bad words?
The lady next to Fang Rui came over and spoke enthusiastically, "Are you Miss Qiu Liu?"

The ladies who were chatting with each other stopped at the same time, and more of them looked at Qiu Heng.

Does Cheng Susu want to see Miss Qiu Liu make a fool of herself?
Could it be that Miss Qiu Liu is so nervous that she doesn't even dare to speak?
"I'm Qiu Heng." The girl, who was wearing the same clothes as her sisters, remained calm. "Who are you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes immediately turned to Cheng Susu.

It was obviously a simple question, but she felt inexplicably embarrassed.

How dare a country girl ask her back? Did she think they were the same people?

Seeing Cheng Susu didn't answer, the girl looked puzzled: "Sister, are you embarrassed to say your name?"

"My name is Cheng Susu." Cheng Susu gritted her teeth and asked, "I heard that Miss Qiu Liu has been living in the countryside in the south and just came to Beijing?"

All the noble ladies: Here they come, they start to laugh at Miss Qiu Liu’s identity as a country girl.

Some noble ladies thought that Cheng Susu was going too far, while others simply wanted to watch the fun, and no one said anything for a while.

"Yes. Has Miss Cheng always lived in the capital? Have you ever been to the south?"

Women:?
Why are you asking in a give-and-take manner?
Cheng Susu felt upset.

If she continues chatting like this, she will become a joke!
"I plan to hold a poetry banquet in the near future and would like to invite a few sisters from the Qiu family to attend." Cheng Susu said, and suddenly realized, "Oh, Miss Qiu Liu can read, right?"

As soon as this question was asked, some of the ladies who were quick-witted could not help but show sympathy.

That sympathy was not for Qiu Heng, but for Cheng Susu.

Qiu Heng nodded seriously: "I can read. Can Miss Cheng read?"

Cheng Susu: She wants to tear this wild girl’s mouth apart!

Feng Caixing, who had just walked over and was standing on the periphery, couldn't help but burst out laughing, and was twisted hard on the arm by her sister.

Princess Jiayi and the Feng sisters had just come over from Princess Kang. After greeting the other girls, they looked at Qiu Heng with burning eyes.

"I heard from my cousin that Miss Qiu Liu is very accomplished in making incense. I wonder if I could take a look at the incense bag that my cousin saw that day?"

"I didn't wear the sachet today." Under the disappointed look of Princess Jiayi, Qiu Heng took off the perfume pendant from her waist.

"Wearing a champagne."

(End of this chapter)