After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

"No, no, no!"

Xu Wanying covered her face and rushed towards the well, "It's awful!"

The two washed their faces by the well, laughing so hard they couldn't get up from their squatting positions. They teased and shoved each other, making a ruckus.

Only when the school bell rang in the distance did the two of them suddenly exchange a glance and then run back as fast as they could.

When they stood down in the corridor, Shen Jingque still had a blade of grass stuck to her hair, and Xu Wanying's skirt was wet.

The two tried their best to put on a pitiful expression, as if to say, "We've been standing obediently for the whole class, we're so tired."

Master Cen strode out, giving them a cold glance: "Do you know your mistake?"

"We know we were wrong!" The two little heads nodded vigorously like chicks pecking at rice.

"Xu Wanying, you are not allowed to ride a horse to the academy tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, the student has remembered."

Xu Wanying lowered her eyes and spoke in a voice so soft it was like a mosquito's hum.

Master Cen snorted and turned to leave.

As soon as his figure turned the corner of the corridor, the two of them stuck out their tongues and made faces in his direction.

After school in the afternoon, as soon as Shen Jingque stepped into the gate of the Princess's residence, she saw Shen Yan standing under the corridor, talking to Uncle Xu about something.

"The watering time for those crabapple trees in the back garden needs to be changed. After the Spring Equinox, the days are longer, and watering at Chen time (7-9 AM) can easily burn the roots. Change it to You time (5-7 PM)... Oh, by the way, the medicine stove in the eldest young master's courtyard is missing two jars of perilla leaves. Have someone go to the pharmacy to replace them tomorrow."

Uncle Xu nodded repeatedly and wrote everything down.

He wore a light green casual outfit today, his black hair was half-tied up, and his slender profile looked gentle and composed in the twilight.

Since his marriage to Xiao Mingyue, Shen Yan has taken over all the household affairs, from the servants' monthly salaries to the purchase of clothing materials for all four seasons, from pruning the flower garden to the kitchen menu. He manages everything in an orderly manner, no matter how small.

Shen Jingque leaned against the pillar and watched for a while, silently sighing in her heart.

My father was such a virtuous wife; in modern times, she would be the epitome of a full-time stay-at-home husband.

As if sensing something, Shen Yan looked up and met his daughter's bright eyes.

So he dismissed Xu Bo, closed the booklet, and walked toward her.

Shen Jingque leaned closer, tilting her head back and offering her the sweetest smile.

"Father!"

Shen Yan glanced down at her, his brows furrowing slightly. He reached out and pinched a few stray strands of her hair that were sticking up, pressing them down. He then straightened her crooked collar, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.

"Look at you, your hair is such a mess, you look like a monkey."

Shen Jingque wasn't annoyed. She chuckled and went over to hug Shen Yan's arm, shaking it from side to side.

"Daddy, I want a pony!"

Shen Yan paused, his hand that was stroking her hair, and his handsome eyebrows rose.

"What do you need Little Horse for?"

Shen Jingque looked up at him, her expression completely matter-of-fact.

"Just riding for fun. Xu Wanying has a riding and archery instructor now, and we agreed to learn together."

Shen Yan remained silent for two breaths.

My mind was already picturing my daughter flying off the horse, being kicked by it, or being bitten by it...

He looked at Shen Jingque with concern, his cuffs clenched tightly with his fingers.

"Sparrow, the horse is too high. What if... what if you fall off? What will your father do then?"

At this moment, his eyes were lowered, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was slightly tinged with light pink, and his brows were slightly furrowed, making him look particularly pitiful.

Shen Jingque felt a headache coming on when she saw him like this.

A father's protective instinct towards his child is innate and can manifest without any warning.

How can she convince him that he won't do anything reckless?

She was racking her brains for words when she heard a series of crisp, powerful footsteps behind her.

Xiao Mingyue walked in from the doorway dressed in a black outfit, her expression unusually light and cheerful.

The news of the great victory in the Northwest was so inspiring that she went directly to the Shenji Camp after court to boost morale.

Seeing Shen Yan and Shen Jingque standing side by side under the corridor, one with a worried expression and the other hesitant to speak.

She stopped and walked over, asking, "What's wrong?"

Shen Jingque immediately turned to her and spoke with lightning speed.

"Mother! I want a pony to learn riding, but Father won't let me!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan subconsciously looked up at Xiao Mingyue, his brows furrowed with worry.

"Sparrow is too young; riding a horse is too dangerous. Her studies should be her priority right now. We should wait a few more years before she learns to ride..."

"Qingheng." Xiao Mingyue interrupted him, walked over and naturally put her arm around his waist.

Turning her head to meet his worried gaze, she softly reassured him, "It's a good thing that Que'er wants to learn. I'll have someone go to the horse farm to pick out the gentlest pony, one with a good temperament."

Xiao Mingyue paused, raising an eyebrow slightly, "The spring scenery is just right. There's not much to do at the manor these days, so let's go for a spring outing outside the city on our day off and let Que'er get used to it."

"With me here, you won't fall."

Shen Yan glanced at Xiao Mingyue, then looked down at his pitiful daughter who was staring at him, and sighed.

"Then... then I'll listen to Mingyue."

"yeah!"

Shen Jingque immediately jumped up, hugging the two men on either side, burying her face in their arms: "Thank you, Father! Thank you, Mother!"

What she didn't see was that the two people she had hugged suddenly pressed closer together, and Xiao Mingyue turned her face to the side and kissed Shen Yan's cheek with a smile.

Shen Yan's cheeks flushed instantly, but he returned the kiss without hesitation.

Upon seeing this scene, Uncle Xu, who had originally returned to find Shen Yan, immediately turned around, chuckling to himself.

"This old servant has served the Princess for many years and has never seen her care so much for any other consort."

……

Qin Lie's great victory and triumphant return not only affected the imperial court.

It has even penetrated into the lives of ordinary people.

Recently, a new trend has quietly emerged in Beijing.

Rumors circulate that General Qin, who has been guarding the border for many years, is returning to the capital not only to receive rewards but also to arrange a marriage.

It is said that Qin Lie is decisive and dislikes demure noblewomen, preferring women who are bold and charismatic.

This prompted the noble ladies of Kyoto to start wearing neat, narrow-sleeved clothes.

However, these clothes are mostly men's styles, and there are relatively few designs.

As a result, Jinxiu Pavilion in the East Market immediately followed the trend and designed a batch of brightly colored, novel collared robes and skirts, paired with gemstone-encrusted ribbons, which made them look heroic and elegant.

As a result, the ladies of high society rushed to buy them, and almost everyone owned one.

Even Zhao Yuwan, who loves to put on airs, bought it and showed it off again and again at the academy.

Shen Jingque passed by after school and sighed through the shop window.

"This business is incredibly shrewd."

Upon returning home, Shen Jingque happened to bump into a well-dressed middle-aged man walking out from the second gate, who smiled and bowed to Xiao Changqi in farewell.

"Second Master, it's settled then. We'll ship another batch of goods next month."

Xiao Changqi waved his fan as he saw the person to the door. Turning around, he saw Shen Jingque standing under the veranda, looking around.

"What are you looking at?"

Shen Jingque stroked her chin. "This person... why does he look like the manager of Jinxiu Pavilion?"

Xiao Changqi replied nonchalantly, "He's just the manager of Jinxiu Pavilion, so what?"

Shen Jingque: "Did he borrow money from Qi Yun Money Shop?"

Xiao Changqi: "No."

Shen Jingque: "Then why did he come to see you?"

Xiao Changqi grinned, slapped his folding fan against his palm, and spoke with a hint of smugness.

"Of course... we're talking business!"

Shen Jingque's eyes darted around, and combining this with the recent trends in the capital, she suddenly realized something.

She draped her arm over Xiao Changqi's elbow, looked up at him, and said, "Second Brother, those narrow-sleeved clothes that are all the rage lately, could they be your creation?"

Xiao Changqi was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "No one knows me better than my sister."

He reached out and pinched Shen Jingque's cheek: "You're so clever."

This answer was within Shen Jingque's expectations, but it was still somewhat novel.

"When did you become knowledgeable about clothing? I remember you couldn't even tell the difference between the front and back pieces."

"What do I know?"

Xiao Changqi stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of undisguised smugness on his face. "I'm only in charge of two things: investing money and creating momentum. I don't care about the rest."

"Who designed these clothes?"

Xiao Changqi bent down and whispered in Shen Jingque's ear, "Your future sister-in-law."

Shen Jingque, with a sour expression, shouted as if afraid others wouldn't hear, "Oh~ Future~ Sister-in-law~!"

He ran into the yard as he spoke.

"Hey!" Xiao Changqi took a step and caught up with her in a few strides. "Little girl, I think this business has great potential!"

Shen Jingque nodded, "Yes, yes, you're right."

Suddenly, I remembered that Fan Suyao ran a perfume shop, so why was she making clothes?

So she asked the same question.

Xiao Changqi said, "She has wanted to make clothes for a long time, but the investment costs are high and it is difficult to enter the market, so she has not made a move yet."

Yes, the fabric shops, tailors, and craftsmen are all truly dedicated.

"So you facilitated the investment and collaboration with Jinxiuge, with your sister-in-law providing the designs and selling the ready-made clothing?"

"That's good, then we'll split the profits with Jinxiu Pavilion."

Shen Jingque frowned and said, "But the guests will only think that those clothes are from Jinxiu Pavilion, which won't help you open your shop in the future."

Xiao Changqi felt comfortable hearing her address him like that and laughed, "Just getting started, let's create a buzz and make a fortune."

To put it bluntly, it's about making a quick buck.

But Shen Jingque didn't think this was a good idea.

Before she transmigrated into the book, she majored in new media. Now she was thinking, could she find a way to promote Fan Suyao as a brand?

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she grabbed Xiao Changqi's sleeve.

"Second brother, I have an idea! We can make this trend the perfect starting point for sister-in-law's new store opening!"