Shuse Jinjia

Xie Linzhu didn't see through Sun Yin's intentions. Upon hearing her words, she recalled the way Xu Muyuan stared at Xie Zhaotang in a daze last time.

She turned around and scolded him.

"The Pei family's butler just said that you can freely stroll around the garden this morning. There will be activities after lunch. Xie Zhaotang, Xie Shiyue, you two go and explore the garden on your own! I want to chat with my girlfriends."

After saying that, Xie Linzhu took the hands of Sun Yin and another young lady, and said with a smile, "Sister Sun, let's go shopping by ourselves!"

The group then left.

Chu Liu lagged a few steps behind and solemnly instructed, "Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Third Miss can't stay with you all the time. You can wander around on your own, but don't cause any trouble. Head to Lotus Fragrance Pavilion for lunch before noon, and don't be late!"

After saying that, Chu Liu went to chase after Xie Linzhu.

Xie Shiyue looked somewhat bewildered and turned to Xie Linzhu: "Fourth sister, why is this flower banquet like this? They don't let us stroll around freely..."

Xie Zhaotang had already considered the Pei and Huo families, and now that she heard about the free stroll, she roughly guessed the intention of Old Madam Pei, who was hosting the flower banquet.

In a typical matchmaking process, the man and woman meet once each to assess each other's appearance.

But if you really want to marry her, you need to know more about her, her personality, her way of dealing with people, and so on. While she's just wandering around, there's no guarantee that no one will be watching.

These women were caught off guard, and their good and bad character was exposed in private.

Xie Zhaotang thought to himself, and seeing Xie Shiyue's cluelessness, he sighed inwardly.

Well, we're sisters, so I'll just give her a few pointers and see if she'll listen.

Just as she was about to speak, Xie Shiyue's maid, Youqing, tugged at Xie Shiyue and whispered a few words in her ear.

Xie Shiyue's gaze kept drifting towards Xie Zhaotang.

After Youqing finished speaking, she turned directly to Xie Zhaotang and said, "Fourth Sister, since Third Sister said we can wander around freely, let's split up and explore. I've never been to Hexi Garden before, so I'll just wander around!"

After she finished speaking, she pulled Youqing and walked in another direction.

Xie Zhaotang looked up and saw several young men walking on the road.

Xie Zhaotang was amused and annoyed. What idea did Youqing give Xie Shiyue? To shake her off? To not let herself steal her thunder?

Well, Xie Shiyue is so eager and has such a good idea, should she really go out of her way to give her advice? Good luck to her!

"Xing'er, let's go that way..."

Xie Linzhu went left, Xie Shiyue went right, and Xie Zhaotang chose the middle path.

"Fourth Miss, I overheard Youqing say a few words, saying that the Third Miss took you out last time and you got hurt, that you attracted too much attention and such..."

Xing'er was close by just now, so although she didn't hear everything, she still faithfully reported back.

Xie Zhaotang had already imagined the whole story and laughed nonchalantly, "Never mind them, let's just mind our own business!"

She led Xing'er along the middle of the road. The scenery of Hexi Garden was beautiful. Many crabapple trees were planted in the garden, and they looked even more vibrant red under the warm sunshine.

The Xie family also planted a few crabapple trees, but Hexi Garden had even more and a wider variety.

There were pink, white, and yellow ones. In her previous life, Xie Zhaotang had only seen pink and white crabapple blossoms. She had seen pictures of yellow crabapple blossoms, but had never seen them in person.

I was quite surprised when I first saw the yellow one, and I stopped to take a closer look.

Xing'er had never seen so many varieties of crabapple before, and asked curiously, "Fourth Miss, is this flower also a crabapple? The leaves don't look like a crabapple at all!"

Xie Zhaotang figured he had nothing else to do, so he stood there chatting with Xing'er.

"There are many varieties of crabapple. The one planted in the lady's courtyard is a flowering quince, the one with pink flowers is a weeping crabapple, the one with white flowers is a Malus spectabilis... This one with yellow flowers is a crabapple, but strictly speaking, it doesn't belong to the Malusaceae family!"

Xing'er opened her eyes wide in confusion: "What does Fourth Miss mean? I don't understand!"

Xie Zhaotang put it simply: "Strictly speaking, the Yellow Crabapple belongs to the Hypericum genus of the Clusiaceae family. Besides its beautiful flowers, like other crabapples, every part of it is valuable; the entire plant can be used medicinally!"

Xing'er asked in surprise, "This flower can be used as medicine? What are its uses?"

Xing'er admired Xie Zhaotang greatly after he cured her mother with Xie Zhaotang's folk remedy.

When it comes to her professional knowledge, Xie Zhaotang also wants to gradually let Xing'er, who knows her well, accept that she has medical skills.

Xie Zhaotang then explained to her, "When added to medicine, *Hedyotis diffusa* can cool the blood and stop bleeding, treat vomiting blood and external bleeding, and also has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. It can also relieve sores, boils, carbuncles, dysentery, etc..."

She spoke eloquently, unaware that behind the dense foliage of the nandina, a flower grower and three men, who had been talking, stopped and listened intently as she spoke...

The four people, including the flower farmer, sat on a small stool among the flower seedlings, dressed in coarse cloth, their hands covered in mud and grass.

One of the other three young masters squatted down, pulling weeds along with the others. He didn't notice Xie Zhaotang speaking. When he saw the flower farmer stop, he thought he had pulled the wrong weeds and looked up at the flower farmer ingratiatingly.

"Grandpa, did I pull the wrong one?"

The flower grower waved his hand, signaling him to be quiet and listen attentively to what the woman was saying.

The speaker was Pei Song, the grandson of the old lady Pei who hosted the flower banquet.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, his skin was tanned dark, and he was stocky.

Seeing that the flower grower wouldn't let him speak, Pei Song looked pleadingly at the two men standing beside him.

The man of average build and height, the same as him, was Pei Song's cousin, Pei Yu, the third son of the eldest branch of the family.

Pei Yu had high-bridged eyebrows, a pair of narrow phoenix eyes that were slightly upturned, a fair and handsome face, and a lazy yet arrogant demeanor.

He wore a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist, engraved with several bamboo patterns.

The young man standing next to him was also handsome, with red lips and white teeth, a tall and straight figure, wearing an ice-blue straight robe, a matching belt around his waist, and a hollowed-out jade pendant hanging from it.

If Xie Zhaotang could see him, she would recognize him as Xu Muyuan, who indirectly caused her to be stung by bees!

Neither Xu Muyuan nor Pei Yu noticed Pei Song's gaze. The two of them listened to Xie Zhaotang explain the medicinal properties of crabapple along with the flower farmer.

Pei Yu listened to the girl's soft, sweet, clear and clean voice.

Xu Muyuan, however, found the voice to be soft and melodious, and somewhat familiar.

For no apparent reason, a scene flashed through his mind...

The girl sat at the table, took a piece of pastry when no one was looking, put it in her mouth, looked up to see if anyone was paying attention, and began to chew.

Her round, rosy face, paired with her darting, aimless eyes, gave her a lively yet endearing look!

Is it her?

Xu Muyuan stared intently at the Nandina domestica, trying to see through the gaps in the branches and leaves to see if it was her!

But the nandina domestica was too dense; apart from a vague glimpse of purple, nothing could be seen clearly.

"Fourth Miss, if the yellow crabapple has such effects, can other crabapple varieties like the weeping crabapple also be used as medicine?"

Xing'er asked.

Xu Muyuan's heart skipped a beat. Xie Zhaotang was also the fourth child in the Xie family. Could it really be her?

He immediately said, "Old man, what that girl said makes some sense. If you're interested, I'll go and call her over to explain in detail."

The flower grower looked up, his gaze sweeping over Xu Muyuan, Pei Yu, and Pei Song, before waving his hand.

"Get out of here, all of you. I don't need you fawning over me. Go do what you were doing..."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yu bowed and pulled Pei Song up.

"Hurry up and wash up. If you don't find a girl you like today, see how your third aunt will deal with you!"

Pei Song retorted, unconvinced, "Third Brother, you're older than me, if you're not worried, why should I be!"

Hearing the commotion, Xie Zhaotang realized someone was there and pulled Xing'er away.

He had only taken a few steps forward when a figure blocked his path...