The peasant girl has a private space, and her husband is handsome.

Early in the morning of the third day of the third lunar month, the shores of Bibo Lake became lively.

Small vendors also took notice and set up stalls along the lake, selling jewelry and food.

One carriage after another stopped by the Bibo Lake.

Most of the daughters are usually confined to the backyard of their houses, and it is rare for them to have a day to come out and relax. They are all like birds released from their cages, free and unrestrained.

Young men and women can enjoy spring outings to cleanse themselves of the grime and also send flowers to their loved ones.

Sending flowers isn't always just because you like them; it can also be because you admire or worship them.

The girl who receives the most flowers is chosen by the crowd as the Flower Goddess.

The goddess of flowers rides in a flower-decorated float during the procession.

In short, this is the most carefree day for a girl. Men and women can stand together and chat freely. No one will dare to criticize your behavior as indecent if you chat in public. You will not be accused of giving flowers in public.

The older generation is not as active as the younger generation; they mostly wander around and visit each other in the flower sheds.

If you come to my flower shed and I come to yours, the popularity of the flower shed signifies that your fortune and all aspects of life will be prosperous this year.

In front of each flower shed, there are wooden barrels. Usually, when a few girls come to visit, several wooden barrels will be placed in front of the flower shed.

This wooden bucket is used to store the flowers that my daughter receives.

The more flowers a girl receives, the more outstanding she is.

"Look, whose flower shed is that? It's decorated so beautifully."

"That belongs to the Marquis of Guiping's residence. I heard it's a flower shed that the Marquis's residence built for his future young mistress."

"I really envy the future young mistress of the Marquis's mansion."

Many people gathered outside the octagonal flower shed erected by the Marquis of Guiping's residence, discussing the matter animatedly.

"The Marquis of Guiping's mansion has brought out all the gold and jade treasures from its storeroom to decorate the flower shed; it's truly magnificent!"

"The colorful curtains decorating this flower shed are so beautiful; it's the most beautiful of all the flower sheds."

"Didn't you recognize it? This colorful curtain is the world-famous Yansha."

"No wonder this colorful curtain is so beautiful. It turns out it's made of gauze. It looks like countless gems are flowing in the sunlight. I've really learned something new today."

Many people gathered around to admire the dazzling smoke.

Granny Yang from the Marquis's residence stood guard outside the flower shed, smiling as she explained to everyone, "Our Marquis Guiping's residence doesn't have a daughter, so this flower shed was specially built for the future young mistress."

Luo Mingfang felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing Liu Mama's words: The future young mistress? Isn't that Miss Su from Qinghe County!

Why? She's already tried so hard, but she still can't compare to that guy surnamed Su?

Grandfather always said that Su Qianqian was arrogant and would not have a good ending.

But that girl's fate was clearly very good; you probably couldn't find another girl in the entire capital who was so cherished by her future in-laws.

As a young woman, she would certainly want her family's flower shed to be the most eye-catching, because the splendor of the flower shed represents the family's wealth and also the importance that the elders place on the younger generation.

Luo Mingfang, thinking about her own marriage which was still far from being settled, became even more jealous.

She is in a very awkward position because her father, Luo Kang, is not the biological son of Minister Luo, so respectable people look down on her.

She looked down on those down-on-their-luck men who wanted to climb the social ladder by marrying her.

Luo Mingfang stared intently at Yan Sha without blinking.

This dazzling silk gauze was the first time she had ever seen it. She wasn't even qualified to use a small piece of silk gauze to make a handkerchief, but the Marquis's mansion actually used a whole bolt of silk gauze to make a curtain, just to please that girl.

Her grandfather gave her one hundred taels of silver these past few days, and she spent eighty taels to buy herself this light pink new dress, which was embroidered with beautiful silver butterflies in silver thread.

She was originally in a great mood, but when she saw that the Marquis of Guiping's mansion had brought out their treasured silk gauze as decorations for Miss Su, her good mood vanished instantly.

The other members of the Luo family also crowded in the crowd to watch the excitement.

Luo Mingzhen didn't make any new clothes for the Flower Festival; she wore the apricot-colored dress she had made last spring.

Her apricot-colored dress, paired with her round face and almond-shaped eyes, made her look quite quirky and clever.

She rolled her eyes at Luo Mingfang, who was filled with jealousy, and was angry that Minister Luo only bought new clothes for Luo Mingfang, the fake granddaughter, but not for her, the real granddaughter.

Luo Mingzhen deliberately said to Minister Luo, "Grandfather, your most outstanding granddaughter, Miss Su, is not lacking in love at all. If you don't dote on her, others will. Without our Luo family, Miss Su would only be better off. So Grandfather, don't think too highly of yourself; nobody cares about you."

Minister Luo was so angry that he gritted his teeth.

One reason he disliked his granddaughter Luo Mingzhen was that Luo Mingzhen had a sharp tongue and always knew how to rub salt into people's wounds.

She is no match for the gentle and kind Mingfang.

"Grandfather, even Sister Mingfang doesn't really like you. She flatters you just to get money from you. Grandfather, if you're willing, just go to the main kitchen in the mansion and ask around, and you'll find out the truth. The lotus seed porridge that Sister Mingfang served you wasn't even made by her."

Minister Luo only believed what he wanted to believe. He had no doubts about his granddaughter Mingfang and only felt that Mingzhen was trying to sow discord.

At this moment, Minister Luo looked at the magnificent flower shed of the Marquis of Guiping's residence and felt a pang of sadness, feeling somewhat sorry for the sensible Mingfang.

Mingfang is so filial. He often spends several hours personally cooking lotus seed porridge for his grandfather. You can't find another person in the whole capital who is so filial.

The Keluo Mansion only erected a simple four-cornered flower shed, which was far inferior to that of the Guiping Marquis Mansion and was completely unworthy of Mingfang's filial piety.

Therefore, Vice Minister Luo found the magnificent flower shed of the Marquis of Guiping's residence very displeasing.

The Guiping Marquis's mansion has built such a magnificent flower shed, using not only precious gauze but also adorning it with gold, silver, and jade. It's too ostentatious.

"This is too extravagant. The imperial court is in dire need of funds right now, yet the Marquis's mansion is wasting money like this for a presumptuous little girl..."

Granny Yang interrupted Minister Luo, "Minister, you're mistaken. Our Guiping Marquis's residence donated 30,000 taels of silver to the court a few days ago. How much did you donate, Minister?"

Vice Minister Luo's most recent donation was only seven hundred taels, far less than that of the Marquis of Guiping's mansion, so he was embarrassed to say it and his face turned bright red.

Granny Yang felt sorry for the future young mistress. With such an unreliable grandfather, the young mistress must be very sad.

Granny Yang couldn't understand it at all. Why did Minister Luo not acknowledge his own granddaughter, who had extraordinary abilities, and instead target her at every turn? What was he thinking?

Is this Vice Minister Luo getting senile?

Granny Yang warned, "Minister, you're lucky. Our Marquis didn't hear what you said, or he would definitely beat you. Anyone who dares to insult Miss Su is going against the entire Guiping Marquis's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Luo felt a wave of fear. Fortunately, Marquis Guiping was not present; otherwise, after hearing what he had just said, he would surely have chased after him and beaten him again.

Granny Yang turned to Steward Zhang and said, "Steward Zhang, we forgot the most important thing. Quickly write a sign and put it here that says the Luo family and dogs must not come near."

There was a sign like this outside the gate of the Marquis of Guiping’s mansion, which read: “No one from the Luo family or dogs are allowed to enter.” It was a blatant insult, and because of that sign, Vice Minister Luo suffered endless ridicule from his colleagues.

Therefore, Vice Minister Luo usually took a detour and never dared to pass by the residence of Marquis Guiping.

Now, the servants of the Marquis of Guiping's residence have put up another sign outside the flower shed.

Minister Luo blushed with embarrassment, flicked his sleeve, and left dejectedly, feeling as if all the whispers around him were mocking him.

Marquis Guiping and his wife were taking a walk by the lake at that moment.

Lady Cui, the wife of the Marquis, inquired, "My lord, have all the flowers you asked me to prepare been ready?"

Marquis Guiping nodded, "Don't worry, Madam. I had Steward Zhang bring over ten cartloads of fresh flowers, all of them the finest peonies, befitting our future daughter-in-law's status. I guarantee she will be chosen as the Flower Goddess."

The Prime Minister's residence also had a flower shed erected.

It was a large hexagonal flower shed, decorated with pink flowers and several ordinary pink curtains. Pink was Feng Xiaoshuang's favorite color.

Inside the flower shed were many tables and chairs, with eight kinds of fresh flower pastries on the tables. This is a custom; every household has fresh flower pastries in their flower shed during the Flower Festival.

Prime Minister Feng's leg was seriously injured when a large tree fell on it while he was in the palace. He was unable to move while sitting in a chair and could only stare blankly in the direction of the lake.

He found it a bit strange. In previous years, the flower shed at the Prime Minister's residence would be crowded with people, but why was it so deserted this year? He hadn't seen many people pass by in so long.

Prime Minister Feng sighed, "There are very few people going on spring outings this year."

The Prime Minister's wife had just returned from visiting someone outside and retorted, "There are quite a few, but many people went to the flower shed at the Marquis of Guiping's residence. The flower shed at the Marquis of Guiping's residence was specially built for Miss Su. It is decorated with several bolts of gauze and adorned with many rare treasures. It is very pleasing to the eye."