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Madame Xiao replied, “She probably hoped to be duly married to the second son. However, this time she was disappointed. I heard from the maids in the front yard, ever since the second son received the imperial marriage decree, Miss Chen has been sobbing nonstop in her room.”

Yingbao twitched at the corner of her eyes.

Wasn’t Chen Tiantian supposed to be Xiao Chengjun’s beloved? Why hasn’t he married her for so long?

Could it be that what he really cherished were power and status?

And also, Chen Tiantian is already twenty years old, is she prepared to always stick with Xiao Chengjun like this?

“Madam, the people from the main kitchen have come to say that the banquet is ready. Shall we begin serving the dishes now?” A maid came over and inquired from Madame Xiao.

Madame Xiao nodded, “Serve the dishes.”

Today was her birthday, and she had invited people for four tables, but only two tables turned up.

Fortunately, the mother and daughter of the Jiang family, who were county officials, were present; otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing for her.

Next, Madame Xiao invited all the women to sit in the flower hall, placing Yingbao and Chunniang in the main seats.

After the feast, the guests all said their farewells.

Yingbao and her mother also bid farewell to Madame Xiao to return home. Just as they were about to get into the carriage, they saw a chubby boy and a teen run up.

“Sister Yingbao! I want to go to your house to play!” The chubby boy, panting heavily, immediately reached out to tug at Yingbao’s sleeve.

Meixiang and Lan Xiang discreetly stepped in to keep the chubby boy away from their mistress and stood guard on either side of Yingbao.

“Chengyu.” Madame Xiao disapprovingly glared at her son, “You’re already fifteen years old, yet you’re still so impetuous.”

The fifteen-year-old chubby boy, Xiao Chengyu, dressed in a new brocade robe with two buns on his head and his round chubby face looked slightly childish. He was now eagerly waiting for Yingbao’s response.

“Alright, Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu, even Wei Zhan, are all there. You can play with them,” Wei Zhan had been staying at Zhou Hao’s mansion for the last few days and had returned to the Jiang family home to celebrate the New Year.

Xiao Chengyu jumped for joy and immediately called the little boy over, “Let’s go to Sister Yingbao’s house to drink fruit juice.”

The little boy seemed a bit disheartened, as if he had something on his mind.

However, upon hearing about going over to Yingbao’s place, his eyes lit up.

Like an adult, he earnestly saluted Yingbao, “Happy New Year, Sister Yingbao. Wishing you a happy New Year as well, Auntie.”

Chunniang nodded in response, speaking kindly, “Happy New Year to you too. I’ll make something delicious for you guys later.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” The little boy and Xiao Chengyu simultaneously expressed their gratitude.

Then, the two young boys accompanied by a servant left for the Jiang family’s residence in a carriage.

It was Lunar New Year’s Day 5, and both Wei Zhan and Wen Hengyin Zhang Min were at the Jiang residence.

They, along with Jiang Jie, Jiang Wu, Huzi, and Jiang Quan were fishing on the verandah, catching quite a few fish from the pond in Yingbao’s yard.

“Brother Wei Zhan! I’m here!” Although Xiao Chengyu was fat, he was quite agile. He ran over and started shaking Wei Zhan.

Wei Zhan pushed him away with a look of disgust, “You’re shaking me so much my meal’s about to come up. Lower your voice, we’re fishing.”

Xiao Chengyu nodded, craned his neck to look at the pond, and saw several holes drilled into the ice surface where each was fishing.

The little boy glanced at these people and wanted to start a conversation, but they were all engrossed in watching the water surface and ignored him.

Before long, two maids brought over steaming almond tea, serving each young man a cup.

The men took a sip of almond tea with one hand, while holding a fishing rod with the other.

After finishing the almond tea, none of them noticed that Wei Zhan had disappeared.

Inside the flower room, Yingbao squatted on the ground, planting freshly taken seedlings one by one into flower pots.

After planting all twenty of them and getting up to fetch water from the tank, she noticed Wei Zhan standing not far away watching her.

Startled, Yingbao complained, “Why are you sneaking around?”

Smiling triumphantly, Wei Zhan took out a delicately crafted box from his embrace and thrust it into her hands: “This is for you. I didn’t have a chance to give it to you the other day.”

Picking up the hefty box, Yingbao glanced at it and casually opened it to find a pair of wide bangles studded with gemstones.

The gems were huge and the gold bangles were thick. The design was bold, quite unlike the style of this era.

“It came from a sea merchant,” Wei Zhan said. “I guessed you’d like it.”

Indeed, Yingbao had a fondness for such real gold and gemstone objects – sturdy, durable, and easily sold for money.

“Was it pricey? How much did you pay for it?” she asked.

Wei Zhan scratched his head: “It didn’t cost much.”

Seeing Yingbao glare at him, he hurriedly added, “Well, it cost just over five hundred taels.”

Yingbao nodded, picked up one of them and slipped it onto her wrist. She jiggled it; it fit quite well but was a little heavy and inconvenient for work.

She slipped off the bangle, put it back in the box and closed the lid, then told Wei Zhan, “I have something for you too.”

Wei Zhan began to beam, his smile nearly reaching his ears.

After some thought, Yingbao also pulled out a box and handed it to Wei Zhan: “This flower can save lives. It can be taken orally or used as a poultice. Take good care of it. If you’re out on military expedition, always keep it with you.”

The box contained a whole Five Dingzhi, about the size of a sea bowl, with lotus-shaped pistil in the center. She had tasted it once; it was capable of rejuvenation.

“Alright.” Wei Zhan accepted the box and carefully tucked it into his robe.

He then raised his hand and finally touched Yingbao’s hair, whispering, “Yingbao, I like you.”

Yingbao’s heartbeat skipped for an instant, her cheeks reddened. “I… me too.”

Having lived two lives, it was the first time she had heard such words said to her, leaving her feeling dizzy.

A light sparkled in Wei Zhan’s eyes. He was about to say something when he suddenly noticed someone standing next to them and snapped, “What… what are you doing here, little boy?”

The curious little boy looked at the two of them and said, “…My Father Wu said, it is improper for a man and a woman to be alone in a room…”

Wei Zhan strutted forward, covered the little boy’s mouth, and carried him outside. He scolded with a stern face, “Stop talking nonsense!”

Pouting, the little boy snorted and turned to run off.

Wei Zhan turned back to look at the flower room. He really wanted to go back in and talk to Yingbao, but considering the little boy’s words, he had to say, “Yingbao, if you can’t manage it all, I’ll go and summon Huzi and Jiang Wu to help.”

Yingbao came out of the flower room: “It’s all taken care of. Go play with them.”

Wei Zhan nodded, looking back at her as he walked away.

Yingbao returned to her room, told Meixiang and others not to disturb her, and slipped into her Sanctuary.

She came to the Pupil Spring, immersing the golden fragments clutched in her hand into the spring water.

The golden fragments gradually dissolved in the water and then disappeared.

It was as she had expected.

Once the golden fragments had fused into the Pupil Spring, a fragment of a blurry memory appeared in her mind.

The memory was somewhat scattered, and she had to make an effort to assemble it in order to make sense of it.

However, connecting it with her previous dream, Yingbao roughly understood that these golden fragments were the eyes of one of her past lives.

After those people killed her, in order to prevent her resurrection, or perhaps out of desire to obtain her powers, they sealed her eye fragments into the statue, draining the divine power of the fragments day and night.

Now that she had retrieved two fragments and fused them into the Pupil Spring, she distinctly felt something ready to emerge from her body.