Chapter 67: Shadow Puppetry
Chapter 67: Shadow Puppetry
Suisui didn't know that after her brother returned to the mansion, he would go to see his birth mother's favorite.
After finishing up with the potatoes, the two children were exhausted and went to bed after a quick wash.
As for a bedtime story?
There was no energy left for that!
The next day, the weather was pleasant.
They got up early, packed their things, and continued on their journey.
By evening, they reached the next county seat.
The new county had a thriving culture of street performances.
Upon entering the city, Suisui's eyes lit up with curiosity.
There seemed to be a street performance every few steps and a small stage every turn.
Some performers showcased their strength by crushing stones with their chests or lifting heavy objects.
More intricate acts included bowl balancing and human pyramids.
With so many performances, there were also many spectators.
The streets were filled with the performers' pitches and the audience's cheers.
Since they entered the city, Liu Daifu had asked Dijiao and the others to keep a close eye on the children, and he and Qingwang ignored the performances, focusing solely on the two young ones.
They arrived safely at the inn and booked their rooms. Considering the crowds outside, Liu Daifu suggested ordering food instead of dining out.
The inn they chose for the night had a special attraction—a shadow puppet show.
"Our esteemed host has specially arranged for a performance to celebrate his birthday. Not only is there a show at the mansion, but all guests at the inn can also watch it on the first floor. Thank you for your patronage!"
......
The innkeeper explained why there was a shadow puppet performance.
With the performance, it seemed like a good idea to order food and dine in.
The first floor of the inn was a spacious lobby with eight tables.
With some rearranging, the space could accommodate quite a few people.
Liu Daifu and his group arrived just in time to secure a good spot for the show.
Suisui had never seen anything like this before. As the candlelights dimmed, all attention turned to the shadow puppet stage, and Suisui forgot about her meal, craning her neck to watch.
In that small space, a whole new world seemed to unfold.
With the flickering candlelight, the story on the screen came to life, full of twists and turns.
Although Suisui didn't fully understand the plot, it didn't stop her from joining the crowd in their exclamations and applause.
Feng Xuanrui, who rarely saw such performances in the capital, was equally fascinated.
Whenever Suisui exclaimed in wonder, Feng Xuanrui couldn't help but echo her sentiment: "Wow, amazing!"
"Bravo!!!"
Their voices blended with the cheers of the others, not standing out.
Encouraged by this, Suisui mustered her courage and shouted along a couple of times.
But she stopped after two attempts, too shy to continue.
As Suisui enjoyed the show and her meal, far away in the capital, Chen Yueyao—or rather, Xu Yueyao, as she was now officially known—sat upright on an embroidery stool. Her back straight, shoulders relaxed, and chin slightly tucked in, she held a piece of peach wood in her mouth.
The peach wood was slightly curved, and when she bit down on it, her lips curved upward, giving the impression of a smile.
Xu Yueyao's hands were gracefully folded in front of her abdomen, her arms raised slightly, complementing the relaxed posture of her shoulders.
This was the posture of a dignified and elegant noblewoman.
Xu Yueyao had been sitting like this for quite some time, accompanied by four other girls.
It had been three days since she returned to the capital, and she had not seen her birth father, the Marquess of Jinyang, let alone her grandmother, who had adored Suisui in her past life.
Since entering the Marquess of Jinyang's mansion, the highest-ranking person Xu Yueyao had met was Ning Gugu, who was currently instructing them in etiquette.
Upon returning to the mansion, they need not worry about food and drink, but the etiquette training was rigorous and strict.
Aunt Ning stated that as young ladies of a marquis's manor, they must excel in manners and etiquette to uphold the family's reputation.
Thus, the first order of business for Xu Yueyao and the other girls after arriving was to be taken by Aunt Ning to a separate courtyard for etiquette lessons.
During this time, Xu Yueyao couldn't help but contemplate scheming and trying to sneak out to test her luck in meeting her birth father, the Marquis of Jinyang, or her grandmother.
Xu Yueyao thought, "If SuSUI, that little wench, could do it in my past life, why can't I?"
However, their living quarters were located outside the capital, and beyond its walls, they only encountered other families' estates, never catching a glimpse of anyone from the marquis's manor.
Because of this, she was punished and made to stand for an entire shichen (a traditional unit of time equivalent to two hours).
Aunt Ning would never physically abuse them, nor would she deprive them of food and drink.
However, when it came to manners and etiquette, she was exceptionally strict.
As night fell, they finished their dinner and continued their training.
Xu Yueyao was restless and fidgety, but she also understood that if she didn't master the proper etiquette, she would likely never get a chance to meet the manor's lords and ladies.
So, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
Before coming to the capital, Xu Yueyao had many fantasies about how she was more capable than SuSUI and would win the favor of her father and grandmother, living an even more glorious life than SuSUI had in her previous life.
But now that she was actually in the capital, she realized that there were a total of five other children in the same situation as her, all of them illegitimate offspring of the marquis.
In addition, there was also a young master.
The young master did not train in etiquette with them, so Xu Yueyao was left with four other girls, the oldest of whom was Xu Yueying, aged ten.
Next was Xu Yuexiu, aged seven.
Xu Yueyao, Xu Yueying, and Xu Yuerong were all five years old.
Xu Yueyao had initially thought that with her experience from her past life, how could she possibly lose to a bunch of children?
But reality proved her wrong!
Xu Yueyao was even given additional training by Aunt Ning due to her lack of cunning and scheming.
This only added to her sense of defeat.
However, she refused to give up!
Xu Yueyao thought, "Why should that little wench SuSUI be the only one who can do it, and not me?"
She wanted to stand proudly before SuSUI's grave and show her, "Look, I can do even better than you!"
Fueled by this determination, Xu Yueyao straightened her back and endured.
Noticing this, Aunt Ning chastised her with a cold expression, "Relax. Keep your back straight, but not rigidly so. We're aiming for a natural and relaxed posture, not a stiff plank of wood."
Being singled out for criticism made Xu Yueyao feel wronged, and her nose turned sour with the urge to cry.
Unfortunately, no one here would sympathize with her helplessness and sorrow.
The joys and sorrows of humans are not universally shared.
At this moment, SuSUI, far away in the capital, had just finished watching the fascinating shadow puppet show, sampled the county's specialty dishes, and happily drank a bowl of honey water.
After washing up, she went to bed with her brother, snuggling inside the bed while he lay on the outside.
Today, having learned to be more considerate of his sister, Feng Xuanrui thought about it and suggested, "If you don't like sleeping on the inside, you can tell me, sister. I'll accompany you."
Although SuSUI didn't understand why she was now sleeping on the inside, she was willing to listen to her brother.
Seeing his sister's obedient behavior, Feng Xuanrui couldn't help but ruffle her hair affectionately. "Sister, if you don't like lying on the inside, feel free to say so."
Even the system encouraged SuSUI.
['System: SuSUI, it's important to bravely say no when you encounter things you don't like!']
Shadow puppets are so interesting.
—SuSUI's Journal Entry
A cute double update
(End of Chapter)
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