"How dare you hit my Second Sister?" Sheng Weiwu saw her stop. She looked back as well. When she saw what had happened, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to hit her with rage. Even Shen Jiuniang who didn't want to get involved was amused because of this scene, "No wonder that Grandma didn't let her mother marry into Sheng Family. There would be no more good days in Sheng Family if she were here!"

This was just a five-year-old kid. How could she be brought up like this? We could see what kind of person her mother was from her kid!

"You can leave now since you are all busy! Seventh Sister, you are so young that you can't hit her hard. You had better let me do this." Sheng Weirao wasn't angry anymore when she had heard her words. n.o.body in Sheng Family didn't know Sheng Weiqiao's status.

Even Old Madam Ming needed to spoil and indulge her and didn't dare to say harsh words to her! How dare Sheng Lianlian hit her with a stone? This little kid would never stand out in Sheng Family because of what she had done!

She shook her hands, smiling, "Second elder Sister was right. This is our second branch's business. My younger sister didn't know the rules, so it is definitely my responsibility to teach her!"

Leaving the daughter of the second branch in the old place, they walked away. After they had walked for a long way and almost arrived at their destination, Shen Jiuniang noticed that Sheng Weiqiao was still upset and unhappy, so she comforted her, "Your cousin will definitely take vengeance for you! Grandma will also not forgive that little kid when she knows later!"

Sheng Weiwu also said, "Don't be angry, my Second Sister. Do you want me to go back and help you to hit her right now? You will feel embarra.s.sed for hitting a kid, but I won't feel embarra.s.sed! I am a little kid after all!"

"How could I hold a grudge against a disrespectful little kid?" Although Sheng Weiqiao was in a bad mood, she still burst into laughter after hearing her cousin's words. She touched her small head and said with a smile, "I just thought of that son of a mistress and felt too aggrieved!"

After hearing her words, the ambitious Sheng Weiwu hanged her head and said with lingering fear in her heart, "But grandpa said he would lock us in the ancestral hall if we didn't respect him from now on!"

"Your grandpa just wanted to make you feel scared." Shen Jiuniang didn't know the story behind, and therefore she teased them after hearing their words, "My mother was frightened on grandfather's birthday. She was so afraid that grandfather would punish you severely, but you had already come out after just two days."

There was an envious emotion in her eyes. There's no doubt that her grandpa would have cast her out from her house if the same thing had happened in Shen Family.

Only Sheng Family would spoil their kids this much. After all, the whole Nanfeng County had already known how disgraced Sheng Family this time was.

Why the couples of the eldest branch and third branch didn't look in on their baby daughters in the ancestral hall? Because they were finding ways outside in order to eliminate the prospective troubles for the two babies.

"It was not just scaring us!" Sheng Weiqiao and Sheng Weiwu said at the same time, "Cousin, you didn't know that. Inside the ancestral hall, there were… were…."

Although it was in daylight and under the blue sky, two sisters were too terrified about the experiences of last night and dared not to speak out. When they were mumbling, a young man in costly clothes and golden crown suddenly appeared from the behind of a flower tree near here. He had a clean face and red lips. His smile looked like suns.h.i.+ne in spring. He bowed to them and said, "My three younger sisters, do you want to have a drink here?"

When Shen Jiuniang just saw him, her eyes began to s.h.i.+ne, and she almost jumped up because of excitement. How did she have time to listen to her two younger cousins' words?

Sheng Weiqiao knew what she was thinking, so she stopped speaking and got close to her ear, saying with a smile, "Look, how could Brother Xu think that you were flighty? Now, didn't he just invite you on his own initiative?"

These two girls both thought that Xu Baomo was interested in Shen Jiuniang. Sheng Weiwu was too young to understand their relations, so she just followed them to a pavilion nearby when she saw her elder sisters agreed to go.

After they entered the pavilion, they saw that tea and pastries were well prepared on the stone table inside the pavilion. A famille-rose vase painted with nine peaches was in the middle of the table. Inside the vase, there were two freshly picked spring flowers: one pear flower, and one malus spectabilis. The color red and white contrasted finely with each other. The leaves and stem intertwined with each other like the mandarin ducks crossed their necks, which confirmed their supposition.

Sheng Weiqiao regretted that she didn't find an excuse and take her younger cousin away just now. Shen Jiuniang also found that her two younger sisters were like third wheels. After taking their seats, Xu Baomo invited the three sisters to try the tea. Shen Jiuniang said shyly, "Bro… Brother Xu, did you notice that if there were any peac.o.c.k showing off its tails just now? Big Weiqiao and Little Wu came to the garden for that particularly!"

She thought that whether Xu Baomo had seen it or not, Sheng Weiqiao could have a reason to take Sheng Weiwu away.

Would she keep staying here, or decline by saying "other than taking my seventh cousin to watch peac.o.c.k, my second cousin also has some secrets to talk with her and they don't want me there" because she needed to pretend that she was reserved?

"So, is your nickname Big Weiqiao, my younger sister?" Who would have expected that Xu Baomo didn't even glance at her or Sheng Weiwu who was concentrating on eating a pastry? He looked at Sheng Weiqiao delightedly with his amorous eyes full of charm and elegance, saying softly, "Big Weiqiao, you want to watch peac.o.c.ks showing their tails? I just saw two green peac.o.c.ks, but they didn't spread their tails! Why don't you let me accompany you to look for them? Let's see if there is some peac.o.c.k that is displaying its tail now?"

The young Sheng Weiwu didn't feel anything after hearing this. However, Shen Jiuniang's red cheeks turned pale immediately!

Sheng Weiqiao was also shocked. She stood up in astonishment and shook her head again and again, "No, no, no! You just stay here and accompany my elder cousin. I will go and find peac.o.c.ks with Seventh Sister! Find them with Seventh Sister!"

Before she finished her words, the teacup in Shen Jiuniang's hand had already fallen down to the ground. Sheng Weiqiao suddenly realized that she had said something wrong and her face had changed because of the scare. She didn't know what to do, just pulling her handkerchief.

Xu Baomo noticed her panicky look and he felt that Sheng Weiqiao was as kind and virtuous as Senior Master Sheng had boasted. In the face of a talented Marquis' Young Lord's courting, she was not too overjoyed to leave Shen Jiuniang. On the contrary, she gave this chance to her elder cousin on her own initiative, which proved that she would definitely be a good wife in the future!

It seemed that he had already expected that when Sheng Weiqiao became Mrs. Xu, she would help him marry concubines and they could live in harmony. So, how could he let this perfect wife candidate go?

Xu Baomo finally glanced at Shen Jiuniang, but his eyes were aloof and restrained, "Big Weiqiao, jokes aside, Miss Shen and I have only met once. A single man and a single woman stay in the same pavilion will ruin Miss Shen's good reputation."

Although he was interested in Shen Jiuniang, he had already seen too many beauties who courted him actively. Comparing to the legal wife his grandfather and he both felt satisfied with, he knew clearly which person was more important!

It was not a big deal; he could also seduce Shen Jiuniang after he married Sheng Weiqiao.

"… I'm sorry that I bothered you!" Staying together with me would ruin my reputation, then accompanying Sheng Weiqiao to watch the peac.o.c.ks display tails wouldn't ruin her reputation?!

She heard it so clearly. What she said was the two sisters of Sheng Family wanted to watch peac.o.c.ks spreading tails, but what Xu Baomo said was accompanying Sheng Weiqiao to find the peac.o.c.ks. She thought, "It was ridiculous that I thought my two younger cousins would hinder me. In Xu Baomo's eyes, I was the one who was hindering them!"

Shen Jiuniang couldn't stay here any longer. Her whole body shook, and she squeezed out a few words, then she stood up and wanted to leave. When pa.s.sing by Sheng Weiqiao, Sheng Weiqiao wanted to hold her and explain, but Shen Jiuniang hit her hands off hard.

"Young Lord Xu, what do you mean?!" Sheng Weiqiao had never been treated like this by her elder cousin. She covered the back of her hand which was. .h.i.t into red, feeling angry, anxious and undeserved! Watching Shen Jiuniang ran away while crying, she even didn't call him "elder brother" anymore. She said to Sheng Weiwu, "Quick, go to chase our elder cousin." Sheng Weiqiao stomped her feet and questioned Xu Baomo even before her younger cousin ran out the pavilion, "You obviously know that Little Jiuniang…."

"Big Weiqiao, you are wrong if you say that!" Xu Baomo was young, but he was familiar with romantic things. Dealing with the occasion like this was not a big deal for him. He changed into a decent face and interrupted Sheng Weiqiao, saying, "I did know that Miss Shen was interested in me, but I just respect Miss Shen and have no sense of affection to her. It is said that the marriage was decided by fate and we can do nothing with that. We have just met each other three times. If I didn't explain as soon as possible, it would delay Miss Shen even more."

Actually, his words had loads of information. Firstly, he explained that he had no interest in Shen Jiuniang. Everything was her wishful thinking. Then, he used the word "marriage" to imply that he was a decent man. He got close to that girl was because he really planned to marry her and didn't mean to discard her after making use of her! Thirdly, he emphasized that this was the "third time" he met Shen Jiuniang and Sheng Weiqiao was always there every time they met, which can avoid him from being suspected that he had love affairs with Shen Jiuniang in private to the maximum extent.

Of course, it was because Xu Baomo had seduced different girls for a long time and had rich experiences so that he could be this considerate.

In fact, Sheng Weiqiao didn't know anything about him, how could she doubt him? After hearing what he had said, she thought it made sense. But she felt annoyed again and said, "Whatever, you still can't use me as an excuse! Well, Little Jiuniang must hate me so much!"

"Miss Shen seems to be older than you, Big Weiqiao, right?" Xu Baomo didn't soothe her frankly, instead, he asked her curiously, "Why are you Big Weiqiao, but she is Little Jiuniang?"

How could Sheng Weiqiao in the mood to explain? She said impatiently, "None of your business! Anyhow, we call each other like this!"

"Alright, Big Weiqiao!" Xu Baomo intended to break the ice between them by talking about another topic and get ready to woo her later. However, he noticed that Sheng Weiqiao had the tendency to turn hostile if they had different opinions. He dared not to annoy her, so he said, "I didn't mean to take you as an excuse. Our families' friends.h.i.+p has continued for many generations. Senior Master Sheng's son generation and grandchildren and my grandfather's younger generation are all brothers and sisters."

He smiled softly when he talked about this and his eyes are sincere, "Your father and mine once were the ministers at the same time. My father's friends.h.i.+p with your father is deeper than with the other people of Sheng Family. I often heard my father talking about that. Therefore, when I heard you were in trouble, how could I not help you?"

Sheng Weiqiao didn't know his evil intentions. He said his father's friends.h.i.+p with Sheng Weiqiao's father was deeper than with the other people of Sheng Family was actually hinting her difference and setting the foundation for getting close to her as well. After all, Xu Baomo was a guest of Sheng Family now, it was hard to avoid bothering the host sometimes.

Although he was brought here by Senior Master Sheng, Senior Master Sheng could not entertain him by himself because of his seniority and status in the family.

Senior Master Sheng planned to arrange Sheng Shuihe to entertain him, but Sheng Shuihe was injured and needed to rest.

Then when needed, it was natural that he would find Sheng Weiqiao to give a hand!

Because of their father's close relations.h.i.+p, he thought Sheng Weiqiao was the one he was the closest to.

The naive girl thought Xu Baomo really cared about the friends.h.i.+p between their fathers, and therefore he volunteered to help her. She felt embarra.s.sed immediately, "Sorry! I thought you wanted to alienate me from my sisters on purpose!"

"It doesn't matter!" Xu Baomo thought it was easy to coax this girl. He was lucky that he came early. This Second Miss Sheng was just thirteen. In two years, who knew which bad guy would win her heart? Huh? He was also a bad guy? Nonsense! He intended to marry her formally!

After confirming that he was a decent man himself, Xu Baomo maintained his composure and stared at the silver bowl in front of him. The s.h.i.+ny bowl reflected his appearance right now: wearing luxury and beautiful clothes, looking talented and charming!

He put a tender smile on his face with satisfaction, "It was just a misunderstanding. It is okay we understand each other now. By the way, Big Weiqiao, you worry about Miss Shen so bad, right? Maybe we can go to check on her now. I can make an apology to her as well."

His target felt guilty. He had better do it when she was unprepared, strike while the iron was hot, take advantage of her vulnerability, hit her when she was down, and therefore he could satisfy his desire!

"It's fine. Since we don't know where Little Jiuniang is now, it is not good to waste your time. I will explain to her later." Sheng Weiqiao was not as oversensitive as him, but she was not an idiot as well. Xu Baomo had only talked to her before, so Shen Jiuniang was so mad that she ran away. If she went to find Shen Jiuniang with him now, she was not going to apologize but to make Shen Jiuniang mad on purpose.

So, she rejected him straightforwardly. Actually, this refusion was in Xu Baomo's expectation. He was going to make a request naturally since he knew Sheng Weiqiao who just said "no" to him would definitely be too embarra.s.sed to say "no" again.

However, plans could never catch up with changes. While Xu Baomo was going to open his mouth with the tenderest smile on his face, he suddenly felt that there was a murderous feeling in his back. Then, someone coughed and said slowly, "My good nephew, my sweetheart has been spoiled by me. Did she neglect you?"

He turned his head around unconsciously and saw Sheng Lanci standing outside the pavilion with his hand on his back, smiling hypocritically and watching him vigilantly.