The Lucky Farmgirl

Manbao asked quietly, "Is Madam Han angry with you?"

Madam Tang glanced at her and said, "Why should she be angry with me? This little thing between men doesn’t affect our relationship, maybe if it were more serious."

Manbao pondered and then confidently said, "The fine money doesn’t belong to Madam Han?"

Madam Tang burst into laughter, gave her a knowing look, and said, "You’re clever."

Manbao chuckled and pulled Zhou Liru along to see if they could catch a glimpse of Miss Fenghua.

The two sneaked close to the lotus pond, tiptoeing to peek around. A boat was slowly approaching the shore, and the aunt and niece watched excitedly.

Two servants stepped off the boat, laid a thick wooden board from the boat to the shore, and then several young girls in dance costumes sprang off the boat, jumping onto the shore with joy.

Fenghua followed, lifting her skirt as she jumped up. The flower decoration on her forehead sparkled in the sunlight, catching the eyes of the aunt and niece, who immediately stepped forward excitedly.

However, someone was faster than them. A group of people emerged from the path behind a tree, the leader waving a fan and smiling at Fenghua, "Miss Fenghua, come over and have a drink with us."

Fenghua’s smile didn’t change much. After curtsying with a cheerful smile, she said, "A young master’s invitation shouldn’t be refused, but I have to report to the host first. Why don’t you head back, and we can serve you when we’re free?"

"Who brought you here today from the Imperial Music Bureau? Let them come over. Today, I’ve specifically asked for you to accompany me. What’s the problem?"

Zhou Liru frowned and glanced at her little aunt.

Manbao also frowned, glanced through the crowd, and recognized some familiar faces while others were strangers.

The most familiar was, of course, the leader of the group, none other than Lord Han, who they’d just been discussing.

Manbao glanced at the peony bush by her feet; there wasn’t a particularly beautiful flower, but she picked one with red petals, and approached, "Miss Fenghua."

The group of young girls from the Imperial Music Bureau turned pale and were at a loss for what to do after Lord Han’s words, but upon hearing this voice, they turned to look.

Manbao approached with a smile, handed the flower to Fenghua, and said with a smile, "There’s no good peony here; I could barely find this one to present as a token. Would you like me to wear it for you?"

Miss Fenghua was surprised as she didn’t know Zhou Man, but after glancing at Lord Han and the others who remained silent, and noticing someone pulling Lord Han to leave, she guessed that this person probably held a significant position, one that these young masters seemed unwilling to offend.

So she smiled, curtsied, and humbly expressed her gratitude.

Seeing her lower her head slightly, Manbao placed the flower on her, then stepped back to admire it and nodded in approval, "Indeed, the flower can’t compare to you. You’re far more beautiful."

Fenghua lowered her head with a smile, seeming a bit troubled as she glanced at Lord Han and the others.

Manbao followed her gaze, smiled at them, and said, "Young Master Han, why aren’t you in the front drinking? Do you miss Madam Han and the others? Shall I take you to find them?"

One of them pulled Lord Han and said, "Han, let’s go. Why join in this commotion?"

Lord Han frowned, "Lord Zhou, are you standing up for the official courtesans?"

"Why would I stand up for them?" Manbao said confidently, "If you can invite them to drink, why can’t I invite them to talk?"

Lord Han was at a loss for words, "You’re a young lady, what are you doing with a bunch of ladies?"

Manbao replied, "Just talking. You think I’m like you, needing to find the opposite sex? Anyway, they were invited by the Liu Family for the guests, and I’m a guest too. It depends on who gets them first."

Lord Han was at a loss for words, and as he was about to say something, Zhou Man suddenly brightened up, waved behind them, and called, "Lady Liu, we’re over here."

Lady Liu, who was passing by with her servants, ran over upon hearing this, glanced curiously at Lord Han and his group, and asked Zhou Man, "Young Lady Zhou, what are you doing here? My grandmother was just talking about introducing you to some of the old ladies, and then you disappeared."

Manbao pointed to Fenghua and the others, "I want to play a game and was looking for people. Coincidentally, I fancied them, and Young Master Han fancied them too."

Upon hearing this, Lady Liu gave a host-like smile and was about to comfort and negotiate when Young Master Han impatiently waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, I don’t necessarily need them to drink with me. Let’s go, let’s go."

Seeing them leave, Manbao smiled at Lady Liu and said, "Thank you."

She turned to Fenghua and the others, saying, "Off you go with your work."

Fenghua gave Zhou Man a deep look, curtsied, and then led her people away.

Lady Liu watched them walk away and clicked her tongue, saying to Manbao, "You truly have a tender heart for beauty."

Manbao said, "That’s only if they’re charming enough to make me feel compassion. Which old lady wants to see me? Didn’t I know them?"

"You definitely don’t know them; they’re from Jinyang," Lady Liu led her and explained, "Each family’s old madam is here. I don’t know if they’re here to congratulate my cousin or meet you."

"What’s there to see about me? They must be here to congratulate your cousin."

"That’s not necessarily the case. Even if not for a consultation, they might be here out of curiosity," Lady Liu said, "You don’t know how famous you’ve become now. The first female imperial doctor of the dynasty, the first female official to attend court meetings. With the rise of girls’ education recently in the capital, many small officials send their daughters to study, hoping they could someday be like you and write in an institution."

Manbao: "...I’m just compiling medical books."

"That’s why more girls want to study medicine lately."

Even Zhou Liru nodded, whispered to Manbao, "Little aunt, you don’t know. When I returned to the Imperial Medical Bureau to study this year, I saw many new classmates. All of them enrolled last year, and there are many girls."

Only then did Lady Liu notice Zhou Liru, turning her head to ask, "You want to be an imperial doctor too?"

Zhou Liru nodded, "That’s my dream. I want not only to be an imperial doctor but also to write medical books like my little aunt, striving to become a compiler."

She said, "Writing medical books is the dream of all physicians."

"What a great ambition," an elder lady emerged from behind a rock screen, smiling, "Such an ambitious young girl makes us old folks seem even more outdated. Is this young lady also from the Zhou Family?"

Manbao led Zhou Liru in paying her respects, curiously looking at Madam Shangshu, "Old Madam, where are you headed?"

Madam Shangshu smiled, "I was just about to lead them to the front to listen to a reading. It’s convenient that you’ve come along; let’s go listen together."

This group wasn’t really there to listen to a reading. They clearly intended to chat under the guise of listening.

As soon as they sat down, someone asked Zhou Man, "Is this the Imperial Doctor Zhou? She looks so young. How old is she? Is she betrothed?"

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