What an unexpected surprise!
Whoever composed a poem in the garden quickly had it presented to Dai Hanbo.
Marrying a wife in order to bring joy to his grandmother, Dai Hanbo was bound by duty, but he also had his own requirements: his future wife must be exceptionally talented in poetry or art. As for her appearance, Dai Hanbo hadn’t yet paid much regard to that.
What mattered more to him was the soulful connection.
Poetic verses dashed off by the young ladies were all brought to Dai Hanbo. He leafed through them one by one, yawning and sleepy, utterly bored.
Was it so difficult to find a woman of true talent and learning to be his wife?
"Third Young Master, a few more poems have been delivered!"
Dai Hanbo waved his hand, indicating to the servant to place them on the desk, and picked up a book to browse at random.
Seeing this, the servant left to stand guard by the small gate.
Dai Hanbo had lost interest in reading the verses and took the book to the Warm Pavilion. The windows of the study were open, and a gust of wind blew all the poems from the desk to the floor.
The maid in charge of the inkstone entered and, seeing this, hurriedly picked them up and arranged them together.
The flower viewing banquet was quite a success. After dining at the Zhuangyong Marquis Residence and playing for a while, everyone returned to their respective homes.
Yun Jinnian was somewhat curious as to why Princess Jinfeng hadn’t brought Tuantuan along, but didn’t inquire further.
She had not been able to speak with Yun Muyou and the others, and Yun Zihan had been monopolized by Xu Xinmo. They were probably trying to isolate her!
Seeing Xu Xinmo’s petty behavior, Yun Jinnian disregarded her!
Back at the Han Family, Mrs. Han was eagerly awaiting in the hall. Seeing Yun Jinnian return safely, she smiled.
"Come with me, your grandfather has a surprise for you!" Mrs. Han said, pulling Yun Jinnian away.
Upon arriving at Chaoyang Academy, she saw five girls, about ten years old, standing in the yard.
They were thin and wore plain cotton-padded jackets. Their hair was done up in double buns, and they had delicate features with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Don’t underestimate these children; their martial arts skills are remarkable. Any one of them can take on five burly men without any trouble!"
Most importantly, these children had been trained from a young age and were extremely diligent. If someone were kind to them, they could easily win their heartfelt loyalty.
Yun Jinnian was astonished.
She had just thought of having two martial arts-trained maids by her side, and her grandfather had sent them.
"Are they really for me?"
"Of course, go ahead and give them names!"
"They don’t have names?"
"Their previous names don’t matter now. You are their mistress now. It’s for you to name them!"
The five girls promptly kneeled before Yun Jinnian, "Please bestow names upon us, Miss!"
Looking at them, Yun Jinnian’s heart filled with compassion, "Hemei, Henuan, Hongdou, Hongye, Hongxiu!"
"Hemei and Henuan will be the head maids, while Hongdou, Hongye, Hongxiu will be second-tier maids. It is a bit unfair to you to follow me, but I will ask my grandfather to find a master for you, so that you will be skilled not only in martial arts but other areas as well!"
"To serve the Miss is our good fortune!"
"All of you, get up quickly. The ground is cold; don’t catch a chill!" Yun Jinnian was good-tempered and neither beat nor scolded her servants, nor did she lose her temper for no reason.
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter didn’t really matter, for these girls belonged to the Han Family and would not follow her back to the Yun Family.
But Ming Yang felt the pressure and the threat.
Suddenly, there were five new maids, each skilled in martial arts, young, and extremely capable in their duties.
They were quick and handy in serving tea and water.
Their eyes were clear, and they didn’t look around or harbor other thoughts. Even if she was the young lady, she would choose Hemei and Henuan over the others!
They were reassuring to employ and a comfort to have around.