"Good, good, good..." He sneered, repeating the word ’good’ three times and lowered his voice to Gu Youyou, "Let’s see how you deal with tonight with that sharp tongue of yours. Hey, if you know what’s good for you, submit to me now, and I’ll help you later."
"You?" Gu Youyou had a face full of disdain, "Deal with your senior brother first."
"Haha!" Yue Rujing laughed and said, "Don’t think that senior brother will help you; it’s not proper for a grown man to interfere in women’s quarrels."
"Oh..." Gu Youyou responded meaningfully, "So you’re saying it’s not proper for your senior brother, a grown man, to get involved, but you, who are neither man nor woman, can just meddle as you please?"
Yue Rujing was furious, "Who are you calling neither man nor woman?"
Humph, that’s what you get for living among women, Gu Youyou gave him a look that said ’you’re one to talk,’ and then left with flair.
This damn Jin Zijin had already taken off, no sign of him.
So much for trusting you, huh?
Yue Rujing muttered in frustration, "Tomboy, you’re not even like a woman." With that, he quickly followed her.
"Hey, hey, where are you going? The main hall is this way!"
In this pitch darkness, who could tell?
Similarly, at the table next door, where the men sat, three people were enough, but the women’s table was almost too small to fit everyone.
Gu Youyou thought the New Year’s Eve dinner would be very unpleasant, which had kept her on edge, preventing her from enjoying some really good food. But surprisingly, not a soul blew up at her by the end of the meal.
The old Madam and the Marchioness seemed to be quite courteous towards her the whole time, only discussing Jisheng Hall merrily and even praising her at length.
Talking about how she was a ’woman of valor,’ and how she sought blessings for all the women in the city, and so on.
Gu Youyou had mustered all her energy for a battle, only to have her opponent throw her a ball of cotton candy, or so it felt.
After the meal, the servants cleared everything away, and in no time, the main hall was transformed, giving Gu Youyou the illusion of a theatrical stage.
She quietly asked a nearby maid, "Are we going to see a play?"
Ancient people seemed to enjoy watching dramas, but it would be a bummer if that was the case. With all the strident singing, she wouldn’t understand a thing. A play would last so long, she’d go numb from sitting still before it ended.
Luckily, the little maid replied, "It’s not a play; it’s to assess the ladies’ talents. It’s the New Year; everyone has gone home for the New Year’s vigil. Who would come out to perform in a play?"
Gu Youyou patted her chest in relief; thank goodness it wasn’t a play. It was a perfect opportunity to see what skills the so-called ladies of high-standing in ancient times were supposed to master.
Come to think of it, she was also a lady of high-standing with multiple skills. She wondered how she compared to these young ladies?
There were quite a few young ladies in the Yue Family. Besides Yue Rujing, the eldest sister born to their father, the second and third sisters were born to an uncle and aunt.
Her uncle was said to have died early in battle, leaving behind just two daughters, one six years old, about the same age as Sanya, and another eight years old, a little girl, along with a cousin, totaling five young ladies.
"According to tradition, you five come forward and draw lots. Whoever gets number one goes first, starting with the guqin," they were told.
"Yes, Grandmother!" all five girls said in unison as they bowed to the old lady.
The lead maid by the old Madam’s side smiled and immediately carried a tray to the young ladies for the draw. Yue Ruxue, being the legitimate daughter, always took the lead in everything, and accordingly, she was the first to reach out her hand.
But halfway through, she stopped, turned her head to Gu Youyou, gave her a meaningful look, and addressed the old madam seated in a place of honor, "Grandmother, why not add one more person this year?"
"Add one more person?" The old Madam frowned and asked.