Ch. 246..250: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 246-250

Chapter 246: Chapter 246 Post(5)_1

"Miss Lin, please, my mistress and young miss are waiting for you in the courtyard." The butler recognizing her, promptly greeted her with respect.

Those who were unfamiliar with Lin Ziyin, the wives and daughters of the house, began to be curious about her identity. A woman who could draw the attention of the Si Family must have a significant status. But judging by her rough manner just now, she did not seem like a lady from an aristocratic family.

With mild confusion, along the way, countless curious eyes landed on Lin Ziyin.

"The young lady has arrived, please." The butler led her to the second door, where a maid took over and showed her in.

Lin Ziyin saw that the Si Family’s residence was adorned with blossoming flowers today, and chrysanthemums could be seen all around, which was rare.

Despite the late autumn noon having some heat, in the courtyard of the Si Family’s residence, adorned ladies and young misses, like the flowers, were everywhere. Even the maids accompanying them were dressed in such luxurious garments beyond the reach of ordinary folks.

" Finally, she’s here." Upon seeing Lin Ziyin, the young Mrs. Luo immediately showed delight.

The ladies sitting beside Mrs. Si grew curious when they saw her uncontained joy and followed her gaze.

Instantly, all eyes fell on Lin Ziyin.

"Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam, younger Madam," Lin Ziyin politely greeted them. Having visited the Si Family before, she was quite familiar with the several heads of the household.

"Come, sit. We thought you might not make it because of the time," the Second Madam said with a smile.

"Tingwei has been missing you, wondering why you haven’t come around. He will be overjoyed to see you here," the younger Madam invited her to sit next to her.

Lin Ziyin thanked her with a faint smile and took her seat, "If the young master is free, he can visit the estate."

"As soon as he can spare some time, I will let him visit, but it needs to fit into Muxiu’s schedule," the First Madam said with a smile.

"The young master is clever and quick-witted; he started his education early," someone interjected.

With the Si Family’s ladies so warmed up to this stranger young girl, more curious gazes landed on Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin was also subtly observing the others. All those who came to the Si Family to admire the flowers today were either from famous Feng City families, their wives, or daughters.

Her purpose was not merely to appreciate the flowers; she was contemplating her future business interests.

"Nothing compared to the cleverness and sensibility of the young master of the Zhu Family. He... just likes playing," the younger Madam modestly joked with a smile, but her eyes were full of happiness. Any mother hearing someone complimenting her child would be genuinely pleased.

Luo was no exception.

"I don’t believe I’ve met this young lady before. May I ask which noble family she comes from?" Another lady, unable to resist curiosity, directly asked the question on her mind.

"She is the benefactor who saved me and Tingwei’s life. Her surname is Lin, and she owns the Vegetarian Feast at Ding’an Temple," the younger Madam enthusiastically introduced Lin Ziyin to the noble ladies present.

Upon hearing this, the ladies’ eyes displayed newfound understanding.

They might not know who Lin Ziyin is, but they had heard of the life savior of the young Si master and the Vegetarian Feast performance at Ding’an Temple, moreover its associated soybean products.

"So it’s Miss Lin." A middle-aged woman sitting beside one lady showed a friendly expression toward Lin Ziyin, "I heard long before that Miss Lin is admirable, as good as any man. Seeing you today, I indeed find you cannot be compared with ordinary girls."

Responding to the friendly regard, Lin Ziyin gave back her goodwill, "Your flattery is too kind, madam. Encountering the young master and the younger Madam was just a chance event."

"Mother, if it weren’t for her, Tingwei and I would have lost our lives that day." Luo subtly confirmed to Lin Ziyin the other lady’s identity.

Chapter 247: Chapter 247 Post(6)_1

"My daughter and grandchild owe their lives to you, and the Old Madam of the Luo Family has been longing to meet you in person to express her gratitude. Please excuse me, as I don’t have anything worthy with me at the moment, but I’ve always held this bracelet dear. So, I hope you don’t mind accepting it" said Madame Luo, as she took off a well-crafted bracelet from her wrist and slid it onto Lin Ziyin’s wrist.

Lin Ziyin was somewhat at a loss. One of the cultural quirks of the ancient times was the routine gifting from the affluent people she encountered. Truth be told, she did not like secondhand items, even if they were of great value. She just wasn’t fond of them.

However, facing Madame Luo’s eager gaze, she simply couldn’t muster up the courage to refuse.

"You should accept it," whispered Miss Luo into her ear.

"Thank you, Madame." Left with no choice, Lin Ziyin put up a brave face and accepted the gift.

Witnessing this exchange, the other ladies present exchanged looks and also gifted Lin Ziyin an assortment of jewels, bringing her unexpected gains from this outing.

"Wow, it’s really lively here." As the excitement of the crowd unfolded, a group of young girls accompanied by some ladies of rank arrived.

The speaker was a mild-mannered young girl.

"Miss Lin, you arrived without letting me know. I would’ve come to pick you up earlier so we could hang out," Si Jinyu energetically ran towards Lin Ziyin as soon as she spotted her.

The young girls curiously gazed at Lin Ziyin, startled by Si Jinyu’s vibrant demeanor.

Lin Ziyin was somewhat taken aback by this young lady Si’s enthusiasm.

"For heaven’s sake, girl, you should behave more modestly now that you’re all grown up," the Grand Madame chided her own daughter.

"Mother, I’m just thrilled at seeing Miss Lin," Si Jinyu playfully appealed to her mother in front of everyone.

"So, Miss Lin happens to be here too." Before Lin Ziyin could respond to her enthusiasm, a provocative voice suddenly emerged from behind.

Lin Ziyin turned slightly to look and found a familiar face.

"Miss Li." Lin Ziyin sighed inwardly. Even though she didn’t like Li Yanran, this unruly young lady, she had to act as a guest ought to, especially being on the Si family’s grounds.

"Good thing you’re here, we were just about to indulge in some music and painting. Miss Lin, since we’re almost the same age, why don’t you join us for a friendly competition?" Li Yanran was clearly taunting her. Last time, because of Lin Ziyin, she had been embarrassed in front of Chu Suifeng. This time, she wanted to deface Lin Ziyin in front of the esteemed crowd to remind her of her place.

All the ladies and young girls in the room, having been around the block a few times, immediately perceived Li Yanran’s ploy against Lin Ziyin. With no particular allegiance to Lin Ziyin, they were all eager to see how this would play out.

"Li Yanran, what’s your game? Miss Lin just arrived and isn’t familiar with the place. Isn’t it a bit much to insist on her participating in the competition? Are you bullying her?" Not everyone feared Li Yanran. Confronting her persecution of Lin Ziyin, Si Jinyu promptly came to the rescue.

"How can it be said I’m tormenting her? Why would I, for no reason, embarrass her? I’ve heard that Miss Lin has been doing business with my cousin and is quite familiar with the third son. She must have her special talents. With all the ladies and maidens from different residences gathered here today, it would be a great opportunity for Miss Lin to showcase a few of her skills. Let’s all bear witness." Li Yanran’s gaze remained fixed on Lin Ziyin.

The Si family masters frowned upon hearing this. Li Yanran spoke quite modestly but implicitly hinted at Lin Ziyin being a loose woman, having inappropriate dealings with the Prince and Si Jinhan. Considering Li Yanran’s audacity to talk such nonsense in their residence, the Grand Madame and others felt anger bubbling up within them.

Chapter 248: Chapter 248 Post(7)_1

"Miss Li is joking." Before the Lady could get angry and speak, Lin Ziyin replied volubly, "Ziyin is but a country girl. I can’t handle any of your learned ladies’ skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. To put it bluntly, I’m just a layman."

As soon as her words fell, a few taunting laughs rang around.

"But Miss Li is correct about one thing. What I know may not be learned well by all of you ladies." Lin Ziyin took a sudden turn in her tone.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Li Yanran sneered. She was eager for Lin Ziyin to talk big, not scared that her tongue might slip.

Every lady present was from a prestigious family and had been practicing various skills since childhood. Surely they were not afraid of this simple country girl.

"May I ask what skills you possess?" Sure enough, Lin Ziyin’s words enraged some of the young ladies.

The young ladies, none of them very old, all had an unyielding streak. To their ears, Lin Ziyin’s words were a provocation.

"I might not know less than all of you." Seeing many falling into her trap, Lin Ziyin silently rejoiced. Attention is good, the worst would be no attention, and she had worried she might have to put on a one-woman show.

"Since Miss Lin speaks so, why not show us and have a competition?" Li Yanran added fuel to the fire. This proposal surprisingly received responses from many ladies.

Si Jinyu was secretly anxious.

Lady Luo, however, quieted down and sat aside smiling and watching. She had figured out that Lin Ziyin was not someone to be trifled with. Nevertheless, she was also curious about how Lin Ziyin would handle the competition.

"How can you bully the benefactor of our Si family?" In the midst of the commotion, Si Tingwei appeared with a stern face, followed by a group of children.

"Lin Ziyin, I hear you are having a competition?" Immediately after, Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan appeared in front of everyone accompanied by a group of young nobles.

Everyone present was quite the crowd. Lin Ziyin understood that the so-called flower viewing gathering was indeed a means for the rich families to compete in socializing.

"Who said there will be a competition?" Lin Ziyin answered with a light laugh, "You ladies learn the arts, while I am just a peasant. I only know vulgar things, how could I compete?"

"But just now you clearly said that what you know, we may not know. How come now, in front of the Prince, you’re changing your words? Miss Lin, what you said earlier, we all heard quite clearly." Li Yanran seized this opportunity to berate her.

She hoped dearly that Lin Ziyin would embarrass herself in front of Chu Suifeng; it would be ideal if Chu Suifeng could see her true colors.

"Yes, I don’t know the four arts. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know other things." Lin Ziyin replied with a grin.

"For example?" Si Jinhan knew her well and anticipated what she might say, so he offered her an out. After all, he was frustrated with Li Yanran and wanted to use Lin Ziyin to put Li Yanran in her place.

"For instance, I know how to make snacks." Lin Ziyin followed his lead as expected.

Upon hearing this, Si Jinhan immediately understood her intentions. This girl, guided by profit, had brought her business into the Si family mansion.

"Who wouldn’t know how to make snacks?" All of the young ladies unwilling to appear inferior in front of the prince and the young nobles.

Lin Ziyin was dumbstruck. These people were somewhat over the top, but they shouldn’t look at her like they wanted to murder her.

She truthfully didn’t intend to show off in front of the prince, her only purpose was to do business.

"The snacks I make are diverse and not just traditional ones," Lin Ziyin answered with a wry smile.

"Without evidence, your words are nothing. Can you bring out some snacks for us to taste?" Surprisingly, it was Chu Suifeng who stood up for her in her time of need.

All the young ladies nodded and glared at Lin Ziyin incessantly.

"Alright then, I did bring some snacks. I was planning to give them to the young master as a treat." Lin Ziyin took the chance to agree, "May I trouble some of you to follow my maid and get the snacks?"

"Go." Upon hearing this, Lady Luo, already in the know, immediately instructed a few of her maids to follow Qiaoqiao.

"Sister, did you bring me a present?" Si Tingwei happily ran over to ask.

"Yes, just some small snacks. However, they might have to be shared later." Lin Ziyin softly soothed him.

"No problem, let them see how great my sister is." Si Tingwei felt closer to Lin Ziyin and naturally sided with her.

Lin Ziyin found this to be most precious. In a child’s world, they naturally reciprocate kindness, it’s quite simple.

Unlike the adult world, which is complex and intricate, always filled with calculations.

"It’s here." A maid beside Lady Luo came forward with baskets.

All the ladies glanced, eyes flashing.

When called a gift, it seemed a bit too much. Four or five maids each carrying a big basket, and every basket was filled with colorful bags.

The bright red bags looked really festive, but they didn’t know if the snacks inside were as good as Lin Ziyin claimed.

"Divide it." Chu Suifeng was always concise with his words.

When the maid received the order, she immediately set to work, ripping open bags and putting snacks into small dishes.

Chu Suifeng was the first to pick up a peanut from the dish and crack it open. Everyone watched.

"Not bad." These casual words made many of the young ladies green with envy. The prince was always indifferent and there were few ladies who could catch his attention. But today Lin Ziyin gained his praise with just some snacks.

Out of anger, many ladies and maids started tasting the snacks from the dishes.

"It’s sweet and has the taste of milk." Si Tingwei was holding tightly onto a bag of milk-flavored sunflower seeds.

Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Being Remembered by Someone (1)_1

"These thin ones taste the best," a young master stubbornly clutches a bag in his arms.

Upon hearing this, Si Tingwei immediately rips open the bag next to him, takes out a chip, and starts stuffing it into his mouth.

"Girl, how come I’ve never seen these things before?" Si Jinhan unabashedly walked up to Lin Ziyin and asked. He also held a bag of potato chips in his hand, which was, impressively, salt and pepper flavored.

"We’ve only just started making them," Lin Ziyin replied nonchalantly. The Northern Land, besides growing beans, also harvested a significant amount of potatoes and sweet potatoes. That was why, even though the region did not produce rice or wheat, people could still survive.

Seeing the vast piles of potatoes in the fields, Lin Ziyin decisively decided to buy some back home.

"Do you young ladies want to compete again?" Si Jinhan intentionally brings up a bone of contention. Seeing the look of unwillingness on many of the young ladies’ faces, he deliberately repeated the suggestion he made earlier.

"Miss Lin is indeed very skilled, we can’t even compare," Si Jinyu said with a laugh, tacitly agreeing with Lin Ziyin on behalf of all the young ladies.

"You ladies are the really impressive ones, proficient in lute, chess, calligraphy, and painting. All I know are some minor skills that are too trivial to be shown in public," Lin Ziyin did not want to offend everyone present, either.

Seeing her being modest, the mistresses and young ladies present warmed up to her slightly.

Li Yanran was secretly annoyed. She coldly retorted, "Miss Lin, you’re quite self-aware. We certainly can’t learn these petty tricks of yours."

Not that they couldn’t learn, but they wouldn’t. Just one word can turn the meaning upside down.

Si Jinhan gave her a meaningful look, while she, Li Yanran, proudly stared at Lin Ziyin.

Seeing Li Yanran relentlessly picking on Lin Ziyin, the ladies of the Si Family were rather displeased. However, with the Prince present and Li Yanran being Chu Suifeng’s cousin, they couldn’t step in and reprimand her.

"Come with me to check out the shop," Chu Suifeng suddenly rose from his seat and said.

Everyone was taken aback, not knowing what he meant.

Lin Ziyin was also stunned because she didn’t ask Chu Suifeng to find a shop for her, so naturally, she didn’t think the person Chu Suifeng was referring to was her.

"Why are you standing there dumbfounded? You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you?" Si Jinhan walked over to Lin Ziyin, grinning and winking, "The Prince has a shop that’s currently idle. Weren’t you going to share the profits of the roast duck shop with us? Before opening the shop, you need to make sure it’s a practical move, right?"

The crowd gasped in surprise once again.

Just how capable was Lin Ziyin, having managed to get the third young master and the Prince involved in starting up a business with her? Not only did she open the Vegetarian Feast, but she was also planning to open another roast duck shop.

What’s so good about ducks though, that they have the Prince and the third young master going to such lengths?

"If the Prince and the third young master are so enthusiastic about business, then I must speed things up too," Lin Ziyin wasn’t good at idle chat with these trivial ladies, so she went along with the suggestion of Si Jinhan and Chu Suifeng, "I’m sorry everyone, I’m not very talented, but I hope that all you ladies will frequent our roast duck shop in the future."

"Miss Lin is shrewd and innovative in her business ideas. The last time she made some food, I missed out. Once there’s a roast duck shop in Feng City, I will certainly frequent the place," Si Jinyu cheerfully promised.

"Vegetarian Feast is quite delicious, if only it wasn’t located outside the city. I expect the roast duck shop you’ll open will be unlike any others, and I will surely visit there to indulge myself. If I visit often, don’t think I am a bother," Madam Luo said with a smile.

"For someone running a business, who would be afraid of big eaters? She would love it if we visited every day," the second mistress said playfully.

Chapter 250: Chapter 250: Being Remembered by Someone (2)_1

As the business matter involved the Prince and Si Jinhan, many of the ladies present all chuckled and echoed in agreement, and the atmosphere once again livened up.

As for Lin Ziyin, who had made no achievements in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and was still quite young, many young ladies became less hostile towards her.

After exchanging polite words, Lin Ziyin finally left the Si family mansion.

"The way you’re scurrying away, it’s as if you consider our Si family to be a den of monsters," Si Jinhan said to her with a wicked smile.

"Third master, as I’ve said, I’m just a commoner. I can’t compare to those noble young ladies. I don’t understand such refined activities as appreciating flowers," Lin Ziyin replied bluntly.

"Everyone eat grains, doesn’t that make us all commoners?" Chu Suifeng interjected in a neutral tone.

Lin Ziyin was left speechless by his remark.

Upon seeing her crestfallen look, Si Jinhan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Lin Ziyin didn’t let his laughter upset her, she was anxious to attend to her own shop. There was plenty happening at home, and the roast duck business was just to lend a hand to the Guo family. For her, this venture was optional, so she didn’t want to spend too much time on it.

Seeing her close her eyes and pay him no mind, Si Jinhan felt frustrated for the first time.

In his view, Lin Ziyin was a unique individual, whose way of thinking and behavior were unlike ordinary people.

The other person in the carriage, Chu Suifeng, was not much of a talker. He had closed his eyes and was pretending to doze off, leaving Si Jinhan as the sole chatterbox.

"Enough," Chu Suifeng finally blurted out bluntly.

"What?" Si Jinhan was taken aback, he himself had always been the one who loathed others for being gossipy, but today he was the one being labelled as such. He felt an urge to retaliate.

Unfortunately, Lin Ziyin kept her head down the entire time, not saying a word, showing no intention of coming to his aid.

This frustrated Si Jinhan, as it left him with nowhere to vent his anger.

"I speak too much," a chastised Si Jinhan finally shut his eyes.

The carriage suddenly became utterly silent.

After a while, the carriage finally came to a halt.

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere in the carriage, Si Jinhan was the first one to jump out. Then Chu Suifeng calmly followed suit. Once he had steadied himself, he saw Lin Ziyin poking her head out of the carriage. For some reason, he instinctively extended his right hand towards her.

Before Lin Ziyin could even step out, she was taken aback by the sight of the big hand hanging in the air.

Chu Suifeng felt slightly embarrassed by her surprised expression. He himself didn’t understand why he had made such a gesture. Perhaps it was the sight of the younger girl that made him instinctively reach out. He went to retract his hand.

But this time, he couldn’t. Lin Ziyin actually put her little hand into his big hand.

Palm instantly warmed, Chu Suifeng pulled her out of the carriage with a tug of his arm.

Standing not far away, Si Jinhan looked on at this scene, showing signs of surprise. This was the first time he had seen Chu Suifeng take the initiative to care for a girl. Chu Suifeng, like himself, had a mild obsession with cleanliness and often felt disgusted when coming into contact with strangers.

The girl was truly unique.

Lin Ziyin didn’t give it much thought. In her modern perspective, a man opening a car door for a woman was a gentlemanly act. As for Chu Suifeng’s status, she never really cared about it.

"It’s this shop here, the location is not bad, huh?" Si Jinhan came over to her with a faint smile on his face. The surprise from earlier had completely vanished, without a trace left.

"I greet the Prince and Third Master," a short man came out of the shop and immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan.