Time flew by, and Di Lanmo gradually adapted to life in ancient times. In a blink of an eye, it was Chinese New Year's Eve!
It had snowed continuously for seven or eight days before. On New Year's Eve, perhaps even the heavens knew it was a good day, and the weather finally cleared up for a rare moment! Di Lanmo was lying comfortably in her warm quilt when she was pulled up by the chattering Qingque.
"Miss! It's Chinese New Year's Eve today! Don't sleep anymore! Hurry up and get up to prepare for the New Year!"
Di Lanmo half - opened her eyes. Last night, Qingque had found two little maids, and the four of them had played mahjong until midnight. Di Lanmo thought to herself, "Sure enough, I'm old. Even though we all stayed up late, this little girl Qingque is full of energy early in the morning, while I feel like I've lost half my life! Or perhaps..." Di Lanmo opened her eyes wide, with a cold glint in them. "I was just too careless!"
You know, in ancient times, the power struggles among various factions were no less intense than those in modern times. Since her time - travel, apart from the initial crisis, Di Lanmo hadn't encountered any other major events. This rare period of ease had actually made her so relaxed!
Fortunately, it wasn't too late to wake up in time. After all, even the original owner, a small - time young lady in the inner chambers, had a step - mother who tried to kill her for the elusive Fengling Seal. There was no guarantee that other villains wouldn't come after the news got out!
Thinking of this, Di Lanmo did a sit - up with a "bang".
"Ouch..." Di Lanmo rubbed her forehead. She had been careless again and hadn't dodged this time. She hadn't noticed the curtain rod above the bed and accidentally bumped into it.
Just as she was about to stand up after putting her hand down, she heard Qingque beside her bursting into laughter like a goose. Di Lanmo reached out and flicked her forehead. "Stop laughing! Get my clothes for me. I'll wash up and go out for a while."
It was just past Shenshi when Di Lanmo returned with a chill on her body. Qingque quickly stepped forward and put the cloak in her hand on Di Lanmo, nagging non - stop. "Miss, why did you take so long to come back? Aunt Jinfang, who serves the mistress, came to say that the New Year's Eve dinner will be served at a quarter past You. The second young lady wants to apologize to you for the misunderstanding that occurred when she proposed to Prince Qin during the New Year's Eve dinner. She asked you to prepare appropriately."
"Oh?" Di Lanmo walked to the table, took a sip of hot tea, and then said, "Does Di Tingyu really realize her mistake? It's more likely that she's setting up a Hongmen Banquet!"
Qingque was simple - minded and couldn't think of how malicious Di Tingyu could be. "It should be okay. The master is here. Maybe she really just wants to apologize to you."
Di Lanmo twirled the teacup in her hand and said with a mysterious smile, "Then I'm really looking forward to tonight's 'New Year's Eve dinner'!"
After taking a bath, changing clothes, and tidying herself up, and seeing that the time was about right, Di Lanmo took Qingque and headed towards the dining hall.
Before Di Lanmo even entered, she could hear the laughter and chatter inside. Obviously, Di Mingye and the Lin mother - daughter pair had already arrived. She turned to Qingque and sneered, "Listen to the happy laughter of this family of three. Guess what their expressions will be when I go in?"
Without waiting for Qingque to answer, she said to herself, "I guess the father will play the bad cop, the mother will play the good cop, and the younger sister... will play the poor girl!"
Sure enough, as soon as Di Lanmo stepped one foot across the threshold, the expressions of the three people sitting at the table instantly froze. Di Mingye's wrinkled face from smiling returned to normal in an instant, and Di Tingyu's eyes filled with tears as if by magic. Di Lanmo wanted to whistle in admiration at her great acting skills!
Lin was better. Her change wasn't as obvious. She put on a smiling face and greeted Di Lanmo. "M'er, come and sit quickly. The dishes are all on the table. We've been waiting for you to start the meal!"
Tsk, as expected of a woman who had been in the inner chambers for many years. While playing the kind - hearted mother, she also insinuated that Di Lanmo had made her elders wait. Di Mingye's already stern face darkened even more.
Di Lanmo didn't bother to respond. She just wanted to get to the point quickly. She pretended not to see and walked forward to take her seat.
The seating arrangement was also quite interesting. Di Mingye and Lin didn't sit together. Instead, they sat diagonally across from each other, with Di Lanmo and Di Tingyu sitting face - to - face between them.
After Di Lanmo sat down, Di Mingye said in a deep voice, "Let's start the meal!" Di Lanmo wasn't intimidated by his little show of anger. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating without a care, as there was still a tough battle to fight!
Halfway through the meal, just as Di Lanmo was about to pick up her teacup to drink tea, she saw Lin's arm accidentally sweep across the table and knock Di Lanmo's teacup to the ground. "Oh, this..." Lin looked at Di Lanmo apologetically. "M'er, it was mother who wasn't careful. Broken things bring good luck, broken things bring good luck!"
Before Di Lanmo could react, Lin turned to Qingque. "Qingque, go and get a new teacup!" Seeing Di Lanmo nod, Qingque backed out.
Lin took Di Lanmo's hand with a smiling face and said, "Just in time. Tingyu has been reflecting on the misunderstandings that occurred when Prince Qin came to propose marriage the other day. We're a family, so let's not be strangers. Tingyu has realized her mistake. Let her use tea instead of wine to apologize to you. Let's not mention this matter again in the future. How about that?"
Di Lanmo was naturally willing. She was very good at dealing with such situations. "What are you saying, mother? It wasn't a big deal at all. Since my younger sister wants to apologize, how could I, as an older sister, not forgive her?"
Just then, Qingque came back. She placed the teacup beside Di Lanmo's chopsticks and then stepped back.
Lin gave Di Tingyu a look. Di Tingyu understood, stood up, picked up the teapot and her own teacup, walked to Di Lanmo's side, poured tea into the porcelain - white cup, and then bowed slightly to Di Lanmo. "The other day, I was out of my mind and made a big mistake. I almost ruined my elder sister's marriage. These days, I've been reflecting on my mistake. Here, I use tea instead of wine. I hope elder sister will forgive me!"
Di Lanmo picked up the teacup. The steam from the hot tea rose. It was a rare good tea. However...
A faint smile played on Di Lanmo's lips. She stood up with her back to Di Mingye and Lin. She placed her left hand on Di Tingyu's shoulder, and the falling sleeve just blocked Di Tingyu's teacup from everyone's sight. With a flick of her right finger, she swapped the teacups between herself and Di Tingyu. After the swap, there was hardly any ripple on the water surface!
"I'm very pleased that my younger sister can admit her mistake and apologize," Di Lanmo leaned forward slightly, with a sneer on her lips. She whispered coldly, "I hope my younger sister will be smarter in the future. After all, people without brains have short lives!"
"Di Lanmo, who are you calling brainless!" Obviously, Di Tingyu still had a bit of sense and could tell that Di Lanmo was scolding her.
Di Lanmo brought the teacup to her lips, drank the tea in one gulp, and turned the teacup upside down. "I accept your apology." She glanced at Di Tingyu's angry and pale face. "Sister, aren't you going to drink?"
Thinking of what would happen to her good elder sister later, Di Tingyu suppressed her anger and drank the tea in her hand.
Seeing this, Di Lanmo sneered and said to Di Mingye and Lin, "Daughter is full. I'll go back and rest first. Father, mother, and sister, enjoy your meal slowly!"
Di Tingyu watched Di Lanmo's departing back, stamped her foot, and threw herself into Di Mingye's arms, crying. "Father! Look at elder sister! I've already apologized to her, but she still scolds me. Call her back and teach her a lesson for me!"
Naturally, Di Mingye wanted to respond to his little daughter's coquetry. But then he thought of the grand occasion when Prince Qin came to propose marriage, and he couldn't help but feel a bit scared. He could only make an excuse. "You did something wrong before. Just let your elder sister let out her last bit of anger. Don't argue with her!"
"I..."
"Alright, the food is getting cold. Hurry up and eat!"
Lin also persuaded, "Tingyu, be a good girl. Hurry up and eat. We still have to stay up late to celebrate the New Year tonight. Don't worry about your elder sister. She has her own place to go!"
Di Tingyu understood Lin's hint and immediately sat up happily, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating.
At the beginning of Zishi on Chinese New Year's Eve, the little maids who had been busy all day started to stay up late to celebrate the New Year.
Di Lanmo was sitting at the table, reading a newly - obtained storybook. Suddenly, she heard the noise of the servants in the courtyard. Just as Qingque was about to go out to check, the door was kicked open by the person who came. Lin, with a cold expression on her face, gritted her teeth and said to Di Lanmo, who was leisurely reading a book, "Arrest the eldest young lady for me!"