Too high to reach

Chapter 149 The Life of the Rich
Mo Yi still had to attend the Empress Dowager's 70th birthday banquet.

Originally engrossed in her "grand career," she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about this high-profile birthday banquet.

As Zhao Mama said, she would be attending such occasions frequently in the future.

She's not married yet, has no status, doesn't know anyone, and doesn't need to socialize. She can go and observe first, and experience it for herself.

In addition, you can go and see what the ladies and girls are wearing to get ideas for the new shop.

The last sentence heightened Mo Yi's emotions.

The little shop is already built and cleaned. It's just that they haven't decided how to set it up yet, so they haven't started decorating.

I have some ideas, but it takes time to implement them. Maybe I'll go back and see those rich and noble ladies and have a better idea!
If she were to go, she would like to take Mo Yuan with her.

One was that Mo Yuan discovered that she had talked to Yun Niang a few days ago, but instead of asking Yun Niang, she kept pestering her to tell her what they had talked about...

Another reason is that it would be too lonely to go alone.

Although she knew that Granny Zhao was also there, she was very busy lately and might not have time for herself, so she asked Mo Yuan to keep her company.

Coincidentally, Mowen fell ill a few days ago.

The reason was that May 15th was Mowen's birthday. As it turned out, it was still Xu Mama from the Xu family who came, bringing gifts and pointing to one of the hairpins, saying, "This is a gift from our young master to congratulate you on your birthday, young lady!"

Mo Wen calmly and generously accepted the hairpin and dismissed Granny Xu. Ignoring her beaming mother, she returned to her room and examined it for a long time: it was from a famous jewelry store in the capital. It probably wasn't cheap…

But it feels like this thing was given to a subordinate who was then sent to a jewelry store to buy it at the listed price.

It had no color whatsoever. It didn't seem like something he had chosen with his own feelings in mind, as if he hadn't considered whether it suited him or not.

It's like going through the motions...

Didn't he value himself?
Why do I feel this polite yet distant attitude?

Why can't you come to Beijing when you're already here?
The Mo family has had so many happy events lately, but they still haven't seen this fiancé!
She couldn't find any fault with etiquette... Whenever there was something to discuss, Granny Xu would come with gifts, a smile on her face, acting as if nothing was wrong with her.

But the person who should have come was clearly him!

Since before the Lunar New Year, Mo Wen had been in a bad mood, experiencing two bouts of anxiety and getting quite angry. Coupled with her growing disappointment in Xu Ke, these mixed emotions finally caused her to fall ill.

It's quite heavy; I haven't been able to get out of bed for several days.

After taking the medicine for half a month, I lost a lot of weight.

At first, Wang made a big fuss, then Mo Ruhai became worried, and finally, the whole family became anxious.

It's only been a few days since it started to get better...

Looking at her daughter, who had become noticeably thinner, Wang finally bowed her head to her husband and asked him to tell Mo Yi to bring Mo Wen along this time.

"Let her see the world and relax."

Mo Ruhai had no choice but to talk to Mo Yi, who readily agreed.

A beautiful woman knows best what to wear and what to use for such occasions.

Make a list and have the girls prepare separately.

That day, Bai Mei arrived. "The Prince's villa is ready for the young ladies. The Prince said that if the young ladies wish to stay a few more days, that's fine too."

"Is Your Highness going?" Mo Yi asked cautiously.

Without parents present, it's definitely not appropriate for a man and a woman to live together in the same courtyard.

"The prince will go to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday, but he won't stay in the separate courtyard. The concubines of the prince's mansion will also not go; it will just be the three young ladies and Granny Zhao staying there."

Mo Yi felt relieved upon hearing this.

"Furthermore, the young lady and the prince are not yet married. Therefore, you may not be able to go to the inner palace this time. The Empress Dowager may summon you to see her. Or perhaps not!"
The nanny has prepared a gift for you, young lady. If the Empress Dowager sees you, present it to her. The nanny also said that she has prepared one for the other two young ladies, Miss Mo. Similarly, if the Empress Dowager sees you, present it to her. If she doesn't see you, then so be it.

Upon hearing this, Mo Wen and Mo Yuan thought to themselves: They might not be sure if the gift they prepared was appropriate.

So they all expressed their gratitude.

Bai Mei added, "Sister Hongyan's list reminded us to bring two extra pairs of shoes, in case it rains and we get wet and have nothing to change into. Thick-soled shoes are best, especially if we're walking along the lake where there are pebbly paths. A paper umbrella is a must, otherwise we'll get sunburned when we get back."

Pack fans, and other items for the girls. Also, bring some food and drinks for the journey, and some cooling balm to ward off the heat. As for the rest, just prepare according to the girls' own habits!

"Remember your clothes: don't wear red or white. As for the rest... the nanny has already taught you, so I won't go into detail about Bai Mei."

When the appointed day arrived, Granny Zhao did not come to pick them up; she only sent two carriages and guards.

The three Mo brothers must have given them a detailed reiteration: Never offend important people, even if people think you're foolish, don't try to be clever! Be careful when you walk so you don't fall into the lake. Be careful when you eat, don't get your clothes dirty. Don't argue with anyone... and so on.

Madam Wang specifically instructed Mo Yi and Mo Yuan: "Take care of your sister; she's just recovered from her illness. If it gets hot on the way, rest for a while before continuing!"

The road wasn't difficult to walk, but it took quite a while. The weather was hot, and before long, Mo Yi felt drowsy.

She was so tired these days that she managed to stay awake for a while and then fell asleep.

Mo Wen and Mo Yuan kept lifting the curtain to look at the scenery outside the car, seeing that Mo Yi could actually fall asleep...

Finally, Mo Yuan couldn't take it anymore and kicked her: "Yi Yi? Don't sleep on the road, you'll bump your head!"

Mo Yi opened her eyes, yawned, and her eyes were full of tears. Her whole body ached; how wonderful it would be to sleep at home!

He ran here...

She also looked out of the car. Once they left the city, the roadside was all green, and the scenery was indeed beautiful.

He chuckled to himself: Since he's at home, he probably won't stay asleep; he'll likely be back at the shop.

"Mo Yi, you've been acting strange lately. What have you been so busy with? You're never home and you look so tired?" Mo Yuan squinted, trying to trick her into saying something.

"Granny Zhao made me learn to manage and read the accounts. I've never done this before, how am I supposed to understand it all at once? My head is spinning all the time!"

"Hmph! How difficult could it be?" Mo Yuan didn't suspect she was lying; she did see her holding the accounts and doing calculations.

Mo Wen asked, "Sister, would it be convenient for me to see a set of accounts? My mother and aunt also had someone teach them, and I'd like to see what the differences are."

"Okay... I'll look for it later." Mo Yi said, then yawned again.

Mo Yuan thought to herself: Why don't I take a look too?

Her mother was an illegitimate daughter, and no one taught her these things when she was young. After marriage, her dowry was just inanimate objects; she simply kept it safe and didn't need to manage it. Liu Shi never even considered selling it to make money. The Mo family's daily life didn't require her help either.

So neither of them had this in mind.

Mo Yuan only thinks about how to be beautiful every day. She recites a poem when she has nothing to do, and gets a headache when she sees an account book.

"Fifth Sister, you'll have to teach me sometime!"

At noon, we passed through a small town and rested for a while with tea. We finally arrived at the Prince's Mansion in the afternoon.

I got out of the car and saw... a country villa, quite different from the courtyards in the city. It was right by the roadside, surrounded by trees and grass on both sides.

Looking through the gate, all you could see were trees.

Hongyan said, "This is Empress Huiren's property. Around here, there are all the summer resorts of wealthy families. Further ahead, you enter the mountains, where there are hot spring resorts for wintering. The best locations have all been taken long ago, and they are rarely sold. So, it's not easy to buy one!"

A gentle breeze blew by, and the girls immediately felt a cool sensation on their bodies.

"No wonder it's a cool resort. I felt refreshed as soon as I got off the car. My body didn't feel sticky like it does in the city."

"Yes, you need to cover yourself with a quilt when you sleep at night."

In the courtyard, a head maid and several servants greeted her: "Miss Hongyan!"

"Greetings, Madam Jiang. Miss Mo, this is Madam Jiang, who manages the estate."

“Mother Jiang”.

"Miss Mo, you must be tired from your journey! Rooms have been prepared for you ladies. Please come in!"

Servants unloaded the luggage from the carriage, and everyone went inside.

"Everything in the room is arranged. If you need anything else, please let me know. Granny Zhao has already arrived, but she has gone out to entertain guests again. She said she might not be back for dinner. Please make yourselves at home."

How beautiful... The Mo family girls are all a little stunned. Shall we stay here tonight?

The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers and uniquely shaped rocks. There was also a pond with a small bridge over it, and koi carp swimming in the water.

The road is paved with patterned bricks. Neatly trimmed flower walls line the roadside.

Further along the road, there are rows of small courtyards.

Mother Jiang led them into one of the courtyards: "The girls have been arranged in a courtyard, one room per person. Granny Zhao said it's too spacious here, and at night it's dark outside with nightingales singing, so she's afraid the girls will be scared living alone."

“It really is…” At the entrance of the small courtyard, the girls all turned to look back at the large courtyard.

I wouldn't dare go alone at night. It's too scary!
Three steps up leads to their house.

In front of the house, there are wooden tables and bamboo chairs, with a sunshade over them.

I wonder what it would feel like to sit here and drink tea on a rainy day...

Is this what the rich people's lives are like in books?
"There's a swing over there!" Mo Yuan exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a spot...

The next chapter will be a little later.

(End of this chapter)