Unlike the snowflakes flying outside, the Listening Snow Pavilion is bustling with warmth and fragrance. A small stage was set up by the window, where a well-dressed female performer was reciting the legend of Zhang Yi, a heroic outlaw.

  Lin Yuzhen sat with a group of women, smiling and chatting in hushed tones. Lu Yun also led a few little girls of similar age to sit elsewhere, munching on snacks while chattering non-stop.

  Jian led the Lin sisters in, and Lin Yuzhen and Lu Yun greeted them to sit down. Lin Yuzhen was in a good mood, kindly asking the girls if they were cold on the way, and asked if Lin Jianrong's body had improved, and why Lin Jianyin didn't come?

  "Uncle's family came to send the Winter Solstice gift, my sister didn't want to go out, and asked me to apologize to Auntie and cousin on her behalf." Lin Jingrong scanned the room with a glance, and immediately picked out who was the main guest among the many people in the house today.

  To the left of Lin Yuzhen sat a short and stout woman, wearing a silver-gray jacket with a small sleeve and a dark green pleated skirt, her hair styled in a high bun adorned with gold ornaments. She was the wife of Pingzhou's governor, Lady Song. To the right sat a woman with slightly raised cheekbones, her hair styled in a phoenix-shaped bun, wearing a cyan-colored jacket with silver-gray trim and a small sleeve, along with a cyan pleated skirt. She was the elder lady of the Wu family, Yang, mother of Wu Xiang.

  The girl who was tightly attached to Lu Yun, wearing a pink cloak with ermine trim, with gold pearls on her hair bun and ruby earrings, smiling sweetly, was Wu Xiang's cousin, Yang Shi's niece, Yang Mao. At this time, the two of them were busy taking care of a seven or eight-year-old little girl who wore a big red cloak, had a hair bun, and was white and chubby. This little girl was none other than Su Zhenzhen, the daughter of the governor's family. There were also several other familiar girls, but they only knew Lin Jiran by sight.

  This situation is so similar to what happened back then! I suppose next, Lin Yuzhen will ask Lu Yun to perform the tea-picking technique. Just as Lin Jirong was lost in thought with his head bowed, he heard Lin Yuzhen laugh and say: "In that case, it's no wonder about San Niang."

  On the side, Yang asked with interest: "Has your uncle arrived? Who else is here?"

  Tao Shunqin is the son-in-law of the Wu family. If it weren't for something happening to the Tao family, Tao Shunqin and his father would have gone to visit the Wu family's elderly first before coming to the Lin family. Lin Jirong smiled sweetly at Yang Shi and explained in a low voice: "Uncle and big brother are both here. Because my mother is unwell, they asked the doctor to come over and went to send the doctor to our house first. I'm afraid it will be a bit late before they can go to pay their respects to the old master and mistress of the mansion."

  "This child is really delicate." Yang smiled and carefully looked at Lin Jinyong, saying to Lin Yuzhen: "The girls in your Lin family are all lovely."

  "You're flattering them again." Lin Yuzhen couldn't help but take a closer look at Lin Jinyong. Today, Lin Jinyong was wearing a crimson cloud-patterned gray squirrel fur coat with blue hundred-pleated skirt underneath, several pearl flowers on her double buns, golden earrings shaped like jasmine, and the only eye-catching accessory was the gemstone tassel tied to her skirt. In terms of dressing, she wasn't more outstanding than other girls in Lin's family, but paired with her long eyebrows, beautiful eyes, porcelain-like delicate skin, and elegant expression, standing there made her stand out, making all the other young girls in the room pale in comparison.

  Lin Yuzhen suddenly felt somewhat unhappy, pointing to Lu Yun's side and saying: "Go play with your sisters, don't be in someone else's home, if you want to eat something, just tell the maids."

  Lin Jinyong was very familiar with Lin Yuzhen, and as soon as he saw her pretending to be calm but actually being somewhat impatient, he knew that she had become unhappy for some unknown reason. However, unlike before when he would feel fearful and anxious upon seeing her unhappiness, this time he just smiled slightly, bowed, and retreated elegantly.

  After taking their seats, the girls chatted about each other's clothes, hairpins and cosmetics, and whose pastries were the most delicious. Lu Yun glanced at Lin Wu, who smiled lightly: "Sister Yun, I heard that in Jiangnan they also enjoy playing the tea competition game, is it true or false?"

  Lu Yun smiled warmly: "There is such a thing."

  Lin Wubian said, "So you're from Jiangnan, I suppose you must be quite skilled? I'm curious, how does Jiangnan compare to our place here? I've heard that you've been taught by a famous master, would you be willing to open our eyes and show us something?"

  Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is Lu Yun's prelude to performing his skills in public.

  Yang Mo, although not a member of the Wu family, often stayed at the Wu's and was familiar with Lin Jianrong. Upon hearing this, she smiled knowingly at Lin Jianrong. Lin Jianrong returned her smile before lowering his eyes. Lin Yuzhen had truly gone to great lengths for her only daughter.

  This is the art of tea, the style of tea fighting, which is currently popular in this dynasty and is considered a very elegant activity. Not to mention that it is popular among literary scholars, elegant ladies, but also in the palace, in the streets, it is also very popular. Refined people are proud of their good tea skills, if Lu Yun can really surprise everyone with his skills, he will soon become famous among the scholars of Pingzhou.

  "Oh dear, I may know a little, but it's hard to be elegant and refined. It's better not to let me lose face in public, okay?"

  Lin Wu said: "Yun sister, what are you being modest about? Come on, come on, it's rare for sisters to gather together, let's take a look?"

  Lin Qi remembered the grudge, since last time Lu Yun scolded her as a dead woman, and Lu Yun followed to mock her. After being confined for a period of time, she found out that Lu Yun was getting extremely close with Lin Wu, even taking up her seat in front of Old Lady Lin. She started to dislike Lu Yun and Lin Wu, finding everything they did annoying. Therefore, she deliberately bumped into Lin Liu's arm and whispered: "How boring, again sucking up. Does she think she knows everything? It's just serving tea, isn't it? Even if a famous teacher instructed her, Fourth Sister didn't have any instructions, can't she still do it? What a pretentious show."

  Lin Liu hastily pinched her arm and whispered: "Quickly stop talking."

  "Never mind, if you don't like me then just ignore me, okay?" Lin Qi pouted and lowered her head to peel the watermelon seeds, no longer speaking.

  Lin Jinyong's eyelashes trembled, and she raised her eyes to interrupt: "Yun Taijie, it's rare for sisters to have a good time together. You might as well indulge us and let us feast our eyes."

  Lu Yun still wanted to push it up, Lin Wu had already stood up and walked in front of Lin Yuzhen, smiling: "Auntie, we heard that Cloud sister is good at the art of tea-making in Jiangnan, want to see and taste. But she's shy, stubbornly refusing, Auntie, you say something, let her not be lazy!"

  Lin Wu was exactly the kind of person Lin Yu Zhen needed at this moment. Lin Yu Zhen immediately smiled and curved her eyebrows, pretending to be humble: "What can she do? Don't let her lose face for me."

  As soon as this was said, both the Yang and Song families hurriedly advised: "Let's also open our eyes. Why are you hiding your own daughter's benefits so tightly? Are you afraid we'll compete with you for your daughter or what?"

  Lin Yuzhen covered her mouth and smiled: "You guys are so gossipy, saying I'm too petty. Alright, it's just a child's plaything, can't be taken seriously, but you can't make fun of her."

  Everyone says: "Why laugh at her? We ourselves are not experts, just watching the excitement and satisfying our curiosity."

  Lu Yun stood up, smoothed her hair, adjusted the dazzling and expensive golden peony skirt of her own family, stroked the white jade pendant hanging from the hem, smiled and greeted everyone: "My skills are not refined, just to add some fun for all the aunts, sisters and mothers, please don't laugh at me if I'm not good enough."

  Everyone laughed and said: "Who can laugh at you? Just let go of your hands and feet."

  The peony still needs the green leaves to support it, and even if Lu Yun alone is considered a separate flower, without any accompaniment, she can't show off her beauty, but instead becomes too conspicuous. Lin Yuzhen swept her eyes across the crowd and said: "Let the other children play together too. We'll be the judges, whoever's water mark appears first will lose. Since it's a tea competition, we can't do without some excitement, I'll put up this pair of crystal double lotus hairpins as the prize." As soon as she finished speaking, she really pulled out a pair of crystal double lotus hairpins from her head, and the hairpins were exquisitely crafted, crystal clear and transparent, not something ordinary, worth at least tens of thousands of dollars. She was so generous, obviously having complete confidence in Lu Yun's tea-making skills.

  Mrs. Zhi, née Song, was originally a resident of the capital city, and had seen and known much. Upon hearing this, she pulled out a purple gold phoenix hairpin from her hair and casually placed it on the tea table in front of her, saying: "I'll take out this purple gold phoenix hairpin. Although it's not worth much money, it was made by the old master craftsman of the Tang family's gold and silver shop in the capital. Let's just consider it a new trinket for you girls to play with."

  Yang also smiled and took down a branch of jade magpie hairpin from her head, saying lightly: "I'll join in the fun too."

  The other ladies-in-waiting also took out their purses and donated various small trinkets, with varying degrees of generosity.

  The girls looked at each other, but no one took the initiative to speak up. Lin Jiner was not worried at all, and Lin Yuzhen had already made arrangements, so how could anything go wrong? After a moment, a girl named Lu Yang'er from the Lu family's side stood up with a smile and said, "I also like to have some fun in my free time, why don't I join in on this fun?"

  Lin Jinyong gently nudged Yang Mo: "You also know good tea, why not give it a try?" In the past, Yang Mo was also one of the people who had a tea competition with Lu Yun, but they were no match for Lu Yun.

  Yang Mo, influenced by her family's elegance, also considers herself a refined person. Moreover, there is a hairpin from her aunt in the mix, which shouldn't be given away to outsiders for free. Therefore, she has been eager to try it out, and even if Lin Jingrong didn't encourage her, she would still go. Now that Lin Jingrong is encouraging her and pushing her forward, her participation seems natural and not intentionally trying to one-up others. Returning a favor, Yang Mo also invites Lin Jingrong: "I remember you also enjoy this hobby, let's go together?"

  In the past, Lin Jinyong had always been cautious and careful in her words and actions because of her parents' relationship. She was afraid of causing trouble for herself, so she usually sat quietly on the sidelines at such gatherings, watching without participating. Even when she was confident that Lu Yunfei was her opponent, she didn't dare to join in. But this time, she had ulterior motives and wanted to disrupt Lu Yun's gathering, making Lin Yuzhen and Lu Yun hate her. She lowered her head and smiled humbly: "There are many elegant scholars in Jiangnan, and Cloud Sister has come from Jiangnan with broad knowledge and was taught by a famous family. My skills are not refined, I don't dare to participate, only afraid of losing face."

  Yang Mei's competitive spirit was stirred up, and she slightly raised her eyebrows, saying in a low voice: "You're so unreasonable! You're not inferior to others, but you always have to lower your head first, and admit defeat before even competing. It's really frustrating! This temperament is really suffocating, I couldn't bear it anymore. Whether you want to participate or not, you must participate!"

  ——*——*——

  The starting point has a year-end awards ceremony, evaluating the most popular author of the year, the annual work and so on. Don't waste your money voting, if you really want to give, just reward me or vote for my book PK, it's more cost-effective, hehe.

  Here is the translation:

  Below is a friendly book recommendation:

  The thorny road of rebirth in "The Noble Daughter" is long and arduous, but she must persevere...