Jun Jiuling

ed.
“If they came here to quarrel with Jun Zhenzhen, how could that not lower their status.”

That was reasonable.

Fang Yuxiu fell silent again.

“And the Ning Family’s young misses never came back to Yangcheng,” she said in a low voice.

It wasn’t just the Ning Family’s young misses.
The Zuo Family and Hu Family also hadn’t come to Yangcheng.
It was like they had disappeared that night.
Two days later, she and Jun Zhenzhen had gone out again, and they had not encountered any of those young misses.

The streets were lacking in young misses like there was an empty hole in the city.

“They just don’t want to have to deal with her,” said Fang Jinixu with a scoff.

Was that true?

“What else? What do you think it is?” asked Fang Jinxiu.

Fang Yuxiu did not say anything but looked thoughtful.

She thought that Grandmother and Mother could not have been so desperate as to try anything when she said she could cure Chengyu.
Ning Yunyan, who had said that she wouldn’t drop the matter in the throes of anger, would not just be done because her family did not want to lower themselves to Miss Jun’s level.

Besides the Jun Zhenzhen that other people tell stories about, does she have another appearance?

No matter the unease in the Fang sisters’ hearts, Old Lady Fang’s pledge for a one thousand taels of silver in prize for making the best lantern was carried out.

Just as Miss Jun had said, once everyone learned of the Fang Family’s extravagant award, everybody believed that the Fang Family were not serious about the crippled young master’s marriage to drive away misfortune.

“Anyway, he is soon to be a corpse.
This money would have all gone to waste,” everybody said.

Previously, besides the official families, only the business owners would make lanterns for the Lantern Festival.
The lantern craftsmen’s wages all came from the merchants.
But this time, the Fang Family had set up a prize.
The craftsmen had a steady flow of money on top of their wages.
This money needed not be supplied by the merchants, so the merchants increased the prize for the best lantern.
Then everybody was happy.

As the authorities and merchants started joining in on the fun, the prizes got divided into several tiers.
Anyways, there was a prize to be one and in time, all of Yangcheng began to work itself into a frenzy.

Since anyone's lantern had the chance to win the prize, the Fang Family servants also obtained Old Lady's permission and started making lanterns with renewed vigor.
The house was even livelier than it had been at New Year's.

This was the first time Miss Jun had made a lantern.

“However, don’t do it in the house.
Go to a lantern shop instead,” said Lady Fang.

Old Lady Fang also knew that Miss Jun had started to make medicine for Fang Chengyu.
Her mind was concerned with only this.
Additionally, this lantern shop was one of theirs, so there was no need to worry about meeting young misses from other families.
Thus, she was able to send her off with a light heart.

Fang Jinxiu’s lips curled knowingly.

“She definitely is trying to push herself out there,” she said, winking at her sisters.
“Tenth Noble Son Ning has returned.”

Fang Yunxiu stopped tailoring the red muslin she was using for her lantern.

“But she insulted Tenth Noble Son so.
Tenth Noble Son Ning wouldn’t come to Yangcheng to admire the lanterns,” she said.

Comparing Tenth Noble Son Ning to a woman from a brothel would never pass.
Whether it would be accompanied by anger or laughter, both were the framework for letting the word spread to the top of the streets and the bottom of alleys.

Tenth Noble Son Ning would definitely avoid such an environment.

Fang Jinxiu laughed.

“Aiyo, even if she doesn’t see Tenth Noble Son Ning, who knows if she will really regret insulting others or not.” She shook her head and scoffed.
“Maybe she even hopes that Tenth Noble Son Ning will come and curse her out.
She doesn’t think at all.
Who could be as brazen as her.”

{She couldn’t have insulted Tenth Noble Son Ning for this purpose, right?} thought Fang Yuxiu.

It seemed now that the people of the Ning Family were avoiding Yangcheng.
And the previously circulating gossip of how Miss Jun extorted the Ning Family’s silver also vanished without a trace.

“What sort of lantern is Miss Jun making?” she asked, changing the topic.

Fang Jinxiu was also curious.
She made the servant girls go ask around, and not long afterwards they returned.

“She is said to be making a lantern that nobody has never seen before, especially big,” said the servant.

Especially big.

Fang Jinxiu’s lips curled.

“I said she was doing it in order to get into the spotlight.” She lowered her head, looking at the lantern in her hands.

It was a small lotus lantern.
She had cut the red muslin herself.
She had also drawn the Guanyin image on it.
It was filled with her prayers for today’s glory to last forever, hoping that Fang Chengyu could step out of this rut and live well.
Even if he remained crippled for the rest of his life, he would still be alive.

When she thought about this, a sour taste filled her heart.
She was not in the mood to talk about other things and seriously continued making her lantern.

At the same time, Miss Jun was also seriously making a lantern.
Though it would be more accurate to say that she was watching other people make lanterns.
But whether it was making one herself or watching other people make it, the seriousness was real.