A piece of Japanese incense

Yu Nian and I came to Huaxiangju, where there is a kapok tree. It was planted on Yu Nian’s birthday the first year we came here. Now it is tall and majestic, standing straight. I have to look up to see the mark where I measured my height when I was a child.

"Do you know what the blooming of kapok flowers means?" Yu Nian asked while picking flowers.

"It means I can eat kapok lentil stewed with pork bones, kapok tuckahoe and duck soup! They are delicious and can remove dampness, wakakaka!"

Yu Nian gently tapped my nose: "You only know how to eat."

I came to the kitchen with a basket of kapok flowers. Everyone was busy. I saw Chef Bao thickening the meat. He must be making my favorite shredded pork with fish flavor and sweet and sour pork. Wow, I can't help but drool just thinking about it.

Yu Nian pulled my sleeve, found an empty corner, washed the kapok flowers, and mashed them with rice.

"After all these years, you still can't make flower cakes?"

I stuffed a fried peanut into my mouth and stuffed a handful into his mouth: "You told everyone that I made it, so this is what I made, hehe~"

What I mean is, I don’t know who made this crappy rule, but people born on the Flower Festival have to make flower cakes for their family on their birthday, so that the family can be reunited and harmonious.

I don't understand, but I respect it. Then I let Yu Nian do it every year hahahaha~

Carrying the finished flower cakes, we came to my grandmother's yard. I don't know what Aunt Hong said, but it made my mother and grandmother laugh.

"What are you talking about? You look so happy!"

"You little rascal, last year during the Flower Festival, when people were out catching butterflies, you were catching bees and stung the eldest daughter of the Minister of Personnel. Your father had to come to your house to apologize."

"Who told her to bully others? Her nose keeps growing above her eyes. I can't stand her!"

"I'm warning you, Yihe. Don't make any trouble this year. If you stay calm today, I will give you your birthday present. If you don't behave, your monthly salary for the next year will be cut in half!"

When I heard that my pocket money would be deducted, I couldn't accept that. I quickly took the flower cake from Yu Nian's hand, held it in front of my mother, and humbly fed her: "Mom loves Ah He the most. Mom, eat the flower cake, ah~"

Grandmother smiled from ear to ear. Yanliu came out from the inner room with a gilded plum blossom jewelry box. I knew it was a birthday gift for me. When I opened the box, I found a flower crown made of silk and silk instead of fresh flowers. There was a circle of pearls on the forehead and occasional pearls on the crown, which were large and round. There were also pearls and emeralds as ornaments on the crown.

I carefully took out the crown from the box and put it on my head. The heavy crown seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and it made my neck ache.

"Mom, why did you give her such an expensive gift?"

"My granddaughter's birthday is on the Flower Festival, so all the flowers come to celebrate her birthday. I wish I could stick all the flowers on her head and let everyone see my little flower god, hahaha!"

Aunt Hong stood up and laughed, "Old lady, I am too embarrassed to take it away after you gave it to me!"

She took out a small camphorwood box and opened it to reveal a golden gemstone flower hairpin. The hairpin, carved from gold and gemstones into the shape of flowers, was delicate and exquisite, showing gorgeous flowers with even and dense filaments.

"Aunt Hong, oh my! It's too bright, too bright, I can't open my eyes!"

"Hahaha, you little bitch, your Aunt Hong is a real person, and the gifts I give must be real money!"

I love celebrating my birthday so much. It feels so good to receive gifts. I will add the gold jewelry Aunt Hong gave me to my little piggy bank. Hehe, I am so happy.

Turning his head, he saw Yu Nian sitting on the side with his head down and not saying anything, and stretched out his hands to him: "Brother Yu Nian, it's your turn~"

He sat on the chair, looking at me leisurely, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised in a faint smile.

He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently placed it on the table. He carefully spread out the handkerchief and revealed a white jade patterned bracelet.

"There are flowers on this bracelet too. What kind of flowers are they?"

“It’s the kapok flower.”

"Oh, then you should buy a red one with gold inlay, so it will look like a kapok flower!"

"Yeah, that makes sense~"

"Yihe, don't bully your brother. He is still studying and he spent time preparing a gift for you. You can't be picky!"

Hearing that my mother was going to lecture me again, I quickly put away the gift, handed it to Yu Tuan and said, "Oh~ I didn't eat breakfast, and now I'm hungry!"

"Your father will be here soon. We can have dinner when he arrives!"

When she heard that her father was coming, her mother put away her smile, turned around and went back to her own yard.

At the table, I was still gnawing on a piece of duck leg that was a bit too chewy when my father spoke up, "Yihe, you will be a marriageable girl in two years, but you have a stubborn personality and don't know how to make progress. The Crown Princess' only daughter, Princess Tingzhu, is at the age of 50. Her former companion, the second daughter of the Minister of Rites, Ge Xin, is engaged to the eldest son of the Yongchuan Marquis family and can no longer accompany her in the palace. The emperor has granted you permission to enter the palace in place of Miss Ge. When you study with the princesses in the future, you must follow the rules and be respectful."

Mo? Are you okay? What does it have to do with me? I have watched Legend of Zhen Huan. With my EQ and IQ, what am I going to do? To get killed?

"Dad, you must be mistaken. I can't do that! I will definitely get into trouble. If I offend the nobles in the palace, it won't be as simple as you going to their house to apologize!"

"Yes, Yian, why didn't you discuss with us before sending Ah He to the palace?" The corners of my grandfather's mouth twitched, and there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Lord Zhi! You are so busy, when have you ever taken care of your daughter? Now there is an opportunity to curry favor with the prince, but you have seized it! I don't care about any royal relatives! Why can you enter the palace just like that? He'er was brought up by me, and I, an old woman, will not agree! No one can control her to do something she doesn't like!" Grandmother glared at father hatefully.

The father leaned back and said calmly, "Mother, He'er is well-known in the capital for her mischief. It must be difficult to find a teacher who can teach her. The teacher, Master Pei, is a great scholar who has taught His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He is knowledgeable and his classmates include the Crown Prince's grandson and the Emperor's grandson. This is what many noble ladies wish for. It is not a bad thing for He'er to suffer a little when she enters the palace. After learning a lesson, her temper will be restrained. What's more, Princess Tingzhu is gentle and elegant, and she is full of poetry and books. He'er can follow her and cultivate herself with respect, learn etiquette and rules, and it will also prepare for He'er's future life."

What preparations are you making? Hey? Why is grandma silent? Reject him!

Aunt Hong tried hard to put on a smile and said, "I think we should discuss this matter with He He first?"

My father frowned, his mouth drooped, and he said unnaturally, "No need to discuss, she will definitely not agree. This is not my request, it is His Majesty's order. The imperial edict should come down in a few days, so you can prepare it."

This unquestionable tone is exactly the same as my dad in real life, stubborn and authoritarian!

I could only smile slightly to ease the atmosphere.

"Did Daddy bring me a birthday present?"

Guangbai, who was standing behind me, respectfully handed me a small round cloisonné enamel box. I opened it and saw a pair of gold-inlaid jade earrings. The earrings were tassel-style, with jade butterflies inlaid on each gold base, and a string of pearls hanging from it. Below the pearl string was an eggplant-shaped jade pendant, with a pink tourmaline of unknown pattern as the base, and pearls inlaid on both sides.

"Thank you, Daddy!" She smiled politely on the surface, but in her heart she was already cursing: "I'm really pissed off by this bastard dad. I don't even have pierced ears, and you gave me earrings? Can you be more considerate? If you don't want to give me anything, you don't have to. I don't need your share, okay? I'll sell it tomorrow for money!"