The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Chapter 343 Meeting New Friends

The eighth day of the seventh lunar month is an auspicious day for attending banquets.

Everything is suitable.

Today is Mrs. Shen's 65th birthday.

Shen Yu'an sent people to wait at the entrance of the Shen residence early in the morning.

Wanyue did not return to the palace yesterday. She has become somewhat emboldened these past few days and has been sleeping with Shen Cao for several days now.

Shen Yu'an noticed that Shen Cao was carrying a food box, and he was a little curious.

He smelled a very strong and sweet milky aroma when Shen Cao walked past him.

"what is this?"

Shen Cao and Wan Yue smiled mysteriously, "It's a secret, you'll find out when the time comes."

Wanyue stayed up with Shen Cao until late last night.

Sister Cao'er said it was called a cake.

It's made with lots of eggs and milk.

She failed several times before finally succeeding, and she tasted those failures—they were delicious.

Next time it's her birthday, I'll ask Sister Cao'er to make it for her too.

Upon arriving at the Shen residence, Shen Cao and Wan Yue first went to see Old Madam Shen.

It was still early, so the two chatted with Mrs. Shen for a while, and guests came one after another to wish her a happy birthday.

Soon, many people that Shen Cao did not recognize arrived.

Fearing that Shen Cao might be bored, Old Madam Shen had Wan Yue take Shen Cao to the garden.

"Sister Cao'er, please sit in the pavilion first. I'll go ask Aunt Ping'er if my birthday gift has arrived yet."

"Wait for me, I'll be right back."

There are many guests today, and Wanyue is worried that someone might bully Shen Cao.

Shen Cao smiled and nodded.

Sure enough, strange women occasionally walked by in the garden.

Whether young, old, or frail.

Every time they passed the pavilion, they would peer inside, clearly very curious about Shen Cao's identity.

"Shen Cao." Just as Shen Cao was getting bored, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

It's Zhou Zhou.

When Zhou Zhou saw the person in the pavilion turn around, it was indeed Shen Cao. He quickly pulled Ji Fu and ran over.

Shen Cao looked at Zhou Zhou with a strange girl.

What a spirited girl! Unlike Zhou Zhou's bright, beautiful, and flamboyant personality.

The girl's eyebrows and eyes were very spirited, but her mouth and nose were very delicate, with the charm of a woman from Jiangnan.

However, her face looked somewhat familiar.

Zhou Zhou quickly introduced the two, "Shen Cao, this is my best friend, Ji Fu."

"Her elder brother is the famous general of the Great Xia Kingdom, Ji Lingfeng."

Shen Cao was taken aback. Ji Lingfeng's sister. No wonder she looked somewhat familiar.

"Fu'er, this is the Miss Shen Cao whom I mentioned to you."

"Greetings, Miss Shen Cao." Her voice was gentle and graceful.

Shen Cao smiled and greeted her in return.

The three of them sat in the pavilion and began to talk.

Before long, the three of them were getting along very well.

Shen Cao was surprised to find that Ji Fu, who seemed gentle and kind, was actually quite straightforward.

No wonder she has such a heroic air about her; I never expected that someone who looks so gentle and weak would also practice martial arts.

Listening to the two's amusing hunting stories, Shen Cao's eyes revealed envy.

"Sister Shen Cao, how about I teach you to ride a horse when I have some free time in a few days?"

They discovered during their conversation that Shen Cao was a year younger than both of them.

"really?"

In her previous life, Shen Cao had always envied people who could ride horses. She had a dream of riding a horse and galloping across the vast grasslands.

That feeling of freedom is especially great.

"Of course, we'll go hunting together then."

Shen Cao nodded happily.

Suddenly, an untimely voice rang out.

"Who do we have here? It's the two of you."

"Since they couldn't find anyone, they've got some girls from who-knows-where joining you in wielding swords and spears?"

It was her, the girl who deliberately made things difficult for Zhou Zhou at Xiangmanlou that day.

Shen Cao frowned as she looked at her.

Zheng Shuyi was followed by several young ladies from prominent families.

They all smiled as they looked at the people in the pavilion.

"Zheng Shuyi, what do you mean?" Zhou Zhou stood up and glared angrily at the person who had come in.

"What do you mean? You are, after all, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Zhou. How can you act like a young lady from a noble family?"

“Ji Fu’s brother is a general, a military officer. It’s one thing for her to be wielding swords and spears all day long, but your grandmother was clearly a great Confucian scholar of the Great Xia Kingdom. Why are you like this now?”

"What should a young lady from a prestigious family be like?" Zhou Zhou, dressed in red, stood opposite them.

Zheng Shuyi chuckled at her question, "What should a young lady from a prestigious family be like?" She turned to look at her friend, as if Zhou Zhou's question was utterly ridiculous.

"Of course, it's like this: we learn music, chess, calligraphy, painting, embroidery, reading, and household management skills every day."

"Otherwise, you'll still be like everyone else, only knowing how to brandish knives and guns every day, and the people you hang out with are all men. Aren't you ashamed?" After saying that, he actually started to laugh.

Her friends behind her also covered their hands with their handkerchiefs and laughed, just like her.

"You!" Zhou Zhou didn't want Shen Cao to have a bad impression of him.

She glanced at Ji Fu; the two of them were already used to these people talking about them like that.

After talking about it so much, they sometimes wondered if they shouldn't learn martial arts like men, but should instead learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and spend their free time embroidering and appreciating paintings in their rooms.

The laughter from the other side grew louder and louder, and she and Ji Fu remained silent, unsure how to respond.

Just as the two of them were about to pull Shen Cao away.

Then a voice rang out.

"Who says a young lady from a noble family can only have one look?"

Zhou Zhou and Ji Fu looked up and saw Shen Cao standing in front of them, blocking the mocking gazes of those people, her eyes revealing determination.

She spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, "A young lady from a noble family can study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting every day, just as a young lady from a noble family can practice swordsmanship every day."

"Not to mention anything far back, just over ten years ago, the Great Qing Kingdom attacked our Great Xia Kingdom."

"On the battlefield appeared a female general wielding a large sword to kill the enemy. With her sword, she cut down the iron cavalry of the Daqing Kingdom."

"The women's army that was later formed won one victory after another."

"Before the war, wasn't she also a young lady from a prominent family?"

The female general that Shen Cao mentioned was Wei Siyu's mother, Wang Yuwei, the daughter of the former Vice Minister of Rites.

"What, are you trying to say that the female general isn't a young lady from a noble family?"

"If it weren't for her back then, many of you probably wouldn't even have had the chance to be born."

Zheng Shuyi looked at Shen Cao in front of her and said, "Who are you? Who gave you permission to talk nonsense here?"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, you can go back and ask your elders at home."

The young ladies behind Zheng Shuyi looked at each other with puzzled expressions; they had never heard of such a thing before.

Several of them, feeling somewhat embarrassed, left with their maids.

There were also a few who were close to Zheng Shuyi and felt embarrassed to leave.

"That was during wartime! Now it's a time of peace, and it's considered indecent for women to practice martial arts."

"What is elegance?" A voice from behind interrupted them.