Seventh of July.

Jin Rui took some effort to carefully style Du Yunluo’s double buns, then selected coral hair accessories, along with earrings and necklaces, making her young lady look lively and charming.

Old Mrs. Xia saw her and clapped her hands with laughter: "Indeed, our little darling, not at all like someone ready for marriage, still looks like a little child."

Mrs. Zhen also couldn’t stop smiling: "Nannan is still a little girl indeed."

Du Yunru wanted to reach out and ruffle her younger sister’s hair but was afraid of messing up her hairstyle, so she restrained herself.

Du Yunnuo and Du Yunying arrived one after the other, both looking outstanding, and with careful adornment, the sisters standing together each shone in their own way, without overshadowing the others.

Laughter never ceased in the room, and even though Miao was busy, she couldn’t help but join in the fun near Old Mrs. Xia.

Lanzhi brought sheep milk soup from the small kitchen and met Mrs. Shen Changgen in the hallway, followed by a lady wearing a mostly-new sapphire blue jacket. She looked very familiar, so Lanzhi examined her more closely.

The lady held a brocade box cushioned with red cloth, handling it with utmost care.

Lanzhi had a sudden realization and went up to her: "You must be Lady Duan from the Xia Mansion. It’s been half a year since you’ve visited Mrs. Xia."

Lady Duan, recognizing Lanzhi had identified her, quickly returned the courtesy: "Thank you for remembering, I’m here to deliver a carved flower melon on behalf of our young lady."

Lanzhi smiled, pressing her lips together: "We’ve all been waiting."

Lanzhi led Lady Duan into the room, and Old Mrs. Xia was very pleased to see her: "We were just talking about Miss Xin, and here comes the news."

Lady Duan said some formal words, basically conveying that their young lady had painstakingly carved the flower melon the day before. Of course, she asked for understanding due to her limited skills—this was the customary humble talk whenever delivering a flower melon. No one would ever boldly claim their young lady’s craftsmanship to be unparalleled.

Lanzhi received the brocade box, placed it on the table, carefully opened it, and took out the flower melon inside.

It was a Guanyin statue carved from a large carrot.

Guanyin was standing on a lotus pedestal, holding a Pure Bottle, with facial features distinctly delicate and a compassionate demeanor.

"Mrs. Xia, Miss Xin’s craftsmanship is truly remarkable. If it weren’t for me holding this Guanyin statue myself and feeling the carrot with my hands, at a glance I would have thought it to be made of white jade." Lanzhi was quick to praise.

Old Mrs. Xia had Lanzhi bring the flower melon closer so she could examine it, nodding repeatedly: "It’s really good; Miss Xin put a lot of thought into it. Huaiping’s wife, what do you think?"

Accepting Xia Anxin was like choosing the tallest among the short ones for Miao, and it just happened to placate Mrs. Xia’s temper. Truthfully speaking, Miao didn’t have much affection for Xia Anxin.

But with Old Mrs. Xia directing the topic her way, and seeing the exquisite Guanyin statue, Miao couldn’t utter a single critical word.

After all, if she were to criticize Xia Anxin, Old Mrs. Xia would turn her comments towards Du Yunying with just a few words, wouldn’t she?

Du Yunying’s flower carving skills always gave Miao a headache when she recalled them.

Making crispy fried pastries was no easy task; Du Yunying learned it rapidly, but when it came to carving a flower melon, she showed no sign of improvement.

Miao secretly sighed to herself, then plastered a smile on her face and said, "All the good things have been said by Lanzhi; it’s difficult to pick out any faults either way, so I’m left with nothing but to say ’good’ indeed, ma’am."

Old Mrs. Xia laughed heartily, pleased by the flattering words.

Du Yunluo’s eyes were glued to the flower melon; she couldn’t deny that Xia Anxin’s craftsmanship was truly excellent, leaving no room for critique even from those without familial ties.

Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but recall her own flower melon.

Earlier, Nanny Xu had personally delivered it, and by this time, it should have arrived at the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. She wondered how Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou would view it.

Recalling Mu Lianxiao’s figure on that dragon boat, Du Yunluo suddenly felt her ears burn. She intended to express her feelings but only wanted Mu Lianxiao to notice them clearly. If Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou examined it closely...

She realized her lack of foresight only now, and it was too late.

Du Yunluo bit her lip; after all, she’d survived the tense relationship with Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou in her past life. Could this time be any worse? She considered not dwelling on it further.

"Put the flower melon away and deliver it to Yun Lang later," Old Mrs. Xia instructed, then addressed the girls, "Today is Qixi Festival, whether you want to worship the moon or thread needles at night, enjoy yourselves. Just remember to keep enough people around you. It’s pitch-black at night; don’t trip over yourselves. The garden has pavilions and the Water Pavilion, so don’t wander too far in."

Everyone naturally agreed and gradually dispersed.

Du Yunluo didn’t leave; Nanny Xu hadn’t returned, and her heart was still in her throat.

After waiting for another half an hour, Nanny Xu finally arrived.

The heat outside had turned her entire face red, and the sweat on her forehead remained despite a few wipes.

Old Mrs. Xia frowned slightly: "Why are you so frantic? It wouldn’t be too late to come after freshening up."

Nanny Xu smiled: "I was worried that Fifth Miss would be anxious."

Du Yunluo was taken aback by Nanny Xu’s teasing, momentarily stunned.

Old Mrs. Xia couldn’t help but chuckle, then curbed her smile and asked, "How did they respond at the Marquis Mansion?"

"Our Fifth Miss’s flower melon carving skills, of course you knew they would praise it," Nanny Xu boasted confidently with a thumbs-up, "They said the flower melon was cleverly and vividly carved."

Old Mrs. Xia hadn’t seen the flower melon Du Yunluo had sent, so she asked, "Yunluo, what did you carve?"

Du Yunluo hesitated with a few sounds, seeing Nanny Xu trying hard to hold back her laughter, and finally gave in: "During the Dragon Boat Festival, when my third brother returned and mentioned that the Princely Heir was drumming on the dragon boat, I carved that."

Old Mrs. Xia was quite surprised, but considering Du Yunluo’s usual mischievousness, she found this idea quite conceivable, wagging her finger at Du Yunluo in a blend of exasperation and amusement.

At the Marquis Mansion.

Madam Wu was carefully examining Du Yunluo’s flower melon.

Mrs. Zhou had already looked; the dragon boat was roughly carved to shape, but the effort went into the drum and the person. This kind of execution, compared to meticulously handled detailing in every nook, was more to Mrs. Zhou’s liking.

Where grandeur was necessary, it was grand; where detail was required, it was detailed—not the least bit of daintiness, rather possessing a considerable presence of leadership.

"It’s so vivid, Lianxiao must have been staring wide-eyed while drumming," Madam Wu said with a smile.

In a military family, actions differed from ordinary scholarly families; for Du Yunluo to have observed the dragon boat right after receiving the imperial decree, Madam Wu found nothing inappropriate.

Mrs. Zhou nodded with a smile, knowing that if she could depict her son so accurately in carving, it showed Du Yunluo’s acceptance and even joy for the marriage alliance.

This was for the best, a daughter-in-law who entered the family considering her son, forming a blissful couple—a wonderful thing indeed.

Imagining marrying an adversary into the family brought on a headache from merely thinking about it.

Lian also studied it seriously, hesitating as she furrowed her brows: "It captures Lianxiao’s demeanor so clearly, even familiar ones find nothing amiss. Miss Du must have observed the dragon boat from the shore? It’s impressive she could see so attentively from such a distance; she must have been watching without blinking."