Chapter 167: Your self-awareness is remarkably accurate, isn't it!

Prince Rui's Estate

"Have you figured out what to get His Lordship for his birthday, My Lady?"

Zhang Xiaolan was sitting idly in the courtyard of the back garden. Seeing that she had nothing to do and was terribly bored, Xiaolian casually asked if she had decided on a birthday gift for Li Rui.

"Not yet. Do you have any suggestions?"

Zhang Xiaolan shook her head to indicate she had no ideas. She could not think of a single thing Li Rui was lacking; after all, the estate was already overflowing with gold and silverware, precious knick-knacks, and rare plants. Even if she wanted to send a rare treasure, she lacked the means, and as for something creative, nothing came to mind for the moment, which was quite frustrating.

"Hehe! What kind of suggestions could I possibly have? My worldly experience isn't even as big as the nail of My Lady's finger!" Xiaolian shrugged helplessly, admitting even to herself that her limited knowledge meant she could not be of any help to Zhang Xiaolan.

She had originally considered suggesting making a garment or embroidering a scented sachet, as those were the best gifts for a lover, but Zhang Xiaolan knew absolutely nothing about needlework. Xiaolian found it rather strange; no matter how one looked at it, Zhang Xiaolan seemed to come from a wealthy and prominent family, yet she had failed to learn any traditional feminine arts, though she certainly knew a great many bizarre things.

"Ha! Your self-awareness is remarkably accurate!"

Zhang Xiaolan casually pinched Xiaolian's soft, tender cheek and teased her. Teasing Xiaolian was a wonderful pastime when she was bored.

"My Lady is making fun of Xiaolian again." Xiaolian rubbed her cheek, which was slightly sore from the pinch, and pouted as she complained to Zhang Xiaolan.

"I haven't been to see Sister Yunyue for a few days either. I wonder if she has found anything to do yet. If the Prince's Estate is short of people, perhaps we could bring Sister Yunyue and Uncle Lin here. Listening to her sing and play the zither during leisure time would be rather nice."

Zhang Xiaolan's thoughts drifted back to Lin Yueyun, whom she had met a few days prior when she intervened in an injustice. She wondered how they were getting along and whether they had been forced to go out onto the streets to sing for a living again. Worried that they might once more encounter ruffians, bullies, and other scum who preyed on the weak, she began plotting how to solve their livelihood problems once again. Truly, she was a busybody with a penchant for meddling!

"I have no idea if the estate is currently hiring servants. We'll have to ask Steward Chen about that."

Xiaolian seemed accustomed to Zhang Xiaolan's erratic train of thought, her compassionate nature, and her love for meddling in other people's affairs—or rather, she had probably been corrupted by her influence to the point where she would sometimes even help offer suggestions.

"That's right! We'll just ask Steward Chen, won't we? Having Yueyun work in the estate would solve her food and lodging problems, she would earn a monthly wage, and she could take care of Uncle Lin. It kills multiple birds with one stone!"

Prompted by Xiaolian, Zhang Xiaolan experienced a sudden flash of insight. Wouldn't it be simple enough to just ask Steward Chen if they were hiring? There was no need to go troubling Li Rui over such a small matter. If she could truly enter the Prince's Estate to work, it would be far better than performing arts on the streets or working elsewhere. Besides, Zhang Xiaolan knew that the servants trained within Li Rui's household were all quite exceptional. Bringing Yueyun to her side would also mean she could occasionally listen to her sing to dispel her boredom, and perhaps she could even learn a few verses of Yueyun's lovely singing.

"Then let's go ask after we finish lunch!" Xiaolian nodded, finding her reasoning quite sound.

"There's no time like the present, and today is better than any other day. Let's go right now while we're just sitting around the estate with nothing to do and feeling terribly bored. Once we've settled this, we can have lunch and then go find Sister Yunyue to tell her the good news. Lead the way, Xiaolian, go!"

Zhang Xiaolan was indeed a woman of fiery and decisive action. Feeling that even a single moment's wait was too long, she immediately resolved to go question Steward Chen, having already mapped out her entire itinerary for the day.