Chapter 22: Utterly Astonished“Why so scared? Guilty conscience?” Jiang Yiyue calmly removed the hairpin.So.So she was just taking the hairpin apart.Jiang Mingzhu had thought Jiang Yiyue was about to harm someone.She felt a moment of awkwardness and said, “I was just reminding you to be careful, so you don’t hurt anyone.”Jiang Yiyue paid no further attention to Jiang Mingzhu.She set the pearl from the hairpin aside and bent the gold wire into a small spring.Jiang Mingzhu couldn’t understand what Jiang Yiyue was doing, her eyes filled with disdain.Jiang Mingjiao watched with great curiosity.The Countess of Jingnan, who had practiced handicrafts for many years, also couldn’t figure out what Jiang Yiyue was making.Jiang Yiyue offered no explanation.She sawed a large bamboo tube, then a long one, and then a short one.Soon, a row of bamboo tubes of various sizes lay on the stone table, leaving everyone baffled.Unhurriedly, she assembled the tubes, added the pearl, the spring, and other components.Before long, a bamboo pump bottle was completed.The Countess of Jingnan, seeing such an oddly shaped device for the first time, asked, “Is it finished?”Jiang Yiyue nodded.Jiang Mingjiao said, “This is the device?”“Yes,” Jiang Yiyue replied.Jiang Mingzhu snorted with a laugh.Jiang Yiyue turned her head and asked, “What are you laughing at, Second Sister?”“How can this device hold any liquid?” Jiang Mingzhu looked down on it completely.Jiang Yiyue unscrewed the pump head and gestured, “Just pour it in from here.”“How do you get it out?” Jiang Mingzhu asked dismissively again.Jiang Yiyue turned to the Countess of Jingnan. “Grandmother, may I pour this liquid into it?”“Pour it, go ahead,” the Countess urged eagerly, wanting to see how the device worked.Jiang Yiyue poured the liquid from the bowl into the bamboo tube and attached the pump head.Even maids like Xiangcao and Nanny Li craned their necks to watch.Jiang Yiyue pressed the pump head twice, and the nozzle expelled air.On the third press, the nozzle released a mouthful of liquid, which fell into the bowl.She pressed again, and another mouthful of liquid came out.She pressed once more, and yet another mouthful emerged.“It’s coming out!” Nanny Li couldn’t help exclaiming.Xiangcao was utterly amazed.Jiang Mingjiao marveled, “Each time, the amount of liquid that comes out is almost the same.”Nanny Li nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, it’s incredible.”The Countess of Jingnan was too astonished to speak.“Grandmother, you try it,” Jiang Yiyue said.The Countess had been eager to try but hesitated, unsure where to press.“Press here,” Jiang Yiyue pointed out.The Countess placed her hand on the pump head.“You can press now,” Jiang Yiyue said.The Countess tentatively gave a light press, and the nozzle made a soft “squish” sound as it released a mouthful of liquid.She was startled.“Countess, the shampoo liquid is coming out,” Nanny Li exclaimed joyfully.A mix of astonishment, curiosity, and delight appeared on the Countess’s face. She couldn’t resist pressing again.“It’s out again,” Nanny Li said.“Mhm. This is truly marvelous!” The Countess couldn’t help but bring the device closer to examine it.Nanny Li leaned in to look as well. “Countess, this device is very convenient.”“Yes, just a light press is all it takes,” the Countess remarked while inspecting it.“This thing is exquisitely made,” Nanny Li couldn’t help but praise.“How was this made?”“Countess, didn’t you watch Fourth Miss make it the whole time?”“I…” The Countess was highly skilled in handicrafts.Usually, she could figure out small trinkets after just a few glances.But as she examined this device from start to finish, she simply couldn't figure it out.She looked at Jiang Yiyue and asked, "Is this the device Heir Ji mentioned?""Yes, Grandmother." Jiang Yiyue nodded.The Countess of Jingnan asked with great interest, "How could there be such ingenious thinking?"Jiang Yiyue explained, "The world is vast, and nothing is too strange to exist.""That's true." Yet the Countess of Jingnan remained curious, "How did you understand it after just one hearing?"Of course, it was because Jiang Yiyue was a science student.She had always been skilled with her hands since childhood.After studying science, she understood the principles and patterns of things.She had made many things by hand.Like clothes.Like dried tangerine peel candy.Like cat trees.Like repairing carts.Like desk lamps, and so on.Making a shampoo bottle was a piece of cake.But she couldn't say that.She understood social etiquette.She immediately replied, "Your granddaughter naturally learned from you, Grandmother.""Learned from me?" The Countess of Jingnan found it unbelievable.Jiang Yiyue nodded, "Yes, once you grasp one thing, everything else falls into place. Some small gadgets, I just naturally know how to make them.""The things you made before were… barely passable." The Countess of Jingnan had previously looked down on Jiang Yiyue's handiwork.But now…"I've had an awakening now." Jiang Yiyue was adept at finding excuses for herself."An awakening?""Yes, I inherited your skills, Grandmother, and this year it all suddenly clicked."That's right.Some children are average at studying when they're young.Then one day, they suddenly have an awakening, passing the imperial examinations one after another—from scholar to provincial graduate, to metropolitan graduate… all the way to the emperor's presence.Thus, Jiang Yiyue's awakening wasn't particularly unusual.The Countess of Jingnan believed it immediately, "Good, very good, very good. A fine awakening indeed.""Then… does Grandmother like this device?" Jiang Yiyue asked expectantly."I do!" The Countess of Jingnan answered without hesitation.She likes it?Her grandmother, who had always been reserved in her actions, actually spoke so directly.And it was said to Jiang Yiyue, the troublemaker who only had beauty to her name!Jiang Mingzhu was quite displeased.Jiang Mingjiao also noticed the subtle shift in the Countess of Jingnan's feelings toward Jiang Yiyue.Jiang Yiyue continued to ask, "Then… does Grandmother still blame your granddaughter for returning late?"In the past, Jiang Yiyue had disregarded her image to get close to Cui Lianqing, tarnishing the reputation of the Jingnan Estate.It was truly detestable.The Countess of Jingnan would reprimand Jiang Yiyue every time she saw her.Until the incident with Rufang occurred.Only then did she realize that Jiang Yiyue had been living under Rufang's manipulation, which led her to commit one outrageous act after another.After all, Rufang was a maid she had brought up herself, yet… her disgust toward Jiang Yiyue turned into guilt.Upon learning that the Emperor had praised Count Jingnan specifically because Jiang Yiyue had assisted in capturing bandits, she was overjoyed. She immediately rewarded Jiang Yiyue with some gold, silver, jewelry, cosmetics, and perfumes, and asked her to personally thank Ji Shuhuai for his guidance.Unexpectedly, Jiang Mingzhu came and said that Jiang Yiyue and Ji Shuhuai were strolling in the garden.How could they stroll for so long?Fearing that Jiang Yiyue would revert to her old ways and disgrace the Jingnan Estate, she hurriedly called her back.She had originally intended to give Jiang Yiyue a good scolding.But it turned out that Jiang Yiyue had stayed longer to listen to Ji Shuhuai because she knew her grandmother loved handcrafted items.Such filial piety—how could she bear to scold her again?She immediately said, "Of course I don't blame you. You haven't done anything wrong."Excellent!The crisis was averted!Jiang Yiyue smiled brightly.Her smile was radiant and beautiful.The Countess of Jingnan couldn't help but feel a momentary daze, silently marveling at how exceptionally beautiful this granddaughter had grown.Jiang Mingzhu most feared that her grandmother would come to like Jiang Yiyue, favor Jiang Yiyue, and consequently neglect her.But now, it seemed her grandmother was beginning to like Jiang Yiyue.She immediately interrupted the conversation between her grandmother and Jiang Yiyue: "Grandmother.""Second sister." Jiang Yiyue suddenly turned and reached out her hand toward Jiang Mingzhu."What are you doing?" Jiang Mingzhu asked, puzzled.

The Aloof Grand Minister Doted on Her Until She Cried