[April 3] [Shendiao Xialu] Ladies of the House

[lilacfield.livejournal.com]

Title: Ladies of the House
Day/Theme: April 3 - Nostalgia
Series: Shendiao Xialu
Characters: Huang Yaoshi, Huang Rong
Rating: G
Shendiao Xialu © Jin Yong, et al.

That his youngest granddaughter should remind him strongly of his late wife caught him almost unprepared; he used to assume that the role had been her daughter's. "She is like you when you were young, but she's a little more diplomatic," he said. "She knows how to win hearts over, both by being purposeful about it and by being honest to herself. You acted nice only as long as you had something to obtain."

She gave him a sly look that somehow shed forty years off her still-shapely face. "That's because I'm - or was - more like you. Good opinions didn't matter, because those giving them are mostly idiots anyway. Isn't that what you taught me?"

He let out a startled guffaw. He was indeed fortunate; could be even blessed. "I regret that you have come to resemble that slow-witted husband of yours since you married him - you were absolutely delightful, if a source of headaches, before. You're less like that nowadays. Must be all this city defending business, which I must say you excel at."

"It's called growing up, I suppose."

"No," he corrected her. "It's called the art of maintaining personal characters."