11 ENCOUNTER

"What is that?" Lady Guo asked Bian as she points to a green small animal by the rocks of the pond. "It is a frog," Bian told her. "Frog!" Lady Guo yelled in excitement of the animal. Then the frog jumped into another rock. "Wait froggie!" Lady Guo chased after the frog. "Be careful Lady Guo," Bian chased after Lady Guo, who was a fast kid running around. Lady Guo even tried reaching for the frog as she stuffed her body through the built fence around the pond.. "Woah," a man caught Lady Guo before she fell in further into the pond. Bian was able to run up to them, almost having a heart attack. Lady Guo, a daredevil, almost gave her a heart attack. "Here you go," the well-dressed man gave Lady Guo to Bian. "Thank you very much Lord…" Bian said as she carried Lady Guo. He smiled at gently, "it is General Cao De," he said. Bian noticed his features to look exactly like his mother, thick eyebrows and thick eyelashes, having uncommon Chinese look, with light brown eyes and tall figure.

"General Cao De," Bian greeted him. "Who will you be?" he asked. "Consort Bian, consort of Lady Ding," Bian said. "Oh, Lady Ding, brother Meng De's wife," General Cao De nodded, "but I have not seen you before," he got close to her face trying to see if he had seen her before. Bian stepped backwards and said, "General Cao De, it had been a long time since General Cao Cao's wedding." General Cao De looked at Bian in a thinking expression, "you are the consort Lady Ding brought from her hometown, right?" Bian nodded and said "yes." General Cao De opened his mouth in shock, "you look different," he examined her, "you are grown up now," he said. "Thank you for your compliment, Lady Ding takes good care of me," Bian said. "I can see that," General Cao De smiled at this consort in front of him shining beautifully. How come he never noticed her until now. The little girl he saw long time ago had bloom into a beautiful woman. "Little girl, would you like to touch a frog?" General Cao De asked Lady Guo. "Yes, I want to!" Lady Guo exclaimed in excitement. Bian dropped Lady Guo to follow General Cao De to a closer side of the rocks of the pond to see the frogs.

General Cao De grabbed one of the frogs and puts it on the ground for Lady Guo to touch it. Bian followed and saw how General Cao De playing with Lady Guo. Bian smiled at the scene. General Cao De looked up to see Bian smiled and told Lady Guo to watch the frog. "What are you smiling about?" General Cao De said as he went up to her. Bian stopped smiling, gulped, and then bowed her head to apologize. General Cao De laughed at her response. "Do you like frogs?" General Cao De asked. Bian shook her head. General Cao De wanted to prank her. He walked back to Lady Guo and whispered in her ear. Bian look at them suspiciously. "Consort Bian," Lady Guo called after General Cao De whispered in her ear. "Yes, Lady Guo," Bian walked to her. "Come here to touch the frog," Lady Guo offered. "Lady Guo, Consort Bian is fine," Bian said not wanting to go close to the little frogs. "Here," Lady Guo grabbed the frog and handed to Bian. "Lady Guo, I am fine," Bian said as she step back. General Cao De quickly put a rock onto Bian's shoulder and yelled, "there is a frog on your shoulder." Bian quickly jumped as she patted her shoulders away, "General Cao De," she screamed for help. General Cao De and Lady Guo laugh hard at her reaction. Bian stopped jumping as she heard their laugh. "Please do not play around with me," Bian pouted at General Cao De and Lady Guo, who were laughing away at their successful prank.

"What is happening?" enters Concubine Feng and Lady Ding after hearing Bian screaming loudly. General Cao are and Lady Guo stopped laughing. "Nothing," General Cao De said. Lady Guo run up to Lady Guo, "uncle show me frogs." "That is nice," Lady Ding said. "I apologize for the loud scream," Bian apologized. "We were just playing around mother," General Cao De clarified. Bian shot a look at General Cao De to see him looking at her. Then he winked at her playfully. Bian bowed her head to look away. "It is late now, we must return," Lady Ding said, "thank you Concubine Feng and General Cao De for your hospitality." "Come visit again," Concubine Feng said softly as usual.

"I saw how you looked at her," Concubine Feng conversed with her son after their guests left. "Consort Bian?" General Cao De smiled. "Would you like me to ask for her hands?" Concubine Feng asked. General Cao De smiled, "I can wait on that, Concubine Mo Chan is giving birth soon." General Cao De is a well known as a player, especially with his handsome and unusual looks, many ladies liked him. His mother spoiled him with everything, even with all the ladies he wanted. Being a year younger than Meng De, General Cao De have a total of 4 wives. "Honestly, Consort Bian had bloom beautifully the last couple of years. Who had known, she is more beautiful than her own Lady. Today, at the market, she was very shining," Concubine Feng informed General Cao De. "I will ask more about her when I see brother Meng De," General Cao De said smiling at the thought of Bian.

Lady Ding, Lady Guo, Bian, and the other consort reaches their manor in a quick time. "Give Lady Guo a bath," Lady Ding demanded angrily at the other consort. "Yes, Lady Ding," she said and brought Lady Guo to get a bath in the bath room of her manor. "Consort Bian," Lady Ding said angrily, "who gave permission for Lady Guo to touch those nasty little creatures?" Bian is confused in not understanding what Lady Ding is referring to. "Lady Ding, I do not understand," Bian said. Lady Ding push Bain's head angrily. This was the first time Lady Ding had ever physically hurt Bian. Bian immediately kneel. "Should I make you understand?" Lady Ding spat at her. Bian figured Lady Ding is talking about the frogs. "I am sorry, I will not do it again. I will not let Lady Guo touch anything without your permission," Bian quickly said begging for forgiveness. Lady Ding blew out breath in anger and said, "if Lady Guo falls sick because of those little nasty creatures, I am going to make sure you get more than this." Bian sobbed and nodded, "I will take good care of Lady Guo." Lady Ding crossed her arms and stared at Bian, "bring those products into my room," referring to the things they recently bought from the market. Bian nodded. Lady Ding walks away to Lady Guo's room without mercy.

Bian organize the products in Lady Ding's room. Bian sees how unorganized things had been even she's been gone for only one day. Bian starts organizing Lady Ding's room, putting things back to its usual place. "It looks like it had been moved purposely," Bian talked to herself putting almost the whole room things back to where it belong in the room. "Lady Ding?" Meng De entered. Bian turned around quickly and bowed her head to greet Meng De, "Lady Ding is currently with Lady Guo in Lady Guo's room." Meng De walked towards Bian and lifted her chin facing her. Bian blinked quickly at Meng De's action. "Did you cry?" he asked noticing her puffed eyes. "No, General Cao Cao," Bian purposely raised her voice loud. Meng De looked at her in confusion of her random loud response. He drops her chin and sit at the tea table, "go fetch Lady Ding and tell her I am waiting for her here."

Before Bian can leave, Lady Ding had already show up. "I am here," Lady Ding said as she entered her manor. Bian bowed her head in respect to her Lady. "General Meng De, you are here," Lady Ding sat down next to Meng De in happiness, "I missed you this morning," she said sweetly. "Where did you go?" Meng De asked. Lady Ding smiled, "to the market to get some products," she said. Lady Ding turned to Bian, "Consort Bian, how rude of you, where is tea for General Meng De?" she lectured. Bian startled, she had forgotten what she had to do. "Lady Ding, I will come back with tea," Bian said. "No need," Meng De quickly said looking at Bian. Then he looked at Lady Ding, "did you get what I told you to get last night?" Lady Ding shook her head in response, "I did not have time to stop by the physician place, Concubine Feng invited us for tea that I cannot reject." Meng De cleared his throat and stood up, "I understand, do not worry about it, rest now," he said leaving. "Wait, General Meng De," Lady Ding held onto his arm, "why not stay longer?" she pouted. Meng De looked at Bian seeing that Lady Ding touched him and bowed her head even more to not look. Meng De turned to Lady Ding, "I still have studies to do," he said and grabbed Lady Ding's hand off his arm. Meng De walked out Lady Ding's manor. "What is he always studying about?" Lady Ding rolled her eyes and looked at Bian. "Do you know?" she asked Bian. Bian shook her head no. "Go grab tea for me," Lady Ding commanded. Bian nodded and left.