Chapter 6: Banquet

Madam Wang quickly waved her hand, "Ah, that's too polite. Third Madam, to be honest, I just wanted to make your life easier, and since your lamps are so good, I only showed some favor."

"If Madam really wants to thank me, why not make more styles so that our shop can attract more customers."

Yu Huatang knew she was sincere, so he said nothing more and took the few hundred yuan. Thinking that she might be busy these days, he said, "Sister-in-law, it may take some time for the lights in the back to turn on. There are some things going on at home recently."

She still has to go out with Zhao Yan tomorrow, and nothing is more important than this right now.

Madam Wang nodded and said she understood. Then she seemed to remember something and said, "Third Madam, there's something I'm not sure if I should tell you."

Yu Huatang turned to look at her. She leaned in closer and said, "I heard yesterday that the daughter of Minister He's family had a falling out with the family they were originally planning to marry into."

"I heard it's the second son of the Yongchang Marquisate. He was originally willing to marry Miss He. Yesterday, there were rumors that after Minister He was falsely accused, many of his disciples left, and the accuser hasn't been found yet. The Yongchang Marquisate was afraid the He family would be devastated, so they turned around and arranged for the second son to marry the Minister's daughter."

Yu Huatang understood why Zhao Yan had just disliked her and told her not to have any other thoughts.

Did he think she was gloating and deliberately trying to pick on He Rongjin's sore spot...

He went to the He family because of two reasons: one was about Minister He's case, and the other was because Miss He was being manipulated by the Yongchang Marquis' Mansion, and she might be laughed at in the capital.

If she hadn't come here, there wouldn't be so much trouble. Zhao Yan and He Rongjin might have been together happily. Even if Minister He was falsely accused, her father-in-law would have intervened...

She was lost in thought...

Madam Wang had been watching her expression to begin with, and now seeing her face pale, she thought of the Third Young Master's relationship with that woman, and felt sorry for Yu Huatang. She couldn't help but offer some words of comfort, "Third Madam, don't let your imagination run wild. I only heard it from hearsay, and it's not conclusive. Although everyone says that noble ladies are good, I've been with Madam for so long and know that she's a kind person from the bottom of her heart. Besides that, she's also a good looker, and a good match for the Third Young Master."

Yu Huatang came back to his senses and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, for telling me this."

Mrs. Wang knew the lady’s embarrassing situation, so she sat for a while, told her when she would come back to get her things, and then left.

After Yu Huatang returned to her room to wash up, she sat there blankly, sharpening her pen and wondering whether she should tell him that she didn't mean it.

She was in the backyard and was not well-informed, so this happened.

Zhao Yan had always been reluctant to talk to her, so she thought about writing it down and having the maid deliver it...

But when I was about to write, I didn’t know how to write...

Forget it, she wants to explain it in the car tomorrow...

In early spring, there are always birds singing. In the past, Yu Huatang would get up early and sit on the bed to watch the birds flying around.

Today, she was in a high and somewhat excited mood, and she got up to choose clothes before the birds even started singing.

In fact, there was no need to choose. She only had five sets of clothes, one of which was a skirt with a gold-thread phoenix pattern. The colorful one was for grand banquets and was not suitable for today.

A jade silk skirt, the skirt is dyed green, like a newly sprouted willow branch, which is suitable for spring. However, the gentleman has been promoted, and this skirt is too light and may be inappropriate for his demeanor.

She took another look at the pearl silk dress. Although it was dignified and elegant, it was a bit hot now. The fabric of the dress was thick and it was only suitable for autumn.

As the sun rose, she felt anxious. There were only a set of lilac-colored skirt and a set of bamboo-green plain skirt with dark patterns left in the closet.

In fact, neither of these two sets is very suitable. They do not have the dignity of an official's wife, nor the grace of a woman from the capital.

But she had no clothes left, so after much deliberation, she chose the lilac-colored skirt with pink peonies on the hem and white butterflies on a blue background on the outer shirt. Although the fabric was not luxurious, it had some color and was not too plain.

She came from the small town of Quanzhou, and many people looked down on her. If she dressed too plainly, others would think she was shabby and not presentable enough. She couldn't bring shame to the prime minister's mansion.

After adjusting the hem of her skirt in the mirror, she put on her only gilded hairpin. The hairpin added a touch of nobility to her look, and now she finally looked presentable.

After getting dressed and waiting for a while, Chu Tao came over and replied, "Madam, the Third Young Master is waiting for you outside."

Yu Huatang was delighted. She took a few small steps and then quickened her pace, even though the noble ladies in the capital were all graceful and could not run or jump.

But today she was so happy, because Zhao Yan was waiting for her outside.

For three years after her marriage, she has been low-key and quiet. Firstly, she was afraid that people would laugh at her for being ignorant, and secondly, she was afraid that her sisters-in-law would think she was trying to steal the limelight.

On weekdays, she wore two cloth skirts and never dressed up.

Today, she cleaned up so deliberately, and she felt that she could make him happy.

But when she arrived at the outer courtyard, she saw Bai Yi waiting for her.

Bai Yi put away her scrutinizing eyes and said, "Madam, please go quickly. The young master is already in the carriage."

Yes, in Zhao Yan's heart, she was not ranked at all, and he was always indifferent and cold, so why would he wait for her here in person.

But she felt a little happy when she thought that they could ride in the carriage together. They had not been alone together for a long time, and this was a hard-won opportunity.

Hiding her previous disappointment, she casually replied, "Yeah."

Bai Yi gathered her skirt and helped to open the car curtain, and she sat on it.

So quiet.

Although the carriage was large, there were gifts on the other side, so she carefully sat next to him. At this time, even her breathing became lighter. She lowered her eyes, looked at his leather boots, and said, "Husband."

Zhao Yan was wearing a moon-white ribbed robe today, and his hair was styled like a scholar, making him look very elegant. He was originally reading a book, but when he saw her come in, he turned his gaze and said, "Mr. Qiao is the protagonist today. Isn't your gold hairpin too dazzling?"

Yu Huatang was stunned. Seeing the displeasure in his eyes, she immediately explained, "I saw other ladies dressed like this outside, so I thought..."

She couldn't continue, and Zhao Yan's gaze became even more intense.

She remembered that what he hated most was following the crowd, thinking that others were others and he was himself.

After a moment of silence, she whispered, "I was inconsiderate. My husband, please wait for a moment. I will go change my hair."

As soon as she finished speaking, she got off the carriage, not caring about her manners, and ran back to her room.

She hurriedly took off her gold hairpin, changed her hair into a half-loose style, and tied it up with a silver hairpin. Before leaving, she applied some lip balm, and finally her hair had some color.

She got on the carriage again. Zhao Yan sighed secretly when he saw her plain bun.

The carriage moved slowly. Because of the incident just now, Yu Huatang didn't dare to make any sound.

Zhao Yan returned to his previous state, cold and aloof. His fingers flipped the pages of the book. Yu Huatang looked into the car, then at his hands, and finally at the words on the book. It was a book called "Shui Jing Zhu".