Chapter 169 Spring Outing

After all, Luo Yi was the benefactor who had saved his life, so he could never treat her the same way he treated his subordinates. Taking her along on this journey and pretending to be husband and wife was a helpless move.

Luo Yi bit her lip and said with a hint of grievance, "I know, I was just so happy to see you come back that I said it without thinking. Don't be angry."

Lu Yunqi: "We can't leave tomorrow. I've heard that the Crown Prince is going hunting in the suburbs tomorrow. This is a good opportunity. I'll try to see His Highness the Crown Prince and leave after I've dealt with things here."

After Lu Yunqi finished speaking, he stopped talking, quickly finished his meal, and went into the inner room to rest.

Watching the man go in and close the small door, Luo Yi couldn't help but bite her lip again. It had been a year, a whole year, and she still hadn't been able to make this man look at her differently.

Luo Yi pulled out a bronze mirror from her bosom and looked at her deliberately roughened face in the mirror, her face full of resentment.

He's seen his own true colors before, isn't he? Is he a block of wood? How come he can't see his own feelings for him?

But it doesn't matter. As long as she stays by his side, she's sure she'll find a chance to truly become his closest person.

At the General's Mansion, Yu Qingci was inspecting the wedding gifts to be sent to Lu Yunbing's second wife:

Eight bolts of mid-range brocade in various colors;

Ten jars of Baiyeqing wine;

One brocade box containing twelve kinds of dried fruits and pastries;

There is also a pair of large red peony-patterned floor porcelain vases.

When the family divided the property, they had already given Lu Yunbing money for his wedding, but a wedding gift was still necessary, so she prepared one according to the custom of giving gifts to other collateral branches.

There should have been fifty taels of silver inside, but it had already been given when the family divided the property, and more than that, so naturally no more would be given this time.

As for the second and fourth wives who were separated from the family, she probably doesn't care about dealing with them anymore; she just wants to maintain appearances.

Yu Qingci counted the gifts and had them delivered. As for whether the fourth branch of the family was satisfied with the gifts, that was none of her business.

After the anniversary of the death, the period of deep mourning has passed.

Although there were still many taboos to be observed in the days that followed, there was no need for the extreme caution required during the mourning period, and no one would say anything if someone occasionally went out of the mansion for social engagements.

Just as spring was in full bloom, Lu Yun Chu received an invitation from her best friend, inviting her to go on a spring outing in the countryside in three days.

The invitation was delivered to Yu Qingci, who then sent someone to ask her sister-in-law, Lu Yun Chu. Lu Yun Chu expressed her desire to go, as she hadn't seen her girlfriends for over a year.

Yu Qingci also felt that her sister-in-law should go out for a walk, so she began to arrange what clothes her sister-in-law should wear to the appointment.

Soon the day arrived, and Lu Yun Chu changed into the spring clothes that her sister-in-law had specially prepared for her. She happily raised her arms and spun around in place.

She loved this outfit. It was a light blue brocade long skirt paired with a white silk gauze overlay, with simple embroidered patterns on the collar and cuffs. A string of openwork jade pendants at her waist was strung with a darker blue silk thread, just as her sister-in-law had said—understated yet luxurious.

"What a beautiful dress! Thank you, sister-in-law, I really love it. And I love all the accessories too. Is this the latest trend in Beijing this year?"

Yu Qingci smiled gently: "It is indeed a new model for this year, specifically a new model that our Jinxiufang will be launching soon. If you like it, I have confidence."

This dress was designed in advance by Yu Qingci with slight modifications based on the popular styles in the capital in her previous life. With the memories of her previous life, she knew very well what styles of clothing would be popular among noble ladies in the capital in the coming years. As long as she made sufficient preparations, the business of Jinxiu Pavilion would naturally flourish.

Lu Yun Chu was happy for a while, then frowned and said, "But, isn't this too outrageous? When my mother sees me later, she will probably nag me again, after all, I just finished the mourning period and I'm wearing such beautiful clothes."

Yu Qingci said dismissively, "What's so outrageous about this? Your outfit is quite suitable in both color and style. Wearing it out won't make you look dazzling, but it won't diminish your status as a noble lady of the General's Mansion. Besides, you're just advertising my Jinxiu Pavilion to my fellow ladies today."

Lu Yun Chu was at the age where young girls love beauty, and she couldn't help but like pretty clothes. Her sister-in-law's words quickly put her at ease.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. I guarantee they'll all love these beautiful clothes once they see them. I'll recommend they go to Jinxiuge to buy clothes then."

When the two arrived at Songbai Hall, Old Master Ning was both pleased and worried when he saw his daughter's attire.

"Going out right after the end of mourning is bound to attract criticism, so you should dress more modestly. This outfit is too elaborate, you should change into something else."

Lu Yun Chu secretly made a sad face at Yu Qing Ci. Yu Qing Ci suppressed a laugh and went forward to comfort her mother-in-law, which finally made Old Madam Ning relent and stop saying anything.

Lu Yun Chu, along with her two maids, Dong Yue and Xia He, boarded the carriage and happily set off to meet her friends.

Yu Qingci turned around and saw her two maids, Tong'er and Lianqiao, looking enviously in the direction the carriage had gone. She couldn't help but smile.

"You two don't need to envy Dongyue and Xiahe. If you want to go out, wait a few days and when Granny Pei goes out on business, I'll ask her to take you with her. You can go to the shops and take a look around, just to learn how to do business."

Upon hearing this, Tong'er and Lian Qiao's eyes lit up immediately, and Tong'er blurted out:

"Really? Thank you, young mistress."

Lianqiao, being a year older and having served Madam Ning for a long time, said to Yu Qingci:

“The young mistress is kind-hearted, and we maids have benefited a lot from her kindness. Let the other young ladies go out first. I will stay by the young mistress's side and follow her when she has the opportunity to go out in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Tong'er quietly stuck out her tongue: "Young Madam, this servant won't go out either."

Yu Qingci: "You don't need to do this. Actually, I've had this plan for a while. You're getting older and can't keep taking on the role of head maid forever. I need to teach you something else so that you can come back to me as my stewards after you get married. Would you like that?"

The master's words made both maids blush.

Tong'er hurriedly declared, "Young Madam, I will not marry. I promised to stay by your side for life, and I will keep my word!"

Seeing Tong'er's anxious expression, almost to the point of swearing an oath, Yu Qingci smiled and said, "Alright, I know you two are both loyal maids, but think carefully about what I said. In the future, the business outside the manor will definitely grow bigger and bigger, and I will naturally need reliable people to help me. You two are the most suitable."

Tong'er: "But, we servants don't even know many characters. How will we help the young mistress manage the business?"

Lian Qiao also said, "I did learn a little before, but it's not enough. I'm afraid I won't even be able to look at the account books when the time comes."