Chapter 238 How can fish eyes compare to pearls?

Upon hearing that his mother-in-law was ill, Lu Yunqi immediately asked with concern, "Is your mother-in-law feeling unwell? Has the imperial physician been summoned?"

Yu Jingsheng waved his hand: "It's just a minor cold. The family physician took a look. It's nothing serious. Your mother-in-law also said there's no need to make a fuss. She should be fine after taking the medicine and resting for a few days."

Before the father-in-law and son-in-law could exchange more than a few words, guests began to arrive at the door one after another. The Marquis of Zhenbei and his son, General Wu, Duke of Li, Marquis of Wenchang, and others arrived one after another. These were all familiar faces from the court. The Earl of Nanping did not treat himself as an outsider and went forward to greet them with his son-in-law.

Several groups of distinguished guests also arrived on the women's side. The main hall of Songbai Hall was not enough to accommodate everyone, so the women who had arrived earlier consciously retreated to the courtyard and continued to drink tea and chat in the flower hall set up by the servants.

With the help of her maid Hongfu, Luo Yi slowly walked out. After resting for a few days, her foot injury had mostly healed, but she still walked unsteadily with a limp.

Even so, she insisted on carrying a tray herself, on which were the needlework pieces she would later give to Old Madam Ning.

As soon as she appeared, women who had seen her before immediately began to whisper among themselves. Everyone's eyes turned to look at her, wondering what kind of person this girl, who had been personally brought back by the general, was.

"I wish the old lady good health and longevity."

Luo Yi entered the main hall and, with Hong Fu's help, struggled to kneel down and kowtow. However, Old Madam Ning would not allow her to kneel down and hurriedly instructed the maid beside her to help her up.

Luo Yi stood up, stepped forward, and handed over her needlework:

"Madam, since I came to the General's Mansion, I have received your meticulous care. I don't know how to repay you, so I'm taking this opportunity to express my filial piety."

These are two sets of undergarments, along with shoes and socks, that I specially made for the old lady while I was recovering from my injury. Yiyi has been learning medicine from her father since she was little, so she doesn't know much about needlework. Her skills are probably not as good as her older sister's, so I hope the old lady won't find them unsatisfactory.

Madam Ning hurriedly called someone to take it over, saying, "You child, your foot injury hasn't fully healed yet, and you're already lying down to rest. Why are you coming over to kowtow to me? Oh, did you make all of these things? The stitches are really good. You're too modest, child."

Madam Ning picked up the shoes and socks on the tray and examined them carefully, praising Luo Yi's skillful hands.

Luo Yi smiled shyly: "It's what I should do. Oh, by the way, I also made two sets of pajamas for the General. I'll send them to him after the banquet today, but I'm afraid my sister—"

Madam Ning pulled Luo Yi to sit beside her and comforted her, "How could that be? Making clothes for Yunqi is your kind intention, Yiyi. Qingci is also a sensible person, and she would be happy to have another person care about Yunqi."

The ladies standing nearby had been secretly observing her ever since she entered. Now, hearing the conversation between the two, especially the way Miss Luo seemed to hesitate and stop speaking halfway through her sentence, how could these ladies not understand?

Immediately, people began to whisper and comment on Luo Yi.

"Is this the girl the general brought back from outside? She's quite pretty, though her background is a bit low, but she dresses up quite well."

"Indeed, judging from her attire, the General's Mansion treats her like an honored guest. I heard that General Lu has been living in anonymity for the past year, and he and this Miss Luo are treating each other as husband and wife."

"I've heard that too. There were rumors that the two were already husband and wife outside, but unfortunately, they were unlucky. They already had a wife in the mansion, and she entered the family as a widow. Now that General Lu has returned, he can only treat his wife with respect."

"Isn't that right? So it seems that the general might not have any feelings for his wife at home. On the contrary, the woman in front of him is the one he cherishes most. If the woman hadn't entered the family first, this woman might be the general's wife right now."

...

Luo Yi sat obediently next to Madam Ning, listening to the discussions of the noble ladies below, and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased with herself.

Because her foot injury hadn't healed, the old lady had already told her that she didn't need to come out today, but how could she miss such an important occasion? She insisted on showing her face.

Therefore, she dressed up carefully and made herself look radiant in front of everyone, just to let these noble people know that she existed in the General's Mansion.

Didn't the general want to marry her off? Now that so many people know she's the apple of his eye, who will dare to compete with him for a woman and come to ask for her hand in marriage?

Seeing that Luo Yi was well-liked by Old Madam Ning, some clever people went up to flatter Luo Yi.

As everyone was discussing this, they heard a servant's voice: "Madam has arrived."

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound, and saw a young and pretty maidservant surrounding a slender and elegant woman standing before them. The woman was poised and graceful, her light steps causing her lake-blue flowing skirt to sway gently with her movements. As she got closer, her skin appeared even more radiant, her complexion dazzling, and her beauty seemingly untouched by worldly concerns.

The women in the room fell silent, their eyes completely captivated by the woman before them.

Yu Qingci walked up to Old Madam Ning, gracefully performed a standard curtsy, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice:

"The daughter-in-law wishes her mother a long and healthy life, and may she enjoy happiness and good fortune forever."

Looking at Yu Qingci, Old Madam Ning's eyes revealed undisguised satisfaction and gratification. She reached out and gently patted the back of Yu Qingci's hand, saying softly:

"Good child, there are many people and things to do today, thank you for your hard work."

The women in the room then realized that the woman in front of them was the General's wife, Yu Qingci, the third young lady of the Nanping Earl's Mansion who had been married off in place of her husband.

It's no wonder that most of these people didn't recognize her. After returning to the capital with her parents, the Earl's Mansion did not hold a family reunion banquet due to various issues. Soon after, Yu Qingci married into the General's Mansion.

Because she was a widow, she had to stay in the inner quarters after marrying into the family and could not easily meet outsiders. Therefore, for so long, almost no women from high-ranking noble families in the capital knew her.

Today's birthday banquet is actually Yu Qingci's first public appearance.

Once the ladies in the hall saw her face clearly, a chorus of praise for Yu Qingci quickly rose up.

This was a genuine compliment to the general's wife; many people hadn't expected that this young woman, who had become a second-rank imperial consort, would be so outstanding.

After admiring her, someone secretly glanced at Luo Yi again and suddenly felt that the rumors they had heard might not be true. Even if she had come back with the general, she was still nameless and without status. General Lu was not blind. Why would he give up the beautiful and refined woman in front of him, who was so beautiful that she seemed otherworldly, and instead take a fancy to a country girl with a little bit of looks?

How can fish eyes compare to pearls?

Moreover, this beauty is quite capable. Just look at her business acumen and methods. In just half a year, the businesses under the General's Mansion have made a fortune. It's all real money. Who in the capital wouldn't envy her?