Before we even got close, we could hear laughter and conversation coming from inside.

He Tiantian paused, straightening her clothes. Hong Erniang and Tao Shi followed behind, also stopping to tidy themselves up.

It was He Tiantian's first time attending a luncheon hosted by wealthy ladies, and she felt a little nervous. She wondered if these people would be easy to get along with.

He Tiantian walked in quietly and went to the middle of the main hall. Now she had to respectfully bow to the county magistrate's wife.

Otherwise, failing to bow to the magistrate's wife in front of so many people would be a blatant act of contempt.

He Tiantian had just knelt down when a servant from the county magistrate's wife came forward to help her up.

The magistrate's wife stood up and introduced in a loud voice: "This is the He family member I mentioned to everyone earlier. This dress is also from the Ni Chang Pavilion. Today, I had the manager of Ni Chang Pavilion send over many new clothes, so everyone can choose as they please later."

As soon as the magistrate's wife finished speaking, all the noble ladies and young women in the hall turned to look at He Tiantian.

"We are fortunate to have the magistrate's wife's blessing; we have finally had our eyes opened today."

"Yes, I saw the magistrate's wife's autumn clothes that day. I've been wanting to buy them ever since, but I haven't been able to find them."

"So it's from Ni Chang Ge. Their headscarves and scarves were all the rage in Changning County before!"

In an instant, the hall became lively.

He Tiantian glanced around and estimated that there were about forty or fifty noble ladies and young women who had come.

She spotted a familiar figure in the crowd – Li Qianqian.

She hadn't seen Miss Li since they parted ways at the Rainbow Pavilion. It had been more than half a year.

However, she noticed that Li Qianqian seemed thinner than before, and there was a faint trace of sorrow between her brows.

He Tiantian looked at Li Qianqian and smiled.

Li Qianqian naturally saw her too, and nodded in acknowledgment.

With so many people around, the two couldn't speak intimately.

He Tiantian and the other two sat down in the front hall, where the ladies enjoyed tea, desserts, and food together.

Each dish was exquisitely presented, served in fine white porcelain bowls. There were only two or three pieces of rice inside, which were gone in a couple of bites.

Five or six small porcelain bowls and three plates of snacks were served in front of each person one after another.

He Tiantian thought to herself, this is the first time she has ever experienced such a refined life.

These ladies and young women fully adhered to the rule of not speaking while eating, and the hall, which had been bustling with conversation just moments before, suddenly fell silent.

Even during meals, it is quiet; you can't hear the sound of chewing or the clinking of plates.

The silence was almost eerie.

He Tiantian was extremely careful with every bite of food, afraid of making any noise.

In contrast, both Hong Erniang and Tao Shi looked uncomfortable, and ate their food in hushed tones with their heads down.

There are many kinds of dishes, but the portions are pitifully small.

For example, there were only three pieces of chicken on her plate. If you were to kill a whole chicken, you'd probably need twenty or thirty plates!