Chapter 8: Insults and Grievances
After hearing the reply, several female relatives laughed secretly. Yu Huatang was confused and didn't know why.
The official's wife, who was sitting near her, smiled and explained, "This is probably the first time I've seen this, too. The shark fin on top of the sea urchin soup was specially sent over by the Qiao Mansion from hundreds of miles along the coast."
Although the words were said with a smile, the tone was full of contempt.
Yu Huatang felt confused and bitter. Although her hometown was on the sea, she had only heard of the tribute but had never tasted it, which was why she made such a big joke.
"Mrs. Zhao San is from Quanzhou, and I'm afraid she has never seen these before." said Princess Changping.
Princess Guangping had always been a good friend of Princess Changping, and she chimed in, "Madam Zhao San, please try a few more dishes. For example, this stir-fried phoenix tongue dish is made with the tongues of Java sparrows. Java sparrows are rare and delicious, known as the 'ginseng of heaven.' A single dish often requires the tongues of over a hundred Java sparrows."
"Furthermore, this dish, cherry meat, although ordinary people use real meat, it is a bit vulgar in the homes of nobles. They use the best cherries to make it, which is indistinguishable from the real thing."
Yu Huatang listened carefully, feeling aggrieved. She took a deep breath and said word by word, "Thank you for your explanation, princesses. I will savor it well."
The two princesses didn't say anything, but the expressions on their faces changed, even becoming a little cold and stern. It was obvious that they didn't believe that she recognized these things.
Yu Huatang felt bitter. Although she came from a small town and had little experience, was she the kind of person who would feast on food at someone else's banquet just for the sake of a few bites?
After receiving the instructions, the mothers immediately placed several delicacies in front of her whose ingredients were unrecognizable.
The Qiao family organized a Qushui Liushang banquet, which was intended to be elegant. There were so many foods in front of her, and the mothers were making a lot of noise, which attracted the attention of several male guests.
Sure enough, Qiao Qingxian sent a maid to ask if an additional banquet was needed.
Yu Huatang felt sad. Just because she was an orphan and her family was poor, she would go to someone else's house, disregard etiquette, and eat up all the family dinner.
"Thank you all, I have enough here. Mothers, please go to other places to prepare the banquet." Yu Huatang said weakly.
She is the daughter-in-law of the prime minister's mansion. Even though she is being laughed at and ridiculed now, she cannot show any dissatisfaction. She cannot afford to lose the reputation of the prime minister's mansion.
She tasted the food in front of her one by one and finally put down her bamboo chopsticks.
The women lowered their heads and talked to each other, glancing at her from time to time.
She was wrong. She thought these ladies talked to her kindly and called her sister and younger sister, and she thought she had really succeeded in entering this circle.
It turned out that in their eyes, no matter how well she learned, she was just someone from a small place with no experience, not worthy of being on the same level as them.
At this time, a mother came to Mrs. Xu and said a few words, "Young Master Zhao heard the commotion over here and came over here."
Zhao Yan is here.
She immediately stood up, thinking that Zhao Yan often attended such banquets and would know that she was being bullied and embarrassed.
He must have a way to help her solve the problem.
The old woman said, "Mrs. Zhao San, please follow me."
Yu Huatang followed him out. Zhao Yan was standing in the corridor. When she saw him, she suddenly felt like crying. She wanted to speak out about the grievances she had suffered.
The maid immediately apologized to Zhao Yan, "It's my fault for not hosting you well. I didn't expect that Madam Zhao San didn't know these. The princesses were kind enough to let Madam taste them all, which is why there was such a commotion."
"But I've never heard of serving food to guests like this. It seems more like..."
Yu Huatang didn't say these words out loud as if they were a mockery or insult. She couldn't afford to offend anyone here. Even though Zhao Yan was the son of the Left Prime Minister, she didn't want to cause trouble for him.
"Didn't your mother teach you the etiquette for attending banquets?" Zhao Yan asked.
Yu Huatang's eyes were filled with astonishment and he was speechless for a moment.
Seeing the atmosphere between the two, the old woman Fu Li retreated.
Of course her mother-in-law taught her, but no one taught her what to do when faced with so many people making things difficult for her, either openly or covertly.
What should she do when no one supports her?
She lowered her head and gave up arguing, "I lost my composure today."
Seeing her hanging her head and saying nothing, Zhao Yan was even more certain that she was a woman of little knowledge. He spoke in a harsher tone, "Go back and sit down first. Don't talk nonsense. We'll go back after the banquet is over."
Yu Huatang didn't want to cry, but the bitterness in her heart surged. She suppressed the bitterness in her eyes and looked up at Zhao Yan and said, "Husband, why do you think I lost my composure? You didn't even ask the reason. Although I come from a small place, I know how to behave when visiting someone's home..."
Seeing her like this, Zhao Yan didn't want to say anything. "Since that's the case, come back with me now."
Yu Huatang swallowed the bitterness in her heart, wiped away some tears with her hands behind her back, and tried her best to hold back the tears that were flowing out, "Okay."
At this moment, someone came from the other end of the corridor, "Zhao Yan, Zhao Yan..."
Qiao Qingxian arrived with a few people and clasped his fists, saying, "It was the concubines who were disrespectful, how can I blame my sister-in-law? I apologize here, please forgive me, sister-in-law."
Zhao Yan pushed his shoulder away and said, "In that case, I'm afraid my Zhao family can't afford your banquet. lest we waste your efforts."
Qiao Qingxian immediately stopped them and grabbed Zhao Yan. "You're embarrassing me. I just heard someone from the female family did this. It must be my humble wife Xu's poor arrangements that have caused my sister-in-law to suffer. Zhao Yan, you know my character. How could I let you suffer in my house? Please don't say such angry words."
At this time, Xu came over with a few maids, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry for not treating you well today. You must take it to heart."
Yu Huatang lowered his head and stopped talking. Zhao Yan no longer looked at them. "In any case, it was my wife and I who disturbed your wedding banquet today. Now that we have explained the matter, it would be inappropriate for us to stay and waste your delicious food. We will take our leave now."
After saying that, he bowed to Qiao Qingxian and walked out.
Yu Huatang followed him out without saying anything else.
The way back was quiet. She was so happy when she came out that even the flowers on the roadside could feel her joy.
The ladies who had spoken cordially with her, the Princess of Changping, the Princess of Guangping, the elegant and natural Xu, and even Zhao Yan...
They all thought she was the kind of person who had no sense and would definitely be embarrassed in someone else's home...
If it was He Rongjin who came today, or even any of the maids in the mansion, he would have asked the reason...
He was completely indifferent to her. She wanted to know what kind of person she was in his heart...
Why did he feel that she was a person who would lose face...
At this time, Zhao Yan said, "It's the Qiao family who's at fault today, so you don't have to be too sad. The concubines have always been fighting, and you haven't been to a banquet for a long time, so they..."
He handed over a handkerchief and said, "Wipe it."
Yu Huatang took it and found that she was still crying silently. Tears filled her eyes again and she lowered her head to wipe them away.
"Qiao Qingxian will definitely handle this matter well, so you don't have to be too sad."
Yu Huatang's original despair and pain were wiped away by these words. It turned out that he also knew that she was being bullied. It turned out that he did not disdain her like those people...
She held the white handkerchief tightly. He must be angry today as these two princesses made things so difficult for the concubines, but he couldn't say anything.
He probably had never encountered such a thing before, but he didn't blame her anymore...
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