Jiang Shuyue went to the dressing room in the back room to change her clothes, and then washed her hands again with perfume.
"Qiuju, do I still smell of blood on me?"
Having spent too long in the delivery room and having undergone an episiotomy, Jiang Shuyue raised her arm and still felt a faint smell of blood lingering on her body.
Qiuju lowered her head and sniffed Jiang Shuyue's sleeve. "Miss's clothes were perfumed last night. They smell nice and there's no odor."
After leaving the backyard and arriving at the front hall, Du Yutong smiled and greeted Jiang Shuyue, taking her hand.
"Sister Yue'er must be tired. Please sit down and rest."
"Congratulations, Yutong! You and Ajin have finally tied the knot. Your aunt has already told me about your marriage. I'm so happy for you two. Ajin is a steady and responsible man. The Su family doesn't like taking concubines, so there won't be anyone in your room to cause you any trouble in the future."
Du Yutong smiled shyly, "Ajin said that even if we have daughters in the future, he will not take a concubine. Su Nan can take care of continuing the Su family line."
"You two are talking about having children!" Jiang Shuyue deliberately widened her eyes exaggeratedly and asked with a mischievous look.
"Sister Yue'er, please keep your voice down. He only mentioned it once."
Du Yutong blushed as she spoke, looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no one else in the clinic.
"Stop looking. Nobody comes to the clinic at this hour unless they're in a hurry to have a baby. Let's go out for a nice meal today as a way of congratulating you."
Qiu Ju finally understood. Jiang Shuyue reminded Du Yutong that she could start calling her "elder sister" instead.
Du Yutong was also clever. She smiled and took Jiang Shuyue's arm, "Thank you, elder sister. I won't be polite. I want to eat barbecue."
"Okay, and honey-roasted goose too."
The three of them got into the carriage and drove down a street. Du Yutong lifted the curtain and said, "Sister, this is not the way to Juxian Pavilion."
“Let’s go around to pick up Ajin. No matter how busy we are with official business, we still need to eat.”
People in ancient times were so sentimental; even after getting engaged, the two rarely met. Jiang Shuyue seized the opportunity to encourage them to meet more often.
Princess Consort Kang came from the Su family, so Su Huai-ren was naturally warmly received by his colleagues when he returned to the Ministry of Rites.
I had social engagements for several days in a row.
While men cultivated good relationships with their colleagues in officialdom, their wives were not idle either.
Invitations kept arriving at her door, and Mrs. Su had to rebuild her network of contacts, keeping her busy with social engagements every day.
On this day, Lady Liu, the wife of the Minister of Works, invited me.
Madam Su was invited to the You residence for tea and conversation.
The ladies chatted and laughed, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Suddenly, Madam Liu sighed and said, "Madam Su is so lucky. Her daughter has found a good husband and her son has a bright future. Unlike me, I've worried myself sick over my daughter but haven't found her a good match."
It is said that listening is like listening to a gong; you have to hear the final note.
When Madam Su noticed the other ladies looking at her, alarm bells went off in her mind.
She quickly replied modestly, "Madam, you are too modest. Marriage is a matter of fate. The daughters of the Minister's family are all beautiful and graceful. They will meet their ideal husbands sooner or later. Madam, please don't be impatient."
Upon returning to the capital, Madam Su quickly reviewed the relationships among the noble ladies of the city, aiming to understand who was close to whom and who did not get along with whom, so as to avoid embarrassment if she encountered them at a gathering without knowing these relationships.
In the process of learning about them, I naturally also learned some rumors about the noble ladies in the capital.
Su Huai-ren's official position wasn't high, but he had a good daughter and a good marriage.
In everyone's eyes, the Su family was a highly coveted property.
Upon returning to the capital, with his son being a newly risen official in the court, everyone assumed that the Su family was eager to befriend the nobility, as it was an easy position to climb up to.
Madam You's words were merely a test of Madam Su's intentions.
The daughter he raised was eager to enter the palace, but even after the Lantern Festival, the palace showed no intention of holding a selection of concubines.
The husband said that the emperor had practically openly rejected her and asked his wife to find another suitable husband for You Xian'er.
Madam Liu naturally hoped that her adopted daughter would pave the way for her son's future and also contribute to the family's prosperity.
Their attention naturally turned to the Su residence.
Before the news of the marriage between the eldest son of the Su family and the young lady of the Du family had even spread, there were quite a few wives eyeing the marriage of the eldest son of the Su family.
Every lady present was shrewd and cunning, fearing that if Madam Su casually suggested establishing a marriage alliance with the You family, their own daughters would lose their chance.
They all chimed in, saying, "Miss You is so beautiful, there's no need for Madam to worry."
"That's right, that's right. They say a good horse deserves a good saddle, and a suitable husband for Miss You might be on his way to the capital."
The group cracked jokes, and the topic quickly changed.
Madam Su could easily see through everyone's thoughts.
The topic had already been brought up, and she felt it inconvenient to reveal that her son was already engaged.
Furthermore, Madam You was already worried about her daughter, and if she were to announce her son's marriage, it would seem somewhat smug and cause trouble for others.
A few days later, news of Miss Du's engagement to Young Master Su spread from the Du residence.
The ladies were unaware that Su Jin and Du Yutong were already in love, and they all secretly regretted that their wives had acted too slowly.
If we don't keep a low profile and ask someone to sound out the situation, maybe this good marriage will fall into our daughter's hands.
Madam Liu then told You Xian'er her thoughts, patiently explaining that there was no hope of entering the palace, thus extinguishing You Xian'er's desire to enter the palace. Madam Liu then praised the eldest son of the Su family to the skies.
You Xian'er had naturally seen Su Jin riding through the streets and knew that he was handsome and talented.
Just as her heart was beginning to flutter with spring fever, she learned only a day later that Su Jin had already fallen in love with someone else.
You Xian'er was so angry that she gritted her teeth.
The Right Chancellor's wife, Lady Meng, also frequently interacted with noble ladies, while Cui Yudie lived a secluded life, diligently practicing etiquette and manners within the mansion.
In order for her daughter to gain favor in the future, Madam Meng went to great lengths and secretly hired an experienced courtesan to teach her the art of winning favor in the bedroom.
Madam Meng was cautious in her actions, so naturally she wouldn't invite people into her residence.
She had the old woman arrange to meet the man at a house outside the city. Separated by a thick curtain, Cui Yudie, wearing a veiled hat, sat on one side of the curtain.
Listen to the woman on the other side of the curtain tell her story.
The woman was a prostitute, so she inevitably used vulgar language when describing details.
Cui Yudie blushed deeply as she listened. Worried that her daughter might overhear something out of shyness, Madam Meng specially allowed Liu Zhi and Liu Xu to accompany her.
The two girls, being inexperienced and naive, listened with blushing faces and pounding hearts, but dared not be careless. They braced themselves, pricked up their ears, and concentrated on remembering the key points the woman opposite them was saying.
The woman spoke for three whole hours, and finally looked at the curtain and asked, "Miss, if there's anything you don't understand, please feel free to ask. I've taken your money, so I'll answer everything I know without reservation."
Cui Yudie gave a soft "hmm" and then fell silent.
The woman opposite knew that some wealthy family must have sought her out to teach their daughter bedroom arts, all in an attempt to win their favor.
Seeing that no one spoke, he called out to the old woman outside the door, "The matter has been settled. Please see me off as agreed."
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