Chapter 14: Serving Tea with Grace
The minor friction this morning wasn't a big deal when you think about it.
It was just a few words, some harmless words, but for Xie Yunshuo, every word Jiang Si said, even if it was just a few words, seemed to touch a tight spot in his heart.
Precise and effective.
Her ability was born specifically to defeat him.
With his grandparents and uncle and aunt about to arrive, Xie Yunshuo's mood gradually calmed down and he forced himself to forget the previous unpleasantness.
As for the marriage with the Jiang family, the Xie family passively accepted it due to preconceived notions. Regardless of whether they were satisfied or not, they all lacked the expectations for Jiang Si as the future mistress of the General's Mansion.
Even her existence meant that the emperor began to be wary and fearful of the general's mansion, which was a bad omen. When the Xie family saw her, they would think that the family's military positions and power might be shaken, making it impossible for them to remain calm and treat her like an ordinary bride.
At noon, the elders from other courtyards came to the main hall of Zhixingzhai in the main courtyard with their children and servants.
The seat at the top was given to the old general and the old lady by Xia Rongyi and Xie Xingxiu, and the rest of the people sat in a fixed order.
Jiang Si stood beside Xie Yunshuo and looked around inconspicuously. Just as Ningshuang said, she could tell who was who at a glance.
However, she also discovered that few of the smiles on the faces of the people present were genuine.
If she was a well-matched lady and the noble lady that the Xie family originally planned to marry, the situation would probably be different.
Jiang Si thought about it and not only didn't mind, she even found it a little funny.
She was open-minded and thought it was nothing to worry about.
Everyone present here has a higher birth than her, but she is the wife of the eldest grandson of the next generation. She married into a wealthy family, got the advantage, and gained benefits. She can't expect to ask for everything.
If others don't like her, she tries to treat them well. If she can't change it, she just lets it be.
As long as you don't come in front of her and cause her trouble or bad luck, what does it matter if you are a little dissatisfied?
She is not a gold ingot and cannot satisfy everyone.
After Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo served tea to their father-in-law and mother-in-law, they came to the old general and the old lady.
Veteran General Xie Jun, now over sixty, remains vigorous and energetic. He has spent his entire military career and now holds the highest rank among military commanders: General of the Cavalry.
It was he and the late old man who supported the power and wealth of the general's mansion. They fought against foreign enemies throughout their lives, made great military achievements, and were loyal to the emperor and patriotic.
Although Xie Jun has a dignified look, he tends to be more relaxed when facing younger people at home.
Although he was a strict old man, he was the one who took the lead in marrying into the Jiang family for safety reasons.
Therefore, he saw Jiang Si as probably the most normal person present.
People who ignore the overall situation have narrow vision and care more about things that should not be cared about. Their eyes are only fixed on Jiang Si's identity and character.
The old lady sitting next to the old general had a round face, a slightly raised mouth, and her shrewd eyes stared at Jiang Si quietly.
Under the heavy gaze, Jiang Si bowed steadily and called her grandmother.
The old lady's life is also legendary.
When she was young, she went to war with the old general. When food and grass were scarce, she took the remaining soldiers, women and children in the army to grow crops and dig wild vegetables at the border.
At the age of 27, she was awarded the title of fifth-rank lady based on her own merits, and was a heroine.
With such a wise and capable woman in charge, the General's Mansion has gradually reached its current status, and she has made an indelible contribution.
She and General Xie played a decisive role in this marriage.
However, the old lady looked at Jiang Si seriously, treating her as her granddaughter-in-law, and examining whether she had the ability to be the mistress of the general's mansion in the future.
Jiang Si thought that after she had paid her respects, the elders would give her gifts and teach her a few words about the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and about being benevolent, filial, and frugal.
Unexpectedly, the old general and the old lady just ordered the people around them to present gifts and said "husband and wife should work together", without making any requests or giving any guidance to her.
Jiang Si thought that this might not be tolerance, but just letting go and seeing how she performs.
If the old lady could explain it clearly, she would know what her requirements were, and if she did as she said, she would not go wrong.
Not saying anything made her feel a little nervous, and made her feel uneasy.
However, Jiang Si did not show it on the surface. She pretended to know nothing and greeted everyone one by one, called people, and did what she was supposed to do in an orderly manner.
The old lady at the head kept looking at them, with a faint smile on her face.
She was pleased to see that Jiang Si acted with discretion and without showing any fear in front of the elders.
When the old lady was young, she followed the army to fight. She liked women who were magnanimous and calm, and did not like those who were timid and cowardly.
Although men are in charge of external affairs and women are in charge of internal affairs, we should not underestimate the woman who is the mistress of the inner house.
Whether a family can prosper and prosper, the hostess plays no less important a role than the head of the family.
The old lady didn't know whether Jiang Si was round or flat, but seeing that she didn't show any timidity, this was already a good first impression.
However, the old lady knew that the other families, even the eldest son and his wife, were dissatisfied with this marriage.
Marrying a girl from the Jiang family would not be of any benefit to the Xie family, and would even affect the marriages of the children from the third branch.
The old lady sat at the head of the table and watched Jiang Si greet her third uncle and aunt.
Her son and third daughter-in-law kept their mouths shut and didn't say a word to her. Jiang Si still had that youthful smile on her face as she greeted her cousins and gave them small gold gifts.
Why would the younger generation in the general's mansion lack such things?
The two children from the third room took it and said indifferently, "Thank you, eldest sister-in-law."
This scene was so dull and almost devoid of humanity, even the etiquette was simple and crude, and the old lady was somewhat dissatisfied.
But at the same time as she was dissatisfied, she saw that Jiang Si seemed to be content with nothing.
If someone talks to her a few more words, she will say a few more words in return.
The gifts she sent out received a lukewarm response, and she pretended not to notice anything. The more the old lady looked at her, the more she felt that this young girl was extraordinary.
She had heard that Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo had had many unpleasant experiences in the past.
Such women are rare and are more straightforward than many ladies who are kept in seclusion.
I don’t know whether she didn’t notice the attitude of her uncle, aunt, brother and sister-in-law towards her, or she noticed but didn’t care.
If it was the latter, the old lady would really look up to her.
It is nothing to water and care for a flower; the real skill is to make a grass grow in the cracks of a cliff in the face of adversity.
The old lady thought to herself, let's see, just observe again, she is always right in judging people.
Although the eldest daughter-in-law was worried about the newly married young couple, she was afraid that they would have emotional discord and that the family would be in turmoil.
The old lady thought that her grandson was a smart man, and if her grandson's wife was also smart, they would be able to find a suitable match if they lived together for a long time.
At their age now, they are both young and energetic, so it is inevitable that they don't want to admit defeat.
Let's see. The master who calculated their horoscopes is very experienced. Since he calculated that they are a match made in heaven, he must be right.
Jiang Si met several uncles and aunts one by one, and endured their not-so-friendly scrutiny.
She didn't care and didn't even bother to see whether the gift they gave was valuable or not. She acted so naturally as if she was already a member of the family.
Whether others like her or not has no effect on her. She just needs to live her own life well.
What surprised the Xie family even more was that no matter who she met, she never looked around randomly, was distracted, or had any hesitation in her eyes.
It was as if she knew clearly who these people were.
Although it was the first time they met, she was confident about everything.
Looking at it this way, people feel more and more that this woman is not simple.
Especially the widowed Fourth Lady and her only son, Master Qi.
Because she was frightened in the womb and almost had a miscarriage, she had to rely on cartloads of medicinal soup to keep the fetus going.
Master Qi was unable to speak until he was three years old. Now he is five years old and it is obvious that he has suffered a serious illness.
Xie Yunqi accepted the gift without saying a word and didn't call her sister-in-law, but Jiang Si was not surprised and didn't ask any questions.
I just said what I needed to say to Young Master Qi, and that's it.
It seems that she had prepared in advance for today's tea ceremony and recognition.
Even Xie Yunshuo was surprised by this.
He didn't know when she found out about this, was it last night or this morning?
Anyway, it all happened before he came back.
Perhaps it was because he and Jiang Si had been incompatible and argued all the time, which made him feel that she was impetuous and reckless, and not reliable enough.
But as she watched along, she saw the performance of her elders and younger brothers and sisters, and no one could find any fault with them. They were all graceful and knew how to act.
As a result, Xie Yunshuo actually forgot about the rift that had occurred between the two of them before they entered the main courtyard.
After the meeting, everyone else left the main courtyard and returned to their own courtyards.
Xia Rongyi invited the two of them to have breakfast together, and Xie Yunshuo's younger brother and sister were also there.
The Xie family has a strict and clean family tradition. General Xie only has a maid and no concubines. Xie Yunshuo's younger brother and sister are both legitimate children.
The second brother Xie Yunling was fourteen years old, and the third sister Xie Qinghan was ten years old, both of them were at the age of curiosity.
Xie Yunling and Xie Qinghan had different attitudes towards their sister-in-law who had fallen from the sky. They heard that she and her brother were not getting along.
Xie Yunling has been Xie Yunshuo's follower since he was a child. He took him as his role model. Hearing that their sister-in-law always opposed her brother, he felt a bit of hostility towards her as a teenager.
But Xie Qinghan was different. She had two older brothers since she was a child and was not close to either of them. When she heard that her eldest sister-in-law could make her brothers lose face, she was more curious about her than she was against strangers.
I knew Jiang Si was beautiful before. After she came in, she changed into a woman's outfit, combed her hair into a bun, and her neat dress made her look more exquisite.
The meticulously crafted eyebrows, eyes, lips and nose made Xie Qinghan unable to think of anyone who could match them.
Xie Qinghan looked up at his eldest sister-in-law, staring at her face intently, and for a moment he was a little distracted.
The rumors I heard said that she was arrogant and trouble-making, often arguing with others, and was not good at socializing.
Most of these words came from Liu Weining.
Xie Qinghan thought to herself, a person who is not worthy of being in the upper class, now has entered the Xie family. No matter what, if others say that she is not worthy of being in the upper class, it will be a blow to the reputation of their Xie family, and she will not allow it.
Besides, with my eldest sister-in-law’s beautiful face, even if she entered the palace to become a prince’s consort, there would be no reason why she couldn’t show up in the hall.
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