Zhu Jiayu nodded slightly, her beautiful face smiling, but her eyes held a hint of worry and fear. However, upon seeing the exquisite and elegant gardens and landscapes inside the Qiu residence, her emotions shifted to envy and longing.
The old woman who was leading the way saw all of this. She didn't show it on her face, but in her heart she was already starting to look down on this young lady.
The group walked from the front yard, past the covered corridor, past the clear pond with floating catkins and duckweed, and then through the back yard, passing the artificial rockery and small landscape, before finally arriving at Chengyi Hall, where the ladies and young misses were.
As Zhu Jiayu entered the hall, everyone felt as if their eyes were flashed, and then the gloom that had been building up before the storm was dispelled, and the room became bright.
After all, Zhu Jiayu was truly beautiful. This beauty was neither vulgarity like that of the common people nor ethereal elegance, but rather a combination of both—both lush and exquisite, like a lotus in Kunshan or a peony under the moon.
Feeling the gazes on her, Zhu Jiayu remained silent, standing quietly and allowing them to scrutinize her.
Fortunately, the women of the Qiu family were all well-educated and polite. Regardless of their inner nature, they all behaved gently and virtuously today, and even their gazes toward Zhu Jiayu were subtle.
After a long while, Madam Zhu, who was seated at the head of the table wearing a white jade hairpin and a plain brocade dress with butterflies and flowers, finally spoke and sighed: "In the past, my aunt was born with a beauty that could topple cities. She was once praised as the most beautiful woman in Heling. But I never expected that Ayu's beauty would be even more outstanding than my aunt's."
Zhu Jiayu smiled shyly and said with a slight curve of her lips, "You flatter me, Madam."
Madam Zhu turned her head and looked at the ladies below the hall. She smiled and said, "Look how polite this child is. We are all your own maternal aunts. Why be so formal and call each other 'madams'?"
She laughed for a while, but tears welled up in her eyes again: "I told you long ago, we should have brought Ayu over sooner, otherwise, how could our family have become so estranged..."
The young girl in the hall seemed to have never seen such a scene before. She immediately curtsied and said no.
The girls on the right-hand side exchanged glances, their eyes revealing knowing smiles.
The eldest member at the head of the group stood up, took the arm of his strikingly beautiful cousin, and introduced everyone to her with a beaming smile:
"This is my mother, your eldest maternal aunt. These two are your second and third maternal aunts. As for the rest of us, if you can't remember our names or appearances, it's fine to just call us cousins."
Zhu Jiayu obediently called out "Cousin" in a soft voice.
The girl holding her arm laughed even more heartily, thinking that her cousin was really a bit silly and it was a pity that she had such a good appearance.
Seeing her young mistress's appearance, Lüzheng, standing outside the door, felt a pang of worry for the ladies of the Qiu family. Normally, when her young mistress acted so innocently, someone was bound to be in trouble!
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