The guests and hosts enjoyed dinner to the fullest.
Everyone tried to chat about interesting anecdotes from Beijing, and it was quite a pleasant conversation.
After the meal, Old Madam Liu chatted with Rou Niang. After everyone else had left, Old Madam Liu took Rou Niang to an ancestral hall in the back courtyard.
He opened the door and made Rou Niang kneel down in the hall to offer incense.
"Old Liu, Yao'er is not coming back. This is Yao'er's child, Rou Niang. I will take good care of her."
If you have any knowledge in the afterlife, go and find Yao'er! If you see Yao'er, remember to appear in my dreams~
Rou Niang felt a pang of sorrow upon hearing this and burst into tears. She noticed a small plaque next to her maternal grandfather's plaque, which clearly read "Liu Fuyao." Was this her biological mother?
Thinking back to how gentle and kind her mother was to her when she was little, she felt even sadder. Her mother should have lived the life of a pampered young lady! It's just that fate played a cruel trick on her, and this happened.
Madam Liu seemed to have aged considerably all of a sudden.
Rou Niang helped the old lady back to her room. Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own grief.
The next morning, maids and servants took care of Rou Niang's daily life, attending to her every need. Rou Niang was a little unaccustomed to it, but ultimately didn't say anything. She wanted to try her best to adapt to this kind of life as soon as possible.
She went to pay her respects to Madam Liu and met Madam Zhou and Madam Wu, as well as several children. The women chatted for a while.
A servant came to report that the young lady, her husband, and her cousin had arrived.
Madam Liu smiled and ushered them in. Two women and a scholar-looking man walked over together.
One of the women bore a resemblance to Zhou Shi, and Liu Rou Niang guessed that this was Liu Qingping, the cousin her aunt had mentioned yesterday.
As expected, Liu Qingping first stepped forward and bowed to Madam Liu and the others: "I originally planned to come and welcome Grandmother yesterday, but I didn't expect that Brother Bo is sick. Grandmother should atone for her sins."
"Brother Bo was perfectly fine, how did he get sick? Is it serious?" Old Madam Liu asked with concern.
"He saw a doctor and got two doses of medicine. It's said to be a cold. He'll come to pay his respects to Grandmother after he's better. He seems to think of you every day, Grandmother," Zheng An said.
The maternal family of this old lady Liu was the Zheng family, but her elder brother from the Zheng family died for the country, along with General Liu, in the battle against Xiyue.
With her maternal family declining, Old Madam Liu supported her younger half-brother Zheng Wenxuan, who was also the only heir of the Zheng family, and helped him settle down in the capital.
Zheng Wenxuan raised Zheng An, the son of the eldest brother in the Zheng family. Later, through a marriage alliance, Madam Liu married her granddaughter Liu Qingping to Zhao Zheng'an. The two lived a stable and comfortable life on their own.
Zheng Wenxuan lacked the integrity of the Zheng family. After arriving in the capital, relying on the Liu family, he indulged in a life of gluttony, laziness, and debauchery.
The inner quarters of his household were filled with concubines. He probably couldn't even tell them apart, which was a real hardship for Zheng Shi. Not only did she have to manage the family fortune, but she also had to deal with all these concubines.
Unfortunately, it was during the birth of Zheng Wanru that the mother had a difficult childbirth, which made it difficult for her to conceive again later. As a result, she only had one daughter, Zheng Wanru. Although she had many children afterward, most of them were not very successful. This time, it was Zheng Wanru who came along.
"Grandmother, how are you? My mother often thinks of you and wanted to come and pay her respects. Unfortunately, she heard that Bo'er is sick. Others stayed behind to look after him, so we came over," Zheng Wanru said sweetly.
"It's been tough on her," said Old Madam Liu, knowing full well. Back then, she had immediately recognized Zheng's ability to take care of the family, and she also saw that her younger brother was a spendthrift. But what could she do? After all, he was the only bloodline left by their father. If he could have a son or daughter, it would be a comfort to their father's spirit.
Then Rou Niang got to know the others. Zheng An was a straightforward and generous man, completely different from his appearance. It was said that he was now a military officer under Liu Zhong and was quite hardworking.
Liu Qingping, like his mother, was gentle and refined, with a soft yet firm demeanor.
Zheng Wanru is eloquent, very well-behaved, and speaks sweetly. First impressions are always very good and harmonious.
"Mother, I see the flowers in the garden are in full bloom, so I'm thinking of hosting a flower-viewing party and inviting some of your old friends over. What do you think?" She suggested with a smile.
She knew that Old Madam Liu had been recuperating in her hometown and had traveled a long way back to the capital, probably to make plans for Rou Niang. She was unaware of Mo Bei's situation, so she thought of holding a banquet to let Rou Niang show her face in front of the noble ladies of various families, and then make further plans later.
Madam Liu readily agreed. She had always wanted Rou Niang to establish herself in the capital so that she could feel at ease. Knowing more people was better than knowing no one at all.
From then on, Zhou arranged everything. Zhou was very reliable. She made new designs for everything, including the invitations to the flower viewing banquet and the clothes for Rou Niang and her son.
I'm just waiting for that day when I can stand in front of everyone looking radiant and beautiful.
The day of the flower-viewing banquet was naturally for each family. The young ladies and ladies all attended; it was ostensibly a flower-viewing banquet, but in reality, everyone had their own agenda—it was just an excuse to get together.
This time, everyone knew perfectly well that Old Madam Liu had returned, and the invitation had even mentioned Rou Niang's identity. Everyone understood the old lady's intentions.
In addition, families with daughters of similar appearances also brought them out for a visit, regardless of whether they were their own daughters or not, just to get to know each other, which is a good thing.
As the servants spoke, chants and shouts filled the air. Liu Rou Niang was dazzled by the cacophony; she couldn't remember who was who. All she saw was a group of beautiful women, each dressed in their own splendid attire, moving about in the garden. While their clothing varied, most were remarkably similar; after seeing so many, the novelty wore off.
Liu Rou Niang also had some face blindness, since it was already difficult for her to distinguish who was who. With so many people at once, even if she tried her best to remember, she couldn't remember many of them.
Fortunately, her maid was quite capable, guiding her step by step. Whenever someone greeted her, the maid would gently step forward and repeat in her ear who the person was, ensuring she didn't appear shy or embarrassed. At the same time, she secretly admired the Liu family's training of their servants.
"mother!"
Everyone was chatting warmly and amicably. Regardless of what they were really thinking, they maintained a harmonious facade.
Although some people secretly agreed that Rou Niang was getting on in years and hadn't found a husband yet, they only thought about it in their minds and planned to investigate further when they got back.
Even disregarding Liu Rou Niang's appearance, just considering the Liu family, if there were a suitable match, it would be a good opportunity to arrange a marriage.
Just then, a cry of "Mother!" startled everyone!
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