The jade pendants tinkled softly.
The once plump and robust little girl, who seemed out of place in her aristocratic family, could actually be quite glamorous and dignified at times.
Even if this was her original destiny.
The second madam sighed softly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Jiang Chengyu, who was also adorned with jewels. She broke the silence with a smile, "Don't be afraid, little girl. The ladies will gather together to exchange pleasantries. Just stay with Xiaoyu and call her if you need anything."
No, that's not true. Grandmother clearly said that Xiaoyu is unreliable.
But in front of the woman's mother, Jiang Sheng lied without blinking, "I remember, thank you, Auntie."
"Don't be so polite with your aunt, we're all family." The second wife smiled and pinched her daughter's thigh again.
Jiang Chengyu, who had been lost in thought, finally focused, "Ah, yes, yes, that makes sense."
It's really strange. The usually lively and talkative "little firecracker," who never holds back when she's being sarcastic, can actually be quite taciturn sometimes.
Even his perfunctory attitude revealed a strange sense of guilt.
Jiang Sheng blinked, adopting an older sister's posture, "Xiao Yu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine." Jiang Chengyu chuckled twice. "But you, sister, if you feel unwell, just tell me."
Both being robust girls, Jiang's fourth daughter, though lively and active, was still a child raised in a prestigious family, with a father who served as an official in the court, an uncle who fought on the battlefield, and a maternal grandfather who had been a merchant for many years.
Compared to Jiang Sheng, she was the one who truly grew up in a sweet nest.
He can be reckless, impulsive, and unreasonable at lower levels, yet dignified and composed at court banquets at higher levels.
When the carriage stopped, I remember explaining to my cousin, who had just arrived, "We are all relatives of court officials. Carriages can't enter the capital, and neither can maids and servants. We can only walk that long road."
That sounds like a lot of hard work.
Jiang Sheng followed her down from the carriage. Looking into the distance, all she could see was a dazzling golden light that seemed ready to blind her at any moment.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be wealthy ladies from various families, accompanied by beautifully dressed young women, their bodies covered in gold that ordinary people could never see in their entire lives.
"These people really know how to dress up," Jiang Chengyu complained at the right time. "I thought I was rich enough, but I didn't expect them to be even more extravagant, as if they wanted to have a gold mine on their heads."
The golden hairpin inlaid with various gemstones is indeed a popular aesthetic trend in recent years.
Jiang Sheng originally liked it very much, but now, with the soreness in her neck, she suddenly felt that silver notes were more beautiful.
"Let's go," the second wife urged from ahead.
The girls straightened their backs and followed gracefully.
This was Jiang Sheng's first time entering the palace. Besides the arduous task of delivering money to her fifth brother, she also had a selfish motive: she wanted to see if the imperial city was indeed paved with gold bricks.
But once you actually walk in, you'll find there's no golden color at all, only a smooth and non-slip stone path.
Disappointment was inevitable, but the thought of seeing Fifth Brother cheered her up again, and she stood tall and dignified, adorned with a head full of jewels.
It takes about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to get from the main gate of the Imperial City to the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
“This is the place where the imperial family often holds banquets.” Jiang Chengyu’s face showed a hint of embarrassment again. “We’re still early. Ladies and young ladies from various noble families will be coming over later. If you meet someone you know, just say hello. Don’t bother with the strangers.”
Jiang Sheng nodded and followed the Second Madam to sit down in a seat near the front.
At this time, the strength of a family could be discerned by the seating arrangement. The closer a family was to the dragon throne, the more prestigious its status. The Jiang family was second only to the princes and nobles, on par with the Three Dukes and Three Ministers, and even ahead of the Six Ministers.
As the woman in charge of making public appearances in the Jiang family these past two years, the second wife inevitably had to greet this person and that person, and it was normal for her to also mention the younger generation during these greetings.
"This must be Chengyu. She's getting prettier and prettier. It's true what they say, girls change a lot as they grow up, and she's becoming more and more beautiful." As usual, a lady from a prominent family praised the second daughter of the main branch of the family. After getting close to her, she realized that two young ladies were sitting at the head of the table.
One is tall and the other is short, one is slightly chubby and the other is normal in height; their faces are quite different, but their body shapes are somewhat similar.
The lady of the noble family trembled slightly, unsure which one was Jiang Chengyu, or which one was the extra person.
Could it be that Lord Jiang is secretly keeping a concubine's daughter outside?
Before the ladies of the prominent family could begin to imagine, the second lady introduced, with a wry smile, "This is my eldest niece, the same age as Chengyu. She's come to the banquet with me today."
The Jiang family has two brothers. The only one who can be called a niece by the second branch of the family is... the eldest son of the first branch.
The true legitimate daughter among the true and false legitimate daughters who caused such a stir in Fengjing.
"So it's Miss Jiang." The lady from the noble family, as expected of someone who had been to many banquets, reacted quickly. "My husband's family name is He, and we also have several girls of your age. You can go out and play together when you have time."
Jiang Sheng remembered the He family; they were a rare family in Fengjing that had extended a helping hand to Fang Heng and had also indirectly helped Xu Mo.
Her eyes were bright as she stood up and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Madam He. Just call me Jiang Sheng."
"What a good child." Madam He nodded with a smile, touched her wrist, and took off a gold bracelet. "This is the first time I've met you, and I don't know what to give you. You can wear this gold bracelet for now, and I'll find you an even better one later."
The thick, wide gold bracelet, inlaid with various gemstones, looked to weigh no less than an ounce.
You're still "wearing it" now; how much would it cost to find a better one later?
Jiang Sheng had never seen such a scene before, and was so frightened that she kept pushing him away, not knowing what to do.
It was the second madam who spoke up, "If the elders have given it, then so be it. Just take it, little girl. Remember to send Madam He plenty of Jiuzhenfang pastries later. That's better than anything else."
Taking advantage of the moment, Madam He grabbed Jiang Sheng's hand, pulled it down, and the gold bracelet changed hands.
She didn't exchange many pleasantries, but smiled and said goodbye to Madam Jiang, then returned to a spot a little further away.
Jiang Sheng suddenly realized that the He family must be inferior to the Jiang family, which was why they had the desire to curry favor with them.
The bracelet looks large, but it doesn't weigh the one or two ounces that were initially estimated. Instead, it weighs at most half an ounce, meaning its size outweighs its weight.
“Don’t be afraid, little one. The He family has just opened a restaurant and wants to learn from Youranju, so they came over to exchange pleasantries.” The second madam said slowly from the side, “The bracelet was also deliberately worn on her wrist, ready to be given away as a favor at any time.”
Not only Madam He, but all the socialites in aristocratic families made such preparations. The things they wore and the things they hid on their wrists were just for show, so they could give them away as gifts without feeling bad about the cost.
Jiang Sheng remembered that Tan Yue had specially given her the golden melon seeds, which should also be for this purpose.
The cunning and shrewdness of aristocratic families cannot be fully grasped by simply learning proper etiquette in a few days.
The second wife casually offered a word of advice, then turned her attention back to socializing, exchanging pleasantries and laughter with several ladies from prominent families.
Jiang Sheng was left standing there blankly, thinking that if she had a mother, she would probably teach her child the intricacies of family etiquette in just a few words, just like her aunt.
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