Chen Mianmian began frantically recalling the original novel, searching for usable plot points and information.
However, she has a bad habit when reading novels: when reading the beginning, she reads carefully, word by word, but once it exceeds 200,000 words, she starts to skim through it, only reading the dialogue in quotation marks and glancing at the descriptions outside without paying much attention.
Therefore, a lot of valuable information was missed.
People say that you only realize how little you know when you need to use it, but this is the first time I've heard that you only realize how little you know about online novels!
what to do?
As a concubine, she couldn't tell the mistress, "Don't take the young mistress with you, go by yourself."
Princess Ryan invited both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, yet she encouraged them not to bring the young mistress. What else could this be but vying for favor and plotting against the first wife? The goodwill she had painstakingly built up with the mistress could easily be lost.
Suddenly, Shen Mianmian remembered a piece of information—the novel said that Princess Ruian was about the same age as Lady Anning, and she also had a husband in her early years. Later, the husband died of illness, and the princess became a widow at a young age and never remarried.
It wasn't that Princess Ruian couldn't get married, nor that no one wanted to marry her; rather, Princess Ruian was too playful and didn't want to become a wife and take on the responsibilities of a wife. She just liked to play.
Lady Anning also had a playful, girlish heart, so the two got along very well and quickly became best friends with an excellent relationship.
Playful?
Shen Mianmian instantly had an idea. She came to the lady's side and whispered, "Madam, I have a small suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it."
Ding asked, "What proposal?"
"Madam can bring the mahjong set with her and play with the princess. She can also take Hanrong with her to make up the number of people."
Ding then realized, "That's right, how can I not teach the princess to play with something so fun? If the princess knew, she would be angry with me."
He chuckled and said, "Alright, then let's take Yin Jin with us."
Shen Mianmian hurriedly shook her head, "Madam, please calm down. I think it would be better if you didn't take me with you. Her Highness the Princess invited you and the young mistress. My status is too low to be invited. If the Princess hadn't invited me, it would be very impolite for you to take me there!"
She thought to herself: Serving one Lady Anning is enough for her, why does she have to go and be Princess Ruian's lapdog? Dream on!
Who would want to go up there and be a simp? Isn't it better to stay home and sunbathe?
Moreover, her purpose was not to curry favor with the princess, but to stop Jiang Yinjin. "Madam, I have another small suggestion." As she spoke, her expression was hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Ding asked, "Go ahead and tell me."
Shen Mianmian lowered her voice, "I think Madam shouldn't bring the young mistress either, because when we played mahjong before, the young mistress didn't show any interest and was quite unhappy. The young mistress comes from a scholarly family and is used to being serious, so she may not be used to having fun. If Madam brings the young mistress, I'm afraid... Her Highness the Princess won't have a good time."
Ding was reminded and suddenly realized—that's right! Why did Princess Ruian not want to associate with those noble ladies, but only like to play with her? It was because she disliked the proper and serious manner of those noble ladies.
Yin Jin is a master at managing the mansion and is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, she lacks liveliness and is not suited for playing.
If we bring her along like this, the princess won't be satisfied, and Yin Jin will feel constrained.
Ding glanced at Shen and sighed inwardly—Shen's personality would surely be loved by the princess, but it was a pity that her birth was too low.
Ding asked, "Shen, would you like to go to the Princess's residence?"
Shen Mianmian replied, "Madam, it is really not appropriate for me to go. I personally think that it would be most suitable for Madam to bring Li Mama and Hanrong, and also bring the mahjong rules that I wrote before."
Ding nodded. "It's kind of you to be so understanding. Let's do it this way. You can go back now. I'll come back and talk to you again."
"Yes, Madam. I wish you a pleasant visit." Chen Mianmian gave a proper curtsy, then left Hanrong behind and happily slipped away.
...
Peony Courtyard.
The first snow returned from outside the courtyard.
Jiang Yinjin was idly copying scriptures when she saw Chu Xue and casually asked, "Is there any news outside?"
"Reporting to the young mistress, there is no news. However, it is said that the mistress has left the manor and is visiting the princess's residence."
Jiang Yinjin was taken aback, and hurriedly looked up to ask, "What did you say?"
Chu Xue was startled, because the young mistress was usually calm and composed, and rarely acted so flustered. "Madam... she went to visit the princess's residence. I heard that Princess Ruian sent an invitation an hour ago. The people in the Marquis's residence said that Princess Ruian is not like other ladies who send invitations or visiting cards a few days in advance. Princess Ruian sends them whenever she wants to see you, Madam. If you are free, go immediately; if you are not free, send a servant to send a reply."
Chu Xue never expected that the wife of the Marquis of Anning, whose family was not a high-ranking one but just an ordinary wealthy family, could marry into the Marquis of Anning and become his principal wife, and even gain the favor of Princess Ruian. What a blessing this was!
Jiang Yinjin threw down her pen. "No...this isn't right!"
In her memory, the first invitation from Princess Ruian after she entered the Marquis's mansion was clearly for her and her wife. Why didn't her wife invite her?
Could it be...?
A hateful figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Tell me, when Madam received the invitation, was Consort Shen in the main courtyard?"
First snow, "Here!"
"Ha, it really is her." Beneath her wide sleeves, Jiang Yinjin clenched her fists, wishing she could punch Shen Mianmian in the face like that skinny man surnamed Liu.
She sneered, "So, Madam is taking Concubine Shen with her?"
She had been wondering why, after being reborn, that skinny girl had suddenly stopped fighting and arguing. It turned out that she had come up with some tricks and started using underhanded methods.
“No, Aunt Shen didn’t go, but she sent Hanrong with her,” Chuxue replied.
"What?"
Jiang Yinjin's anger froze, and she suddenly turned to look at Chuxue, her face full of disbelief. "You mean, when Madam received Princess Ruian's invitation, Concubine Shen was in the main courtyard, but in the end, Madam went to the banquet at the Princess's residence without Concubine Shen, but instead brought Hanrong?"
"That's right, that's exactly it."
Where is Aunt Shen now?
"Back to Mingyue Courtyard."
"..."
Jiang Yinjin was completely dumbfounded, utterly bewildered by the situation—if Concubine Shen was vying for favor, why didn't she go herself? If she wasn't vying for favor, why hadn't Madam informed her to go along? Every move of this young woman was beyond her expectations.
From being willing to be a concubine to being submissive and refusing to manage the shop, she was a completely different person from the Shen Mianmian she remembered!
What exactly happened? Is Chen Mianmian the same Chen Mianmian? Is Bai Qingzhou the same Bai Qingzhou?
Even the Lady of Anning was different from the one she remembered!
Why is this happening?
Are they still themselves?
Could it be... that she wasn't reborn, but instead died and ended up in an imaginary world? Or... were her memories of her past life just a vivid dream?
Jiang Yinjin realized that her emotions were getting worse and quickly pulled herself back to the present. "Let's go to Mingyue Courtyard."
First Snow and First Rain were surprised, "Going to Mingyue Courtyard?"
Jiang Yinjin's eyes were icy cold. "That's right, I want to meet this Shen Mianmian myself."
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