Soon, the group passed through the covered walkway and arrived at the courtyard where the female guests were being entertained that day.
This courtyard was the usual residence of the birthday celebrant, Madam Jia. The female guests sat around chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
Upon seeing Madam Wen and the others enter, Liu Zhiheng's wife stood up to greet them, smiling as she led Jiayin forward, saying, "Just now, I was talking to the old lady about you. I didn't expect you to arrive so soon. What a coincidence!"
As she spoke, she personally introduced the elderly Madam Jia and the others.
Of all the people in the room, Jiayin was the one with the highest status. Everyone exchanged greetings and bowed to Jiayin.
Jiayin accepted the gift without hesitation and then returned the gift.
The hard work of a top student is no joke. During this period, while being pushed to grow faster by Dr. Zhang, Jiayin did not neglect learning manners and studying.
At this moment, she hid her mischievous nature from home, stood tall with her head held high, a slight smile on her face, and nodded and exchanged pleasantries with everyone, displaying composure and poise.
Because it was her birthday banquet, Jiayin wore a peach-red and gold-embroidered pipa-shaped dress, and styled her hair in two buns with two thin braids hanging down beside her ears, which made her look even more beautiful and lovely.
Her eyes and brows, accentuated by the eight-treasure necklace adorning her chest, exuded an air of nobility.
Even though they had never met before, they didn't feel unfamiliar with each other as they secretly observed each other today.
To be treated like a daughter by the Marquis of Xinting, and to be the emperor's beloved darling, she must be just like this: exceptionally beautiful and naturally noble.
Just as the matriarch of the Jia family was about to rise and pay her respects, Jiayin beat her to it, cheerfully wishing the matriarch a long and happy birthday, "May you have boundless happiness and longevity, like the evergreen pine of the Southern Mountain. This is my first time visiting, and I don't have anything special to offer. But I've been thinking about making some desserts lately, so I've made a birthday cake for you. I'll present it to you in a bit to add to the celebration, and I hope you'll like it."
"Oh, I love it, I love it!" Old Madam Jia was quite plump, with a kind face. Whether it was because she was happy that Jiayin respected her or because she was interested in the cake, she couldn't stop smiling.
She pulled Jiayin to sit beside her and chatted for a while.
The guests and hosts took their seats again. The second son of the eldest wife of the Jia family was at the dock military camp and was really worried about Tao Hongying. He couldn't help but personally serve her tea and said with a smile, "Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday today, Madam Li. It's harvest time, so you must be busy at home."
Tao Hongying thanked her, accepted the teacup, and replied with a smile, "Yes, Madam should know that our Suijintan is covered with fruit trees. It's harvest time now, and everyone in the village is busy. My coming out today gives me a legitimate excuse to be lazy!"
Madam Jia continued, "Both the Earl and General Li have official duties, so I'm afraid they can't be of much help. You're the one who has to worry about things at home more."
Tao Hongying guessed a bit and said, "Yes, the Lord is fine, but my general is training troops at the dock and hasn't been back for a long time."
Madam Jia gripped her handkerchief tightly, and the other female guests also looked over, their ears perked up.
Seeing her sister-in-law's hesitant expression, Madam Jia the Second smiled and joined in, asking readily, "Madam Li, almost every one of our families has a son in the army camp, and we've been so worried about him these past few days that we can't eat or sleep well. I wonder if General Li has sent any news back, how is the situation there?"
Tao Hongying smiled gently, glanced at everyone, and said, "My general hasn't sent any messages back. However, it's not wartime now. The new recruits are just practicing walking, sitting, and lying down, and following orders. There won't be any danger."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but one woman, perhaps because she had always doted on her son, couldn't help but tear up and choked out, "Even so, my poor Tong-ge'er, who is always served by maids when he's dressed and fed, will have to take care of himself in that place. I'm afraid he won't have enough to eat or wear..."
Tao Hongying didn't like hearing these words; it was as if someone had deliberately mistreated her child.
She took a sip of tea and said, "To be honest, it was really tough before! The Northern Expeditionary Army didn't have enough food. They only had two meals of thin porridge a day, which was far from enough to fill them up. In winter, they didn't have cotton-padded clothes and wished they could wear straw mats to keep warm."
"That's how it is. We still have to be on guard against the barbarians crossing the Jinsha River at all times. We don't want the well-fed and well-clothed nobles and common people of Jiangnan to be slaughtered or even eaten by the barbarians like sheep. That's real hardship, even grievance!"
"Now things are much better. Thanks to His Majesty's wisdom, more people have joined the army and are experiencing firsthand the hardships of the Northern Expeditionary Army. We have enough rations, and cotton-padded coats and trousers are being made. We certainly won't go hungry or cold this winter. Everyone, please don't worry!"
The woman, who was choking back tears, looked somewhat embarrassed, and the others who were listening also felt guilty.
Their children don't go to the military; they genuinely don't care about such things.
In their minds, those soldiers were there to guard the borders and defend against the barbarians.
This is their duty!
Whether these soldiers suffered or not seemed to be none of their business.
But now that these soldiers have been replaced by their children, the idea has completely changed.
I have to say, it really hurts when you cut yourself with a knife!
Not wanting the room to become awkward, Madam Jia quickly smiled and said, "That's good. As long as they're well-fed and clothed, they won't worry about the family. They're all boys; it's good for them to gain more experience."
The others nodded reluctantly and echoed the sentiment.
"Yes, he's always causing trouble at home. It's a good thing to go to the military camp to learn skills from the Marquis and serve the Emperor and the Heavenly Martial Army."
"Your Majesty is wise."
As expected of an official's wife, she's a master at flattery.
Upon seeing this, Madam Wen asked Tao Hongying, "A few days ago, when the Marquis returned, he spoke a few words with the Earl. We were all nearby at the time, and it sounded like the military camp could communicate, right?"
Tao Hongying nodded and smiled, "Oh dear, that's true. I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."
She turned to look at Madam Jia and said, "There was no such rule in the army before, but the Marquis said that the new recruits must be worried about their families when they first arrive at the camp. So, the Marquis submitted a memorial to the Emperor, asking him to allow the new recruits to correspond with their families once a month, to tell each other about their recent situation, and to send each other a few small items."
"However, this is at the dock camp. After the spring, the northern expedition will probably not be possible. After all, military secrets are important, and it is not advisable for soldiers to travel frequently inside and outside the camp. If something goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility."
"Really?" Madam Jia and the other female guests were overjoyed to hear this.
They had accepted their child's enlistment and no longer hoped to get him out of the army.
But I miss this kind of news the most. If I could just send a message or send something, I would be very happy.
"Oh, that's wonderful! When you get home, you must tell everyone about it and make your family happy."
"Yes, you don't need to bring anything else. Just give us a little more money, and we can prepare two sets of thick coats and trousers."
"We should also stock up on various over-the-counter pills."
Everyone talked about what they needed to prepare, and the house became lively again.
Someone cleverly flattered Madam Jia, saying, "It's all thanks to you, Madam Jia, that we were able to meet Madam Li and hear such good news. We're truly sharing in your joy!"
Madam Jia was coaxed into smiling. She also missed her grandson and would be even better if she could send him something.
Of course, she was even happier that her second daughter-in-law had gotten involved with the Li family.
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