Chapter 140 Wedding Banquet (Part 2)

People are always more accepting of people of the same level as themselves.

Mrs. Huang's words "They are all spendthrifts" immediately made Grandma Lin feel close to Shiyi Niang. She asked her what she did for fun at home? Did she like to listen to operas? Who she thought sang better, Geng Changsheng from the Changsheng Troupe or Bai Xixiang from the Jiexiang Society? Grandma Huang San was there to join in the fun, and the three of them laughed and talked warmly, looking very intimate.

The lady who was walking in front took the opportunity to look back and discussed with Mrs. Huang the differences between the way people in Shandong marry girls and those in Yanjing.

The dining place was a small flower hall with five or six tables. Only two women were sitting on the east side. One was in her fifties, wearing a sandalwood-colored brocade flower-patterned blouse with gold sleeves, her dark hair was tied into a bun, and she only wore a red gold Guanyin. Her expression was very cold. The other was in her forties, wearing a royal blue peony flower-patterned blouse with gold sleeves, a peony hairstyle, a red gold pearl phoenix hairpin, and a ruby ​​ring. Her smile was filled with caution. Another woman wearing a bright red silk-carved blouse with gold branches and green leaves and hundreds of flowers accompanied the two. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a very ordinary appearance, but with a hint of arrogance between her eyebrows, giving people the feeling that she was not easy to get along with.

Grandma Lin immediately whispered, "Did you see the one wearing the bright red silk skirt? It's Yang, the third young lady of the Tang family."

Eleventh Lady was slightly surprised.

What surprised her was not that she met the daughter of Marquis Jianning here, but that Grandma Lin's evidence actually contained a warning.

It seemed like this was the second time the two of them met, and the first time they had a long conversation... Sometimes, fate is such a strange thing!

The three of them looked over with sighs. The forty-year-old woman immediately left her seat and came over with a smile: "You are late!"

Madam Tang and the others greeted the woman one after another: "Madam Li!"

The lady waved to Eleventh Lady and said, "Come, meet the wife of Mr. Li, the general of Shanxi."

Eleventh Lady hurried forward to salute Madam Li.

Madam Li returned the greeting and said, "This is really embarrassing for me. Back then, it was the Marquis who saved our old man..."

"This isn't a reward system in the palace." The old lady interrupted Madam Li with a smile, "Madam Li, you are too polite!"

As they were talking, the fifty-year-old woman and the third young mistress of the Tang family, Yang, came over.

"I've heard that the Marquis married a virtuous woman, but I didn't expect she's such a beauty!" The fifty-year-old woman looked her up and down with a smile, "Our Marquis is a blessed man!"

Eleventh Lady couldn't help sweating after listening to this.

Before marrying Xu Lingyi, she was just an unknown little girl from Yuhang countryside. How could she have the reputation of being virtuous and kind? This woman is too proud!

The lady just laughed when she heard this, and then said to Shiyi Niang, "This is the wife of Mr. Liang, the Grand Academician of Huagai Palace and the Minister of Justice."

Eleventh Lady knelt down and saluted Mrs. Liang.

Madam Liang quickly took her hand and said, "The Marquis is like our old master to me, so there is no need for me to be polite."

"Oh my!" Yang, who was standing nearby, suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, "It's a pity that my brother-in-law has a little aunt."

Eleventh Lady was confused by what she heard.

The lady smiled and said, "The second sister of the third young lady of the Tang family is the third daughter-in-law of Madam Liang."

Eleventh Lady suddenly realized.

Mrs. Liang's eyes flashed with displeasure, and she laughed and said, "Am I not afraid of giving a meeting gift?"

Everyone laughed when they heard it, and Yang's abruptness was ignored.

Fourth grandmother of the Tang family arranged everyone to the table in an orderly manner.

The Grand Madam, Madam Zheng, Madam Huang, and Madam Lin sat at one table, Madam Liang, Madam Li, Madam Gan, and Madam Qiao sat at another table, and Grandma Lin, Grandma Huang, and Eleventh Lady sat at another table. Then the guest's mother invited Miss Tang's uncles and aunts. After everyone greeted each other, Madam Tang sat at one table with the aunts, and the aunts sat at another table. When all five tables were full, there was an empty seat for Eleventh Lady. The fourth grandma of the Tang family smiled and said to Yang: "You can sit with them too!"

Yang smiled and was about to take her seat when a little maid ran in, "Mrs. Zhou from the Princess's Mansion is here!"

When the fourth grandmother of the Tang family heard this, she hurried out to greet them. When Yang saw this, she followed them.

Huang San's wife explained to Shiyi Niang, "The consort's surname is Zhou. The eldest princess is old, and it is her daughter-in-law, Madam Zhou, who handles all social interactions. She is the eldest daughter of Wang Rao, the Marquis of Zhennan."

Eleventh Lady suddenly had an idea. She whispered, "Is he a relative of Mr. Wang, the governor of Fujian?"

Grandma Huang was slightly startled: "There is indeed a branch brother of the Wang family in Zhennan who became the governor of Fujian. So you two know each other?"

That's right.

The one who proposed marriage to Shi Niang.

That Lady Wang and Shi Niang's aunt Lady Jiang were very close...

She knew that these families were complicated, but it was so complicated that she couldn't help but feel lucky - if the lady hadn't changed her mind and decided to take her out, it would have been impossible for her to figure out all these relationships on her own in three to five years.

Eleventh Lady shook her head: "I know the wife of Governor Wang!"

Grandma Lin found this strange and was about to ask for details when Fourth Grandma Tang and Yang came in, one on each side, holding a woman in her thirties wearing a bright red silk jacket with butterflies and grapes patterned on it.

Several older ladies, including Madam Zheng and Madam Tai, sat still, while several younger ladies, including Madam Gan and Madam Li, stood up and greeted Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou was very lively, kneeling and greeting everyone, asking different questions to each person - asking Madam Zheng about her health, asking Madam Danyang how she was doing, asking Madam Lin when the fifth daughter Lin Mingyuan would get married, asking Madam Liang when she would harvest barley since she had already harvested wheat, and teasing Madam Gan about why she didn't sit with her in-laws, whether she felt embarrassed... She alone made the atmosphere suddenly more lively. Eleventh Lady couldn't help but admire her secretly. Hearing the hidden meaning in Madam Zhou's words, she couldn't help but ask Grandma Lin in a low voice: "Who is Madam Gan's in-law?"

Grandma Lin smiled and said, "Lanting is engaged to the eldest son of Lord Liang's family!"

Eleventh Lady was stunned: "When did this happen?"

"In March this year!" Grandma Lin laughed, "The Liang family had been asking for Lanting's hand in marriage, but the Gan family wanted to marry Cao'e first and then discuss Lanting's marriage. Who knew that the Jiang family's ancestor passed away in June, and the Jiang family wanted to get married within a hundred days, but Fujian is thousands of miles away from here, and it's midsummer, so it's a bit rushed. The Gan family simply asked Cao'e to wait for the three-year mourning period before discussing it. So they discussed Lanting's marriage first. Lanting is not young anymore. The Liang family's madam has been sick all the time, and if something happens to her, Lanting will have to wait another three years. She also has two younger sisters who are about to get married!"

Eleventh Lady's mind raced, and she managed to make out some of what was going on: "You mean, the third daughter of the Gan family is going to marry into the Jiang family of Jian'an, where there are four successful Jinshi scholars and two great masters. The seventh daughter of the Gan family is engaged to the eldest son of the Liang family."

In this way, the third daughter of the Gan family becomes Mrs. Qiao's in-laws?

It’s so complicated!

"Yes!" Grandma Lin nodded, glanced at Yang, and then blinked at Eleventh Lady: "The Yang family wanted to marry their second daughter to the eldest son of the Liang family, but unfortunately the eldest son of the Liang family has already been engaged to the seventh daughter of the Gan family, and the second son has already been engaged to the second daughter of Huang Yu, the provincial governor of Zhejiang. So the second daughter of the Yang family married the third son of the Liang family." As she spoke, she pursed her lips and smiled.

Eleventh Lady understood.

No matter whether it is a big family or a small family, the eldest son and his wife are the role models of the whole family and the ones who support the family, so they are very cautious in the training of the eldest son and the selection of the eldest daughter-in-law. The Liang family did this because they simply did not want to marry into the Yang family... She thought of Lanting's innocence, intelligence, generosity and kindness, and it was no wonder that the Liang family kept asking for her hand in marriage.

She smiled and winked at Grandma Lin: "I understand, I understand!"

Grandma Lin squinted her eyes and smiled.

Eleventh Lady suddenly felt that Grandma Lin was also a very interesting person!

The second son of the Liang family married the second daughter of Huang Yu, a massage master from Zhejiang... She thought about how the first wife wanted to give a longevity screen for the wife's birthday, and Wu Niang wanted red sandalwood to make the screen base. The Luo family had a piece of red sandalwood, but Luo Zhenxing took it away to carve a longevity star for Mr. Huang's mother's birthday... In the blink of an eye, two years had passed. Her life had also undergone earth-shaking changes.

In fact, she still owed Lan Ting a favor. When Lan Ting knew that she had become Xu Lingyi's second wife, he tactfully told her to read more Buddhist books, hoping that she could find peace of mind and overcome all suffering. Unfortunately, she was too busy to take care of herself at that time. She didn't dare to have more contact with Lan Ting, which has always been a regret in her heart.

While she was thinking, the lady waved to her.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly left the table and went to the lady's place.

"Madam Zhou, this is our fourth daughter-in-law." He pointed at Madam Zhou and said to Shiyi Niang, "This is the daughter-in-law of the Princess's Mansion, a capable person in our Yanjing, Madam Zhou."

Eleventh Lady half-knelt and bowed. Madam Zhou quickly returned the greeting and said to the Madam Tai beside her, "I was wondering who this was. She was so pretty. But I have never seen her before. It turns out to be your fourth wife."

Yang said, "Don't you think she looks a bit like Concubine Song?"

Madam Zhou pretended not to hear anything and continued to talk to Eleventh Lady: "We live in an alley next to the lotus garden. If you have nothing to do, come and play at our house. The Marquis, my wife, and Prince Shun are all childhood friends. We are very good friends. You should not be too reserved."

Eleventh Lady glanced quickly at the Lady Dowager, and when she saw her nod slightly, she smiled and called out "Sister".

Madam Zhou immediately agreed with a smile, and then said to the fourth grandmother of the Tang family with a smile: "Don't worry. The fourth lady and I will squeeze into the same table."

The fourth grandmother of the Tang family asked anxiously, "How can that be possible?"

"Do you think I'm interested in your family's food?" Mrs. Zhou said with a smile, "I just want to join in the fun. There are always some food and drinks here." After that, regardless of what the Fourth Lady of the Tang Family said, she asked Eleventh Lady, "Where are you sitting? We are sisters meeting for the first time, so we should talk properly." She then said to the Grand Madam and others, "We should have chopsticks and bowls laid out, but since my mother-in-law is not here today, please let me be unrestrained and act like a big sister in front of the Fourth Madam."

This made several ladies laugh out loud.

Lady Zheng even joked, "Tell the princess tomorrow!"

Madam Zhou held onto Madam Zheng's skirt and refused to let go, saying, "I'll bring candied fruit to visit Auntie tomorrow." Madam Zheng laughed so hard that she tapped her forehead and said, "Go, go, so you don't bother us here."

Everyone laughed again.

She pulled Shiyi Niang to her table.