Chapter 30 Sister (Part 2)

Yuanniang and the eldest wife became sad, and the atmosphere in the room changed immediately.

Brother Zhe poked his head out from his mother's arms, and looked at the eldest wife curiously with his clear and flawless big eyes, as if he didn't understand why his grandmother started crying for no reason.

Wu Niang turned her eyes away, took out a handkerchief and handed it to the first wife to wipe her tears: "Today is a happy occasion for mother and daughter to reunite, why is mother so sad!"

The eldest wife burst into laughter after hearing this, and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief: "Look at me, I am getting more and more naive as I get older."

That smile was still a little forced.

Yuanniang's eyes sparkled: "Mother is here with her daughter! Why is there so much to be particular about?"

The eldest wife nodded.

Maids came in with water to wash the faces of the eldest wife and Yuanniang.

Yuanniang had her own servants, while Eleventh Niang held the basin for the eldest lady, and Fifth Niang helped to roll up her sleeves and take off her bracelets.

After cleaning her face, Yuanniang ordered the maid, "Take out the palace powder that the Empress gave you last time."

The maid replied "yes" and quickly brought a small enamel box with flowers painted on it.

"Mother, please try. These are things from the Imperial Household Department." Yuanniang said with a smile, "I have never used these things, so I don't know if they are good or not. If you find them useful, I will have someone send a few boxes over."

The little maid hurried over with the target mirror.

The eldest wife took out a powder box, which had a light yellow base and intricate sky blue patterns, and was elegant and simple.

"It's worthy of being made inside." She played with it in her hand for a few times before gently opening the box.

Immediately, an elegant scent of jasmine burst out, floating lightly throughout the room, making people feel refreshed.

Eleventh Lady was moved and couldn't help but take a look at the box.

The powder inside is light yellow...

She didn't even raise an eyebrow.

With modern makeup techniques, adding a little bit of yellow foundation to the skin-colored foundation and applying it on the face can make yellow skin become bright and shiny... The women in the Luo family all use pure white powder. Not only that, they also believe that the whiter the better... These are two completely different concepts.

The things made in-house are indeed much better than those on the market!

While she was sighing, the eldest wife had already put powder on her face.

As Eleventh Lady expected, the natural and soft makeup made the eldest wife look five years younger.

Wu Niang was amazed and envy flashed in her eyes. Even Xu's mother was surprised.

Yuanniang smiled and told the maid, "Go and tell Song Maiban tomorrow that the palace powder that the queen gave her last time was good, and ask him to send a few more boxes."

The maid knelt down and responded, but the eldest wife waved her hands and said, "No, no. Why should I owe you a favor for a few boxes of palace powder?"

Yuanniang smiled and said, "It's okay. The one in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs now is Prince Shun, who grew up with the Marquis and is very familiar with him."

The eldest wife was still making excuses, so the maidservant reported, "Madam, Madam Wen is here!"

Yuanniang was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "She has a very good ear... let her in!" There was no sadness or anger in her expression, but a calm and natural look, as if she had heard that her good neighbor was coming to visit...

The eldest wife looked at her daughter in confusion and whispered, "It's from the Wen family in Yangzhou..."

Yuanniang nodded and said with a smile: "Mother, please meet him. We are all from Jiangnan. Although the Wen family is a salt-making family, they have also done well in the silk business in recent years. Knowing one more person is a way out. If there is a chance, let Wu Xiaoquan go to Yangzhou. For my sake, the people of the Wen family will definitely treat him with courtesy!"

The Luo family's property consists of fields and silk shops. However, the Luo family passed down poetry and calligraphy. If the harvest from the fields did not depend on the weather and the profits from silk were not so tempting, they would not have opened a shop to do business. Therefore, although the Luo family's Yuande Silk Shop is a time-honored brand in Jiangnan, it has always been doing business near Hangzhou Prefecture and has not set up branches in other places. Although it has been in business for several generations, it is only inferior to the top and better than the bottom.

From Yuanniang's tone, Eleventh Lady seemed to be asking the First Lady to borrow the power of the Wen family to expand her business!

She couldn't help being slightly surprised.

The eldest wife was just as surprised as Eleventh Lady: "What are you doing..."

Yuanniang smiled at her mother and said, "We'll talk about this later." She turned and told the maid, "Go and bring my filigree enamel watch inlaid with cat's eye stones to the madam." She then explained to the first wife, "Give it to her as a meeting gift!"

Eleventh Lady seemed to be thinking about something.

The eldest wife was about to say something when a sweet voice came from behind the screen: "Sister, the wife-in-law is here!"

For a moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the screen. Then a petite woman like a fragrant pendant walked in. She wore a plain turmeric jacket, a scarlet jacket with folded branches and flowers, and a white moon-colored skirt with embroidery. Her black hair was tied into a bun, and she wore a Western pearl and jade flower on the left and three red gold pomegranate flower hairpins on the right. The red gold and jade water drop pendants on her ears swayed slowly by her cheeks, making her skin as white as snow and charming.

Eleventh Lady’s eyes lit up.

What a beauty!

"Madam, I, your servant Wen, bow to you!" Wen smiled before she spoke, and her words were clear and crisp. She took a few steps forward, squatted down steadily, and bowed to the madam.

The eldest wife had already put on a smile: "Get up, get up. We are a family, why do we need to be so polite!" Mother Xu had handed a red lacquered and gold-painted box to the eldest wife. The eldest wife saw that the box was exquisitely painted and the gold-painted flowers were elegant and generous. It was not her own thing. She knew that this was the mirror her daughter had just mentioned. Although she felt uncomfortable in her heart, she still smiled and took it and handed it to Wen: "You can take it and play with it!"

Wen took it with a smile, her eyes flickered over the box before handing it to the maid behind her. Then she smiled and walked forward to greet Yuanniang: "Are you feeling better, sister?"

Yuanniang's smile reached her eyes: "Now that you are here, even if it's not good, it's good!"

Madam Wen was horrified when she heard this: "Sister, you can't let the Marquis hear this, otherwise my life will be in danger. The Marquis will definitely send me to Doctor Wang to be made into soup..."

In Yuanniang's arms, Zhuge suddenly said, "Aunt, you are wrong. Aunt Huang is the one who is in charge of the kitchen..."

Yuanniang burst into laughter.

Everyone started laughing too.

Only Brother Zhe was looking around. At first he didn't know why everyone was laughing. Then, when he saw that everyone was laughing, he shyly hid in his mother's arms.

Madam Wen came forward and half-knelt in front of the bed, looking at Brother Zhe with a smile: "Good Brother Zhe, if the Marquis asks, you must say as you did just now, that Doctor Wang is not in charge of the kitchen, it is Madam Huang who is in charge of the kitchen."

Brother Zhe raised his head and nodded to Madam Wen, then buried his head in his mother's arms.

Everyone laughed again.

Perhaps it was because she laughed too often, Yuanniang actually started coughing.

Madam Wen hurried forward to help Yuanniang calm down, then took the tea brought over by the maid, poured a small sip into the lid of the cup and tasted it, then sat down beside the bed, helped Yuanniang, and served her tea.

She performed the movements very skillfully, not at all awkward, and it was obvious that she did this kind of thing often.

Eleventh Lady's eyes flickered slightly, while Fifth Lady's face showed surprise.

After drinking the tea, Yuanniang recovered. Madam Wen looked at Wuniang and Shiyi Niang standing in front of the bed with a concerned look on their faces: "I guess these two are Miss Wu and Miss Eleven?"

Yuanniang smiled and nodded.

Madam Wen quickly looked at the two of them, then smiled and stepped forward to hold Wu Niang's hand: "When I first saw you, I felt like I had seen a fairy, but you always said that your younger sisters were the real beauties. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed as beautiful as the saying goes."

Wu Niang laughed and said, "Sister has always taken good care of us younger sisters. She is kind to us and is biased. I am sorry that you made fun of me."

Madam Wen's eyes sparkled: "Oh my, what a straightforward person." Then she turned around and looked at Yuanniang, "It suits my temper."

Yuanniang laughed.

Madam Wen made a gesture to her maid, and the maid held up two boxes.

"I just found out that the eldest wife brought two young ladies to play at home. They were in a hurry. The two young ladies, please don't be disgusted."

Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang thanked them and took the gifts.

This way, I get a gift when I meet someone, and I make a small fortune...

Eleventh Lady smiled in her heart with some self-mockery.

Another maidservant reported through the screen: "Sister Yao Huang from the Madam's room is here."

One after another, it really looks like a gathering of heroes!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"Please come in!" Yuanniang smiled, and a tall maid came in from behind the screen.

She looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, with a slim figure but a round, fat face. She looked like a big-headed doll. Although it was a little disproportionate, she was very cute.

Seeing the room full of people, she smiled and went forward to greet everyone, then said to the first wife, "The old lady specifically asked me to pass on a message. She said that she knew that the wife of the in-laws was coming, and she should have come to greet them in person. But it happened that the wife of Duke Cheng came with her niece, so I have to trouble the wife of the in-laws to sit for a while. I hope the wife of the in-laws will not be offended."

Eleventh Lady, who had been observing Yuanniang carefully, noticed a fleeting coldness in her sister's eyes.

The eldest wife said politely, "The Madam is older than me, so I should be the one to see her. How can I ask her to move?" Then she said hesitantly, "I wonder how long Madam Cheng will stay here? Since I'm here, how can I not greet the Madam..."

Without waiting for Yao Huang to answer, Yuanniang said with a smile: "Mother, mother-in-law is the host, it is not easy for her to abandon the guest and come. But you are the guest. Naturally, the guest should follow the host's wishes, there is no reason why you cannot go." As she said that, she ordered the maid beside her: "Help me change my clothes." She actually looked like she was going to accompany the eldest wife to meet the old lady.

The eldest wife couldn't help but hesitate.

Given my daughter's physical condition, I would feel uneasy if she were to accompany me; but it would be impolite not to let her go.

For a moment, she was in a dilemma.

Madam Wen looked at her with a twinkle in her eyes and said with a smile, "Sister, how about I go with the first wife? Otherwise, the wife will be sad to see you neglecting your health."

Yuanniang was in deep thought.

Madam Wen added, "I carried Brother Zhe and accompanied the first wife."

"That's fine!" Yuanniang said with a smile, "I'll ask Brother Zhe to greet mother on my behalf when the time comes."

Aunt Wen smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister. We'll be back soon."

Yuanniang looked at her mother with an apologetic look on her face. Before she could say anything, the eldest wife smiled and said, "Aunt, this is a good idea. Let Brother Zhe accompany me to see the lady." She added, "Don't worry, with me by your side, I will definitely not let Brother Zhe catch a cold."

Yuanniang looked at her mother with a serious look, "Then I will leave Brother Zhe to you."

The eldest wife nodded solemnly.