Chapter 41: Spring Banquet (Part 1)
Luo Zhenkai and Luo Zhenyu were still alert and lively. Eleven Niang greeted them with a smile, and Wu Niang came. After bowing, the little maid brought a small spoon for the two of them to sit on. But the third wife wanted to stand up and say goodbye: "Thanks to my uncle and sister-in-law for helping me these days." As she said that, her eyes turned red, "I came here just to thank my sister-in-law!"
"We are one family and we should not talk behind each other's backs." The first wife stood up and took the third wife's hand. "I want to keep you here to relax, but I also know that at this moment, even a mirage cannot keep you here. I won't say any polite words. You should go back and have a good rest. There is no barrier in this world that cannot be overcome. After a few days, when you feel better, come to my place again. I have also invited my second brother and his wife, and the three of us sisters-in-law can have a good reunion."
The third wife nodded repeatedly: "Sister-in-law, I will take the child back first."
The fifth and sixth masters paid farewell to the first wife.
The first wife patted the heads of the two and smiled as she sent the third wife out: "The children are tired too, let them rest for a while. I am also a mother, and I know how much you want your children to be successful. But you can't eat hot dumplings in a hurry, some things need to be done slowly."
"What you said is right, sister-in-law." The third wife looked a little tired. "Thank you for your reminder, sister-in-law."
Eleventh Lady, who was following behind him, thought of the scene when she first met the Third Wife.
She wore a peony bun with a large emerald flower in her hair, and a rose purple and gold silk jacket. She looked at people with a slightly sideways gaze, with a sense of superiority.
Now, it no longer looks the same as before...
Without her prominent family, she no longer had the confidence she once had. After all, the Third Wife had little experience...
She stood behind the first wife, watched the third wife leave with a smile, and then accompanied the first wife back to the main house.
On the way, the eldest wife asked Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang: "What have you been doing these days?"
Wu Niang smiled and said, "Are you practicing calligraphy? When I saw the plaques in my elder sister's garden, I finally understood what it means to say "there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people". If I don't calm down and write, I'm afraid I'll embarrass my elder sister."
"The plaque of the Yongping Marquis' Mansion was either given by Yu Ci or written by successive presidents of the Hanlin Academy. It's normal that you are not as good as them." The eldest wife smiled and said, "Don't take it to heart." She looked at Eleventh Lady again.
Shiyi Niang said hurriedly, "My daughter is doing needlework at home - preparing to make an apricot-yellow spring dress for Brother Xiu and a lake-blue spring dress for Brother Zhe."
The eldest wife nodded.
Luo Zhuo hurriedly lifted the curtain in front of the Madam, but a little maid ran in and reported: "Madam, the mother of the Yongping Marquis's Mansion is here to deliver the invitation."
The first wife turned around and said, "Please come in!"
The little maidservant left immediately and soon returned with two mothers in their forties.
The two mothers quickly stepped forward and bowed to the eldest wife, who politely invited the two mothers to sit inside.
Everyone went back to their room and sat down again. The maids served tea. One of the ladies, who had a red mole on the corner of her mouth, handed over a red lacquer box with a blooming peony in it: "Our madam said that the Daughters' Day on March 3rd will be in a few days, and she invited the wife, grandmother, daughter and brother to come home to have fun together - she has invited the German music group to perform at home."
Luo Zhuo, who was standing by, quickly took the box and took out the bright red and gold-speckled invitation inside to show the eldest wife.
Because she already knew the content, the eldest wife just took a symbolic look at it, then smiled and said, "Please ask the two mothers to go back and tell the old lady that I am grateful for her concern and that I will definitely bring my daughter-in-law, daughter and grandson to have fun that day."
"Then I would like to thank you on behalf of the lady." The mother with a red mole on the corner of her mouth stood up and bowed to the eldest lady, then exchanged a few words of greeting and stood up to say goodbye.
The eldest wife looked at the tender buds that had just sprouted on the branches outside the house and told Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang: "It's time to change into spring clothes."
They both answered "yes" in unison, sat with the eldest wife for a while, then got up and went back to their own rooms.
On the third day of the third lunar month, Eleventh Lady tied her dark black hair into a bun at the back of her head, wore a coral and turquoise beaded flower, a sky-blue jacket, and a moon-white embroidered skirt. Relying on her youth and beauty, she only rubbed some jasmine honey on her face, and went to the first wife with her bare face.
Wu Niang came before her.
She wore a red-silver jacket, had her hair in a bun, and inserted three red-gold combs inlaid with various gems. She had red-gold lantern pendants on her ears, and had her eyebrows and eyes painted, and applied a light powder, making her look three points brighter than usual.
The eldest wife saw that both of them had satisfied expressions on their faces, and said a few words to them, "Shout openly when you see someone," and "There are actors in the inner courtyard, don't run around, be careful not to meet people you shouldn't meet." Then, after the eldest mistress brought in Xiu Ge, who was wearing a bright red silk dress, the family got up and got in the car and went to the Xu residence.
In front of the hanging flower gate of Xu's mansion, they met an old lady in gorgeous clothes with her hair full of silver threads.
The old woman greeted them warmly: "Are you Mrs. Xu's relatives?"
Although she didn't know her, seeing that the woman was surrounded by more than 20 maids and daughters-in-law dressed in gold and silver, the eldest wife didn't dare to be careless. She smiled and stepped forward to greet her, saying, "I am Luo Xu."
The old woman smiled and nodded. Someone beside her introduced her to the eldest wife: "This is the old lady of the Dingguo Mansion."
It turned out that they were the Zheng family who shared the princess' courtyard with the Xu family and lived in front of the Xu family.
The eldest wife hurriedly smiled and said, "It turns out to be the old lady. Please forgive my rudeness." She then introduced Grandma Luo, Wu Niang, Shiyi Niang and Xiu Ge to the old lady Zheng.
Several people came forward to pay their respects to Old Lady Zheng.
Even as the earrings jingled, another carriage came rumbling by.
Everyone couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound.
It was a black painted flat-front carriage like the Luo family's.
The carriage stopped, and a woman jumped out, took a footstool and placed it in front of the carriage. She then stretched out her arm and said respectfully to the people in the carriage, "Miss, we're here!"
A slender, white hand stretched out from the dark blue curtain and gently rested on the arm of the woman in an official green jacket. Then the curtain opened, and a graceful dark-skinned figure slowly walked down from the carriage.
Everyone present took a deep breath.
"Whose girl is this? She's so beautiful!" Old Madam Zheng could hardly hide her amazement.
The eldest wife's face turned as pale as paper at that moment.
The dark-colored figure slowly walked towards the eldest wife, knelt down gently five steps away from her, and bowed respectfully: "Mother, your daughter Shi Niang greets you."
For a moment, all eyes fell on the first wife.
The eldest wife's lips curled up slightly, and the faded blush returned to her face little by little: "Shi Niang..."
"It's my daughter." Shi Niang tilted her head to look at the eldest wife, her eyes sparkling like gemstones, "The carriage that mother arranged for my daughter is slow, so my daughter has just arrived."
"It's good that you're here, it's good that you're here!" Old Lady Zheng glanced at Shi Niang with a smile and said to the first wife, "The young ladies in your family are all more beautiful than each other."
The eldest wife blushed: "Yes! The young ladies in our family are all prettier than the other."
Shi Niang has stepped forward to pay her respects to Old Lady Zheng.
Old Lady Zheng personally stepped forward and took Shi Niang's hand: "Get up quickly, get up quickly. Don't let a young girl like this get bumped. Get up quickly!"
Shi Niang took advantage of the situation and stood up, holding Madam Zheng's hand: "Madam, I will take you in!"
"I'm afraid your mother will be jealous." Zheng Taijun said jokingly.
The eldest wife smiled slightly and said, "I am so happy that our girl has won the old lady's attention. How can I be jealous?"
Shi Niang was smiling with her hands covering her mouth, her dark eyes twinkling, looking indescribably playful and adorable.
"Shi Niang!" Wu Niang rushed forward from behind the eldest wife with a gloomy face, trying to stop Shi Niang, but was pulled back by Grandma Luo, "It's enough for the old lady to have Shi Niang by her side!" The fingers that were pinching Wu Niang turned slightly white.
Eleventh Lady took two steps back and stood behind Grandma Luo.
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
Old Lady Zheng turned her eyes and said with a smile: "It's getting late, let's go in early! Otherwise the master will wait anxiously!" After saying that, she went straight up the steps of the Chuihua Gate without paying any attention to Shi Niang.
Shi Niang glanced at the eldest lady charmingly, smiled, raised her skirt slightly, and followed Mrs. Zheng up the steps in front of the hanging flower door.
The eldest wife looked at Wu Niang deeply.
Wu Niang's face was ashen: "Mother, it's not Fourth Brother..."
The eldest wife's smile was somewhat forced, and she instructed Grandma Luo: "There are too many people here today, and Brother Xiu is young and can't stand such a commotion. You should take Brother Xiu back first!"
Grandma Luo looked solemn and said "yes". She ignored Brother Xiu's shout "I want to play with Brother Zhe" and got on the carriage with her son: "Let's go back to Gongxian Hutong."
Watching the carriage turn southwards and go up the bluestone corridor out of the Xu residence, the eldest lady's smile returned to her amiable and friendly appearance. She told Fifth Lady and Eleventh Lady, "Let's go in too. We won't have to keep them waiting."
Both of them answered "yes" somewhat nervously and followed the eldest wife into the hanging flower gate.
Behind the door, there was still a small carriage with a green curtain waiting for them, but Old Lady Zheng and Shi Niang were gone.
Someone stepped forward and said with a smile, "Old Madam Zheng and Miss Ten of your family each took a gasoline car and went to the flower hall first."
The eldest wife smiled and took Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang to the small oil cart with green curtains and went to the flower hall.
Shi Niang did not follow Madam Zheng into the flower hall, but stood in the pavilion in front of the flower hall and talked with a woman wearing a bright red jacket with brocade patterns. When she saw the eldest wife, she smiled and said to the woman, "Mother is here!"
The woman turned her face sideways.
The woman with willow-shaped eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes is the third wife of the Xu family.
"I was just about to go meet you. I ran into Miss Ten from your mansion. She said she didn't see you when she got off the car, and she was looking for you in a hurry..." The Third Madam smiled and stepped forward, "Hey, why don't you see the eldest lady?"
"It's hot today, so I asked her to take Brother Xiu home first." The first wife smiled happily, "Thank you, Third Madam Lao, for your concern."
"What a pity!" The Third Lady laughed, "Today, Zhou Dehui, the head of the Deyin Troupe, will be performing in person." She looked at Shi Niang again, "Does the First Lady want to hide her beauty in a golden house? She won't let me see such a beautiful daughter. Are you afraid that we will snatch her away?"
Shi Niang looked at the eldest wife and laughed.
The eldest wife also smiled with her lips pursed.
No one spoke and the scene was a bit strange.
A hint of confusion flashed across the third lady's eyes.
At this moment, a burst of laughter came from the flower hall.
The third wife didn't think too much and took the first wife's arm: "Please go in quickly! You are the only one missing!"