After meeting Madam Gu that day, Wang Xiuxiu had no further contact with her for a long time.
It wasn't until the day of the flower-viewing banquet that Wang Xiuxiu and her entourage went there to meet Madam Gu again.
Wang Xiuxiu had someone inquire about the situation and only arrived at the City Lord's Mansion a step ahead of Madam Gu's carriage after seeing it depart.
Therefore, when Wang Xiuxiu entered the door, Madam Gu had just gotten out of the carriage.
Then, as if by chance, she turned around and saw Madam Gu. She greeted her and they entered together.
Madam Gu also found it coincidental, as she had originally intended to have no further contact after giving the visiting card.
But now that she had run into them, and they were greeting her warmly, she felt embarrassed to leave them standing there.
Wang Xiuxiu followed Madam Gu inside, and when the banquet began, she took a seat not far from her.
The city lord's wife holds this flower-viewing banquet every year, inviting the ladies of wealthy families in the city, and it is always a lively affair.
Wang Xiuxiu blended in, and no one noticed anything amiss.
A moment later, a commotion arose from the crowd.
Wang Xiuxiu looked up and saw a group of women surrounding a beautiful lady as she slowly walked towards them.
Once she saw who it was, Madam Gu subtly pursed her lips and moved away.
The beautiful lady glanced sideways at Madam Gu's departing figure, and angrily walked far away.
Zisu, who had left sometime earlier, returned to Wang Xiuxiu's side and whispered a few words in her ear.
Wang Xiuxiu led Nanwei and Zisu away from everyone's sight and walked outside.
A moment later, the group arrived at a road.
Wang Xiuxiu looked around and her gaze settled on one person.
Madam Wu, the owner of the Brocade Cloth Shop on the winding street.
The two met unexpectedly, and Wang Xiuxiu first curtsied.
After exchanging names, Wang Xiuxiu noticed the scrutinizing look in Madam Wu's eyes, but pretended not to know it.
Madam Wu's maiden name was Zhu.
The Wu family owns five fabric shops in the southern part of the city, but their status is still not enough to impress at today's flower viewing banquet.
Despite her status, Madam Wu still thrives here.
A person who is skilled in social interaction and adept at social maneuvering certainly possesses considerable talent.
The person who could quietly open a clothing shop in the West Market was no ordinary person.
Someone found out that on the first day this young lady brought her caravan to the South City, she arranged for everyone to stay at the Golden Jade Inn!
I later heard that they moved away because they found a new place to live.
What kind of place is the Golden Jade Inn? It's like a den of iniquity. Such behavior shows just how wealthy its family is!
Madam Wu took a good look at Wang Xiuxiu and said, "I felt an instant connection with you, sister. It's our first meeting today, and I feel an instant affinity with you! If you don't mind, please stop calling me Madam Wu and just call me Sister Zhu, okay?"
"How could I complain? I'm overjoyed!"
"Why doesn't my little sister go over there and play with everyone?"
"To be honest, sister, when I came back, I didn't recognize any of those people, and I don't know where Madam Gu, who came with me, is."
Seeing that he knew Madam Gu, Madam Zhu thought even more highly of her.
"It's not surprising. That person is here. Madam Gu and she are at odds the most, so she'll definitely avoid them. Don't worry, come with me, and you'll get to know everyone after a while."
"Then thank you, sister!"
"It's nothing, you're being so polite!"
The two chatted as they walked toward the garden.
"Sister Zhu, who is this 'that person' you mentioned earlier? Why does Madam Gu avoid her whenever she sees her?"
"The one you're talking about is Miss Liao from the Liao family's pearl farm. I came to Nancheng late and don't know all these intricacies. Since you have a good relationship with Madam Gu, you only know that this person has a falling out with Madam Gu, so just avoid her."
Zhu Niangzi led Wang Xiuxiu into the crowd and introduced her to several other women she knew.
Everyone knew that a "rich man" had recently arrived in the south of the city. Not knowing his background, they were all wary and greeted him with smiles.
Before leaving, Wang Xiuxiu took Zhu Niangzi's hand as she went out.
Seeing that she had abandoned Madam Gu and was walking with her, Madam Zhu was quite happy.
As Wang Xiuxiu withdrew her hand, she stuffed the peony fan into hers.
“I get along well with you, sister, so I’ll give this little fan to you as a gift. You can’t refuse it.”
While pearl products are abundant in the South, an embroidered fan as exquisite as the one in Wang Xiuxiu's hand is quite rare.
Lady Gu once had one, which was sold from the Abbasid Caliphate and was said to be for the imperial court.
However, once when he was arguing with Miss Liao, his sword was accidentally broken by someone trying to break up the fight.
She had the privilege of seeing it before, but she felt it wasn't as good as the one Wang Xiuxiu had given her.
Madam Zhu was overjoyed. "My dear sister, how can I possibly say no to you? Next time there's a banquet, I'll personally send you an invitation, and we'll all have a great time together!"
On the way back, Nanwei pouted, "Sister, I saw you making that fan for several days, how come you gave it to that person?"
Who is that person?
"It's that...that flirtatious butterfly!"
"She's just a bit too charming and socially adept, how come she's become a social butterfly in your eyes?"
"Among that crowd, she was the busiest, talking about this and that, so busy she was like a big butterfly gathering nectar!"
Wang Xiuxiu and Zisu were amused by her description.
"Sister! Don't laugh at me. You still haven't told me why you gave her such a beautiful fan!"
"Zhu Niangzi is a popular person who also loves to show off. Now that she has such a fine fan, won't everyone know about it?"
Seeing that Nanwei still looked confused, Zisu tapped her forehead.
"I heard that Madam Gu loves round fans the most, especially those uniquely shaped small fans. If it were you, and you saw Madam Zhu's exquisite little fan, wouldn't you go everywhere to find the fan-making craftsman?"
"I understand! My sister is trying to lure you into a trap!"
"Alright, now you know how to use idioms. You've really grasped the essence of Daqian culture!"
"That's right!"
Nan Wei was still feeling smug when she saw Wang Xiuxiu and Zisu covering their mouths and laughing. Only then did she realize that she had been tricked by the two of them.
They immediately pounced on the two of them and started making a ruckus.
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