Chapter 317 Let’s Go Together
What was she afraid of? She wasn't looking for trouble, so she just followed Mrs. Deng. She would definitely remind her of what she could and couldn't do. Besides, even if she hadn't eaten pork, she'd have seen pigs run. She shouldn't make any mistakes in terms of etiquette, and she wouldn't bring shame or make a fool of herself to the Zhao family.
But if someone finds fault with you, haha, don't blame her for being rude!
It's not her fault that she is embarrassed.
Zhao Liya gave her a thumbs up and encouraged her with a smile: "Auntie, that's right! Your etiquette is correct, very good. When the time comes, you will be with my mother. Don't go with anyone else, and don't believe what others say casually."
Mrs. Deng smiled and said, "Yes, we can keep each other company then. It's okay!"
"Oh, okay!"
Zhao Liya calculated that it would be fine for her to go with her aunt alone, along with her mother and two or three old servants. Cousin Yutao had gone to the farm outside the city with her brother a few days ago, so being away from the capital saved her some trouble.
To be on the safe side, Zhao Liya decided to talk to her aunt about this. So, she went to Widow Qu privately and gave her examples of how an unfamiliar maid or servant would suddenly show up, claiming Deng or Zhao Liya was looking for her, and then take her to a strange place. Or how a maid would pretend to accidentally spill tea on her, tricking her into changing clothes and then taking advantage of the situation. Or how someone would deliberately mess with her teacup or the food she was eating to embarrass her, and so on.
Widow Qu listened with great interest, her eyes sparkling, and she would exclaim and complain from time to time.
After hearing the end, I suddenly realized that this was not Xiaoya telling me gossip to relieve my boredom, but something I might encounter in a few days!
Widow Qu cried out in panic, "Ouch!" She patted her chest and stammered, "These people are so cunning, aren't they? How can they be so troublesome? What kind of trouble have they caused? Otherwise, why don't I just pretend to be sick?"
I'm so panicked, I'll try to dodge it as soon as possible.
Zhao Liya burst out laughing and said, "That's my fault. I didn't expect to go too far and scare Aunt. Actually, it's not that scary. I just said it, they might not dare. Aunt, just be careful. After all, it's the residence of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. They won't go too far."
"But."
I'm still so panicked!
"It's really okay, maybe they will come after me and my mother!"
Widow Qu immediately changed her tune: "Then I'd better go!"
If those people didn't even have good intentions towards her, wouldn't they be even more aggressive towards Deng and Xiaoya? She could go along and help out, and at least she wouldn't lose when it came to scolding them.
Although Zhao Liya didn't fully guess why Widow Qu changed her mind immediately, she knew that she must have done it for her and her daughter.
My aunt really cares about them and their daughter.
Zhao Liya felt warm in her heart: "Thank you, auntie!"
Widow Qu smiled and waved her hands: "Why thank you? We are a family and we don't have any different opinions. If I really want to thank you, I should say more than a hundred times to you every day!"
Both of them laughed.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the banquet arrived. The three of them dressed up nicely and set off for the Lin family at a time that was neither too early nor too late.
When they arrived, many guests of the Lin family had already arrived, which showed that Mrs. Lin and her mother-in-law must have invited many families to this flower-viewing banquet.
Zhao Liya felt a little depressed. This person must have bad intentions, and she didn't know what would happen.
Soon, the lady in charge of the mansion came with a smile on her face and personally invited the three people into the mansion and led the way.
Zhao Xiang's rank is half a level higher than Lord Lin's. They both work in the Ministry of Revenue. For the sake of reputation, the Lin family dare not neglect them.
Arriving at the reception hall in the garden, Madam Lin, along with Young Master Lin's wife, a group of maids, and the guests who had come with them, came to greet them with a smile. She then said, "It seems I still have some face. Madam Zhao came as soon as I invited her!"
Mrs. Deng smiled and said, "Why not come? It's time for us to get together!"
"That's right! Fortunately, there are still many days for us to get together in the future!"
While chatting and talking, everyone entered the flower hall and politely invited each other to sit down.
Zhao Liya was a younger generation, so she had to step forward to greet Madam Lin and several other ladies formally. The lively atmosphere lasted for quite a while.
Mrs. Lin raised her eyes, her gaze fell on Widow Qu, and she said with a smile, "I guess this must be Mrs. Qu?"
Mrs. Deng nodded and smiled, "It's my sworn sister!"
One lady laughed and said, "This is truly an unexpected fate. We were thousands of miles apart and would never have met in our lifetime, but unexpectedly we've become sisters! As the saying goes, relationships between people are based on fate. If you're destined to meet, you'll definitely meet!"
Everyone laughed and said, "It's fate!"
Widow Qu forced a smile, feeling a little cramp at the corner of her mouth. She was still not used to it.
Mrs. Deng was very friendly to her and introduced all the ladies to her with a smile. The ladies gave Mrs. Deng face and greeted her politely no matter what they thought in their hearts or whether they showed it on their faces.
The young ladies and daughters of wealthy families were not so reserved. They were scattered on the couches and stools nearby, or gathered in groups of three or five. Their eyes, some curious, some scrutinizing, some probing, some disdainful, some scornful, fell on Widow Qu without any concealment and they were grinning and whispering to each other, pointing and talking, and occasionally bursting into suppressed laughter. Everyone knew that they must be plotting something.
Many of the sounds were even intermittent but clearly heard by everyone.
"So this is what people from Lingnan look like, hehe!"
"Her facial features are so bold, and her skin is dark. Lingnan is indeed that place."
"What kind of luck has she got? I'm afraid her ancestors' graves are smoking!"
"That's right, otherwise, how could someone like her come to the capital?"
"Of course not. She was a fugitive before."
“That’s right!”
"Did you hear her accent? Haha, it's hilarious!"
"Hahahaha, please stop talking like that! I can't help but laugh when you say that!"
“.”
Widow Qu could hear most of these words, and even just a small part was enough for her to make out the whole sentence.
This made Widow Qu feel angry, embarrassed and annoyed.
Not to mention her, Deng and Zhao Liya were also very angry!
However, they were all young wives and girls in their teens. Even if there were a few words that were said occasionally, or a scolding, it would just be "You don't know the seriousness of the matter" or "Don't talk nonsense!" What else could they do?
If Widow Qu or Mrs. Deng were to argue with them, it would be beneath their dignity and would be too much.
(End of this chapter)
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