Ladies' Gathering
On the day of the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet.
An Hongdou arrived at the gathering place early—the home of Wang, a wealthy local businessman.
A woman claiming to be the president of the Hundred Flowers Society greeted guests at the entrance along with servants from the Prince's mansion. Seeing An Hongdou arrive, the woman approached with some surprise: "Greetings, Madam Magistrate. Do you have other matters to attend to later?"
“Since you’re here to attend the gathering today, you naturally won’t be making any other plans. Why do you say that?” An Hongdou asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Seeing that you arrived early, I guessed you might be here to make a quick appearance and then leave." It turns out that it's a common practice at a banquet for people of higher status to arrive later.
"I arrived early for our first meeting so I could get to know you," An Hongdou explained.
The woman gave a few instructions to the servants and personally led An Hongdou inside. On the way, she introduced herself to An Hongdou. It turned out she was the wife of Master Wang, the mistress of the house. In Qingyin County, entertainment was scarce, and the wealthy ladies who didn't need to work lacked social venues and recreational activities. She loved lively gatherings, so she volunteered to establish the Hundred Flowers Society, regularly organizing meetings and entertainment for the ladies of various families.
"It is an honor to have you here today!" said Madam Wang, leading An Hongdou to the seat of honor.
An Hongdou was a little nervous when she first saw the seat. She had never liked to stand out. But then she remembered Wu Linglong's words. She was now the wife of the county magistrate and represented not only herself, so she forced herself to be calm and took her seat.
As the hostess and organizer of the banquet, Madam Wang sat down next to An Hongdou.
"It's still early, and many ladies are still on their way! The ladies sitting here are all wealthy businesswomen. Although their social status may not be high, they are quite wealthy, and only those with real money in their pockets can come here. If you wish, madam, you may also get to know them," Madam Wang said solicitously.
An Hongdou smiled and nodded, without answering.
Next, Madam Wang began to introduce the local customs and culture of Qingyin County to An Hongdou, recommending the unique features of Qingyin County.
As the servants led the ladies into the room, Madam Wang introduced them to her one by one.
"This Madam Bai is the wife of the county magistrate's wife, and that Madam Liu is the wife of the instructor's wife. Counting the people, we're almost complete with Madam Qi from the county magistrate's wife. Normally, these ladies are all from the families of officials under the county magistrate, so they should be more familiar with you, but since you came here, we haven't seen them in person, so we've all come to pay our respects to you today!"
"I'm new here and have a lot of things to settle in my home, so I haven't had any free time yet."
"I understand, it just so happens that I've seen them all today."
As they were talking, another lady entered. "Oh, it's all thanks to Madam Wang's skill! We've sent out visiting cards several times without getting a response, but you've managed to invite her here today!" she exclaimed as soon as she entered the courtyard.
"Madam Qi is too kind. It's better to be lucky than early. It was purely by chance that I happened to arrive just as the magistrate's wife finished her work, which gave me the honor of having this place to speak with you ladies." Madam Wang stood up to reply and led Madam Qi to sit down opposite An Hongdou.
An Hongdou had not received a visiting card, presumably because Li Zeli had withheld it because she was not in good condition.
Unsure of their abilities, she remained silent, smiling and nodding in welcome.
“Madam Li, you are probably unfamiliar with this place since you are new here. If you need anything, just ask Madam Wang. She is very capable and will be able to solve it,” Madam Qi said.
"By the way, there's something you probably don't know: only the wives of members of the Hundred Flowers Society can attend the banquets. Ordinary people need not only an introduction from a wife in the society, but also a membership fee of 50 taels," Madam Qi explained.
An Hongdou was puzzled by Madam Qi's intentions. "Could it be that she wants her to pay money?" she wondered to herself, but on the surface, she pretended to be deep and serious, just like Li Zeli.
Madam Qi glanced at the composed An Hongdou and continued, "After joining, you'll need to pay an annual membership fee of 50 taels. Those who fail to pay on time will be expelled from the Hundred Flowers Society. This money will be managed by the Hundred Flowers Society's management committee. Specifically, it's managed by the president, myself, and the former county magistrate's wife. The former county magistrate's wife was transferred with her husband after his promotion, and the management committee is short-staffed. I wonder if Madam Li would like to join?"
An Hongdou didn't dare to answer immediately. She glanced at the ladies present. If each person received 50 taels a year, the management committee would likely have nearly a thousand taels of silver available annually. Moreover, those present today probably weren't all members of the Hundred Flowers Society.
Unaware of any hidden agenda, she looked at the crowd waiting for a reply and slowly said, "I thought Madam Wang invited me here for fun, but I didn't expect it to be to recruit more people. Unlike you ladies, I haven't been married long, and I'm afraid my family isn't as well-off as yours." An Hongdou made an excuse to decline.
"Madam Li is joking. Members of the management committee do not need to pay membership fees," Madam Wang quickly explained.
"Oh? Why is that?" An Hongdou asked.
“The management committee members have to handle the organization and preside over the event, which is more tiring than for others, so the membership fee is equivalent to their labor,” Mrs. Qi said.
“I didn’t know the management committee had these responsibilities. It’s a pity I’m always busy and probably don’t have time to manage things. If I weren’t so busy, I wouldn’t have repeatedly refused your invitations. Besides, I’m just learning to manage a household, and I’m afraid I’m not as experienced as you ladies. It seems I’m really not up to the task,” An Hongdou said, feigning regret.
Seeing that Madam Qi and Madam Wang were about to offer further persuasion, An Hongdou quickly changed the subject: "Now that everyone is here, shouldn't we begin the banquet? I heard today's theme is chrysanthemums? I wonder what the program is like?"
Madam Qi and Madam Wang exchanged a glance, and seeing that An Hongdou was not joining the conversation, they had no choice but to give up for the time being.
At the banquet, under Madam Wang's guidance, everyone began a game of "flying flowers" with the theme of "chrysanthemum." Those who couldn't keep up with the next word had to drink a penalty shot.
Although An Hongdou was well-prepared, she was not as experienced as the senior ladies present, and after several rounds, she still drank two glasses of wine.
The alcohol was taking effect, and she was slightly tipsy. An Hongdou made an excuse not to participate anymore. Although she was the youngest, she had the highest status, and no one dared to persuade her otherwise, so they could only let her watch from the sidelines.
Looking at Madam Liu, who was giving Madam Qi water, Madam Wang, who was giving Madam Bai hints, and the other wealthy ladies who were trying to liven up the atmosphere, An Hongdou felt a little bored.
This is not a game for enjoyment, but rather a game of flattery and adoration in the world of fame and fortune.
Unaware of the true intentions hidden beneath the smiling faces of those present, An Hongdou scanned the cards one by one without feeling any warmth. She missed Wu Linglong again; to have a confidante with whom she could confide was truly her good fortune.
As evening approached, An Hongdou hinted to Madam Wang that the banquet was over.
After Li Zeli finished his work, he saw An Hongdou with rosy cheeks and dreamy eyes.
"How was your day, Madam?"
"Oh no, I miss Linglong."
Li Zeli put his arm around An Hongdou and patted her back reassuringly: "After the busy farming season, I will write to Father and ask my second brother's family to come here for a small gathering."
An Hongdou became somewhat interested after hearing this and told him about the Hundred Flowers Society and the membership fee.
"Although I don't know what's behind this, I had a bad feeling, so I made an excuse to decline," An Hongdou said with a hint of smugness.
“My lady is wise. I have only been here a short time and need to investigate further before I can find out the reason. But I suspect that they are probably planning to use illegal means,” Li Zeli said to An Hongdou.
"The previous magistrate was a scion of a prominent family, sent out to gain experience before being transferred back to the capital upon completion of his term. His wife, also from a prominent family, likely lived a life of luxury, which Qingyin County could not afford to satisfy. The Wang family, on the other hand, was the wealthiest in the area and had businesses in the capital, often seeking favors from her and adept at catering to her tastes. It is likely that the establishment of the Hundred Flowers Society was partly to satisfy the former magistrate's wife's desires, and partly to secretly bribe her."
"Then why did they try to recruit me? I don't have that kind of ability."
"They probably want to recruit you and have you keep their secret. Besides, if you accept their benefits, you'll have no choice but to scheme for them in the future."
Upon hearing this, An Hongdou patted her chest in lingering fear: "If I had even the slightest greed, I would have fallen into their trap! For the first time, I realized that being timid and fearful is a virtue."
“Madam is talking nonsense. It is clearly Madam who adheres to her principles and is honest and upright. How can you say that she is cowardly and afraid of trouble?” Li Zeli corrected her.
An Hongdou felt a little tempted by Li Zeli's nonsensical talk.
She kissed his cheek as a reward.
"These ladies are so complicated, it's exhausting to get along with them," An Hongdou complained softly.
"Then ignore them."
“I know you mean well and I appreciate your intention to stop the invitation, but please don’t do it again next time. You’re also new here and probably haven’t had any good experiences either. I can face things with you when they happen, instead of you protecting me one-sidedly. From now on, you should focus on your work, and I will try my best to be mindful of the boundaries in my interactions with them. Building good relationships can also be a great help to you.”
Li Zeli said with some emotion, "With such a virtuous wife, what more could a husband ask for!"
Looking at Li Zeli's earnest eyes, An Hongdou felt a little shy. She touched her ear and changed the subject: "You may not have any requests, but your wife does! Don't forget about Linglong. If you have time now, go and write a letter! I want to see Linglong after the autumn harvest this year! Otherwise, you can sleep in the study!"
Two days later, Li Zeli was to go to the prefectural government, and An Hongdou accompanied him.
Qingyin County was the farthest from the prefectural city among all the county towns, and although the two set off early, they were still the last to arrive.
Upon arrival, Li Zeli immediately set off for the prefectural government. An Hongdou, on the other hand, was led to stay at the post station.
Just as they finished tidying up, they heard the laughter and chatter of several ladies coming from the lobby of the post station.
"I am the wife of the magistrate of Qingcheng County. May I ask which county you are from?"
"I'm from Qingshan County. We live close by, so let's visit each other more often!"
"Sure, if it's convenient, we can travel together on the way back."
"And which county is this lady from?"
"Her? She's from Qingzhou County."
"That's the richest county in our prefecture!"
"Am I the last one to arrive? You all know each other already?"
"No way, the latest one is probably from Qingyin County. They didn't arrive this morning, I wonder if they're still on their way!"
"That's the poorest and most remote county. I heard the new magistrate this year is a poor scholar. I wonder if the two of them can afford to hire a carriage to travel there! Let's hope they can attend the banquet at the prefectural government office tonight in a donkey cart!"
Upon hearing this, the ladies present burst into laughter.
An Hongdou cleared her throat and pushed open the door to go out.
"I arrived late and overheard the ladies talking about a donkey cart. Could it be that you arrived by donkey cart? I've never seen a donkey cart before! I wonder if I could follow you ladies and broaden my horizons!"
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