Chapter 93 Heng'er, Lord Xu really values you!
Du Heng left the house suddenly. As soon as he left, the Minister of Rites sent an invitation in the name of Madam Xu.
Now that she was Rong's housekeeper, the note naturally reached Rong's hands first. She saw the words "Mrs. Du personally wrote" on it, and thinking of Mrs. Xu whom she had met at Bodhi Temple that day, she knew that Mrs. Du was referring to Cheng, not her.
She shook her head slightly, feeling that Heng'er's matter was becoming more and more confusing.
Qingyun received the order and sent the note to the East Courtyard.
At this time, Cheng was debating whether to write a letter to Fujian, seeking an excuse to send Jinniang back. Seeing Jinniang's favor in recent days, she worried that even if the angelica ointment could truly remove Jinniang's facial scars, her mother-in-law would value her even more and persuade Heng'er to marry her.
But what kind of reason could be given so that people would not accuse the Du family of being ungrateful, and at the same time make the people in Fujian think that Jinniang, who had only been in Beijing for over a month, should naturally go back?
After thinking about it for a long time, he couldn't come up with a good reason. With a frown on his face, Qingyun presented Mrs. Xu with an invitation.
Although she had verbally agreed to meet with Madam Xu at Bodhi Temple that day, she still felt somewhat uneasy. Now that she had received the invitation from the Xu family, her previous worries had vanished.
Cheng held the note and said "Amitabha" before carefully opening it and reading it carefully:
"From Madam Du:
Spring is in full swing and the first signs of flowers have arrived. On the sixth day of the second month, my humble garden will hold a small banquet to celebrate the arrival of spring. I hope that Mrs. Du and your son will come.
Xu Liu respectfully submits
"The sixth day of the second month?" Cheng murmured to herself, surprised. "Isn't it tomorrow? Why is Madam Xu so anxious?"
After closing the post, Cheng anxiously called Songying over: "Go and see if the young master has returned!"
Songying had just walked out of the courtyard when she saw the young man accompanying the eldest cousin back to the main courtyard.
She thought about it and decided to go back and report to the wife first, but she couldn't take the initiative to call the young master.
When Cheng found out, she slammed the table beside her with her palm, causing most of the white chrysanthemum tea that Songying had brewed to spill.
"It's only been a few days, and you've already won over mother-in-law, and Lian Heng'er?"
She hurried to the main courtyard, still mumbling, "Is Heng'er confused? I told him so much that day, why doesn't he understand?"
Jinniang hadn't expected her cousin to actually agree to go with her to accompany her grandmother in burning incense and chanting sutras. She felt she had found the right path; it seemed her cousin really did like women who were sensible and willing to compromise.
Unexpectedly, just as I was paying my respects to my grandmother with my cousin, my aunt came to find my grandmother, waving a note in her hand.
"Mother."
The old lady frowned. What happened to Cheng? Everyone in the mansion knew that this was the time for them to burn incense and worship Buddha. Why did she break in at this moment?
"But what happened?"
"Something happened, but it's a happy event!"
"Oh?" The old lady stopped the maid who was supporting her and turned around and asked, "What's the good news?"
It was natural not to publicize something that hadn't even been written yet, especially since Heng'er was still preparing for the exam, so there was no need to let him know so early. However, she couldn't help but give Jinniang a warning, so she hastily made up a plan. She said, "Heng'er's father's superior, Lord Xu's wife, has sent an invitation to Heng'er and me."
The old lady understood what she meant when she heard it. She glanced at Jinniang and didn't want to say this in front of her. So she said, "What's the big deal? Let's talk after I burn the incense!"
How could Cheng miss this opportunity? She pretended her mother-in-law hadn't heard clearly, cleared her throat, and said loudly, "Mother, it's Madam Xu from the Minister of Rites' family. She asked me to bring Heng'er to her home for a banquet. Her young lady paid you a visit at the Bodhi Temple the other day. Heng'er, do you remember Wenqing? She came to our house when she was little."
"Wenqing was always pretty when she was little, and the last time I saw her at Bodhi Temple, she looked even more like someone from a noble family. This Shangshu's daughter is truly extraordinary. I figured I couldn't go empty-handed, could I? So, I wanted to ask you, mother-in-law, what kind of gifts should I prepare to be worthy of a lady from a noble family like Wenqing?"
As she spoke, Cheng looked at the hairpin on Jinniang's head, as if she were truly thinking seriously. "Given Miss Wanyi's personality, I always prefer to choose something pretty for her birthday. Jinniang, you look like a lady from a noble family. I wonder what your mother gave you?"
Jinniang was a clever woman, and she caught on to something in her aunt's words. What did she mean by "somewhat impressive"? It was clearly a statement that she was nothing compared to the Shangshu's daughter. And yet, she was still asking about a birthday gift. Her aunt knew that the Duke's Mansion had been stripped of its title, and her mother had long since lost everything, so how could she possibly have jewelry that would be worthy of such a present?
Jinniang glanced at her cousin, who looked unhappy, and unconsciously touched the hairpin on her head. "Aunt, my birthday gift is just this silver hairpin inlaid with South China pearls. It's not worth much, but it was carefully selected by my mother. As far as I'm concerned, no matter what the gift is, the thought is what matters most. If you only consider the value, then don't bother choosing. Some gold would be best!"
After not seeing her for a few days, Jinniang actually dared to speak to her like this?
Cheng, who was outmaneuvered, was so angry that her teeth were itching, but her mother-in-law and son were there, so she couldn't lose her temper.
Seeing her daughter-in-law's face turn pale and blue at Jinniang's words, the old lady shook her head. What could she say? Her eldest daughter-in-law was fine, but she had to humiliate Jinniang in front of her. She was asking for trouble.
The old lady sighed and said, "I already told you to wait until I pay my respects to the Buddha before we discuss this. Besides, they're inviting you to a banquet, not a birthday party. Jinniang is right; courtesy is about the heart, not the price. If you're really unsure, go ask Ruolan."
The old lady shook her head and was about to go to the incense hall when she remembered that her grandson was still beside her. She was a little surprised when her grandson and Jinniang came in just now. Just as she was about to ask, Cheng came in.
So, she turned to Du Heng and asked, "I asked you to come a few days ago, but you didn't come. Didn't you say you were busy reviewing? Why are you here now?"
Du Heng said respectfully, "I'm here to inform you, Grandmother, that the Spring Examination has been moved forward to June of this year. With only four months to go, there's no time to lose."
With these words, everyone present was shocked. The old lady asked, "Is the news true?"
Du Heng said, "It's almost right."
The old lady suddenly realized, "Isn't this Spring Examination presided over by the Ministry of Rites? Could it be that Madam Xu has sent an invitation?"
Feeling her mother-in-law's gaze, Cheng suddenly came to her senses and said, "Yes, yes, it must be true. I was wondering, Madam Xu has always been cautious in her work. How could she send the invitation today and ask me to bring Heng'er with me tomorrow?"
Cheng took her son's hand and said, "Heng'er, Master Xu really values you! He must be using Madam Xu's Spring Banquet to tell you about the Spring Examination!"
Having said that, Cheng let go of Du Heng's hand and said to her mother-in-law, "Since that's the case, I must prepare a gift for the young lady of the Xu family. Mother-in-law, I'll go back and look for it first. When I find something good, will you give me your opinion?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
