Chapter 104: Teach You a Secret Trick
This banquet was originally the 60th birthday party of the wife of a sixth-rank official in the provincial capital. Chen Qi was not invited, but Yu Zhong's second brother and sister-in-law were invited.
The grandfather of this second brother's wife once worked in the same household with the father of this official's wife. Somehow, the two families still have some intermittent contact to this day.
This official's wife was very fond of ostentation. She invited many people to the birthday party, and my second brother's wife also received an invitation.
The second brother's wife had met Chen Qi and his wife at the He family last time. Seeing that the Xie family was very wealthy, perhaps wanting to show off the wealth of her own relatives, she asked for two more invitations and asked her sister-in-law to invite Chen Qi to the banquet together.
It was really delivered.
This was the first time that Chen Qi received an invitation from the wife of an official in Guangling City, and she was very frightened.
Until the night before the banquet, Chen Qi was still a little uneasy.
"This is a banquet for the wife of a sixth-rank official! The most pompous event I've ever seen was when the wife of the seventh-rank county magistrate of Pingshan County came to our house for tea. It was a scene with so many rules and regulations that I kowtowed several times! An official banquet in Guangling City... there must be even more rules and regulations, even more grandiose ones."
Xie Yuduo came back early, wearing casual clothes, resting his head on her legs, flipping through a stack of documents. After hearing this, he turned another page.
"Then you won't go."
The two large courtyards in his house are his study rooms, but he prefers to stay by Shen Qi's side to handle business.
Shen Qi shook her head and gently rubbed his forehead.
"I'll have to go to such occasions sooner or later. What's the point of hiding? I'm just a little nervous. I don't know... what kind of people are the wives of officials?"
Hearing her worried tone, Xie Yuduo shook his head and sighed.
"Yue'er, if you could summon a little of the courage you usually have when bullying me, you wouldn't be so scared."
Chen Qi was sighing and thinking, and when she heard him mocking her, she couldn't help but pinch his shoulder.
"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid! I'm just worried. I've never seen such a powerful family, and they're not allowed to worry a little? Humph!"
Xie Yuduo chuckled, turned over, and decided to teach her a trick.
"If you're worried, just think about this—no matter how powerful a person is, they have to go to the toilet every day. If you think about how they go to the toilet, won't you feel less afraid?"
After hearing this, Chen Qi couldn't help laughing. She hit him while laughing and scolded him for being so frivolous.
"If I laugh out loud tomorrow, it'll all be your fault!"
Xie Yuduo chuckled, put away the document he had hastily read, and pulled the person into his arms.
"Then I will apologize to Second Grandma in advance today."
After saying that, he ignored Chen Qi's laughter and scolding and rushed forward...
Another night of love.
The next day, when Chen Qi got off the carriage at the official's door, he remembered Xie Yuduo's words and was not too panicked.
Even so, she has seen a lot of the world.
This birthday banquet invited many wives of officials and many wives of successful candidates in the imperial examinations. The whole yard was filled with pearls and jades, and brocade clothes were swaying, but everything was in perfect order, without a single mess.
Chen Qi followed Yu Zhong all the time, following his lead step by step, walking as he went, bowing as he went, being very cautious and careful.
When the banquet started, the table was filled with the wives of officials, both big and small. She, a merchant's wife from a small town, sat at the very end of the long row of banquet tables.
Chen Qi felt emotional, as he had sat at many chief seats at banquets in Pingshan County.
When ordinary official families invited the second wife of the Xie family on Silver Lion Street to visit, they would arrange a seat for her at the front.
Today, when I arrived at Guangling City, I found that I, the daughter of a wealthy family who was the most popular lady in Pingshan County, was so insignificant that I ended up at the bottom of the social ladder.
To Chen Qi’s right is Yu Zhong, and to Yu Zhong’s right are her younger brother and sister-in-law.
She sighed inwardly again. Since she was Yu Zhong's younger sister, it was fine for her to sit further back. She was also Yu Zhong's younger sister, so why should she sit closer to the front than her elder sister?
Indeed, there is a difference between officials and businessmen.
This separate rule is so powerful that it can crush people to death.
In the middle of the banquet, Chen Qi glanced at the wife of the official sitting at the head of the table from afar, but because she was too far away, she couldn't even see her face clearly. She seemed to be young, dressed in brilliant pearls and jade, and dazzling clothes. From a distance, she looked like a goddess or fairy.
Dishes were served one by one, and guests congratulated each other on the birthday. Chen Qi followed Yu Zhong's behavior and imitated her without feeling that she had done anything wrong.
However, as usual, each delicious dish was only eaten for two bites before being cleared away.
Chen Qi has had a very good appetite recently. Seeing that others didn't move their chopsticks much, she couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
What a waste! What a waste!
Chen Qi was thinking while eating, and seeing that the maids were about to take the plate away from her, she quickly picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks.
Only after saying goodbye to her master and Yu Zhong and her younger siblings did Chen Qi take Xiao Ling's hand and get on their own carriage.
She asked Xiao Ling to get in the car with her, and while rubbing her half-full stomach, she asked her if she had eaten anything outside the hall.
Next time, I must listen to Xie Yuduo and never come to the banquet hosted by officials’ families again - why should I come to the banquet if I can’t even get enough to eat!
The master and servant had just talked for a while when the Xie family's carriage suddenly stopped.
This road was originally a shortcut home, far away from the main street, with few pedestrians around. However, according to the rules of Guangling City, Chen Qi was not allowed to get off the car.
Xiao Ling lifted the curtain and got out of the car to check for her.
After a while, she came back to reply.
"Second Madam, the carriage in front of us has a crack and can't be repaired at the moment, so it's blocking the road."
Chen Qi lifted the curtain and took a quick look. The carriage in front was resplendent with gold and green, very magnificent, and not inferior to her own carriage. Perhaps it belonged to the lady of some wealthy family.
The maid of that family was dignified and looked quite old. She was talking in a low voice to the owner in the carriage.
Seeing the embarrassment on the other person's face, she called Xiao Ling over to question him.
"Sister, where is your master going? If you are in a hurry, my wife said she can take you back."
After hearing this, the maid whispered to the master in the carriage about what he meant, then turned around and lowered her head to answer Xiao Ling.
Xiao Ling came over again and replied to Chen Qi.
"They said they lived in Camping Street."
Chen Qi smiled after hearing this.
"It's on our way. Our house is on Kangle Street, just a little way from Kangping Street. Go and talk to them. If they don't mind, you can take our carriage back."
Xiao Ling went to pass on the message again.
After she finished speaking, there was silence in the car for a long time. The maid was whispering beside the car, as if she was trying to persuade someone.
The advice was fruitless.
The person in the carriage stretched out a white and slender hand, opened a gap in the carriage curtain, glanced at Chen Qi, and then got out of the carriage.
Seeing that she couldn't stop her master and that he insisted on getting off the carriage, the maid immediately opened a big umbrella to cover her master's figure and followed him towards the Xie family's carriage.
Seeing her coming over in a few steps, Chen Qi had already lifted the curtain and was waiting.
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