Chapter 6: Check out the newcomers
Everyone in the room saw a plump middle-aged woman supporting a white-haired old lady as she entered the room. They immediately knew that it was the elders of the Xie family who had come to deliver the betrothal gift and had come to see what their future bride looked like.
Everyone fell silent for a moment and made way for him.
Everyone looked carefully and found that the Xie family was indeed a wealthy family in the county, and their dress was indeed different from that of the people in Baihe Town.
Old Mrs. Wu was wearing a lake blue embroidered dress and two or three gold rings on her hands. Although her hair was gray, she still looked strong. Even with a smile on her face, she still had a tenacious and calm temperament.
Feng, who was accompanying him, was wearing a brocade green dress with gold and silver ornaments all over her body. She didn't wear it often on ordinary days, but on a day like today, she had to show off.
When she first entered the house today, Mrs. Wu saw that the Shen family's house had only two narrow courtyards and even a carriage could not enter, and she felt a little dissatisfied in her heart.
Although it has always been said that people marry virtuous women based on their personality rather than their family background, the Shen family's financial situation is far inferior to his own.
She didn't expect her in-laws to be very rich, but she was afraid that the gap between the two families' financial conditions was too big, and she would most likely marry a tactless wild girl.
I don't know what Erlang likes about this company.
After entering the door, the old lady walked up to him and took a look, her eyes lit up.
Chen Qi's skin is whiter than snow and her face is shy. Today she is wearing a well-tailored plain red shirt that perfectly outlines her graceful figure. Two small silk flowers in her hair add a bit of playfulness and agility.
What a beautiful girl! Her every move, every frown and smile reveals an indescribable elegance that makes people love and pity her at first sight.
When Chen Qi saw the two people coming, she already knew that they were the man's grandmother and second aunt. She stood up lightly and saluted with a smile.
When the old lady saw this, she was overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward, held her hand tightly, and called her "good girl" affectionately.
Second Aunt watched carefully from the side, pondering inwardly. She saw the young woman chatting and laughing with the old lady, without the slightest hint of shyness or embarrassment. Her composure was quite different from the usual unmarried women who blushed and spoke little when meeting strangers.
This girl is quite knowledgeable and scheming.
When everyone saw the distinguished guest coming, they dispersed a little. The curious children who were watching were coaxed by the adults to go outside to eat fruit, and the room immediately became much quieter.
The Shen family knew that the women of the Xie family would be coming today, so they reserved high chairs for the two distinguished elders as a sign of respect.
Just as she was about to turn around to get the tea, her sister-in-law had already prepared it. She gave her a wink and handed her a teapot, four teacups, and a plate of dried fruits and snacks at the door.
Chen Qi took the teapot and nodded gratefully to her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law smiled back, raised her chin slightly, and motioned her to go in and entertain them.
Chen Qi returned to the room, leaned sideways to hold the teapot, turned his wrist slightly, and poured two cups of tea himself, one for Old Lady Wu and one for Mrs. Feng, with a smile on his face.
"It is truly a blessing for our family that you, Madam and Second Madam, have condescended to visit us. Please forgive us if our hospitality is inadequate. This cup of homemade tea is just a token of our appreciation. Please enjoy it, my dear elders."
When Second Aunt heard this, she glanced at Chen Qi and thought to herself, this little girl is quite knowledgeable.
Here, tea is only formally served to elders during the wedding. But when the elders come to deliver the betrothal gift, you can't let them get thirsty, so you always have to serve them a cup of tea. The girl was not shy or timid, she just called her elders and said it was her own tea, as if she was taking care of distant relatives, she was not afraid at all.
Chen Qi poured tea, and the old lady pulled her to sit beside her. Looking at her fair face, black hair, and apricot-like eyes, she liked her more and more and held her hand.
"Good boy, I remember Duo'er said your name is Chen Qi? What a nice name."
When Chen Qi heard the name of her future husband, her heart couldn't help but jump, but she didn't show it on her face, and still replied with a smile:
"The old lady remembered correctly. Because my parents ran a woolen yarn shop and worked with wool and silk all day, they chose the character 'qi' (silk) with the character for 'si' (silk) on the right side of their name, saying it would reflect the family's characteristics. My elder brother, Chen Shao, and my younger brother, Chen Ji, were both named the same way."
The old lady asked again, "Yes, that's a nice name. Do you have a nickname?"
Before Chen Qi could answer, a quick-talking girl called out, "She has a nickname, Xiaoyue'er."
Everyone in the neighborhood knew this nickname and laughed.
Chen Qi also smiled and lowered her head.
"Yes, mother said that because I was born on the night of August 15th, with a bright moon in the sky, my nickname was Xiaoyueer."
"You know it's good! The moon on August 15th is so bright and round. No wonder she looks so good and has such a good temper."
The more Mrs. Wu looked at her, the more she loved her. She asked many more questions, and Shen Qi answered them one by one. The two of them held hands and talked for a long time.
At lunchtime, all the neighbors gradually dispersed and went home. Since the Shen family was from outside the city and had no real relatives, only a few close neighbors and Qiao's parents stayed to eat and drink with the new guests.
Men and women sat at two tables, one inside and one outside, and the food was the same on both sides. The table was filled with meat and vegetable dishes, including steamed goose, braised fish, crystal pig's trotters, snow lotus root, yam meatballs, two kinds of steamed pastries, and various side dishes.
This was the best meal that my eldest brother had specially ordered from a restaurant in town, and he also added two jars of clear Yuquan wine. Although it couldn't compare to the wealth and grandeur of the people in the county town, it was still quite presentable.
Here, Shen's mother was chatting with Old Lady Wu, and there were also several elderly aunts and aunts, who gathered around the guests and chatted about some lively family matters.
Chen Qi obediently sat at the last table with her sister-in-law, so that she could pour tea and encourage the elders to eat.
When everyone was talking excitedly, Qiao Yunhua quietly tugged at the corner of Chen Qi's clothes.
Chen Qi understood and knew that her sister-in-law had something to say in private, so one of them took the teapot and the other held the teacup, pretending to go out to add more tea.
When they reached the window where people could not see them, Chen Qi lowered his voice and asked his sister-in-law what was the matter.
The sister-in-law waved her hand, signaling her not to speak, and took her hand to go out. The two of them tiptoed out.
When they were about to reach the gate of the courtyard, Chen Qi squeezed her sister-in-law's hand a little harder and lowered her voice.
"Sister-in-law, if you go further out, you'll reach the outer courtyard. The men are drinking there, so it's not easy for us to go over there."
Indeed, just across the door, one could hear the sounds of male guests drinking and chatting outside.
The sister-in-law smiled, but pulled her to the small vegetable garden on the side and looked out along the wall.
This wall was originally a flower wall with hollow floral decorations in the middle, but it was usually blocked by leaves and no one noticed it.
My sister-in-law lowered her voice.
"I asked your brother to clean it up yesterday, just so it could come in handy today!"
My sister-in-law gently pulled aside a branch, revealing a small hole.
"Look, the one sitting next to your brother is the Second Brother of the Xie family."
The blush on Chen Qi's face, which had just faded away, suddenly reappeared.
It turned out that my sister-in-law took all this trouble just to let me take another good look at my future husband.
Seeing that she was not curious, Mrs. Qiao smiled and gently pushed her. Chen Qi stopped being shy and stood up, tiptoed, and looked over there quietly.
The male guests were all sitting under the trees in the yard drinking. Father Shen and Father Xie sat side by side in the main seats, listening to Second Uncle Xie's talk.
Next up were the uncles and aunts from the neighborhood. Sitting at the very end was my brother, Shen Shao. The man next to my brother...
The man was wearing a dark red brocade robe. Because of his tall figure and broad back, the brocade robe was straight and fit him well. His thick black hair was tied behind his head, which added a bit of heroic spirit to him.
Even when sitting next to his brother who is known for his good reputation and elegant demeanor, he does not seem inferior at all.
At this time, the sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the treetops, scattering mottled light on his back, forming a patchwork of light and shadow, which looked very beautiful.
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