Chapter 502 Why are you looking for me instead of the man you want?
Because of Li San Niang's identity as a female doctor, the other three women besides Wang Niangzi also expressed their desire to befriend her.
Whether they genuinely believed that Li San Niang's ability to be a female doctor was a remarkable feat, or whether they secretly thought that befriending a female doctor would be beneficial to their own families.
At least on the surface, when Li San Niang ate at this table, she could at least exchange a few words with everyone and wasn't left out.
Thus, Li San Niang felt even more grateful to Qian Niangzi.
Actually, Li San Niang didn't want to come when she received Qian Niangzi's invitation.
Firstly, I felt that taking a whole day to attend such a banquet was a waste of time.
With this time, whether it's working at the clinic or staying home with Luzhu, it's better than coming here.
Secondly, she felt that these aristocratic families, whether they genuinely wanted to associate with her or valued her abilities, were not a good match for the Li family to which Li San Niang belonged at that time.
When people of vastly different social standing interact, one of them will inevitably have to compromise.
Li San Niang did not want to compromise, nor did she want to see others feigning humility and subservience.
Therefore, Li San Niang initially didn't really want to attend Qian Xiao Lang's birthday banquet, which Qian Niang Zi had mentioned.
However, since she had already come, it was only later that Li San Niang changed her mind.
It was because of Li's mother and sister-in-law's words that Li San Niang decided to bring Lu Zhu'er to the banquet.
"Third Sister, although only your eldest brother, eldest son, and second son are currently in official positions in our family, you yourself are already one of the few women who are out in the field."
In the future, as your children and nephews grow up, our family's status will naturally rise.
However, in terms of interpersonal relationships, we must start laying a solid foundation from now on.
Lady Qian sent you an invitation to this banquet. If you politely decline, wouldn't that be disrespectful to her?
But Sister-in-law Li spoke from a different perspective.
"Third Sister, our family only has one young lady, Luzhu. She can only talk to Baoya or your disciple Song Fuling a few words on weekdays."
This invitation from the Qian family's lady is a good opportunity. You should take Luzhu'er to meet other young ladies.
As the dewdrops grow larger, they too will eventually have their own close female friends.
So Li San Niang dressed up Lu Zhu'er nicely and brought her to the Qian family's banquet.
Looking at it now, Dewdrop is indeed very happy to have so many children her age to play with, and Li San Niang can see that, apart from a few individuals, most of the children are quite friendly.
Moreover, on the surface, no woman treated Dewdrop differently because she was just the child of a commoner female doctor, and no one forbade their child from playing with Dewdrop.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that Lu Zhu'er was playing with Qian Xiaolang.
Besides Qian Xiaolang and Baoyu, Li Sanniang also saw Luzhu'er playing very well with a little girl in a pale yellow dress, the two of them holding hands the whole time.
Children also need to interact with others, and Li San Niang felt that today's trip was worthwhile.
This wealthy family had many customs and traditions after the meal.
Li San Niang led Lu Zhu'er and followed Wang Niangzi, who was led by a maid, through a corridor and into a main room.
Just as Li San Niang had thought, after the meal, it was time to drink tea.
However, Li San Niang also noticed that most of the women sitting in the main hall were women with children.
There were a few unmarried young women scattered among the crowd, but presumably most of them had met their husbands in the garden while attending the banquet.
After they sat down, a clever little maidservant came forward to pour them tea. Li San Niang sat down with the same group of people she had eaten with earlier.
"Haha, I think in a little while, Madam Qian will be able to invite those two young ladies to the garden."
The plump woman raised an eyebrow at the crowd and smiled kindly.
Madam Wang chimed in, "My husband's younger brother is here today too. I wonder if any of them will be interested in him later."
Li San Niang thought to herself, "Oh, so everyone knows that there's a blind date coming up today too."
The group chatted about their experiences of being considered for marriage before they were married, when they accompanied their elders to various banquets. Li Sanniang listened with great interest.
"It turns out that at this time, marriages between wealthy and powerful families were no longer considered arranged marriages."
It's quite humane that there are even places where unmarried men and women can meet and get to know each other.
After sitting for a while, sure enough, Madam Qian came into the house to inform everyone to go to the garden to watch the performance.
"Today, many talented and outstanding young men and women have come. They have decided to set up a stage for a performance. Let's go to the garden and see who will be the first to perform."
This scene reminded Li San Niang of the banquet she attended at the Duke of Liang's mansion (Chapter 57).
However, the Qian family's entourage was not as grand as that of the Duke of Liang's mansion. They simply removed the tables and chairs and laid out a carpet in the small square where they had just eaten.
Li San Niang originally wanted to observe the skills of the various ladies and gentlemen here, but the little rascal Lu Zhu'er had no interest in seeing any of that. She kept pulling on Li San Niang's hand, saying she wanted to see the flowers that Bao Yu had just told her about.
Li San Niang asked carefully, and then Lu Zhu'er said, "Mother, Sister Bao Yu said that there is a big red flower inside, and it is very beautiful."
Li San Niang couldn't possibly disobey Lu Zhu'er. After glancing at the woman playing the pipa in the small square, Li San Niang still followed Lu Zhu'er's lead and headed into the garden.
Li San Niang watched Lu Zhu'er run forward, and she and Qiu Xiang followed behind Lu Zhu'er slowly.
Because Lu Zhu'er was a well-behaved and sensible child, she would stop and wait for Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang after running for a while and seeing that she was a little too far away from them.
"I wonder where those really red flowers are?"
Li San Niang said this to Qiu Xiang, but before she could finish speaking, she heard a soft voice behind her: "Is that Doctor Li up ahead?"
Li San Niang turned around and saw a tall woman in a green dress looking in their direction from about ten steps away.
Li San Niang stopped and gestured for Qiu Xiang to pull Lu Zhu'er over.
When the woman in the green dress came over, Dewdrop, with Qiuxiang holding her hand, stood next to Li Sanniang.
"I am Li Mingfang, and I do indeed practice medicine in Yongpingfang."
"Who is your wife?"
The woman in green bowed to Li San Niang, and the little maid behind her also bowed. Li San Niang then pulled Lu Zhu'er and Qiu Xiang to return the bow.
Then the woman in green looked over with an inquiring gaze. "I am Song Zhenzhu. I have met Doctor Li."
I have something I'd like to discuss with Dr. Li privately. Would you be so kind as to do me that?
If Li San Niang had God's perspective, she would know that she had indeed seen this woman named Song Zhenzhu before, but only once from afar.
This Song Zhenzhu was the young lady from the Song family siblings that Li San Niang saw from afar when she ran into Xu Jingzhen and Fang Chengxian at Juyi Tower on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
(Chapter 452 plot)
Although Li San Niang was a doctor, she was first and foremost a woman.
The woman's sixth sense told Li San Niang that this woman named Song Zhenzhu was not the patient who had come to her for treatment.
However, they had already found her, and although Li San Niang was not related to them, they were still being so polite, especially since it was at Qian Xiao Lang's birthday banquet.
In any case, it's best not to make things awkward.
Then Li San Niang said to Qiu Xiang, "You take Lu Zhu'er and play here for a while. I'll go to the stone bench over there and have a word with this Lady Song."
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