Along the way, Xiang Wan also gave a brief introduction to her family situation, only saying that she and her sister had come to the city with their family, got separated while playing outside, and were now penniless, but fortunately the old lady had taken them in. Madam Liu said she would send a maid to wait at Fu Lai Xuan so that they could be notified if anyone came looking for them.
At this point, Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia felt relieved. They thought that the Liu family courtyard was not far from the restaurant, and if the Queen Mother knew that they had not returned home, she would definitely send someone over. They could go back then.
After Madam Liu entered the courtyard, the maidservant waiting by the door led the two to the hall to sit down, and then brought out tea and refreshments.
After entering the courtyard, Xiang Wan looked around. The Liu family's courtyard was not large. In addition to a reception room in the middle, there was a side room on each side. On the east side of the courtyard, there was a large tree as thick as a person, with a stone table and chairs placed under the tree. The courtyard wall was about a person high and covered with ivy.
As darkness fell, Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia sat in the living room for a while and chatted with Madam Liu. Then, two burly guards placed a round table in a side room next to the main hall, and maids began to place food on the table.
Xiang Xia was a little reserved and uneasy, being her first time visiting a stranger's home, and was pulled to the table by Xiang Wan. Madam Liu left one maid behind, and the rest of the guests dispersed.
"Don't be nervous. Few people usually come to my courtyard. Your presence will make this old woman feel more lively," Madam Liu said to Xiang Wan and the other woman after they sat down. "The dishes served are all ordinary. I don't know if you will like them."
“Madam, you’re too kind. We’ve been the ones troubling you. Let me offer you a cup of tea instead of wine,” Xiang Xia said, picking up the teacup and addressing Madam Liu.
"Ruyi, don't you know we have guests? Bring out the fruit wine. If you neglect the guests, you'll be held responsible." Madam Liu didn't respond to Xia's words. She frowned and gave the maid beside her a sharp look.
The maid pursed her lips, seemed about to say something but then suppressed it, answered "Yes," and turned to walk towards the backyard.
Xiang Xia was a little embarrassed for a moment, unsure whether to drink from the teacup or put it down.
"Don't mind her, I've spoiled my maid, she has no sense of propriety at all." Madam Liu explained to Xia in a slow voice. Seeing that Xia hadn't put down her teacup, she pretended to have just noticed it, picked up her teacup, clinked it with Xia's and Xiang Wan's, and took a small sip.
From the moment Xiang Wan sat down, her eyes gleamed as she stared at the food laid out on the table. As a true foodie, she could tell which dishes were exquisite and which suited her taste just by smelling them. Several dishes that were served were the same as those she had at the Fu Lai Xuan restaurant at lunchtime, which puzzled her. Just as she was pondering this, she heard Madam Liu scolding a maid, and her attention was immediately drawn to the food.
After clinking glasses with Madam Liu, she slowly sipped her tea, pondering that Madam Liu seemed quite different from how she had acted during their conversation on the way. Both she and Xiang Xia were young ladies who generally didn't drink alcohol, yet Madam Liu had sent a maid to fetch fruit wine, and the maid seemed reluctant, not at all like a proper mistress and servant. Thinking back to when she met Madam Liu that afternoon, she realized there were no maids with her. In her memory, it was unusual for a mistress to go out while the maid stayed home guarding the door—this was too strange.
Thinking of this, Xiang Wan became wary. Despite her usual carefree and easygoing nature, once she became alert, it wasn't so easy for anyone to deceive her.
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