傍晚时，花厅设团圆宴，石岚心不在焉的吃了几口，等到晚上围炉守岁，她更是强行扭转筋骨，让自己脸色惨白，身体颤抖欲倒。最新最快更新，提供免费阅读
韩氏怕她真病了，没敢让她熬夜守岁。
阮妈妈得了话，连忙搀着石岚回到芳妍院。
Upon entering, Shi Lan immediately dismissed the other maids, handed the small box to Mama Ruan, and repeated the old lady's words to her, saying, "Mama, what do you think Grandmother meant by this?"
When Madam Ruan opened the box, she found two flower ornaments, a comb with twisted gold thread, and a beautifully woven gold belt inside.
Upon seeing this, Madam Ruan's face immediately tightened, her previously relaxed cheeks lifting sharply. After a long while, she suddenly smiled, gently closed the box, and said, "You should grow your hair back next year. The Imperial Concubine has prepared flower hairpins and pearl rings for you, but you won't be able to wear them after a while. The old lady sent this because she was worried that we might have overlooked something and hadn't prepared in advance."
Shi Lan frowned as she looked at Ruan's mother, feeling that she seemed to be hiding something from her.
Ruan's mother was too emotional just now and couldn't help but show it. Now she has returned to normal. Even under Shi Lan's scrutinizing gaze, she still smiled very sincerely, making Shi Lan wonder if she was being paranoid and misinterpreting other people's good intentions.
Green Jade whispered through the curtain, "Madam, the First Madam asked if you are feeling better. Should we ask the doctor to come and take a look?"
Shi Lan quickly said no need, as inviting a doctor back during the Lunar New Year would only invite unnecessary gossip.
Green Jade responded, and then the sound of footsteps outside the door grew fainter and fainter.
Shi Lan turned to look at Ruan Mama again, only to see that she had already turned around, put the small box in the cabinet and locked it, then went to the burning charcoal fire to pick up a few pieces of charcoal and put them into several copper kettles, wrapped them up in layers, placed them on the soft mattress, and covered them with quilts to warm the bed.
Shi Lan kicked her foot in frustration. The original owner had lived in the north since childhood and knew nothing about the local etiquette. Shi Lan had not been here for long and only had a superficial understanding of most of the things she knew. At this moment, Madam Ruan was clearly not going to tell her anything. Even though Shi Lan was anxious, she had no choice but to go to the mirror and remove her hair ornaments and other items. She waited sullenly to be served to bed.
At this moment, Ruan's mother, who had her back to Shi Lan, looked extremely pale. Her eyes, which were never smiling, revealed a cold and sharp edge, and her tightly pursed lips were as sharp as a knife.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, before dawn, Shi Lan got up and joined her family in paying respects to their ancestors.
Afterwards, Madam Ruan used the excuse that Shi Lan was in poor health to decline the invitations from Madam Sun and Pan Jinxuan, and took her back to Fangyan Courtyard.
Once the New Year is over, time seems to fly by. After the lively and bustling New Year, the Beginning of Spring arrives in the blink of an eye. Tender buds gently unfold through the still lingering cold, and flower buds, some pink, some red, and some yellow, stand timidly among the blossoms, shyly revealing a touch of charm.
Having received instructions from the Imperial Concubine, Lady Han had already begun planning a spring flower banquet at her residence, setting the date before the Flower Festival.
On the tenth day of the second month, the garden of the Marquis's mansion was filled with people dressed in fragrant clothes and with their hair in cloud-like hair. Madam Han warmly invited several imperial concubines to drink tea and chat in the flower hall. Pan Jinxuan was pulled by Madam Han to greet the visiting young ladies. Because she was worried that she might make a mistake if she was alone, Shi Lan was moved by Pan Jinxuan's pleading and had no choice but to stand there and watch over everyone, enduring their nonsense about rouge and powder or whether a certain poem was well-structured and rhymed.
"Isn't it boring?"
Suddenly, a figure walked towards her from the corner. Shi Lan turned her head and saw that it was Zhang Erniang, whom she had not seen since leaving the palace.
"You're here too?"
Shi Lan was somewhat surprised. Most of the young ladies brought by the noblewomen invited by Madam Han this time were about the same age as Pan Jinxuan, and Zhang Erniang was the same age as herself. There was no need for her to come and join in the fun.
Zhang Erniang glanced at her indifferently, then looked at the flower hall where Han Shi was, "I've come to see who Pan's eldest daughter will end up with."
Shi Lan raised an eyebrow. Was this something a child who had just started growing his hair should have said? Even if she was mature beyond her years, shouldn't she at least show some girlish shyness or bashfulness on such a sensitive topic?
Zhang Erniang looked at her with a mocking gaze and said, "Don't tell me you don't know the purpose of the Marquis's mansion holding this flower banquet."
Shi Lan did not speak.
Zhang Erniang looked at her in surprise, and after a while, she laughed and said, "No way, didn't the Imperial Concubine tell you?"
Shi Lan slowly shook her head. Zhang Erniang pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's true. With the Imperial Concubine behind you, such misfortune shouldn't befall you."
Shi Lan's mind raced, and she frowned, deliberately feigning impatience as she said, "Just say what you want to say. I'm not an older sister, and I don't have the patience to play games with you."
Zhang Erniang turned her face, as if she wanted to say something.
At this moment, a commotion suddenly arose in the garden. Pan Jinyue, dressed in a gold-embroidered flower fairy dress with a twelve-panel gold-sprinkled skirt, swayed as she walked over, surrounded by several young ladies with whom she had a fairly good relationship in the past.
Zhang Erniang glanced coldly at Pan Jinyue, then suddenly let out a chilling sneer.
This was the first time Shi Lan had ever seen her show such an expression to someone since she had known her, which surprised her.
Zhang Erniang quickly composed herself, reverting to the cold demeanor she had when they first met, and said, "Although the Qin family's Thirteenth Son is renowned for his talent, he is by nature cruel and tyrannical. Two of his concubines have already been tortured to death by him. If Madam Pan were to marry him, she would likely waste her life."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lan frowned, wanting to ask how she knew such a private matter, but Zhang Erniang pursed her lips, glanced sideways at Pan Jinyue who was walking closer and closer, and walked away without looking back.
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