"Mother, I... I was so excited last night that I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, so I didn't sleep well this morning."
Ye Huan lowered her head timidly, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her gaze darting away, not daring to look directly into Madam Ye's sharp and slightly reproachful eyes.
Seeing this, Madam Ye could only shake her head helplessly.
She sighed and said, "Look at yourself! With those huge dark circles under your eyes, where is the dignified appearance a lady of a noble family should have? The young lady from the Duke's mansion is going to the banquet today. If you're so unkempt and slovenly, won't you be outshone by her?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Huan's heart skipped a beat.
She hurriedly said, "Mother, it's all my fault. I know I was wrong. Please don't worry. I'll go back and get ready right away."
Before the words were even finished, the person had already rushed back to their room like a gust of wind.
Oh dear, what if I really lose to them? Absolutely not!
In particular, I can't let Jiang Hai see me in this disheveled state; that would be very embarrassing.
Thinking of this, Ye Huan urged the maids to quickly tidy her up again.
Not long after, when Ye Huan reappeared before Madam Ye, he was like a completely different person.
She was dressed in a light pink brocade robe, the fabric of which was soft and smooth, as dazzling as the clouds in the sky.
The skirt hem is embroidered with lifelike flowers and fluttering butterflies, and the exquisite patterns are a sight to behold.
Her hair was also neatly combed, with smooth strands cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, adorned with a few sparkling pearl flowers.
A golden hairpin swayed gently as she walked, shimmering with a captivating light.
"Hmm, that's more like it." Madam Ye looked her daughter up and down, finally revealing a satisfied smile, and nodded slightly.
Then he took Ye Huan's hand and said, "Alright, let's hurry up and not be late."
And so, the mother and daughter boarded a magnificent carriage and headed toward the general's mansion.
Madam Ye doesn't care how Ye Huan dresses on a normal day.
Today is different; Madam Jiang is hosting two daughters-in-law, which will naturally lead to comparisons.
Although my daughter may have some shortcomings in other areas, her appearance is no worse than others.
However, Mrs. Ye felt that her daughter was good in every way.
When their carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the tall and solemn vermilion gate of the General's Mansion, they saw a row of servants dressed in uniform and standing respectfully at the entrance.
They all stood with their hands at their sides, their faces bearing eager and humble smiles, quietly awaiting the arrival of their distinguished guests.
Ye Huan intended to leap off the carriage as nimbly as before, but just as she was about to do so, she keenly sensed the sharp look in her mother's eyes.
That look was like an invisible shackle, instantly suppressing her impulse.
Therefore, Ye Huan could only obediently step down from the carriage with the careful assistance of the maid beside her, in an elegant and dignified manner.
Just then, a magnificently decorated carriage from the Duke's mansion slowly pulled up in front of them.
As the car door opened slightly, a refreshing and charming figure in green came into view—it was Zheng Yao. Today, she was wearing a bright green dress, like a tender bud just blooming in spring, fresh and vibrant.
Ye Huan's gaze was immediately drawn to it, and her eyes lit up. She secretly admired her, thinking, "Miss Zheng is really beautiful!"
Immediately afterwards, Madam Zheng also stepped down from the carriage with great poise.
As soon as she got out of the car, her gaze met that of Mrs. Ye, who was not far away.
Upon seeing this, Madam Ye quickly nodded slightly to Madam Zheng to express her greeting.
However, Madam Zheng remained indifferent, adopting an attitude of keeping strangers at bay.
Faced with this situation, Madam Ye was at a loss for how to respond and could only stand there awkwardly.
...
Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat awkward, a burst of hearty laughter suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Madam Jiang, with a smile on her face, walking out with light steps to greet them warmly.
As she walked briskly over, she called out loudly, "Oh dear, my dear in-laws, please come in! You must be tired from your journey."
Zheng Yao and Ye Huan quickly stepped forward and bowed to Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang beamed from ear to ear, nodding and praising, "Good, good, good, they are all well-behaved and sensible children!"
Zheng Yao looked up at Madam Jiang in front of her. She saw that Madam Jiang had a kind face and a friendly expression, and the tension in her heart immediately eased.
With a beaming smile, Ye Huan affectionately took Madam Jiang's arm and said sweetly, "Auntie! Huan'er has missed you so much!"
However, Madam Zheng, standing to the side, secretly scoffed, thinking to herself that this little girl had such a sweet tongue. She hadn't even married into the family yet, and she had already made her future mother-in-law so happy and dizzy.
Madam Jiang smiled and gently patted Ye Huan's head, saying tenderly, "Huan'er, it's been quite a while since you've visited your aunt at the General's Mansion. You must stay here today and chat with your aunt to cheer her up."
Ye Huan nodded obediently and said in a coquettish tone, "Of course, Huan'er will definitely take good care of Auntie."
At this moment, Madam Jiang turned her gaze to Zheng Yao, reached out and took her small hand, carefully examining the gentle and lovely girl in front of her, and sincerely exclaimed, "Oh my, look at this child, she is so adorable!"
Hearing Madam Jiang's praise, Zheng Yao couldn't help but feel a little shy. She lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Auntie, you flatter me too much."
Ye Huan, who had been standing to the side, couldn't contain her joy and interjected, "Sister Zheng! You are so beautiful! You are so lovely, you could make the moon hide its face and the flowers blush with shame!"
Madam Ye looked at Zheng Yao with admiration, and Zheng Yao replied gracefully, "My sister is also naturally beautiful, as lovely as an angel!"
Ye Huan was overjoyed to hear the praise and took Zheng Yao's other hand, saying, "From now on, we're family. I love you."
As they were talking, Ye Huan's gaze inadvertently met Madam Zheng's.
At that very moment, Ye Huan clearly saw that Madam Zheng's eyes were filled with disdain and contempt.
She met Madam Zheng's gaze again, but this time Madam Zheng looked calm.
Madam Ye saw it too, and suddenly felt an inexplicable anger rise from the bottom of her heart.
He thought to himself: Humph! It's just a Duke's mansion, what's so great about it! How dare they look down on my daughter like that!
But seeing that both children seemed completely innocent, Madam Ye let it go.
Having a daughter with an easy-going sister-in-law is a blessing.
Looking at her two children, Mrs. Jiang felt a deep sense of happiness.
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