As soon as Chen Jinheng carrying the boy walked away, the hall fell silent.
Old Madam Chen slowly stood up, walked towards Gu Qianluo, took her hands, and said in a deep voice,
"The child is ignorant, Sister Luo, don't take it to heart. He'll realize his mistake after his father disciplines him for a while."
Lady Hou chimed in, "Yes, Qianluo, it's all Chen Jinheng's fault for being too sentimental and loyal, that's why..."
"Shut up! Shouldn't Jinheng care about those three women? If he's such an ungrateful person, he doesn't deserve to be the son of my Marquis Zhongyong!"
Before Lady Hou could finish speaking, the Marquis interrupted her.
"Enough! Today is the bride's first day of greetings. Are you two going to argue here?"
When Marquis Zhongyong saw that Madam Chen was waving her cane, he knew that she was angry. He felt a little ashamed and quickly went forward to help Madam Chen sit down.
"It's the son who made his mother angry, not the mother."
A moment later, a woman of dignified appearance, elegant attire, and middle to upper age slowly walked in from outside the door and gave a slight curtsy.
"Your daughter-in-law greets Madam Chen, Lord Marquis, and Madam Marquis. The kitchen has prepared the feast."
The young masters and ladies, already seated, clamored to ask when the feast would begin!
Upon hearing the sound, Gu Qianluo turned slightly and looked at the woman.
Her face was delicate, her skin was slightly yellow, her eyes were full of gentleness, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth from time to time. Her every move revealed a sense of dignity and composure.
The woman happened to be looking at her at that moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"This must be my second brother's new bride, right? It's said that the eldest daughter of the Gu family is beautiful and has a stunning appearance. Seeing her today, I can confirm that the rumors are true!"
"I'm your sister-in-law. If you have any questions about the household, feel free to come and ask me."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's cheeks flushed crimson, and she said modestly,
"Greetings, sister-in-law. Thank you for your kind words, but I am just an ordinary woman and I am afraid I cannot live up to your praise."
"We can manage! Luo'er, you should learn more about things from your sister-in-law so you can better manage this manor in the future!"
After Old Madam Chen finished speaking, Gu Qianluo glanced at her sister-in-law, Zhang Shi, whose eyes subtly revealed displeasure, but she said aloud,
"Yes! Yes! Your elder brother's health has been deteriorating lately, and I have to stay with him day and night. There are many things to do in the manor, and I am worried every day, afraid of delaying important matters in the manor."
Now that you're married into the family, I can finally put my mind at ease!
Gu Qianlu remembered that in her previous life, when Gu Qianxue went back to her parents' home, the person she complained about the most was her sister-in-law.
Gu Qianxue often complained to Gu Cixiu that her sister-in-law frequently tried to sow discord between her and Chen Jinheng, and often used her position as the eldest sister-in-law to set rules for her.
Gu Qianxue was extremely jealous, which was constantly criticized by her sister-in-law, who often complained about her behind her back to Madam Hou and Old Madam Chen.
Over time, Gu Qianluo came to understand her sister-in-law, Zhang Shi, better.
Now that Old Madam Chen intends to have her eldest sister-in-law hand over the power to manage the household, she naturally needs to make the most of it. After all, the Marquis's mansion is a deep and treacherous place, and only by having the power to manage the household can one live comfortably.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's smile gradually spread across her face, and she gently chuckled at Zhang Shi.
"The new bride has just entered the family, and she still needs more guidance from her elder sister-in-law. It is my honor to be able to share her worries!"
"If you ever need any help in the future, sister-in-law, just let me know!"
Zhang believed that Gu Qianluo, as a new bride, should abide by the rules, conceal her ambition for power, and be a cautious and prudent person, which would be the wise thing to do.
However, she discovered that Qianluo intended to compete with her for the right to manage the family, and she began to harbor a lot of hatred towards her.
As soon as Gu Qianlu finished speaking, Zhang raised an eyebrow, revealing an extremely unnatural smile, and stammered,
"Heh...heh, I never expected my sister-in-law to be so considerate! My second brother has really married a good wife!"
"Not at all, sister-in-law, you flatter me," Gu Qianluo replied softly.
The women chatted amongst themselves for a few more minutes, exchanging greetings with each other's children.
The sun outside grew increasingly intense, and the Marquis suddenly rose and addressed the crowd with instructions.
"Go and eat! If you don't go now, the kids will definitely cause a huge uproar!"
The women nodded in unison and walked towards the garden, embracing each other.
Because this luncheon was to be eaten together by all three branches of the family, it was specially held in a garden near the Hou Mansion ancestral hall.
"Fourth Miss! Stop fooling around! If you get your hands dirty, Third Old Madam will definitely scold you!"
Shh! Don't make a sound, the kitten just fell asleep!
As soon as she reached the garden entrance, Gu Qianluo saw a little girl dressed in a pink riding outfit kneeling beside a rockery, holding a yellow and white kitten in her arms.
"What a kind-hearted child," Gu Qianlu thought to herself.
Although the group saw the little girl, when they reached her side, they acted as if they didn't see her and walked towards the Hundred Flowers Garden not far away.
The entire Hundred Flowers Garden is like a fairyland on earth. A clear pool of water, as bright as a mirror, is surrounded by flowers. A winding stone path leads through the garden, and the artificial hills and strange rocks beside it seem to come alive under the washing of the water.
Warm sunshine poured down, a gentle spring breeze blew by, colorful butterflies fluttered and danced among the crowd, and the song of orioles could be heard from the tall trees not far away.
The children from the second and third wives' families had already taken their seats, and the scene looked quite lively from afar.
Gu Qianlu couldn't help but recall her previous life, where the Second Prince's residence was strict with etiquette, forbidding people from speaking while eating or sleeping. Every meal felt like a task to be completed, and even the food lost its flavor.
Although the Chen family is a family of meritorious officials, they seem to be less strict about minor rules because of their generations of military service.
The men sat around a table near the pond, while the women sat at several tables near the flower bushes.
After the masters were seated, the servants filed in, carrying dishes served in blue and white porcelain.
The dishes at the Marquis of Zhongyong's family banquet were undoubtedly excellent, consisting of nine dishes: Green Wave Carp Soup, Golden Phoenix Flower Caramel Crab, Brocade Shrimp, Auspicious Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Scallion Oil Chicken, Crispy Pork, Golden Silk Bamboo Shoots, Dongpo Pork, and Three Shredded Tofu. In addition, each person received a bowl of nourishing Eight Treasures Soup.
"Come, Luo-jie, try this crispy pork. I remember meeting your grandmother at the post station ten years ago."
She saw that I had heatstroke and couldn't eat, so she made this dish for me.
Gu Qianluo slowly handed over the bowl, nodding repeatedly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Grandmother. I didn't expect you to remember something from ten years ago. Actually, I can make this dish too. If you like it, I'll make it for you another day."
"Alright! Alright! Luo'er is such a good child!"
Gu Qianluo savored the dishes from the Marquis's residence while observing the expressions of the people at the table.
Just as she was enjoying her meal, a burst of impatient commotion reached her ears.
"Let me in! I want to see what kind of person the Second Young Master married that caused my brother An to be punished by kneeling!"
"Miss Lin! This is a family banquet at the Marquis's residence. You cannot enter without the Marquis's permission!"
"Get out of my way! If something happens to my brother An, can you take responsibility?"
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