Chapter 61: Entertaining Guests
Hui Xiang, who was standing next to her, looked at the painted paper from left to right and exclaimed in amazement, "Young lady, your paintings are so beautiful! Are you really going to give all these to the sisters in the mansion?"
She still remembered what her master said to the strange young man.
Seeing her expression of being reluctant to let go of it, Qiao Wei smiled and said, "You're still feeling sorry for it. Can you use it?"
They have learned some words from Xu Shuyao in the past two years. Although Qiaowei is not young anymore, she studies very hard and has made considerable progress.
But Huixiang's handwriting always looked like chicken claws, which made her a laughing stock.
Hui Xiang made a bitter face and said, "Forget it. I wouldn't dare use such beautiful paper even if you gave it to me."
Xu Shuyao raised her head from the desk and asked, "What are you going to do with it?"
"Put it next to your pillow, take it out every day and look at it and smell it."
Xu Shuyao smiled and said, "That's exactly the point."
The maid Qiao Wei also smiled knowingly. She had followed her master to the store before, so she naturally heard the conversation between her master and Manager Yang.
The girl is trying to figure out how to make money!
But in the maid's heart, the master's image seemed to be even taller.
Originally, people only saw that she could cook and embroider, which were skills that ordinary women could learn. Although it was a bit rare for a lady like Xu Shuyao, it was not too surprising.
But now, seeing that she was so good at painting, Qiaowei's admiration for the girl deepened.
Thinking back on the years she spent in Jinhuatang, Second Madam Chen had gone to great lengths to help her daughter learn painting.
In the end, the two girls hired a famous teacher, but the finished products were not as vivid as the few strokes that the cousin casually drew on the edge of the paper.
Xu Shuyao was busy at Jiyunzhai, and soon it was the sixth day of December.
She had received instructions from her aunt before, requiring her to bring her two cousins to receive the young ladies who came to visit the house.
For this purpose, Chen also specially introduced to them the ladies who might appear at the banquet.
For example, how old is he, how many sisters he has in his family, whether he is legitimate or illegitimate, what official positions his father and brother hold now, and what kind of in-law relationships there are between the various mansions.
After hearing this one by one, Xu Shuyao finally understood a little.
Of course, her aunt asked her to bring her two cousins, but Xu Shuyao knew that this was just a courtesy from her aunt.
How could she, a cousin, go beyond her cousin in the mansion?
So on this morning, when the ladies from various mansions arrived one after another, Xu Shuyao just followed behind Xiao Jinshan, acting as a not-so-eye-catching green leaf.
Occasionally, when I saw her stuck with something, I would go up to her and say hello.
It must be because she attended the previous two banquets. Now when others asked her about it, at least one or two young ladies she knew would answer, "The one you are talking about is the cousin of the Duke's Mansion."
The person asking the question will just say "oh" and go on talking to someone else.
Just like the previous two times, no matter how beautiful Xu Shuyao is, or how thoughtful and considerate she is in her actions, her identity will always be the gap that cannot be crossed.
This time, the eldest daughter Xiao Jinru also came back. Xu Shuyao had been hiding in Jiyunzhai for the past two years, so naturally she had no chance to see her.
Later, my second cousin Jinyi got married, and Xiao Jinru was still in confinement after giving birth.
To be precise, this was the first time she met her cousin.
Xiao Jinru was wearing a full-sleeved jacket with an indigo-colored satin background. His hair was in a peony bun, and a hairpin made of chrysoprase and emerald was inserted in his hair crown. He looked both luxurious and dignified.
Xiao Jinru married Cui Fengan, the young marquis of Wu'an Marquis's family. In just a few years, she now has two sons and a daughter.
Therefore, she is now extremely proud in front of both her mother-in-law and her husband.
What's more, her family has fathers and brothers like Duke Chengguo and Xiao Mo, so she is naturally a guest of honor wherever she goes.
But this young lady is not arrogant, on the contrary she is very easy-going.
Appearing at the same time as Xiao Jinru was the second girl, Xiao Jinyi. Compared to the eldest girl's luxury and grandeur, the second girl was much duller.
Xiao Jinyi originally had a rather plain appearance, but after getting married she became even more plain.
Xu Shuyao smiled and said, "First cousin! Second cousin!"
Xiao Jinru took her hand and said, "I often heard my mother and grandmother talk about you, and I always felt regretful. This time, I finally met you."
After saying that, he looked at her and nodded, "It's really beautiful."
Xu Shuyao had heard too many people praising her beauty before, so she didn't feel anything special.
But Xu Shuyao was still a little surprised when her cousin said that Old Madam Xiao and the Duke's wife had mentioned her many times.
Forget about Old Madam Xiao. She now spends an hour or two in Songhe Hall every day, so she naturally has some friendship with the old lady.
But when it comes to the Duke's wife, the two of them rarely talk to each other. I think it's just a courtesy from this cousin.
Xu Shuyao also smiled and said, "Shuyao is the same. I only heard of my cousin before, but today I finally see her in person."
Xiao Jinyi smiled and continued, "Cousin Xu, you don't know, but my elder sister left those noble ladies behind to come see you. She even brought me along."
After hearing what her second sister said, Xiao Jinru winked at Xu Shuyao playfully, "I'm looking for you on the one hand, and I'm really not used to staying there on the other hand."
What would those ladies say?
In addition to discussing how to control the concubines in the mansion, they also discussed how to control the illegitimate sons and daughters.
When Xiao Jinyi heard her words, his face froze, but soon returned to normal.
She was listening with great interest and didn't find it boring at all.
I thought to myself that this elder sister had married a good husband, so she didn't know the joys and sorrows of others.
As they were talking, the young ladies sitting there also looked over.
Xiao Jinru has always been a person that others envy and flatter in the capital, and a young lady came over to say hello.
Xiao Jinshan also walked up to her and called out obediently, "Big Sister!"
Seeing that there was already a group of people standing in front of her, Xu Shuyao stopped moving forward.
However, her second sister Xiao Jinyi later held her hand and talked to her for a long time.
Xu Shuyao had been in a relationship with this second sister for the past two years out of respect.
In her impression, Xiao Jinyi is the one who speaks more appropriately than Xiao Jinshan.
But if she had to choose between the two, she would rather get along with her third sister.
Just like Xiao Jinyi looked at her at this moment, "I really don't know why my second brother married Cousin Liu. I know that mother originally had her eye on you."
After hearing this, Xu Shuyao really didn't know what expression or words to use to respond to her.
"Second cousin knows how good cousin Liu is." Xu Shuyao replied dryly.
The newlyweds will be getting married soon. Even if I know that my mother has had such thoughts, there is no need to tell her!
Xu Shuyao could only ask about her second sister's life in the Li family, thus changing the subject.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
