Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Going to the Banquet Alone...
Tang Yuan rushed towards Lin Qiuran and hugged her legs. "Mom, this door is really interesting. There are so many!"
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Take a closer look. Are there any other differences?"
Tangyuan came over and started playing hide-and-seek with Xiao Xun. He just felt it was novel and didn't pay much attention to anything else.
He walked back and forth twice more before finally seeing something bright. He ran back and said to Lin Qiuran, "Mom, this door looks like the moon to me. It's a real moon. From here, the first door looks like the full moon on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the ones after that look like other days."
Xiao Xun smiled and looked at Lin Qiuran, nodding his nose. "That's right. Let's go home and have lunch."
Lin Qiuran had someone calculate the moving date for the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, which was a few days away. They could start moving their belongings here from now on. There was no rush for anything they couldn't move, as everything was in the capital, so they could easily get anything they needed later.
When they got home, the cook had already prepared the meal and the maids carried the food boxes to Shou'an Hall.
This was ordered long ago. As soon as they got home, the three of them went to Shou'an Hall. This was Lin Qiuran's first time here.
Shou'an Hall was decorated to Sun's own specifications. A neat and tidy person, she kept everything immaculately tidy. The snow outside had been swept away, and the interior was tidy and warm. The decorations Lin Qiuran had sent were already in place, and the maids wiped the place down daily.
There were embroidery baskets and unfinished embroidery sheds in the room. Sun had nothing to do on weekdays, so she would make clothes and embroider flowers. She had nothing to do anyway.
Life is getting better and better. At first I started selling food, then I started selling dumplings, and now I have someone to serve me and I don’t have to do anything myself.
Sun felt that although there was an embroiderer in the mansion, making it for her grandson was also her own idea.
The embroidery basket was placed on the kang, where Sun slept these days because it was very warm when it was heated at night. She thought it was a very good thing, but it was a pity that Yu An didn't have it.
When Tangyuan came, Sun was very happy and gave him the snacks that she usually asked her maid to buy.
The family was not short of money, and Mrs. Sun was not as frugal as before.
After breaking off a small piece of the glutinous rice ball and finishing it, he said, "Grandma, please eat it next time you come, otherwise I won't be able to eat lunch."
Sun smiled and said, "Okay, then don't eat it for now."
Lunch was simple, with dishes like steamed sea bass and sweet and sour pork tenderloin. Lin Qiuran preferred the winter melon meatball soup, having just returned from outside, and it warmed him up.
While eating, Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, I wrote a letter to Dad. Please pack up over there so that he can come to the capital before the New Year."
The letter was sent after Xiao Xun came back. Originally, Lin Qiuran planned to wait until he moved in and settled down before sending someone to pick up Xiao Dashi, but that would be too tight on time.
The New Year was coming soon, and Sun and Xiao Xun would definitely prefer Xiao Dashi to come over quickly to celebrate the New Year with the family. Of course, there was also the option of returning to Yu'an, but they had just arrived and Xiao Xun was afraid he would be busy, so he decided not to go back.
Lin Qiuran sent a letter, telling Xiao Dashi that Xiao Xun had returned, and asked Xiao Dashi to hire someone from the escort agency as they did when they came to Beijing, and to bring over the profit books of Jindinglou for the past few months.
This is both safe and worry-free.
In the letter, Lin Qiuran deliberately frightened Xiao Dashi, saying that it was not safe to bring the silver with him and that he had to hire someone from the escort agency. He was afraid that only caring about the carriage would not be worth the effort.
For someone like Xiao Dashi who wants to save money, this method is more effective than anything else.
Lin Qiuran also instructed Xiao Dashi on other matters in the letter, asking him to go to Linjia Village and ask if Xiaojia Village needed any help and send some money to make arrangements.
Sun nodded, "Okay, I let him come with Fei earlier, but I still have to go through the trouble of arranging for him to come again. You said this old man."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Dad, this is also for the family land."
Sun said, "When we arrived, the autumn harvest had already passed. What land could we harvest? Besides, we only have 200 acres back home, while we have much more in the capital."
Lin Qiuran said, "Drying and weighing are all jobs. Dad is used to dealing with crops, and he would be bored if he had to bring them over. Now that we have a field, Dad has something to do."
Sun said, "You are thinking about him. Let's eat. We can have a reunion dinner during the Chinese New Year this year."
Sun was smiling, extremely satisfied with her current life. In the past, the people in the old house treated them so well, and everything in other houses was better, but now...
She couldn't have children, but she had an adopted child. Xiao Xun was adopted, so what? He was granted a title, Lin Qiuran was filial to them, and they had a grandchild. Everything was good. If you knew this, you'd regret it.
But it's too late to regret.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Qiuran didn't feel that time had passed so quickly, but he was going to a banquet tomorrow.
She also heard Tang Yuan say to Xiao Xun: "Dad, the chilblains on your hands are smaller. They were swollen before, but now they are deflated!"
Lin Qiuran went over to take a look and saw that it was indeed the case. "It's a little better, but not completely healed yet. You still need to apply the ointment without interruption."
Xiao Xun nodded, "I know, it will definitely be non-stop. By the way, if you don't want to go to the banquet tomorrow, you don't have to go. Just find an excuse to turn it down."
Xiao Xun recalled that day when Lin Qiuran looked at the post for a long time and didn't seem very happy.
It was not easy for her to face all this right after arriving in Beijing.
It doesn't matter if you skip one party.
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've been to the Anyang Marquis' Mansion before. The old lady there treated me very kindly, and Tangyuan even helped the old Marquis there before."
Madam Qin had always treated her well before, and now that Xiao Xun was granted a title, as long as Xiao Xun and Marquis Anyang were not hostile to each other in the court, the relationship between the two families would only become closer.
The clothes have been made, and two pieces of jewelry bestowed by the emperor have been selected. All she needs to do is dress elegantly and gracefully.
If Lin Qiuran had sent an invitation from another mansion, she would have had to think twice, but she felt at ease with the Anyang Marquisate. Madam Qin treated her so well, but Lin Qiuran still occasionally wondered why.
They are not related in any way, and Mrs. Qin is not someone who has little affinity with her children, so why should she treat her and Tangyuan differently?
Anyway, a journey of a thousand miles reveals a horse's strength, and one will eventually figure it out. The next day, Lin Qiuran took a carriage to the Anyang Marquis's residence, and Tangyuan stayed at home under the care of Xiao Xun.
When they move the day after tomorrow, Xiao Xun can take Tangyuan to visit the new house.
Lin Qiuran thought the family could buy another car, otherwise the carriage at home would not be enough when she went out, so she could buy a better one. For example, the car in Anyang Marquis Mansion was quite good, with a gorgeous roof and walls.
Clothes make the man, and Buddhas are made of gold. I guess in the capital, there are not many people who give people a different look based on what they wear or what carriage they ride, but there are some.
The carriage arrived at the Anyang Marquis Mansion. Lin Qiuran got off, and Lin Xia followed beside him. Before they could hand the invitation to the doorman at the door, a maid came to meet them and led them to the main courtyard.
The Marquis's Mansion hadn't changed much since Lin Qiuran's last visit. When they arrived at the main courtyard, Anyang Marquis's wife, Yun, eagerly pulled Lin Qiuran aside to talk, ignoring the other guests. "Mother-in-law will be here soon. I've always thought your eyebrows and eyes were gentle, like Guanyin. I only recently learned that your husband is the Earl of Dingyuan."
You are young and promising. I am older than you, so you can just call me sister from now on. I heard that you just arrived in the capital, so if there is anything you don’t understand, just ask me. Don’t be polite with me, sisters.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but think that Xiao Xun's ability would elevate her status. She was always treated with respect wherever she went.
She smiled and called her sister, and Yun happily responded.
Yun's eyes brightened with warmth and sincerity. Although the Earl's Mansion and the Marquis' Mansion were one level lower than each other, her husband's title was inherited. Xiao Xun was a favorite of the Emperor, and young, with a promising future. If you wanted to make friends and become close to someone, you couldn't wait until they were truly powerful before rushing to visit them. Who would remember you then?
After a few more words, Yun introduced Lin Qiuran to the guests who had come today. The guests were very polite. Lin Qiuran remembered their faces and names, so he could talk to them when he met them in the future.
After a brief greeting, Mrs. Qin arrived.
Mrs. Qin couldn't help but get excited when she saw Lin Qiuran. She never thought that Lin Qiuran's husband would be Xiao Xun, who had made military achievements in defending his country in the northwest.
When Mrs. Qin heard Xiao Xun called this name, she couldn't sleep for half the night. She thought about it and wondered if the family who picked up the child also wanted him to find his biological parents, so they gave him this name.
Lü Zheng was not attending court now, so he had never seen what Xiao Xun looked like. Qin asked her son, but Marquis Anyang didn't know about this. He only said that the young man was handsome and heroic, but he couldn't tell whether he looked like Xiao Xun or not.
Madam Qin Qin suppressed the turmoil in her heart and walked towards Lin Qiuran.
Madam Qin was the elder, so Lin Qiuran took a few steps forward to greet her and asked, "It's been a while since we last met. How are you, Madam?"
Madam Qin said, "I'm fine. Are you okay? How are the children at home?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Thank you for your concern. Everything is fine."
Mrs. Qin's eyes flickered with emotion, "That's good."
She ignored the others and took Lin Qiuran's hand and sat down. There were many pots of flowers in the room, but before she could say anything, someone spoke.
"So the wife of the Earl of Dingyuan actually knew Old Madam Qin. I originally thought that the Earl of Dingyuan was from another place, and so was his wife. It turns out they were related like this." The beautiful woman said angrily, "Why didn't the old lady introduce them earlier? We could have sat down and talked together to relieve our boredom."
Someone else said, "My uncle said that Earl Dingyuan was young and promising, so I guessed his wife would be beautiful and intelligent. Now that I see her, it's true. They are a perfect match made in heaven."
With the addition of a young and promising person to the capital, there must be many people who have concerns, but now they can rest. As long as Lin Qiuran can stand firm, how can others interfere in family affairs?
This group of people have seen everything, and they have a bunch of nice things to say. Besides, at the banquet hosted by the wife of the Marquis of Anyang today, seeing Madam Qin and Lin Qiuran holding hands and talking, how could one not see something?
Furthermore, even if they truly despised the Xiao family for coming from such a small place, they wouldn't say much on the surface. Who would be so foolish as to openly find fault with someone, flatter and praise Lin Qiuran to the heavens?
Madam Qin also said, "You're mistaken. This girl and I have only known each other for a month. We just have similar personalities. Plus, she helped me a lot, so we became close. When I learned her husband had returned, I was also shocked. She is a cautious person. She has just arrived in the capital, so she needs our care in many areas."
Lin Qiuran lowered her head slightly, speaking softly and quietly, "I just arrived in the capital, thank you for your care and concern."
She then turned to the woman who had just spoken, "Mrs. Xu, thank you for your kindness. I'm new to the capital, and if I don't understand something, I'd appreciate your guidance."
After Mrs. Qin said a few words, everyone's curiosity was no longer there. Lin Qiuran felt a little panicked, as he owed someone a favor again.
The rest of the people were enjoying the flowers and drinking tea. Mrs. Qin didn't leave, so Lin Qiuran stayed by her side.
Lin Qiuran said to Madam Qin, "If you need any help in the future, just tell me."
You can't forget your roots just because you become an official's wife.
Madam Qin smiled, not caring about that. "Now that the clouds have cleared, your husband..."
Lin Qiuran said, "Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern."
Qin nodded and said, "Where did my hometown come from?"
Lin Qiuran said: "My hometown is in a small village in Yu'an, Xuzhou."
Qin asked again: "Then come here, how did the old man at home..."
Lin Qiuran was still very patient at the moment, treating it as just ordinary concern. "My mother-in-law came with me this time. My father-in-law stayed in his hometown to take care of the household affairs. He will come over in a few days, just in time for us to celebrate the New Year together."
Qin sighed in her heart, this is so good, both parents are still alive, the wife is capable and virtuous, and the children are kind and lovely, how wonderful.
She nodded. "Very good, really very good."
Qin originally wanted to send someone to investigate secretly, but she was afraid that they would be discovered and she would not be able to explain herself.
She asked, "Are there any other brothers or sisters in the family?"
Lin Qiuran was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "I have two brothers on my mother's side, but my husband is the only one on his side."
Qin couldn't contain her excitement. It was rare for a family in the village to have only one son. At that time, when foreign invaders were coming and the court was short of troops, it was not uncommon for a son to join the army.
But Qin thought, maybe she couldn't have children, so she picked one up, otherwise why would she name the child Xun.
Qin's throat was dry and her eyes were filled with excitement. However, seeing the doubt on Lin Qiuran's face, she stopped herself in time and said, "Having more brothers would help me look after them, but just one is also good."
Qin was afraid that Lin Qiuran would notice something, so she went back first, using the excuse of being tired.
Lin Qiuran was indeed puzzled. If the old lady was an elder, it was only natural for her to show some concern. But even so, it was a bit presumptuous to inquire about other people's family affairs.
Until the end of the banquet, Lin Qiuran was still thinking about this matter. She always felt that Madam Qin cared about the Xiao family, cared about Tangyuan, and today she cared even more about Xiao Xun.
When they got home, Lin Qiuran told Lin Xia, "Old Madam Qin gave me a set of jewelry a few days ago. Find it out."
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