"Who has Madam Song of the second branch brought with her today?" Xin He asked softly.
Xiaoyu said, "Almost all the Song ladies are here, except for the second Miss of the Song family, who is frail and finds it inconvenient to go out."
Xin He nodded: "I remember that it was always Lady Song of the third branch who came in the past few times. Why has Madam Song from the second branch come this time?"
"You know well, madam, that the third branch of the Song family is illegitimate, and Lady Song of the third branch is quite ostentatious. She often touts under the Song family’s banner in the marketplace, even taking some silver coins. The Song family probably felt embarrassed by her, so they no longer let her go out. Instead, they let Madam Song of the second branch, who typically dislikes making a fuss, to socialize."
The head of this Song family, residing in Yu State, is indeed Madam Song from the second branch. However, because Madam Song from the second branch doesn’t like being high-profile, she rarely goes out, which has given Lady Song from the third branch an advantage.
Ji Xinhe indeed remembered how arrogant Lady Song from the third branch was during the last two fashion shows.
Xin He nodded her head, didn’t say anything, and headed directly to the seat on the other side.
Xiao Chaihuo followed closely, after all, there were many people here and he was worried that someone might bump into her physically due to her current condition.
Fortunately, she had never integrated into the noble circle of Yu State, so most didn’t recognize her. Naturally, they all guessed that she was a humble housewife of little importance, thus, no one wanted to strike up a conversation with her.
However, because of her extraordinary appearance, she attracted many extra glances.
No one initiated a conversation, and she enjoyed the peace.
However, just as she sat down, Madam Song from the second branch walked over with a smile and said, "Is Lady Mu also here for the show today?"
Xin He was taken aback, then smiled and replied, "I had nothing to do, so I came to join the fun. I didn’t expect Madam Song to be here too."
Madam Song of the second branch, Xu Shi, was very casual. Perhaps she had a conversation with Xin He last time and found her likable, so she simply sat next to her. "Did Lady Mu come to the previous shows? I’ve never been before and I’m not sure what kind of goods to buy. Given your good taste, Lady Mu, why don’t you help me pick out a few items later?"
"I didn’t attend the previous shows either, but I heard that the girls on stage will definitely give their best performance, so Madam Song doesn’t need to worry," Xin He explained with a smile.
Madam Song nodded and laughed, "Is that so?"
When Madam Song sat down, Song Yalin and the other young ladies naturally followed her and sat down too, attracting many people who were trying to flatter and please them. As a result, the area where Ji Xinhe was sitting suddenly became lively.
Some people, noticing the apparent friendliness between Madam Song and Ji Xinhe, began to inquire about Ji Xinhe’s background.
"My husband is from the Mu family of Lian’an Town, perhaps you all didn’t know." No matter who asked, Ji Xinhe always answered with a gentle smile.
The Mu family? What Mu family?
"Are you referring to that Mu family, where the patriarch works as a government officer in the prefecture city?" One lady asked.
Xin He smiled and shook her head, "No."
The looks on everyone’s faces towards Ji Xinhe became increasingly dismissive. No one wanted to talk to her anymore.
Madam Song seemed to notice everyone’s disdain for Xin He and found the atmosphere a bit awkward. So, she took the initiative to start a conversation with her: "How have you been feeling these days being pregnant?"
Xin He didn’t show any embarrassment. Rather, she casually replied, "It’s fine, except that my appetite has been a bit off."
"It’s only your appetite, it’s tolerable. The real trouble is when you start vomiting, then it’s really uncomfortable. If you’re just feeling off now, it means your body is quite resilient. But after all, you are pregnant, so you should be careful."
Listening to Madam Song’s words, Xin He felt a bit of sincerity in them. The smile on her face became a bit more sincere: "Thank you."
After a moment, she thought of something and asked, "By the way, I wonder how the young master’s health has been?"
Ji Xinhe and Madam Song had been exchanging courtesies for a while before she asked this. It seemed casual, but her eyes were tightly locked onto Madam Song’s face, scrutinizing any changes in her expressions.
Madam Song sighed, "There’s been no improvement. We’ve already solicited numerous renowned doctors to come to our home, but none had any solutions. I really don’t know what to do. The kid has such a tough life."
Looking at Madam Song’s demeanor, Xin He’s suspicion deepened. Xu Shi’s words didn’t sound like lies. If it weren’t for the fact that she had seen the young master of the Song family sitting casually in front of her, having a conversation, a few days ago, she would have suspected that the young master of the Song family was critically ill.
It seems that Madam Song of the second branch doesn’t know about Song Xi’s situation. Or rather, both the second and third branches of the Song family don’t know.
Everyone in their own family was kept in the dark. She didn’t know whether to comment on the Machiavellianism of the patriarch Song or the devious intentions of the second and third branches of the Song family.
Of course, she wouldn’t think that Song Xi was cunning. After all, he was just a six-year-old child. How cunning can he be?
But looking at Madam Song’s remarks today, not only does she not know that Song Xi is pretending to be ill, but she probably doesn’t even know about the conspiracy that the Song family is currently under. It seems that there are deep-seated issues within the Song family.
After casually exchanging a few more words, a gong sounded, signaling the start of the fashion show.
The announcer was still Madam Chen. Even though Manager Jin of Winding Pavilion was also savvy at handling things, he was still a man and didn’t understand women’s thoughts. Moreover, the show was performed by girls from Huaman Tower, who were more familiar with Madam Chen, making her more suitable to be in control.
"Today, our Winding Pavilion’s Spring Fashion Show officially begins! Let the girls take the stage!"
The lively music started, and the fashion show began immediately.
The chatter in the venue gradually weakened. Even Madam Song, who usually wasn’t very interested in such things, started to get engrossed in watching the girls appearing and leaving the stage, wearing all kinds of new spring outfits.
Song Ya Lan chattered excitedly on the side, gesturing enthusiastically at the models on the stage, clamoring to buy this piece of jewelry and that dress.
Song Yalin was much more reserved, but she still quietly instructed the maid next to her to place orders.
Xin He was preoccupied with the Song family’s affairs and didn’t have much interest in the show. It was only when the fashion show was about to end that she asked Xiao Chaihuo to randomly pick a few dresses to order for her.
By the time the fashion show ended, the Song daughters had seized quite a haul. Song Yalin chose four skirts, three sets of headpieces, and five pieces of assorted jewelry. Song Ya Lan picked the same amount as Song Yalin, apparently trying to compete with her. However, she didn’t dare overdress, otherwise she’d have been scolded upon returning home. After all, Song Yalin was the legitimate daughter of the Song family. If she openly upstaged Song Yalin, even if Song Yalin didn’t say anything, others would say she was unaware of her place.
The subtle difference in their statuses served as a constant thorn in Song Ya Lan’s side.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
