That day, a servant brought an invitation to Xichun. It turned out to be an invitation sent by the wife of Wu Jingzhi, the Minister of Revenue. It was the Dragon Boat Festival, and Wu's granddaughter was coming of age, so she was invited to a banquet.
A girl's fifteenth birthday is an important day in ancient times, second only to marriage. It is likely that Madam Wu wanted to find a reason to see her. Minister Wu is now her husband's superior, so she naturally wanted to express her feelings.
After replying to the post, Xichun began to ponder what gifts to send. However, she was unsure and worried that if the gifts were too many, they would exceed the gifts sent by the wives of the two Vice Ministers of Revenue. If the gifts were too few, it would seem insincere.
So she took Xuanxuan to Madam Hua's residence and asked her to help her consider the matter. The two had become familiar with each other over the past few days, and only then did Xichun dare to ask her about it.
"I think you should at least prepare some hairpins, bracelets, and the like, but they shouldn't be too heavy, lest you steal the spotlight from others. Also, don't buy anything that looks cheap, as that will only displease the Wu family," Madam Hua pointed out.
Xi Chun thought about it and realized that these were indeed things that women from official families in the capital liked, and that giving them as gifts would not be a mistake. So she immediately took her maid and went straight to a jewelry shop recommended by Madam Hua.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like to buy some hairpins and bracelets as gifts. Do you have any jewelry suitable for young women?" Xi Chun rarely buys things from jewelry shops. Back in Shaoming County, she didn't like the feeling of being adorned with pearls and jewels. She usually dressed simply, and even if she did have jewelry, Taozi would have it picked out and delivered to her home.
Back in Weinan County, it was always Madam Fu and her sister-in-law who took her shopping, so now she could only ask the shopkeeper to recommend styles that people from the capital liked.
"If you're looking for a gift for a young lady, we do have some fashionable styles here that many young ladies in the capital would love. Please sit here for a moment, and we'll bring them over for you right away." Judging from her tone and her attire—commoners weren't allowed to wear silk at this time—the shopkeeper guessed her status and ordered someone to bring over a considerable amount of jewelry.
After looking around and making some selections, Xichun finally chose a few items and asked the shopkeeper to wrap them in a brocade box.
He strolled around the streets again, selected some congratulatory gifts, and took them to the Wu family.
Since it was a girl's coming-of-age ceremony, Fu Changfeng and the other men were naturally not invited. On the appointed day, Xichun took Xuanxuan to the Wu residence.
At the entrance of the Wu family's house, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wu family was greeting the female guests. It was the first time the two had met, and after Xichun introduced herself, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wu family warmly invited the mother and daughter inside.
"Miss Fu is so cute. I really envy Madam Fu for having such good fortune." Young Madam Wu had also been told by her mother-in-law to be polite to Madam Fu. Her husband was no ordinary person. Seeing how cute Xuanxuan was, she couldn't help but say a few words.
"Not at all. This child grew up in the countryside and is not very familiar with the customs of the capital. Please don't take offense, Madam Wu."
"Not at all, that's how a young girl should be, that's how she should be energetic." The two chatted awkwardly for a while before walking to the backyard. There were already some guests who had arrived early. Young Mistress Wu led Xichun and the other girl to Madam Wu's place. Madam Wu was indeed very polite and introduced Xichun to everyone present.
Xi Chun thus got to know quite a few people, mostly family members of officials of the fifth rank or below, primarily from the Ministry of Revenue. As for other families, apart from in-laws, there were very few. It seems that Minister Wu is a low-key person.
Xi Chun had never seen a coming-of-age ceremony in the capital before. Soon the ceremony began, and Miss Wu was called out. Today she was dressed very brightly, but she did not have any hair ornaments on her head. Soon, her relatives and friends would personally put them on for her.
As the coming-of-age ceremony began, Miss Wu walked to the front of the hall. After getting to know her, Xi Chun already knew that the guests of honor today were Miss Wu's future mother-in-law and aunt, who were there as guests to observe the ceremony.
After washing her hands, the officiant personally combed Miss Wu's hair. Only after the hair was combed did the main guest step forward to wash her hands, recite a blessing, and then comb her hair and add a hairpin. Miss Wu returned to her room to change into a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that matched the hairpin. This process was repeated. Finally, the guests who witnessed the ceremony presented their carefully prepared gifts, and Miss Wu returned the gifts one by one, thus concluding the ceremony.
Miss Wu is fifteen years old this year and has already been engaged. She is just waiting for the two families to choose an auspicious date before she gets married. Today, her future mother-in-law came to attend the coming-of-age ceremony, which shows that the groom's family attaches great importance to the bride.
Xi Chun couldn't help but sigh to herself, wondering what Xuan Xuan would be like after she got married.
With the coming-of-age ceremony complete, all that was left was to wait for the meal. Xuanxuan had been studying under Madam Hua for so long, and now she looked much more formal in terms of etiquette and manners. Many ladies praised her as a well-mannered and polite child.
“Madam Fu, if you have time another day, you would like to visit my humble abode. I also have a girl at home who is about the same age as yours, but unfortunately she is not feeling well today and cannot come. It would be good for the two of them to get to know each other and become playmates in the future.”
The speaker was Madam Jiang, the wife of Jiang Dongjie, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The Right Vice Minister was Fu Changfeng's superior and was around forty years old. The daughter she was talking about was born when Madam Jiang was in her thirties.
“If Madam has the time, I will definitely pay her a visit, as long as Madam doesn’t mind my talkativeness.” Xi Chun naturally wouldn’t refuse. This Madam Jiang seemed kind, at least much kinder than Madam Chen, the Left Vice Minister.
However, in ancient times, the left side was considered the most prestigious in official positions. So, although the Left Vice Minister and the Right Vice Minister were of the same rank, the Left Vice Minister was of a higher status than the Right Vice Minister.
"Then it's settled," Madam Jiang said with a smile, taking Xichun's hand.
Madam Chen, watching the two chatting so enthusiastically, couldn't help but feel disdain. They really were both from humble backgrounds, and they were birds of a feather. She had heard that Madam Fu used to be a public figure, always going out to do business, and she was an orphan. Only someone as unpopular as Madam Jiang could get along with her.
Xi Chun also quietly observed Madam Chen's expression, but she did not make any statement. Many of the ladies who came this time only showed Xi Chun a polite face and were unwilling to say a word more than necessary. Naturally, she would not try to be friendly to them and pretended not to know anything.
After saying goodbye to Madam Jiang, Xichun took Xuanxuan home.
After Fu Changfeng finished his shift, he learned about what Xichun had experienced that day and advised her not to take it to heart.
"This Lord Chen usually looks down on me for my sudden promotion of several ranks. I suppose that's what they all think. They think I'm not worthy of my position. But now that we're in the capital, let's just establish ourselves firmly and not learn those sycophantic tricks. In this officialdom, isn't it only when I work hard enough and gain recognition that my family can live a good life? Madam, you don't need to worry like those people."
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