Mrs. Qian cried as she spoke, and she looked quite pitiful.
He Jiuniang couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Although Madam Qian had harbored ill intentions towards her, she was still a weak woman in front of her husband. She had only gotten this far thanks to her family.
Now, a young woman with a bigger backing than her, younger than her, and as beautiful as a flower, who knows how to seduce men, has arrived. She has no right to compete with her at all.
If it weren't for her family still struggling to hold on, the new wife would probably be the one attending the banquet today.
Madam Li had initially intended to watch the spectacle unfold, but seeing how heartbroken she was, she instantly felt empathy and began to feel sad as well.
In that sense, her old man was actually quite good. Although he always complained that she was a fat old woman, he never once considered replacing her. Madam Qian was truly pitiful.
"Madam Qian, crying won't solve anything. You should find a way to secure your position!"
He Jiuniang tried to comfort her, her original thought being, "Let's just get a divorce, the next one will be even better."
But this is ancient times, with feudalistic thinking. A woman who is divorced, although it sounds better than being divorced, actually has little meaning. She will be criticized and ridiculed just the same.
Moreover, Madam Qian's children are all grown up and old enough to be grandmothers, yet she is being divorced; this is an utter disgrace.
Therefore, all she could do was advise Madam Qian to maintain her position.
It's so easy for a woman to maintain her position: don't be obsessed with romance, focus on your career, and you'll find that everything is within your grasp.
But how could she tell Madam Qian in that case?
Before she could speak, Madam Qian continued, "Now that things are like this, how can we stabilize the situation? That little slut has brazenly moved into our house. Not only that, but her brother, who claims to be taking this year's imperial examination, is also staying at our house. It's one thing, but he occupies the study every day, making my old man personally tutor him! Why don't my brothers on my mother's side receive such support? It's disgusting!"
He Jiuniang immediately grasped the useful information in her words: the woman's brother was going to take the imperial examination, and the prefect was personally tutoring him. So, wouldn't it be easy to help him cheat?
It is a serious crime for officials to help others cheat; sometimes it can even lead to execution.
He Jiuniang had considered all sorts of possibilities, but she never expected it to be because the prefect was love-struck?
That shouldn't be the case. A prefect who has reached this position must have some brains. How could he ruin his future for a woman?
Unless, of course, that woman can offer him a much more lucrative reward.
In short, it can't be as simple as just sleeping with him!
Although it was not yet certain, He Jiuniang had a premonition that the matter of Kang Xiucai being framed was definitely related to the prefect's new lover.
When Kang Xiucai was framed, it was the prefect who intervened.
This explains why the matter was kept secret, and why the examiners didn't even dare to see Kang Xiucai—because they had something to hide.
She had a plan in mind, but she didn't show it on the surface. She smiled and said, "Madam Qian, you don't need to worry too much. If you really don't want to let go, then go all the way and make a big fuss. Let the world know that he is a heartless man and see if he still has the face to do such a thing. However, Master Qian is currently unable to distinguish between good and bad people. He is obviously not a good match. Madam Qian should see things more clearly. In fact, letting go is not necessarily a bad thing."
Just moments ago she was advising Madam Qian to stay calm, but now she's advising her to let go. Everyone present was somewhat surprised; the change was too rapid.
Madam Qian was also puzzled, not understanding what He Jiuniang meant by saying that.
In fact, He Jiuniang didn't think too much about it. She just felt that if the prefect really helped the candidates cheat, it would be a capital offense. If Madam Qian divorced him, she could escape this fate.
But if they don't divorce, they will definitely suffer. Even if the women aren't beheaded, they won't have a good ending.
But these words were not appropriate to say for the time being, so He Jiuniang just smiled and left the rest for her to figure out on her own.
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, they prepared to go to the backyard for some food and drinks.
Along the way, the ladies and young women of each family looked at the scenery of Xishui Garden with great curiosity. They had only heard that Xishui Garden was wealthy, but seeing it with their own eyes was even more amazing than they had heard.
Although Madam Lu is a businesswoman, the new products she launches every quarter are so sought-after that many people can't even afford them. In addition, Lu Baichuan dotes on her, so there are no other women in this huge mansion, something they can only envy.
Thinking back to how they had mocked the newcomer at the Qian family's house, only to discover that they were the clowns themselves.
That's why everyone who came to visit today was so respectful, taking every opportunity to flatter He Jiu Niang, making her beam with joy.
The purpose of today's banquet has been achieved, and now they are free to enjoy themselves. He Jiuniang led them to the back garden, where they saw the novel pastries, the endless supply of Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck), and even the uniquely flavored and fragrant milk tea. Everyone felt that this was a true banquet!
In the past, banquets were always filled with scheming and backstabbing, leaving no time for eating. But this time, there was no time for such scheming at all. The hosts were warm and hospitable, and didn't have any ill intentions. All they had to do was bury themselves in their food. Such delicious food was something they would never be able to enjoy again once they left this door.
Opportunities for scheming and backstabbing are plentiful, but opportunities to enjoy delicious food and beautiful scenery at Xishuiyuan are few and far between!
"Wow, these pastries are so exquisite! I've never seen them before!"
"It's not only beautiful, but also delicious! It's soft and chewy with a milky flavor!"
"Which shop did you buy this from? Could you recommend one, Mrs. Lu?"
...
The ladies and young women ate and asked questions, never having felt that attending a banquet was such a joyful experience.
Jiang Ruoya sat next to He Jiuniang. Because she was wearing a veil, it was not very convenient for her to eat, so He Jiuniang had someone bring over a small screen to shield her from view so that she could eat without worry.
He responded to the compliments from the ladies with a smile, but left most of the responses to Lotus and Youya.
When people asked what it was or how it was made, Lianhua would answer their questions, saying that the recipe was entirely devised by He Jiuniang.
Seeing that the two girls were not shy at all, and spoke clearly and with a smile, everyone praised them and told their own daughters to learn from them.
He Jiuniang said, "These foods will be sold at my club after it opens. I will definitely invite all the ladies and young women to eat, drink and have fun. There will also be more new dishes and pastries for sale. You must come and support me!"
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