Chapter 170: The little appearance really attracts people
Two days later, the Shen family went to the Xu family mansion to celebrate Old Madam Xu's birthday.
Old Madam Xu Wanqin is Xie Yunqing's aunt. She became the second wife of the Grand Secretary Xu Ji in his early years and was the stepmother who raised Xu Zhiyi.
The wife of the previous cabinet minister died early, and Xie Wanqin and cabinet minister Xu have been married for many years and have a deep relationship. Therefore, she also has a high status in the noble circle in Beijing.
That is why, although this birthday banquet was not a grand affair, when one arrived at the gate of the Xu family, one could still see many guests gathered.
Shen Chengxi rode with his father Shen Xiuhe. After getting off the car, he was welcomed to the men's side. Shen Ning and Shen Nian followed Xie Yunqing and naturally went to the women's side in the backyard.
The weather was just right, and there were many tables, chairs, and fruits placed around the pavilion in the garden. Noble ladies and young ladies who were familiar with each other gathered together to talk, while those who arrived early sat in the pavilion. The eldest and second wives of the Xu family were greeting guests, and the old lady was sitting in the pavilion surrounded by other guests, chatting with the women around her.
Seeing Xie Yunqing from afar, Old Madam Xu's eyes lit up immediately and she stood up: "Yunqing is here..."
Xie Yunqing stepped forward quickly and bowed, "Aunt... Yunqing wishes you a long life and good health."
Shen Ning and Shen Nian naturally followed suit and saluted.
Xie Wanqin helped her niece up, turned around and took Shen Ning's hand, her eyes red as she spoke: "Ning Ning is back. When you were born, your aunt held you in her arms..."
As she spoke, she quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and said, "Look at me, it's a great joy... Come on, Ningning, come in with your mother and sit next to your aunt."
Shen Ning followed Xie Yunqing into the pavilion. Someone nearby had already seen the opportunity and made room for Shen Ning's mother and the other two to make it easier for them to talk.
Not long after they sat down, the servant came to announce that Concubine Xu and Concubine Xie had arrived.
Concubine Xu is the daughter of the Xu family, so she can naturally come back to celebrate her stepmother's birthday. Concubine Xie is the niece of Old Lady Xu and also a close relative.
However, Concubine Xu had been a concubine for many years and had the Xu family's background, so her status was higher than Xie Yunyan, who was also a concubine. When she came here, she was two steps ahead of Xie Yunyan.
Xie Wanqin hurriedly brought a group of ladies to greet them and pay their respects. By the time they sat down in the pavilion, it was already very crowded.
The tenth princess Xiao Bi was also nearby. When she saw Shen Ning, she coldly turned her gaze away and asked Shen Nian, “Why don’t you see Wan Qing?”
Being called by the princess, Shen Nian quickly stood up. At this time, Xu Wanqing's voice sounded outside the pavilion: "Tenth Princess... Nian Nian."
Xu Wanqing walked into the pavilion and said with a smile that she would take the Tenth Princess and the other young ladies to appreciate the flowers so that there would be room for the elders to talk. The young girls then stood up and followed her.
Someone smiled and flattered: "Miss Xu's whole body is so majestic, she is definitely destined to be an empress."
With the princess beside her, Old Madam Xu was naturally modest and said, "They are just children, they are all spoiled and praised..."
On this side, the ladies of honor were talking to the two imperial concubines, while on the other side, Xu Wanqing and a group of rich young ladies were accompanying the tenth princess Xiao Bi towards the small garden.
She deliberately took Shen Nian's arm and brought her to the Tenth Princess, looking very affectionate, but she didn't even look at Shen Ning.
She just wanted to deliberately isolate and ignore this country widow and embarrass her!
But at this time, a rich girl walked up to Shen Ning with a happy expression: "Miss Shen... I changed the rouge and lipstick colors you recommended last time. Look at my makeup, is it much better now?"
Shen Ning recognized this as a customer she had met at Huayingxue. She had a good memory and after taking a look at the other person's makeup, she smiled and nodded: "Indeed, this color scheme suits you better."
When the lady next to the woman heard that her friend's appearance had suddenly become much more dazzling recently, and it was actually thanks to this Miss Shen, she immediately came over.
"What about me? Miss Shen, take a look at mine... I also bought something in Huayingxue, but there were too many people at the time and I didn't have a good time to try out the colors and compare them."
Shen Ning was too lazy to continue watching Xu Wanqing and Shen Nian perform around the Tenth Princess, so she simply walked towards the stone table next to her: "Why don't we take a break and let me show this young lady?"
"OK."
The two people who came to look for Chen Ning were also daughters of officials, but their status was not high enough to get close to the princess, so they did not join in the fun and simply sat down at the stone table with Chen Ning.
After carefully examining the second person's makeup, Shen Ning thoughtfully suggested, "You could try changing the color of your lipstick to a slightly darker color..."
The woman was puzzled: "Why?"
Chen Ning smiled and said, "Excuse me for being blunt, young lady, you have narrow eyes and fair skin, so your eye makeup shouldn't be too heavy... If you pair it with light-colored lipstick, your entire face will look pale, but too light a makeup look doesn't suit your temperament. If you switch to a dark red lipstick, the coloring will be on your lips, and you won't need too much eye makeup to highlight your look..."
The rich lady next to her immediately took out a box of lipstick and said, "I have a dark one here, try it."
The woman opposite Shen Ning put on dark red lipstick doubtfully, and when she looked up again, her whole temperament changed.
The lips are richly colored, but the fair skin and narrow eyes reveal a coolness. The whole makeup is gorgeous but not gaudy, and looks very beautiful.
Several women who were watching nearby immediately gathered over.
"Miss Shen, please help me take a look..."
"And me, and me. I bought something worth over fifty taels of silver from your Huayingxue the other day. Please look after it for me first."
"Don't show her. She bought something and said yours was too expensive! Show me..."
The person who exposed the secret was laughed at and scolded by his companions before he could finish his words, and they threatened to hit him.
Shen Ning didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Come one by one, don't be anxious."
In front, Xu Wanqing, Shen Nian, and Xu Wanxin, the young lady from the second branch of the Xu family, sat in the pavilion around the Tenth Princess. Originally, Xu Wanqing wanted to see Shen Ning, the wild sparrow, being isolated, but she didn't expect that in just a short moment, she would be surrounded by people.
And there was a tendency for more and more people to gather. Even those who were familiar with her in the pavilion were secretly looking over there.
As a result, the laughter and joy over there made their side seem a little cold.
Shen Nian smiled slightly and said softly, "Sister, you're always welcome wherever you go. That's great."
Xu Wanqing sneered: "How can this be considered popular?"
After she finished speaking, she raised her voice and said, "Mr. Chen Xiang...you really have a business mind. You have done business in my Xu family's backyard and even attended my grandmother's birthday."
The ladies surrounding Chen Ning suddenly became froze in expression, looking at each other, not knowing what to do.
When the daughters of the rich family get together, they only talk about these topics. Those who are married and have children talk about their husbands, their children's family affairs and gossip, while those who are not married mostly talk about clothes, jewelry, fashion, makeup and gossip... With so many people in this occasion, there is not much material for gossip. Can't they talk about makeup?
Of course, Shen Ning knew that Xu Wanqing was targeting her on purpose. She spread her hands with a half-smile, "Miss Xu's rules are probably stricter than those in the palace. It's against your will for girls to get together and talk about makeup and dressing up. Why don't you just set the rules clearly for everyone? In your Xu family's backyard, what can and cannot be said? Give us a set of rules."
The rich girls around were looking at Xu Wanqing with different expressions.
The Xu family is powerful, and Xu Wanqing is arrogant by nature. In addition, she has already been designated as the Crown Princess, so she has always been flattered and admired. However, it does not mean that others really like her.
Now everyone is talking about makeup, and Chen Xiangjun didn't mention a penny of business, but just gave everyone a reference to makeup, but she was ridiculed by her for doing business. Don't they also do business?
Everyone who comes is a guest, but they will naturally feel uncomfortable if they are treated like this by the host.
But no matter how uncomfortable they were, the person over there was either the future Crown Princess or the current Tenth Princess, and no one could afford to offend them, so they could only endure it resentfully.
Xu Wanqing watched those people stand up, a smug look in her eyes: "Why don't you come and pay your respects to the Tenth Princess? The princess knew there would be so many people today, so she prepared a welcome gift for everyone."
After all, she was the daughter of a wealthy family, so Xu Wanqing knew how to turn the atmosphere around. She gave them candy immediately after the beating and wanted to call those people away from Shen Ning.
When the princess summoned them, the daughters of the rich families were not very interested in the so-called meeting gift, but they had to go over there to give her face. But at this moment, a female voice sounded.
"Xiao Shi, what a grand ceremony."
Everyone looked at her sideways, and the Tenth Princess's expression was slightly stiff.
It was the fourth princess Xiao Yu, and next to Xiao Yu was Xie Lingyue, the eldest daughter of the Xie family.
Xu Wanqing turned her head, and her expression changed slightly. Although she was a little reluctant, she had to take a few steps forward and greeted the other daughters together: "Greetings, Princess Showa."
The tenth princess, Xiao Bi, curled her lips and hid behind without moving.
The fourth princess, Xiao Yu, looked over and said, "Xiao Bi, don't you have a mouth?"
Xiao Bi gritted his teeth in anger...
Xiao Yu’s biological mother is Ma Cairen, oh, now she is Ma Guiren.
The Ma family is of low status and cannot compare with her, the daughter of Concubine Xu. What's strange is that a few days ago, her father suddenly gave Xiao Yu a title.
She transformed herself into the titled Princess Showa...and completely surpassed Xiao Bi.
Now that she was called out in public, Xiao Bi could only endure it and perfunctorily greeted, "Fourth Sister."
Xiao Yu glanced at her, then looked away, then looked at Shen Ning, and actually bowed slightly: "Mr. Shen saved my mother and younger brother. I have always wanted to thank you in person. Today I finally met him... I thank you for your great kindness."
Shen Ning quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "Princess, you are too kind. It is the noble lady Ma and the seventeenth prince who have great fortunes. I dare not take credit for it."
Xiao Yu looked at Chen Ning with a very friendly look: "There are many people talking, so I won't say anything extra... From now on, Shen Xiangjun's affairs are my affairs. Anyone who bullies Shen Xiangjun is disrespecting me."
She glanced at the beautifully dressed young ladies around her, then her gaze fell on Xu Wanqing: "Did you hear that?"
Those young ladies naturally responded in unison. Xu Wanqing was reluctant, but she had to agree.
Then, Xiao Yu and Xie Lingyue walked directly to the stone table next to Shen Ning and sat down. Xiao Yu asked, "Don't you cousins know each other? Why do you look so unfamiliar?"
Shen Ning: ...
That’s right, this was the first time she met the heroine in the original novel.
Not knowing what Xie Lingyue's personality was like, Shen Ning looked a little reserved and didn't say anything.
Xie Lingyue smiled and looked Chen Ning up and down before nodding: "Nice to meet you, cousin Ning... please take care of me in the future."
“Chen Ning has met my cousin.”
After responding to Xie Lingyue's words, Shen Ning found that the other party was still looking at her openly, with a look that was naked and unconcealed.
Shen Ning pretended to be confused: "What are you looking at me for, cousin? But what's wrong with my sister's outfit?"
Xie Lingyue curled her lips: "There's nothing wrong. I don't have any other intentions, I just think you're pretty."
Shen Ning: ...?
Xiao Yu was speechless: "Can you please restrain yourself a little and not scare people?"
Xie Lingyue said "oh", then said to Chen Ning: "Don't mind it, cousin, I'm always rude and have no other intentions."
Shen Ning responded politely.
Xie Lingyue secretly clicked her tongue.
No wonder the self-centered Prince Ding was so infatuated with her that he even used military tactics on his own mother... Her cousin was indeed quite attractive when she was little.
It's no wonder His Royal Highness Prince Ding is confused...
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