Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Sister-in-law
Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then he held her palm with his backhand and chuckled softly, "When did you become so clingy?"
Zhe Rou's cheeks felt slightly hot, but her heart suddenly relaxed.
After passing through the corridor and the courtyard, the main house in the inner courtyard is ahead. After the maid serving at the steps announced, the laughter and noise in the main room suddenly quieted down, and the sound of someone getting up and walking around could be vaguely heard.
Soon, Zhe Rou and Lu Chen were invited in. Several maids flanked them. The Duke's wife sat in the main seat. A young woman dressed elegantly and smiling in her eyes hurriedly stood up and called out affectionately, "Brother, sister-in-law."
Zhe Rou knew that this was Lu Wan.
Lu Wan will be eighteen this year, one year younger than her. Although she has just given birth to a daughter, her cheeks still have a bit of the plumpness of a girl, with rosy cheeks and a beautiful nose. She is as her name suggests, like a piece of plump and beautiful jade.
Especially those eyes, which were seven points similar to Lu Chen's. Zhe Rou felt a sense of intimacy when she saw them. She couldn't help but curl her eyebrows, nodded at her, and smiled gently.
The Lady of the County Earl looked at them with a smile, "Mrs. Ning and Sanlang are a perfect match."
As he spoke, he turned around and instructed the nanny beside him: "When Sister Xuan wakes up later, remember to ask the wet nurse to bring her out to meet her uncle."
After a few pleasantries, Lu Chen did not stay any longer. He turned around and smiled soothingly at Zhe Rou, then was led to the front hall to visit the Earl of Changping County.
Several of Lu Wan's sisters-in-law and younger sisters-in-law came out from behind the screen, surrounded Zhe Rou and greeted her. All kinds of eyes fell on her, some were observing, some were curious, some were exploring, and some were looking at her with hidden contempt.
Several generations of descendants of the County Earl's Mansion were mediocre and had long since become idle nobles. It was only after their ancestral graves began to smoke that a second-class Jinshi like Gu Hongjian was born.
Civil officials valued their reputation the most. Although the Lu family had committed a crime in the past, Lu Wan was not their biological daughter after all, so she was not implicated and expelled from the family. In order to maintain its good reputation of being loyal and trustworthy, the County Earl's Mansion had no choice but to accept the previous marriage.
As it happened, the marriage was arranged for the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest son's family. There was already a lot of gossip in the mansion behind the scenes. Now, when they heard that Lu Sanlang brought back a country girl and Lu Wan even called her "sister-in-law", everyone more or less wanted to watch the fun.
These people's expressions were not concealed at all. Zhe Rou felt a little embarrassed, but she still smiled and kept a calm expression, greeting everyone gracefully.
Everyone originally thought they would see a village girl who was not presentable, but they did not expect Zhe Rou to be so gentle and decent, and they could not find any fault with her. So they stopped talking, exchanged a few polite words, and sat back to chat.
Lu Wan was still recuperating and could not take care of too many chores. The banquet outside still needed the attention of the county lady. She sat for a while, then got up and left with her second daughter-in-law.
As soon as the elders left, the atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed. Everyone continued to chat and laugh, and Zhe Rou mostly just listened, occasionally smiling and responding at the right time, but didn't say much.
She was not a lively and noisy person, and this was her first time going out for social events since coming to Beijing. She didn't seek to stand out, but only to avoid making mistakes.
Seeing that there was still some time before the banquet ended, Lu Wan asked the maid to bring some tea and snacks. A small white porcelain plate was filled with Bijian Bean Cake, Flower Dumplings and Pear Meat Good Man. Next to it were several exquisite rabbit-hair cups, accompanied by a silver sieve, a small tea grinder, a thin bamboo whisk and other tea-making utensils.
A young woman wearing a pear-colored narrow-sleeved tunic and a pearl hairpin burst into laughter upon seeing this. "Sister-in-law, you're tempting me with tea and snacks again. I'm already full, and I wonder how much more delicious food I'll have to miss out on at the banquet. I heard Mother specially ordered the signature five-treasure sashimi from Fanlou!"
The woman next to her laughed and spat, "Eleventh Lady, you're the one who's greedy. You really live up to your name, Xueyuan Xueyuan, the chubby little Yuanzi!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the women present laughed and the atmosphere in the room gradually became lively.
Lu Wan's eyebrows curved, and a dimple blossomed on her lips. "Eleventh Lady, you may not know, but I recently got some Yixing Purple Bamboo Tea. It's not as expensive and rare as Guzhu's Purple Bamboo, but my maid is an expert in making tea, and the tea she brews has a unique flavor. My sister-in-law rarely comes to visit, so of course I have to order some for her to taste."
As she spoke, a maid came forward behind her, washed her hands in a copper basin, sat upright behind a low table, and raised her wrist to carefully grind and sift the tea.
Pour the tea soup and beat it. After seven brews, the milk foam surges. The maid divides the tea soup into small cups and presents them to the female relatives sitting at the table.
Lu Wan personally took one and handed it to Zhe Rou, saying with a smile, "Please give me your opinion, sister-in-law."
Meeting her encouraging gaze, Zhe Rou smiled, her heart warmed.
From their previous correspondence, Lu Wan knew that among the Four Elegant Lady, her best skill was making tea. This was intended to build bridges for her so that they would have something to talk about among themselves, and to prevent these noble ladies from mistaking her for vulgarity and looking down on her.
Zhe Rou calmed herself down, took the rabbit-hair teacup, and carefully examined the tea inside. She praised it generously, "The tea soup is pure white, with dense cloud-like roots, and the foam is delicate and even. The shape and color are both excellent. It is indeed a great craftsmanship."
She lowered her head and took a sip. The taste was also very good. She smiled and said, "The tea is fresh and mellow, with a sweet aftertaste. It is a good tea."
Everyone tasted the tea and after hearing her comments, they realized that she was quite knowledgeable about tea and was not just pretending to be knowledgeable. They couldn't help but change their opinion of her a little, and two women even responded with a few words with a smile.
Zhe Rou pursed her lips and smiled, her heart relaxed, and the tea aroma on the tip of her tongue seemed to have a more lingering sweetness.
"I don't think so."
A sudden voice suddenly rang out in the room.
Everyone's expression paused. Zhe Rou looked over and saw that the person who spoke was Gu Hongjian's sister, the seventh lady of the Gu family.
Gu Qiniang raised her head slightly, glanced at Lu Wan, then turned to look at Zhe Rou, and said with a hint of meaning, "In my opinion, the quality of this tea itself is average, not as precious as Gu Zhu Zisun. Even if the tea-making skills are exquisite, it is just like gold-plated iron, with only a superficial appearance.
Madam Ning, does what I said make sense?"
As soon as the words fell, the room fell silent. The women exchanged glances, their faces all grim.
This is not about tea, it's clearly about people.
The noble families were used to being sarcastic when they interacted with each other on a daily basis, and I wondered if this country girl could understand the subtle meaning in their words.
If they don't understand, it's fine. At most, people will laugh at them for being stupid. But if they understand but can't express themselves tactfully, or if they get angry and start a quarrel, it will be a bad scene.
Zhe Rou naturally understood this truth. She put down the teacup, met Gu Qiniang's arrogant gaze, and smiled gently, "Young lady, what you said is not without reason. It's just that as the saying goes, 'There is no high or low tea, only the one that tastes good is precious.' No matter what the quality of the tea cake is, in the eyes of tea lovers, each one has its own flavor, regardless of price or cheapness."
"What's more," she said softly, her eyes smiling, "iron is cheap, but it can be used to forge plows and spears, used for farming and defending against foreign aggression. Gold is expensive, but it's only used by the rich to make utensils and hairpins. If we really think about it, each has its own value, and it can't be considered 'merely for show,' can it?"
Gu Qinnan's face flushed.
Before, she thought this country girl was gentle and shy, and she thought she was easy to control and would definitely make Lu Wan lose face. However, she didn't expect that this girl was so eloquent that she couldn't say anything. She even looked at her with a smile, so she couldn't find any reason to ridicule her.
It's really frustrating.
Lu Wan glanced at her and continued with a smile, "What my sister-in-law said is true. There are so many kinds of tea in this world, and each has its own flavor. If you only pursue a high price, you will lose the original meaning of elegance. Since Qi Niang likes Guzhu Zisun, I will ask the steward in the mansion to buy more when the new tea comes on the market in a couple of days."
Gu Qinnan gritted her teeth and said nothing.
She felt sorry for her brother and had always been at odds with Lu Wan.
When the Lu family got into trouble, Lu Wan actually came to their house with the marriage certificate and tokens, forcing their uncle's house to recognize the marriage. She was so shameless. Even though the Lu family has been rewarded now, they are just crude warriors, no longer civil officials. How can they be worthy of her brother?
But this thought cannot be made public, otherwise it will only damage her brother's official reputation.
As they were talking, footsteps were suddenly heard in the corridor, and a maid came over to announce that the banquet was about to start in front and asked all the distinguished guests to move over.
Upon hearing the news, Eleventh Lady smiled happily and pulled Gu Qinnan out of the door. The other female members of the family also stood up one after another, and went to the flower hall in groups of three or four, chatting and laughing.
The room fell silent. Lu Wan took Zhe Rou's hand and said awkwardly, "Sister-in-law, Qi Niang and I don't get along. What she did just now was directed at me, and the sarcasm in her words was also directed at me. Sister-in-law, don't take it to heart."
Zhe Rou smiled at her soothingly, "Don't worry, I understand. But you, on the other hand, just gave birth to a child, you can't hold it in, otherwise it will be troublesome if you get sick.
I brought you a medicinal pillow filled with herbs I mixed myself. Using it as a pillow at night can help you calm your mind and spirit. Remember to ask the maid to bring it out for you. Childbirth is not easy for women, so you should cherish yourself more."
Lu Wan's eyes lit up, and she was very touched: "Thank you, sister-in-law, for thinking of me."
Zhe Rou felt warm in her heart, patted her hand gently, and said softly: "You and Bingyan are brother and sister, we are a family, there is no need for such polite words."
Hearing this, Lu Wan looked up at her, bit her lip, and seemed to have made up her mind. "There's something else I want to ask my sister-in-law for help."
Zhe Rou nodded and motioned for her to speak.
"The maid who just ordered tea was specially bought by me to serve as Gu Hongjian's maid. But she has been having irregular periods lately, so I'd like to ask my sister-in-law to take a look at her and see if she can get pregnant soon."
Unexpectedly, she would say this. Zhe Rou was stunned for a moment, and then she felt worried. After a moment's hesitation, she hesitated for a moment, "Gu's young master...doesn't he treat you well? Why do you want to send someone to his room? A good couple, with someone else in between for no reason, will eventually become alienated, no matter how deep their love is."
Lu Wan said, "He does have some affection for me, but a couple should be equals. His and I are not of equal status, and it will be difficult for us to have a legitimate child anytime soon. I can't count on his affection for me to last a lifetime."
As she spoke, she seemed to have thought of something, and a cold smile appeared on her lips, "I think that people will change, it's just a matter of one day earlier or later.
Rather than waiting for him to take a concubine, I might as well give her to him first. I have the indentures in my hands, and it doesn’t matter whether she is a concubine or a maid, as long as it doesn’t affect my own good life.”
——Only when they are equally matched can they be called a couple.
——People will change, the only difference is whether it happens one day earlier or later.
Hearing these words, Zhe Rou's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a hint of bitterness rose in her heart.
This was said by Lu Wan, but not by her as well.
Although she and Lu Chen met when they were both in poverty and had supported each other all the way, their backgrounds were ultimately very different, and what they saw and heard in the first ten years of their lives were completely different. If he had not fallen into misfortune unexpectedly, their lives would have never intersected.
She and Lu Chen were not a match at first.
Ever since she came to Beijing, she had been thinking about finding something to do. She practiced making incense and arranging flowers diligently on weekdays, and was also planning to open a medicine shop. Deep in her heart, she had such hidden worries and panic that she had never realized.
Zhe Rou felt a little bitter in her heart, and she felt even more pity for Lu Wan. She nodded and agreed, "Don't worry, I will do my best to help her recover."
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