Chapter 038 Second Update

Mrs. Liu seemed to be quite talkative. She said to Zhen: "I really envy you. Your four daughters are as pretty as green onions. I envy them."

Zhen said modestly, "You are really flattering me. It is true that they love to make trouble."

"The Yan family of Jinling was originally the Yan family of Langya. Poetry, calligraphy, rituals and music have been passed down in the family for many years. You are really too modest." Mrs. Liu also praised the girls of the Yan family in return.

Such an occasion was originally to pave the way for Yan Ningxin's marriage and to build up her connections in advance. Yan Ningxin should have communicated more with Madam Liu, but Yan Ningxin found that Madam Liu and the wife of Duke Chengguo were not the same kind of people. The wife of Duke Chengguo was cheerful, while the wife of the prince of Jinghai was young and sharp.

She didn't say anything, so Yao Niang and a few others spoke up. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to steal the limelight from her sister in public.

"What books are you reading now?" asked Mrs. Liu.

Qianniang said, "We used to have a school at home, and my sisters and I all studied there for a few years. This year, the teacher held an imperial examination, so we stopped the classes. Actually, what we have learned is not worth mentioning. But when I heard Madam Gongliu mention your talent last time, it was enough to make us ashamed."

Mrs. Liu was very happy to hear this. Yao Niang thought that everyone, no matter if it was the emperor in the Golden Palace or a woman who looked smart and capable, liked to hear good words, but she couldn't be like her second sister and exaggerate too obviously.

So when Lady Liu and Lady Zhen talked about playing "Guanju", Yao Niang knew her chance had come when she heard her say that they would use Yong bells, Sihu bells, Ge Ni bells, Ge Jie bells, Bianxin bronze drums, wooden drums, pottery drums, Jian drums, hanging drums, drums, thunder drums, road drums, spirit drums, guqin, guzheng, guse, xiao, flute, paixiao, xun and other musical instruments.

"Did Mrs. Liu mention the use of Shao music?" Yao Niang asked.

As expected, Mrs. Liu was very surprised: "You also know this?"

"I heard that "Guanju" is the most important component of Shao music. I originally heard my father talking about the palace music including "Nanfengge" and "Youfenglaiyi". When I heard Madam talking about these, I thought of it." Yao Niang said with a smile.

Madam Liu nodded, "Indeed, Shao music is the music of the palace. It is considered presumptuous for ordinary people to use it, but it is completely acceptable to use it on the wedding day. Just like the bride wearing a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, there is a difference in the daily etiquette, but it can still be worn on the wedding day."

Yao Niang looked educated: "You really know a lot."

Sure enough, she saw a smile on Mrs. Liu's eyes and eyebrows. Yao Niang thought that Mrs. Liu must have grown up in a very simple family environment, so her personality was quite simple.

They also talked about other things they had seen and heard from all over the world, and Yao Niang occasionally said a few words, but she had never expected that Mrs. Liu was so yearning for the Northwest. People who can always maintain their curiosity usually have childlike innocence, which is much better than those women who are as calm as a still pond after getting married, and they seem very lively.

It was dinner time, and when Yan Jingzhao came back, Yao Niang told Yan Jingzhao what happened today: "Brother, every time something like this happens, I feel heartbroken for my mother. No matter what, the two of us must work hard to win an imperial decree for our mother and make her glorious."

Xie Shi didn't care as much as they did. She just smiled and said to Yan Jingzhao, "Your sister always thinks of me in everything, and she's afraid that I'll get upset."

"It should be like this, mother. If your son does his best to be an official, I will make you a first-rank official in the future." It was only after Yan Jingzhao lived with his mother that he realized how great his mother was. Even if she was heartbroken, she would endure it for the sake of her children.

Xie said, "As an official, you should realize your own expectations and do more good things for the people. That is better than anything else. I also eat and drink less, and I live a good life."

"My mother is amazing. Her fructose shop is doing very well." Yao Niang praised her mother.

Xie waved her hands and said, "We have suffered losses before, but it's not like we haven't suffered losses at all. Yao Niang, come and eat."

"Yes." When Yao Niang saw her brother's statement, she couldn't help but feel that she was one step closer to her goal.

Zhen was very unhappy. She passed the Jingwen Prefecture Examination but failed the Imperial Examination. Now she was only a student. She even thought that she had explained to her family that she had passed the examination. But today she found that Madam Liu liked Yao Niang more among the four sisters. If it was Yan Jingzhao, it would be fine because she was raised by the third old lady. But Yao Niang was almost raised by Xie Shi except for the three years when she went to the northwest. She didn't expect that she would be better than her own daughter.

You have to know that Yao Niang and Ying Niang are only one year apart in age, and there is competition between them, which has a greater impact than Qian Niang's.

For example, the dowry she gave to Ying Niang was naturally quite a lot, but the dowry for Yao Niang was probably more, because Xie was quite good at managing money. Although she was a small tycoon in the capital, she actually opened a silver shop and a pawnshop in Nanjing, but she never mentioned it to outsiders.

If she hadn't sent someone to follow Mother Song's godson that time, she wouldn't have known about these things.

Just like the time when she was selling lotus roots in the lotus pond, she had already found the merchants and the people who would pull the lotus roots. Since she was the one who connected them with all of them, she also gave twenty taels of silver to the first wife.

It’s ridiculous that Yan Yingqi always thought he was thrifty and that he was richer than Xie. He only saw Xie spending money lavishly but didn’t see how she made money.

Yingniang still didn't understand what was going on, and she mocked Yan Ningxin in front of Zhen's house: "Big sister couldn't even speak a complete sentence when she saw Madam Liu, she was like a fool."

"Okay, what are you laughing at? Why don't you see that Yao Niang and Madam Liu are quite talkative, but you act like a spoiled child whenever you see someone. I don't think Madam Liu buys your tricks. You've grown up now and are no longer a child. You should act more like a lady from a noble family." Zhen was angry.

Ying Niang was confused: "Mom, what's wrong with you? My daughter doesn't act like a spoiled brat all the time."

Zhen said unhappily, "I see your third sister has learned how to sew clothes, and has made new clothes for your three brothers and even your father, but you still have to ask your second sister for help to sew a purse. From now on, you have to do all the needlework by yourself, and you can't ask others to do it for you anymore."

"Mother, didn't you say that I could learn tailoring when I was fourteen? My second sister is not so good at it and can only make some purse strings. But we all want to learn it. What's the point of having so many servants? I also said that my third sister is not as good as me at playing double-sixes and mahjong. But why didn't you let her learn from me?" Yingniang, on the other hand, felt that she was not bad and it was not that she didn't do needlework.

Besides, Ying Niang was not convinced and said, "What doesn't the elder sister know? I see you didn't let her learn anything. But she married well, didn't she? People say that the blessed don't have to work hard, while the unlucky ones have to work hard all the time. It's not like you don't have servants."

It's not that Yingniang is lazy, she doesn't think she is that bad, because she knows very well that when she marries into someone else's family, she will spend most of her time on these things, just like Yu Shi, who gave birth to a child and became closer to her family. It doesn't matter whether she knows needlework or not.

Zhen didn't expect her to be so disobedient. Since hard methods didn't work, she had to use soft methods to persuade her.

In this way, Yingniang was forced to sit in the room and learn needlework. Yaoniang went to see Yingniang once and found her sewing funny. The two maids beside her almost handed Yingniang a half-embroidered purse. Yingniang sewed two stitches at random and handed it to the maid.

"She's just pretending?" Yao Niang came back and said to Jie.

Xie smiled and said, "If she had someone to help her throughout her life, that would be a blessing. It's a pity that everyone's life in this world will have twists and turns."

Yao Niang nodded: "Fourth sister probably thinks that she got a very good fortune last time, and thinks that she has a good fate, so she is like this. In fact, I don't believe in those fortunes, and such words are ambiguous."

"Let's not talk about this. Your elder sister is getting married in September, and we have a lot to do at home. But for me, the most important thing is my baby's thirteenth birthday." Xie looked at her daughter lovingly.

June 24th is Yao Niang's birthday. On this day, Yao Niang put on new clothes. She was one year older and her figure became more graceful. Of course, her figure was not as good as that of a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old, but she also had a big breast, a slim waist, a full hip and slim legs. Usually her skin was as white as jade, but today, after taking a bath, her body was pink and flawless.

At this time, she was surrounded by maids. She first put on a sapphire blue and white silk woven chest-wrapped top with delicate pink lotus embroidered on the chest, a light green double-breasted gauze embroidered with silver thread, and then tied on a willow green hibiscus feather gauze skirt.

Not to mention how to insert gorgeous jewelry in the bun. When she walked out after dressing up, her colorful clothes swayed and her embroidered ribbons fluttered as she moved, making her skin look even more slender and her beauty more stunning.

Not to mention the men, even the sisters who often hang out with her were so infatuated with her beauty that they were momentarily stunned.

After she sat down, Yan Ningxin raised her glass first: "Third sister, congratulations on your birthday."

"Thank you, big sister. I also wish you and brother-in-law Shen a long and happy marriage in advance." Yao Niang stood up and returned the drink. She was not good at drinking, so she drank water instead.

Yan Ningxin knew that the Yan family attached great importance to her marriage. Zhen took her to see her dowry, which weighed a total of 120 pounds. It was the dowry of the former Princess Linzi and the Yan family helped to arrange it. The number of people in the dowry was as high as 500, some of whom were from the farm, and some were there to serve her specifically.

So, in response to Yao Niang's toast, she raised her head and drank a glass, then smiled and said, "Thank you for your good words, Third Sister."

Qianniang and Yingniang also toasted in turn, and Yaoniang drank with them one by one.

Then there were gifts given everywhere. The most exquisite gift was given by Yan Yingqi. He gave a cat's eye worth two cents, as well as foreign jewels such as ruby, sapphire, emerald, and chrysoberyl.

"Thank you, father." Yao Niang bowed immediately.

Yan Yingqi smiled and pinched his beard: "You are grown up now. Although our family doesn't like extravagance, daughters also like to dress up. They can't be bald."

He remembered that he had taken a fancy to a shy young man in recent days, who was about the same age and appearance as Yao Niang. He even used a beautiful woman to deliberately test him. The man blushed and was very shy. He looked innocent. But he did not expect that he sent someone to secretly investigate and found out that this man was not only two-timing, but also had an affair with Princess Duankang, who was ten years older than him. He was so extravagant, but he actually came to him to pretend to be innocent.

It is easy to give jewels, but it is difficult to choose a good man for a lady.