Chapter 77

Although it was the beginning of spring and still chilly, Yao Niang wore a long red cotton jacket with a gold-lined leaf pattern, a gold-studded jeweled flower centerpiece on her head, and a gold-studded jeweled phoenix and peony centerpiece on both sides. Yao Niang didn't like to wear jewelry on weekdays, but whenever there were guests or for big occasions, she would dress up appropriately, which was also the style of a wealthy family.

Today Shen Linfeng had to go to the yamen and would not be back until the evening. He seldom asked Yao Niang to help him dress because Yao Niang usually got up late. Also, except for the official uniform he wore on weekdays, he could spend half a day choosing clothes by himself when he was not wearing it.

Mrs. Shen had already asked someone to prepare the banquet, and everyone was talking to her, after all, she was the wife of the head of the family.

Madam Shen Er was talking and laughing. She was talking to Madam Shen about the affairs of the eldest aunt's family: "Her brother Qian's daughter-in-law, Chen, is a very capable person. I heard that her daughter, who is only four or five years old, is learning to write and play the piano. She is really hardworking."

"That's really..." Mrs. Shen was shocked.

Madam Shen Er said, "It is said that it is like this now."

"Our brother Feng didn't start learning until he was six years old, and he hasn't passed the imperial examination yet. I think it's hard for a child to start learning too early." Mrs. Shen leaned back.

In fact, Yao Niang also agreed with Mrs. Shen's view. She started learning the piano at the age of eight and went to school at the age of six. It was too early, and she couldn't understand what many teachers taught her. After the age of eight, even if the teacher didn't come sometimes, she could understand it herself.

Besides, people have to have natural talents to study and learn to play the piano. Qianniang had learned from Mr. Yu and seemed to play quite well at that time, but later she became just like everyone else.

There is no need to mention Ying Niang. In fact, she is one year younger than Yao Niang and the others. Zhen Shi always wants Ying Niang to learn everything with them. Unfortunately, Ying Niang's qualifications are limited, which makes her unable to sleep well every day. She is also the shortest among her sisters.

For example, when I had never met Shen Linfeng before, I thought he was very hardworking. In fact, he was very hardworking and liked to brag about his hard work. In fact, Yao Niang found that he loved sleeping the most and was not even as hardworking as Yan Jingzhao.

Forcing things to grow faster is not necessarily a good thing.

As for the eldest aunt's daughter-in-law, Yao Niang also watched with cold eyes. She was very friendly to those from the main branch of the Shen family, but ignored those who were less well-off and didn't even call out to them.

Mrs. Shen said, "All children nowadays are like this. I have a relative who could already hold a pen and write at the age of three."

"I remember that your Yan'er also started to learn when he was about four years old. Your Yan'er was smarter than Feng'er when he was young." Mrs. Shen said.

Madam Shen Er's face flashed with embarrassment, but she recovered in an instant: "Sister-in-law, our Bangyan is just like the saying goes, a child who is good at childhood may not be good when he grows up."

Mrs. Shen said quickly: "Stop talking like that."

Yao Niang heard it clearly. Seeing that Mrs. Shen was embarrassed, she naturally would not help her out.

"The first lady, the second lady, and several grandmothers, the third lady is here." Mother Zhou came in again and said.

Yao Niang was among them, silently observing everyone's emotions. Madam Shen was the most peaceful, as she was the eldest lady in the family, and she was willing to be a good sister-in-law to whomever Shen Xunfu married. Madam Shen II seemed a little nonchalant, as she saw it, a young girl who married an old man was probably after someone else's power and wealth, and she looked down upon such a person.

Naturally, when she saw how grand Mrs. Shen made the ceremony, she felt that she was a fool. If she was so attentive to her daughter-in-law, she wouldn't have alienated her son.

As for Grandma Qing and Grandma Jiang, they were hoping for someone who was easier to deal with, otherwise a young, favored mother-in-law who was stirring up discord everywhere would be a disaster. After Shen Kuo's second wife Zhang came into the family, she asked to drive out the son born to his first wife and not allow Shen Kuo to provide financial support. The two of them did not get along very well, but now they were on the same side.

Wang was the most relaxed, because this matter had nothing to do with her, and she didn't take it to heart at all. Shen Mo was playing with the coral bracelet given by Concubine Chang Guifei. Her marriage with the Hu family was also ruined. She felt that her luck was not good and she couldn't get excited about anything.

Not to mention the third aunt and uncle.

Of course, Mrs. Shen did not invite Han Ruhua to such a family dinner, after all, she was just a cousin.

Yao Niang was watching coldly from the sidelines. What exactly did she want to see about Lu Shaner?

This was also Lu Shan'er's first time to visit the Shen family in Beijing. In fact, she grew up in Beijing and was much more familiar with Beijing than Kaifeng. Wang Huzi's candied haws and aloe vera, Fatty Qing's mutton soup, and Aunt Feng's fish soup were all delicious. She often went out to sell flowers and used the money she earned to eat at various places. She could figure out what she had eaten just by thinking about it.

If she were to eat those now, she would probably be criticized as being unrefined.

Just like her, if those so-called novel ideas were not elegant, Shen Xunfu would appear interested on the surface, but at most he would move his chopsticks once, or just let her eat by herself.

As she could see, the Shen family's residence was much more luxurious than Shen Xunfu's official residence in Kaifeng Prefecture, and it was even unusually large. It was hard for her to imagine having to ride in a sedan chair to enter and leave someone else's home.

She sat upright in the sedan chair, holding her breath and keeping quiet, not daring to move.

As soon as she got off the sedan chair, several women came to greet her. They were wearing new snow-white and green jackets with skirts of the same color. They had hairpins on their heads and rings on their hands. She wondered if they were the grandmothers from the Shen family.

Another person introduced himself and said, "Madam San, I was sent by the Madam to take you over. We will help you get over there."

Fortunately, she was just a servant. Lu Shan'er thought that she had really lost face. She smiled slightly and let them help her walk through two corridors and a moon gate. She saw the main house. The flowers and plants outside the main house were surrounded by an exquisite fence. There were two white cranes and two peacocks spreading their feathers. She was stunned.

She only knew that the Shen family was good, but she didn't expect them to be so wealthy. The imperial palace might be like this too.

I heard that Madam Zhou was also looking at Lu Shan'er. She was very pretty. The bright red dress set off her beautiful face. The rouge on her lips made her look extremely bright. It was no wonder that the Third Elder was willing to do this for such a beauty. Just like my own eldest master, he didn't have a good impression of the Yan family at first, but after meeting the Third Miss Yan, he was amazed by her beauty and wanted to send gifts to the Yan family all day long. He was also very good to the eldest grandmother.

Just as she was thinking, she had already reached the main gate. Mother Zhou said to Lu Shaner, "Third Madam, we're here."