<h4>Chapter 39: A Girl at Age Should Be Married (1)</h4>
Trantor: Iris
Proofread by DragonRider
Changbai was so favored by middle-aged women that letters with increasing hospitality came one after another from Madam Hai. At first, the letters sounded a bit condescending, butter they got more intimate with addressing terms “her mother/father-inw”. Learning that Changbai lived alone in the Sheng Mansion in the capital, they even wanted to invite him home. Considering that his tenure was about to expire, Sheng Hong asked servants to clean the mansion up so that they could move in when they returned back to the capital.
More than half a monthter, Changbai finally came back home, passion from mother-inw reced with that from mother. Wang shi rubbed her son’s head, feeling that her ten-month pregnancy and emotional investment for a dozen of years wasn’t wasted, and tears of excitement swelled up in her eyes. In fact, she had prepared a white steed and bouquet made of red silk for Changbai to stroll around showing the honor, but he rejected the idea. Naturally, Wang shi was a bit depressed. Minn actually understood Wang shi’s feeling. With such a boss-like husband and a father-like son, anyone would be depressed.
Sheng Hong chose a cool and sunny day to throw a banquet as apensation. It happened to be an off-day, so he invited a batch of colleagues and seniors to share the joy.
Inte spring and early summer, the scenery in the garden was dotted with green trees and red flowers. Mountains rocks piled up one on another. The good sighting was most suitable to receive guests. Wang shi had nned to call in a troupe of opera singers, but Sheng Hong wanted to keep a low-profile. Therefore, the banquet only set a few tables with male guests drinking in the front hall while female guests in another ce in the backyard. Sheng family was in good terms with many families in Deng Prefecture. Some close friends arrived much earlier but to everyone’s surprise, the one arrived earliest was Junzhu Pingning.
It wasn’t because Wang shi’s personality was too charming, but that in Deng Prefecture, there were few females whose title could match that of Junzhu Pingning—Imperial Third Level. In addition, the wives and daughters of lower-ranking officials had done nothing except for ttering, which made Junzhu Pingning a bit sick after enduring for a few days. Wang shi, on the contrary, was from a noble family and had stayed in thedies’ society in the capital. She actually was a very sociable person who would gossip about the scandals of the nobles and aristocrats in a hrious and fervent way. Though a little domineering, Wang shi didn’t dare to be pretentious in front of Junzhu Pingning. Especially after Wang shi stopped her attempt to market her daughter, the straight-forward got along quite well with the princess who had a twist and turn mind.
Junzhu Pingning first congratted Wang shi and thenined about her own son’s failing. Today, Wang shi was in ecstasy, but had to try hard concealing her joy while showing empathy to the grumbling princess, so she turned every stone over to think of an unlucky thing, “It’s said that marrying your daughter to a higher family and your son to a lower one. From an aristocracy family like Hai with such rules, how can I discipline my daughter-inw in the future?!”
Wang shi’s noble way of entertaining others at the expense of her own good took into effect at once, making Junzhu Pingning burst intoughter, “You deserve it—longing for both a daughter-inw with noble background and an obedient one. There is no such good thing in the world!”
If someone else teased her like this, Wang shi would have overturned the table, yet in front of the princess, she could only squeeze the handkerchief and smiled to let it go.
In a short time, more guests arrived, forming a packed room embellished with jingling and ttering pearls and jade. Old Madam Sheng sat up at the main chair with three shy granddaughters dressed up in new clothes standing on the side to greet guests. Touched and tweaked by a group of middle-aged women, Minn’s face was on the brink of cramping from keeping a false smile. Waves of power scent made her dizzy, which was found by a girl around 15 years old standing by the old madam, wife of Cab Yu. She was wearing a bright purple top of silk that was narrow-sleeved and tight on waist and violet gown with green ripples of Xiang River. Spotting Minn’s look, she snickered and gave her a naughty nce. Minn was irritated and showed her teeth.
After a few phatic words, Old Madam Sheng took Old Madam Yu to chat in the Hall of Peaceful Ages. Wang shi had heated chitchat with other madams and sent away young girls since they wanted to start the adult topic of marriage.
Mn was sociable with most friends. As soon as they got outdoors, many of them formed a circle and tweeted andughed on. Rn, caring about her identity, only got along with the legal daughters of Liu and Li families. Protected by Old Madam Sheng, Minn had seldom received guests and besides she had to pretend to be obedient and dumb before Wang shi, so she knew few girls except for Yu Yanran, the granddaughter of Old Madam Yu who often came to worship Buddha with Old Madam Sheng.
Yu Yanran, tall and slim-waisted, had a gentle nature. For a time, Old Madam Sheng had even wanted her to be Changbai’s wife. Unluckily, Yanran’s father, a Fifth-ranked Vice-Minister of Revenue, believed his daughter would be wasted to marry to a family of simr level. Therefore, the match was then never mentioned.
The group of girls were led to the Luxuriant Pavilion to have tea. Girl servants had prepared all kinds of embroidered benches, chairs and tea tables,ying on them exquisite refreshments and tea cups with lids. Rn said smiling, “This is white tea my uncle took back from Yunnan. Have a try, sisters. Is it good?” The girls were intrigued and took a few sips. Mn, tilting her eye corners, sneered with hand covering her mouth, “How bad you are! Fifth younger sister. It’s nothing rare. Don’t make it like a treasure as if others never see anything valuable before. Last time, we even tasted the brick tea from Tibet that sister Wu brought us, let alone this Yunnan white tea.”
Rage at once appeared on Rn’s face and she struggled to hold it back. The disharmony between Rn and Mn was no news to other youngdies, so sitting around, their face didn’t even change a bit and they kept appreciating the tea while chatting. Wu Baozhu was the most considerate one and smiled, “Don’t mention it, sister Mn. Last time, the tea made our mouth so bitter that I really regret drinking it. This white tea is tasteful with mild but prolonged favor.”
Miss Liu, Liu Tongzhi’s daughter, also smiled, “Each thing has its own vor. Good things must be taken out to share with us. Sister Rn was being hospitable.”
Chen Xinya, the only daughter of Zhifu, had been arrogant and didn’t get along with Rn. As a legal daughter, she should like being ttered by Mn. Pouting her mouth and putting down the cup, she said, “I think the tea is just so-so, too thin to have any vor. It’s no better than the Bailu tea my father brought back from Lushan.”
Suddenly turning around to Minn sitting at the corner, Rn asked with a pout, “Sixth younger sister, what do you think?”
Minn was getting closer and closer to the door and was about to sneak out without being noticed. Suddenly called, Minn was caught by surprise and answered, “Indeed, the vor is faint, but the fresh taste lingers in the mouth, making it distinguished from others. Thanks to sisters that I can have a taste of it. My sister has been hiding the tea for many days; she even didn’t invite us, her physical sisters, but only to wait until you’re here!”
The value of a gift lied in the love of the giver. For a time, the youngdies thanked Rn one after another, making her quite satisfied.
Entangled by a ‘concubine’s daughter of Tongpan over there, Yu Yanran then seized this opportunity to free herself and walked to Minn. She pointed at Minn’s forehead with her jade-crystal finger and said angrily, “You little girl. Why didn’t you talk to me? You bad thing.”
Minn frowned, “Last month, the weather turned warm along with red flowers, green grasnd, warm waters and swimming fish. I invited you several times to go fishing and drink fish soup, but you only had servants tell me you were busy, with no reason. I don’t want to talk to you anymore!”
Minn just finished when the look of other girls in the room went awkward in various facial expressions. She was confused and looked at Yanran who also looked a little embarrassed. Chen Xinya turned around and made fun of Minn, “Sister Mn, your sister is so thoughtless. Sister Yu have gained such a big fish now. How could she have the time to catch the small fish in your house?!”
Most of the girls giggled and said nothing, except for the youngest and most innocent girl Hong Qingyu who pped and said, “I know, I know. Sister Yu’s family is trying to match with the second young lord of Ningyuan Marquis, Gu family, in the capital!”
Minn asked in surprise, “Really? Then I should congratte you on the match.” A burst of congrattions, sincere or fake, started in all directions, but Minn sensed something weird. It seemed...a bit weird, so she turned to Yanran who didn’t even dare to raise up her head out of shyness. Therefore, Minn started another topic, smiling, “Which Gu family? I remember Junzhu Pingning’s maternal family name is Gu. Are they rtives?”
Rn answered in a hurry, “Exactly! The ancestors of Xiangyang Marquis and Ningyuan Marquis are brothers, jointly assisting the ancestral Emperor to fight for the country and being entitled togetherter!” Minn was happy for Yanran and said with a smile, “That sounds excellent. It must be a good family.”
Before she finished, Mn cut in, “But...I heard that the second young master Gu is somewhat weird and arrogant.”
Whispers rang up once again. Yanran, so ashamed that she hid behind Minn, didn’t dare to say a word. Only Minn said loudly, “Don’t listen to my forth elder sister. We’ve never been to the capital since we have memories. How could she know all these?” While speaking, she continuously winked at Mn who slowly pouted and stopped talking.
Gratitude disyed from Yanran’s eyes, but to everyone’s surprise, Chen Xinya said in a cold voice, “We don’t know other things, yet there is one thing that I heard when I was little in the capital that once he was almost taken to the Imperial n Court for being disobedient!”