Chapter 62 Debut (Part 2) ('Flying Fairy' Xianpao Yuan + 3)

  "Did Zheng Dainai send you and your brother an invitation?" Sheng Siyan was very suspicious. This Duke's mansion was managed by her mother, Wang Shi, with no room for error, how did Zheng Dainai break through the layers of obstacles to deliver the invitation into the hands of Sheng Ningfang and his two brothers?

  Sheng Ningfang nodded repeatedly, "That's right. That day, my brother and I went to deliver the funeral goods to our aunt, and on the way, we met Zheng Dainai and her entourage. She stopped to talk to us siblings and even had someone specially bring three invitations for us." As she spoke, Sheng Ningfang took out the invitation from her sleeve pocket.

  Looking at the elegant cursive script on the invitation, Sheng Siyan furrowed her brow and said, "Let's ask Father and Mother about this. I'm not in charge of this matter."

  Sheng Siyan ordered the senior maid, Mu Jin, to invite Sheng Qiye and Wang Shi to the Womei Xuan. She said to them: "Zheng Dainai has sent a separate invitation to Ning Fang and his two younger brothers, inviting them to attend the Wu Guogong Fu's welcome banquet."

  Sheng Qiye and Wang Shi exchanged a glance, both of them were shocked.

  Sheng Qiye said: "Ning Fang's mother has just passed away, how can they go to the banquet? What does Zheng Dainai mean?"

  Due to Sheng Siyan's past conflicts with Wu Chanjuan, Wang Shi also had a bad impression of Zheng Suhui. She smiled and said, "Probably Madam Zheng is too busy with noble affairs, she just casually mentioned it. The children took it seriously, can't blame them."

  This way, both Sheng Ningfang and Zheng Dainai can save face.

  Sheng Qiye accepted this explanation, nodding and saying: "It must be so." He also said to Sheng Ningfang: "You take your brother home to observe the mourning rites. You are a biological mother who has passed away, you have to wear mourning clothes for three years." That is to say, only after three years can you go out as a guest, attend banquets and travel for pleasure.

  Sheng Ningfang pouted. She lowered her head to fiddle with the hem of her clothes and said in a low voice, "But Zheng Dainai said that my aunt's funeral will be held after seven days of mourning, and by convention, she doesn't count as a member of the Sheng family. My brother and I don't need to wear mourning for her." This means that since the Sheng family didn't consider Tu Shi as their legitimate mistress, it's not necessary for the Sheng family descendants to wear mourning for her.

  That's also possible.

  Wang's heart skipped a beat as he thought to himself, "Zheng Su Xin, your hands are really long..."

  Sheng Siyan thought for a moment and said, "I haven't seen such a statement in the 'Yi Li. Funeral Rites'. How long the mourning period lasts has nothing to do with whether or not Er Niang is a member of the Sheng family. Er Niang is indeed a member of the Sheng family, and there are documents proving her marriage as a concubine. The law also doesn't say that if the mourning period exceeds seven days, she's no longer considered a family member. Zheng Da Niang said such a thing. How unreasonable." She swallowed the words "provoking discord" with difficulty, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

  Sheng Qiye was somewhat annoyed, and with his hands behind his back, he said: "Zheng Dainai? Are you listening to her? What kind of person is she? Madame Gou gave birth to all of you, she's your real mother, your elder. Isn't it right that you should wear mourning for your birth mother, for your elder?

  Sheng Ningfang seems to have been waiting for this sentence.

  As soon as the voice of Sheng Qiye fell, Sheng Ningfang raised her head and looked at Sheng Siyan. Pointing to her, she asked: "What about her? If my aunt is a member of the Sheng family and our elder, then she is also her elder. Why doesn't she wear mourning clothes? Why can she go out to attend banquets, while my brother and I have to stay at home in mourning?" Zheng Da Niang said: "If we consider my aunt as a member of the Sheng family, then she is our stepmother, which makes her her stepmother too. Although she is the legitimate daughter, she should also wear mourning clothes for my aunt for a year!"

  "Haha......" Wang smiled and nodded, "What a wonderful stepmother! And I still have to mourn for my stepmother for a year. Where did this rule come from? I've never heard of it in my life!"

  Sheng Siyan's eyes sparkled. She had a particularly good memory. As soon as Sheng Ningfang mentioned the term "stepmother", Sheng Siyan thought of the "Four Books for Women" promoted by Zheng Dainai at the Rong Cui Girls' School.

  The term "庶母" has never appeared before the Daxia Dynasty, as far as Sheng Siyan knows. The only place it appears is in the "Nu Si Shu" provided by Zheng Da Nainai!

  And Zheng Dà Nǎi's "Nǚ Sì Shū" (Women's Four Books), it is said, was written by the great writer Zheng Xiāng Róng as a deathbed confession, with the aim of instructing the women of the Great Xia Dynasty who had been misled by her to return to the framework of "male superiority and female inferiority", "three obediences and four virtues".

  "The three obediences and four virtues" also originated from "Women's Four Books".

  Since the imperial court of the Great Xia Dynasty began to vigorously promote the teachings of "Nü Si Shu" (Four Books for Women), life has been a bit difficult for women.

  Sheng Siyan covered her mouth and smiled, "Zheng Dà Niáng is really interesting. I've served in our Great Xia Dynasty for a long time, but never had such a high status. Her ideas are quite strange."

  Even in the previous life of Sheng Siyan, the concept of mourning for a stepmother only emerged after the Qing dynasty. Before the Qing dynasty, no one required mourning for a stepmother, only for a biological mother.

  Sheng Ningfang listened with a stunned expression and tilted her head to ask: "Really, there's no such saying?"

  "Absolutely not." Mr. Wang said categorically, and asked Sheng Qiye: "What do you think should be done about this?"

  Sheng Qi angrily said: "If it weren't for Wu Lao's face, I wouldn't go!"

  Sheng Ningfang realized that Sheng Qiye was really angry and was frightened, hastily saying: "Father, I just wanted to go out and see the world with my younger brother..."

  Sheng Siyan was annoyed with Zheng Dainai and didn't want to go either, saying: "Then I won't go. It's more comfortable staying at home with Ning Fang and the others."

  She thought and thought, but Zheng's big nanny came up with this move, just to stop her from going to Wu Guogong's mansion for dinner.

  For Sheng Siyan, she really didn't want to go to the Wu's house.

  At the thought of facing Wu Chanjuan, that spoiled little girl, Sheng Siyan's forehead began to throb with a dull ache.

  She had been slammed against the wall by Wu Wanjuan, with her hair pulled back. The wound on her forehead took a long time to heal and now there is no scar left. However, whenever she feels anxious, her forehead still hurts vaguely, not knowing if it's the aftereffect of being slammed last time...

  Wang also understood that Zheng Su-hen's move was ostensibly an invitation to Sheng Ning-fang and her two younger brothers, but in reality, the true purpose was to prevent Sheng Si-yuan from going to her home for dinner.

  When someone is being finicky...

  Wang was disdainful in her heart and said lightly: "Alright, neither of us will go then. Just your father going is enough."

  Sheng Qiye disagreed, he said hastily: "This won't do. Old Master Wu personally instructed me to take you two over to meet him, how can we not go today? I've already replied to the invitation. We must go."

  Since I promised Old Man Wu, I really can't not go.

  Mr. Wu is a senior. If you don't keep your promise to him, the fault will be even greater.

  "Alright. Since it was Old Master Wu's personal request. In any case, I'll take Siyan there to sit for a bit."

  "What about me?" asked Sheng Ningfang pitifully.

  Sheng Siyan smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. After you're done with mourning, we'll have a big banquet at our place, and Ningfang, you and your brother can sit in the seat of honor, okay?" She also said, "I have a set of golden headdress here, after you're done with mourning, I'll give it to you." With these words, she subtly shifted Sheng Ningfang's attention.

  Sheng Ningfang was overjoyed and hastily said: "You're a man of your word! I'll remember this!"

  "A word once spoken cannot be taken back even by a team of four horses." Sheng Siyan and she clasped hands in oath.

  "Dad, Mom, take big sister with you, I'll stay home and watch the house with little brother!" Sheng Ningfang said happily.

  Sheng Siyan was speechless. Sheng Ningfang's straightforward personality made her emotions come and go quickly.

  Sheng Qiye saw that the matter had been settled, let out a sigh of relief and said: "I'll leave first. Ning Fang, don't be naughty, go back and properly mourn your father. Your younger brother is studying hard in the outer courtyard every day, you don't need to worry."

  Sheng Siyan sent Sheng Qiye out.

  Wang's family pulled Sheng Ningfang down and asked her in detail about meeting Zheng Suhui on the road.

  From head to toe, every detail was scrutinized, and Sheng Ningfang was bombarded with questions until she was almost overwhelmed, repeatedly saying: "I don't remember. I really don't remember... I only remember this much."

  It turned out that Zheng Suxin not only sent them a letter saying that Tu Shi was not considered a member of the Sheng family and they didn't need to mourn for her. She also said that if they treated Tu Shi as a member of the Sheng family, then Sheng Siyan, the eldest daughter, should also mourn for her stepmother. And she even asked Sheng Ningfang how his aunt had died, asking very carefully.

  Fortunately, Tu died of a heart attack in front of everyone. Even if Zheng Suhui was by his side at the time, he couldn't say that Tu was murdered.

  She can only say it's her own fault and can't blame others.

  Sheng Ning Fang walked away with a big sweat, and Sheng Siyan greeted her at the door before hurrying back to her own Green Jade Pavilion.

  Sheng Siyan entered the house and saw Wang Shi sitting alone on the couch, lost in thought. He quickly went forward to massage her shoulders and smiled: "Mother, are you tired?"

  Wang stretched out his hand and grasped Sheng Siyan's hand that was massaging her shoulders, bitterly smiling: "I'm not tired physically, but I'm tired mentally."

  Sheng Siyan sat down beside her, leaning her head on Wang's shoulder and smiling to comfort her: "Mother, Zheng Dajie has a broad mind, it's normal that our small Sheng Guo Gong Fu can't escape her attention. Don't worry about it. At most, when we meet Old Master Wu, we'll just leave without talking to her."

  Wang patted her shoulder and said in a low voice, "Since Zheng's wife suspects the cause of Tu Shi's death, I'll tell you that Tu Shi brought it upon herself and couldn't be saved. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

  Sheng Siyan didn't make a sound and silently nodded.

  "You've also studied medicine with me for a few years, and you can understand many things yourself. As for Mrs. Tu, she's greedy and can't control her own mouth, who can blame? Your father has also warned her that if she gets any fatter, she'll get sick. She doesn't care at all, and says that even if she does get sick, there's Seventh Grandfather to rely on, so there's no need to be afraid..."

  "Indeed. In fact, is there really a divine doctor in this world who can cure all diseases? Not to mention others, even the Emperor himself, isn't he still at a loss?"

  "It's exactly that. You want to get this point, but Tuo didn't think of it, and maybe she doesn't even want to think about it。 The hardest thing in the world is to control one's mouth。 Whether it's pouring in or spitting out, you have to control it。" Wang said a double-edged sentence, referring to two things: one is not being too greedy for food, and the other is not speaking recklessly.

  Wang did not use any poison, nor did she abuse or punish Tu. She simply indulged him, allowing him to go down a path of no return. For greedy people, insatiable greed is their ultimate destination.

  Sheng Siyan's heart knot suddenly loosened, and she smiled: "Mother, actually, our family affairs have nothing to do with Zheng Dainai. She has always said that she wants to help her master find the Sheng family's direct descendants, now that we're back, why is she making things difficult for us?"

  Wang said with a sneer, "We may think we're causing trouble, but others don't see it that way. Just look at this grand banquet to welcome her back, who knows how many people are praising Zheng Dàniáng's kindness..."

  "But why did she have to go this far?" Sheng Siyan pouted, "If you didn't want me to go, couldn't you just not give me the post?"

  "Heh heh, not letting you post this, are you afraid others will know that she's not perfect? How could someone who handles things so carefully leave themselves open to this kind of attack?" Wang got up and said, "You rest for now, in a few days we'll be going to the Wu household, we mother and daughter must muster our spirits."

  Sheng Siyan murmured a response and stood up again to see Wang off.

  ……

  The day of the grand welcome banquet for Sheng Guogong's return, hosted by Wu Guogong, was approaching soon.

  Zheng Suxin got up early in the morning, called all the housekeepers and outer courtyard managers to come over, and once again went through all the arrangements for the banquet, from dishes to seating, from opera performances to recreational activities, from male guests in the outer courtyard to female relatives in the inner courtyard, everything had to be re-examined.

  In addition, there is a special and very important occasion, which is the place where little girls and boys go to dinner parties.

  This place was specially left for her daughter Wu Yujuan.

  This time at the Dust-Settling Banquet, it was actually Wu Yujuan's daughter who officially made her debut in front of the ladies of the great families of Dashang Imperial City.

  The third update for 'Flying Fairy' is sent as a reward from Xianpianyuan.

  Woke up early in the morning and stared blankly at the screen for a whole morning, didn't even get a pink slip, fainted in front of the computer desk~~~

  There won't be a third watch tonight. Goodnight everyone.

  ……(。。)

  PS: Today is the birthday of two sisters in the group, Xixi and Helenc. Wishing you both a happy new year every day, and a happy today every year! May your beauty last forever, may your youth never fade! May life be happy! Good luck for all eternity!