Chapter 65 Acquaintance

  Wu Chanjuan took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears, but the grievances in her heart seemed endless, and she had to let them out along with the tears.

  Zheng Suxin hastily covered her face with a handkerchief and pulled her into her arms. She looked up to see that everyone had gone out to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager, so she said: "Go to your mother's room to wash up, you can't go out looking like this without putting on some powder. If you cry again, your eyes will be all red, how can you face people?"

  She said, apologizing to Wu Cuicui, "It's my fault, I didn't think it through. Why can't you go out on a different day? Why did you have to choose today? Since we've already done someone a favor, we should see it through. It was my mistake, and now my son is suffering because of me."

  Wu Chanjuan also knew it was inappropriate, and with a choked voice said: "Mother, don't say that, how can I make you apologize to me? You're not wrong, it's all my fault. I know everything. I thought I could bear it, but it seems I'm still a bit short. My heart just doesn't feel comfortable. After I rest for a while, I'll be fine." Saying this, she lowered her head and followed Zheng Suheng's maid Yu Guigui to her room.

  Zheng Suxin then took another senior maid Bai Ji to see off Empress Dowager.

  Yu Gu and Bai Zhi were both Zheng Su Xian's confidants, and they also sympathized with their young master in their hearts. Therefore, they both kept silent, one taking Wu Chanjuan to wash up, the other following Zheng Su Xian out.

  Upon arriving at the gate to bid farewell to Empress Dowager's procession, Zheng Suxin had already regained her composure and was smiling as she invited everyone to take their seats in the inner courtyard.

  Wu Juanjuan had already washed her face and lightly applied some powder, covering up the slightly red and swollen areas around her eyes, so that there was no sign of her having cried.

  Her eyelids were slightly swollen, but Yu Gu had already applied two slices of small yellow cucumber skin for her.

  Wu Chanjuan thought for a moment, then took out the sachet filled with dried flowers from her body and threw it onto the dresser, sneering: "This thing can't be brought along either. Who would have thought that our family would welcome a dog nose?" This was a veiled insult, calling Sheng Sihuan a dog, not a human being...

  It was just this sachet filled with dried flowers that made Sheng Siyan sneeze so much and diverted the empress's attention...

  Yu Gu knew Wu Chanjuan had a grievance and didn't say anything about it, letting her sulk.

  After Wu Chanjuan finished teasing, she indeed felt much more comfortable.

  After she rearranged her hair and removed the small cucumber slice from under her eyelid, a pair of bright eyes sparkled with clarity.

  Yu Guan clapped her hands and laughed: "The second young lady is even more beautiful than before!" As she spoke, she threw away the small yellow cucumber skin that had already withered.

  Using cucumber skin to apply to the eyes can reduce swelling, this is a habit that Zheng Suxin brought to Wu Guogong's house, but she said it was her sister Zheng Xiangrong who taught her, from childhood she saw her sister at home messing around with these things to stick on and wipe on her face. She also got used to it.

  Zheng Su'e's younger sister, Zheng Xiang Rong, was a stunning beauty with a heavenly appearance and national color. She was extremely beautiful, and apart from her exceptional literary talent, her beauty was also unforgettable to many people. She was once also called the "First Beauty of Daxia" by the gossipers in the capital city.

  What a pity that such a beautiful person is like a cicada on a tree, making a loud noise for only one summer and then disappearing.

  Wu Chanjuan smiled and took a look at herself in the mirror, saying: "If I can be half as good-looking as Rong Xiaoyi, I'll be satisfied."

  "Second sister, what are you talking about? You're much prettier than your aunt, not to mention anything else, just look at these double pupils of yours, does your aunt have them?" Yu Gu said while inserting a jade hairpin with a drooping flower into her hairdo.

  A twelve-year-old girl with a tall and slender figure, elegant and poised, looks like a flower bud waiting to bloom. Her blooming period is approaching soon.

  Wu Chanjuan smiled with pursed lips, and her mood had completely recovered.

  Zheng Suxin had Bai Zhi come over to deliver the message. She told Wu Chanjuan to go directly to the small peach hut in the back garden, saying that wine and dishes were already set up there. She had Wu Canjuan entertain those little guests.

  Of course, they were all children under the age of fifteen. The wine on that side was not the white wine for adults to drink, but a sweet and silky fruit wine.

  Wu Chanjuan hastily took her two maids, Hongzuan and Huamei, to Xiaotaoyuan.

  Xiaotao Hut has five bays and is built near water, with two wing rooms on each side.

  The house in the middle is actually a front and back ventilated pavilion. The large windows occupy the entire wall, and the light gauze curtains are tucked on the window pillars on both sides, fluttering in the wind.

  A copper bell hung from the cord tied to the window frame, and whenever the cord moved, the bell would ring out with a clear, crisp sound that was not too loud, thus not jarring on the ear. Along with the gentle gurgling of the spring water outside the window, it added another layer of interest.

  When Wu Chanjuan came in, the house was a bit messy.

  The girls and boys inside were divided into groups, some near and some far, kneeling together to chat and play.

  Wu Chanjuan swept her eyes and saw that the young master of the Wang family, Xia Zhi, was sitting with the daughters and sons of the Zhou and Zheng families. Her own cousins were also sitting with them. The four great marquises' families relied on each other for support, sharing honor and shame together - it wasn't just empty words.

  The four families have been intermarrying with each other for thousands of years, and they are all distant relatives.

  She can also see through those circles.

  The Premier and his family's daughters and sons sat together, while the Imperial Censor and his family's daughters and sons were at another table.

  It all depends on the grade of each family.

  Then legitimate birth and legitimate birth are a circle, while illegitimate birth and illegitimate birth are another circle.

  The distinction between noble and humble, legitimate and illegitimate is clear, just by looking at this small house on the Peach Blossom Hill.

  Wu Chanjuan first walked to the table where Xiao Wangye Xia Zhi, Zhou Jia, Zheng Jia and Wu Jia were sitting, smiled at her elder sister Wu ChanYin who was helping her entertain the guests, and said with a smile: "Thank you, big sister, for your help."

  Wu Chan-yin was also born with great beauty. Her mother, Madame Yin, came from a prominent family in Jiangzuo and raised her daughter to have an extraordinary temperament.

  "Second sister arrived just in time. I was talking to Zhou's sister and didn't notice the other guests in the house." Wu Yanying smiled and stood up to greet her with a bow.

  Wu Chanjuan only then saw the timid girl beside Wu Chanying, who was two years older than herself but had a face that didn't dare to meet people. A pair of eyes like frightened deer, not daring to make eye contact with others, just glanced at someone's face and quickly shifted their gaze, lowering their head to fiddle with their waistband.

  Wu Chanjuan was surprised in her heart, but the smile on her face didn't change. She walked over and pulled that girl's hand, smiling: "You're Third Miss Zhou, aren't you?"

  The Lord of the Mansion of Gods, Old Master Zhou, had three sons but no daughters. The eldest son, Zhou Chengzong, and the third son, Zhou Sizong, were both legitimate births. Only the second son, Zhou Jizong, was a bastard.

  Zhou Chengzong is now the great general Zhou Dajiang, who led the Zhou family army to fight against the barbarians last year. The eldest son of the main house, Zhou Huaixuan, followed him on the expedition to the northwest border region.

  Zhou Chengzong had a concubine named Yue Shi, who gave birth to two children. Both were daughters, and there were no more births after that. The elder daughter was his eldest illegitimate daughter Zhou Yanzhen, who got married last year. The younger daughter is the present Zhou Yanli, 14 years old this year, and has not yet been married off.

  Zhou Jia's second house, Zhou Jizong, has a legitimate daughter named Zhou Yanting, who is already 20 years old and older than the eldest illegitimate daughter of the first house, Zhou Yanqing. Zhou Yanting is the big sister of the Zhou family, Zhou Yanqing is the second sister, and Zhou Yanli is the third sister.

  The Zhou family has three daughters in total, two of whom have already married and left home, leaving only the youngest daughter, Zhou Yanli, who never comes out to meet people.

  Just now Wu Chanjuan didn't see her hiding behind Wu Chanying and thought that there were no girls from the Zhou family coming.

  This is probably the only table where a concubine and a legitimate daughter are together. Wu Chuanjuan thought silently, but thinking of the Zhou family's unusual status, even her own grandfather would have to yield three points to the Zhou family, so she didn't treat Zhou Yanli as an ordinary concubine either.

  Zhou Yanli saw Wu Chanjuan without any estrangement. Her expression was slightly relaxed, and she chatted with her for a few words, then curiously stared at her eyes and smiled: "Every day, people say that the pupils are heavy. I only saw it today. Indeed, hearing is not as good as seeing, and those who have never seen it really don't know how to describe its beauty."

  Wu Chanjuan let her look freely, trying to keep her eyes still. She smiled and said: "Hurry up and take a look, and tell me when you're done. My eyes are about to freeze."

  Zhou Yanli covered her sleeve and smiled lightly, saying: "Wu Erguniang, you are really humorous."

  The young master of the Wang family, Xia Zhi, also followed over to join in on the fun. He said: "Don't move, let me take a look too!" As he spoke, he walked over with his head tilted and carefully examined it together with Zhou Yanli.

  Xian is Xia Zhi came, Wu Chanjuan was a little flustered, her cheeks were slightly red, and tiny beads of sweat seeped out from the tip of her nose, her hands and feet seemed to be uncomfortable no matter how she placed them.

  Fortunately, Zheng Suhui has been working hard to temper her temperament in recent years, and Wu Yanjuan's nourishing Qi skills have achieved some success. That is to say, without the interference of Sheng Siyan...

  Sheng Siyan understood that Wu Chanjuan didn't take a liking to her, although she didn't know where this dislike came from. However, she also knew that they were in someone else's home, so to avoid trouble, she sat in a small corner with several daughters and sons of fifth-grade officials, sipping tea and playing cards.

  Among the four big families, actually only the Sheng family didn't sit together with them.

  The people sitting around, including Xia Zhi, Zhou Jia, Zheng Jia and Wu Jia, seemed to have forgotten this point, and no one thought of calling Sheng Siyan over to sit with them. Even though today's banquet was specially held for the sake of Sheng Qiye's succession to the title, the master in everyone's mind was still the Wu family, especially Wu Chanjuan.

  Unfortunately, in front of Wu Yanjuan, Sheng Siyan couldn't hide even if she wanted to.

  "Siyan! Is that you? Long time no see!" A loud and clear voice came from the doorway, as if someone else had arrived.

  Sheng Siyan's body stiffened, she raised her head to look at the door, and saw a chubby girl rushing towards her like an arrow, and considering her figure, she was running quite fast.

  Sheng Siyan knew she was fat, but compared to this girl, she seemed "slim" again.

  "Xiao Ye, it's you..." Sheng Siyan smoothed out her skirt and slowly stood up.

  The newcomer was Niu Xiaoye, a friend she had met at Rongnuo Girls' School, whom Sheng Siyan secretly called the "Gossip Queen".

  It can be said that as long as you tell "secrets" to Niu Xiaoye, she will definitely guarantee the spread of this "secret".

  Niu Xiaoye floated over like a small moving mountain, and hugged Sheng Siyan tightly, shouting: "Siyan! Siyan! I knew it was you!" Then she wondered: "How did you get so fat?"

  Sheng Siyan smiled wryly. She was a bit chubby, and Wang didn't let her "lose weight", saying that girls of her age should be plump to look good. When she grew up, she would naturally lose weight. If she lost weight at this age, she would become a "thin bamboo pole" when she grew up.

  Sheng Siyan naturally understood what "thin bamboo pole" meant, and listened to Wang's words, obediently not losing weight. - She also wants a curvy figure with a prominent front and back, so for that day, she is now working hard to "gain some weight".

  But when Niu Xiaoye said it, Sheng Siyan suddenly felt that her barrel-shaped body was unbearable.

  Especially she also saw a man standing at the door.

  The man really made her eyes widen.

  How could it be him?! —— It was actually Wang Ergou, the neighbor from next door who hadn't been seen for five years!

  Wu Chanjuan also looked towards the door. Niu Xiaoye was someone she knew, a merchant's daughter who had always been loud and boisterous, and didn't care about anything.

  Her eyes stared straight at the two tall men standing at the door.

  One was Zhou Huai Li, the fourth son of the Zhou family and also her cousin. It can be said that before Zhou Huaixuan returned, Zhou Huaili was the most handsome man in Dashang City, his elegance is evident at a glance.

  Another man she didn't know, but that elegant and refined demeanor was not inferior to standing next to a handsome man like Zhou Huai Li!

  Sheng Siyan opened her mouth, but saw that Wang Ergou only glanced at her casually and then shifted his gaze to Wu Cujuan who was walking towards the door.

  This is the first update. I made some changes to the title, haha, it should be Zheng Xiāo Róng instead of Wu Chán Juān's aunt, not her sister. There will be a second update this afternoon. Do you guys still have pink tickets? Explosions need encouragement from pink. Of course, if not, it's okay, I'll save some for a certain someone at the end of the month~~~

  ……(。。)