Guanyin's appearance was 70% like that of Old Lady Zhuang. Old Lady Zhuang said happily, "Ning girl, you are so thoughtful."
Old Madam Huang San interrupted, "Ms. Ning is truly a kind-hearted lady, very lovable! Come, sit next to me."
"Changning, I won't stay here and disturb the old ladies from chatting." Jiang Changning declined and bowed and retreated.
At the birthday banquet at noon, there was a play being performed on the stage, and familiar ladies and grandmothers were gossiping. The girls were not too reserved and were talking and laughing in a harmonious atmosphere.
The dessert was served. Jiang Changning took a sip and realized something was wrong. It was not rock sugar bird's nest, but Tremella soup.
Both bird's nest and white fungus have the effect of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, but they are essentially different.
The most important thing is that there is a huge difference in price between the two, and Wu must have profited from it.
Jiang Changning turned his head to look at the main table, and saw that the people at the main table all looked normal, with no signs of abnormality.
It was immediately clear that the people at the main table were eating bird's nest with rock sugar.
Wu's trick may work for a while, but not forever. Zou will definitely see through her.
At this time, someone suggested going to the garden to see the sunflowers, "There are no willow catkins blowing in the wind, only sunflowers leaning towards the sun."
Mrs. Wu was stingy, and the scenery of her farmyard was unremarkable.
Jiang Changning was not interested in going and decided to stay here.
But Zhuang Qingmei insisted on calling her, "Sister Ning, let's go."
"I'm not going." Jiang Changning said with a faint smile.
"Sister Ning, don't sit still all the time. Go out for a walk. It's good for your health." Zhuang Qingmei said.
"Thank you for your concern, Fifth Sister." Jiang Changning sat there without moving.
"Let's go, Sister Ning." Zhuang Qingmei came over and tried to pull Jiang Changning out by force.
"Fifth sister, I said I won't go out." Jiang Changning's face darkened and he said unhappily.
Zhuang Qingyan, who also stayed behind, frowned and said, "Fifth sister, if you want to go out, just go out. Why are you pulling Sister Ning?"
Jiang Changning's eyes darkened. Why did Zhuang Qingmei insist that she go out
Turning his eyes, he fell on the unique pearl flower in Zhuang Qingmei's bun. Zou had always been harsh to her illegitimate children.
Zhuang Qingmei's jewelry was all made by the company during festivals and holidays, and there were only a few of them that she would swap back and forth.
Her biological mother had long fallen out of favor and did not have any extra money to buy her jewelry.
The origin of this pearl flower...
Jiang Changning was thinking over and over again, but he didn't show it on his face. He pushed Zhuang Qingmei's hand away and said, "Fifth sister, go out and play. Don't make trouble here. It will be bad if you disturb the old lady's mood."
Just then, Old Lady Zhuang looked over. Although Zhuang Qingmei was unwilling, she had no choice but to leave with the others.
Jiang Changning raised his hand and touched the earring on his left ear. Fang Ju came closer and said, "Girl."
"Go and check if there are any people in the garden who shouldn't be there." Jiang Changning said quickly.
Fang Ju replied in a low voice, and called the maid who was engrossed in watching the play over. "I'll be back soon. Please take good care of the girl."
Fang Ju was gone for quite a long time, and the play "Fugui Changchun" on the stage had to change two scenes.
Not long after she came back, Zhuang Qingmei and others also came back.
Jiang Changning stood up, and Zhuang Qingmei immediately asked, "Sister Ning, where are you going?"
"Let's go to the bathroom. Fifth sister, do you want to come with us?" Jiang Changning had a smile on his lips, but there was no trace of smile in his eyes.
Zhuang Qingmei is becoming more and more like a toad lying on the back of your feet, not biting but annoying.
"I'm not going. I just went there." Zhuang Qingmei laughed dryly.
Jiang Changning smiled, turned around and said, "Third sister, let's go together."
Zhuang Qingyan hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay."
On the way to the bathroom, Zhuang Qingyan apologized to Jiang Changning, "Fifth sister has always been stupid, and often speaks and acts inappropriately. I apologize to Sister Ning on her behalf."
Zhuang Qingyan didn't want to speak up for Zhuang Qingmei at all, but Zhuang Qingmei was her half-sister. If she behaved improperly, others would blame Zou, saying that Zou had not fulfilled her responsibility of educating her.
"Third sister, you don't need to apologize. You can't blame the second wife for what happened to the fifth sister. The second wife was very good to the fifth sister. On the old lady's birthday, she not only made new clothes for her, but also bought her new jewelry."
Zhuang Qingyan was stunned. New jewelry
No.
Looking at Zhuang Qingyan who seemed to be deep in thought, Jiang Changning raised the corners of his lips slightly. Given Zou's character, Zhuang Qingmei was going to suffer.
When the two returned to the hall from the bathroom, Zhuang Qingyan stared at the pearl flowers on Zhuang Qingmei's bun.
The birthday banquet lasted until the beginning of the evening and the Zhuang family saw the guests off.
Jiang Changning returned to the courtyard, and Fang Ju reported to her, "The person hiding in the garden is Zhuang Yaozong."
"It's really him." Jiang Changning sneered, "Where is he now?"
Fangju replied, "He's locked up in the stable on the back street."
"Throw him into the well water and let him wake up." Jiang Changning felt a little regretful that it was early summer and the weather was not cold enough.
Zhuang Qingyan told Zou that Zhuang Qingmei had a new pearl flower.
When Zou asked, Zhuang Qingmei didn't dare to tell the truth, "I saved my monthly allowance to buy it."
Zou didn't believe her words, "How much is your monthly salary? Even if you save for a year, you can't afford this pearl flower."
"My aunt also raised some money for me." Zhuang Qingmei said.
"How much silver can a servant raise for you? Did the master give you the silver?" Zou asked sternly.
"No, madam, the master didn't give me any money." Zhuang Qingmei said hurriedly.
"Put your hands out." Zou picked up the ruler next to her.
Zhuang Qingmei trembled and stretched out her hands.
The ruler in Zou's hand hit her palm hard.
Zhuang Qingmei pulled her hand back in pain, her lowered eyes filled with hatred.
She completely forgot that she suffered this pain because of greed.
And if her plan succeeded, it would ruin Jiang Changning's life.
"Don't shrink." Zou said loudly.
Zhuang Qingmei had no choice but to stretch out her hand again and let Zou hit her.
Zou slapped her hard a dozen times, until her hands were swollen, and then she said angrily, "Go back to your yard."
Zhuang Qingmei sobbed and returned to her yard.
The next day, Jiang Changning looked at Zhuang Qingmei's hands, which were as red and swollen as pig's trotters, and smiled with pursed lips.
At noon that day, Jiang Changning ate a bite of food and asked, "Change the cook in the kitchen?"
Fang Ju smiled, "Now the second wife is in charge of the kitchen, so Cook Wu was replaced by Cook Fang."
Jiang Changning smiled. This was the Tremella soup that Old Madam Zhuang prepared for the birthday banquet. She was complaining about Mrs. Wu.
The fight between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Zhuang family has nothing to do with Jiang Changning.
She asked someone to check the situations of the two families that had asked Zou to arrange marriage, and she got the feedback. It was true that she didn't know until she checked, and she was shocked when she did.
The third young master of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was born out of wedlock to a prostitute.
Not only does he have a low status, he also doesn't like studying and is obsessed with money.
All this talk of being polite and motivated is fake.
The eldest son of the Kyoto prefect is indeed a legitimate son and is indeed quite talented.
However, he had close contacts with famous prostitutes in the capital, was a frequent guest of many of them, and his poems were sung in brothels.
(End of this chapter)