Mrs. Wang's excessive attention to Xie Nanjia made Qin very impatient, but she had to ask for help at the moment, so she had to smile and say, "How could I not notice it? I guess you have met too many girls, so you got it mixed up."
"No, no, no, I'm not good at remembering people." Madam Wang was very confident in her eyesight. She looked at Xie Nanjia for a few more times, then suddenly slapped her thigh and said in sudden realization, "Sister, take a closer look. Do this girl's eyes look like..."
She stopped talking halfway, and everyone in the room was aroused by her curiosity.
Qin really didn't like her jumpy behavior, so she reluctantly said, "Like what?"
Mrs. Wang did not mean to keep people in suspense. She realized that she could not say this casually when the words came to her lips. She waved her hand and smiled vaguely, "It's okay, it's okay. I was wrong. Sister, is there anything urgent that you come here for this time?"
The topic was too abrupt, and Qin was too lazy to care. She just wanted to finish her business and leave, so she got straight to the point and said, "I do have something to trouble you, sister. My old lady loves her grandson very much, and she is busy choosing a wife for Jingping. Now, she has set her eyes on the second daughter of the Earl of Pingnan, and she wants to ask you to see if the second daughter has decided on a man."
When she heard that she was to be engaged, Mrs. Wang immediately became excited and said with a smile, "The second young lady of the Pingnan Earl's family, then you have asked the right person. I know the second young lady's situation very well. Her mother is in poor health, and she has been taking care of the family affairs. She is indispensable inside and outside the family, so Pingnan Earl wants to keep her at home for a few more years. She has not yet been engaged. It is said that your old lady has good taste. This second young lady is outstanding in appearance. As for the management of the family, no one in the capital can match her."
The matchmaker's mouth is a lie. She has praised the person to the sky before the fate is even settled. Qin Shi sneered in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. She held Mrs. Wang's hand and said earnestly, "I don't trust anyone but you, my sister. If you say it's good, it must be right. So I have to trouble you to run a trip for your nephew."
People love to hear flattery. When Mrs. Wang saw that Qin trusted her so much, she smiled even more happily and patted her chest to assure, "Don't worry, sister. I'll take care of this matter. Go back and tell your old lady, my good aunt, to wait for her grandson's wife to come."
Qin was very grateful and chatted with Mrs. Wang for a while. After the maid refilled her tea twice, she stood up and said goodbye.
Mrs. Wang was in a hurry to go to the Pingnan Marquis's mansion, so she didn't keep her for long. She sent her and her two servants out the door and hurriedly asked the maid to help her change her clothes.
Mrs. Wang's personal maid was called Qiu Shuang. When she was helping her with her makeup, she asked out of curiosity, "Madam, who did you want to say that the maid's eyes resemble? Why did you stop talking halfway?"
Madam Wang couldn't keep her words to herself, so she said to Qiu Shuang, "I was afraid that if I told Madam Hou, she would be upset. That girl's eyes look a lot like the wife of the prince who just passed away."
"Really?" Qiu Shuang asked in surprise, "I have only seen the Crown Prince's wife once, and I have long forgotten what her eyes look like. Madam, you still remember them?"
Madam Wang looked around in the mirror and said proudly, "Of course I remember. The eyes of the Crown Prince's wife are exactly the same as her mother's, and also very similar to her aunt's. They are both the unique phoenix eyes of the women of the loyal and brave Bo Sheng family. The eyes of the girl just now are really like theirs."
"That's such a coincidence." Qiu Shuang said. Apart from that, she didn't know what else to say.
Madam Wang warned her: "Don't say anything when you go out, lest it spread to the Dingyuan Marquis's residence and make things difficult for that girl."
"I know." Qiu Shuang replied, thinking secretly in her heart, my wife saw it at the first sight, how come the marquis's wife didn't notice it
The reason why Qin didn't notice it was because Xie Nanjia always lowered her head to show respect every time she saw her. In addition, she herself had a bad impression of Xie Nanjia from the beginning, so she was too lazy to even look at her.
Now, after hearing half of Mrs. Wang's words, Qin couldn't help but become curious. Although she didn't say anything, her eyes couldn't help but glance at Xie Nanjia's face.
Xie Nanjia looked in the mirror every day, but she didn't connect Xiu'er's eyes with her own. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and guessed the reason why Mrs. Wang was hesitant to speak after a little thought.
There are so many people with almond-shaped eyes in the world, so there is nothing to be surprised about. It's just that she happened to be reborn into Xiu'er, who also has almond-shaped eyes and the same nickname as her, which is a bit strange.
Feeling Qin's inquiring gaze, she pretended to be unaware and lowered her head as usual, letting the hair in front of her forehead fall down, covering her eyes.
Qin was thinking about her son and grandson. After taking a few glances and not seeing anything, she ignored her. In her opinion, Xiu'er was just a little girl, and it didn't matter who she looked like or not.
The carriage stopped in front of the Shangshu Mansion. Yun Yan stepped forward again to hand over the visiting card. The gatekeeper went in to report. After a while, the chief steward An Youju came out to greet them.
Since they had met before in the Marquis' Mansion, they exchanged a few polite words and An Youju led them to the backyard.
When they entered the hall, the Shangshu's wife, Lin, was holding her little daughter who had just woken up and patting her to comfort her. When she saw the three people coming in, she first winked at Xie Nanjia to show her affection, and then apologized to Qin, "Please don't be offended that I didn't greet her in person. Madam, this child cries every time she wakes up, and no one can comfort her except me."
Qin smiled and said, "You are too polite, sister. I am also a mother. I have raised several children and now I am taking care of my grandchildren. How can I not know the troubles of being a mother?"
Lin invited her to take a seat and asked someone to serve tea. While coaxing the child, she asked, "I heard from Xiu'er last time that your little boy is two months older than my sister. I think he must be much more obedient."
"How can that be possible?" Qin said. "Boys are even more naughty. Once they are awake, they don't want to go into the house. They have to be carried around the yard. Even when they fall asleep, they can't be put down. They cry as soon as they are put on the bed, but they are fine again when they are carried."
"Same, same." Lin felt the same way. "My baby is the same. She can sleep when I hold her. She cries when I put her down. Several maids and old women in the room take turns holding her. Their arms are almost swollen from exhaustion."
With a child around, there is never a shortage of topics, and the two of them quickly became familiar with each other. Compared to the awkwardness she felt when she was with Mrs. Wang, Qin felt much more relaxed.
Mrs. Lin was not as noisy as Mrs. Wang. She spoke in a soft voice and smiled, making the guests feel warm and at ease.
Qin was very satisfied, and when the child stopped crying, she took the child in her arms and played with him for a while. Seeing that the child was pink and tender and well-behaved, she liked the child even more and stuffed a golden lock of longevity into the child's swaddling clothes as a gift.
Lin declined, "Madam, you are too polite. Your family has been very kind to us, mother and daughter, but I am busy with my children all day and have no time to visit you. How can I accept such an expensive gift from you?"
Qin smiled and said jokingly, "It's just a little toy. If you really feel bad about it, you can give one to my little grandson someday. I promise I won't be polite to you then."
Lin was amused by her and stopped being polite. She asked the maid to keep the gold lock and said that she would make time to visit the Marquis's mansion in a few days.
One of them was grateful, and the other was thinking about the girl, so they tried their best to leave a good impression on her. They had a very pleasant conversation and seemed like old friends who had not seen each other for a long time.
When the conversation was getting lively, Qin half-jokingly and half-seriously brought up the topic of child marriage. Xie Nanjia, for the sake of her son, also helped her from time to time.
Lin listened to it as a joke, and although she didn't express her opinion immediately, she thought it was a good marriage.
Marquis Dingyuan is the most favored founding hero of the emperor. The marquis's mansion is one of the most prestigious families in the capital. The young master is the eldest son of the crown prince and the future heir to the title. His maternal grandfather is the renowned General Wu'an. This background alone is enough to make families with daughters scramble for a chance to get him.
Although my husband is the Minister of Personnel, he has only been in the capital for a short time and his foundation is not yet stable. If he can marry into the Dingyuan Marquisate, it will be a great help to his career.
Of course, this was just her personal idea. Whether her husband agreed or not was another matter. Given his stubbornness and rigidity, he might even blame her for selling her daughter for fame and fortune.
Therefore, she did not agree with Qin's words, but only said that she would take her daughter to visit the Marquis' Mansion the day after tomorrow and let the two children play together.
She had previously only said that she would take time out in a few days to visit, but now she clearly stated that she would visit the day after tomorrow. Qin was so smart that one could tell from this sentence alone that she had no objection to the marriage.
Qin was very happy, but since it was the first time she met him, she didn't want to appear too anxious, so she sat for a while and then got up to say goodbye.
On the way back home, Qin was in a good mood. She praised Xie Nanjia generously, gave her a silver ingot as a reward, and asked her to accompany her to entertain the Shangshu's wife the day after tomorrow.
Yun Yan sat aside and curled her lips secretly.
Before this, she knew better than anyone how much the Madam hated Xiu'er. Today, Xiu'er just said a few good words for the Madam in front of the Shangshu's wife, and she became a favorite in the Madam's eyes, with praises and rewards, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Xie Nanjia naturally would not miss the opportunity to accompany her son's future mother-in-law. At the same time, she was still thinking about disrupting Zhao Jingping's marriage. She accepted the reward, thanked Qin for her kindness, and said hesitantly: "Madam is so good to Xiu'er, Xiu'er has no way to repay you. I want to tell Madam something, but I'm afraid I'll get into trouble if I say it wrong..."
Qin usually hated it when people hesitated when speaking, but today she was in a good mood and didn't bother with her, letting her just say whatever she wanted to say.
Xie Nanjia leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear.
Qin was invigorated after hearing this and asked anxiously, "Are you serious?"
Xie Nanjia solemnly assured: "This is what I heard, word for word. As for whether it is true or not, Madam has to ask her in person."
"Okay, I understand." Qin's eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles, "After returning home, you will immediately bring Aunt Liu to see me."
(End of this chapter)