She smiled and said to Wei An, "The old lady is getting impatient."
Wei An's princess status did not have a fiefdom or tribute, she was just a princess in name only. Most of the older ladies were of higher rank than her. Madam Xu herself was a third-rank lady, so although she was polite to Wei An, she was not overly polite.
However, the Wei family still felt that her attitude was too nice and were secretly on guard. They glanced at Wei An before following her.
The Xu family bought the house later. When people first heard that Xu Anying bought the house, there was quite a sensation. Xia Song asked him with a smile why he was so stingy before, but now he was willing to buy such an expensive house.
Xu Anying smiled and said that she had used up all her savings to provide her family with a shelter from the wind and rain.
People then spread the word that Xu Anying was a man of integrity. Others who became officials of the highest rank, such as Shangshu, would have risen to high positions, but he was the only one who bought a nice house and was coveted by so many people.
As he walked further in, Wei An understood why even Xia Song wanted to personally inquire about the affairs of this house - this house was indeed different.
Different from the square mansions in the north, the previous owner of the Xu family's mansion was obviously a very thoughtful person who loved the Suzhou gardens in the south, and built the house very carefully.
Not only are the pavilions and towers of the southern style very exquisite, but even the scenery in the garden and the planted flowers and plants are all delicate and beautiful. It is no exaggeration to say that there is a new scene at every step.
Madam Xu was obviously used to it. She turned around and smiled as she introduced the entrance to them: "The fence in front was repaired by our old master himself a while ago..."
As they arrived at the flower hall, she smiled and led Wei An and the others around the rockery, up the stairs, and watched the maids open the curtain with a smile. She waited for Wei An and the others to go in first before she followed them in.
Old Madam Xu was sitting in the middle talking to Princess Linjiang. She turned around and saw them. She smiled and asked the Second Madam and the others, "How is your old lady? She is rarely seen. I sent her a special invitation. I heard that she is not feeling well?"
The second wife replied: "The old lady is old and has difficulty in moving. She has been going out less and less now. I wanted to go out for a walk, but something happened at home a few days ago and the old lady caught a cold..."
Old Madam Xu seemed to be thinking about something: "You are old now, so you should take good care of yourself." She smiled and waved Wei An to come over: "Does Princess Shouning still recognize an old woman like me? We met before at Puci Temple."
At that time, the Princess of Chu had made things difficult for her and the old lady at Puci Temple. Xu Anying's wife was indeed there, and she had helped her and the old lady Wei at that time.
Wei An nodded: "I remember, I greet you."
Although she was given the title of princess, Wei An herself knew that the title was just a face-saving title and she never took it too seriously. She still behaved with great courtesy. Although Old Lady Xu did not like the people of the Wei family, she had to admit that Wei An was a very smart and patient person.
Shen Chen was already very tolerant, and he married a wife who was such a scheming person. The couple together were really too much to bear.
Wei An might not be unaware of why the Xu family invited her, but she was still able to pretend to be clueless and play the role of a sensible and polite junior so smoothly.
Old Mrs. Xu glanced at the refreshed Xu Zhenniang inconspicuously, but still couldn't help sighing.
If Wei An was Xu Zhenniang, those blows would not be blows at all.
But it doesn’t matter, Wei An will soon cease to exist anyway.
She patted the back of Wei An's hand and said to him affectionately and politely: "Well, it's not easy for you to come to our house. Although most of my girls are useless, they can still be playmates. You are a sensible child. Please take care of my useless granddaughters."
Old Madam Xu went to greet Xu Zhenniang as she spoke: "Zhenniang, come quickly! Haven't you always said that you admire the princess as a person? The princess is here now, why don't you come and get closer to her?"
She smiled and said to the Fifth Lady who was about to stop them, "We are all talking together, so let the little girls do what they want and don't be too restrictive. I know you are very strict about rules, but this is in the inner house, and the girls are all playing together, so I think there is nothing wrong with that."
She was the host, and she had made it so clear. Princess Linjiang and the others were all there, and they all disliked Wei An in the first place. If he continued to refuse in a rigid manner, everyone would inevitably think that the Wei family was too arrogant and looked down on others.
You know, Old Lady Xu is a first-rank official and has always been popular.
The Fifth Lady was really at a loss, so she looked at Wei An and told her: "Since the old lady said so, and the girls of the Xu family are all chaste and virtuous, you can go with the girls and play freely for a while, but don't cause trouble for them."
Xu Zhenniang came up and took Wei An's hand with a smile: "Sister Princess, everyone is playing inside. Mianmian can't come today. She is at home preparing for her wedding. Let's pick a time and go see her together."
Wei An smiled and nodded, seeming to be unaffected by the previous New Year's Eve.
Xu Zhenniang then pulled Wei An inside and said, "Everyone is here. In my opinion, it's boring to stay at home. In the past, when we went to other people's homes to play, there were always some different things to do. Now we have a ready-made pavilion and ready-made peach blossoms at home, which are also worth seeing. If you don't mind it being crude, I will take you all to have a look."
It was still early for the banquet, and according to convention, everyone would go to the garden to play, see the scenery and chat. As the host, there was nothing wrong with Xu Zhenniang saying this. It was her duty as the host to adjust the atmosphere and make the girls have fun.
Everyone came for the Xu family's reputation. They had all had dealings with Xu Zhenniang before, so they naturally supported her and said yes with a smile.
Xu Zhenniang turned around and looked at Wei An and smiled: "Is the princess going with you? We have planted many peach blossoms on the land facing the lake, so you can enjoy a look at them."
As soon as she arrived, she separated herself from the elders. Wei An glanced at her and knew that it was almost time for her to come, so he readily agreed: "Okay."
Xu Zhenniang was so excited that she ordered someone to ask Old Lady Xu and the others for permission. When they agreed, she led Wei An and the others out to the garden. (To be continued)