"Who's next to him?" Wang and several women of similar status were sitting in the pavilion drinking tea. They saw Jiang Miao in the distance talking to the woman next to him, and they couldn't help but feel curious.
"You all know the origin of this prince's wife, right?" a woman said, "Looking at her appearance, she should be from his mother's family, right?"
Wang said: "Oh, I'm not the kind of person who despises the poor and loves the rich. You don't know, this Jiang is very talkative, why don't you call him over to have a chat?" She was still asking, but she had already made a gesture with her hand, asking her personal maid to go over and invite Jiang Miao.
The other ladies remained silent, each holding up their cups and pretending to drink tea. They had all heard about the feud between Lady Wang and the Duke Zhongguo's Mansion, and they didn't expect that she was not satisfied with just making Mrs. Pei go back to her room, and now she was preparing to make trouble for Jiang Miao again.
Jiang Miao kept chatting with Second Aunt Jiang. After all, Second Aunt Jiang didn't know anyone in the garden, and Jiang Miao was a man, so it was not good for him to always hang out with those girls.
Hearing someone invite them over, Jiang Miao turned around blankly at first. When he found that it was a group of middle-aged women, he felt relieved. It was good that they were elders. Although they were in a crowded place, they still had to avoid suspicion. Then he had another question. He didn't know these people, and there was no reliable elder to lead him. How embarrassing.
Chan Yi, who was standing by, seemed to have noticed Jiang Miao's hesitation and whispered, "Master Jiang, the one in red is Madam Wang from Duke Cheng'en's Mansion, and the one in blue is Madam Liu from the Imperial Censorate's Mansion..."
Jiang Miao looked at her gratefully. Look how clear the introduction was. He could tell them apart at a glance. But why did one of them sound so familiar
Jiang Miao looked at Mrs. Wang and fell into deep thought. Wasn't this the man who had just made Aunt Pei so angry that she pretended to be sick? What was her purpose in calling him over now
Maybe Jiang Miao hesitated for too long, but the maid asked again.
"Let's go." Jiang Miao asked Wen Jing to take good care of Second Aunt Jiang, and then he followed the maid with Chan Yi. He thought, forget it, who cares about her, how can she be bullied in her own territory? Besides, didn't the ancestors in the Golden Palace want Pei Che's reputation to be as bad as possible? Having a fierce and vulgar male wife should not be considered a good reputation, right
Jiang Miao followed the maid around several rockeries, stepped on the stone steps, and came to the pavilion on the high ground. It was now the end of October, and the weather was gradually getting colder. The stone tables and benches in the pavilion were already covered with thick cushions, and the windward side was also hung with thick cloth curtains. Sitting inside, although there was no sun, it didn't feel cold.
"Junior Jiang Miao greets all the ladies." Jiang Miao bowed to them. He learned how to bow from Pei Che, and it looked very proper and appropriate.
"You're welcome, please take a seat. Logically, you are the owner of the garden, but today we are the host and invite you to come over and talk. You don't mind, do you?" Mrs. Liu spoke when she saw that no one else was speaking.
"Guests are welcome, so of course I don't mind. What do you want to talk about?" Jiang Miao sat down with a smile. Just like Mrs. Liu said, he was the host.
Madam Wang said, "We would like to talk about music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but we have always heard that the wife of the Crown Prince of the Duke Zhongguo Mansion comes from a merchant family. I wonder if she has any experience in these areas?"
The first thing she said was about someone else's background. She was full of malice and didn't hide it at all. I guess she wanted to get back at her son.
Jiang Miao's face darkened and he said, "Who said I was born into a merchant family?"
Everyone present was stunned. It had spread all over Liangjing. Could he still deny it? Mrs. Wang sneered. She thought he was just so-so. She thought he was such an articulate person. He was trying to cover up something that was well known to everyone.
Jiang Miao ignored their mocking or puzzled looks and said proudly, "I am obviously from a farming family!"
"From a peasant family?" Wang curled her lips and said, "Oh, isn't that worse than a merchant?"
"Mrs. Wang, how can you say such things?" Jiang Miao looked at her with disapproval.
Wang was stunned, and then she recalled what she had said carefully, and then she became a little angry: "Did I say anything wrong?"
Jiang Miao said, "You said that farmers are inferior to merchants, but even if I haven't read much, I know the four words 'scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans'. Why is it that in Madam Wang's mind, merchants have a higher status than farmers?"
When this sentence came out, everyone thought, no wonder Mrs. Wang said he was eloquent. How could Mrs. Wang dare to admit such a statement about class status
"I don't think so. There is certainly a reason for the division of labor into scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. What I mean is that farmers have a hard life and are not as wealthy as merchants. Since the Crown Prince's wife comes from a farmer's family, it is naturally impossible for her to understand music, chess, calligraphy and painting." Mrs. Wang hurriedly changed the subject, not allowing Jiang Miao to continue to digress on this topic.
"That's not necessarily the case. As far as I know, many officials in the court are from farmers' families, but their achievements in music, chess, calligraphy and painting are no worse than those from aristocratic families. Madam Wang, you can't look at people with prejudice." Jiang Miao said earnestly. Pei Che wanted to serve as an official in the court, so sometimes he would inquire about some things in the officialdom. Through what he saw and heard, Jiang Miao also had a certain understanding of these things.
Mrs. Wang was very angry. She didn't expect that this boy would deliberately mislead her and dare to teach her a lesson!
"When did I ever say those adults don't know how to play the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting?!"
"But didn't you say that people who come from farmers' families don't understand? Aren't those adults also from farmers' families?" Jiang Miao said righteously.
"Stop talking nonsense! I'm talking about you!" Mrs. Wang shouted angrily.
"Oh," Jiang Miao suddenly realized, "You were talking about me, why did you bring up my peasant background? I thought you were talking about everyone!"
Everyone was a little confused by this look, not knowing whether Jiang Miao did it on purpose or was really that naive. However, given the current situation, the former was more likely. Mrs. Wang's chest rose and fell rapidly, and she finally understood Second Aunt Pei's feelings before.
"Although I can't say I understand everything you said, I do understand one or two things." Jiang Miao felt sorry for her and took the initiative to change the subject.
"Oh? I wonder what the Crown Prince's wife is good at?" This hit the mark exactly. At the beginning, she wanted to embarrass Jiang Miao and then have him admit that he was as vulgar as her son said.
Jiang Miao thought for a moment and said, "Draw it. My drawings are lifelike and look just like the real thing."
Everyone fell silent. They didn't expect him to be so shameless when praising himself.
Mrs. Wang was stunned for a moment, then she laughed: "It just so happens that my little daughter is also good at painting, why don't we let her compete with you?"
Jiang Miao showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"What? Does the Crown Prince's wife look down on my daughter and is unwilling to compete with her?" How could Mrs. Wang let him go? She immediately used provocation to stimulate Jiang Miao.
"How can that be possible? I'm just afraid that others will say that I bully her." Jiang Miao said in embarrassment.
Mrs. Wang: “…”
"You don't have to worry about that. I have been learning painting since I was young, and it has been decades now." She smiled fakely.
Since they had decided to compete, they naturally moved to the center of the garden. Jiang Miao had people place a lot of things in the garden, including painting tools.
When the young girls saw the elders and the prince's wife coming over, they all made way for them.
"Ping'er, come here." Madam Wang called to a little girl in a yellow dress in the crowd, "The prince's wife heard that you have been learning painting since you were young, and she wants to compete with you. You must remember to give it your all and don't spoil his fun."
The girl named Ping'er looked at Jiang Miao with a curious look on her face: "Did the wife of the prince also learn painting since she was young?"
Before Jiang Miao could answer, Madam Wang rushed to say, "Madam Shizi just said that his paintings are so lifelike, just like the real thing. If he hadn't practiced hard since he was a child, how could he have achieved such success?"
If everyone didn't know Jiang Miao's background, they would probably be fooled by these words. As Liang Jing's only male wife, and married to a young talent like Pei Che, how could they not be curious
Second Aunt Jiang also came over. She was a little anxious when she heard this. Where did this boy Miao learn to paint? Farmers can only scratch the ground with a piece of firewood. How can he compare with these girls in the city? She just sat here and watched for a long time. These girls are very good.
Jiang Miao gave Second Aunt Jiang a soothing look, then turned his head to give Chan Yi a few instructions, and stood aside waiting for the competition to begin. This calmness made some people begin to doubt their own judgment.
"Prince Pei is proficient in the six arts. Has he taught him anything?" a little girl asked quietly.
"Maybe. I heard that Prince Pei dotes on him very much." said another girl.
"Even if he gives us some advice, what's the use? They've only been married for half a year. I don't think he can compare to Ping'er." The person who spoke was Ping'er's good friend, who highly praised her painting skills.
"Madam Wang, can we start?" Jiang Miao interrupted Madam Wang's praise of him when he saw Chan Yi bringing the things.
Obviously, this Mrs. Wang knows very well what it means to praise first and then criticize. The more she praises Jiang Miao now, the more embarrassed he will be later.
"We can start now." After saying that, Mrs. Wang was a little unwilling and immediately added, "However, since it is a competition, there should be a prize. Let me use this as the prize. Whoever wins will get this thing." Mrs. Wang took off the agarwood bracelet on her wrist and put it on the table, causing everyone to exclaim. This agarwood, which is known as "an inch of agarwood is worth an inch of gold", can be said to be a very valuable thing.
Everyone looked at Jiang Miao, wondering what he would take out. Although Jiang Miao didn't know the value of the bracelet in front of him, he could tell from everyone's reactions that it should be quite valuable. But what did it have to do with him
After thinking for a while, Jiang Miao took out a jade pendant from his waist. Pei Che had given it to him when he got up in the morning. He said it was used to hold down the clothes he would wear today. It was the cheapest thing he had.
Everyone looked at the fan-shaped jade pendant in front of them and found that no matter how they looked at it, it was just an ordinary piece of jade, and its value was not comparable to that of the agarwood bracelet.
Mrs. Wang was stunned for a moment, then said angrily: "What does the Crown Prince's wife mean? Do you look down on the competition with my daughter?" She actually used this kind of thing to get rid of them.
Jiang Miao looked confused: "Why did Madam Wang say that?"
A person nearby said, "Madam Wang's bracelet is made of agarwood and is worth a thousand gold coins. Your jade pendant is worth at most a few dozen taels of silver and is not worth mentioning at all."
Jiang Miao looked at her and shook his head with a sad expression: "How can Madam Wang be such a mercenary person? She is definitely not angry because my jade pendant is worthless, Madam Wang, right?"
How could Mrs. Wang admit that she was materialistic in front of everyone, so she simply nodded.
"I guess Madam Wang's bracelet must have special meaning, which is why it is used as a prize. Coincidentally, my jade pendant is the same. It was made by my son Pei, who personally selected the materials and polished it by hand. It took 49 days to make it. It is full of his sweat and affection. In my heart, it is a priceless treasure." Jiang Miao's face was full of emotion, and the look he gave the jade pendant was particularly affectionate.
Listening to him showing his affection, everyone's expression was a little strange. Some older people naturally didn't believe it, but the young girls were somewhat moved, thinking that although they were both men, the friendship between them was no less than that of an ordinary couple. Wouldn't such a token of love be more touching than something bought casually in a store
When Mrs. Wang heard him compare the bracelet and the jade pendant to be of equal value in just a few words, she felt a tightness in her chest that she couldn't relieve.
"If it's a priceless treasure, why do you want to use it as a prize?" Ping'er was a little puzzled. She was a straightforward girl and would say whatever she wanted.
Yes, everyone came to their senses and looked at Jiang Miao to see how he would explain.
Jiang Miao said calmly, "First, Mrs. Wang took out such a precious bracelet. If I don't take something equally precious, wouldn't it be too disrespectful to her? Second, this jade pendant symbolizes the harmonious relationship between husband and wife. If you win, Miss Wang, it can be regarded as my blessing to you."
Some people feel that they are moved by Jiang Miao. Even after losing, they can still bless others generously. Who can do that if not a broad-minded person
"... Let's get started!" Mrs. Wang said. She was afraid that if Jiang Miao continued talking, the value of the jade pendant would be higher than the bracelet.
"Okay, Miss Wang, how do we compare our paintings?" Jiang Miao politely asked her to make the decision.
Ping'er was a girl who refused to admit defeat. She had just heard her mother say a lot, all praising Jiang Miao's realistic painting, so she said, "Let's see who can paint more realistically."
Jiang Miao nodded, and his crazy hint was worth it. He added: "It's getting late, and I'm afraid it will delay things if I draw too much, so how about this, I'll just draw... an apple." He looked at the fruit plate not far away, pretending that he picked it randomly.
"I'll draw apples too." Ping'er said immediately.
The two agreed to draw an apple within the time limit of one stick of incense, and the competition would see who could draw the most likeness. As soon as the incense was lit, Wang Ruoping spread out paper and ground ink, her eyes still fixed on the apple in the fruit bowl, picturing its shape in her mind.
On the other side, Jiang Miao did not grind ink, but took a charcoal stick from Chan Yi's hand, and then took out a dagger to cut it. This strange behavior aroused everyone's curiosity, but now the competition was in progress, they could not disturb it, and could only watch silently.
Soon, Wang Ruoping started to paint. She drew with a brush without hesitation, and it was obvious that she had it all planned out. With each stroke, a bright red apple hanging on a branch appeared in front of everyone. Everyone showed an admiring expression and couldn't help but admire her.
"The incense has burned out."
As the sound rang out, Wang Ruoping also put down the last stroke, and she looked at Jiang Miao with a little pride. After seeing clearly, her proud expression immediately froze.
The person who had been watching her looked at the painting drawn by Jiang Miao in confusion, with surprise on his face.
This... this is too similar!
Although there are only black and white colors, what is presented in front of everyone is clearly an apple, an apple that seems as if you can reach out and pick it up. The water droplets on it are clearly visible, and it seems to be glowing under the sunlight.
Jiang Miao not only drew the apple, but also added shadows to make it more three-dimensional, and then added highlights to make it look more watery.
Wang Ruoping looked at her own painting, then at Jiang Miao's, and reluctantly admitted defeat.
“Nonsense, your apple is obviously more similar!” Mrs. Wang was immediately annoyed when she heard it, “How can… How can there be a black apple!” She thought she had found a flaw, but unfortunately no one agreed with her.
"Mom, if I lose, I lose." Wang Ruoping frowned, "We were competing to see who could draw the most lifelike picture. His painting was so lifelike, so of course he won!"
After that, she walked up to Jiang Miao and asked, "I have never seen a painting like this before. Can you give it to me to see?"
Jiang Miao nodded and said, "Of course." He picked up the painting and handed it to Wang Ruoping.
Without waiting for Mrs. Wang to say anything, he placed the bracelet on the painting as well.
"If you accept the loss, this thing should belong to you."
Jiang Miao said: "After all, I was cheating. The apple you drew was very similar. Even if we tie in this round, I will naturally return the prize to you." Jiang Miao had learned painting for two months, and his only skill was drawing apples. He was embarrassed to use this to bully the little girl, and was also afraid that Mrs. Wang would cause trouble for the little girl when she returned, so he returned the bracelet.
Wang Ruoping thought about it, looked at Madam Wang again, pursed her lips, and said, "Then we must decide the winner in the next competition."
Jiang Miao smiled and nodded, but thought to himself, forget it, he can't draw anything else.
Today's banquet was a complete success. After Jiang Miao showed off his skills, the impression of him changed a lot. Some people thought he was very talented and that the rumors were just rumors. Some people thought he was very smart and that he could master a painting skill in just a few months. Before him, no one had ever seen anyone paint with charcoal sticks.
Pei Che in the front yard moved with moderation, showing his elegance in every move, and won everyone's praise.
After seeing the guests off, the two returned to the yard exhausted and fell headfirst onto the bed.
"A Miao, thank you for your hard work." Pei Che turned his head and looked at Jiang Miao.
"What's the big deal? We're family and we shouldn't have different opinions." Jiang Miao waved his hand to show that he didn't care.
"I've neglected my uncle and aunt today. Tomorrow I'll have to prepare a small gift and go to their house to apologize." Pei Che knew that Aunt Jiang had not told Jiang Miao about the embarrassment she had faced, but if Jiang Miao heard about it from someone else, he would definitely be angry.
"What did you do?" Jiang Miao was a little puzzled. Pei Che was not the kind of person who looked down on others. How on earth did he neglect his second uncle and the others
"It's like this..." Pei Che told Jiang Miao what happened this morning. As expected, Jiang Miao got angry instantly after hearing it.
"How can he look down on others? Why didn't he stop other guests to check the invitations? Also, your cousin is not a good guy either. He just hinted at that person to embarrass my second uncle and second aunt!" Jiang Miao finally understood why the second aunt and her family didn't bring a few sisters with them. They must have expected something like this to happen. It was a pity that Pei Che always accompanied him on his trips, and he hadn't really felt the malice of the people in the mansion towards him, so he was a little careless.
"A Miao, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I will teach them a lesson." Pei Che said quickly.
Jiang Miao said: "It's not your fault. You are different from them. I think that what they did is not only because they look down on my relatives, but also because they look down on you..."
Jiang Miao began to persuade Pei Che that he had a high status among the younger generation and was not afraid of not being able to teach Pei Min a lesson.
(End of this chapter)