Chapter 8: The People in the Marquis' Mansion Before the Family Banquet
She seldom went out when she was in Xuzhou, and this was even more so after coming to Xijing City, so she had never heard of the Lanyue Tower or the Qiqiao Festival. If it weren't for her elder sister mentioning it today, I'm afraid her father wouldn't have thought of these things.

So he looked at Jiang Shiyuan with gratitude, and then spoke respectfully to Jiang Huaishan.

"My daughter listens to daddy and big sister."

She has always been well-behaved and has never caused Jiang Huaishan any trouble. Seeing her gentle and humble look, Jiang Huaishan couldn't help but reach out and touch her hair and replied considerately.

"The old lady is in charge of the backyard. I know you and your aunt have been wronged in many things. Tomorrow I will have someone go to the clothing store to pick out some nice dresses for you. Summer is here and there will be many banquets. A girl can't do without these."

"Daddy sent clothes, then I will send a box of jewelry. I am a lazy person and I am afraid of wearing those things. It will be a waste if I leave them in my daughter's room. I hope my third sister will not dislike them."

When Jiang Shishu heard this, he quickly shook his hands, with some uneasiness in his eyes, and immediately replied.

"How dare I despise the kindness of my father and elder sister? But I am a little girl who rarely goes out. Wearing these things will always be a bit ostentatious, so forget it. The clothes and jewelry I have now are good enough."

Jiang Shishu is a contented person, just like Aunt Yang.

But Jiang Shiyuan didn't want her to stay so plain in her prime years, especially after seeing her aunt and cousin's wife so many times, she felt in her heart that a woman should be like this, and should be pampered and carefully cared for no matter in her parents' home or in her husband's home.

Therefore, he felt a little distressed, and there was more comfort in his eyes when he looked at Jiang Shishu.

"As a family, we don't say such empty words. Third sister, just accept it. You should dress up well at your age."

Jiang Shishu felt indescribably moved.

She had not met her elder sister many times, but her concern for her was rare.

Originally in the back house, she had heard her grandmother and second aunt mention that the eldest sister was a sickly and difficult to approach lady from a noble family. She did not expect her to be so humble, and naturally she had many thoughts of getting closer to her.

The father, daughter and his two daughters were chatting about daily life and soon they arrived.

As soon as Jiang Shiyuan and his party got off the carriage, they saw the steward Qingbo who had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw the Jiang family coming, he smiled and immediately stepped forward to greet them.

"This old servant greets Master Zongzheng and the young lady."

Then he looked at Jiang Shishu and asked respectfully.

"Who is this……"

"Uncle Qing, this is my third sister. She came with us today to pay respects to my grandmother."

"I see. This old servant has met Miss Jiang San."

"Meet Qingbo."

Jiang Shishu was a little nervous and immediately returned a half-bow, fearing that he might be impolite in some way and be looked down upon by the people in the Marquis' Mansion.

Compared to her restraint, Jiang Shiyuan felt as excited as a fish entering water.

Looking at this familiar place, her face was filled with a bright smile. She was already beautiful, and this smile made her even more charming.

"Is grandma doing well these days?"

"It's all good, but the old lady is always thinking about the eldest girl, so her appetite is less than before. But after the return of the Pei family's cousin and the third young master, they tease the old lady and she can eat a big bowl of food every meal again."

Jiang Shiyuan, who was standing by, chuckled when he heard this.

"Grandmother is still as childish as before." "What the eldest lady said is right. Please come in. The marquis, his wife and the young masters in the mansion have been waiting for a long time."

"Row."

After that, the three of them, led by Qingbo, entered the gate of Wenyuanhou Mansion.

Different from the plain and elegant layout of Jiang Mansion, the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion is full of wealth and grandeur. All you can see are intricate pavilions and towers, and a new scene at every step. The winding stream and the flowing wine cups are all magnificent with carved beams and painted buildings.

The ancestors of Wenyuanhou Mansion were in charge of the Salt Transport Bureau, which was a lucrative job.

Forty years ago, the old marquis took over the position again and went to Jiangnan alone for inspection and investigation. Not only did he encounter danger many times on the way, but he also remained loyal to the imperial power. In the end, he helped the national treasury recover nearly 80% of the profits, making a considerable contribution.

The old emperor naturally saw this and knew that he did not abuse his position to seek personal gain, so he gave him a lot of rewards. Together with the previous accumulation of the Marquis's Mansion, he became a wealthy man.

A few people entered the hanging flower gate and saw corridors on both sides. In the middle hall, there was a marble screen with a rosewood frame. After passing the screen, they arrived at the main courtyard.

Although Jiang Huaishan was the son-in-law of the family, it was not convenient for him to go directly to the backyard, so he stayed in the front hall waiting for his brother-in-law and nephews to come, while Jiang Shiyuan continued to move forward with his sister Jiang Shishu.

Behind the front hall is a group of wing rooms with a corridor that goes through the mountain. At first glance, there are five formal upper rooms standing there majestically. There are also many maids and old women standing in front of the door. When they saw the few people coming, they immediately bowed and greeted them, following the rules very strictly.

Among them, a maid who looked friendly walked a few steps quickly and came over with a smile. After bowing gracefully, she said.

"Just now the old lady was asking why the eldest girl hadn't come yet. What a coincidence! Speak of the devil and he will appear."

"You have such a sweet mouth, it seems that all the honey in grandma's room was given to you."

Jiang Shiyuan made a joke, but the maid Huamei was not angry. She quickly opened the curtain and invited them inside, and then replied.

"The eldest girl has arrived."

As soon as the two sisters entered the room, they saw an old lady with silver hair sitting in the middle listening to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law talking. When she saw Jiang Shiyuan coming in, she walked over quickly, hugged him in her arms and started calling him her beloved, without waiting for him to greet her.

"You are such a heartless little thing. You promised to come visit grandma after a few days of returning home, but you didn't send anyone to send a letter back even after being gone for ten days or half a month. Aren't you afraid that grandma will miss you and feel uncomfortable?"

Old Madam Wang was plump and had a chubby face.

She had the charm of an old lady from a prosperous family. She looked at Jiang Shiyuan with loving eyes and eyebrows. As she looked at her, she actually shed tears, which made Jiang Shiyuan immediately take a handkerchief and wipe her tears.

"Grandma, please be patient. Isn't your granddaughter here?"

Aunt Pei and cousin Xiang came over and hurried to comfort Madam Wang.

"Today is a day of reunion, old lady, please don't be sad. If you cry until your eyes are red, I'm afraid those boys outside will make a fuss and find some weird things to amuse you."

Hearing this, Jiang Shiyuan asked with a smile in his eyes.

"My granddaughter, you heard from Uncle Qing that after my third cousin and cousin Pei came, my grandmother was so happy that she could eat a big bowl of rice every day. It seems that what my grandmother said about missing her granddaughter is probably just a temporary thing."

When she spoke, Old Lady Wang laughed and scolded her.

"Those two are naughty and playful in front of me every day. I can't help laughing. When they are tired of laughing, they will eat more. Come back today and take a look to see what fun things they are going to come up with this time."

As soon as Old Madam Wang said this, everyone in the room started laughing. The whole family was talking lively, except for Jiang Shishu who stood next to them, feeling a little uneasy and a little embarrassed.