stormy clouds

Chapter 18 Spring Banquet

In the morning, when Biyan came back from Wu Ma's place, she met the woman in the kitchen with a basket to deliver breakfast.Seeing her, the mother-in-law smiled and handed her the basket, "Since Miss Biyan is here, I will take Miss Si's meals back with me."

Biyan took the basket and felt that it was much lighter than before, so she asked, "Mom, what's for breakfast today? Why do you feel that the weight is so much lighter?"

"Yesterday, Qiu Hen from Mrs. Pei's room came to give orders, saying that the girl has been unwell for the past few days and can only drink clear porridge. Today the kitchen specially cooked clear porridge." The woman said with a smile.

"Not feeling well? Our girl is very well." Bi Yan was confused.

When the mother-in-law heard this, she hurriedly said: "We also follow orders to do things. If the girl has nothing else to do, I will leave first."

Bi Yan looked at the back of the woman trotting, and brought the basket back angrily.

Chang Luoyun had nothing to do, drawing flowers on the stone table in the yard.

Bi Yan put the food box on the table, opened the lid, two bowls of white porridge, clearly visible to the bottom.

Chang Luoyun glanced at it, "It seems that from now on, we will be drinking plain porridge."

Biyan put the bowl heavily on the table, and said angrily, "It's because the girl is unwell, so she can only drink plain porridge."

"Qingzhou rice is expensive, white porridge is good enough." Chang Luoyun picked up a bowl and ate it slowly.

Biyan took a sip of the porridge with the bowl in her hand, but there was no taste at all.

She watched Chang Luoyun concentrate on drinking the porridge, and felt a bit of sadness in her heart. After all, the girl is the eldest daughter of the Chang family, no less a slave than she, how did she end up in this situation?
"Not good?" Chang Luoyun finished the porridge in the bowl, put the empty bowl on the table, and asked calmly.

"Girl." Bi Yan felt wronged for her.

"The embroidery competition will be held in a few days. Once the embroidery competition is over, we will either go back to Zhuangzi or go to the capital. The Chang family has nothing to do with us." Chang Luoyun continued to draw the unfinished pattern, "In the future , if you want to drink this kind of porridge, you can't drink it anymore."

-

The day before the spring feast, Mrs. Pei asked Qiu Hen to bring over newly made clothes.

"Miss Pei asked the girl to dress up early tomorrow morning, go to her room early to have breakfast, and then go to the door to pick up the guests together."

Qiu Hen handed the clothes to Bi Yan one by one, "Two Confucian shirts, two embroidered satin panties, and two thread-pick pleated skirts, girl, let's see if they are right."

Bi Yan took it, checked it carefully, and put it in the box.

Qiu Hen said with a smile, "Ms. Pei said that there will be many girls coming tomorrow, and Miss Yun'er is the eldest daughter, so she should pay attention to entertaining guests well, and don't let the girls bump into each other."

Chang Luoyun looked at her with a smile, "Since Mrs. Pei is the host, it is naturally appropriate, why should I greet you?"

Qiu Hen said nothing more.

Early in the morning of the second day, Qiu Hen combed Pei Shi's hair, Pei Shi looked at the black bun in the mirror, and showed a satisfied smile, "You told Fourth Miss yesterday to let her take care of the girls today, what did she say? "

Qiu Hen took a red gold magnolia flower hairpin from the box and handed it to Mrs. Pei, and then carefully helped her insert it on the bun, "The fourth girl didn't say anything, but said that the spring banquet is hosted by Mrs. Pei, which is naturally appropriate." of."

Mrs. Pei smiled slightly, and looked around in the mirror, "Have you agreed with Mama Zhang, the water pavilion is slippery, let her take care of it carefully."

"I told her yesterday that Mama Zhang is a smart person, so there must be nothing wrong."

"Well," Mrs. Pei put down the mirror and took the jasmine tea brought by Qiu Hen, "There are so many people today, I asked Chunrui to guard the house and help deliver some important things by the way. You will follow me today, and you won't be able to take care of me." Yes, take care of me by the way."

Qiu Hen agreed.

Mrs. Pei got up, "Ask again, is Miss Si still here?"

"Not yet, but Fifth Miss has packed up and waited outside."

Mrs. Pei snorted, "She is stubborn, but after today, her good days are coming to an end."

The Chang family's spring banquet was divided into two places, the men were placed in the outer courtyard, Chang Pu and Chang Wenyun entertained them, and the inner courtyard was arranged by Mrs. Pei.

Mrs. Pei took Chang Luoyao to the outer courtyard to make arrangements before entering the inner courtyard.

Under the pergola set up in the inner courtyard, several tables were neatly arranged, with pastries and candied fruits placed on them.

Mrs. Pei looked around, and arranged some things about the tea, and saw Chang Luoyun walking in with Bi Yan.

Chang Luoyun was wearing a light green wide-sleeved gauze dress and a moon white pleated skirt underneath, making her look even more graceful and elegant.

Facing Pei's gaze, Chang Luoyun's gaze swept over faintly, a pair of eyes as clear as a mountain spring carried the bone-piercing coolness of mountain spring water.

Pei Shi was in a daze, Chang Luoyun had already passed her by with Bi Yan and walked towards the door.

"Fourth sister," a lively girl's voice sounded, Pei looked over and saw Jiang walking in with Chang Luoxia and Chang Luoxing.

Mrs. Pei greeted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, today is a rare opportunity for our sister-in-law and sister-in-law to sit together, so don't be polite, just be casual."

Jiang said with a smile, "You're just busy, I'm my family, and I'm here to join in the fun."

Pei smiled again and said: "Girls can't sit still, Yun'er, Yao'er, you and your two elder sisters go eat candied fruit, and I will talk to your aunt for a while."

Chang Luoxia was most afraid of sitting next to her and listening to the elders chattering. When she heard what Mrs. Pei said, she happily rolled her eyes at Chang Luoyun, "Fourth sister, let's go play by the water later."

Jiang pretended to hit her, "With your restless temperament, you don't know how to learn from your two younger sisters."

Chang Luoxia stuck out her tongue, "Aniang, the second aunt has already said that the girls can't sit still, that means the two younger sisters can't sit still, why do you just say I'm alone."

With a helpless face, Jiang tapped her forehead with his hand.

Mrs. Pei laughed, "Luoxia is lively, but she is very cute."

"You are her second aunt, so you naturally pamper her. If you change someone else, I'm afraid it will be taken as a joke."

Mrs. Pei and Mrs. Jiang talked affectionately and went to the arbor.

When Mrs. Kong Shaoling came over with Kong Linger, all the female relatives were sitting under the arbor and gossiping
When Mrs. Pei saw Mrs. Shaoling, she quickly called Chang Luoyun and Chang Luoyao to greet her.

When Mrs. Shaoling saw the two girls who looked like spring onions beside Mrs. Pei, she couldn't help praising, "Ms. Pei is really lucky. There are two girls who look like this. I can't even envy them in my life."

Mrs. Pei laughed and said, "Ms. Ling'er is absurd. Miss Ling'er's appearance is the real lady of the family. When the two girls of my family stand beside Miss Ling'er, they become two pieces of wood."

Mrs. Pei gave up Miss Shaoling to the superior position, and served tea herself.

Kong Linger went to the girl's side with Chang Luoyun and Chang Luoyao.

Lady Shaoling looked at the girls Yingying and Yanyan on the other side, and sighed, "To be honest, I haven't attended a banquet for many years. These little girls have grown up, why do I feel old?"

"Young ladies are in their prime, how can you say you are old?" One of the ladies said with a smile, "Time flies so fast, these girls have reached the age to discuss marriage in the blink of an eye."

Lady Shaoling took a sip of tea from the teacup, put it down, and said with a smile: "I heard that Marquis Changping married Chang Shaocheng's family a few years ago, and I don't know which girl it is."

Mrs. Pei coughed lightly, and said: "I didn't say anything specific, after all, I just talked about it back then, and I don't know if I can do it or not."

Mrs. Shaoling smiled and said: "Naturally, I can count them. The two girls in the Chang family are very good. Most people can't ask for more."

Mrs. Pei smiled and said: "My little girl is poor, so I just have to follow fate."

She smiled and greeted, "This fruit candy is from Yuan's shop in Dongmen. I ordered some in advance. The taste is not bad. Qiuhen, you can serve it to all the ladies."

(End of this chapter)