CHAPTER 93: CHAPTER 93: CHAOS (PART 3)

She didn’t understand the matters of the officialdom, but since she was here, if she just sat around and chatted with the young ladies, her sister-in-law would surely feel uncomfortable. Thinking of this, she stood up and said, "You all accompany Fifth Madam for a chat. I’ll go to the garden to check how the stage is being set up." With that, she took the maids out, suddenly turned back to look at Eleventh Miss, and said, "You stay here, don’t run back and forth!" and then went out the door.

The young ladies chatted with Fifth Madam for a while. Soon, Tong Xihua came in with a somewhat unfamiliar lady, both smiling along the way. Xiqiu stood up as well, and another maid served them tea. Tong Xihua, holding the lady’s hand, said, "Had I known you were coming, I would have sent a carriage to fetch you!"

The lady seemed to be in her thirties, but she looked haggard and quite thin. Xiqiu noticed that the cuffs of her qiuxiang-colored overcoat were quite worn, and her jewelry was just a simple gold hairpin and hairpin-like ornament.

"Auntie, please don’t say that, we are family, there’s no need to speak like strangers." As she spoke, her gaze moved towards Fifth Madam in her seat: "And this is..."

"Look at me!" Tong Xihua giggled: "I was so busy talking that I forgot to introduce you." Saying this, she stood up and softly pulled Fifth Madam’s hand: "This is my sister-in-law, our family’s Fifth Madam." Then she said to Fifth Madam: "This is Madam Jiang from Dengzhou!"

So it was Madam Jiang, Xiqiu’s eyes moved slightly; she hadn’t expected someone from the Jiang family to come as well.

Indeed, since the Lady was hosting guests, the Jiang family, being relatives, could not be absent. However, the Jiang family was still in the mourning period and rarely went out, so Madam Jiang’s presence was quite unexpected.

"So it’s Fifth Madam!" Madam Jiang laughed, "I’ve heard Auntie say you are virtuous, and now you are with child. Seeing you today, you truly are blessed!"

Fifth Madam slightly bowed to Madam Jiang, "I dare not accept such praise from you, Madam!"

Xiqiu also curtseyed to Madam Jiang, who smiled and, holding Tong Xiyan with one hand and Tong Xiyang with the other, said, "Third Miss, Fourth Miss, right?" Then she looked at Xiqiu and Tong Xiyu, "Sixth Miss, Eighth Miss have also grown so much!"

She had not seen Eleventh Miss before and just politely nodded at her.

"Please sit, Madam! Mother is busy and can’t accompany you, we’re the younger generation, so please don’t stand on ceremony!" Tong Xihua helped Madam Jiang sit down and then said, "How is Miss Jiang? I heard she was ill some time ago, both Mother and I were busy and couldn’t visit, but we were always concerned."

Madam Jiang sat down and replied, "The child wanted to make an overcoat for me, but she was in a hurry and stayed up late, caught a chill... I have to thank the in-laws’ Madam and Auntie for the medicine."

Xiqiu felt there was more to Madam Jiang’s words; Tong Xihua’s gaze also flickered. If it were up to her, they would have annulled the engagement long ago. However, her eldest brother and father insisted, and as a married woman, she couldn’t say anything. But upon seeing Madam Jiang today, she felt even more disdain. A weak foundation is just that; once Lord Jiang fell, the Jiang Mansion completely declined. Look at her outfit, which isn’t even as good as Nanny Fang’s!

No matter her thoughts, the visitors were still guests, and the familial relationship could not be ignored; appearances had to be maintained.

"We are family, let’s not speak like strangers. If Madam ever lacks anything, feel free to send someone to the Marquis Mansion!" Tong Xihua was saying, when suddenly, the curtain moved, and the Lady also walked in with two other ladies. Tong Xihua immediately stood up to greet them: "Mother!"

The Lady was wearing a honey-colored double-gold overcoat today, with a pale purple skirt underneath, her face full of smiles as she introduced the lady on her left to Tong Xihua: "This is Madam Liu." Tong Xihua had heard of her; she was from the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Lord Liu’s household, so she smiled and bowed slightly to the lady. The Lady also looked at the lady on the right: "This is Madam Yang!" and exchanged greetings with Madam Yang.

The Lady then introduced Madam Jiang and Fifth Madam, and had the young ladies greet the two ladies.

Madam Liu and Madam Yang each gave a small meeting gift. Noticing an extra Eleventh Miss, Madam Liu took off her bracelet, and Madam Yang placed a gold hairpin, thus making it even.

Madam Yang looked at the young ladies, eyebrows arched in smiles, and said to the Lady, "Madam, you are blessed; your young ladies are all so stunningly beautiful."

The Lady replied with a smile, "I dare not accept such praise from you, they have grown like that!"

"Madam is too modest," Madam Yang smiled, "and where are the young gentlemen? I’ve long heard the fame of the young Advanced Scholar, but haven’t seen him."

Xiqiu noticed when Madam Yang praised Tong Shenzhi, Madam Jiang’s eyes lit up, displaying a sincere smile for the first time since entering.

The Lady replied, "They are all in the outer courtyard." She then said to Nanny Fang beside her, "Go to the outer courtyard and see if the young master is free, and have him come over if he is."

Nanny Fang nodded and lifted the curtain to go out.

Everyone in the room sat down, drank tea, and chatted with Madam Liu: "My husband is not in the Capital, and hasn’t interacted with you, but I often hear my sister-in-law mention you!" Madam Liu smiled and replied, "I came some time ago and coincidentally you were out, so we didn’t meet. Today, we’re finally meeting!" Madam Liu had a somewhat dark complexion and looked slightly intimidating when not smiling.

The Lady smiled, "I heard from my sister-in-law, and I just happened to take the maids to Puji Temple. If you come in the future, you must stop by and visit. I heard you’re from Huzhou, I’m from Changzhou, we’re almost like hometown relatives!"

According to Xiqiu’s memory, Huzhou and Changzhou had no relation, but in those days of underdeveloped transportation, everyone was in the Capital, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu were connected, and their cultures were similar, so it was natural for them to feel closer as distant brides.

Meanwhile, Madam Yang also laughed and chimed in, "Madam is from Changzhou, how coincidental! My sister-in-law is from Suzhou."

The Lady hesitated, then smiled, "That is indeed coincidental, may I ask where your maternal family is from, Madam?"

"From Lai Zhou, Shandong!" Madam Yang replied with a smile.

After Madam Yang said that, Tong Xiyang’s body wobbled slightly, her face turning pale as paper.

The Lady’s eyes twitched, something clicked in her mind. Lord Yang was employed at the Imperial College and had no connections with the Tong Mansion, yet Madam Yang came uninvited. Now, with her words, the Lady seemed to understand, her face filling with smiles: "What a surprising coincidence! My sister married far away in Shandong, precisely in Lai Zhou."

Madam Yang pressed her lips and smiled, clearly quite familiar with the concubine.

Xiqiu lowered her head to drink tea, her hand pausing as she looked up at the Lady and Madam Yang. She couldn’t escape the feeling that something was strange between them, although she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

Madam Yang’s maternal family was in Shandong, and the concubine was also from Shandong. Recently, the Lady had frequent correspondence with Shandong, sometimes even a letter a day. Could it be that the Lady and the concubine were discussing something privately, and Madam Yang, knowing the concubine, was here to deliver information?