Chapter 28: Outing

  Jiang Niang came home these days, eating and sending food alone, going back and forth only between Chen Lao Taigong's house and her own courtyard. Except for the first time she came, no one in the family saw her, let alone submitted to her.

  Apart from Old Man Chen and Mr. and Mrs. Chen, it was Dan Niang who had the most dealings with her.

  Looking at Jingniang who had also come, the women felt somewhat inexplicably constrained.

  As a lady of the Chen family, although not comparable to the royal nobility, it's not an ordinary household either. Their manners and etiquette have been well-taught, and they are already at an age where they can attend social gatherings and parties. At most, they might feel shy or constrained, but this feeling is truly a first for them.

  "Sister, where are you going?" Dan Niang asked, running over a few steps first.

  "We're going to Temple of Stop-and-Go to admire the plum blossoms." A woman said, seemingly glancing at Cheng Jiaoniang unintentionally.

  "Has the plum blossom bloomed?" Dan Niang asked in surprise.

  "Yes, and the plum blossoms at the temple opened early this year," said the woman.

  The daughter-in-law clapped her hands happily.

  "I want to go too, I want to go too." She shouted, thinking of something and running back to Cheng Jiaoniang's side, "Sister Cheng, you come together too."

  As she opened her mouth to invite them, the women of the Chen family on this side felt inexplicably tense.

  Jiang Nang didn't say anything.

  "Cheng Niangzi, if there's nothing wrong, why don't we go together?" A woman from the Chen family stood up and said.

  How should one respond when invited by a little girl?

  Cheng Jiaoniang looked at her.

  "Good." She nodded in response.

  The daughter-in-law was overjoyed and jumped for joy.

  At this time, the cold rain in Jiangnan falls down, with a few degrees of chill.

  Cheng Liu Niang stepped into the doorway, her eyes falling on Madame Cheng who was smiling and chatting with the housekeepers.

  "Mother." She called out, bowing neatly in front of the attendant.

  Madam Cheng was delighted and beckoned her daughter to come over.

  "Those people have been bothering me and I'm still feeling unwell, otherwise the shop would have made more profit." said the manager's wife, while putting away the account book.

  "Don't understand business, just ruin business." said Mrs. Cheng, "Did they leave?"

  "They may have given up and let things take their course," said the servant woman, "but people still refuse to leave."

  "Then just let it be, our family doesn't care about a few people eating a meal." Madame Cheng said with a slight smile, "Let them see how this shop is getting better and better under my hands, and how their dowry is accumulating more and more. Our Cheng family isn't someone who intentionally makes things worse."

  "It's just the ledger of income and expenses from Tianting Manor, the second mistress wants to take a look." A maid said in a low voice.

  Madam Cheng's face fell.

  Although he was reluctant, Master Cheng II still had to take up his post as scheduled. Madame Cheng used the excuse that their home was nearby and did not bring the children with her this time, but instead stayed at home, saying she would devote herself to serving her mother-in-law and raising her children.

  The people from the Zhou family may have been unfamiliar with the place and were afraid of being taken advantage of, so they lost interest in arguing over the dowry. However, they refused to leave, saying they wanted to keep an eye on things to prevent the young lady's dowry from being wasted.

  The Cheng family was overjoyed because the dark clouds of Master Cheng's unsuccessful career had somewhat dissipated.

  "Then give it to her," said Mrs. Cheng, "The year-end is approaching, the old lady mentioned the winter clothes of the second master a few days ago, and now that the accounts are settled, you can assign a few people to accompany Mei Xiang in front of the old lady to send them over."

  The old lady in front of Mei Xiang? The maids exchanged a knowing glance.

  "Mei Xiang is good at needlework, and she's also steady and reliable. Go over there and take a look to see if the second master has settled in properly, otherwise Old Lady won't be at ease." said Madame Cheng.

  The women lowered their heads in response and looked at Cheng Liu's mother, who was already impatiently sitting aside, packing up her things and bidding farewell to leave.

  "Mother, can I have the ten pastries from Xuanmiao Temple that I wanted?" asked Cheng Liu'niang hastily.

  Madam Cheng seemed to have just remembered and called over a servant woman to ask.

  "Because many people are coming in December, they all booked in advance, so..." The servant's wife said with her head down.

  "So, is our family's not here?" Cheng Liu Niang took over the conversation and asked, sitting up straight, turning her head to grab Cheng Da Fu Ren's arm, "Mother, did you see? They're doing it on purpose, no matter how early we speak, there's just none of ours!"

  Madam Cheng was also somewhat surprised.

  "Really isn't it?" she asked.

  "No, ma'am, it's really in short supply. The pastries from the Miao Miao Teahouse have already been driven up to ten taels of silver per box on the market." The servant woman said with her head lowered.

  "Isn't it expensive?" Madame Cheng was even more surprised, when did this mysterious watch become like this?

  It wasn't until now that she suddenly felt that it had been a long time since she last saw the master of the mysterious tower, and she couldn't even remember what he looked like.

  "Hasn't anyone ever come to worship?" she asked.

  Won't she even come home?

  "Don't give it to her." Cheng Liu's mother scolded with a frown.

  "Madam, the Miao Guan Temple, except for the first time, afterwards, no one has come to fetch the offerings again." The servant woman said with her head lowered.

  A box of pastries worth ten taels of silver, many people are scrambling to get it, who still cares about this little bit of oil money.

  Madam Cheng's expression was slightly tense, and Cheng Liu'niang bit her lower lip.

  So it is! No longer under the same roof, who would be willing to lower their head!

  "It doesn't matter." Madame Cheng smiled slightly again, "Then go buy it, it's just a bit more money, that's all."

  Cheng Liu's mother sat down abruptly.

  "It's too late, they're all sold out!" She was on the verge of tears. "I won't be able to get any pastries to enjoy while admiring the plum blossoms, and I'll be laughed at by them! It's just great that that fool left, no one is here to mock us, but why can't we still go out?"

  "My daughter." Madame Cheng hurriedly hugged her daughter to comfort her, "This is ridiculous. You're talented and beautiful, one of the top in Jiangzhou City, everyone's eager to befriend you, who would look down on you? Sixth Lady, being ridiculed can only be because of this person, not because of something like your silly younger sister, just because she opened a pastry shop, does that mean everyone will worship her as a goddess?"

  Cheng Liu Niang couldn't help but snort with laughter, and then quickly covered her face again in embarrassment.

  "You see, you also know that it's not something that can be done by anyone or anything, right? So, the only reason people envy you is because of who you are as a person. Don't worry, don't worry." Madame Cheng smiled and helped her daughter wipe away tears. "Our Liu Niang is the best, whoever doesn't like her must be jealous of how good she is."

  Cheng Liu's daughter finally dispersed her gloom and burst into tears of joy.

  "Well, Mother, I want to use that set of purple gold jewelry." She said with a few parts of coquetry, hugging Mrs. Cheng's arm.

  "Good." Madame Cheng smiled and nodded, fondly stroking her daughter's shoulder.

  A mother and daughter enjoying each other's company indoors.

  When they heard that their daughters had invited Cheng Jiaoniang to admire the plum blossoms, Chen Shao and his wife, who were also parents, felt a little nervous.

  For a moment, she had a bit of the feeling of a young daughter going out and socializing for the first time.

  What to wear, what to bring, who to follow, cold or hot, saying the wrong words, being treated lightly, etc., feeling anxious and uncertain, not knowing whether to agree or disagree, finally went to tell Old Man Chen.

  "What is she thinking in her heart?" asked Mrs. Chen.

  Old Mr. Chen burst out laughing.

  "What are you thinking? You're overthinking," he said with a smile. "She's at the age of blooming youth, she should be joyful."

  Chen Shao and his wife suddenly felt a bit dazed and somewhat lost in thought, Ah yes, they had both forgotten that this girl was only 14 or 15 years old after all, not an old withered tree.

  "Let some of the people at home go out for a walk, and have her brothers send them off." Chen Shao said.

  Jingniang changed her clothes and put on a cloak, and came out with the maid. She saw that there were two more women from the Chen family waiting.

  "This is tenth daughter, this is twelfth daughter, this is eighteenth daughter..."

  The enthusiastic introduction of Dan Niang, or the slightly awkward, or deliberately calm women, one by one paid their respects to Cheng Jiaoniang.

  Now that we've met each other, let's have a conversation.

  "The warm sleeve made by Niangzi is really good." The older Shiniang spoke first.

  Talking about clothes and accessories is most proper and suitable.

  "Yes." Jingniang nodded.

  "It's not too cold today, and wearing warm sleeves is better than a hand warmer." Another woman said.

  The women all came to meet them, and the atmosphere became cheerful and relaxed. A group of people started walking out, and when they reached the outer gate, they saw that in addition to four carriages, there were also six or seven people waiting on horseback.

  "How come there are so many people?" The Chen family's daughters were startled.

  Immediately, all sorts of dashing young men with varying ages turned their heads.

  "Father said we should send you off." They chorused.

  It's normal for brothers to see off their sisters when they go out to have fun, but it's really unnecessary to have so many brothers do so.