These must be the Duchess of Cheng and the concubine of Prince Yi!
"Greetings, Madam; greetings, Concubine." An Ran and the others gracefully curtsied.
The group exchanged a few pleasantries.
Anran noticed that Third Sister seemed to particularly dislike the concubine of Prince Yi, showing obvious aloofness and indifference, and even treated the Duchess of Cheng Guo with more warmth than she did to her.
The concubine seemed oblivious, continuing to chat and laugh.
The Princess Consort invited Zhao to come in and sit with her, accompanied by the Consort and the Duchess of Cheng. Since Third Sister still had guests to entertain, Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, and the other sisters followed her into the garden.
"Sister, why do you have to make it so obvious?" Fifth Sister walked side by side with Third Sister. Seeing that Sixth Sister and the others were a little further away, she muttered to herself, "Wasn't that bitch sent away by your brother-in-law? If you take your anger out on her like this, won't your mother-in-law think you're too petty?"
A hint of impatience flashed across Third Sister's face.
"No wonder they're a family of prostitutes, both experts at climbing into bed!" Third Sister said angrily. "Consort Li seduced the Prince to get her current position, and now her niece, that little slut Li, is trying to seduce the Heir Apparent! A whole family of despicable scum, I feel disgusted just looking at them!"
Fifth Sister shook her head in disapproval.
Just as she was about to say something, a stewardess came to report that a distinguished guest had arrived, so she had to give up.
Seeing that the two sisters, San Niang and her sister, were talking, An Ran and the other three wisely fell two steps behind.
While Third Sister went to greet the guests, Fifth Sister led Sixth Sister and her sister into the garden, introducing them to the sights of the Prince's mansion along the way.
The sisters, Third Sister and Fifth Sister, were very close. Fifth Sister had lived in the Prince's Mansion for a period of time before her marriage, so she was quite familiar with it. When they arrived at the West Flower Hall, there were already quite a few young girls inside.
An Ran didn't recognize any of them, so she could only stay close to Shi Niang and greet them along with her.
After going around in circles, Anran got to know the three illegitimate daughters of the Prince's Mansion, the two legitimate daughters of the Duke of Cheng's Mansion, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, the two legitimate daughters and one illegitimate daughter of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue... Anran memorized them all in a daze, and at least felt a little more confident.
The West Flower Hall was reserved for noble ladies from various families, but it was clear that these ladies were divided into different circles. For example, there were those born of legitimate or illegitimate children, those from first-class marquis families, and those from ordinary Beijing officials. An Ran observed silently for a while, sensing there were subtle nuances within the hall that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Tenth Sister and Seventh Sister both have their own close friends, while Sixth Sister has already become acquainted with many people after only half a year of returning. An Ran hardly knows anyone and is happy to be alone.
As An Ran gradually found herself alone, she sat down at a round table in the corner of the flower hall and focused intently on drinking her tea.
Suddenly she felt a shadow fall over her. Looking up, she saw a pretty little girl, who looked no more than seven or eight years old, standing timidly beside her.
"Sister, can I sit here?" The little girl looked at An Ran with her clear, watery eyes and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I see you sitting here all by yourself..."
An Ran smiled slightly, her beauty beyond compare.
“Of course.” She gestured for him to try, and even picked up a teacup with famille rose floral patterns from the table, asking with a smile, “This floral tea is quite good, would you like to try some?”
The little girl stared blankly at An Ran, and said somewhat dumbfoundedly, "Sister, you're so pretty!"
An Ran smiled and accepted her praise, then poured her a cup of sweet floral tea.
Seeing An Ran's amiable demeanor, the little girl relaxed. During their conversation, An Ran learned that her name was Jia Niang, a distant niece of Scholar Liu from the Hanlin Academy, and that she had lived with her uncle and aunt after her parents passed away. The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, very pleasant to listen to.
"Did you live in Jiangnan before?" An Ran asked, as if struck by a sudden inspiration.
Jia Niang nodded hurriedly, a look of surprise and delight in her eyes. "How did you know, sister?"
“I grew up in the countryside near Yangzhou.” An Ran looked at her and was reminded of An tide, her tone softening slightly. “Your accent sounds like it.”
Having lived a second life, Anran felt she had gained some understanding of the fickleness of human relationships. Upon seeing Jia Niang, Anran immediately recognized her as a dependent, cautious child, and felt a surge of pity for her. She recalled her own early days in the Chen family, feeling lost and awkward among the wealthy ladies of powerful merchant families, and embarrassing herself several times at banquets.
An Ran was well aware of that feeling of helplessness and despair, and now that she saw the timid Jia Niang, she wanted to lend a hand.
An Ran chatted with Jia Niang in a soft voice, just like she had coaxed An tide and An Ze, to help her relax and gradually she started to laugh and talk too.
After a short rest, the little girls couldn't sit still any longer and clamored to go to the courtyard to admire the flowers and fly kites, which the servants had prepared well in advance.
An Ran reached out her hand, and Jia Niang took it in her soft, fair hand with delight.
At this moment, Shi Niang came over to find An Ran to go together. When she saw Jia Niang, she asked with a smile who the child was. Unexpectedly, Jia Niang seemed shy and moved closer to An Ran.
"This is Jia Niang, the niece of Lord Liu from the Hanlin Academy," An Ran answered for her, taking her hand and walking out together.
Shi Niang didn't mind Jia Niang's evasiveness; her social circle didn't need such an inconspicuous young girl at the moment. Her gaze fell on An Ran's bright and beautiful face, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her ninth sister seemed genuinely unintentional…
"Princess Yunyang has arrived!" Whispers rang in her ears, and even the young girls immediately changed their playful expressions, all wanting to leave a good impression on the princess.
An Ran was also very curious about what the legendary Princess Yunyang looked like.
Just as she was about to take a step forward, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure suddenly came into An Ran's view.
An Ran's smile froze on her face.
She wasn't mistaken; among the figures surrounding the beautiful woman in her crimson-purple dress was none other than her mother-in-law from her previous life, Madam Ding!
Chapter 16 Spring Banquet (Part 2)
How did I end up seeing her here?!
An Ran's heart suddenly clenched, her mind went blank, and memories of the past flashed by.
The two lost children, the heartbroken Anze and Anxi, the torment of Ding Shi, and the despair and anger of watching Chen Qian find a new lover...
Having arrived in the capital and started a new life, An Ran thought she could say goodbye to the past, but she encountered the person who caused her nightmares again!
Could Chen Qian also be in Beijing?
"...Sister?" The voice seemed to come from a distant horizon, yet it also seemed to whisper right beside her. "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"
An Ran suddenly came to her senses.