The kitchen had also delivered breakfast to the courtyards of the masters early in the morning. Anran ate two pieces of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake, and drank a bowl of millet, lily and red date soup before putting down her chopsticks.
Shi Niang had also finished preparing and came to find An Ran.
The two sisters walked out hand in hand and happened to meet Seventh Sister and Sixth Sister on the path. Both of them were dressed very beautifully, except that Seventh Sister's hairpins were more gorgeous and Sixth Sister's were more understated.
When the four of them arrived at Rong'an Hall, their stepmother was already serving the Grand Madam breakfast.
Today's third-day celebration will be attended by all the young ladies and gentlemen of the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion, along with Madam Zhao and the Dowager Madam.
The Dowager Lady was getting on in years, and aside from important family matters like marriages, she rarely left the mansion. Today, however, for the sake of Third Sister's matter, she dressed up according to the regulations for a noblewoman.
Wearing a dark blue long jacket with gold gourd and double happiness patterns, a ginger-yellow brocade skirt, and her hair neatly combed up, along with several pieces of jewelry inlaid with lapis lazuli and tourmaline, she immediately exuded a noble and elegant air.
After serving the Dowager Lady breakfast, Zhao helped her rinse her mouth and drink tea. Although she didn't say anything, the anxiety on her face grew stronger, and she was starting to lose her composure.
Just after the first quarter of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), an old woman came to report that the carriage for the trip was ready.
Madam Zhao looked at the Dowager Lady with deep affection.
The old lady sighed inwardly. Then she stood up, and Zhao and Su Mama hurriedly stepped forward to support her on either side. The sedan chair was already prepared at the door.
When they set off, Zhao and the Grand Madam rode in one carriage, while Anran rode in another carriage with Tenth Sister, Sixth Sister, and Seventh Sister.
Unlike the joyful atmosphere when they went to the Prince's Mansion for the Spring Banquet last time, Anran and her three sisters all felt the seriousness of the situation, so they behaved themselves and spoke much less.
Although the Dowager Madam had instructed her before they left, "Today is your third sister's special day, so be happy when you get to the Prince's residence," they all knew perfectly well that it was hardly a happy occasion!
All four sisters agreed, and regardless of whether they meant it sincerely or not, their smiles deepened.
Soon the carriage traveled smoothly all the way to the Prince's Mansion.
The Prince's Mansion was bustling with activity today. Although he was only the eldest son born out of wedlock, it was still a rare joyous occasion for the Prince's Mansion, as the heir was now officially an heir. Therefore, relatives from the Prince's Mansion, relatives of the Princess Consort, and the entire Nan'an Marquis's family, the maternal family of Third Sister, were present.
Not only the four unmarried sisters of the Marquis's family, but also the concubine's fourth sister and the legitimate sister of the third sister, the fifth sister, both came.
This time, Third Sister greeted the female relatives who came to participate in the third-day-old ceremony at the door.
An Ran clearly remembered that not long ago, Third Sister's young and beautiful face radiated joy, her expression proud, and her eyes sparkling. Back then, she was the envy of everyone…
Not long after, this happened. Anyone with eyes could see that Third Sister's mental state was clearly not as good as before. Although Third Sister was wearing a pomegranate red brocade jacket with ten patterns and had carefully applied makeup to her face, the haggardness and fatigue in her eyes could not be concealed.
An Ran couldn't help but worry that Third Sister might lose her composure in front of everyone.
Could something have happened these past two days? Third Sister looks terrible.
Holding a baby's third-day celebration is a joyous occasion, and as the matriarch, Third Sister should have been happily handling it, but she clearly didn't. Fortunately, those attending the celebration were all close relatives who knew Third Sister well.
Because elders from various households had come, the Princess Consort also came to receive the distinguished guests. The third-day-after-birth ceremony began after lunch. The elders all went to the Princess Consort's place, while the grandmothers and young ladies of the same generation as Third Sister went to Third Sister's place.
"Third Sister, I want to go see my little nephew!" An Ran said, ignoring her aunt's expression, and offered to go see the child.
The three women, including Sixth Sister, looked at An Ran with surprise. At home, An Ran was usually the most easygoing and quiet person. Third Sister was already in a bad mood today, and An Ran dared to bring it up; wasn't she just trying to upset Third Sister?
Sure enough, Third Sister frowned after hearing this.
"Third sister, this is my first little nephew!" An Ran said with a smile, "I'm curious and want to see him! Don't worry, I won't be clumsy and make my little nephew cry!"
San Niang was slightly taken aback. Looking at An Ran like this, she remembered An Ran standing behind her and speaking up for her on the day Li Shi entered the house.
As if guided by some unseen force, Third Sister nodded in agreement and led Anran and her three other half-sisters to Li's courtyard.
Seventh Sister, Sixth Sister, and Tenth Sister exchanged glances, all noticing the surprise in each other's eyes. An Ran dared to speak so boldly in front of Third Sister, and even more strangely, their usually formidable Third Sister seemed to listen to An Ran's every word?
Before even entering, one could hear a man's hearty laughter coming from inside.
Third Sister's expression immediately changed.
An Ran stepped forward and shook Third Sister's hand, whispering, "Third Sister, you mustn't act like this once you go inside! Cheer up!"
Third Sister nodded reluctantly.
As the five sisters walked under the eaves, a young maidservant came over, lifted the curtain, and announced in a clear voice, "The Crown Princess and her four daughters-in-law have arrived!"
As soon as they entered, they saw their brother-in-law, Yun Shen, holding a large red brocade quilt, smiling happily. A slightly wrinkled little face could be vaguely seen through the quilt, and Yun Shen was reluctant to let go of it.
That genuine, joyful smile stung Third Sister's eyes.
Seeing that Third Sister didn't speak, An Ran quickly tugged at her sleeve. Fortunately, there were only Yun Shen, two wet nurses, and two maids in the room, so An Ran didn't care about overstepping her bounds and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, can I see my little nephew?"
Only then did Third Sister manage a forced smile and say, "Ninth Sister wanted to see the young master, so I brought them over!"
An Ran couldn't help but sigh heavily in her heart.
At this point, it would have been much better if Third Sister had said that she was taking her sisters to see their little nephew! Did she think that if he didn't bring it up, Third Sister would ignore his existence?
Yun Shen's smile paused for a moment, then she said meaningfully, "It's kind of you to go out of your way." She then handed the child to the wet nurse, who took the child to show An Ran and her sister.
At this moment, Sixth Sister and the others chimed in, saying the child was adorable, describing his nose, eyebrows, and eyes as resembling Yun Shen. An Ran smiled from the side, but clearly sensed the awkward atmosphere between Third Sister and Yun Shen.
The two of them were very much in love on the day she left, so how did things turn out like this in just over ten days?
"Your Highness, an important guest has arrived in the front courtyard and requests your presence!" came the voice of a young maid from outside.
Yun Shen gave the wet nurse a few instructions to take good care of the boy, Yun Yun, and then headed outside. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Third Sister, "Thank you for your hard work today," and strode out.
San Niang's eyes stung, and she blinked hard to hold back her tears.
Because of the presence of people around Li Shi, An Ran had many questions she wanted to ask, but she had to hold them back. After carefully handing the child back to the wet nurse, San Niang took An Ran and her sister out.