A figure in pale yellow came into view, with a slender and graceful figure, unhurried steps, and not even the hem of her skirt fluttering. Her demeanor was completely unlike that of a girl raised in the countryside. When she drew closer and her face could be seen, everyone present was taken aback.
What a beautiful and charming woman!
"Granddaughter greets Grandmother and pays respects." An Ran walked over unhurriedly, and a maidservant brought over a brocade cushion. An Ran gracefully and generously performed the full curtsy to the Grand Madam.
The servants had already sent word that Ninth Miss was extremely beautiful. The Grand Madam couldn't help but think of her birth mother, Madam Fang, an exceptionally beautiful woman who was unforgettable. No wonder Ninth Miss was so beautiful. She was already so beautiful at such a young age; she would be even more stunning when she grew up.
As expected of the Dowager Lady, the slight surprise didn't even reach her eyes before a smile appeared on her face. "Good child, you must be tired from the long journey!"
After saying that, she personally got up and helped Anran up. Zhao Shi did not dare to act presumptuously or put on airs as the legal mother, so she quickly got up as well.
The Dowager Lady smiled broadly at An Ran and said, "This is your mother."
An Ran, who had just stood up, bowed down respectfully again, saying, "Daughter greets Mother and pays respects to Mother."
Looking at the beautiful face before her, Madam Zhao immediately thought of Madam Fang, remembering how she had almost monopolized An Yuanliang's favor and was even secretly kept by him outside the palace. Madam Zhao felt a surge of hatred. However, with the Grand Madam in front of her, Madam Zhao could only force a smile and say, "Quickly, there's no need to worry about these formalities, get up."
After An Ran got up, An tide and An Mu also came over to pay their respects to the Grand Madam and Madam Zhao.
Although the two were not as composed and elegant as An Ran, they did not show any timidity and stepped forward to greet her respectfully.
"What two good children." The old lady was quite satisfied with Anxi and Anmu, and she smiled kindly, "The water and soil of Jiangnan really do nurture people. The boy and girl have both grown up so well."
Anxi and Anmu, being young, were immediately captivated by the mansion's opulent and luxurious furnishings from the moment they stepped inside. Their eyes couldn't take it all in. The display cabinets were filled with dazzling jade ornaments; the brocade pillows on the rosewood daybeds; and all sorts of novel and unfamiliar trinkets… even the royal homes described in plays couldn't compare!
Fortunately, the two had strong self-control and were not vain, so they only showed a slight surprise in their eyes.
When they paid their respects to the Dowager Madam, the two of them were able to keep their eyes straight ahead and perform the greetings in a proper and orderly manner, without any distractions.
An Ran remained remarkably calm, not because she was good at hiding her true feelings, but because she genuinely didn't take any of it seriously.
In detail, it all started with the period after she married Chen Qian.
Three generations back, Chen Qian's family had been renowned wealthy merchants in Jiangnan. By the time of Chen Qian's father, Chen Feng, they had risen even higher, becoming imperial merchants. While the furnishings of the Chen residence weren't as refined as the Marquis's mansion before them, they were far more extravagant and luxurious. Yangzhou, with its convenient transportation, boasted even more novel and ingenious gadgets than the capital.
Having seen many rare and precious treasures, An Ran only felt that the Marquis's mansion was meticulously decorated, and she was not as amazed as An tide and An Mu.
From the moment An Ran entered the room, the Grand Madam observed her closely. Seeing An Ran's composed and dignified demeanor, she secretly nodded in approval.
"Mama Xu, take the young master and young lady downstairs to rest first." Before the old lady finished speaking, An Ran keenly sensed the unease of the two.
In an unfamiliar environment, the two children probably wouldn't want to be separated from their grandmother! However, their grandmother was originally a maidservant who accompanied the Dowager Lady during her dowry... Now that she has entered the mansion, her status is different, and they probably can't live together as before!
An Ran suddenly felt a little irritated.
To her relief, Anxi and Anmu obediently followed Xu's mother and did not cause her sister any trouble.
There's no rush. Anran silently told herself that she would always find a way to bring her younger siblings back to her side.
After seeing the siblings off, the other three concubine daughters, who had been waiting nearby, greeted them with smiles.
“This is your sixth sister, your sixth aunt,” Zhao introduced to Anran one by one. “She, like you, has only recently returned.”
An Ran looked up and saw a pretty young girl smiling at her. Her turquoise dress accentuated her fair, snow-white skin, and her delicate features made one feel tenderness. "Sixth Sister."
The two sisters greeted each other.
Before Zhao could speak, the girl in the pink dress next to Liu Niang spoke first with a smile: "I am your seventh sister. I didn't expect my ninth sister to be so beautiful." She glanced at Liu Niang, covered her mouth and laughed: "Sixth sister has been outshone."
An Ran frowned inwardly at what she had said, but showed no sign of it on her face, and obediently greeted Qi Niang.
An Ran didn't miss the provocative glance that Seventh Sister gave Sixth Sister, but Sixth Sister seemed completely oblivious, still wearing a smile.
"You little rascal, how dare you talk nonsense in front of the Grand Madam?" Madam Zhao tapped Seventh Sister's forehead, but she didn't seem angry; instead, she seemed quite affectionate. "Never mind your Seventh Sister, come here, this is your Tenth Sister, Tenth Sister."
No sooner had Zhao finished speaking than Shi Niang walked over and greeted her.
Among the three sisters, Shi Niang was not particularly outstanding, but her smile had two dimples that added to her sweetness. "I've been looking forward to Ninth Sister's arrival. Now I have someone to play with."
"You little rascal, all you do all day is play!" Zhao said with a smile, her words warm and friendly. Zhao then said to Anran, "You and your tenth sister will live in Ningxue Courtyard, so you'll have some company. Otherwise, she'll come over every day and bother me, giving me a headache."
"Yu-ge'er, come and greet your ninth sister." Madam Zhao beckoned to An Yu, who was in the wet nurse's arms.
As soon as An Ran entered, she saw the wet nurse holding a child in her arms. The child was dressed in a bright red spring dress, with delicate, fair skin and large, adorable eyes like purple grapes. However, he seemed a little shy and, upon seeing An Ran, bashfully nestled into the wet nurse's arms.
"Young master greets Ninth Sister." The round-faced wet nurse curtsied with a smile, as if she were paying her respects on behalf of An Yu. An Ran turned to the side to accept the greeting and said with a smile, "My little brother is so handsome, just like a lucky baby in a New Year's painting."
Zhao felt pleased to hear her son being praised. "Your other two brothers have gone to school, so you'll see them when we have dinner. Your third, fourth, and fifth sisters are all married, so you'll see them eventually. There's no rush."
An Ran listened and responded with a smile.
Just as they were about to start their conversation, a maidservant hurried in and whispered a few words in Zhao's ear.
This seems very irregular.
Zhao's expression changed slightly, but then she remembered that everyone in the room was there, so she could only force a smile and say, "Third Sister knows that her Ninth Sister has returned, so she rushed back from the Prince's Mansion to see her sister."
Chapter 3 Sanniang
Seeing that the old lady was willing to give her a way out, Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Third Sister was still talking about it when she came back a few days ago.” Zhao quickly added to her daughter’s story: “She said that as soon as Ninth Sister came back, she immediately sent someone to tell her.”
Sixth Sister, Seventh Sister, and Tenth Sister all sensed something was amiss, but all three remained silent, keeping their eyes downcast. An Ran, in particular, pretended not to understand, only putting on a happy expression.
Her third sister was the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, and she married the second son of the Prince of Yi as his principal wife. Originally, the Prince's heir was the eldest son, but he died in an accident two years ago, and the position of heir fell to the second son. Thus, the third sister-in-law went from being the wife of her youngest son who didn't have to manage the household to becoming the heir's wife.
Third Sister's status immediately became more prestigious.