Chapter 155: Invitation
The next day, Wan Jing came to pick up Li Xiaonan. The two got into the carriage. Wan Jing quickly arranged pastries and tea, then leaned close to Li Xiaonan and whispered, “Every word I’m about to say is very important, so listen carefully!”
Li Xiaonan nodded quickly.
“Last night, very late, our cousin, the Fourth Mistress Wei, came to the small courtyard where I live and had someone call me out. She told me that if you went to study again today, I should find an opportunity to arrange for you to ‘accidentally’ meet her and Miss Shi. She said Miss Shi entrusted her with this, and that Miss Shi wanted to have a word with you.”
Li Xiaonan blinked as she listened.
“I refused at the time, not in the way you refused our Young Lord, but respectfully and indirectly. I said, as the cousin also knows, the Young Lord’s tasks brook no mistakes, and I asked for the cousin’s understanding.
“Who knew the Fourth Mistress smiled and said she knew her cousin was strict with rules, and that she had already spoken to her cousin, who had agreed.”
Wan Jing emphasized the words “had agreed” with a meaningful tone.
Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing and slowly let out an “Oh.”
“It was too late yesterday to find Shi Gun, so I got up early this morning. Unexpectedly, Shi Gun came to me first, conveying the Young Lord’s message: that you should do as you please, and I should do as I please.”
“If Shi Gun conveyed this message, then what the Fourth Mistress Wei said is true? She really spoke to your Young Lord?” Li Xiaonan listened, forgetting to even eat her pastries.
“The Fourth Mistress said she did, so she definitely did. This isn’t something one can lie about, and the Fourth Mistress isn’t that kind of person. Will you meet her?” Wan Jing held her breath, watching Li Xiaonan.
“Why would she want to see me? Didn’t we meet last time?” Li Xiaonan asked, frowning.
“We didn’t get to talk last time. I’m telling you, it’s better not to meet. You’re not as cunning as she is,” Wan Jing suggested sincerely.
“Why should I compare my cunning with hers? I have nothing to compete with her for. She’s in the sky, and I’m on the ground,” Li Xiaonan said.
Wan Jing let out a sound, “That’s true, you don’t have to worry about your monthly allowance being deducted. So, will you meet her or not?”
Wan Jing’s eyes sparkled with gossip.
“I’ll meet her!” Li Xiaonan’s tone was cheerful. “But…” Li Xiaonan drew out the last syllable. “Miss Shi looks so stern, not like someone who’s fun to talk to. How about this: let’s meet her during lunch, and we can all eat together. If we eat with them, then the two of us can’t eat together…”
“You eat with them, and I’ll eat my portioned dishes!” Wan Jing quickly chimed in. “Your meals are all decided by our Young Lord, so no one dares to reduce or add to them. None of them are what I like to eat.”
“So your portioned dishes are what you like to eat?” Li Xiaonan retorted.
“Of course! No matter what, I’m someone the Young Lord relies on. The kitchen makes whatever I want to eat. You continue!”
“I’ve finished. It’s just to eat together at noon. If you want to talk more, we can have tea after eating. If you don’t want to talk much, just eat quietly and leave after you’re done. You can either talk or eat,” Li Xiaonan waved her hand.
“Stop always talking about eating, eating, eating! Honestly!” Wan Jing rolled her eyes at Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan had spent the morning looking through archives. Just after noon, a maidservant from the Fourth Mistress Wei’s side entered with Wan Jing to convey her young lady’s lunch invitation.
The dining location was the water pavilion from yesterday.
As Li Xiaonan followed Wan Jing over, the Fourth Mistress Wei came out from the water pavilion to greet them. Ninth Lady Pan followed beside the Fourth Mistress Wei, looking at Li Xiaonan with curiosity.
Miss Shi looked pale and thin, wearing an extra jacket. She was nestled in the soft cushions. She put down the book in her hands and looked at Li Xiaonan with a cold gaze.
Several old women brought in food boxes with dishes. The Fourth Mistress Wei smiled at Li Xiaonan and said, “I asked my cousin what you liked to eat, and he said you like anything delicious. So, I had the kitchen make some of their villa’s specialty dishes.”
“Anything delicious, you like?” Ninth Lady Pan repeated, and then she smiled.
“My family is poor, and I haven’t eaten many good things. Up until now, I haven’t eaten anything I dislike,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“Miss Li is indeed magnanimous. I asked my cousin if there was anything he wanted to advise you on, and he said you are very magnanimous,” the Fourth Mistress Wei said with a smile.
“He means I’m thick-skinned, right?” Li Xiaonan added.
Ninth Lady Pan’s eyes widened, and she burst out laughing.
The Fourth Mistress Wei also laughed, nodding as she did.
“Thick-skinned” was indeed the cousin’s exact words.
“I like people like you the most. Many years ago, a distant aunt’s family came to the capital for a visit. My aunt’s cousin was very beautiful. Her clothes were a bit old, and the sleeves were worn out.
“I was thoughtless and said, ‘Cousin, your clothes are torn.’ That cousin burst into tears on the spot! My mother punished me by making me kneel for half an hour! I really wasn’t making fun of her; I thought she didn’t know and was just reminding her. Alas!”
Ninth Lady Pan spoke rapidly, her words like a cascade of coins, ending with a long sigh.
“Even if they’re torn, they’re still silk clothes. I’ve never worn silk clothes before,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“Then shall I give you some? I have so many new clothes, I can’t wear them all! I just made a pile the other day, I’ll give you a whole box!” Ninth Lady Pan said cheerfully.
“No, no!” Li Xiaonan quickly shook her head.
“Why not? They’re all new, never worn, and I can’t wear them at all,” Ninth Lady Pan explained and tried to persuade her.
“Silk is too delicate. The tables and chairs in my home are either made of raw wood or bamboo, and they’re all rough and prickly everywhere. If I wore silk clothes, I could easily snag a thread and ruin them.
“My home isn’t clean enough either. I often get my hands covered in dust, and I don’t even know where I picked it up. Silk clothes aren’t durable either. Besides, Mei Jie doesn’t know how to wash silk clothes.
“When our business grows and we earn a lot of silver, then I’ll wear silk,” Li Xiaonan explained seriously to Ninth Lady Pan.
“Let’s eat. These dishes won’t taste good if they get cold,” the Fourth Mistress Wei said with a smile.
Several maids held small silver basins with handkerchiefs and stood beside each person.
Li Xiaonan watched Ninth Lady Pan, and did as she did. Miss Shi washed her hands while watching Li Xiaonan.
Ninth Lady Pan leaned close to Li Xiaonan and carefully pointed to the fried shrimp balls, saying softly, “I like this the most, try it.”
“I like it too,” Li Xiaonan replied softly and picked up a shrimp ball.
The meal was eaten in silence.
After the meal, the Fourth Mistress Wei ordered a different tea table to be brought over.
Li Xiaonan was hesitating whether to use the excuse of needing to study to leave when Ninth Lady Pan leaned over and smiled, “Does your family also have a rule of not speaking while eating?”
“No, my family is very lively during meals; we talk while we eat,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“Look, their family talks while they eat!” Ninth Lady Pan turned to look at Miss Shi.
