Please read my translation only at Moonlight Teatime.
If you like our translation, please support us on Patreon or Ko-fi or donate
When she arrived at the entrance, Yun Shi and Wei Qingwan were already there. The three of them boarded the carriage together and headed for the Assistant Magistrate’s residence.
Today’s destination was not the Assistant Magistrate’s residence itself, but it was the meeting point for everyone.
After waiting for a while at the gate, the other families’ carriages arrived as well. Once everyone was gathered, they all left the city together.
When they reached the place, everyone got off the carriages and continued on foot.
The location chosen by the Assistant Magistrate’s wife was Beishan Village in the southern part of the city. The village was surrounded by farmland, and since it was the busy farming season, a large number of villagers—men, women, young and old—were working in the fields.
The scenery along the way was beautiful and lush with greenery.
After Wei Ruo got off the carriage, the Assistant Magistrate’s wife walked up to her and greeted her warmly,“So this is the eldest daughter of the Wei family? I’ve heard of your reputation more than once, but never had the chance to meet you. Now that I finally see you, I realize the rumors don’t do you justice—your beauty far surpasses what they described!”
The Assistant Magistrate’s wife looked at Wei Ruo with a face full of smiles.
Wei Ruo responded with a gentle smile.
Right after that, the Assistant Magistrate’s wife warmly said to Wei Ruo, “I truly must thank you properly, Miss Wei. Thanks to your loquat syrup, my father-in-law’s old illness has greatly improved. He’s already more than halfway recovered, and he looks much more lively now!”
Previously, the old Madam Xu who bought loquat syrup from Wei Ruo was the mother-in-law of the Assistant Magistrate’s wife, and the one who had been sick was her father-in-law. As the daughter-in-law, it was only natural for her to seize this chance to express her gratitude to Wei Ruo.
“Madam Xu, there’s no need to be so polite,” Wei Ruo responded in a calm, polite way—just right, not overly friendly or cold.
Once Madam Xu started, the other ladies also gathered around to greet Wei Ruo.
These ladies all held high status, yet they were willing to lower themselves and take the initiative to chat with her.
Wei Ruo felt somewhat unaccustomed to their enthusiasm. She had only planned to make an appearance just like before—being a quiet, unnoticed presence at the gathering with no intention of drawing attention. Who would have thought things would be different today? With the ladies’ enthusiasm, she couldn’t even blend into the background if she tried.
Even Yun Shi hadn’t expected her eldest daughter to be so well-received.
Meanwhile, Wei Qingwan’s expression grew increasingly stiff. It was one thing for the other ladies, but even Madam Xu and Madam Qiu were acting like this.
She attended lessons at the Assistant Magistrate’s residence and knew both the Assistant Magistrate’s daughter and the Qiu family’s daughter, and she had met those two ladies several times before.
Yet now both of them focused only on talking to Wei Ruo, completely ignoring her. This stark difference in treatment pierced Wei Qingwan’s heart deeply.
After a while, the crowd surrounding Wei Ruo dispersed. The Assistant Magistrate’s wife then explained the day’s itinerary, and everyone nodded in agreement.
And so the group began their spring outing.
The Assistant Prefect’s daughter, Xu Yaojun, deliberately sought out Wei Qingwan and walked beside her.
“Wei Qingwan, your sister is much more impressive than you. Look at how much my mother and the others like her!” Xu Yaojun said with a malicious grin.
Hearing this, Wei Qingwan lowered her head, pretending not to hear.
Xu Yaojun continued, “You probably don’t know this, but my mother was very fond of your sister even before meeting her. She wanted her to become my eldest brother’s official wife.”
Wei Qingwan froze for a moment, her steps faltering.
Seeing her reaction, Xu Yaojun couldn’t help but laugh.
Wei Qingwan pressed her lips together and said, “Why are you telling me this?”
Xu Yaojun replied, “Nothing much. Just letting you know—you’re not nearly as exceptional as you think you are. So quit pretending like you’re some outstanding, elegant young lady all the time. I can’t stand it!”
Enjoyed this chapter?
Support Virichime to keep the translations coming!