04. Sisterly Bond (Part Two)

"Miss, why have you only eaten this little? You will be going to the Madam's place soon, and who knows how long you will be delayed there. You are not accustomed to the rich and heavy dishes served there, so be careful not to end up with a stomachache from hunger." Shuying reproached Chulianyi for not taking care of her own health.

An Xiang simply gathered Chu Lianyi's hair and handed her a cloth that had been wrung out in a white porcelain basin of Ru kiln style, which had been infused with lotus flower dew, allowing her to moisten her face. She then took some homemade jade beauty powder from a colorful vermilion phoenix covered jar and placed it in the palm of Chu Lianyi's hand, using lotus flower dew to wash her face.

Chu Lianyi sensed that the matriarch's expression was unusual, so she said: "Mother, you are not a prophet, how could you know that after Lord Yan became the Chancellor, the Yan family would behave in such a manner"

According to custom, the female relatives of high-ranking officials and nobles who exhibit poor conduct are often sent to temples to cultivate their minds and nurture their character. After some time, if there is improvement, they may be brought back; otherwise, they are destined to spend their lives in the dim light of a lamp, worshipping Buddha. Now that such a significant incident has occurred with Chu Lianyi, and the outside world is blaming her, although her family does not openly express it, they all secretly blame her for being too ruthless and harsh at the beginning. For this reason, the matriarch recently invited monks from the Huangjue Temple to their home to conduct a ritual. Chu Lianyi privately contemplated the matriarch's intentions, thinking that rather than being sent away by the matriarch to avoid the storm, it would be better for her to invite the monks herself, as this would leave room for negotiation upon her return.

Madam Tai listened to Chu Lianyi's sincere words and recognized the reasonableness of what she said. She hoped that the Bodhisattva could forgive her, as this would also allow those gossiping outside to pause for a moment.

Chu Lianyi looked at the unfamiliar face, and the matriarch introduced, "This is your Aunt Liu's biological sister, her husband's surname is Liu. You can also call her aunt since you are with your thirteenth younger sister."

Shu Ying, tomorrow is the fifth day, right

Aunt Liu is the younger sister of the wife of the sixth room, and she is a second wife from a wealthy family in Jiangnan. After the wealthy man passed away, his several sons fought over the inheritance, forcing this stepmother, who had only given birth to a worthless son, out of the house. Fortunately, Aunt Liu had made preparations in advance and had saved some silver. Remembering her own sister, she brought her assets to seek refuge in the Chu family, all in hopes of securing a good marriage for her daughter

The two younger individuals exchanged their names and discussed their order of seniority.

After all the hustle and bustle, Chu Lianyi, accompanied by Shu Ying and An Xiang, entered the Yilan Courtyard where the matriarch resided at exactly the hour of Chen. They arrived neither too early nor too late, as the aunts from the third, fifth, and sixth households, along with their daughters and daughters-in-law, were already inside attending to matters.

I observe that the Twelfth Young Lady and Qianxue truly share a fateful connection. Just look at this face, this figure; is there not a three-part resemblance? My dear sister, it seems you are not merely praising our Twelfth Young Lady.

Well, tomorrow I should go to pay my respects to the lady. Please wake me up at the first hour of the rabbit tomorrow." Chu Lianyi turned over to face inside, indicating that she wanted to rest, and Shu Ying did not dare to ask any further.

When the eldest daughter-in-law was alive, the eldest son indulged his wife in everything and did not heed her words as a mother. After the eldest daughter-in-law passed away, she still did not allow her old woman to have peace, refusing to remarry even at the cost of her life, leaving her without anyone to care for her. The only concubine she had was still the maid who had been by the eldest daughter-in-law's side. Thinking of this, the matriarch began to resent Lady Chu, and her feelings towards Chu Lianyi also grew cold.

Grandmother, it is all because of Lianyi's misdeeds that several aunts, as well as my maternal aunt, have cried like sorrowful figures. If the elders were to suffer due to Lianyi's mistakes, it would indeed be a grave sin. Lianyi is in this state now, and it is only to blame herself for her lack of fortune and her flawed character. Lianyi wishes to go before the Bodhisattva to repent and atone for her past wrongs, and I humbly ask for your permission, Grandmother.

It is a pity that they are all unfortunate children Aunt Liu's tears came suddenly, just a moment ago she was beaming with smiles, and in the next moment, it was as if a mountain rain was falling continuously She wiped her tears with a handkerchief Our Qianxue's father passed away early, and Qianxue's marriage has yet to be settled, the same goes for the twelfth girl, this marriage is fraught with difficulties

Shu Ying brought a toothbrush and green salt for Chu Lianyi to rinse her mouth, presented a cup of warm mint tea to moisten her throat, and took out homemade mint candies from a porcelain box adorned with pastel colors and rich patterns for her to hold in her mouth, keeping her breath fresh

This "bowl" is her childhood name, given to her by her mother while she was still alive. The characters "ripples" both relate to water, evoking a sense of fleetingness akin to floating duckweed. However, the name was bestowed by her grandfather at that time, and she did not dare to change it. Therefore, Lady Chu wished to give her daughter a more stable and solid childhood name, one that would be as steadfast as a mountain or a stone. Furthermore, since her daughter was frail and difficult to nurture, she was advised to choose a name that was somewhat humble in order to ensure her growth. Thus, Lady Chu chose the character "bowl," which was both stable and symbolized a woman's gentleness. Yet, this name was indeed somewhat vulgar and humble, and as she grew up, she was often laughed at by others. After being corrected a few times, now only a few elders still call her that, with the matriarch being one of them.

Upon hearing the words "bowl girl," everyone in the room laughed, and Chu Lianyi's face turned red with embarrassment

When Chu Lianyi entered the room, Lady Chu was slightly surprised and asked, "Why has the girl come? Are you feeling better?"

"Anxiang, take a little pearl powder." Chu Lianyi instructed softly. Some households already added pearl powder to their bath beans, but Chu Lianyi felt that frequent use of pearl powder could easily roughen the skin. In this day and age, no matter how finely ground, pearl powder still contained some coarse granules. Chu Lianyi had delicate and tender skin, and even a small amount of coarse powder could cause a stinging sensation. Therefore, she only used pearl powder once every ten days.

Even with such rules, Chu Lianyi rarely made an effort to comply. During the lifetime of Lady Chu, there were many frictions between her and the Dowager, which caused the Dowager to have an unfavorable impression of Lianyi, who bore a resemblance to Lady Chu. As she aged, the Dowager became increasingly averse to having sickly individuals around her, leading to her continued disdain for Lianyi. After several encounters, Lianyi was more than happy to avoid seeking the Dowager's attention, which she found to be quite tedious. Rising early in the cold winter or the sweltering summer was not an easy task for Lianyi, who was accustomed to sleeping in.

"Grandmother, you have wronged Lianyi." Chu Lianyi approached the matriarch and said, "Lianyi only wishes to stay at the temple for ten days or half a month. Firstly, to repent for past sins before the Bodhisattva, seeking forgiveness and blessings for the prosperity of the Chu family. Secondly, I fear that staying at home will only cause you and the elders more sorrow. Once the external discussions have calmed down a bit, Lianyi will naturally return."

The topic among the group of people quickly shifted to Chu Lianyi, with the aunts from each household taking turns to come forward and weep in front of the matriarch, making it so that Chu Lianyi herself felt it inappropriate not to cry.

Because Aunt Liu is always smiling, treats others kindly, speaks eloquently, and is able to engage in conversation, she often brings joy to the matriarch, thus establishing her position in the Chu residence

Liu affectionately held Chu Lianyi's hand and said, "Truly a person of unparalleled beauty, I can't help but not blink when I look at you. It seems that all the spirit of the capital is concentrated in our matriarch's granddaughter."

"Indeed, young lady, are you thinking of..." Shu Ying looked up in surprise. Although the Chu family has been separated, with each branch managing their own food and clothing, the courtyards of each branch are still adjacent, and on the surface, they remain one family. Moreover, the matriarch is still present, and the respectable women of the household must pay their respects morning and evening. Due to the matriarch's advanced age and the large number of women in the household, she established a rule: aside from the third branch that lives with her, the women from the other branches are only allowed to visit and pay their respects on the fifth and tenth of each month. Furthermore, the matriarch is still present, and the respectable women of the household must pay their respects morning and evening. Due to the matriarch's advanced age and the large number of women in the household, she established a rule: aside from the third branch that lives with her, the women from the other branches are only allowed to visit and pay their respects on the fifth and tenth of each month.

Once it was easy to settle down, Shu Ying used a cloth soaked in cold water to apply to Chu Lianyi's eyes. After that, she placed slices of pear that had been soaked in cold water on her eyes, which finally helped to soothe her.

The lady thought that Chu Lianyi wanted to go to the temple to eat vegetarian food, but she had always been weak in health, so her heart softened. Although this child was not close to her, she appeared graceful and composed. Despite the current situation, it was not impossible for her to have a bright future. Thus, the lady felt a bit closer to her in her heart

Chu Lianyi recalled that her grandmother, whom she had not seen for many days, was not a cold-hearted person; she was simply a bit narrow-minded and soft-hearted. When her mother was alive, her father spoiled her mother too much, and with the instigation of her third aunt, it caused a rift in the old lady's heart, leading her to look unfavorably upon the main branch of the family. Perhaps if she were to ingratiate herself, her grandmother might remember that she also bore the blood of the Chu family.

After washing her face and applying her makeup, and having specifically used peach blossom cream to brush on her blush, Chu Lianyi finally put on her clothes. Two second-class maids, Yun Liu and Yun Tao, carried the dining table to the southern kang. After An Xiang and Shu Ying served Chu Lianyi a small bowl of bird's nest and red date porridge, she called it enough

The granddaughter pays her respects to her grandmother, who responds with blessings of peace and longevity. Chu Lianyi gathers her robes and bows in greeting

The lady also thought about it and no longer mentioned the matter of Lady Chu

Chu Lianyi bowed and greeted, calling out "Aunt Liu." Aunt Liu instructed a maid to bring a pair of gold bracelets as a gift for their first meeting, and then introduced her own daughter to Chu Lianyi for a formal greeting

After Chu Lianyi sent off the three members of the Pang family, it wasn't long before the aunts from the fifth and sixth households arrived. Eventually, even the aunts living in the Lian family and other more distant relatives came in groups to pay their respects. Each visit would inevitably lead to a loud bout of crying, and among them were those who genuinely felt sympathy for Lianyi, causing her to shed a few tears as well. As a result, her eyes soon became swollen like peaches.

After pondering this repeatedly throughout the night, the next day, Chu Lianyi yawned three times in a row, and after shedding a few tears from fatigue, she finally got out of bed with the assistance of Shuying and Anxiang, smiling as she said, "I am too lazy." However, it is fortunate that the matriarch only required her to establish rules on the fifth and tenth days; if she were to marry in the future, waking up early and staying up late would be even more dreadful.

The matriarch held Chu Lianyi in her arms, glanced at her complexion, which was pale with a hint of redness, indicating she was relatively healthy. She had not resorted to the desperate antics of those petty women, which made the matriarch quite satisfied, after all, she was her own granddaughter. "It is all the fault of that Yan family, heartless and shameless, to bully my grandson like this." The corners of the matriarch's eyes were slightly moist. "But it is also your mother's fault for arranging such a marriage for you." In the end, the matriarch still blamed the late Mrs. Chu.

After the attendants withdrew, Chu Lianyi finally opened her bright, sparkling eyes to gaze at the ceiling, uncertain of what attitude the matriarch would adopt. However, with her mother passing away early and this incident occurring, Lianyi felt that her future marriage would likely be in the hands of that grandmother. She had no choice but to muster her spirits to please her, which was certainly better than being trapped in a state of despair.

Let me take a look, this must be the unfortunate Twelfth Girl, blossoming into such beauty. Just look at her impressive demeanor; even the colors sung in the operas that claim to captivate cities and nations cannot compare. The Yan family truly is blind. A woman in her thirties, dressed in a silver and red gauze dress with a silver-purple wide-sleeved outer garment, said while wiping her tears.

"Look at how you praise her, she is still just a child." The matriarch was actually very pleased with Chu Lianyi's appearance, thinking that in the future her marriage would surely be a great support for the Chu family. Who would have thought that this incident would occur, what a pity for such beauty.

Nonsense. Wan girl, you are the legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Chu family, and your father has only you as his daughter. How can you entertain such thoughts? Isn't this a slap in the face to our Chu family? Moreover, this is all the fault of the Yan family; what wrong have you, Wan girl, done? Do not speak of this any further. As for your matters, I will discuss them with your father. The matriarch, thinking that Chu Lianyi intends to become a nun, lamented: "If only you had been this sensible back then, it would not have come to this..."

Chu Lianyi was contemplating what kind of assorted food to eat at the third room, and instructed Shuying to take a small piece of fragrant tea cake and place it in her pouch, so she could take it out and savor it at any time

Upon her remark, everyone in the room turned their attention to Chu Lianyi and the other person. The matriarch nodded slightly, "What you said does indeed have some merit."

Chu Lianyi took a brief look at Aunt Liu's daughter, Liu Qixue, who was truly a stunning beauty. No wonder Aunt Liu traveled a great distance to come to the capital to seek relatives.

"No need, no need, dear grandson, come sit by your grandmother." Today, the matriarch was particularly warm towards Chu Lianyi. People tend to sympathize with and show compassion for the weak. Although she did not like the main branch, she would never allow outsiders to bully her own family.

An Xiang placed the lotus flower ice fragrance pill in Chu Lianyi's mouth to dissolve, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth

It is not an easy task for a person who consumes grains and cereals to exhale with the grace of an orchid

This fragrant tea cake was discovered last summer by Chu Lianyi while perusing secret recipes, utilizing the subtle shadows and dark fragrance of camphor, lotus flowers, lotus leaves, and osmanthus, blended with sweet licorice paste and glutinous rice paste to create small cakes

I can't eat anymore. Chu Lianyi lazily said after rinsing her mouth with the mint tea used after meals, feeling that she hadn't slept enough and had no appetite for anything.