Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 157 - 155: Unlike

Chapter 157: Chapter 155: Unlike

The next day

Xiao’er went with Shen Chengyao to the outskirts of the city to see the hot spring villa.

The villa was located in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital, next to the hills and rivers with a beautiful scenery. The journey took a little over an hour by carriage.

The homeowner was quite tasteful; the road to the villa was lined with maple trees. It was late autumn, and the leaves were a vibrant gold. The road itself also seemed to be paved with gold, creating a beautiful and poetic scene.

The village chief led them on a tour around the villa.

After heavy rain the night before, today’s weather was considerably cooler!

Gazing at the hot spring pool with steam rising into the air, Xiao’er crouched down and tested the temperature of the water with her hand. It was hot, but still bearable. It was probably around 50 degrees Celsius, which she found extremely pleasing as this temperature was perfect for soaking in the autumn and winter seasons.

The mansion of this villa was designed differently from others. It had two separate courtyards, each equipped with a hot spring pool designated for men and women respectively. It was very convenient for both the host family and guests.

In the main house itself, a separate room was designed to house a small hot spring bath. It was evident that the owner of the villa was one who knew how to enjoy life.

She guessed that when the owner had built this villa, he specifically designed it around the hot spring to maximize enjoyment.

"Marquis and Countess, it’s starting to get colder now! After a soak in the hot spring in this cold weather, you will feel as warm as toast and then snuggle into your bed for a good night’s sleep. Although this villa is asking for a high price, our master spent a fortune building these two courtyards. It’s absolutely worth it!"

Xiao’er nodded in agreement. She noticed the grand decor and beautiful design in both courtyards, as well as the clever layout. It was clearly built with care and was perfectly suited for a vacation and relaxation.

Because there were grasslands nearby, the villa was home to several sheep, which were presented to Xiao’er and her companions.

Shen Chengyao also found it quite satisfactory. Plus, Xiao’er had mentioned earlier that in a few days, they were invited to the grand lady’s birthday celebration at the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion. He was worried that his mother would cause trouble once she found out about this, so he planned to buy the villa as soon as possible and send them here to have fun for a few days.

He knew what kind of people his mother and sister-in-law were. Therefore, even if the price today was 5,000 taels, they would still buy it.

The homeowner insisted that they wouldn’t accept a penny less, so there’s no negotiating. Therefore, the only thing left to do was to sign the paperwork and finalize the purchase.

The village chief was employed by the homeowner, so he definitely needed to be replaced. The tenants were just villagers from the surrounding area, so there was no rush to replace them. Xiao’er already had someone in mind to appoint as the new village chief.

She had been observing a coachman from her mansion for some time. He was very meticulous and diligent in his work, never minded doing extra, and often took the initiative to help others. She admired such individuals and would obviously promote them when given the chance.

Spending his life just as a coachman would be a waste of his talents after all.

The next day, Mrs. Liu told Mrs. Shen and the others that their family had purchased a hot springs villa on the outskirts of the city. They planned to go there as a family for a few days to enjoy soaking in the hot springs and roasting whole lambs. She asked if they wanted to join.

The mention of leisure and delicious food - who could refuse? Hot springs, a whole roast lamb? They had never experienced a hot spring or seen how a whole lamb was roasted.

This must be the way rich families live. Even when they eat lamb, they roast the whole thing. Unlike them, who would have to stretch a single pound of lamb meat into several meals. They were so poor they couldn’t afford to eat it even once a year!

This time, she was going to eat ten to fifteen pounds of lamb meat to fill her quota! Mrs. Li thought delightfully.

After spending a day at the hot spring villa, Xiao’er’s family made up an excuse to leave the next day. Just as Xiao’er had anticipated, Mrs. Shen and the others still hadn’t enjoyed themselves enough and were reluctant to leave.

"The weather in the Imperial Capital is so cold, I haven’t been able to sleep well at night. Finally, after soaking in the hot springs last night, I managed to sleep till dawn. I should stay here a few more days to catch up on my sleep." Mrs. Shen thought about the additional ten or so lambs in the back hills, she hadn’t had enough yet and wanted to eat a few more times! The taste of the whole roasted lamb was just too good!

Moreover, she never knew that things like chives, mushrooms, chicken feet, and chicken wings were all so delicious when roasted!

The mere thought of it made her drool!

"Why not you both stay a few more days? I will send someone to pick you up in two days.", Shen Chengyao thought that if he sent someone to pick up his family in two days’ time, they should arrive at his mansion by the time his family has finished attending the celebration.

"Two days is too soon! Two more days would be better." Mrs. Shen was still reeling from the novelty of the experience and decisively refused!

The others also eagerly nodded in agreement.

Annoyed, Shen Chengyao then hurriedly took his wife and children back to the city.

This was their family’s first foray into high society of this era; they couldn’t afford to make a mistake, or they would be looked down upon. A first impression was very important. Changing someone’s opinion later would be very difficult, and that’s why Xiao’er decided to keep Mrs. Shen and her group separate.

On the day of the celebration, Xiao’er gave Mrs. Liu a light makeover. Mrs. Liu wore a light pink dress designed by Xiao’er that trailed the ground. A jade green sash encircled her slender waist, emphasizing her petite figure. Her black hair was styled into a bun in the shape of a talisman, a plum flower made of white jade was pinned in it, creating a simple and elegant look. Tiny purple jade carvings of peach blossoms were embedded in her hair, creating a compelling aura. It brought out Mrs. Liu’s beauty, making her look as beautiful as a peach blossom, beautifully dignified.

When Xiao’er first met Mrs. Liu, she was in her early twenties but looked almost forty. But after a year of care under Xiao’er, Mrs. Liu looked younger and more beautiful than ever. Now in her twenties, she looked as if she were in her late teens.

You can tell from Shen Chengyao occasionally gazing at Mrs. Liu and spacing out, and Mrs. Liu waking up every morning with a sore waist and back, needing to walk with her hand on her back, to understand how captivating her beauty was now.

Xiao’er, who had previously been as thin as a skeleton, resembling a refugee, had transformed into an ever more delicate and lovely girl. She was even half a head taller than children of the same age!

In summary, the males of the family were handsome, and the females were charming! With such looks, they did not at all fall short in the Imperial Capital filled with beautiful men and women!

When Mrs. Liu arrived with the three young goddesses, the room full of chattering people quieted down and looked over.

"Old lady, Marquess Shengping’s wife and County Lord Rui’an have arrived!" The lead maid kneeled and reported.

Xiao’er and her family paid their respects to the Grand Old Lady of the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion with due propriety.

This is the family that received the promotion from the Emperor?

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the mother and daughters.

Their looks... weren’t they supposed to be dark, thin, and unsophisticated? Damn! They’re even prettier and have a better sense of style than them!

Their manners and rules... Their movements, their expressions, and even their posture was more standard and elegant than the etiquette teacher’s! Even the smallest one of them couldn’t be faulted!

If they had to dictate the standard of etiquette from a textbook, it would exactly be like this.

Their social skills, well... that remains to be seen, they’ll observe that later on.

But based on these two aspects alone, they didn’t seem to come from a commoner’s background at all!

The grace and dignity they possessed even exceeded some wives and daughters present there by a large margin!

That was what the Old Lady of the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion thought to herself.