Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 643 - 641

Chapter 643: Chapter 641

It was Mrs. Liu Lin’s birthday, bringing together many attendees, including the wives of local officials and prominent merchants and landlords alike.

Originally, Mrs. Tan, the Magistrate’s wife, and the wife of the local magistrate only planned on sending gifts, but when they heard that Marquis Shengping’s wife and the Lady of Rui’an County were personally congratulating Mrs. Liu Lin, they too hurried over.

Outside, where the chill of winter held sway, the inside of the room was kept toastily warm by the underfloor heating system, creating a feeling as comforting as spring.

Mrs. Tan was already well-acquainted with these ladies. After all, her husband owns a furniture shop, and everyone had daughters to marry off and sons to wed. In the hope of obtaining quality dowries or new room furnishings, they were all willing to make a friend of Mrs. Tan.

Moreover, Mrs. Tan was backed by the Marquis Shengping’s wife and the Lady of Rui’an County.

The Magistrate’s wife covertly observed Xiao’er. She was truly beautiful, elegant and natural in her every gesture, without a trace of pretentiousness. And most importantly, whether it be a side look, front view, or looking down, she was stunning from every angle.

She remembered the gossip from the Imperial Capital, where it was said the Sixth Prince harbored an unhidden deep affection for the Lady of Rui’an County.

With such a beautiful woman, what man wouldn’t be enamoured?

The Magistrate’s wife glanced at her own daughter and sighed inwardly. Her daughter, who resembles her, was also one in a hundred, but she worried who she would eventually marry.

This year, her daughter had come of age. She didn’t know when her husband would be reassigned to the Imperial Capital, and she was reluctant to wed her daughter locally.

She was afraid that if her husband was transferred back to the Imperial Capital with her, leaving their daughter behind would make it hard to see her.

The Magistrate’s wife remembered that Marquis Shengping had an eldest son, although she was unsure if he was betrothed. Apparently, he had become a top scholar at a tender age.

The Magistrate’s wife wanted to probe, but with so many ladies present, it wouldn’t do to seem overeager to establish a connection with Marquis Shengping’s family. That could potentially bring disgrace on her daughter.

The Magistrate’s wife spun her gaze towards Mrs. Tan, pondering how best to steer the conversation.

At this moment, the local magistrate’s wife asked Mrs. Tan: "Mrs. Tan, didn’t your eldest daughter come back?"

The grandmother’s 50th birthday celebration was graced by even her granddaughters. Wasn’t it quite undutiful for her own granddaughter not to be present?

On hearing this, Mrs. Liu responded: "My granddaughter Jingshu did want to come, but she’s pregnant and hasn’t even reached three months yet. I forbade her from returning."

Having heard Mrs. Liu’s response, the Magistrate’s wife finally found an opening: "It’s better she didn’t come back. With this biting cold and the long journeys, the elder Mrs. Liu would be worried sick if she did."

Mrs. Liu Lin nodded her agreement: "Jingshu’s always been impulsive. As long as she stays put and gives me a healthy great-grandchild from the comfort of her home, then that’s the best birthday gift she can bestow."

"Isn’t that the truth, a son travels far and the mother worries. It’s even worse once a daughter is married off, especially when the daughter has married into a distant family. We, as parents, worry the most. We don’t ask them to be dutiful, as long as they have a good life at their in-laws, that’s the largest show of filial piety to us."

"Yes, yes, yes, I think the same way", Mrs. Tan agreed, nodding her head.

"But Mrs. Tan’s daughter is fortunate, she has an aunt to take care of her in the Imperial Capital."

Mrs. Liu laughed lightly and shook her head: "Jingshu is fortunate indeed, the elder Mrs. Lai and Mrs. Lai treat her even better than I do, and I’m just her aunt. I can’t claim credit for taking care of her, but the tokens of filial piety I received, are plenty indeed."

The assembled guests all laughed at this.

"Parents can only rest easy when daughters marry into good families. Only now have I realized that having a daughter brings much more worry than a son. Just deciding on the in-law family is enough to turn one’s hair grey." said the Magistrate’s wife, and she gave her daughter a glance.

"Has Mrs. Lin’s daughter been engaged yet?" Mrs. Liu casually inquired when she heard this.

"Not yet, we’re actually in the midst of looking for suitable matches for her."

Hearing this, something stirred in Mrs. Liu’s heart. She looked at the Magistrate’s daughter. She wasn’t the prettiest one here but she wasn’t bad. Falling into the category of those whose beauty grew on you over time.

She had been quietly sitting next to the Magistrate’s wife, smiling gently and listening patiently to everyone’s conversations.

The Magistrate’s wife’s words had made her blush and look down.

Mrs. Liu had indeed noticed several girls with good characters in the Imperial Capital. But they were either already engaged or the age gap with Jingrui was too large, or they were too young. Others hailed from complicated families (Xiao’er thought it was fine, but Mrs. Liu felt that fewer complications would be better), in short, Mrs. Liu thought they were all unsuitable. They were not her ideal choices for a daughter-in-law.

Mrs. Liu took another look at the other girls present. Perhaps one of them would make a suitable match. But would they be willing to marry far away from home?

Mrs. Liu didn’t care about family background, only character. As for physical appearance, as long as they weren’t too plain, she was fine with it. She was looking for a daughter-in-law, not just for her beauty. If they were petty, or couldn’t get along with their siblings-in-law, it would disrupt the harmony of the entire family.

Just by looking, she didn’t know about their personalities. Mrs. Liu turned to Xiao’er, giving her a wink: "Xiao’er, Yun’er, while we’re here talking, you young ones must be bored. Why don’t you take them out for some fun?"

Xiao’er, who understood Mrs. Liu’s intentions, nodded in affirmation and stood up: "Ladies, let’s take a walk in the garden. There’s a beautiful plum grove in the backyard of my uncle’s house. The plum blossoms are currently in full bloom."

Who would dare to snub the future princess consort? All the young ladies present stood up, ready to follow Xiao’er.

At that moment, Jingrui entered the room.

He was immaculately dressed in a beige silk robe graced with a deep purple waist-belt. He stood tall and proud, a handsome sight to behold.

He offered his greetings with a calm demeanor, his clear and unflinching gaze courtesying all the ladies present.

Was this Marquis Shengping’s eldest son? He had grown into such a fine man! Furthermore, he was a leading scholar at such a young age. The women wondered if he was betrothed yet.

Many of the ladies perked up their ears in interest.

Some young ladies’ faces turned crimson and they lowered their heads, yet sneakily stole glances at Jingrui.

"Rui’er, is there something you need?" Mrs. Liu asked when she saw her son come in.

"We’re having a barbecue in the plum grove, and I wanted to ask Xiao’er to help adjust the seasoning."

After tasting the horrendous chicken cooked by his two brothers, Zhiwen and Zhiwu, Jingrui worried that they would spoil a whole lamb. Therefore, he invited Xiao’er to help them.

"Barbecues are an activity you young ones enjoy. As it happens, the Lady of Rui’an County is just about to take them to the plum grove. My daughter Ping’er is quite skilled at cooking, why don’t you let her help out? She cooks so wonderfully that the aromatic scent travels miles." The local magistrate’s wife looked at Jingrui with an eagerness that could only be likened to a starving wolf having found its next meal.

"Mother, you exaggerate!" Gao Ping replied bashfully, lowering her head and playfully chastising her mother.

Jingrui only responded to this with an indifferent smile, choosing to say nothing.