Miss Truth
Chapter 254 - 160 Lady Su

Chapter 254: Chapter 160 Lady Su

Evening.

Ran Yan had just finished dressing up, preparing to go out with Ran Yunsheng, when she stepped out and saw Liu Qingsong in disarray. She nodded slightly and said, "Doctor Liu has returned?"

Liu Qingsong looked Ran Yan up and down, Ran Yan dressed in a treasure blue robe with purple borders and wide sleeves trailing the ground, embroidered with clusters of moon-white begonias. A moon-white precious flower pattern on silk draped over her arms, and in her hair, she wore a White Jade Cloud Hairpin. Her ink-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, setting off her flawless, cool complexion with a kind of distinctive, cold beauty.

"Forget it, seeing that you’re a beauty, I won’t hold it against you," sighed Liu Qingsong, his gaze falling on the cloud hairpin in her hair. An ambiguous, gossipy smile crept across his face as he leaned in and asked, "Did Jiulang give you these two hairpins?"

Ran Yan had guessed that they were a gift from Xiao Song; now that Liu Qingsong had spoken aloud, she was not too surprised, merely nodding in acknowledgment.

"So quickly! And he even asked me how to please a woman, he truly is a sly fox!" grumbled Liu Qingsong.

Ran Yan frowned slightly, "What you mean is, these two hairpins have some special significance?"

"You don’t know?" This time, it was Liu Qingsong’s turn to be astonished. It seemed Xiao Song had secretly given away something so valuable. Liu Qingsong felt a bit guilty, unsure if he had caused any trouble by revealing this, but since he had spoken, he wasn’t in the habit of only telling half the story, "Those cloud hairpins are possessions only a legitimate wife of the Xiao family can own. For example, the Zheng family has only a bracelet... Every major clan has these kinds of objects that symbolize status. You didn’t know?"

Such matters were generally somewhat known outside, and people with some status were usually aware of these details about the major noble families.

Ran Yan paid no attention to Liu Qingsong’s rambling; she turned back into the room, took off the two hairpins, and carefully put them away, replacing them with an ordinary Mutton Fat Jade Hairpin on her head.

To Ran Yan, the value of an object was not very important, but if it held a special meaning, that was a different matter altogether.

After securing her belongings, she joined Ran Yunsheng in the carriage and headed to the Su Family’s residence.

The divisions in Jushui Town’s market were not distinct, with living areas and shop streets largely intermingled. Only a major thoroughfare running east to west had a concentration of shops, and the Su residence was at the very east end of this road.

Ran Yunsheng was clearly a valued guest of the Su family, as there were servants waiting at the door. Leading them was an elder of about fifty years of age, dressed in coarse hemp but with a vigorous spirit, his bright yet narrow eyes commanding respect.

"Steward Mu, long time no see!" Ran Yunsheng was the first to greet the elder.

The old man laughed heartily, as if he was very familiar, "Shilang hasn’t visited for a long time, I’m afraid you’ve nearly forgotten this old man!"

The two exchanged a few laughs and pleasantries, with Ran Yunsheng casually mentioning Ran Yan’s identity.

When they reached the Inner Gate, the sky had turned somewhat dark. Lanterns hung on the gate reflected off the carved eaves, with brocade-patterned stone columns on both sides, low-key yet of great taste.

Just upon entering the Inner Gate, Ran Yan saw more than a dozen women standing quietly in front of the opposite corridor, with twelve emerald-clad maids arranged in a fan shape behind them. The leader was a woman of about twenty-eight, with fair skin, a full forehead, phoenix eyes and thin eyebrows, and a high nose bridge. She wore a dark green brocade dress with peonies entwined, her black hair simply styled in an immortal bun, pinned only with two green jade hairpins. Around her neck hung a string of bright red jade, with red tassels dangling at the bottom, her hands gently clasped in front of her abdomen, and her large sleeves hanging quietly at her sides.

Ran Yan’s first impression of this woman was one of nobility; her fair skin set against green and red did not give off a vulgar impression but rather a calm and elegant one, making her appear even more pristine.

"I was unable to greet you from afar, I hope Shilang does not take offense," said the Lady of the Su family slowly, bowing slightly with a lowered head, allowing one to see her full, smooth forehead and lowered eyes. With a slight movement of her wide sleeves, there was an indescribable grace.

"Lady, you are being too formal. The Ran family has received much care from the Su family, we have had a smooth journey and have always been able to deliver goods successfully, my father and I are deeply grateful," Ran Yunsheng replied with a bow.

The Lady Su smiled lightly, "Shilang is still such a smooth talker." She turned her gaze to Ran Yan, who had her face concealed behind a mask, "This lady is...?"

"This is my younger cousin, who is ranked seventeenth in our clan, with the courtesy name Yan." Ran Yunsheng said.

Ran Yan bowed slightly to the Su Family, "Child has seen Lady Su."

"No need for such formalities." Lady Su stepped forward to feign aid in helping her up and led the two toward the hall.

Hidden behind the mask, Ran Yan could unabashedly observe Lady Su. This woman was unlike anything she had imagined, neither shrewd nor competent, nor as aggressive and slick as Wang Xifeng, and her looks were not particularly stunning either. At first glance, one might be disappointed, but there was something about Lady Su’s unique demeanor that was impossible to ignore.

When they reached the hall and Ran Yan’s mask was removed, Lady Su gave way, her gaze falling on Ran Yan’s face, "The lords and ladies of the Ran Family are all born with good looks."

Her compliment was not excessively flattering, but it felt very sincere.

The banquet was not like others that featured singing and dancing for amusement; it was simply a meal where they discussed potential business cooperation for the coming year.

Ran Yan found that Lady Su was not very talkative, yet her every sentence was insightful.

The meal couldn’t be described as thoroughly enjoyable, but it wasn’t boring either.

"The jade necklace you wear is beautiful," Ran Yan said before leaving.

Lady Su offered a faint smile but did not respond.

The jade necklace was originally an adornment for Buddhist statues’ necks and came to the Tang Dynasty with Buddhism. It was then imitated and altered by fashionable ladies to be made into a neck accessory. The string of red jade on Lady Su’s neck was evidently not merely for decoration, as the tassels, although kept clean, were no longer new.

Lady Su escorted Ran Yunsheng and Ran Yan to the outer bend of the gate and watched them board their carriage.

Ran Yan knelt by the window, drawing the carriage curtain slightly aside, and looked back at the Su residence, only to see Lady Su turn to enter the gate but paused, as a servant rushed up and whispered something to her.

Lady Su turned her head to look at the opposite end, and following her gaze, Ran Yan saw a middle-aged man leaning against the wall.

"Ayan, are you so intrigued by Lady Su?" Ran Yunsheng asked with a smile.

"Come quickly and see, a middle-aged gentleman has come looking for Lady Su," Ran Yan said.

"Since when did you start to share Doctor Liu’s peculiar interests?" Although Ran Yunsheng spoke thus, he leaned over and took a look through the gap, "That gentleman looks very sneaky."

As Ran Yan peered out, Lady Su had already entered the mansion, but the middle-aged man remained outside the door, apparently not intending to leave or knock again.

"How strange," Ran Yan muttered.

Ran Yunsheng didn’t take it to heart, simply saying, "Ever since her husband passed away ten years ago, Lady Su has been incessantly bothered by gentlemen. Having nearly severed ties with her own family, Lady Su found herself without support after her husband’s death, which led her to seek recognition from her family. Over the years, Lady Su built a grand enterprise, finally gaining the acknowledgment of her family. Otherwise, a woman of frail presence might earn her fortune but struggle to keep it."

"Does Lady Su also bear the Su surname?" Ran Yan remembered in the Tang Dynasty, women did not adopt their husband’s surnames. For example, no matter who she married, she would still be referred to as Lady Ran.

"Her husband adopted her family name. The Su and Mu families were old family friends, and the Su family line was sparse. By Lady Su’s generation, only a few daughters had been born, so the Mu Family took the initiative to have a gentleman marry into her family," Ran Yunsheng explained. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) where you can cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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