The architectural style of the Yun Family's residence was somewhat similar to the Han Family's—not opulent, but solemn and stately. Ren Yaoqi only needed a few casual glances to get a general understanding of the Yun residence's layout; there were truly no surprises to be found. Even the plants adorning the estate were mostly trees, with few flowers.
Old Madam Yun's courtyard was situated on the central axis of the entire Yun estate, and it appeared to occupy a larger area than any other courtyard Ren Yaoqi had passed on her way. The more ancient the aristocratic family, the more they emphasized seniority and status, a point that was evident from the layout of their homes.
Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin straight to Old Madam Yun's courtyard. The attendant, Matron Gong, who had led them over was a very talkative person with a great deal of affability. Thus, even though she didn't stop talking the entire way, she wasn't annoying. On the contrary, even the usually aloof Xiao Jinglin exchanged a few words with her.
They could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation from inside before they even reached the building. Judging by the voices, there were quite a few people in the room, and they were in the middle of a lively discussion.
Someone spotted them approaching from a distance, and a person waiting at the door immediately went in to announce their arrival. By the time Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin to the entrance, before the young maidservant waiting outside could even lift the door curtain, it was parted from within. A stately old woman with a full forehead and a prosperous appearance walked out. The moment she saw Xiao Jinglin, a warm and loving smile appeared on her face, and she took the initiative to grasp Xiao Jinglin's hand.
"Lin'er, let your grandaunt take a look. Have you gotten thinner?"
Being pulled so intimately, Xiao Jinglin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she restrained herself from flinging the hand away and even managed a slight smile. "Grandaunt."
The old madam laughed heartily, patted Xiao Jinglin's hand again before letting go, and then turned her gaze to Ren Yaoqi. She sized her up for a moment before smiling, "Is this the young lady from the Ren Family?"
Ren Yaoqi bowed her head in a curtsy and softly addressed her, "Greataunt."
Like Old Madam Ren, Old Madam Yun was born into the Qiu Family. Originally, they were distant relatives beyond the five degrees of mourning and had no contact. However, Old Madam Yun's father, the previous patriarch of the Qiu clan, had adopted Old Madam Ren's elder brother in his later years.
Although this connection didn't make Old Madam Yun and Old Madam Ren true sisters, they were no longer complete strangers. Coupled with the fact that they both came from the Qiu Family, it was perfectly acceptable for Ren Yaoqi to call Old Madam Yun "Greataunt."
Old Madam Yun smiled lovingly and praised, "Good child, you're so refreshingly beautiful."
At this moment, a voice behind Old Madam Yun said with a smile, "Mother, we understand you're happy to see the Commandery Princess, but isn't it a bit improper to keep her standing at the door and not let her in?"
Ren Yaoqi followed the voice and saw a middle-aged woman with a dignified air. Although she was no longer young, her features were exceptionally fine, bearing some resemblance to the brothers Yun Wenfang and Yun Wenting.
Only then did Old Madam Yun realize, and she patted her own forehead, shaking her head with a smile. "Look at me, getting muddle-headed in my old age."
Thus, the group moved into the room together.
Once inside, Ren Yaoqi discovered that it wasn't just First Madam who had been standing behind the old madam; there were many others as well. They hadn't been visible because the doorway wasn't wide enough and a screen was blocking the view.
Old Madam Yun looked very pleased and wanted to pull Xiao Jinglin to sit on the Arhat Bed on the north side of the room, but Xiao Jinglin declined.
The old madam said, half-jokingly, "If the Commandery Princess won't sit with this old woman, then I can only invite the Commandery Princess to take the seat of honor alone."
Xiao Jinglin wore a proper smile, her tone slightly gentler than usual. "What Commandery Princess? I am here today to visit my grandaunt and my uncles. We should observe family etiquette." As she spoke, she actually curtsied to Old Madam Yun.
Old Madam Yun was taken aback. When she recovered, her gaze toward Xiao Jinglin became even more loving. She shook her head with a faint smile. "You child!"
Ren Yaoqi, however, glanced at Xiao Jinglin with some surprise. She had thought that Xiao Jinglin disliked interacting with the women of the inner residence and thus disdained these back-and-forth exchanges and probes. As it turned out, she was wrong again. Xiao Jinglin disliked these social obligations of the inner residence, but that didn't mean she was incapable of handling them. Not only was she capable, but she did so with great propriety.
But Ren Yaoqi also understood why Xiao Jinglin disliked interacting with the women of the inner residence.
Just like when they had entered, if they were to go by official status, everyone in the Yun Family, including Old Madam Yun, was supposed to bow to Xiao Jinglin. But Old Madam Yun had come out to greet them first. To outsiders, it looked like she was an elder eager to see a beloved junior, but it also conveniently exempted her from the need to perform a formal salutation.
Once inside, Old Madam Yun had offered to have Xiao Jinglin take the seat of honor alone. If Xiao Jinglin had really sat there, Old Madam Yun would have immediately led the entire Yun Family, young and old, to bow to her. But Xiao Jinglin had refused, and her statement about following family etiquette had given Old Madam Yun ample face.
First Madam Yun introduced the people present to Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi. When it came to Second Madam Yun and Third Madam Yun, Xiao Jinglin, like Ren Yaoqi, paid her respects as a junior.
When First Madam Yun had Eldest Miss Yun, Yun Qiuchen, come forward to greet Xiao Jinglin and her, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but study this Eldest Miss Yun a little more closely. In her previous life, Yun Qiuchen had married Han Yunqian.
Her brows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, her face a flower, her skin like snow. Yun Qiuchen was a rare beauty with a graceful and refined temperament—a true lady from a great family.
Second Miss Yun and Third Miss Yun were actually quite good-looking as well, but when compared to Yun Qiuchen, they were completely eclipsed.
Besides the members of the Yun Family, there were several other madams and young misses in Old Madam Yun's room. They were from prominent families in Yunyang City who had come to visit Old Madam Yun today.
No wonder they had heard such a lively atmosphere before they arrived, and no wonder Old Madam Yun was so pleased that Xiao Jinglin had cooperated with her to give the Yun Family face. For a family like the Yun Family, face was more important than anything. Just as for the Ren Family, benefits were more important than anything.
After a round of greetings, Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi sat down in the guest seats.
Although Ren Yaoqi had come along, she knew that Xiao Jinglin was the main character, so she kept a very low profile in her words and actions. Xiao Jinglin wasn't one for much conversation, but she politely answered all the questions from the Yun Family elders, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious. At the very least, Xiao Jinglin didn't let the conversation die, and Ren Yaoqi wasn't left out in the cold.
However, Xiao Jinglin had never intended to stay long at the Yun Family residence. So after chatting for about half an hour, Xiao Jinglin saw that it was about time and proposed to leave.
Old Madam Yun refused to let her go, insisting on keeping Xiao Jinglin for a meal.
As they were at a stalemate, Eldest Miss Yun spoke in a gentle voice, "Commandery Princess, Grandmother has prepared some clothes and jewelry for us sisters. Would you like to try them on first? The seamstresses invited from the capital are still at the residence, so if anything doesn't fit, it can be altered."
Old Madam Yun patted her forehead. "Look at my memory. If Chen'er hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten. Lin'er, listen to your grandaunt and go try on the clothes first."
Third Miss Yun, Yun Qiufang, grinned. "That's right, Commandery Princess, you must try them on. Otherwise, Grandmother won't let us pick first. We get to choose from what's left after you've picked."
Third Miss Yun's carefree smile, however, made others' expressions turn sour. Old Madam Yun set her teacup down on the small table with a thud. The sound wasn't loud, but it successfully made everyone present put away their petty thoughts, and the room fell silent.
Old Madam Yun, seemingly oblivious, continued to speak to Xiao Jinglin with a smile, "Good child, go with your cousins."
Xiao Jinglin certainly didn't lack a few sets of clothes, but it was precisely because she didn't lack them that it was difficult to refuse.
If you lacked something, others gave you the item itself. If you didn't lack something, others gave you a token of their sentiment. Xiao Jinglin couldn't very well refuse an elder's kind intentions.
So Xiao Jinglin obediently stood up and offered a word of thanks. When no one was looking, she shot Ren Yaoqi an apologetic glance. The two of them had originally planned to leave immediately.
Old Madam Yun's face lit up with a smile, and she said kindly to Ren Yaoqi, "The young lady from the Ren Family should also go and pick out two suitable outfits and some jewelry to wear at the Thousand Gold Banquet in a few days."
Ren Yaoqi knew of the Thousand Gold Banquet that Old Madam Yun mentioned. It was actually a tea party held by the Yun Family once every two years. The invitees were all young ladies from prominent families and young masters from aristocratic clans throughout Yanbei.
The origin of the Thousand Gold Banquet was actually the result of the rivalry between the Yun Family and the Su Family. Back then, to increase their influence, the Su Family had taken over the organization of the Dragon Boat Festival's dragon boat race. The Yun Family, having acted a step too late and lost the initiative, eventually came up with the idea of hosting a Thousand Gold Banquet.
When the Yun Family came up with this name back then, they had no other intention than to secretly compete with the Su Family. Unexpectedly, over the decades, the Yun Family's Thousand Gold Banquet had made a name for itself in Yanbei. Because the participants were all young masters and misses from good families, the Thousand Gold Banquet gradually became a matchmaking banquet for the upper-class nobility of Yanbei.
Ren Yaoqi had not participated in her previous life because, besides being from a prominent family, the female participants had to meet two conditions: they had to have had their hairpin ceremony and be unmarried. There were exceptions, but those required a special invitation from the Yun Family.
An invitation from the Yun Family was not easy to obtain. In the Ren Family, when they were not of age, only Ren Yaoyin had ever received an invitation from the Yun Family to attend.
For Old Madam Yun to say this now was, in effect, giving Ren Yaoqi a verbal invitation.
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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