IBTSOME Chapter 60 Part 2

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 60 Part 2: New Year’s Eve

 

^^

 

Although Hanlin was known as the place where people must pass through to get to the cabinet, he has not made his mark yet. Today, Yan Wang Mansion had received countless gift from senior officials who already made their mark. Shen Ming Da’s New Year gift mixed among his superiors, it was not very eye-catching.

 

But Lin Wei Xi went uncharacteristic and said, "Bring the fruits sent by Lady Liu."

 

The maids who served were all stunned. After Wan Yue pushed her from behind, only then Wan Xing suddenly realized and hurried out to get the things. After a while, she came back with a red lacquer box, "Wangfei, this is the fruit box from Shen Mansion."

 

Lin Wei Xi opened it and take a look, she saw that it was filled with dried fruits, melons and dates that symbolized reunion and also it conformed with societal norms. In fact, it was easy to understand that although Liu Su Niang had some intersection with Lin Wei Xi during the Dragon Boat Festival, but things were very different now. Lin Wei Xi was already the Wangfei. Even if Liu Su Niang was grateful to Lin Wei Xi, she would not dare to get too close. Although Liu Su Niang sent someone to give New Year’s gift to Yan Wang Mansion, but whether herself or Shen Ming Da, afraid didn’t have any expectation that Lin Wei Xi would return the gift. In this way, the gifts for the top superior Yan Wang Mansion, was better to send a dependable fruit plate that symbolized reunion. Do not seek merits, but seek no demerits ¹, already the greatest benefit

 

When Lin Wei Xi looked at the fruit plate her heart figure it out, then she said to Wan Yue: "Send a return gift to Mr. Shen’s family. Well, you don't need to prepare specially, just use the ordinary one."

 

Even if Shen Ming Da would become the First Assistant, that would be many years later. Now with her sending a return gift already the best statement. If she was too eager, it would easily become self-defeating.

 

Everyone was surprised, and Gao Ran also felt surprised. Lin Wei Xi was afraid of people's suspicion, so she pretended to casually explain: "Liu Su Niang and I have some friendships, not to reciprocate is against etiquette. Since she sent the New Year’s gift, we Yan Wang Mansion has no reason to ignore it. Wan Yue, you arrange a dependable young servant to send it to Mr. Shen's house."

 

When Lin Wei Xi said that Wan Xing and Wan Yue understood, they followed Lin Wei Xi into the palace during the Dragon Boat Festival. Wan Yue remembered that Lin Wei Xi had saved Liu Su Niang once. Although Wangfei had kindness to Shen family, since Shen Mansion had always remember Wangfei’s benevolence and specially sent the fruit box over, there was no reason for Yan Mansion to avoid it. Treat everyone equally and be generous, this was the bearing of a big house.

 

When Gao Ran heard this, she also remembered who this Liu Su Niang was. She thought that Lin Wei Xi's behavior was abnormal, but when she saw that it was just an ordinary little official madam, Gao Ran just abandoned her thought and didn't pay attention.

 

The New Year’s gift was a very formal diplomacy between various mansions. Every New Year, each mansion prepared food for the festival and then send it to other families, as a sign of etiquette. Since it involved foods, every household must be different. This would test the skill of its mistress. How to prepare the repetitive annual meal safely and ingeniously was really a deep knowledge.

 

The standing Gao Ran, watched Lin Wei Xi deal with such a formal inner house diplomacy, it was inevitable that she felt sour inside. She was the same age as Lin Wei Xi, but now Lin Wei Xi could sit in charge, but Gao Ran could only stand at the side and watch. When would it be her turn to join the circle of mistress?

 

Lin Wei Xi dealt with the incoming and going gifts, during which she also received a few madams who came to pay New Year's greetings, and the time passed quickly. Before you know it, it's getting dark.

 

Tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner was also the highlight. Lin Wei Xi was sitting in the warm room and questioning the maids and granny. Suddenly there were footsteps outside, and then a greeting sounded: "Greetings Wangye, greetings Shizi."

 

Lin Wei Xi and Gao Ran both looked up to the door and found that it was Gu Hui Yan and Gu Cheng Yao who had just returned. Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stood up to welcome at door, and just after a few steps, the curtain of the inner room was opened.

 

"Wangye." Lin Wei Xi bowed to Gu Hui Yan, and Gu Hui Yan very smoothly caught Lin Wei Xi. Also husband and wife, but Gao Ran couldn't be as unscrupulous as Lin Wei Xi. She could only give Gu Cheng Yao a salutation across the people, and then continued to follow Lin Wei Xi.

 

Gu Cheng Yao also just glanced at Gao Ran, then retracted his gaze. His expression was calm, seemingly dignified and solemn, like a gentleman, but inside he couldn't help thinking about Lin Wei Xi's smile when he first entered the door. Her dress today was very beautiful, the dazzling red lined her skin as white as snow, and her beauty was difficult to resist. When she stood up from the red embroidered inner room and came to welcome her returning husband, afraid no man on earth could refuse this kind of temptation. But there was only his father in her eyes, and her smile was also for his father.

 

New Year’s Eve was a celebration for the whole country, and New Year’s Eve dinner was an important event for family reunion. In the sense of etiquette, Lin Wei Xi, Gu Cheng Yao, and Gao Ran were also a family. Therefore, on this great day of New Year's Eve, Lin Wei Xi would accompany Gu Hui Yan, also Gu Cheng Yao and Gao Ran to eat together, watch the years end, and welcome the new dawn.

 

New Year’s Eve was a big festival. The previous emperor at that time loved the excitement. He often held a banquet on the New Year’s Eve and called the ministers into the palace to accompany the Holy One to spend the festive day. But now the emperor was young, the harem’s empress and the four imperial concubines’ position were all empty, only had one superstitious Buddha, who was not even His Majesty's biological Empress Dowager, really there was nothing to be excited about. Moreover, if the emperor held a banquet, he had to invite the First Assistant and also the emperor’s teacher Zhang Xiao Lian. With the emperor's temperament of twelve or thirteen years old young man, surely unwilling to see Master Zhang's old face on the New Year's Day.

 

Therefore, the palace banquet was omitted like this. Gu Hui Yan didn't have to enter the palace. It was rare to spend the New Year’s reunion in the mansion. Usually when common people’s family gather together during the New Year, they would be talking, laughing, and very lively. Even in a sparsely populated family, they wouldn’t feel stiff to say some affectionate things to each other, but in Yan Wang Mansion, when the four only masters sit down, no one spoke.

 

The four of them were usually busy, so there was really nothing to say when sitting together. The maids changed the hot tea and pastries. Lin Wei Xi was slowly shaking the tea in silence, and suddenly heard a rush of footsteps outside the house, and then Gu Ming Da walked in quickly, and kneeled to Gu Hui Yan outside the carved partition door: "Wangye, the Holy One is here."

 

Lin Wei Xi was startled to stand up. It’s the New Year’s Eve, during New Year's Eve family dinner the little emperor actually come to their Yan Wang Mansion?

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1 Do not seek merits, but seek no demerits, it means do not ask for rewards, only ask not to make mistakes.^↩

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