Chapter 265: A Tiring Banquet

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When one of the persons at the side saw Madam Lin walking over, she whispered, “Stop talking, Madam Lin is watching from the side! Sigh! Did you guys notice that Madam Lin and Madam Li look alike!”

Everyone took a glance. “Hey! It’s true!”

A beautiful and gentle woman in her thirties saw Madam Gao enter with Li Yu respectfully. She smiled and bowed. “Madam He greets Madam Li.” Li Yu smiled and returned the greeting. “Madam He, greetings.”

Madam Gao smiled and introduced her to Li Yu. “Madam, this is the Madam of

Magistrate Lin. Madam He will accompany you to walk around the garden.”

Li Yu also smiled and nodded. “Madam He, there’s no need to be so polite. Just do as you please.” As she spoke, a few women came to greet her. Madam Lin had been living in fear at home for the past two days. Seeing that Li Yu didn’t come to look for her, she felt relieved. She pretended to be nonchalant and walked into the garden with her companion.

Li Yu was really not good at socializing. She greeted those she met politely and stiffly. Fortunately, after everyone greeted her, she was able to stroll in the garden with the women she was familiar with.

Madam He accompanied Li Yu to the camellias and smiled gently. “My master has something to do and will be back in a few days. He has long wanted to get to know Madam and thought that you were busy in Yunzhou, so he didn’t disturb you.”

Li Yu smiled dryly. “I’m busy with random things every day. You’re welcome to come and play when you have time.”

When Madam He saw Li Yu’s expression, she covered her mouth and laughed. “Madam, I don’t know how to socialize either. My master and I came from a poor family. After my master got appointed to an official position, I was mocked and ridiculed the first time I went out to socialize. They said that I was an ill-mannered person from the countryside. When I returned home, I cried. From then on, every time I went out to socialize, I was on tenterhooks. I was afraid that others would laugh at me for being rude, so I never liked to go out to socialize. Only when I come to Sister Gao’s do I dare to be so casual.”

Li Yu smiled and said, “I’m also from a farming family. I don’t know anything about these banquets and complicated etiquette. It’s because I don’t know that I didn’t dare to invite everyone.”

When Madam He saw Li Yu’s smile, she knew that she was really not good at socializing. She chuckled and said, “Madam, with your status, you’d be doing anyone the honors through your invitation. Who dares to nitpick?”

Li Yu smiled and couldn’t say anything else. She just felt that socializing was more tiring than hunting in the mountains and working in the fields.

Madam He accompanied Li Yu to the flower tree. Li Yu saw that the Wu family’s camellias were indeed well taken care of. Seven or eight 18-year-old scholars were about ten feet tall. Their leaves were thick, green, and full. One of the flower trees even bloomed with pink, red, and white flowers. The flowers were elegant, exquisite, and very beautiful.

Madam He pointed at the flower tree and said to Li Yu with a smile, “Madam, look, it’s really rare to see a few types of camellias like this. Madam Gao is really good at taking care of the flower tree.”

Li Yu was also amazed. “Did Mrs. Gao take care of these camellias?”

Madam He smiled gently and said, “Yes! Mrs. Gao likes to plant flowers when she has nothing to do. Look, she is the one who has been tending to those red plum blossoms.”

Li Yu looked at the plum blossoms and the flowers in the garden and praised them in her heart. This garden was really well taken care of. Madam Gao was even better at taking care ot the garden than her own gardener.

The two of them walked to the plum trees. There were a few red plum trees that were as beautiful as peach blossoms, and they emitted a fragrance. Madam He saw a long wooden bench among the flowers and said to Li Yu, “Madam, let’s go over and take a seat and rest.”

Li Yu saw that Madam He was petite and thought that she might not move around much, so she nodded and agreed. Madam He placed a handkerchief on the bench and invited Li Yu to sit down. Li Yu smiled and said, “Thank you, Madam He.”

Madam He massaged her legs and said with a smile, “In the past, I didn’t feel tired working at home. Now, I feel tired easily.”

Li Yu laughed self-deprecatingly. “Yes! It’s really tiring to socialize.”

The two of them chatted casually. Suddenly, they heard a woman’s sharp voice from the side. “Second Aunt, did you see Madam Gao’s fawning look? She praised the two bumpkins from the countryside to the sky.”

Li Yu and Madam He looked at each other. When they thought about how this woman was referring to them, they didn’t know what to do.

The two of them heard Madam Lin sigh and said, “Our Wang family has been getting worse year by year. Who dared to neglect us in the past?! We still have to blame your second uncle for choosing the wrong side.”

“Hey! Second Aunt, that Madam Li really looks like you! Those who don’t know better would think that you’re family!”

Madam Lin said angrily, “How can my family know such a vulgar person? Don’t mention this in front of me again.” Li Yu was dumbfounded when she heard this. She finally understood why the girl called Ah Yue was like that.

The two of them gradually walked away. Li Yu and Madam He were no longer in the mood to stroll, so they returned to the pavilion together. Li Yu realized that there were braziers burning around the pavilion. She walked into the pavilion for warmth.

Just as the two of them were about to sit down, the maidservant came to invite everyone to take a seat. Li Yu and Madam He arrived at the banquet hall. Madam Gao politely invited Li Yu to sit down. Li Yu smiled and sat down on the chair below. She smiled and said, “Madam Gao, you’re the host and I’m the guest. How can I steal the limelight?”

Seeing this, Madam Gao could only sit down and smile. “Madam, you’re too polite.”

Li Yu smiled. The banquet had just begun. The woman with the sharp voice had a fake smile on her face. She raised her wine cup and said to Li Yu, “Madam Li, everyone has always been curious about what kind of person you are. I’ve finally seen you today. You and Lord Zhou are really a match made in heaven.

I’ll toast you today and wish you everlasting youth.”

Li Yu knew that with her body, she would be confused after drinking a cup. She definitely couldn’t drink outside. She glanced at her indifferently. “I’m sorry. Because of my health, I never drink outside.”

When the woman heard this, her face instantly turned red. “Madam, are you looking down on me?”

Madam Gao glanced at the woman and thought to herself that Madam Li already said that it was because of her health that she never drank outside. Why did Madam Xu not know when to advance and retreat? She smiled and mediated. “Madam Li really doesn’t drink outside. Madam will replace wine with tea today.”

Madam Xu blushed and muttered, “Did she humiliate me and disregard me because my Ah Yue offended her?”

Li Yu glanced at her and mocked, “How should I regard you? Why should I do you courtesy? Because you’re thicker-skinned?”

Madam He secretly gave her a thumbs up. Everyone lowered their heads to hide the smile on their faces.

“You.” Madam Xu glared at Li Yu in anger and stood up. Seeing everyone looking at her with disdain, Madam Lin hurriedly pulled her back and scolded in a low voice, “Madam Xu, you’re being rude.” Madam Xu looked at Madam Lin and could only grit her teeth and sit down..

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