Chapter 818 The Smooth-Talking and Clever Miss Zhao
What a beautiful girl! She should not have appeared in the world, but she was standing in front of me in good condition. Her att.i.tude seemed to be respectful and polite, and there was nothing wrong with her behavior. Seeing that Miss Zhao looked at her, she bowed sideways, smiled, and lowered her head slightly.
“She was not familiar with me, and no one introduced her. It was normal for her to be so polite.”
Madam Zhao got out of the carriage and saw Shao Wanru nearby. She looked her up and down, then mentioned Zhao Xiran, “Go with the Second Miss Shao and the Fifth Miss Shao!”
“Yes, mother!” Zhao Xiran nodded with a smile and said to Shao Jie’er. “Is this the Fifth Miss of your mansion?”
“Yes, it’s my Fifth Sister!” Shao Jie’er said, and then raised her voice to Shao Wanru, “Fifth Sister, come here!” Shao Wanru walked over slowly.
“Fifth Sister, this is Miss Zhao of the Minister’s Mansion!” Shao Jie’er introduced Miss Zhao and then said to her, “Miss Zhao, this is my Fifth Sister. When you came to Shao’s Mansion before, she was not there. What a coincidence! We can go together this time!”
“Fifth Miss!” Zhao Xiran smiled slightly and bowed to Shao Wanru. Shao Wanru replied gracefully and then bowed to Madam Zhao who was standing aside.
Madam Zhao looked Shao Wanru up and down again and marveled in her heart. The Fifth Miss Shao in front of her was so beautiful that she had thought that Shao Yanru was outstanding enough but now she found that the Fifth Miss Shao was the most outstanding one. She could be considered peerlessly beautiful.
“Fifth Miss, you don’t have to be so polite. Your grandma has entrusted you to me, you two will come with us. If there is anything wrong, send someone to tell me!” Madam Zhao smiled and said politely.
Shao Wanru was not only the granddaughter of Rui’an Great Elder Princess but also the future Princess Chen.
“Sorry to trouble you, Madam!” Shao Wanru smiled and said softly.
This att.i.tude satisfied Madam Zhao. She nodded at once, turned around, and went inside first.
“Second Miss, Fifth Miss, let’s go together!” Zhao Xiran smiled and said to them.
The two of them nodded and followed Zhao Xiran inside. After a few steps, Zhao Xiran slowed down and said to Shao Wanru beside her, “I heard that the Fifth Miss has lived on the mountain for three years. Have you ever known the beautiful scenery there? We can enjoy the scenery later.”
“That’s great!” Shao Jie’er’s eyes lit up and were very interested.
Shao Wanru blinked her eyes in embarra.s.sment and said, “I’ll ask the nuns in the nunnery later. I’ve basically been cultivating in my courtyard during the three years. So I am unfamiliar with other places in the nunnery!”
“Well, let’s ask the nuns in the nunnery later!” Zhao Xiran nodded in agreement and did not embarra.s.s Shao Wanru anymore.
Shao Jie’er complained discontentedly, “Fifth Sister, Big Sister lived here for a period of time before. After going back, she was very clear about everything in the Yuhui Nunnery. Why do you know nothing after staying here for so long?”
“Big Sister went here to learn painting, so she could go to all the elegant places in the nunnery, but I am here to observe mourning for the dead. I’m different from her!” Shao Wanru answered with a good temper.
“If I also know everything about the beautiful scenery in the nunnery, what would others think of me?” Shao Wanru rolled her watery eyes and she seemed to say that intentionally or unintentionally.
“Fifth Miss, you have been observing mourning for your parents on the mountain for three years, and your filial piety is very strong. My mother once used you as an excuse and said that you were filial at such a young age, and could cultivate on the mountain for three years. At the age of you, I only knew to play with other unmarried Misses and was very ignorant.” Zhao Xiran praised Shao Wanru in a soft voice.
These words made Shao Jie’er unhappy, “Miss Zhao, don’t praise Fifth Sister too much. She had to come up the mountain because of the special situation at that time. Speaking of filial piety, you are the real filial one. I heard that you specially embroidered a big screen for Old Madam Zhao’s birthday, which is said to have taken more than a year.”
Shao Wanru smiled slightly and did not answer her. It seemed that the derogation in her words was not talking about herself at all.
Zhao Xiran’s eyes fell on her delicate little face, “I couldn’t help but admire her again. It was a kind of blessing that a girl could be so pretty. In addition to her good family background, she was really blessed.”
Now she found that Shao Wanru was still so generous. If she didn’t answer, it would seem that Shao Jie’er was at a disadvantage.
“Second Miss, you flatter me. These are all small tricks and can’t compare with the Fifth Miss’s.” Zhao Xiran shook her head and smiled. Then she turned to Shao Wanru and said, “I heard from Old Madam of your mansion that you are going to see Madam of Duke Xing. Why don’t we go there now?”
“Miss Zhao, aren’t you going to accompany Madam Zhao?” Shao Wanru asked. At this moment, Madam Zhao had already walked to the front.
“She is going to wors.h.i.+p the Buddha first, and don’t need my company. I will follow you to see Madam of Duke Xing first. I was going to visit Madam, it’s just right for me!” Zhao Xiran smiled slightly, looking very gentle, and she did not deliberately hide the special relations.h.i.+p between her and Madam Jiang.
Although the agreement between the two mansions had not been officially decided, the people in the two mansions knew something.
If she were really about to marry Shao Hua’an, she should go to meet Madam Jiang when arrived Yuhui Nunnery. It was suitable for them to go together.
Madam Jiang lived in a very remote place, neither her past courtyard nor Shao Yanru’s. It was a very small courtyard, the most ordinary kind in the nunnery. Hearing someone knocking on the door, an old maid came over to open the door.
It was an old maid Shao Jie’er didn’t know. She was stunned and asked, “Does Madam of Duke Xing live inside?”
“There’s only the Madam Jiang here!” The old maid looked them up and down and answered.
“Yes, it’s Madam Jiang. We are from Duke Xing’s Mansion and want to see Madam, it’s okay?” Shao Jie’er didn’t know what was going on. She poked her head out and looked inside, but didn’t see anyone.
“Who let you come here?” The old maid looked at them and then looked at the servant girls behind them and asked.
“It’s Old Madam who asked us to come and see Madam. I wonder if it would be convenient, we just ask her a few questions and leave!” Shao Wanru guessed that the old maid not only served Madam Jiang, but also had the responsibility of monitoring her. So she immediately said with a smile.
“Wait a minute!” The old maid closed the door in front of them. In a second, she opened the door and came out, letting them in.
After entering the room, they found that it was indeed small. There was only one main room with wing rooms on the side, and they were all very shabby. At first glance, they knew that it was not the courtyard specially chosen.
Zhao Xiran looked at the courtyard and frowned slightly. “My mother was right. Madam Jiang was locked up.”
When they entered the main room and saw Madam Jiang in coa.r.s.e clothes, not only Zhao Xiran but also Shao Jie’er was stunned.
Shao Jie’er had always been nervous and panicked in front of Madam Jiang. Now when she saw the thin and lean woman sitting there, who seemed to be more than ten years old, she could not recognize her for a while. She almost thought that she had recognized the wrong person and wanted to leave the room.
“What are you doing here today?” Madam Jiang looked like a different person, compared with when she was in Duke Xing’s Mansion. She had lost her previous tolerance, gorgeous clothes, and dignity of Madam of Duke Xing. She was lying in bed with a gloomy face. Seeing them come in, her face darkened
“Madam Jiang, my mother took me to the Yuhui Nunnery. I heard that you are recuperating, so I come here to visit you and brought some medicinal herbs for health. I hope you can accept them!” Zhao Xiran took a step forward and said respectfully to Madam Jiang.
Only then did Madam Jiang look at Zhao Xiran and recognize her. The cold expression on her face receded a little, revealing a trace of a smile. Originally, she wanna show her kindness, but in this case, she really couldn’t show it. Her smile looked very dry and stiff. “Thank you for your mother. I’ll thank your mother after I recover!”
“Madam, you’re too polite!” Zhao Xiran said. The maid behind her came over and put a few boxes of medicine on the table. Then politely retreated behind Zhao Xiran. She did not look around and behaved in good rules.
“Madam, I won’t bother you chatting with family affairs. I’ll wait outside!” Zhao Xiran said again. After bowing to Madam Jiang, she looked at Shao Jie’er and Shao Wanru gently and said, “Second Miss, Fifth Miss, please talk first. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Of course, she knew that Shao Wanru and Shao Jie’er need to do something on this trip. With her as an outsider, some things are inconvenient to say. It was both gentle and decent to leave actively.
Seeing Zhao Xiran leave, Madam Jiang said coldly, “What are you doing here? I am already like this. I don’t need you two to come here.”
Without Zhao Xiran around, Madam Jiang didn’t have to pretend to be gentle anymore. She looked at Shao Wanru coldly as if a viper had swept over her. Yujie took a step forward and stood in front of Shao Wanru, for fear that Madam Jiang would go crazy and hurt Shao Wanru.
Shao Wanru pulled Yujie’s sleeves, indicated that she was fine and asked her to retreat behind her. She said bluntly to Madam Jiang lying on the bed, “There is indeed something today. Old Madam made us come here and ask Second Madam for my mother’s dowry. I heard that most of my mother’s dowry is in Second Madam’s hands.”
Shao Jie’er shrank her neck. She had always been timid in front of Madam Jiang. At this time, she did not dare to speak. She lowered her head and looked at herself, pretending not to hear the questions of Madam Jiang and Shao Wanru. She was here for nothing but making up the numbers. She did not dare to really offend Madam Jiang. No one knew if Madam Jiang would return to Duke Xing’s Mansion in a few years. After being raised by Madam Jiang for so many years, Shao Jie’er was like a mouse in front of a cat when she saw Madam Jiang and did not dare to say a word.