Chapter 63 (1/2)
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and WanderingGummiOfDoom.
Chapter Sixty-Three: Difficulty
”How come your hands are so cold?” Yan Jin Qiu touched Hua Xi Wan's hand and then frowned. His large hand wrapped firmly around Hua Xi Wan's hand. ”It is so cold now. If you have something you want to say, then send someone to invite them to the fu to stay a few days.”
”Didn't you say that it is wonderful to see the snowy scenery—how come you are so unrefined now?” Hua Xi Wan's other hand held a stove warmer. She allowed Yan Jin Qiu to hold the umbrella with one hand and to hold her hand with the other.
”As long as it is for the benefit of your body, there is nothing wrong with being a bit unrefined.” Yan Jin Qiu smiled and released Hua Xi Wan's hand. He reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders before they continued to walk.
Hua Chu Yu who was silently walking behind them thought, Your Highness Xian w.a.n.g, when you are showing off your love, can you consider the people who are behind you?
Before they returned to the main hall, Yan Jin Qiu took away his arm. He adjusted his clothing and handed the umbrella to Mu Tong before walking through the door shoulder-to-shoulder with Hua Xi Wan, with a dignified and n.o.ble aura.
The main hall which had been very busy quieted when husband and wife walked in. After exchanging greetings politely, everyone was ushered by the younger members of the Hua Family to the meal hall to be seated.
The people of the Hua Family repeatedly invited Yan Jin Qiu and Hua Xi Wan to sit at the front. However, Yan Jin Qiu refused each time. He bowed towards Hua He Zheng, saying, ”Zi Ling should not refuse the sincere invitation of Mount Tai. But with elders present, there is no reason for juniors to sit at the front. Mount Tai, please fulfill the wish of Zi Ling.”
Yan Jin Qiu was giving Hua He Zheng a good amount of face, and Hua He Zheng naturally felt happy. However, he could only act as if he was in difficulty and invited the old taitai to the front. Then he and Lu s.h.i.+ sat down on either side of the old taitai.
While Yan Jin Qiu allowed the three elders to sit at the front, the other members of the Hua Family did not dare to sit in front of them. So Yan Jin Qiu and Hua Xi Wan sat down below Hua He Zheng. No one said anything, and they would have to praise the two of them for being filial.
The old taitai was relatively healthy, but she was still an old person. Consequently, the dishes on the table that had meanings of longevity and good wishes were primarily bland, soft, or sweet. After Hua Xi Wan ate a few bites, she felt her mouth was filled with sweetness.
Because it was a family banquet, the atmosphere was lively, and so no one had the servants serving the food. Some of the food that was suited to Hua Xi Wan's appet.i.te was far from her. Fortunately, there was Yan Jin Qiu who had a long arm, so she was not in danger of starving or being rude.
”Jiejie, why aren't you moving—is it not suited to your appet.i.te?” Because of the previous matter, Hua Qing Mao felt as though he had failed Hua Yi Liu. So after Hua Yi Liu returned to the fu, he frequently paid attention to her and showed concern. Seeing her suddenly stop moving her chopsticks, he said in a small voice, ”Or is it that you do not feel well?”
”It's nothing.” Hua Yi Liu's face was still sickly pale as she smiled at Hua Qing Mao. She bent her head and continued to eat the food that was not suited at all to her tastes. After experiencing so many events, she was used to the cold treatment of other people. It was not important that her food was not appetizing.
After the divorce, she now lived along in a yard in the a.s.sistant minister fu. Because of her mother's coldness towards her, the servants who served in the yard were neglectful. If it wasn't for Hua Qing Mao, her younger brother's constant concern, she, the di miss of the a.s.sistant minister fu would probably be abused by the servants.
Thinking about her mother's resentful face, and her scolding words about how much she, the mother, had felt embarra.s.sed and slighted because her first child was a daughter, Hua Yi Liu felt that she and her mother were both tragic and humorous. The hate inside her surged. If the other really disdained her for being a daughter when she was born, for losing face, for having people laugh at her, why didn't the other strangle her to death when she still didn't know a thing?
Then she would not have to suffer like this, and her mother would not be talked about because her first child was a daughter. Wouldn't everyone be happy?
”Xian w.a.n.g Fei and Xian w.a.n.g are really deeply in love.” Luo Taitai who was at the same table was speaking in a low voice, but that voice was enough to guarantee that those at neighboring tables could hear it. ”Let me say something that is out of bounds. Just now when I saw w.a.n.g Ye and w.a.n.g Fei walk over, if it wasn't that I saw w.a.n.g Fei in the past, I would think that the two were an immortal couple.”
Hua Yi Liu smiled coldly. This Luo Furen had once said behind Hua Xi Wan's back that Hua Xi Wan's beauty, if it was known, would cause a calamity. She also said that Hua Xi Wan was a lazy person and wasn't suited to be a good woman for the family. Now she completely switched around. Hua Yi Liu really admired how flexible this person was.
After the banquet finished, the people sat down under the stage that had been built up. They started to watch the performances on the stage. Hua Xi Wan's first role in her previous life had been as the young woman in the opera. She had heavy makeup, but not two minutes after she entered the shot, she was killed by the male protagonist's guard when she tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate the other.
In order to act out this bystander who had just one minute of screen time, she had found a friend and learned from the other how to sing and move. Thinking about her previous life, it really seemed a whole world away.
”Bam!” The sound of a teacup shattering came from behind her. Hua Xi Wan turned around to look and saw Zhang Furen sitting awkwardly on the chair. There was a shattered teacup in front of her, the tea splattered on the ground still emitting steam.
”Dimei, what are you doing—is the tea too hot?” Zhang s.h.i.+ raised her chin slightly and said with slight arrogance, ”Come, change the tea for Zhang Furen.”
Hua Xi Wan saw Zhang s.h.i.+ bullying her adopted brother's wife and her brow furrowed. However, as an outsider, it was not good for her to interfere.
”Were you burned?” Zhang Shao walked forward and carefully raised his wife's hand. Seeing the patch of red on the back of her hand, he said tenderly, ”How come the burn is so serious?”
”Didi, why act so emotionally? Someone come, invite a grand doctor for Zhang Furen.” Zhang s.h.i.+ smiled insincerely at her adopted brother and sister-in-law acting so intimately. Her expression was not good. ”It seems that we have neglected a n.o.ble guest.”
Was something wrong with Zhang s.h.i.+'s mind? Even if she really did not care about Zhang Shao and his wife, for the face of her parents, she should be at least polite to them. The older Zhang couple would need people to help them in their old age. If she offended Zhang Shao greatly, what was the benefit for her?
Or maybe she thought that Zhang Shao had received a lot of property and a t.i.tle when he had been adopted by her parents? She could not bear it and had objections about the Zhang Shao couple?