The Concubine's Daughter Travels Through Time and Space and Takes the Road of Confrontation

Zhang first brought Rong and Yun to the main gate to wait. After a brief pause, the old lady arrived, accompanied by Lu Ling, wearing a pink, butterfly-embellished, stand-up collar, narrow-sleeved jacket, and a moon-white, pleated skirt. Her dark hair was tied into a small, looped bun, and she wore a jade hibiscus flower crooked on her head. Lu Ling bowed her head slightly and curtsied gently to her second aunt. The jade hibiscus petals in her hair trembled slightly as she moved.

Lu Yun couldn't help but take a few more glances. When she got into the car, her elder sister pinched her cheek. She smiled and asked, "Is my elder cousin pretty?"

Lu Yun thought about it and shook her head. "Raise the price—what a deal." My sister is pretty.

Zhang was helpless and said, "Your sister is only a little girl, why are you making things difficult for her?"

Lu Rong still smiled and looked at her mother. "Mom, you always say that my sister is younger, but I think she is smarter than my brother."

"The eldest lady is talking nonsense again." It was Nanny Chang who said this.

Compared to the chatter and laughter here, it was much quieter in the old lady's carriage.

This was her first time going out to socialize, and Lu Ling was a little nervous. The old lady sat in the car with her eyes closed, resting, and gently patted her hand. "When we get there, just follow me and get to know more people," Lu Ling whispered.

The carriage drove straight into the second gate of Dingyuan Marquis's mansion before stopping.

Mrs. Ma led a group of maids and walked forward with a smile to support the old lady. "Old lady, my old lady has been waiting for you for a long time." After that, she looked at Zhang and said, "First, please ask the second lady to go with me to meet the old lady, and then we two sisters will reminisce about the past." She was very enthusiastic.

Lu Ling and her sisters stepped forward to greet her, the jade lotus in her hair gleaming pink. Mrs. Ma frowned slightly, then smiled as before. "This is the eldest daughter, right? Although I only saw her yesterday, I see she's quite different today. I have two maidens too, they're just a few years older. You'll know when you see them later."

The group headed toward the inner courtyard. Halfway through, a five-year-old boy suddenly rushed out from the side. He was a chubby boy, wearing a red short jacket with the design "Hundred Blessings." A necklace inlaid with white jade hung around his neck, and a gold bracelet adorned each of his tender arms. He was giggling, clutching a ball of snow, and ran straight toward them.

Mrs. Ma, who was walking in front, rushed straight forward without flinching, causing trouble for Lu Ling, who she had been holding by the hand. The snow fell all over her new dress. The boy rushed into Mrs. Ma's arms and called out "Mom."

Following Lu Ling's soft cry, Mrs. Ma hugged the boy and cried out, "Ah!", looking at her with eyes full of apology. "My boy is naughty and has soiled my eldest sister's clothes." After saying that, she took off a hairpin with a jade and jewel-inlaid flower basket on her head and said, "Use this hairpin to make amends for me and my boy."

It was obvious that this gold hairpin was a valuable item. Lu Ling repeatedly refused, but the Second Madam refused to give in. "It's getting late, and this place is right next to my yard. Miss, please take it away quickly and change your clothes. Our old lady is waiting for you."

Seeing her grandmother nod imperceptibly, Lu Ling had no choice but to accept it. She bowed to Mrs. Ma, took Xiang Xing and followed the maid.

The stage stood opposite the waterside pavilion in the Plum Garden. The pavilion was surrounded by water on three sides, and facing it was a rosewood-framed screen inlaid with jade and floral patterns. Beyond the screen, curtains embroidered with floral and vine patterns hung on both sides of the pavilion. Steaming brass hollow incense burners sat in the four corners, and beside each stood a man-sized bronze lotus candlestick with four legs.

In the middle, a thick blanket with a cloud pattern and bats and the Chinese character for longevity lay upon it, upon which four tables were set, some of which were already occupied. At the front row sat a thin old woman, wearing a round-necked, wide-sleeved, eggplant-purple cloud-patterned robe inlaid with sable velvet, and a velvety-yellow, pleated skirt. She wore her hair in a bun, and apart from her usual kingfisher flower ornaments and a crown of kingfisher emerald and gem-encrusted hairpin, she wore no other ornaments.

Seeing the person coming, she smiled and was helped up by the old lady beside her. She walked forward a few steps and held the old lady's hands. "It's been many years since we last met. You are still so strong." The old lady also smiled and said, "Old sister is still the same as before."

Then, she called out her younger relatives to greet them. From the next table, a girl, about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a lilac-colored, stand-up collar, narrow-sleeved gown, emerged. She was accompanied by a slightly younger woman, wearing a crabapple-red gown. They slowly approached the old lady and knelt in greeting, their pearl tassels dangling from their ears swaying slightly. "Qingbo (Lu) greets the old lady."

The old lady couldn't help but nod and praise, "They are all good children. There is really no family in the whole capital that is better at raising daughters than yours." This statement was a double entendre.

Upon hearing this, Lady Wan laughed and said, "In that case, why not let both of your children live in my home? I will only charge you one or two taels of silver per month."

The old lady smiled and pointed at Old Lady Wan, "You're already old, why don't you calm down?" She then asked Du Juan to give each of the two girls a purse and said to them gently, "Take it and play with it."

Lu Rong brought Yun Jie'er forward to pay their respects to Old Lady Wan. Compared to Yun Jie'er's cluttered and unformed movements, Lu Rong lowered her eyebrows and looked pleasant, and her every move was as graceful and steady as flowing water.

Old Lady Wan touched Lu Rong's cheek lovingly. "This little granddaughter of yours reminds me of Qingbo when she was little. She's like a little adult at such a young age." Then she looked at Lu Yun with a smile that deepened. "This one, you can tell at first glance that she's blessed."

The two accepted the gift from Old Lady Wan and were taken to sit at the same table with the sisters Qingbo and Qinglu.

At the same time, Lu Ling, who was taken to Mrs. Ma's yard to change clothes, was frightened one after another.

The courtyard where Mrs. Ma lived was called Qinghui Garden, and they arrived in less than a quarter of an hour. Qinghui Garden was a small but exquisite courtyard, with a small pond in the outer courtyard and the inner courtyard where the owner lived. It contained east and west wing rooms and three main rooms. Entering the main room, a black lacquer screen painted with flowers and birds and mother-of-pearl inlays greeted them. Behind the screen stood two high-backed chairs inlaid with mica, and in the center, a chaise longue with ornate patterns.

The maid led her into the west room, and another maid brought in a black lacquer makeup box with mother-of-pearl inlays and lowered the heavy curtains behind her.

At first glance, Lu Ling knew that this must be the place where Madam Ma dressed and bathed, so she lowered her eyelashes and dared not look around. After changing her clothes and sitting in front of the makeup box, she heard the maid who brought them here whisper, "Miss, you don't know, our old lady hates Yu Furong very much."

Lu Ling broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. Her thoughts raced, and she forced a smile, saying, "Thank you for the heads-up. I'm new to your house and didn't know the old lady had such preferences." She personally removed the jade hibiscus from her hair, and Xiang Xing took out the crabapple to pin on her young lady's hair. However, she saw that the maid had already taken the basket-shaped flower hairpin given by Madam Fang and inserted it into her young lady's bun.

Seeing that the young lady didn't say anything, Xiang Xing took out a plain purse from her bosom and handed it over. "Thank you, sister." The maid smiled and put it in her sleeve.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside, followed by a young man's voice, "Mother, are you in the inner room?" The young man in brocade clothes stopped and asked through the curtain.