Crossing Over to Yamada Love

Upon reaching the inner courtyard gate, the old Marquis frowned. It was one thing for his own wife and sister-in-law not to come out to greet him—they were his sister's sisters-in-law, and it was Wang Shi who should pay her respects. But it was utterly inappropriate for Cheng'er's wife not to come out. She was a junior, and to not even acknowledge them was extremely improper!

The old Marquis glanced at Wang Cheng, who blushed slightly. His wife was utterly useless; she always acted as if she were the Crown Prince's wife and looked down on everyone in the household except his mother. He had repeatedly told her that his father had a deep affection for his aunt and that they must be respectful when she visited. But she had already embarrassed him.

Upon entering the inner courtyard through the second gate, the sedan chair stopped. Several pretty maids, around fifteen or sixteen years old, were already standing at the gate. They stepped forward, lifted the sedan curtain, and helped Wang Shi and Mo Lan down. Mo Lan gently stepped out of the sedan chair and looked around. This was the inner courtyard, surrounded by carved beams and painted rafters. In the center was a passageway, with exotic flowers and rare plants growing on the covered walkways, and occasionally a few sparrows perched there. The sparrows were naturally more beautiful than those she had seen in the mountains, and their chirping was clear and melodious.

Mo Lan glanced around and saw that everyone had gotten out of the sedan chair. Then she noticed that there weren't many people left around the old Marquis. She moved to stand in front of the old Marquis and greeted him.

"Lanlan greets her great-uncle. Is he well?"

"Alright, alright, Lan'er, get up quickly." The old Marquis hurriedly called out. For some reason, he was happy to see this girl, perhaps because she looked so much like his sister when she was young.

When the Second Master Wang Zhongguang saw Cong Molan get out of the sedan chair, he stared wide-eyed. This, isn't this her sister?

"Second brother, doesn't it look like him?" The old Marquis looked at his brother, who was staring blankly, and laughed.

"So alike, so very alike." Second Master Wang Zhongguang muttered to himself, nodding repeatedly as he looked at Mo Lan.

"If I hadn't seen her, I would have really missed out on being with the girl," the old Marquis said with a smile and a nod.

After listening to the two exchange a few words, Mo Lan hurriedly knelt down and bowed to the Second Master, Wang Zhongguang.

"Get up quickly, no need for formalities," Second Master Wang Zhongguang urged repeatedly. He looked at Mo Lan as if she were his own young sister. He felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Mo Lan stood up, bowed to the young master, and greeted Wang Zhi and the others before going to Wang Shi's side.

Led by the Marquis, the group passed through the main hall, where six more superior rooms came into view. A dozen pretty young maids dressed in light blue jackets surrounded a group of noblewomen who stood at the door waiting.

Mo Lan quickly sized her up. The leading lady was not yet forty, with average complexion, delicate eyebrows, and round eyes, looking rather pretty. However, her attire was quite vulgar. She wore a bright green silk jacket with intertwined floral patterns, which was quite refreshing, but the bright red skirt beneath it looked extremely jarring. Coupled with the scarlet palace-style gauze flower she wore in her hair, it was even more unsightly. This outfit was neither refreshing nor refined; instead, it made her look like a red and green Christmas tree.

Mo Lan chuckled. Judging from her attire and position, this must be the Crown Prince's wife. It seems she loves to dress up, but unfortunately... her skill and execution in dressing up are really... Mo Lan shook her head and smiled inwardly.

There's an old saying: "Red and green, a perfect match; red and purple, utterly repulsive." This Crown Princess is probably a staunch supporter of the red and green combination.

Mo Lan looked back and saw several ladies, slightly younger than her, standing behind the Crown Princess. They were all dressed elegantly and gracefully, and looked much more outstanding than the Crown Princess.

Upon approaching, the lady at the head of the group hurriedly bowed and greeted the Marquis, the Second Master, and the Heir Apparent.

The Marquis and the others roused themselves.

The old woman beside Madam Wang and Mo Lan hurriedly whispered to them, "Grandma, Miss Lan, the one at the head of the table is the Heir Apparent's wife of our household. Behind her are all the ladies of our household."

Wang nodded and, supported by the old woman, approached. She curtsied. Although she was an elder, she did not hold an official title, so she had to pay her respects to the Crown Princess first. "This humble woman, Mo Wang, greets the Crown Princess," Wang said, bowing deeply. Normally, one wouldn't wait for an elder to complete the full bow before helping them up. However, although the Crown Princess smiled, she waited until Wang had performed the full ceremony before helping her to her feet.

The Crown Princess laughed first, then said, "Aunt, what are you doing? There's no need for such formalities at home. It's making your niece-in-law feel uncomfortable. Please don't do this again. Aunt, please come inside. Mother has been waiting for quite a while. Originally, Mother wanted to greet you personally, but as your daughter-in-law, I was afraid of the wind at the door, so I persuaded her to wait inside. Please don't take offense."

Although the Crown Princess's words were quite polite, she didn't notice that the old Marquis, the Second Master, and the Crown Prince all had darkened faces. The Crown Prince secretly resented his wife's lack of self-respect; what was the point of saving face? She couldn't even let his aunt see him properly. And now, her father disliked her even more.

Wang repeatedly said she dared not, that it was her fault for causing trouble for the Crown Prince's wife. The old Marquis gave a cold snort and went into the living room first.

Wang Shi and Mo Lan and the others hurriedly followed. At the entrance of the living room, two old ladies were greeting the Marquis and the others.

Mo Lan looked up and saw a noblewoman in the center, dressed in a plain blue robe with floral patterns and adorned with pearls and jade. She appeared to be around fifty years old, with a rather plump figure, kind eyes, and a gentle smile; she was a very pleasant sight. She assumed she must be the Marquis's wife.

The woman next to her was in her forties or fifties. Her hair was black, with a few gray strands, indicating her age. Her complexion was ruddy, but her eyes and brows held a somewhat harsh look, making her rather unpleasant to look at.

Her attire was extremely luxurious, adorned with a jade hairpin with gold accents, the emerald tip particularly striking. The pearl earrings added to her complexion, making her appear several years younger. She wore a silver-gray embroidered jacket and a pomegranate-red floral skirt, clearly indicating her status.

After exchanging pleasantries, the old Marquis greeted Wang Shi and said, "Lanzhi, come and greet your elder sister-in-law." The old woman hurriedly helped Wang Shi to the front, and Wang Shi knelt down, saying, "Elder sister-in-law, please accept my bow." Before she could kneel down, the Marquis's wife quickly helped her up, took Wang Shi's hand, and said with a smile, "Quick, get up. We're all family, no need for so much formality. Let me see, is this really my younger sister? Have you had a good journey? You've suffered so much these past years."

As she spoke, Lady Hou became emotional, her smile turning into sadness, and she took out a handkerchief to wipe her tired face.

Hearing her words, Wang also shed tears. The two women, who had been sisters-in-law for several years, had a good relationship. Seeing this suddenly made her feel really bad.

Seeing the two women weeping, an old woman nearby said, "Old lady, you don't know this, but when we heard that you were coming, the lady was so happy that she couldn't sleep well for several nights. She's been thinking about it and looking forward to it every day."

Wang was deeply moved upon hearing this, wiped away her tears, and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, elder sister-in-law. It's all my fault."

"You're being too polite. Why are you being so formal with your own sister? It's good to come back home. It's good to come back home. You're not leaving again this time." Lady Hou said emotionally, holding Wang's hand.

The lady next to her watched the two of them like this, but secretly pursed her lips.

"Let's go inside. We'll talk inside." The old Marquis saw that the two were talking very emotionally, and he couldn't bear to interrupt them, but this was the doorway, and it wouldn't do for them to stand here.

"Quick, let's go inside and talk. I got so excited that I forgot we were at the door. Please don't take offense, sister," Lady Hou said apologetically, quickly pulling Wang Shi along. Wang Shi helped Lady Hou in return, and the group went inside together.

The guests and hosts took their seats inside the room.

Wang did not sit down, but stood in the middle, where she had to bow and pay her respects. Only after bowing here was the ritual considered complete.

Seeing that Wang was about to kneel, the perceptive old woman quickly placed a prayer mat under her. Wang knelt down and kowtowed three times. Her eldest brother was like a father, and her eldest sister-in-law was like a mother. Now that her parents were both gone, the old Marquis was her greatest elder. Now that they were formally recognizing each other, she had to kneel down and kowtow to pay her respects.

When Wang knelt down to pay her respects, the old Marquis did not stop her. After Wang finished kowtowing, the old Marquis and his wife hurriedly told her to get up.

The old Marquis and Madam Zhang each gave Madam Wang a gift upon their first meeting. No matter how old Madam Wang was, she was still their sister, and gifts were a must for this formal greeting.

The old Marquis gave her a purple jade ruyi, and the old lady gave her a white jade ruyi. The two ruyi represented their blessings, wishing Wang Shi all the best.

Both items were of excellent quality, which shows how much the two men valued and favored Wang.

With tears in her eyes, Wang thanked them, and with the help of her old woman, she got up and knelt down before the Second Master Wang Zhongguang and his wife.

Second Master Wang Zhongguang hurriedly called for them to rise, and Second Madam Chen also calmly followed suit. Second Master Wang gave Wang a pair of white jade bracelets, showing his regard for his sister. Second Madam Chen, however, only gave him a gold hairpin.

Everyone's eyes flickered at the hairpin. The second master, Wang Zhongguang, glanced at his wife, a flash of anger in his eyes. A few days ago, he had given his second wife a white jade pendant, carved with an orchid. The jade was of excellent quality, and the craftsmanship was superb. It perfectly matched his own white jade bracelet, a gesture of respect for both of them.

This white jade pendant is rare; he was afraid his wife wouldn't be willing to give him something good, so he personally picked it out for her and told her she absolutely had to give it to him. Who knew she still wouldn't bring it out today, just giving him a gold hairpin instead. Isn't this embarrassing for him and his sister? Displeasure flashed across the Second Master's face.

Wang was not unhappy; whatever it was, it was a token of her appreciation. She thanked her and accepted it.

After greeting her two elder brothers and sisters-in-law, Madam Wang took her seat. This was a family ceremony; she had already bowed to the young master and his wife, so there was no need to bow again. In this family ceremony, besides her two elder brothers and sisters-in-law, she was the only elder. Next, the younger generation would bow to her. She only needed to prepare a small gift.