Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 160 - 136: Setting Out_1

Chapter 160: Chapter 136: Setting Out_1

Huang Yue’e was indeed the epitome of ancient beauty, with her petite figure, an oval face, fair skin, watery almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and cherry lips—a classic beauty in traditional attire. Her appearance matched well with the handsome Zhang Yang.

Her mother, Lady Li, was also a beautiful middle-aged woman—graceful and reserved. She didn’t just bring her second daughter Huang Yue’e, she also brought her third daughter Huang Yuexian.

According to the introductions, Huang Yuexian was the same age as Huang Yue’e, both fourteen, with just two months apart. They were supposedly not born from the same mother. Seeing how Huang Yue’e and Lady Li were very close, while Huang Yuexian was more distant from Lady Li, it seemed Huang Yue’e was Lady Li’s own daughter, and Huang Yuexian was a concubine’s child.

Huang Yuexian was even more beautiful and flamboyant than her sister, half a head taller and dressed even more luxuriously.

Old Lady Zhang specifically introduced Qian Yixiu to Lady Li and her two daughters, and even asked Qian Yixiu to address Huang Yue’e and Huang Yuexian as "Second Auntie" and "Third Aunt."

Lady Li began by smiling and removing a jade and gold hairpin from her head to give to Qian Yixiu.

The gift seemed a bit too generous. Qian Yixiu didn’t dare to accept it at first, looking at Old Lady Zhang, who smiled and said, "If Landlord Huang’s wife gives it to you, just take it."

Qian Yixiu bowed her knees and thanked her before she accepted the hairpin.

Huang Yue’e then smiled and gave her a silk handkerchief as a meeting gift, adding, "This was embroidered by Second Auntie herself, take it for fun."

The silk handkerchief was soft and smooth, with carp and lotus embroidered on it, a fine piece of craftsmanship. With the influence of her stepmother and Qian Xiaoyu, Qian Yixiu had developed a certain appreciation for embroidery work. She smiled and said, "It’s beautiful, thank you, Second Auntie."

Huang Yuexian smiled reluctantly and told her maid, "This girl is quite clever; give her a purse as a reward."

Her maid seemed to understand her young miss’s intentions and presented a purse, saying, "This is from Third Miss Huang."

As if afraid that Qian Yixiu would call her young mistress "Third Aunt."

Qian Yixiu was not a real little girl, she knew that Third Miss Huang looked down on her.

She didn’t mind, but felt quite embarrassed as she didn’t want to make the kind Old Lady Zhang lose face. She had no choice but to take the purse and say, "Thank you, Third Miss Huang."

Old Lady Zhang’s face fell slightly. She had introduced Qian Yixiu as her distant granddaughter; the meeting gifts should have been small trinkets, not silver ingots typically given to servants as rewards.

By doing this, Huang Yuexian not only offended Old Lady Zhang, but also embarrassed Huang Yue’e. Lady Li and her daughters also looked displeased.

Huang Yuexian casually wiped the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief, unconcerned.

Upon closer inspection, Qian Yixiu guessed who Huang Yuexian’s mother might be. Huang Wanchun had a favored concubine known as Maternal Aunt Fang, who had been a top courtesan at Capital City’s Qunfang Building before Huang Wanchun redeemed her for ten thousand silver ingots.

Qian Yixiu had been to Huang Wanchun’s study a few times and encountered Maternal Aunt Fang. Indeed, she exuded sensuality and seduction, capable of engaging in intimate acts with Huang Wanchun even in the study. That was six years ago when Maternal Aunt Fang was at the height of her allure. So many years later, she must have aged.

Yet, observing Huang Yuexian’s flamboyance, it appeared Maternal Aunt Fang was still more favored than the legal wife.

As more people arrived in the hall, the Zhang family’s mother-and-daughter-in-law were busy hosting the guests, and Qian Yixiu, knowing her place, wisely went off to play in the garden by herself. As Old Lady Zhang had a fondness for flowers, the garden was expansive with many varieties. It was now the prime of early spring in March, and the garden was blooming with colorful flowers, presenting a splendid vista of spring.

Many ladies and young misses came to enjoy the flowers in the garden, with some even boating on the lake nearby.

With her low status and being a child without an adult’s supervision, Qian Yixiu, despite her good looks, didn’t attract much attention. Thus, she wandered here and there, listening in on conversations unobtrusively. People didn’t intentionally avoid her, so she inadvertently overheard a fair share of gossip.

This included chatter about the Huang sisters.

One heard three teenage girls whispering, "I heard that Landlord Huang took a fancy to the Zhang family because of their simple and wealthy background, and their close ties with many high officials and nobles. Young Master Zhang is a gentleman—learned and genial, and they wanted Third Miss Huang to marry him. But who knew Maternal Aunt Fang and Third Miss Huang would cry their eyes out, refusing on the grounds that the Zhang family’s status wasn’t high enough. Later, they settled for the current Second Miss."

"Those two, mother and daughter, have their noses in the air and are always trying to curry favor with noble families; how could they set their sights on the Zhang family?" another girl commented. "My mother says it’s Lady Huang who’s clever. She’s willing to let her daughter marry Young Master Zhang, considering it a blessing to be wed into the Zhang family."