Chapter 77: Who Is It

Xu Ruo Jin felt a surge of caution. She looked more closely and saw that Li Zhong Lin was alone, standing by the roadside, gazing anxiously toward the magistrate’s residence. It was unclear whether he was waiting for someone or simply eager to witness the commotion.

He was not a native of Zhonglin County, and with such a notorious reputation, who would possibly invite him?

Drawing the curtain down, Xu Ruo Jin pondered in silence. Xu Zi Mo was startled. “Second Sister, you’re not going to watch?”

“What’s there to see? If Li Zhong Lin spots us and latches onto us again, what then?” Xu Ruo Jin pointed to the items Xu Zi Mo wore. “Don’t you want to keep those?”

Recalling how Li Zhong Lin would always pilfer something off him whenever they met, Xu Zi Mo shuddered. “Best if we never run into him!”

“Let’s just wait and stop looking around,” Xu Ruo Jin admonished, and Xu Zi Mo nodded eagerly.

Before long, the Xu family’s carriage entered the magistrate’s residence. Maids and old servants lifted the curtains and helped them down. Xu Zi Mo followed his father and elder brother to the main hall, while Xu Ruo Jin accompanied Madam Yang to a sedan chair, heading toward the garden beyond the second gate.

Hong Xing and Chun Cao walked behind, carrying jars of wine. Madam Yang noticed and chided Xu Ruo Jin, “Why did you only bring three wine jars? Don’t we usually use casks?”

Xu Ruo Jin quickly recited her prepared explanation: “Mother, I thought the wine is a gift for the magistrate’s wife. If we come with casks, won’t people think us lacking in refinement? Besides, rarity makes things precious. Bringing just a little shows it’s valuable. If we turned up with two whole casks, no one would care.”

“You’re certainly full of cleverness,” Madam Yang muttered, knowing it was too late for further complaints and just vented with a few words.

Xu Ruo Jin smiled, “I learned it all from you, Mother!”

“You—” Madam Yang gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes. “When you get out of the sedan, you mustn’t speak out of turn!”

“I won’t, Mother!”

Despite the biting winter, the magistrate’s residence still exuded an air of elegance and scholarly grace.

Xu Ruo Jin studied her surroundings but found no extraordinary arrangements—just ordinary pavilions and towers, though the grounds were two or three times larger than the Xu family’s estate.

She attributed this to the aura of the place.

The magistrate’s wife came from a family of illustrious scholars, after all, and the refined atmosphere of the household was beyond ordinary description.

Following Madam Yang into the main hall, Xu Ruo Jin felt many eyes upon her.

With her head slightly lowered and lips curved in a gentle smile, Xu Ruo Jin no longer needed to remind herself of decorum. After Madam Fang’s tutelage, she naturally carried herself with poise, without any affectation.

Instead, her calm demeanor sharply contrasted Madam Yang’s ingratiating laughter.

The ladies sipping tea in the main hall noticed the difference and began to whisper among themselves.

“Oh my, look who’s here! We were just talking about you, and before I knew it, the maid announced your arrival. My thoughts must have summoned you both!” The voice was familiar. Xu Ruo Jin looked up—it was Lady Bi, standing to the side.

As the daughter of the wet nurse who raised the magistrate, her presence was entirely appropriate.

Madam Yang immediately joined in, “With Lady Bi thinking of us, my heart feels warm indeed!”

Standing in the place of honor before the magistrate’s wife, Madam Yang curtsied. “Congratulations, Madam. The first birthday of your eldest grandson is a joyous occasion. May we share in your good fortune!”

She presented the gift list, and a stewardess received it.

The magistrate’s wife smiled and offered thanks. “We’re all family here, no need to be so formal. Your presence is what truly pleases my husband and me.”

“Since we’re not outsiders, you mustn’t scorn our humble gifts. That alone would be a blessing!” Madam Yang’s words made the magistrate’s wife roll her eyes and purse her lips, unsure how to respond.

“Aren’t you going to greet Madam?” Madam Yang seized the moment to introduce Xu Ruo Jin. “This is our second daughter. It’s her first time at such an event, so please forgive her if she’s a bit overwhelmed.”

Madam Yang’s awkward laughter made Xu Ruo Jin wince inside.

She meant to pave the way, but why did every word sound so off in this setting?

But there was no time for inner complaints. Xu Ruo Jin stepped forward gracefully, curtsied, and spoke softly:

“Greetings, Madam. The young master is truly a child of destiny. Though his first birthday falls in the heart of winter, the weather is uncommonly fine. When fortune favors a family, even heaven smiles upon them. May your blessings be endless and your youth everlasting.”

After another curtsey, Xu Ruo Jin turned to Lady Bi. “Greetings, Lady Bi.”

She then stepped back behind Madam Yang, her smile unwavering.

The magistrate’s wife nodded, her gaze lingering on Xu Ruo Jin.

Lady Bi laughed and pulled Xu Ruo Jin to her side. “Was I wrong? This girl rarely leaves the house—we never get to see her. Madam Xu has been keeping this precious jewel hidden from us all this time.”

“Pretty face, good temperament, courteous—what a charming girl,” Lady Bi remarked to Madam Yang. “Madam Xu, you’re far too stingy. If we’d known you had such a lovely daughter, suitors would have lined up at your door. How did you manage to quietly arrange her engagement?”

Madam Yang was taken aback, glancing awkwardly at the magistrate’s wife before forcing a smile. “It’s not that I was hiding her away. She’s always been frail, so I seldom took her out. And as for the engagement, well, that wasn’t solely my decision…” She stammered, her words tumbling over each other.

It was the first time Xu Ruo Jin had seen Madam Yang so subdued in public. At home, she was fierce as a tigress, but here she seemed to lose her nerve entirely. This was so unlike Madam Yang!

Lady Bi’s words, though seemingly full of praise for her, were in fact a string of barbs aimed at Madam Yang.

Still, Xu Ruo Jin stole a glance at the magistrate’s wife.

Why did she sense that the magistrate’s wife was looking at her differently? Not with disdain or dislike, but with a thoughtful, appraising gaze.

Xu Ruo Jin couldn’t fathom the reason, her vigilance heightened. She only hoped nothing would go awry.

Having teased Madam Yang enough, Lady Bi turned enthusiastic, taking Xu Ruo Jin by the hand and introducing her to each lady present—the wife of the assistant magistrate Jiang, the wife of the registrar Zhao, and several others whose husbands served elsewhere but whose families remained.

Xu Ruo Jin greeted each one with courtesy and received small tokens in return. Though the gifts were not costly, they felt weighty in her hands.

This was among her few personal possessions—she must keep them safe from Madam Yang’s grasp!

“Whose young lady is this? I’ve never seen her before.” A girl about Xu Ruo Jin’s age entered from outside, her voice clear and confident, tinged with pride.

Xu Ruo Jin turned to look, only to find the newcomer regarding her with a raised chin and sidelong glance—as if they were old rivals.

Xu Ruo Jin lamented her lack of information; she couldn’t anticipate the people or events she would encounter.

Who on earth was this girl?