Transmigrator meets Reincarnator

Ch. 34 Marquis Dingyuan's Longevity Feast

Seeing Chu Lian nod in satisfaction, Senior Servant Zhong had the urge to cover her face in shame.

When they were done with breakfast, Chu Lian rested for an hour before heading to Qingxi Hall to give her daily greetings to Matriarch He.

The matriarch was already getting on in age, so she didn't sleep much, especially in a hot summer like this. She had already been up for a while.

When Chu Lian reached Qingxi Hall, the matriarch had just finished her breakfast.

Chu Lian greeted her in the traditional manner of a junior family member, and Matriarch He waved her forward with upturned, smiling eyes. "Sanlang's wife, come sit by Grandmother's side."

Chu Lian sat down on the low stool a step below the matriarch. She looked at Matriarch He as she asked, "Grandmother, is there any news from my husband?"

She had just been married to He Changdi for a few days and the two of them hadn't consummated their marriage. He Changdi had even treated her with the equivalent of a cold shoulder. No matter how outstanding his looks were, Chu Lian had no feelings for him at all.

She was simply acting the part of a devoted wife for the matriarch's sake.

Although she didn't like He Changdi's actions, she liked the matriarch. Since the second day of her marriage, during the tea ceremony, she could see the genuine care and concern this old granny held for her.

Chu Lian wouldn't let anyone who treated her well be sad.

Matriarch He sighed and stroked Chu Lian's soft hair. "That Sanlang is really Sanlang's wife, please don't worry too much about him. I've already asked Dalang to send people out with inquiries. There'll be news soon."

Chu Lian obediently nodded; she didn't look like this news particularly surprised her, or was anything really special. However, it was this lack of expression that caused the matriarch's heart to ache in sympathy.

She had been the one to plead with the empress dowager for a girl from House Ying, but now, that girl had to suffer living like a widow while her husband was still alive. Thus, she felt a little more guilty compared to the other members of the family.

Chu Lian noticed the gloom creeping onto the matriarch's face and hurriedly tried to change the topic. "Grandmother, what did you have for breakfast today?"

Immediately after she asked, Chu Lian almost blushed with shame. What was wrong with her? The only topic she could come up with was related to food?

However, she couldn't take back her words, so the only thing she could do was suppress her blush and look up at Matriarch He. The matriarch could see the embarrassment on Chu Lian's face, so she burst out into laughter.

"What's wrong? You didn't have enough to eat in your own courtyard?"

Chu Lian blushed at Matriarch He's teasing. Of course she had eaten her fill! Half a basket of soup dumplings had gone into her stomach! Even now, Chu Lian still felt bloated.

Matriarch He was already old. Her daughters had already left the estate a long time ago, and her daughter-in-law had given birth to three sons. When Madam Zou had married into the estate, she had already been over twenty years old. Matriarch He hadn't had the company of young ladies around the age of fifteen like Chu Lian in a long time, so she cherished seeing her innocent reactions even more.

When she saw that Chu Lian was already flushed and didn't know how to answer, the smile on her face grew. "Grandmother doesn't have a very good appetite in the summer. I only ate half a bowl of red birds nest. When you return to your courtyard, I'll let Senior Servant Liu bring half a kilogram of it for you later. You're still growing at your age, so you should make sure you have enough nutrients."