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Madam Qin and Mrs. Han were still concerned about the matters up front, worried that without someone in charge, the servants might slack off in their duties. Moreover, with so many guests outside, it wouldn’t be good for the host to be absent for too long, so after sitting for a short while, they took their leave from Madam Wei to attend to the front.

“Younger Sister, today is Mother’s birthday, and with so many things to attend to outside, I can’t accompany you any longer. When you have some free time in the future, do come and visit often. I will make sure to have a good chat with you then.” Madam Qin, now warmer, directly addressed Su Wenyue as her sister. At first, she thought Su Wenyue had a good character and personality, not as haughty as she had initially appeared – perhaps marriage had steadied her.

“It’s not what Sister-in-law said at all. You must visit us more often in the future. After all, Mother-in-law also likes you, and you won’t feel constrained here. We sisters-in-law would love to have such a beautiful sister visit us. If you don’t come, I will be unhappy!” Mrs. Han spoke cheerily, a rare occurrence when she was in such accord with Madam Qin.

“Certainly,” Su Wenyue happily agreed.

Madam Wei, the birthday star and the protagonist of the day, although she didn’t like too much noise, couldn’t stay put the whole time. Not long afterward, she too went to the living room, naturally accompanied by An Family and Su Wenyue. However, upon learning that Su Wenyue was expecting twins, whether it was An Family or Madam Wei, or even the servant girls attending to her, they all took extra care of Su Wenyue, afraid of any mishaps.

In Xinye County, a county magistrate was already considered a high-ranking official. When the county magistrate’s wife appeared, everyone in the room stood up to greet and pay their respects, causing another commotion.

Seeing Su Wenyue following Madam Wei, those who didn’t know her inquired about the woman accompanying the county magistrate’s wife, while those who knew her were quite surprised. They had only heard that Mrs. Han was the legitimate daughter of the Su Family, but now her relationship with the county magistrate’s wife seemed so close. They all had their thoughts, secretly scheming in their minds.

Madame Liu Zhao and her company, due to their status, could only be seated on the outside. Because of Su Wenyue, they were now seated in a higher position, enjoying such high treatment for the first time. Before coming, they had only thought of hitching a ride and had no other plans. They didn’t expect Su Wenyue to be on such good terms with the county magistrate’s wife. What followed was beyond their anticipation, but of course, they were happy to see it, as though a pie had fallen from the sky and hit them on the head; they were nearly delirious with joy.

“Madam Liu, you seem to have a good rapport with Mrs. Han. Have you heard her mention knowing the county magistrate’s wife?” The three were sitting together when Mrs. Yao Qin, who was forthright, pulled Madam Liu Zhao aside and whispered.

Madam Liu Zhao shook her head; if she had heard something from Su Wenyue she wouldn’t have been so surprised. “She never mentioned it, but Mrs. Han is the legitimate daughter of the Su Family, which is not your average merchant family. They have deep connections with the Imperial Court; it’s only natural for Mrs. Han to know the county magistrate’s wife.”

“I really didn’t expect Mrs. Han to have such a background, to even know the county magistrate’s wife. After she first came, I looked down on her, thinking she was just a country bumpkin. Little did I know, her status is not something we can compare with. That we could come in today and be seated here, it’s all thanks to Mrs. Han’s presence,” Mrs. Wei Li said, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. Otherwise, let alone getting in, even if we did, we’d be treated like Madam Fang Chen, sitting there with a stiff face as if someone owed her something, without considering her own status. Others aren’t eager to pay her any attention. If it weren’t for her mother’s family having some reputation and the county magistrate’s wife issuing a post, she wouldn’t even be able to step foot in here,” Mrs. Yao Qin had long disliked Madam Fang Chen’s snobbish attitude.

Madam Fang Chen saw Mrs. Yao Qin and Mrs. Wei Li looking towards her with expressions clearly tinged with sarcasm. The struggle to maintain her composure was palpable, as she knew this was not the occasion to cause a scene.

Su Wenyue also noticed the undercurrent among the three women and felt somewhat amused. She thought Madam Fang Chen really suffered a blow this time, losing face almost completely, and today’s events would likely be remembered by her for a lifetime.

“Mrs. Han, your hairpin is exquisite. I wonder where it was made? I will have to go and get one made for myself,” Su Wenyue said, following the county magistrate’s wife. Given the special way she was treated by the county magistrate’s wife, naturally, some had motivations, and seated there, many people came over to flatter and converse with her.

Su Wenyue could only respond patiently, and even though she felt impatient inside, she couldn’t let it show on her face. She still had to maintain a smiling demeanor, appearing very interested – truly more exhausting than working in the field.

An Family knew her daughter well. Seeing Su Wenyue, who was pregnant, still dealing with these exhausting formalities, she felt very distressed and thought about helping to deflect them, but ultimately refrained from doing so. She clearly understood that her daughter could avoid these situations if she chose, but the effort and care she took to interact with these madams and misses was for the sake of her son-in-law, seeking to establish connections for him. A woman, after getting married, wholeheartedly devotes herself to serving her husband’s family.

“It looks like the General’s Lady is here. Let’s go greet her as well,” someone whispered, and Su Wenyue realized why the crowd around her had suddenly dwindled. The General’s Lady had arrived, and everyone was busy trying to curry favor with her. She, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

The General and the county magistrate both held seventh-rank official positions, one a civil official and the other a military official with different responsibilities. Although to those higher up, they were mere petty officials, in Xinye, they were both powerful figures, the largest in the county. The General’s Lady and the county magistrate’s wife were both equally revered and sought after by the others. However, due to various reasons related to duties and other matters, the county magistrate’s wife still held slightly more esteem than the General’s Lady.

Hearing that the General’s Lady had arrived, Madam Wei, as the hostess, rarely rose from her seat to greet the guest at the door, showing her appreciation for the General’s Lady’s presence.

“It troubles the birthday star to come and receive me personally; it’s embarrassing. I came specifically today to ask the birthday star for a cup of birthday wine; I hope you won’t despise my forwardness,” the General’s Lady said with a smile on seeing Madam Wei coming to greet her. Everyone wished to be respected, and with her status similar to the county magistrate’s wife, the county magistrate’s wife was willing to give her face, and she was happy to return the favor and maintain good relations.

“Look at what you’re saying! I couldn’t be happier that the General’s Lady could come; how could I possibly despise you? Under the plum tree at home, I have buried a jar of plum wine aged for decades, which I have never had the heart to drink. Now that the General’s Lady is here, it’s the perfect occasion to open this good jar of wine. It would be a shame to let such fine wine go to waste by letting someone as common as me spoil it.”

At that moment, Su Wenyue was brought by Madam Wei to greet the General’s Lady as a sign of recognition, and also as Madam Wei’s intention to give Su Wenyue a helping hand. The General was a military official, directly above Han Yu, and if the General’s Lady was kept happy, Han Yu would surely benefit. However, Su Wenyue wasn’t so optimistic, as there was another person accompanying the General’s Lady.