Chapter 5: Consummation

After Lin Jiayue finished speaking, she felt quite pleased, thinking that everyone would look at her differently. However, Mother Jiang only glanced at her without any further reaction.

“Grandmother, Mother, it’s time to take our seats.”

After Song Wan entered, the group, including the masters and maids, left, leaving Lin Jiayue blushing and snorting coldly.

When the maid beside Jiang Xingjian came to find her, Lin Jiayue followed her to the main hall.

The wealth of the Marquis’s mansion was beyond her imagination. Just one family banquet had over a hundred exquisite dishes and countless gold and silver utensils. She secretly clicked her tongue and couldn’t help but curse the extravagance.

“Miss Lin, please come this way.”

“What is your name?”

The maid respectfully answered, “Huai Su,” and invited Lin Jiayue to the table.

Mother Jiang sat on the left side of the Old Madam, Jiang Xingjian on the right, while Song Wan did not sit beside him but beside Mother Jiang.

Seeing no one beside Jiang Xingjian, Lin Jiayue sat down, only to find herself the center of attention, with hundreds of eyes making her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Huai Su also blushed, not expecting Lin Jiayue to be so unruly. She leaned in and whispered, “This is Second Master Yan’s seat, Miss Lin. Please follow me.”

Lin Jiayue paused and turned to look at Jiang Xingjian.

Jiang Xingjian might indulge her in small matters, but such family rules could not be broken, even by the esteemed Old Madam Jiang. Jiang Xingjian frowned, showing displeasure, and Lin Jiayue had no choice but to get up reluctantly and follow Huai Su. Just when she thought she would sit next to Song Wan, Huai Su led her to a seat almost opposite the main seat, the lowest position in the hierarchy.

Lin Jiayue bit her lip, her face red with either anger or shame. When she tried to sit down, Huai Su stopped her. She turned around, ready to explode, but saw Huai Su giving her a meaningful look.

Lin Jiayue looked up and saw everyone taking their seats according to their status. She bit her lip and waited until the people around her sat down before she finally sat on the stool. Before she could settle, Huai Su gently tapped her back.

Feeling on the verge of collapse, Lin Jiayue shook off Huai Su’s hand.

A young girl beside her looked at her in surprise.

Lin Jiayue knew her actions must seem out of place to these noble ladies, but she couldn’t care less. She picked up her chopsticks to take some food but hesitated, observing the others. She realized that none of the twenty or so masters at the table had moved their chopsticks.

Feeling embarrassed, she withdrew her hand.

After observing for a while, she felt even more uncomfortable.

She noticed that the young girl beside her was only slightly sitting on the edge of the chair, her face turning slightly towards Madam Jiang instead of the plate in front of her.

No wonder Huai Su had tapped her back earlier; her sitting posture was wrong.

Looking closely, she saw that everyone was sitting this way.

Lin Jiayue pursed her lips, feeling cold, but eventually adjusted her posture to sit lightly on the edge.

The dining environment was silent, with over a hundred people, including maids and servants, moving around without a sound of coughing or clattering dishes.

The silence made Lin Jiayue even more uncomfortable.

Not having learned these rules from a young age, she felt dizzy and tired after sitting for a while. After traveling with Jiang Xingjian for several days and hearing about his wife at the mansion, she was physically and mentally exhausted. Seeing the delicious food in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel hungry.

She glanced at Song Wan, who was eating, and relaxed, picking up her chopsticks to take a piece of meat.

As soon as she did, the young girl beside her looked at her in surprise.

That look almost made Lin Jiayue explode.

“Family members don’t need to follow so many rules while eating; just enjoy.”

Old Madam Jiang’s words didn’t comfort her; instead, they made her feel exposed and ashamed.

Lin Jiayue bit her lip, hesitated, and finally put the chopsticks in her mouth. The meat was tender and flavorful, but it tasted like wax to her. After one bite, she couldn’t eat anything else, focusing all her attention on observing Song Wan.

She noticed that Song Wan never took any food herself. Every dish was first brought to Old Madam Jiang, who tasted it before the maids served it to the masters with silver chopsticks and spoons.

Except for the maids and Lin Jiayue, no one took food themselves. Lin Jiayue watched as the other women took only a few bites before putting down their chopsticks as if the amount of food was regulated.

She felt a thorn in her heart, especially when she saw the servants bringing all the dishes to Old Madam Jiang except the one she had taken. The shame and anger reached their peak by the end of the meal.

“Grandmother, have some tea.”

After the meal, Song Wan stayed by Old Madam Jiang’s side, serving her tea, while Jiang Xingjian took Jiang Yan and the other brothers to the west courtyard to see their uncles.

With the men gone, the room felt more relaxed.

Old Madam Jiang took a sip of the tea Song Wan handed her and smiled, “Is this tea made with plum water?”

Mother Jiang replied, “You have a keen sense, Old Madam. I couldn’t tell earlier.”

“Indeed, it is plum water. Wan’er collected snow from the plum blossoms in the courtyard last winter to make this tea. It has a plum fragrance and is fresher than ordinary spring water.”

Old Madam Jiang knew that Song Wan, living as a widow, had little to do besides reading and praying. Without children and unable to leave the courtyard, she spent her days making tea and other small tasks to pass the time. This thought made her heart ache, and seeing Lin Jiayue following Jiang Xingjian, she couldn’t help but feel displeased.

She turned to her maid, Bao Zhu, and said, “Go, have the storeroom send red candles and wedding quilts to Lan Ting Courtyard. It’s too dull there.”

After giving the order, she said to Song Wan, “Now that Yi’er is back, your mother and I will not let you suffer any more. Tonight, you and Yi’er should consummate your marriage. Once you have children, you will truly be the mistress of this mansion.”

Song Wan blushed at her words, feeling both shy and slightly troubled.