Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 340 Noble Man
Granny Jiang kept her eyes fixed on the carriage.

Only when the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a corner of a dark blue cloak, did a woman wearing a veil bow and step out.

For some reason, even though there were many people in front of the door, everyone's eyes turned to this side after this woman appeared.

She stood out even while sitting on the carriage, making people wonder about her identity.

Upon seeing this, the servants who were greeting guests in the village immediately stepped forward to prepare to place the footstool, but they were stopped as soon as they reached the carriage. The stewardess who was accompanying the carriage had already taken out a carved sandalwood footstool from the carriage and placed it on the ground.

As she stepped down, the embroidered shoe dazzled Granny Jiang's eyes. She wanted to see it more clearly, but the shoe was quickly covered by her skirt.

The woman stepped off the footstool, her skirt swaying slightly, her slow steps exuding a sense of lightness and grace.

Granny Jiang had seen countless women, and with just a glance, she could tell that this person was no ordinary person.

Although the carriage was replaced with an ordinary one, and the clothing and utensils also seemed ordinary, a closer look would immediately reveal the flaws.

The stitches on the dress were exceptionally fine; who would put so much effort into such ordinary fabric? The embroidered shoes she wore weren't deliberately concealed because they didn't show the hem of the dress. Granny Jiang was sure she wasn't mistaken; they were adorned with gemstones and pearls.

These noblewomen thought they could blend into the crowd by dressing plainly, but little did they know that their refined demeanor and habits, cultivated over the years, had already revealed their true identities to others.

Granny Jiang took a deep breath; a big fish had arrived.

She had considered that perhaps some high-ranking officials would hear the news and come to see what was going on, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. But after a moment's thought, she realized it was quite ordinary.

She sent invitations to wealthy merchants, who were secretly connected with high-ranking officials and nobles. It was not impossible that they would mention this wrestling match when they were talking together.

Granny Jiang looked again and saw that, in addition to the stewardess beside the woman, there were two guards closely following behind her. Although the two guards had their heads down, their eyes were sharp and they exuded a faint aura of menace.

The guards employed by those high-ranking officials and nobles were mostly veterans of war, with blood on their hands, far superior to the bodyguards of ordinary wealthy families.

Granny Jiang's heart was pounding wildly, both nervous and excited. Before she could come to her senses, the steward stepped forward to ask for the invitation.

"Are you the lady from the Huang family in Pingkangfang?"

The manager's voice came, and Granny Jiang was fully awake. The Huang family in Pingkang Lane owned a rouge shop, and their rouge was particularly famous. It was said that even the princess sent someone to buy it.

She personally delivered the invitation from the Huang family, and she had met the Huang family's wives before. Although the Huang family's wives were also pretty, they were definitely not like this.

Because of her business dealings, that woman, no matter how proud she appeared on the surface, still showed a hint of timidity in her demeanor. She was nowhere near as good as this man.

The post and the person didn't match, but Granny Jiang didn't stop it. On the contrary, she was even happier because she felt that her guess was correct: the Huang family had leaked the information to others.

Fearing that the steward might offend the important person, Granny Jiang seized the opportunity to step forward and said, "The lady of the Huang family is right. I delivered this invitation, and I know about it."

As Granny Jiang spoke, she felt the gaze sweeping over her from the other side. Even though there was a veil between them, the gaze was still imposing. Granny Jiang felt a chill run down her spine.

Seeing that Granny Jiang had said this, the steward stopped questioning her and made way for her. The woman, however, hesitated to move forward. One of her guards stepped forward and went into the courtyard first. The steward, unaware of what was happening, looked at Granny Jiang, who nodded slightly.

A moment later, the guard returned, intending to bow to the woman, but stopped himself. Without further hesitation, the woman lifted her foot and continued walking forward.

Wealthy families all have their own rules, and when they arrive at an unfamiliar courtyard, they naturally have to check things over. Others might not care, but Granny Jiang is increasingly pleased. She has been traveling around for many years, but she has never really climbed up to the ranks of the high-ranking officials and nobles; otherwise, she would surely be as glamorous as the Huang family.

Now that the opportunity has come, she has to find a way to get close to them, and she can't let the He family, who are trying to gain access to Taiwan, know about it, otherwise she might not even get a taste of the soup.

“I’ll take my wife there,” Granny Jiang said. “It’ll be good to find her a better spot where she can see more clearly…”

Granny Jiang's words came to an abrupt halt, because she noticed that the guard who had come in to check earlier was already ahead, clearly having already chosen the spot and leading his master forward.

Granny Jiang's smile froze on her face. Sure enough, the tricks she usually used to deal with merchants were useless here.

The stewardess beside her said, "My lady likes peace and quiet and doesn't like having other people around." As she spoke, she skillfully stuffed something into Granny Jiang's hand.

Granny Jiang looked down and saw that it was a golden melon seed.

Granny Jiang's eyes lit up. She had made the right choice; otherwise, this thing might have ended up in someone else's hands. She smiled again, thinking, "No problem, no problem. I'll arrange it once you're seated, madam."

The room on the east side of the second floor, which is directly opposite the platform, was originally intended for the estate's managers to better control the overall situation, but this woman has now chosen it.

Granny Jiang pursed her lips: "This room wasn't prepared for the guests, but it doesn't matter. I'll go and tell the manager to give it to you, madam."

The head housekeeper glanced into the room, carefully wiped a chair with a handkerchief, and then had her mistress sit down. She then ordered the guards to bring over all of her mistress's belongings.

Not wanting to keep watching from the sidelines, Granny Jiang made an excuse to go do some chores. She first went to inform the He family, then settled a few guests before returning home.

When she approached the room, the first thing she saw was a small screen, followed by the wafting of incense.

The headmistress was pressing incense seals with practiced skill, then lit them with a stick of incense. After finishing, she quickly walked behind the screen.

Granny Jiang stepped forward again, and the shadow of the steward mother was reflected on the screen. She seemed to be bowing and using an incense burner to scent the lady's skirt.

Granny Jiang clicked her tongue in surprise. She had heard of such a thing, but she had only seen it with her own eyes today. She wanted to take another look, but a figure stood silently in front of her. Granny Jiang raised her eyes and met the cold face, and was almost scared out of her wits.

"What are you doing here?" a voice came from above.

After a long pause, Granny Jiang said in a trembling voice, "I came to see if my wife needs anything else... I'll have someone prepare some candied fruit and tea snacks... but... I don't know what my wife's tastes are..."

She felt that if she didn't speak up, she would lose her life in the next moment.

Finally, a voice said calmly, "Let her in!"