Chapter 174: Happy Birthday to You
Jiang Mianmian sat bolt upright.
She sat straight, unable to lounge around like a slacker.
Her seat also offered a view of the stage.
However, there was a partition separating her from the male guests.
During banquets, men and women were seated separately, and they entered through different places.
Female guests had a separate area.
Only two people brought their families today.
One was Madam Yu, the wife of Official Yu, who was also a pardoned Rebel. She felt a bit constrained at first because she was used to being ostracized at banquets and was prepared for awkwardness.
But the moment she saw Madam Jiang, she thought, “Oh my god,” feeling like they were cut from the same cloth, and instantly felt as if she had found a long-lost relative.
The other was the family of Official He.
She was a worldly woman, dressed quite brightly.
Her husband was one of the hosts, and she knew it well, so her smile was very sincere.
Since there were no other female guests, just these few, it was quite simple.
Upon entering, Madam He discovered that the inner residence of the Jiang Family was not chaotic at all; it was orderly.
Of course, the Jiang Family had few people to begin with—no concubines, just Madam Jiang and the three children.
The Eldest Miss was already married but still lived in her maiden home.
This was also a point of criticism.
People felt that Lord Sima was just a boorish peasant with no manners.
However, what was baffling was that the Meng Family actually agreed to it.
Everyone felt that The Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family must be a stunning, femme fatale-like figure.
Otherwise, how could she have easily seduced the young general from the capital—a young general from a family with only one heir for generations—to the point where he was willing to stay behind and insist on marrying her?
Judging by Lord Sima’s appearance, one could imagine his daughter’s beauty.
Truly, beauty can be fatal.
Stories about how the young General Meng had been seduced by the beauty of the Rebel’s daughter and begged to marry her were already circulating in several versions.
In everyone’s minds, The Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family, Madam Meng, must be a deep-scheming and extraordinary woman.
Those who taught their daughters about “inner-court intrigue” had already put this case into their textbooks as a key lesson.
Especially for those young ladies who were about to be married.
Jiang Yu was busy as a bee, meticulously preparing the banquet food.
She had no idea that her reputation had been demonized.
Not just in the Prefecture City, but even in the capital, there were legends about her.
In the mouths of the crowd, she was as seductive as Daji, having bewitched the young General Meng so thoroughly that he didn’t even want to go home.
It was said that today’s banquet was hosted by The Eldest Miss.
This added yet another layer of mystery to Jiang Yu.
Arriving at the inner residence, Madam Yu envied its tranquility.
After her husband accepted the amnesty and arrived in the Prefecture City, he had actually taken a noble concubine.
He even brought the concubine along when going out for social events, leaving no room for her, the legitimate wife.
She often made a fool of herself when she went out, so she didn’t like to go out much.
However, arriving at Madam Jiang’s place today, she unexpectedly felt comfortable and at ease.
So, Madam Yu revealed a little bit of her true nature…
“Yes, yes, yes, you want the chicks with perky butts; those are the ones that will lay eggs later.”
“Lemongrass is edible, really. You just pinch the most tender heart, blanch it in water, and eating it will help clear your bowels.”
Jiang Mianmian sat at the table, listening obediently; her store of strange knowledge had increased once again.
She looked at Madam Yu with admiration and pushed the pastries toward her, thinking she knew so much.
Madam He watched the uninhibited Madam Yu and then the composed Madam Jiang, thinking, “People really are different from one another.”
She had been to the Yu Family’s inner residence, and it was a mess.
The concubine lived in the main room, while the legitimate wife lived in the side room. This Madam Yu had given birth to three daughters, and now those three daughters actually had to follow the rules set by the concubine. The eldest was already of marriageable age, yet she was being taken out for viewings by that noble concubine.
In any case, Madam Yu’s family affairs were already a joke in the Prefecture City.
Now that she had arrived at the Jiang Family, she wondered if they would become the new joke.
However, Madam He and Madam Yu had not yet seen the legendary Eldest Miss, who was said to be as beautiful and seductive as Daji. But the little girl in front of them looked exactly like Lord Sima, as if she were cast from the same mold.
Although she was still young, one could already foresee a beauty that could topple cities.
It wasn’t that kind of seductive look; it was open and bright, even a bit round. At a glance, she was the type of child raised in a home filled with parental love and without worries about food or clothing. Her eyes were honest and generous.
She didn’t shy away from people, nor was she timid; she was poised and graceful.
There was inexplicably a sense of authority about her.
Madam He felt a bit uneasy just being looked at by this little girl.
Madam Yu, however, didn’t notice it and happily ate the pastries pushed toward her.
“Thump.”
A sound rang out.
Mianmian’s Song and Dance Troupe had taken the stage.
Mianmian had been busy, oh so busy lately.
She took Pang Ya along to whip her Song and Dance Troupe members into shape.
First, they definitely needed a uniform costume.
If a group of people wore the same thing, the visual effect for a chorus would be better.
Originally, she wanted to do qipaos.
She drew the designs and was preparing to have them made when she was chased all over the prefecture by Mother with a rolling pin.
Eventually, she was caught and given a beating.
Then, she was forced to change her approach.
It seemed that her brother’s birthday couldn’t be done frivolously either.
She had to do something proper.
Exposing chests and legs was, more or less, a bit inappropriate for children.
So, she decided on a uniform dark blue robe.
It was wrapped up very tightly, from head to toe.
It wasn’t see-through either.
Very proper.
Moreover, the clothes were relatively simple, so the production could be finished in time. If it were qipaos, there would have been absolutely no time.
The curtain opened.
Everyone saw a stage with nine people sitting on it.
They were dressed solemnly and gravely, as if it were a religious ceremony.
No one knew what kind of trick they were trying to pull.
Then, they heard them begin to sing in perfect unison:
“Happy Birthday to you, thump~~~”
“Happy Birthday to you, thud~~~”
They sang while playing instruments.
There were erhus, huqins, wooden fish being tapped, and copper bells being clapped.
The singing sounded as if they were accumulating merit.
It didn’t sound like a birthday celebration; it sounded like a grand religious rite, solemn and grave.
Upon hearing it, a filial son immediately wiped away tears, wanting to hire this group to perform at his Mother’s third-year anniversary memorial, thinking they should sing this song—it was bright and clear.
Jiang Changtian… the corner of his mouth twitched.
He knew this was his little daughter’s birthday gift for Fenger, and she had even mysteriously said it had to be kept secret.
To prepare for this birthday gift, his little daughter had already been beaten by her Mother, crying her heart out, and had come to him to secretly complain several times.
But in this house, he had to listen to Sister Xia too.
And this was the result.
It was hard to comment on.
It sounded like “Happy Birthday,” but the tone and the rhythm made it feel like “Happy Seventh Day of Mourning”?
There was a feeling of a soul returning to its hometown and resting in peace.
It made people feel like they should be offering funeral gifts.
Jiang Feng, however, listened with tears in his eyes.
He knew his sister must have come from the same place as him.
This was their unique connection.
The songs his sister liked were just this “underworld” style.
At the beginning, when that old woman hit the drum with a “thump,” he felt as if he saw a hand trembling as it reached out from the dirt.
This song was very peaceful, and listening to it made him feel relaxed.
This was a song dedicated to him.
He felt very good.
Happy Birthday.
From now on, he would request this song for every birthday.
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