Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven

Lu Bao'er originally thought she would be like Li Jiao, that Su Shi would look at her a few times and then let her go.

But this time Su Shi was different from usual; she suddenly withdrew her smile, waved at Lu Bao'er, and in a gentle voice called, "Come closer, let me have a look."

Lu Bao'er exchanged glances with the old grandma, who kindly nodded at her, indicating that Su Shi meant no ill will, so Lu Bao'er need not be overly frightened.

With so many madams watching, she didn't want to look panicked and become a laughingstock. So she took a deep breath, moved gracefully, and asked lightly with a smile, "Old madam, is there anything improper about me?"

It's a family banquet, not that formal. So Lu Bao'er's words aren't out of line; on the contrary, people praised her boldness, saying she isn't intimidated even by the county magistrate.

Su Shi suddenly grasped Lu Bao'er's hand and murmured, "Really like it…"

"Like what?" Even though Su Shi's voice was soft, Lu Bao'er heard it and couldn't help asking.

Su Shi saw the other madams leaning forward slightly, fearing they'd miss something, quickly recovered and smiled, "No problem, you're a good person, no need to be so afraid of me. Mrs. Xie may be young, but she acts very steady and has an eye connection with me."

The onlookers gasped, their hearts pounding, unable to read Su Shi's intentions. She dismissed Li Jiao yet praised Lu Bao'er, giving her a steady appraisal—wasn't that a blatant slap in Li Jiao's face? To flatter a rustic madam, she even sacrificed the host family's face?

Mrs. Qian of the Vice Minister of Rites' family had previously been slighted by Su Shi; now seeing this scene, she was puzzled again. Could it be that Su Shi is at odds with the Gu family and is putting on a drama? If the Minister of Works' family and the Ministerial Commander's family have a conflict, should she stay close to the Gu family or keep distance?

Each household was secretly calculating these matters, and for a moment they felt some jealousy toward Lu Bao'er, whose luck was so good that she suddenly became close to Su Shi.

Li Jiao had originally been smug; she was far more impressive than her inner‑chamber friends and had invited Su Shi to a fragrance appraisal. Yet she received no good appraisal from Su Shi, and Lu Bao'er stole the spotlight. What's this woman's background? First she manipulated her lover Xie Junling, and now she has caught Su Shi's eye.

She couldn't help scrutinizing Lu Bao'er, seeing her dressed plainly, like a lotus emerging from water—delicate but not gaudy, enchanting yet not seductive.

Li Jiao had thought herself a Jingdu beauty, ranking among the notable, but compared with Lu Bao'er she felt a vague sense of inferiority… No, Lu Bao'er is merely of modest bearing, unable to enter the refined elite, unlike her, who can dominate the flamboyance of a peony hairpin, beautiful with wealth and glory.

Su Shi didn't want others to keep eyeing Lu Bao'er, so she smiled, took a blue lotus jade hairpin from her hair and handed it to Lu Bao'er, saying, "It's our first meeting, I have nothing new for you, so here's this. I've worn it for decades; it's an old relic. If you don't mind, I give it to you, may it bring you some luck."

Even the old grandma was a bit puzzled when the hairpin was presented. If Su Shi merely had an eye connection, a simple portable gift would suffice; why give such a prestigious official's item?

Lin Yudie whispered to the lady beside her, "What's the background of that hairpin? It looks like smooth white jade, not an ordinary piece."

The lady being pulled, though not overly rich, didn't want to associate with Lin Yudie. She feared Lin's repeated pestering would draw attention, so she spoke quickly to shut her up: "That hairpin was given by the Prince of Shou County to the old madam in the year of her marriage, along with ninety‑nine other jade hairpins as a set called the Hundred‑Year Pin, symbolizing a hundred years of harmony and auspicious wealth. Giving it to that madam now likely also conveys a blessing."

With that explanation, it was clearly prestigious. Lin Yudie clicked her tongue, feeling a bit jealous.

Lu Bao'er was simple‑minded; she didn't realize everyone's eyes were on her. She just smiled sweetly, took Su Shi's hairpin, and thanked her.

After meeting everyone in the reception hall, they moved to another courtyard to dine.

Lu Bao'er was at the very end; she and the old grandma had taken only a few steps when someone called her, and it was Su Shi's personal maid, Qiuju.

Qiuju smiled, "Mrs. Xie, please wait a moment."

Lu Bao'er asked in surprise, "You are the maid of the old madam, right? What do you need from me?"

"I am Qiuju, I usually serve the old madam," Qiuju clasped her hands and bowed, "The old madam wishes to ask you something; might Mrs. Xie have a moment to sit in the pavilion?"

Having been taught by the old grandma, Lu Bao'er naturally wouldn't slight Su Shi, so she said, "It's deep winter; the pavilion is too cold. I'm afraid the old madam's health would suffer. How about finding a heated room with a fire‑dragon stove? I'll go pay my respects to the old madam."

Qiuju hadn't expected Lu Bao'er's thoughtfulness, was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "That is indeed best; the old madam suffers from rheumatism and cannot endure the cold. Follow me, I'll take you to a warm pavilion to see the old madam."

Qiuju's words to Lu Bao'er were, of course, relayed to Su Shi. After hearing them, Su Shi asked in surprise, "Did she really say that?"

The elderly lady beside Su Shi, Grandma Zhao, pursed her lips and smiled, "Isn't that so? Mrs. Xie really is obedient. But I am a bit curious; I heard Mrs. Xie comes from a market background and has no official relatives in Jingdu—why did she catch your eye?"

Su Shi sighed and asked, "Do you think she resembles Yao'er?"

Grandma Zhao startled, trembling, "Do you mean she looks like the young lady?"

Su Shi's second daughter, Fu Yao, thirteen years ago, together with her husband from the Cheng family, brought their infant daughter to Jingdu for the New Year. On a waterway in Youzhou they were ambushed by bandits; the couple were killed, and only the infant daughter Cheng Lingyan survived, whom Su Shi later retrieved. She cherished Fu Yao, thinking that Cheng Lingyan, left alone without parents, even if she returned to the great Cheng household, would still be vulnerable to the uncles and aunts who bullied her for having no parents. Better to raise her at her own knee, so she could protect Cheng Lingyan's safety for a lifetime.

Thus, Cheng Lingyan grew up in her maternal grandparents' home and became Su Shi's beloved treasure.

Su Shi often dreamed of her deceased daughter at night; each time she awoke at midnight with tears soaking her collar. Upon seeing Lu Bao'er just now, she suddenly saw another Su Yao, feeling deeply fascinated. How could there be such a lookalike in the world? And the jade pendant at her waist… Su Shi recalled it was a Hetian jade she had given to Su Yao; the left side bore a small chip, which she had knocked off when passing it on.

Why is this jade pendant on Lu Bao'er?

Su Shi, feeling curious, after Lu Bao'er entered the warm pavilion, kindly asked, "Mrs. Xie sent me to ask you something. Where did the jade at your waist come from?"

Lu Bao'er replied, "This is the jade my father left me before he died; I don't know its background."

"What about your mother?"

"I grew up with my father; I've never seen my mother."

"Oh, I see. One more thing, has your father ever been to Youzhou?" (Her daughter was the one who encountered bandits on a Youzhou waterway, with no remains.)

"Youzhou?" Lu Bao'er furrowed her brows, thought it over, and said, "I don't know; I'm not clear on where my father went when he was young."

Su Shi, however, persisted, still asking, "Where is your father from, where does he live, could you tell me his surname and given name?"

These questions were odd; Lu Bao'er didn't know how to answer. After pondering, she answered honestly, "My father and I live in Jinhua Town; my father's surname is Lu, his given name is Jin. Why does the old madam ask these? Is something happening?"

Su Shi shook her head, "It's nothing; Mrs. Xie, go have fun, you don't need to stay with me. I'm getting old, a bit weak, need to lie down."

"Alright, I'll leave first; the old madam can rest well." Lu Bao'er was at a loss, but she didn't say much and left the warm pavilion on her own.

She had encountered too many things today; later when she returned, she would need to find Xie Junling to discuss thoroughly and see what was amiss.