Facing the different gazes of the people in the main hall, Jiang Li still walked as if nothing happened. Her footsteps were light and agile, her movements were very leisurely, just like a young lady wandering among the flowering shrubs, happy, intoxicating and beautiful.
She walked up to the main hall, stopped right next to Jiang Youyao and spoke to her with a smile: "Congratulations third sister for your birthday today." Then she smiled with remorse towards Jiang Yuan Bai and Ji Shuran at the flight of stairs and said: "I wasn't aware the ceremony was at the courtyard and wanted to find someone to show the way. But today is very busy and there's not enough hands in the residence, I couldn't find anyone to help show the way and had no other way but to find the road myself and wasted a lot of time. Father, mother please don't be angry at Jiang Li."
When the surrounding people heard, they all pondered. Such a grand Chief Assistant residence, how could there be insufficient hands? Jiang Li couldn't find anybody, clearly because someone deliberately didn't bring her over. Probably it was nothing more than in order to make her come late and make a fool of herself.
After thinking, suddenly they came out of their thoughts. What did the girl say just now? Jiang Li?
It was that harming-the-stepmother-and-murdering- the-brother Jiang second miss, Jiang Li?
The nobles who came to attend the rites were either a generation older than Jiang Li or a younger generation at around the same age as Jiang Li. The younger generations had never seen Jiang Li but the older generation had seen Jiang Li, still a much younger Jiang Li.
From the mouths of the nobles in Yanjing, the Jiang family's second miss's appearance was mostly based on imagination. From what the mouths of these people passed around, although Jiang second miss was not a ferocious looking malevolent spirit, she at least had vicious eyes and mean scowl.
Yet the girl in front of them was too pure and gentle. Even her gentleness and gracefulness were not inferior to Jiang third miss. It was hard to imagine this kind of person as someone who harmed the mother and killed the brother.
When Jiang Li appeared, for an instant, Ji Shuran's complexion changed.
She was an expert at reading people's feelings, naturally she could see how the guests in the main hall were stunned when Jiang Li appeared. In regards to appreciating Jiang Li's appearance, Ji Shuran was most unwilling that Jiang Youyao was defeated. Just like the Jiang family no longer mentioned Ye Zhen Zhen as soon as she had become the Jiang family's madam, when Jiang Youyao appeared, Jiang Li was the mud on the ground.
But this mud could be compared to the gem in the palm of her hand. In Ji Shuran's mind, a trace of ruthlessness flitted in an instant.
Jiang Yuan Bai stood on top of the steps and looked down at both daughters. Deep in his heart, he naturally loved Jiang Youyao more, the daughter who had grown up by his side since childhood. However, nowadays Jiang Li grew and resembled him; her style and temperament were outstanding, giving him a great face. As a result, his dissatisfaction towards Jiang Li was scattered by a lot.
Jiang Yuan Bai waved his hand and said: "No matter."
Jiang Li then saluted Jiang Yuan Bai once more before standing by Lu shi's side and adopted the attitude of attending a ritual.
Jiang Li's appearance attracted the sights of the people in the main hall. It also made Jiang Youyao no longer be the leading role in this ceremony. Jiang Youyao was extremely annoyed, nevertheless it wasn't good to display her annoyance. She had no alternative but to restrain the anger in her heart and continue the rite.
The guests sat down and Jiang Yuan Bai made a speech. The person invited to conduct the rite was a female master with good moral standing and reputation in Yanjing. She combed Jiang Youyao's hair and tied a silk scarf through her hair.
Ji Chen shi walked to Jiang Youyao's front and loudly chanted to express good wishes: "On this month and this auspicious day, I add on thy first robes of adulthood. Leave behind thy juvenile aspirations, and let it become your adult virtues. Blessed with longevity, and prosperity be with thee." She knelt down to comb Jiang Youyao's hair.
Jiang Li was watching but in her mind emerged the scene of her coming of age rite when she was Xue Fang Fei.
Her mother passed away too early, Tongxiang was too small, the person who presided over the ceremony and combed her hair was the neighboring madam who had watched her since she was a child until she grew up. During the ceremony, Xue Huaiyuan still secretly wiped tears. She heard Xue Zhao say, Xue Huaiyuan repeated to himself: "Ah Li has grown up, she soon will leave daddy."
At that time, she was simple-minded. Hugging Xue Huaiyuan's arm, she smilingly said: "Ah Li is not going anywhere. Ah Li will just watch over daddy, staying with daddy together for a lifetime."
Jiang Li took a deep breath and held the tears in her eyes from falling.
In the end, the person who said she wasn't going anywhere abandoned her father and younger brother to marry far away and no longer went back. The conclusion that beautiful women suffer unhappy fates, perhaps it was the punishment because her words couldn't be counted on.
Jiang Yu'e stood beside Yang shi, her eyes looking at Jiang Youyao who was on the stage completing her rite. It was difficult to cover the longing and envy in her eyes. Her own rite definitely would not be as grand as Jiang Youyao's. Thinking up to this, in the end, she was somewhat unreconciled and couldn't help glancing towards Jiang Li.
Both were the Jiang family's daughters of the first wives. As Jiang Li looked at Jiang Youyao's birthday rite and thought of herself, she was probably even more resentful and had difficulty staying calm. Suddenly Jiang Yu'e felt a kind of pleasure in her heart. However, as she glanced at Jiang Li watching Jiang Youyao on the stage attentively, Jiang Li was undisturbed, as if she was looking at a stranger.
How is this possible?
Don't tell her Jiang Li doesn't feel anger, unfair and unreconciled?
Not just Jiang Yu'e, the many guests in the surrounding were also watching Jiang Li's expression.
But this was how Jiang Li looked, the corner of her lips held a sincere smile as if she was truly happy for Jiang Youyao.
All the surrounding people were baffled.
While Jiang Youyao made her salutations on the stage, she didn't let Jiang Li's expression slip. The more Jiang Li showed her calmness, the more she felt uneasy. Her heart was shouting frantically, she is pretending, everything is just an act.
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Jiang Youyao was only aware that she almost forgot her manners when Ji Shuran admonished her with her eyes. She calmed herself down and thought of the scene that Jiang Li would confront in a short while. Soon after, the anger she just felt vanished like smoke and was replaced with impatience and excitement.
Right at this time, the three worships were completed. Jiang Youyao knelt in front of Jiang Yuan Bai and Ji Shuran, listening to their teachings. When they were done, she completed the rite by bowing to them in thanks.
Following the completion of the rite, it was time for the guests to deliver their greetings.
In order to express their closeness to the Jiang family, these nobles shot generously. Each gift was more precious than the other. In the Jiang family, except for the third branch who delivered a light gift, the rest were all expensive.
Jiang Youyao held the box that Jiang Li asked Tong'er to deliver and looked towards Jiang Li with all smiles. She spoke: "Second sister, may I open the gift that you sent me right now?"
Her smile had a somewhat embarrassed look, the shyness that came from the age between a girl and a lady, making her appear particularly lovely.
The guests stopped their footsteps and looked towards Jiang Li.
Although Jiang second miss now gave the impression of being tender and adorable, the previous matter had indeed occurred. Jiang third miss's age was still small, moreover, she was doted on and protected from the sinister human world. How would this vicious hearted Jiang second miss reply to Jiang third miss's question?
Jiang Li laughed: "Of course you may."
Xiang Qiao, who was standing far away from the crowd, didn't know since when, a few beads of sweat started to seep out from her hands. To be honest, Jiang Li had treated her pretty well these days. Apart from bestowing her with gifts generously, she was also friendly. She was much better than Jiang Youyao and Ji Shuran by tenfold.
But, Xiang Qiao thought regretfully, in this earth, to be good people didn't mean that they would receive good things. Virtuous people would be taken unfair advantage of by other people. A good horse would be mounted by people. Even a 3 years old child would understand this principle.
Jiang Youyao lowered her head to open the box. Nobody saw the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened, before in a twinkling of an eye she cried out in fear. As if receiving a tremendous fright, she involuntarily cried out: "Heaven ah, what is this?"
In (highly recommended!) chapter 222 MC goes through her coming of age ceremony and the ceremony is very detailed compared to what I've read in any other novel, moreover the translator accompanies it with pics of the clothes style and some explanations, you should definitely check out the novel ^^ but start from the beginning xD it's really good, one of my faves for sure!
Footnotes:
1: For those who are interested to know the details of the birthday rite: /.