After Mrs. Tian learned that the Yan family's clothes were all made by Mrs. Rong, at Li Xuemei's suggestion, she took her to visit all the cloth shops and embroidery shops in the city in two days.
After returning, Grandma Rong began to sew her own outfit.
Mrs. Tian still didn't feel comfortable giving the nice-looking fabric she had just bought to her, so she took out the fabric she had packed at the bottom of the box, a piece of heavier-colored material. She had agreed to buy a new dress for Lady Rong, and she made it herself.
.
Grandma Rong cuts neatly and is quick with needlework. She can also reproduce simple embroidery patterns, but her embroidery work is too old-fashioned, the needles she uses are thick, the threads are not good enough, and she lacks a sense of agility.
But this was enough to surprise Mrs. Tian.
She traced the pattern of the new dress on paper, and stayed with Li Xuemei every day. The two of them made modifications after discussing it, and then handed it over to Lady Rong for cutting and sewing.
New clothes for the family are being completed one after another.
Yan Yu has two pieces, one is a pink skirt. Although the fabric is ordinary, the color is really bright and the workmanship is also careful. The collar and cuffs have two-color threaded seams, which adds a bit of sophistication.
Her request is not to stand out, but to be decent and not be noticed.
The other piece is a small scholar's robe, which is the same white as Yan Xiangheng's. There is no embroidery on the whole body. The finishing touch is at the belt. It is made of crow-blue fabric left over from making clothes for Yan Huaiwen and Yan Laoer, and is finished with black.
, silver and light blue silk threads are embroidered with the pattern of two flying tigers seizing pearls.
The inspiration came from the opening gift sent by Wang Gonggong - Feihu Copper Town.
Li Xuemei was finally willing to take it out and put it on display for Mrs. Tian to trace and design.
When Yan Yu tried on ready-made clothes, the upper body of the scholar's robe felt ordinary, and it also highlighted her round figure. But as soon as she added a belt, she felt more energetic, and then put on the jade ring given by her uncle, hanging down
On the waist, there is immediately more heroism and nobility.
Yan Yu was spinning in circles with satisfaction, but unfortunately there was no mirror, so he could only rely on his own imagination and see the effect from the reactions of the people around him.
…
On the day of the winter solstice.
The Yan family got up early to freshen up.
The advantage of having a tofu shop at home is that you can drink the purest and most authentic soy milk every day.
Yan Laoer set up the oil pan today to fry the fried dough sticks in the morning and soak them in the remaining fried tofu.
As soon as the fried dough sticks were served, Li Xuemei drank half a bowl of soy milk.
I got up and went to the hut twice...
Her body can't hold much water now, so she has to run around the latrine very frequently.
Either Yan Laoer is accompanying me or Yan Yu is accompanying me.
Yan Laoer once suggested that she use a spittoon, but Li Xuemei refused without even thinking about it.
She felt that she was not that good yet and could still move around, and she didn’t want to live a life of being tossed around by the two men now...
Mrs. Tian invited the hairdresser to put up their hair and makeup.
She only wore a silver comb, which was very simple.
Qianchu had two Begonia velvet flowers inserted on her head and cleverly wrapped them with two strands of small bead chains. The velvet flowers were surrounded by irregular small pearls as large as rice grains and hung down by her ears, matching the earrings of Silver Begonia.
Yanyu is the simplest, just tied with red rope.
The lady combing her hair also put on makeup.
She looked at the two sisters for a while, but couldn't wipe the rouge off her hands.
This pair of sisters have fair skin and red lips, and their faces are slightly pink. The older one looks like a fairy, and the younger one looks like a fairy who has not yet grown up when she was a child...
Mrs. Tian saw her embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am." She said and handed over two strings of copper coins.
The lady who combed her hair took away the copper plate, and her smile became more sincere: "Oh, your daughter is so handsome! I don't know where to apply pink or rouge, and if I apply it, it will reduce the color. This is true.
What a natural beauty!”
"Girl, I don't ask you to come here without compliments. You haven't eaten yet. If you don't like the freshly ground soy milk in the morning, you can take some back with you." Mrs. Tian said.
The lady who combed her hair refused twice, then happily carried the bucket back and said she would send it back later.
"Grandma, how good are we at walking?" Yan Yu was impatient.
She has been looking forward to today.
When I read novels in the past, banquets like these would either have programs or accidents. In short, there would be fun to watch.
Yan Yu wanted to personally verify whether it was true.
Mrs. Tian looked at the sky and said, "Let's go now. The road will be slower. It's almost time to reach the palace."
"Your master is a seventh-rank official. We have to go early so as not to fall behind other officials."
There are thresholds for the imperial concubine to spread invitations widely.
The seventh rank is the dividing line. Without the support of their counterparts in the eighth and ninth ranks, Mrs. Tian and her entourage are the lowest-ranked officials at this banquet.
That's why I got up so early, and it was almost time to finish packing.
As for the main banquet of the Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet, it is traditionally held at noon.
If it is a night banquet, we will inform you in advance and write it on the invitation.
On occasions like this today, even those who are not wealthy will hire a sedan chair or rent a carriage to show off their appearance.
The Yan family does not have this consciousness, and Mrs. Tian does not care.
Therefore, Yan Yu drove the bullock cart out by himself.
She was also lucky that it didn't snow today, otherwise her combed hair would have been ruined by wearing a hat. She was fine with that. Her eldest sister's hair looked so beautifully combed, it would have been a pity to have it ruined.
The three treasures stopped steadily at the side entrance of the palace.
Yan Yu jumped down first, and then stretched out her little hand to let Mrs. Tian and the eldest sister use their strength.
A boy came quickly and stood by, waiting for everyone to get off the cart. He took the reins and took the cart aside.
This detail is a plus.
Yan Yu secretly praised that the servants of the palace were well trained.
The bullock cart, which didn't even have a shed, pulled a family of officials directly over. The lady on top didn't even have a maid beside her, so she jumped out of the car...
The woman standing at the door to welcome guests opened her eyes slightly.
She was about to step forward, but she didn't want the people behind her to be faster than her.
"Mrs. Tian, you two ladies, I have been waiting here for a long time during the winter solstice."
The woman who was welcoming the guests suddenly remembered something.
Winter Solstice is not the maid in their courtyard, but the servant in the prince's courtyard.
The person on the other end said hello before, saying that one of the guests at today’s banquet is related to the prince’s father-in-law...
Mrs. Tian said, "Thank you."
Yan Yu walked up to Dongzhi and gave her a piece of silver she held in her hand.
She smiled and said: "What a coincidence, today is the Winter Solstice, and it is Sister Dongzhi who came to pick us up. What a fate! Sister Dongzhi, it's hard for you today. We don't understand anything, and we are afraid that people will see the joke. Sisters are so many
Give us a heads up!"
Dong Zhi generously accepted the broken silver, pursed her lips, smiled, and said softly: "Second Miss, you are so polite, this is all the slave's duty... The prince and the father-in-law have already told me, so I will take good care of you.
His old man also asked his slave to take the second young lady around before the banquet. In addition to the plum trees in the imperial concubine's courtyard, the few white plum trees planted in the side yard were also elegant and unique. The father-in-law said that the second young lady would definitely like it...