The first to co out was Lady Chiang, who was boiling water in the outer room. Seeing the Lian Manman family accompanied by Wu Jiaxing and Lian Zhizhi approaching, she quickly inford those inside while calling out to Lian Jizu, and the couple ca out to greet them together.
Lady Chiang and Lian Jizu t the Lian Manman group in the courtyard. Lian Jizu, smiling, paid his respects to Lian Shouxin, while the more talkative Lady Chiang accompanied her smile with polite words, inviting everyone inside.
The group proceeded towards the Upper Room, with Lian Jizu leading the way with Lian Shouxin, and Lady Chiang following behind, even taking a mont to smile at Lian Manman.
"Manman, you’ve co too?" Lady Chiang said, smiling at Lian Manman.
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work, eldest sister-in-law," Lian Manman replied with a smile. Nowadays, in the Old Mansion, though Lady Zhou most frequently directed Lian Yaya, since Yaya was still young and often unable to manage everything well, most of the household chores fell on Lady Chiang.
"It’s no trouble at all, just what I should do," Lady Chiang quickly responded.
Lian Manman’s mouth curled slightly, opting not to say more. As she passed by the door of the east wing, she instinctively glanced inside. The doors and windows of the east wing were tightly shut, and it was eerily quiet.
With all these people arriving, although Lian Shouyi and Lady He wouldn’t co to greet them out of propriety, they would definitely co out early out of curiosity to join the bustle. Now, with no movent from the side room, it seed Lian Shouyi and Lady He were both absent, having likely gone visiting. Lian Manman thought.
"Second uncle and second aunt left after breakfast, no one knows where they went," Lady Chiang noticed Lian Manman glancing towards the east wing and quickly explained, "Si Lang also went out. Liulang was just here, maybe he’s gone to the backyard. Yaya is in the Upper Room,... grandma is washing clothes."
The group entered the Upper Room, where Lian Manman saw a covered iron pot on the large stove to the east with hot steam billowing from its edges. Inside the stove’s pit lay half-burned firewood.
Now, even tending the fire fell to Lady Chiang, a rare occurrence in the past.
It turned out Lady Chiang wasn’t boiling drinking water, but rather water for washing clothes for Lady Zhou.
In the Lian Family Old Mansion, in winter, the privilege to specially heat water for laundry was reserved for Lady Zhou alone.
The Lian Manman group had just entered the outer room when Lian Shouren lifted the door curtain and erged from the east room as Old Master Lian called out from within.
"Is that Jiaxing and Zhizhi? Co in quickly, it’s cold outside," Old Master Lian’s tone was very warm.
Once everyone had gathered in the east room, they saw Old Master Lian putting on his shoes, seemingly intending to go out personally to greet them. Seeing Lian Shouxin and the others co in, Old Master Lian continued putting on his shoes, making a gesture to get off the kang.
"Father, you just sit comfortably," Lian Shouxin quickly stepped forward to stop Old Master Lian. "Jiaxing and Zhizhi have co back to visit you today. They’re the younger generation; it wouldn’t be right for you to go out to greet them."
"You can’t say that, it’s different when a new son-in-law cos to the door," Old Master Lian replied.
Even a new son-in-law remains a grandchild of Old Master Lian. Nonetheless, there was no proper reason for Old Master Lian to personally go out to et them.
"I was just eager to see my eldest granddaughter and her husband," Old Master Lian continued with a smile, beckoning Wu Jiaxing and Lian Zhizhi closer.
Wu Jiaxing and Lian Zhizhi took a step forward, calling out grandpa, grandma while attempting to kneel to kowtow to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou.
"Quickly, get up, get up," Old Master Lian hurriedly extended his hand to stop them. "There’s no need for such grand gestures. The floor is cold and dirty, don’t soil your new clothes."
Wu Jiaxing and Lian Zhizhi didn’t insist, taking the opportunity to bow to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou instead, one bowing deeply and the other curtseying.
"Quickly, sit on the kang," Old Master Lian quickly urged once more.
Unfortunately, seating space on the kang was quite limited.
Lady Zhou was seated cross-legged on the kang, with two large wooden basins filled with water in front of her. One basin contained clothes already washed once, and the other held clothes being washed. Several other pieces of clothing, either unwashed or freshly washed and half-dry from wringing, took up more than half of the kang and left water marks everywhere.
"Hurry up and tidy up, make so room for the children. I told you not to do laundry today, but you insisted. I knew the children were bound to visit. Look at you, hurry, tidy up," Old Master Lian urged Lady Zhou continuously.
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