0p0 Chapter 220 Idea
Chapter 220 Idea
Jin's attitude naturally infuriated Mu Changping, and at the same time, he felt a deep sense of defeat!
Any man would find it unbearable to be humiliated like that by his wife, right?
Jin Shi had never treated Mu Changping like this before. Coming from a noble family, she naturally understood how to win a man's heart. Having witnessed countless schemes for gaining favor in the noble family since childhood, what was there that she didn't understand?
However, nowadays, she is constantly being suppressed by the eldest son's family in the Mu family mansion, and Mu Changping has brought her back a concubine who already has a child! She was already angry, and seeing the eldest son's family so smug made her feel even worse, so she stopped paying attention to what she said.
After Mu Changping left, the nanny beside her hurriedly reminded her a couple of times, and only then did Madam Jin come to her senses!
Now that Madam Yang has entered the household, why bother competing with her? After all, I am the mistress; how could she possibly surpass me?
Jin cursed herself for her momentary lapse of judgment in mocking her husband. Now, she had banished him to that wretched woman's courtyard, and there was no use in crying now!
In Jin Yuan, Mu Xin Nuan was meticulously going over everything with Madam Li, fearing any further mishaps. After all, the banquet had taken on a different flavor because of Mu Chang An's investiture. Many would surely come to offer their congratulations, and the gifts they brought would undoubtedly differ from their original expectations.
"Mother, everything else is easy to arrange, but who would be the most suitable person to greet the guests in the front yard?"
Li was also a little worried. She and Xin Nuan were there in the backyard, and if that didn't work, Tingting and Mu Xinyao could help take care of things. But in the front yard, there was only Mu Chang'an, which was really a bit tense.
"Second Uncle has only recently returned to the capital, and his official position is not high. Some dignitaries still require Father's personal hospitality to be considered proper etiquette. However, this would probably keep Father too busy. Mother, how about having my eldest cousin, along with Ah Xuan and my younger cousin Qing Ye, help with the social interactions?"
"Mu Qingye?" Madam Li thought of the child and had some impression of him. "Is this alright? This child is not bad, but what if something goes wrong at such an important banquet? Wouldn't that make us a laughing stock?"
“Mother, even if Qingye is not the best, I think he is still better than the two young masters of my second uncle’s family! Look at those young masters! Their status isn’t even that high yet, and they’re already so arrogant. I’ve heard that those two brothers are also very domineering in school. The other cousins only tolerate them out of respect for Father. Those two brothers think they’re the king of heaven, they’re so arrogant!”
“Those two nephews really do need to be disciplined. I’ll talk to your father again later and ask him to find some strict teachers to give them a good talking-to.”
"It's hard to say. The two children's character has already been formed. Unless Second Uncle and Second Aunt realize that their children can't continue like this, no matter how hard others try, it will be in vain! If things go wrong, they might even hold a grudge against our main branch."
Li shook her head and chuckled, "Do you think she's stopped holding a grudge now? This Jin, I don't know what she's thinking all day long. She seems uncomfortable unless she's making trouble for us."
“Mother, it’s settled then. I’ll have Ah Xuan talk to Qing Ye about the rules later. They’re only responsible for receiving young masters. For the officials, Father has to personally handle it.”
"That's good, that way your father will have an easier time too."
"This opera troupe is the best choice. My daughter has booked three companies. So, there will always be one performance in the front yard and one in the back yard. What do you think of these three companies? Also, let's set up the stage in the back garden. It's a bit further away from the front yard, so that the audience won't disturb each other!"
"Okay! Let's book three places then, so that if anything happens, we won't have to scramble at the last minute."
"Yes, Mother. What about the dishes?"
Actually, after all that talk, this is the hardest part!
If the dishes are served too well, it might give the impression that the Mu family is wealthy and arrogant, and that they've become conceited after gaining favor! But if they're served too poorly, they risk being ridiculed by the nobles of the capital. In short, it's a bit of a headache and a difficult situation.
“This Ganoderma lucidum chicken soup is quite good, but we can’t take this dish. Don’t forget, you made it for your father a few times before, and he told me when he came back that many of his colleagues wanted to try it,” Madam Li said with a smile.
Mu Xin Nuan blushed. "Yes, Mother."
After looking at the list that Mu Xin Nuan had made, Li was extremely satisfied with her daughter!
Four menus were prepared in total. Each table had nine dishes and one soup, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, including chicken, duck, and fish.
After carefully examining the orders, Ms. Li rejected the one containing bird's nest and the one with a spicy flavor. Only two orders remained.
"You can decide which of these two to choose. They're not that different anyway."
“Mother, how about this? We have kitchens in both the front and back yards anyway. We can make this menu for the front yard and this one for the back yard. This menu is more geared towards women’s food. What do you think?”
"Good!" Madam Li nodded in satisfaction. "Anuan is becoming more and more like the matriarch of the household."
"The mother is making fun of her daughter again!"
"You're fourteen now, Anuan. After this birthday banquet, you should really think about your marriage. Your father and I have discussed it, and if you like Chu Rong, we'll agree. At worst, I'll just visit General Weiwu's mansion more often."
Mu Xin Nuan's eyes stung with tears. In which family was the marriage of a daughter not arranged by her parents and the matchmaker? But in her case, her mother and father were willing to let her make her own decision. How could she not be moved?
While Mu Xin Nuan was touched, she remembered something. "Mother, Second Aunt should also be coming to the birthday banquet. She's always been very domineering. I'm worried that she might cause trouble for our eldest son's family again."
"Yes, we need to be careful with her."
“Mother, since that’s the case, then leave the arrangements for the banquet entirely to me. We can let her stay with you or the old lady and chat with those noble ladies! She’s eager to curry favor with these high-society women anyway, so please give her that opportunity!”