To Be A Virtuous Wife

26

When it came to clothing and adornments, women would always have many words. Which place had the best rouge, which place had the most exquisite hairpins, which place had the best embroiders. In conclusion, the topic was limitless.

The three wangfei present were different in their styles of dress. Ning Wang Fei was dignified and staid. An embroidered goose-yellow dress covered with a pure white cape. The hair was styled into a yuanbaoji[1]and set off with a whole set of jewelled toumian. [2] She looked dignified yet noble. Rui Wang Fei didn't have a cape but wore a silver mouse fur coat. She had a subdued duowoji,[3]beautiful and graceful with a hint of scholarliness.

Qu Qing Ju's appearance was the best among the three of them. What she wore wasn't as dignified as Ning Wang Fei or as scholarly as Rui Wang Fei. She was breathtaking, was what the women present thought. No wonder Duan wang ye would get angry on her behalf at Chang De Gong Fu. If any newly married wife had such a beauty, not many men would not favour her at all.

"Er dimei, the butterflies and peony embroidered on the edge of this dress is very beautiful," Wei Qing E's eyes swept over the hem of the dress Qu Qing Ju wore that was revealed under the cape, "At a glance, it seems almost alive."

"Saosao is too nice. There's a yahuanthat serves on by my side. When it isn't busy, she likes to work on this kind of things," Qu Qing Ju raised an eyebrow, "I normally don't use any other embroidery-women so I let them play among themselves. It's fine as long as I can wear it out the door."

"Everybody else sitting here also have some embroidery-women but er saois too modest. I think this dress is extremely beautiful." Qin Bai Lu complimented Qu Qing Ju but inside she thought this ersao was too shallow. No matter how much care she took with her clothing, without any scholarly and artistic talent, how was she different from the common people?

The others furen present complimented the three, their words along the lines of noble, beautiful, magnificent or dignified . Along the way, they criticized themselves to create a contrast. To them, admiring the blossoms wasn't the most important. What was important was that these three were happy. Then they have almost completely fulfilled their duty at this plum-blossom banquet.

Wei Qing E was the eldest among the three so she held herself as the most steady and when talking with Qu Qing Ju and Qin Bai Lu, her voice held a hint of the affection elders had for those younger. She waited for the officials' wives to finish flattering them and interrupted: "All of you should not compliment these two anymore. Otherwise, they would get bashful."

The chenfu laughed and replied that they only said the truth, it wasn't complimenting them.

Qu Qing Ju looked at this room full of women. Each person had the most natural smile, as though each was happier than the next. At this time, she couldn't help but feel tired for these people but thinking that when these people returned home, they would naturally have others to flatter them, she could only sigh to herself. It was lucky that she hadn't become a wife of a common man. Otherwise, it would be even more difficult to live in this kind of era and social conventions.

"Er sao, I heard that the Duchess of Chang De fell sick in the past few days. She couldn't even manage to attend today's banquet. How is she now?" Qin Bai Lu looked at Qu Qing Ju who seemed to be always smiling with the corners of her eyes and suddenly asked, "The third young lady of the fu even seemed to have fallen ill due to caring for her mother?"

Qu Qing Ju's eyebrows moved slightly, the mirth at the corner of her eyes not diminishing: "Really?"

"Er sao didn't know?" Qin Bai Lu asked with a hint of shock, "It seems like I asked the wrong person."