Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1621 - 826: Snowy Night (Part 2)

When Lian Manman and her group arrived at the Warm Pavilion, the inside was already packed with people. Under the warm lights, there were fragrances of balsam, and the sound of cheerful chatter. As Lady Shi entered the room, everyone, led by the Third Madam, quickly stood up.

Lady Shi promptly smiled and asked everyone to sit down. As she walked to the main seat, she exchanged greetings with several elderly ladies. Naturally, Lady Shi took the main seat, then pulled Manman to sit on the chair beside her. Lady Zhang was invited by the Third Madam to sit at the adjacent table.

Lian Manman couldn’t refuse, so she had to sit down. As soon as she sat down, she felt countless gazes fall upon her. Naturally, Lian Manman knew the reason for this attention, so she pretended to be oblivious, smiling and exchanging pleasantries. However, in her heart, she secretly smiled wryly; this kind of attention was not what she wanted.

However, at this moment, she couldn’t control the situation. In such settings, being involuntary is almost a norm. Unless one could sit in the position that the First Madam currently occupies, everyone else, more or less, would experience some lack of freedom.

Even the First Madam probably has her own concerns. With Lian Manman’s sharp eyes, she unintentionally noticed a hint of pink when the First Madam took off that white jade bracelet just now. Observing the First Madam’s attire and the decoration of the residence, Lian Manman could tell that the First Madam had her own burdens.

After the First Madam sat down, she chatted and laughed with everyone for a while. The Third Madam then brought over a script to ask the First Madam to choose a play. The First Madam chose one and then asked two ladies of higher status and older age at the table to choose as well. She then let Lian Manman choose.

Lian Manman declined and didn’t choose, only saying that the play the First Madam picked was exactly what she liked, and also liked what the two ladies chose. The First Madam simply smiled and didn’t insist.

After choosing the plays, the Third Madam came over to inform them that the food was ready. The First Madam nodded, and the Third Madam then instructed the stewardess to start the meal.

There’s no need to go into detail about the meal. Lian Manman quietly observed and discovered that the few unfriendly gazes that initially fell upon her had disappeared. At her table, there were mostly high-ranking and elderly ladies, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Lady Zhang, at the adjacent table, received even more attention; some madams and ladies even crossed tables to talk to Lady Zhang. Some even decided between conversations to invite them over to their residence for drinks and shows.

The banquet lasted about half a Chinese hour when a stewardess came in from outside and whispered to the Third Madam. The Third Madam then got up to inform Lady Shi that everything was prepared at the Phoenix Tower and asked if they should go to admire the lanterns now.

Lady Shi nodded.

Everyone then left the table, and each donned their coats. Outside the Warm Pavilion, some maids had already prepared the sedan chairs, and everyone got on the sedan chairs heading towards the Phoenix Tower.

During the Lantern Festival, the Phoenix Tower was decorated with various colored lanterns, and outside the tower were many differently shaped ice lanterns. Under the colorful lights, the Phoenix Tower appeared more majestic, towering, and splendid.

The sedan chairs stopped in front of the tower. The madams, ladies, and young maidens entered the building, assisted by maids, ascending the stairs step by step. As they walked onto the stairs, Lian Manman heard voices coming from upstairs. The male guests were having their banquet in the Phoenix Tower, and they should have also let the opera troupe go and gone up to the third floor to watch the lanterns.

Everyone followed Lady Shi straight to the third floor of the Phoenix Tower. Everyone admired the lanterns on the third floor, but the male guests were on the east side, and the female guests on the west, with several screens in the middle of the exterior corridor as a divider. Lian Manman subconsciously glanced at the screens; on the other side were probably Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi.

Once they arrived upstairs, Lady Shi took Lian Manman to the railing to look at the lanterns, and the female guests followed, all leaning over to enjoy the lanterns. Compared with the lantern festival in Jinyang County Town, the festivities of the prefecture city lantern festival had advanced to another level.

The vehicles flowed like water, and the horses like dragons; the blazing trees and silver flowers illuminated the night.

It was Lian Manman’s first time watching the lantern festival in the prefecture city, and the joy was self-evident. Even the well-experienced madams and maidens beside her couldn’t hide their excitement as they spoke proudly of the festival’s splendor in their conversations.

In Liaodong Prefecture, the winter nights are particularly cold, and today is especially so; the phrase "water drops turn into ice" isn’t an exaggeration. After a while, Lady Shi turned and entered the room, followed by some female guests, while others stayed outside, reluctant to stop admiring the lanterns. Lian Manman was dressed warmly, and unlike other female guests who were used to a life of ease, she wasn’t afraid of the cold. She even somewhat enjoyed breathing the frigid air. However, when Lady Shi asked her before entering the room, she still followed her inside.

Inside, the room was warm, a world apart from outside. The female guests sat down, naturally engaging in laughter and idle chatter. Lian Manman sat with Lady Shi for a while before some girls her age invited her to go out and see the lanterns again.

At this age, little girls love to play no matter what.

Lian Manman didn’t refuse, laughed and told Lady Shi, and then went out to watch the lanterns again. With the group of young girls, there was no more restraint like inside. Some of them even had connections with Manman’s family, and Manman had seen them before. Soon, Lian Manman made a few more handkerchief friends.

As the night deepened, the lantern fair grew even more lively. Eventually, some of the elderly female guests began to leave one after another. When Lady Zhang and Lian Manman also took their leave, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.

... 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ruoyan’s completed farming novel recommendation:

Book name: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (Main text and epilogue completed) (There is a direct link below, click to go directly)

Summary: Transmigrated as a defamed fallen woman, carrying a little bun and living a sweet life with a practical and economic man. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)