Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 259 - 11: Turning Decay into Wonder

The women all gasped when they saw Susu bringing Yang Fang into the flower hall.

It was because their attire and demeanor were completely different from before, especially Yang Fang.

They already had a direct impression of Susu’s stunning beauty and her abundant dowry. Even if someone said, "Grandma Hong is a reincarnated jade girl," people would probably believe it.

But seeing Yang Fang’s transformation left them in disbelief, even Old Mrs. Yang and Yang Fang’s biological mother, Mrs. Yang, couldn’t believe that was Yang Fang!

Yet, how could they not recognize their own child? Or maybe it was disbelief about what they missed in such a short time, like Yang Fang had become a different person.

Even though Yang Fang had a peculiar confidence, she still felt a bit self-conscious in front of people. However, recalling her reflection in the one-person-tall mercury mirror in her mentor’s room, her vanity rose, and she smiled gently at everyone as her mentor had taught her.

Capturing the envy and jealousy in her friends’ eyes with her peripheral vision, the little figure in her heart was wildly amused. If it hadn’t been for Susu’s light cough, she might have lost the radiant and sunny smile on her face.

Old Mrs. Yang took a glance at her now beautiful yet still "superficial" granddaughter and muttered to herself, "A dog’s belly can’t hold two liang of fragrant oil," but she felt quite satisfied with Susu’s regard for her family.

As for Susu’s guidance for Fang, it was an unexpected delight.

Susu nudged Yang Fang towards Old Mrs. Yang and slightly bowed to everyone, saying, "I apologize for being late, and for neglecting the distinguished guests. I will punish myself with three cups of wine to make amends."

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly said it was no trouble. Old Mrs. Yang also replied, "I’m sure our Fang was just being mischievous, I’m sorry to trouble you."

Susu smiled and waved her hand, "It was my maid who accidentally got Fang’s skirt wet, and there is no reason a guest should wear a wet skirt. Thankfully, Fang and I are about the same size, so I took her to change into one of my outfits. Old Madam, do you think it suits her?"

When Yang Fang arrived, she was wearing a light orange, cocoon silk jacket embroidered with small scattered flowers and a pleated moon-colored skirt with small red rose embroidery, over which she wore a cherry-red short jacket.

Her hair was styled in a complex cloud bun, adorned with several gold and silver hairpins and a few silk flowers.

The attire was undoubtedly luxurious yet looked somewhat top-heavy.

In addition, Fang’s appearance was rather heroic, especially with those two sword-like eyebrows and not-so-refined features, making her seem like a man disguised as a woman, which was quite odd.

But now, she had changed into a sophisticated foreign dress of authentic pomegranate red, featuring a turned collar, small sleeves, and a fitted style, girded with a white jade belt carved with story motifs, exuding a sense of nobility beyond words.

Her hair was styled into a simple single spiral bun, with a begonia flower made of ruby about the size of a wine cup in the center, and on the left side, a butterfly hairpin encrusted with shattered gemstones and made of pure gold.

The butterfly’s wings were crafted from gold foil, thin as paper, fluttering gently as she moved, making it appear as if it were flying among the flowers.

If it were just a change of clothes and hair accessories, the surprise wouldn’t have been as significant.

While her previously daunting sword-like eyebrows were the biggest flaw, they had now become her greatest asset.

No one knew who applied the makeup on Fang, but it complemented those eyebrows perfectly, making her appear valiant and spirited. Even the usual unlikable haughtiness turned into a proud and steadfast temperament.

It truly was a metamorphosis from decay to magic.

Old Mrs. Yang sighed, "If this doesn’t suit her, then nothing less than the golden silk jade robe would."

And as for those present, their thoughts varied. The older ones merely acknowledged that Yang Fang was already a young lady, considering that she had a good family background despite having a slightly spoiled nature, she might still become an excellent candidate for marriage if she were to change.

The younger women were more impressed with Susu’s ability to transform the ordinary into something astonishing, wishing it was their skirt that had gotten wet so that Susu could work her magic transformation on them, their eager eyes almost made Susu’s scalp tingle.

Luckily, it was already noon by now, and at Susu’s command, the kitchen became a bustling hive of activity.

Maids and servants removed the tea, snacks, and fruit, only to serve an array of hot and cold, vegetarian and meat dishes, leaving everyone dazzled.

For hearty dishes, there was stewed fish maw with old duck, wine-braised ham, sugar bamboo with pine chicken, cloud and sea cucumber, braised abalone, chicken broth bird’s nest, camel hump stew, and chicken marrow with stewed deer tendon.

Refreshingly cool dishes included jade shrimp, mushroom apricot tofu, sesame sauce with sprout ginger slices, stir-fried bamboo shoots with yellow cabbage, apple slices fried in goose oil, and chrysanthemum leaves fried in chicken oil.

The drinks served were herbal ginseng wine, pure pine nut wine, iced mint plum wine made from mung bean curves, Huiquan wine, and osmanthus honey wine.

Additionally, there were candied fruits, pastries, rice dishes, soups, fruit juices, sweets, and other fruits that shall not be detailed one by one.

As the banquet opened, Susu downed three self-penalizing cups of wine, earning applause from the military officers’ wives, who declared her a fairy come down to earth; her human touch made her seem much more approachable.

Susu accompanied the old ladies and madams while greeting and chatting with the grandmothers and girls of each family, showcasing her ability to see in all directions and hear all sounds simultaneously.

Meanwhile, at the table where the young ladies sat together, they paid little mind to the unfamiliar food and drinks and were engaged in an animated discussion.

Feeling the envy of her friends, Yang Fang boasted proudly, "Sister Su has taken me as her apprentice, and from now on, I’ll visit Hong Mansion every three days to learn manners and conduct from my mentor. I fear I won’t have time to play with you anymore."

The expressions and eyes of the girls around her changed, they too wished to become apprentices.

Of course, Yang Xiaoshan was not the only one who had inquired about Susu’s background. Though she was once a maid, she was still the Old Madam of Bo Mansion’s favorite, someone influential in the eyes of many nobles in the Capital, even receiving gifts from palace ladies.

None of the girls were foolish. Susu’s current status aside, her grace and demeanor alone made them desire to learn from her even a little about dealing with people, as it would greatly enhance their prospects of finding a suitable husband beyond their immediate surroundings.

Unaware Fang couldn’t keep her mouth shut and showed off in front of her friends, almost tipping the boat of friendship, Susu was oblivious to the situation. The friendship among young girls is indeed subtle, can be as close as wearing the same outfit, yet contain a sense of rivalry, although there wasn’t the term "plastic sisterhood" at that time.

Observing the quiet atmosphere, Susu had an inkling of what had been said as she noticed Fang’s smug smile. She sighed to herself, knowing the girl lacked subtlety, but she’d rather deal with an open book than someone with hidden agendas.

Susu continued encouraging everyone to drink and eat, ensuring the guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The women from the Northwest are inherently open and generous, especially those from military households, who, with their men at war, manage both roles of mother and father, single-handedly holding up half the sky.

The younger women were still mindful of their mothers-in-law’s presence, not daring to indulge too much, but the older women, under Susu’s enthusiastic encouragement, began to let loose, and by the time the banquet ended, many were quite inebriated.

Fortunately, Susu had anticipated this and prepared guestrooms in advance.

After the meal, daughters and daughters-in-law assisted their mothers-in-law and mothers to change clothes and rest in the guestrooms.