Chapter 28 Part 1 - Shocking Transformation
Chapter 28 Part 1: Shocking Transformation
Facing the different gazes of the people in the main hall, Jiang Li still walked as if nothing happened. Her footsteps were light and agile, her movements were very leisurely, just like a young lady wandering among the flowering shrubs, happy, intoxicating and beautiful.
She walked up to the main hall, stopped right next to Jiang Youyao and spoke to her with a smile: “Congratulations third sister for your birthday today.” Then she smiled with remorse towards Jiang Yuan Bai and Ji Shuran at the flight of stairs and said: “I wasn’t aware the ceremony was at the courtyard and wanted to find someone to show the way. But today is very busy and there’s not enough hands in the residence, I couldn’t find anyone to help show the way and had no other way but to find the road myself and wasted a lot of time. Father, mother please don’t be angry at Jiang Li.”
When the surrounding people heard, they all pondered. Such a grand Chief Assistant residence, how could there be insufficient hands? Jiang Li couldn’t find anybody, clearly because someone deliberately didn’t bring her over. Probably it was nothing more than in order to make her come late and make a fool of herself.
After thinking, suddenly they came out of their thoughts. What did the girl say just now? Jiang Li?
It was that harming-the-stepmother-and-murdering- the-brother Jiang second miss, Jiang Li?
The nobles who came to attend the rites were either a generation older than Jiang Li or a younger generation at around the same age as Jiang Li. The younger generations had never seen Jiang Li but the older generation had seen Jiang Li, still a much younger Jiang Li.
From the mouths of the nobles in Yanjing, the Jiang family’s second miss’s appearance was mostly based on imagination. From what the mouths of these people passed around, although Jiang second miss was not a ferocious looking malevolent spirit, she at least had vicious eyes and mean scowl.
Yet the girl in front of them was too pure and gentle. Even her gentleness and gracefulness were not inferior to Jiang third miss. It was hard to imagine this kind of person as someone who harmed the mother and killed the brother.
When Jiang Li appeared, for an instant, Ji Shuran’s complexion changed.
She was an expert at reading people’s feelings, naturally she could see how the guests in the main hall were stunned when Jiang Li appeared. In regards to appreciating Jiang Li’s appearance, Ji Shuran was most unwilling that Jiang Youyao was defeated. Just like the Jiang family no longer mentioned Ye Zhen Zhen as soon as she had become the Jiang family’s madam, when Jiang Youyao appeared, Jiang Li was the mud on the ground.
But this mud could be compared to the gem in the palm of her hand. In Ji Shuran’s mind, a trace of ruthlessness flitted in an instant.
Jiang Yuan Bai stood on top of the steps and looked down at both daughters. Deep in his heart, he naturally loved Jiang Youyao more, the daughter who had grown up by his side since childhood. However, nowadays Jiang Li grew and resembled him; her style and temperament were outstanding, giving him a great face. As a result, his dissatisfaction towards Jiang Li was scattered by a lot.
Jiang Yuan Bai waved his hand and said: “No matter.”
Jiang Li then saluted Jiang Yuan Bai once more before standing by Lu shi’s side and adopted the attitude of attending a ritual.
Jiang Li’s appearance attracted the sights of the people in the main hall. It also made Jiang Youyao no longer be the leading role in this ceremony. Jiang Youyao was extremely annoyed, nevertheless it wasn’t good to display her annoyance. She had no alternative but to restrain the anger in her heart and continue the rite.
The guests sat down and Jiang Yuan Bai made a speech. The person invited to conduct the rite was a female master with good moral standing and reputation in Yanjing. She combed Jiang Youyao’s hair and tied a silk scarf through her hair.
Ji Chen shi walked to Jiang Youyao’s front and loudly chanted to express good wishes: “On this month and this auspicious day, I add on thy first robes of adulthood. Leave behind thy juvenile aspirations, and let it become your adult virtues. Blessed with longevity, and prosperity be with thee.“ She knelt down to comb Jiang Youyao’s hair.
Jiang Li was watching but in her mind emerged the scene of her coming of age rite when she was Xue Fang Fei.
Her mother passed away too early, Tongxiang was too small, the person who presided over the ceremony and combed her hair was the neighboring madam who had watched her since she was a child until she grew up. During the ceremony, Xue Huaiyuan still secretly wiped tears. She heard Xue Zhao say, Xue Huaiyuan repeated to himself: “Ah Li has grown up, she soon will leave daddy.”