The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 450 - 418: Taking a Stand for a Friend

Wen Wan arrived at Guangle Street earlier than she anticipated the time of the carriage collision.

People in the Capital love hotpot, so someone opened a shop specifically for hotpot, with very reasonable prices.

Nowadays it’s cold, from the high-born young masters to the porters carrying large bags at the docks, everyone loves to gather at this place.

The constraints on women in Great Chu are not very strict, it’s common to see women shopping, going to teahouses, and visiting restaurants.

To accommodate female guests, each table in the hotpot shop is separated by screens to form private rooms.

The hall is very spacious, one cannot see the guests’ faces upon entering as they are all blocked by screens, only able to see the steaming hot air above each private room.

Wen Wan chose a window-side seat, sitting face-to-face with Lin Xiaoyue.

Lin Xiaoyue was already hungry, and as soon as the hotpot was served, she couldn’t wait to grab her chopsticks and start eating.

Amidst the steam, she enjoyed herself, praising the taste.

Seeing Wen Wan occasionally glance outside, Lin Xiaoyue looked puzzled: "What are you looking at?"

Wen Wan gestured with her eyes toward the carriage stopped in front of the silk store across the street, "Can you recognize whose carriage that is?"

Lin Xiaoyue glanced briefly, "There are so many carriages in the Capital, how could I possibly recognize it? Oh wait, why does this carriage look a bit familiar?"

Just as she finished speaking, two people walked out of the silk shop, one of whom was Lady Kang Ding, accompanied by a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl affectionately holding her arm, searing something that made her blush with a shy redness.

Wen Wan instantly recognized her as the girl who, according to her premonition, was going to have her head injured, perhaps a young lady from Kang Ding Bo Mansion.

"Quick, quick, stop eating!" Lin Xiaoyue kept tapping the table, signaling Wen Wan, "Hurry and go after them, otherwise they’ll really leave."

She spoke and stood up, took broken silver from her purse and placed it on the table, not waiting for the shop assistant to give any change, dragged Wen Wan and headed out.

As she stepped over the threshold, Wen Wan turned back, "Didn’t I say I was treating? Why did you pay?"

"Hey, what’s the difference who pays?"

Lin Xiaoyue didn’t mind the matter, her mind was occupied entirely with Lady Kang Ding across the street.

...

Lady Kang Ding didn’t expect to run into these two while shopping, especially Mrs. Song Wen Wan, considering the time at the foot of Mile Mountain, it marks their third "coincidental encounter."

Too many coincidences make it hard not to think too much.

Especially knowing that the foster daughter she had nurtured for nearly a year might be an immediate family of the other party, any slight goodwill Lady Kang Ding previously had towards Wen Wan vanished into thin air, beneath the surface, her gaze was assessing and vigilant.

Wen Wan to some extent perceived the other’s dislike towards her, yet she maintained a smile on her face, "The two of us were just at the hotpot place across the street, sitting by the window, happened to see Madam, came specifically to invite you over for a gathering, not sure if Madam would be free?"

Hotpot is a favorite among the people of the Capital, it seems in this regard there’s no distinction between high and low, noble and commoner; Lady Kang Ding herself enjoys eating it, yet today is not quite fitting.

Shaking her head, she gracefully declined, "No, I still have to take my niece to pick some pretty fabrics, you two enjoy your meal, another day when I have time, I’ll host you both, how about it?"

Wen Wan’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the girl beside her.

This girl is none other than Xue Yinhuan who just came out of the palace recently.

Mrs. Yao of Kang Ding Bo Mansion is the biological sister of Xue Yinhuan’s mother.

Before Xue Yinhuan left the palace, Consort Qing had written a letter to her elder brother, Xue Yinhuan’s father, asking him to quickly arrange a marriage for Xue Yinhuan, mentioning the uneasiness to entrust Huanhuan’s marriage to the stepmother, urging him to personally visit Kang Ding Bo Mansion, asking Huanhuan’s aunt Madam to come forward, help select properly, and not make a mistake.

Today Mrs. Yao took Xue Yinhuan out to buy fabrics for clothes, preparing for the marriage arrangement banquet in a few days.

After finishing speaking, Mrs. Yao introduced to her niece, "On the left is Madam Su, and on the right is Mrs. Song."

Xue Yinhuan paid respects to the two in turn.

Wen Wan nodded politely with a smile.

Lin Xiaoyue felt sorry for her having been through so much trouble during the cold days of pregnancy, worried that she might not have such a good opportunity as the months go on, so she boldly looked at Mrs. Yao, "I heard, Madam’s Fifth Miss at Uncle Mansion is a foster daughter, that time at Mile Mountain we also saw her, that girl looks just like Mrs. Song’s niece who has been missing for nearly a year, can we see her?"

Wen Wan hadn’t expected Lin Xiaoyue would speak so directly, now it’s impossible to take back what’s said, she instinctively glanced at Mrs. Yao’s reaction.

Yet the other party remained an expression of kindness and peace, smilingly saying, "I can understand Mrs. Song’s feelings for losing a niece, but the foster daughter you’ve all seen before, she doesn’t know Mrs. Song. Perhaps, they just look alike?"

Lin Xiaoyue wanted to say what if the girl had an accident and forgot past events, but was caught by Wen Wan’s wrist and subtly shook her head.

Lin Xiaoyue could only smile reluctantly, "Madam is right, perhaps they just look alike, then, what do you think, could we see her? Mrs. Song is pregnant, recently has been unable to eat and sleep well because of this, just let her see someone who resembles, as solace, would you be willing to give a chance?"

Lady Kang Ding did not straightforwardly agree, just looked at Wen Wan in surprise, "Mrs. Song expecting?"

Wen Wan’s face showed a bit of shyness.

"That’s wonderful news, congratulations."

Wen Wan expressed thanks.

Lin Xiaoyue saw the other party’s attitude and felt secretly annoyed, her hand tightly held by Wen Wan grasping her wrist bone.

Xue Yinhuan, who had been silent, saw the urgency in the two’s hearts and said to Mrs. Yao, "Aunt, let them have a look, anyway, the little fifth won’t run anywhere."

Madam originally planned not to take these two back to the mansion, now caught in a predicament by her niece’s words, she twitched the corners of her mouth, "If you’re going, it might take a while, my niece is in the process of arranging her marriage, rushing to make new clothes, we haven’t bought all the material yet."

Wen Wan said, "No worries, we can wait as long as needed."

"Aunt, let’s leave it for today?" Xue Yinhuan suggested, "I happen to be tired of shopping as well, how about you take them back first, I’ll find you another day when free."

"But your new clothes are not made yet!" Madam disagreed, the marriage arrangement banquet is imminent, if not hurry up to get clothes done, there’ll be no time left! 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Then tomorrow." Xue Yinhuan made a tired expression, "I really have no energy to shop any further at the moment."

Madam could not persuade her, so she nodded, "Then I’ll have a carriage take you back."

"No need." Xue Yinhuan refused, "Guangle Street is close to the Minister’s Mansion, it won’t take me long to walk there, don’t worry about me."

Watching her niece walk away, Madam then turned her attention back to Wen Wan and Lin Xiaoyue, "Please, the two of you."

The words were very polite, but to some extent revealed an unwelcome sentiment.

Wen Wan usually isn’t one to shamelessly push, but for the sake of her niece, she had to do so, otherwise without Madam’s approval, she couldn’t easily meet Sanyang.

Arriving at Uncle Mansion via Li Family’s carriage, they quickly reached the mansion.

As if unwilling to disturb others in the mansion, Madam directly took them to the inner courtyard, settled them in the flower hall, and let a servant go call the Fifth Miss.

Taking advantage of Madam’s oversight, Wen Wan whispered next to Lin Xiaoyue, "Today, you offended Madam for me, from now on it might be hard to have any interactions."

Lin Xiaoyue didn’t care, "I was depressed from my miscarriage at home for so long, the one keeping me company every day is you, not her, so I offended her for you, it’s not wrong, right?"

Wen Wan nodded.

"Isn’t that settled then?" Lin Xiaoyue raised her eyebrow, "It’s called being willing to sacrifice for a friend."

"What a messy description?" Wen Wan laughed, half joking.

"I didn’t study much, maybe the expression isn’t very accurate, but in short, that’s the point, as long as you understand me."

Madam on the side saw the two whispering to each other and chuckled slightly, "Coming unexpectedly, I don’t know which tea the two madams prefer, hurriedly had someone prepare some, please try it, if it’s not to your liking, I’ll have it changed."

The two, who were whispering, heard the words and quickly gathered their thoughts, each taking a sip of tea.

Lin Xiaoyue is not someone of refined taste, unable to discern much flavor, while Wen Wan has already spoken calmly, "Lychee Mountain spring water, Junshan Silver Needle, Madam has great taste."