An Lingrong after rebirth

On this day, An Lingrong was embroidering in the courtyard when she suddenly heard footsteps and laughter coming from outside.

An Lingrong looked up and saw a maid dressed in Shen's house clothes walking in behind Lian'er, holding an invitation in her hand. Her steps were light and graceful, like a blooming flower, emitting a faint fragrance.

Lian'er smiled and said to An Lingrong, "Miss! This is the maid from the Shen residence, here to deliver the invitation to Miss Shen!" Her voice was clear and pleasant, with a hint of joy and anticipation.

An Lingrong was slightly startled, a trace of doubt appeared on her face, but she quickly regained her composure. She nodded slightly to show that she understood, and motioned for Lian'er to hand her the invitation.

The maid from the Shen residence took a few steps forward, bowed respectfully to An Lingrong, and then said, "I am Huamei, Miss Shen's personal maid. I have come to visit Miss An today."

After saying this, she bowed again, showing great courtesy. Then, Huamei took out an exquisite invitation from her bosom, handed it to An Lingrong with both hands, and said softly, "This is the invitation that my eldest daughter asked me to send. Please accept it, Miss An."

An Lingrong nodded, then reached out to take the invitation, but Huamei did not let go. Instead, she looked at An Lingrong with a hint of anticipation and nervousness in her eyes.

An Lingrong looked at Huamei with some doubt, only to see Huamei smile slightly and say softly: "My eldest daughter said that she hopes Miss An can open it and take a look herself."

An Lingrong's heart tightened, not knowing what Shen Meizhuang was up to, but she nodded anyway, took the invitation and slowly opened it.

The invitation was written in beautiful calligraphy, inviting An Lingrong to attend a chrysanthemum-viewing banquet, to be held in the garden of the Shen Mansion, on the afternoon of three days later.

An Lingrong looked at the invitation, then looked up at Huamei and asked, "What does this mean?"

Huamei smiled and said gently, "Our eldest daughter said that she knows Miss An is very busy on weekdays, but she can't be too tired, so she wants to invite Miss An to visit her house and have a good rest.

We have a beautiful garden in our house, with many rare chrysanthemums that you can enjoy together, and there are also exquisite delicacies waiting for everyone to taste.

You can also chat about family matters, share each other's interesting stories in life, and relax.

I hope Miss An can accept this invitation and spend a pleasant time with us."

An Lingrong couldn't help but feel warm in her heart after hearing Huamei's words. Although she and Sister Mei had not seen each other for a while, she knew that Sister Mei had always cared about her. Thinking of this, An Lingrong's mood gradually became cheerful.

An Lingrong smiled and said to Huamei, "Please tell your eldest daughter that I will definitely be on time for the appointment."

Huamei smiled and nodded, then said goodbye and left. Lian'er took the invitation, read the contents carefully, and then put it on the table.

An Lingrong sat upright on the chair, her eyes slightly closed, thinking about something in her mind. After a while, she opened her eyes, and a hint of determination flashed in her eyes.

An Lingrong has made up her mind to give Shen Meiyu a special gift at the chrysanthemum viewing banquet - a sachet embroidered by her herself.

An Lingrong devoted herself to the production of the sachet. She carefully selected the softest and most delicate fabrics, and selected silk threads of various colors, striving to make every stitch perfect. In this process, she spent a whole day and finally completed this exquisite sachet.

A blooming chrysanthemum is embroidered on the sachet. The petals are clearly layered and the stamens are clearly visible. It looks lifelike, as if you can almost smell the faint fragrance of the flower.

An Lingrong was very satisfied with her work, and she believed that Sister Shen Mei would definitely like this unique gift.

The chrysanthemum viewing banquet finally began, and the young ladies who received the invitations could not wait to get on their carriages and go to the Shen Mansion to attend this grand banquet. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes, wearing pearls and jade on their heads, and had exquisite makeup, each of them was beautiful and charming.

Special servants had already been arranged at the gate of the Shen Mansion to receive the carriages and guide the guests into the mansion. When the carriages arrived one by one, the servants respectfully greeted each guest and guided them to the garden.

Led by servants, the young ladies of the various mansions gracefully entered the gate of the Shen Mansion. Along the way, they could enjoy the exquisite architecture and garden landscapes in the mansion. The young ladies who had not yet married looked around excitedly, full of curiosity about everything.

After passing through arches and corridors, everyone arrived at the garden. It was decorated like a fairyland, with chrysanthemums blooming everywhere, colorful and fragrant. The maids shuttled among them, serving the ladies enthusiastically and guiding them to find their seats.

There were already quite a few people in the garden. Some of the young ladies were greeting each other and sharing their recent experiences; others were strolling among the flowers, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers. The whole scene was very lively and full of laughter.

When An Lingrong arrived at the Shen Mansion, several young ladies had already arrived. They were enjoying the flowers, chatting, playing chess, or tasting snacks and tea. The atmosphere was joyful and peaceful.

These ladies were all dressed in gorgeous clothes and wore precious jewelry, showing the glory and wealth of their families.

Their faces were delicate and beautiful, and their smiles were sweet and charming, just like flowers blooming in spring. When they saw An Lingrong coming in, they all nodded and invited her to join the party.

An Lingrong smiled and greeted the ladies and expressed her gratitude. She noticed that one of the ladies was sitting by the window playing the guqin, and the beautiful sound of the guqin echoed in the air, intoxicating people.

Another young lady was singing softly on the side; her voice was melodious and beautiful, like the sound of nature.

An Lingrong couldn't help but be attracted by the wonderful music. She stood there quietly, listening to the moving melody, her heart filled with emotion.

Behind Shen Meizhuang followed a long line of maids and servants, all holding trays filled with a variety of fruits, scented teas, exquisite dishes and fine wines. These delicacies were carefully placed on the stone table in the pavilion, making the whole scene look particularly lively and sumptuous.

When Shen Meizhuang approached, she noticed that An Lingrong was standing there quietly, seemingly lost in thought. She smiled and said, "Sister Lingrong, why are you in a daze here? Are you attracted by this beautiful scenery?" Her voice revealed a kind of intimacy and concern that made people feel warm.

Shen Meizhuang walked over to An Lingrong and gently patted her shoulder, showing her friendliness and closeness. She continued, "We are here today to enjoy this wonderful time together and relax. So, don't always stand there in a daze, come and chat with us."

Shen Meizhuang enthusiastically introduced An Lingrong to the ladies present: "This is An Lingrong, the daughter of An Bihuai from Songyang County."

After hearing the news, the ladies around stood up and introduced themselves to An Lingrong with a smile. They each reported their names and family backgrounds, their voices were clear and pleasant, making people feel very cordial.

One of the ladies in pink was the first to speak: "My name is Fang Chunyi, and my father is the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple." Then, another lady in a light blue skirt also smiled and said: "My name is Liu Lingxian, and my father is the Chief Censor."

Other young ladies followed suit, reporting their names and family situations one by one. The whole scene was very lively, and everyone was full of curiosity and a friendly atmosphere.

An Lingrong was a little nervous, but she tried to stay calm, smiling and responding to each lady's greetings, and politely expressing her gratitude. At this moment, she felt the enthusiasm and friendliness of these ladies from famous families, and the restraint in her heart gradually dissipated.

One of the young ladies said, "I've heard for a long time that the Songyang An family has a gentle and dignified daughter. Today I see that she is indeed the case. Sister Lingrong, please take a seat." Hearing this, An Lingrong felt a warm current in her heart and she looked at the young lady with gratitude.

After the introduction, everyone began to taste the food, admire the chrysanthemums, and chat happily. An Lingrong communicated with everyone from time to time, talking about poetry, chess, calligraphy and painting, and the pavilion was immediately filled with laughter.

At the end of the banquet, An Lingrong gave Meizhuang the gift she had prepared. Meizhuang took the gift and showed a look of surprise on her face.

Shen Meizhuang opened the box and saw the jade bracelet inside. She couldn't help but admire it: "Lingrong, you are so polite. This jade bracelet is so exquisite, I like it very much. Thank you!"

An Lingrong smiled and said, "Sister Mei, this is just a small token of my appreciation.

"Sisters don't have to be so formal." Mei Zhuang gently stroked the jade bracelet, her eyes full of love.

At this time, it was getting dark, and the sisters said goodbye one after another. An Lingrong, Meizhuang, and Zhen Huan walked out of the Shen Mansion side by side, chatting as they walked, just like real sisters.

Before they parted, Mei Zhuang once again tightly held An Lingrong's hand and said, "When you are free, come visit us often." Lingrong nodded and said, "Okay, take care, Sister Mei." As the carriage went farther and farther away, An Lingrong's heart was filled with anticipation for the future.

An Lingrong returned to her courtyard in the capital, feeling happy. She recalled every detail of the chrysanthemum viewing banquet, especially the gathering with Mei Jie and her sisters, which made her feel extremely warm.

The next morning, An Lingrong was embroidering in her boudoir when she heard a knock on the door. She put down her needlework and went to open the door. When she opened the door, she saw Mei Zhuang's maid standing at the door, holding an exquisite food box.

"Miss An, these are some desserts and snacks that our young lady asked me to bring to you." The maid said with a smile and handed the food box to An Lingrong.

An Lingrong took the food box and opened it. It was filled with all kinds of delicious food, including pine nut cakes, rice cakes and other desserts. These were all made by Mei Zhuang herself and tasted very delicious.

"Thank you. Please give my regards to your young lady for me." An Lingrong said gratefully.

The maid nodded and turned away. An Lingrong looked at the food in the food box and was touched. She knew that the food was not just a gift, but also a token of Mei Jie's love for her.

An Lingrong picked up a piece of pine nut cake and put it in her mouth to taste it carefully. The cake had a delicate texture, sweet but not greasy, which made her feel extremely satisfied. She took another bite of the rice cake, which was full of rice fragrance and left a lasting aftertaste.

After finishing the snack, An Lingrong thought about what she had asked Ling Yun to do a few days ago! Then she called out Ling Yun!

Ling Yun's subordinate appeared and said: "Miss, you want to ask about buying this yard! The owner agreed to sell the house. They don't live in it, and it's idle anyway, so they'll sell it to you!"

I also want to ask if the lady has time to register and transfer the name of the landlord! An Lingrong said to arrange it and confirm it. Lingyun agreed and left!

An Lingrong was overjoyed, she finally had her own residence, which meant she could live more freely without being restricted or disturbed by others.

She decided to plan the yard well and make it a warm and comfortable home. In the following days, An Lingrong was busy and fulfilled.

She personally participated in the layout of the yard, planting flowers and plants, placing tables and chairs, and hanging calligraphy and paintings. She poured her efforts and ingenuity into every detail.

An Lingrong also continued to practice embroidery and improve her skills, constantly drawing new samples of clothing and new sachets to bring to her uncles.

Soon, the courtyard was completely renewed and full of life and vitality. In this small world, An Lingrong felt unprecedented peace and satisfaction.