northernbook Chapter 181 Taking a seat
Chapter 181 Taking a seat
"Dafu, quickly welcome Young Master Nangong and this young lady to their seats," said Master Cheng to the steward standing to the side.
“Yes, Third Master,” the steward Dafu replied.
He stepped forward, gestured for them to come in, and said politely, "Please come in, distinguished guests..."
Stepping into the spacious courtyard, one can see large red "double happiness" characters pasted everywhere on the doors and windows. Rows of bright red lanterns are also neatly hung around the courtyard.
Looking around, the banquet tables and chairs were neatly arranged on both sides of the courtyard. Each table was covered with a red silk cloth and served with melon seeds, candies, tea, and other snacks to entertain guests.
Red cotton curtains hung in the banquet hall, swaying gently in the wind.
The venue was decorated with various red-themed decorations, adding a festive and romantic atmosphere to the otherwise cool courtyard.
The rich aroma of wine and food filled the air, and the faces of the guests were all beaming with joy.
They sat around the table chatting quietly, or stood aside reminiscing and gossiping about everyday things, making the joyful atmosphere even more intense.
Children played and frolicked happily in the yard, their laughter filling the air, creating a lively scene.
The setup at the venue showed that the Cheng family did not decorate the wedding banquet venue simply and hastily because the wedding was being held in a hurry. On the contrary, they attached great importance to it and arranged the venue with great care and attention.
Judging from the number of guests who came to offer their congratulations, this Master Cheng must be a good person, otherwise so many people wouldn't have come to congratulate him.
Because Nangong Ming and Long Chuqing arrived a little late, many guests were already seated at the banquet when they entered the courtyard.
Male and female guests are separated, each seated on one side of the courtyard, with a passageway between them, so they can see each other.
Dafu stopped in his tracks and turned around to say, "Young Master Nangong, let me lead this young lady to a seat. Please wait here for a moment, and I will come back to greet you later."
"No need for that. You can take this young lady there yourself. I can find a seat myself."
Nangong Ming turned to Long Chuqing and said, "I'll wait for you here after lunch."
"Hmm..." Long Chuqing nodded gently.
After watching Dafu lead Long Chuqing away, Nangong Ming walked towards the men's area on his own.
He saw several business owners he knew at the scene and sat down next to them when he saw there were empty seats.
"Hello everyone, you've arrived...quite early!" Nangong Ming greeted them with a cupped-hand salute.
A middle-aged man at the same table spoke up: "Oh...heh...isn't this Young Master Nangong? You actually managed to find time to attend the wedding banquet today? You're quite a rare guest!"
"So it's Mr. Zhou. Please don't tease me. Even someone as busy as you has taken the time to come."
Mr. Zhou waved his hand: "Oh... I can't compare to you. When it comes to busy people, your father is definitely the one."
Mr. Huang, who was sitting on the other side, said, "Speaking of which, when will your father return to Beijing? It's been quite a while since I've seen him."
Nangong Ming replied, "My father should return to the capital before the end of the year."
"Oh, then I will visit your residence after your father returns to the capital."
Nangong Ming smiled politely: "You're certainly welcome..."
Dafu led Long Chuqing to find an empty seat among the female guests.
He smiled and said, "Distinguished guest, please wait here for a moment. The banquet will begin shortly."
Long Chuqing nodded slightly and smiled gently, "Thank you for your trouble."
The women at the table were chatting about everyday matters when they saw Long Chuqing arrive alone, and they greeted her warmly.
A woman sitting next to her asked with a smile, "Young lady, did you come alone?"
Long Chuqing smiled politely and replied, "No, I came with my cousin. He took a seat in the men's section."
"Oh, so that's it!"
Another woman, seeing her beauty and gentle demeanor, asked curiously, "May I ask your surname, young lady? Which family do you belong to? I don't think I've seen you before!"
"My surname is Long." Long Chuqing sighed deeply and said in a helpless tone, "Alas, I am not from the capital and have not been here for long. My hometown was hit by a disaster and my parents and family are no longer here. I have come to the capital to stay with relatives."
Upon hearing this, the woman sighed and said, "Alas... it seems you, young lady, are also a person of hardship!"
Long Chuqing forced a smile with a helpless tone: "Sigh... everything is fate."
The woman on the other side asked, "Is the relative you came to stay with good to you?"
"Whether it's good or not, how should I put it!" Long Chuqing sighed again: "My relative also works in the mansion, and his family is not wealthy."
“I couldn’t just keep eating and drinking for free at his house, so I asked him to help me find a job in the manor so that I could support myself and not be a burden to him. Fortunately, the people in the manor are quite friendly.”
The woman said, "Although it is possible to work in the mansion now, it is not a long-term solution for a young lady to work in someone else's mansion all the time."
Long Chuqing looked at the woman and said with a glint in her eyes, "Now I have no other choice. I can't go back to my hometown. I can only try to make a living in the capital for now."
After hearing this, the woman continued, "Alas, it is truly unsuitable for women in this world." She stared at Long Chuqing for a while and said, "I think it is really a waste for a girl as beautiful as you to do servant's work."
Long Chuqing sighed softly: "What's the use of being good-looking! We still have to live and eat. The only thing we can do now is to find a way to survive."
The woman nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, that's true."
One of the women thought to herself, "Although this girl comes from a poor family, her face and appearance are impeccable."
She secretly thought to herself: This girl is so beautiful, her baby must be very good-looking too, which could improve the family's mediocre appearance.
She placed her hand on the table, leaned forward towards Long Chuqing, and smiled.
“Miss Long, my son is still unmarried. Our family is in business and we are quite well-off!”
"Why don't you consider marrying into our family? After you marry into our family, you can become a young mistress. You won't have to do any work, and you'll be waited on hand and foot!"
Upon hearing this, the women nearby immediately chimed in, each introducing their own sons and the family circumstances of each household.
It turned into a competitive conversation, with everyone talking about how handsome and wealthy their sons were.
Long Chuqing listened, stunned. She couldn't help but wonder: Huh? What's wrong with these ladies? Why are they all acting so unpredictably?
The plot shouldn't be going like this! Shouldn't he stop talking to her after hearing that she works as a servant in the mansion, and then show all sorts of disgust and disdain?