"Make peace, my foot!" Wang Shi thought to herself. But today was Nuan'er's big day, and she couldn't afford to be too unrestrained. Despite her intense annoyance with them, she still had to force a smile. "Mother, that's not what I meant. There's a specific time for a wedding procession, and it's not good to miss the auspicious hour. Qing'er is going in to apologize, and it's not something that can be settled in just a few words with all their back and forth."
Lu Shi let out a cold snort. "Qing'er has always been sensible. Could she possibly cause a delay? Nuan'er should be getting ready, and Qing'er should say what she needs to say."
Wang Shi felt a knot in her stomach. That old hag, was she here to see them off or to deliberately cause trouble? She was taking advantage of the many outsiders present today, knowing that Wang Shi wouldn't dare to make a scene to save Nuan'er's face.
Tang Shi tugged at Wang Shi's hand, her eyes conveying reassurance. "It's just a few words."
Qi Zhenzhen couldn't understand why Li Qing insisted on bringing this up at this particular moment. However, with so many people present, it was indeed not the time to escalate the situation. As long as the auspicious hour hadn't passed, it would be best to get it over with quickly and not cause any delays.
Bai Shi had gone in with others. Qi Zhenzhen and Li Rou had also wanted to go in, but Lu Shi stopped them. "Qing'er is shy. You two shouldn't follow. Let the sisters have a good talk!"
Qi Zhenzhen thought that they were at the Li residence, and there were servants inside, so she didn't insist on following.
"Her heart is truly biased towards her armpit. She can't stand to see our second branch do well. Today is a joyous occasion, and I should entertain her properly. Yet, she insists on talking about apologies. If she truly had this intention, what was she doing before?" Wang Shi walked out with Tang Shi. There were many guests coming and going today, and they had to go out to greet them, so they weren't attending to Lu Shi personally.
"I hope the Old Madam can be more peaceful and not cause any unpleasant incidents," Tang Shi said in a low voice. With so many guests coming and going today, if the Old Madam caused a scene, it would not only be a loss of face for the Li family but also for the Qian family. She could only hope that this elder knew the gravity of the situation and would discuss any matters after today.
Bai Shi and her daughter were also quite talkative. Even the good-natured Li Nuan was starting to feel overwhelmed and wished for the auspicious hour to arrive quickly.
Wang Shi had urged them from outside several times before the mother and daughter finally emerged from the room.
Bai Shi helped Li Qing, observing that her eyes were vacant and her steps were a bit unsteady.
"What's wrong with Qing'er?" Wang Shi asked.
"The two of them grew up together and have a deep bond. Although there were some unpleasantness before, now that Nuan'er is about to leave home, can those unpleasantries still be held onto? So, she feels she did too much wrong in the past, and her heart is filled with guilt, which made her cry for a while. Her eyes hurt so much now that she can barely open them. Daughter-in-law, please send someone to lead us to rest for a bit," Bai Shi said with a sigh.
"What a performance!" Wang Shi thought disdainfully, but she didn't show it. She beckoned a young maid and asked her to lead them to rest.
Qi Zhenzhen glanced at Bai Shi and Li Qing, feeling something was amiss. What kind of person was Li Qing? She was arrogant and overbearing, always asserting her status as the legitimate daughter, and she had always looked down on them. This act was too much, wasn't it?
Wang Shi and Tang Shi entered the room. Li Nuan had already finished getting ready and was sitting on the bed, her head bowed, looking shy.
"Our Nuan'er is so beautiful. With makeup, she's even more stunning," Wang Shi praised.
Tang Shi felt a pang of emotion, tears welling up in her eyes. Her daughter was about to leave home and would soon belong to another family. After raising her for so long, she truly couldn't bear to part with her. Although the Qian family had a good reputation, at this critical moment, her heart was truly unsettled. She could only hope that her daughter would have a smooth and happy life in the Qian family.