"Jiejie I have something to ask you"
"Meimei! It's been so long the last time I saw you. Come sit down. What is it?"
Yunning looked at her sister and blushed in embarrassment. Truthfully she didn't want to ask anything from Ming Shu, who always gave her so much, but her mother spent the whole night emphasizing the importance of the request.
"Eh- I-I heard that Madam Wang's birthday is close. I never went to any big party. Could you take me?"
Yunning mechanically repeated the words that her mother repeated over and over. She hoped that her sister would deny her request, so this farce can be done with.
Ming Shu looked at the weird behaviour of her sister and resisted the urge to chuckle. Her Meimei dislikes rowdy places and leaving the house, for her to request to go to such a big party, it was clear that Lady Ye was behind it.
A sparkle of mischievous flashed in Ming Shu's eyes.
"Sure Meimei! It will be fun! I'm sure many people will be there and you can make new acquaintances. Isn't it great?"
Yunning's face paled. No! She never wished her Jiejie didn't dote on her like now. Because she was a gentle child, a lot of peers of their age like to flock around her, and she really hated the feeling of being surrounded. It was suffocating and scary. That's why she always avoided the big parties like a plague.
Yunning looked at her sister with watery eyes and a pleading face.
"Jiejie..."
Ming Shu patted her head and laughed at the spoiled behaviour.
"Yunning you need to interact more with people of our age. You only have one friend and is that annoying Mo Meihui. You should expand your connections, don't you think?"
"You are wrong! I have two! Meihui-jie and you Jiejie"
Ming Shu pinched Yunning's little nose.
"Silly, go. Your mother said to you to befriend Wang Fangyi right? She's a nice girl, I'm sure you will like her"
"But if Mother..."
"Don't worry Meimei, you become friends with her benefits me too. She's been distancing herself from me and if you become her friend, you can know why"
Ming Yunning felt that it placed an even heavy burden on her. Since when she became a spy for her mother and sister?
————
Festive decorations filled the Wang Manor. Since an hour ago, carriages didn't stop coming. As one of the most influential households in the capital, Wang's parties are always highly sought by anyone who wishes to meddle in the officialdom.
Because it was the 50th birthday of the Old Madam Wang, a huge party was expected and they anticipated the presence of royalty.
Ming Shu arrived in the same carriage with her sister and Old Madam Ming, while her mother accompanied Grandma Li instead.
Normally, she would go with the Li Family and her mother with the Ming, but since Yunning also came, Ming Shu kept her company.
"Both of you should act like a proper Miss from the Ming Family, hear me? Don't shame my old face here"
Both sisters bowed a little to their grandma.
" " this granddaughter understands " "
With a humph, Old Madam Ming turned and walked to the entrance with her two grandchildren following in the back.
They went directly to Old Madam Wang to give her congratulations.
"Old Madam Wang congratulations on your 50th birthday"
Old Madam Ming bowed to her junior in respect. Although older than the Wang matron, she really had an enormous admiration for the woman in front of her, who even through the tragic death of her husband didn't let the family falter and maintained their high status. She was the true master of the Wang Family, and if she says go east, no one in the Wang would dare to go west.
"I thank the Ming Family. Oh, Xiao Shu, you came! I thought you had forgotten this old pile of bones!"
Ming Shu chuckled at the exaggerated performance in front of her. If people who saw it didn't know better, they would have thought she was bullying the older generation.
"How could I Grandma Wang? A face beautiful as yours no one can forget in a lifetime"
"What sweet talker! That old hag said you became cuter, but I didn't quite believe her, but seeing you know I know she was right"
Grandma Wang was the same as Ming Shu remembered, willful, and jovial. She eyed her grandma who was dissatisfied with the disregard shown by the birthday madam and was sending glares on her way.
"Grandma Wang, me and my sister made a birthday present for you. Our Grandma thought it would match your taste"
Ming Shu beckoned her grandma's maid to bring the present. The box in which the present was in was very eye-catching. Made by Yue-ware, it had many thin patterns all over.
"To think something made by Xiao Shu would be gifted to me! Haha, I'll be sure to brag to the old hag. Quickly let me see"
When Wang Yiren (Old Madam) opened the present, she gasped at the marvellous gift, making the two makers smile proudly.
Madam Ming was really impressed with the double embroidery made on her birthday, and with both of her granddaughters learning embroidery, she suggested that they make a piece for Madam Wang's birthday.
The two sisters dedicated a week with poor sleep to the piece presented to Wang Yiren. The result was a Suzhou masterpiece, worth of the royalty. One side had the 'mountains and a river' in the summer with different colours of line, and the other had the same theme but in the winter, made by only silver, white and black line.
Each of the sides had a poem in different calligraphies, giving the whole piece a final touch.
Was amazing that two young Misses could make such a breathtaking present. It made all the people close to the Old Madam Wang showered the two girls with praises, which made the two Old Madams (Wang and Ming) and the two sisters beam with pride.
"Oh, I didn't know you could do this meticulous work Shu'er. Last time I saw you, you could barely embroider your name right. I'm sincerely impressed"