Upon entering the side room of the main house, they saw Old man Qian and Old woman Qian present as well. Qian Sangui was lying slanted on the kang bed, with the elderly couple sitting beside him, inquiring about Lady Wu's attendance at the plum appreciation banquet the day before. Lady Wu and some of the older folks hadn't gone to the triple courtyard after the noon banquet; instead, they went to watch the opera. She was animatedly describing the grandeur of the Eldest Princess Mansion, how imposing the Eldest Princess and the Former Consort were, how attractive the famous actors of the capital city were, and how they were different from the Red Cloud Troupe…
The doors and windows were tightly closed, and two basins of charcoal kept the room very warm. Qian Yixiu and Pan Yue took off their capes, and the children also removed their thick cotton coats from outside.
