Two ke after two quarters of an hour, Jiang Yao and Pei Zheng arrived at the residence hall of Madam Luo.
The moment they stepped into the main hall, Jiang Yao immediately felt the gaze from above. Her steps did not slow, and her expression remained composed.
In contrast, Madam Luo, who was seated, showed a subtle change the instant Jiang Yao appeared.
She felt the room brighten all at once, as though everything around her had become merely a backdrop for the woman before her.
The jewels and fine garments she wore did not appear aged or overbearing on her at all. Instead, they exuded noble elegance, instantly making one understand what it meant to be dazzlingly adorned and radiant beyond measure.
“My son pays respects to Mother.”
Pei Zheng stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting, breaking the silence.
Madam Luo snapped back to attention and studied him. “I heard you caught a chill. How are you now? If you are unwell, you should rest properly. There is no need to rush today’s greetings.”
Pei Zheng replied, “Thank you for your concern, Mother. I have recovered. I did not wish to delay, so I brought Jiang-shi to pay respects and offer tea.”
He then looked toward Jiang Yao.
Receiving the teacup from a servant, Jiang Yao stepped forward, bent slightly, and held it above her head as she presented it:
“Your daughter-in-law, Jiang Yao, greets Mother. Please drink this tea.”
Since Pei Zheng’s father had already passed away, Jiang Yao only needed to offer tea to her mother-in-law, Madam Luo.
But Madam Luo did not take it. Sitting upright in her chair, she maintained the full posture of an elder, intending to give the newly married daughter-in-law a show of authority.
Her slightly wrinkled eyes lowered as she examined Jiang Yao, her tone neither warm nor cold.
“So you are the Jiang family daughter. You do look clever enough, but the most important thing for a woman is her conduct. One must be virtuous, gentle, and proper—”
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Jiang Yao’s legs gave way, and she lurched forward.
If not for Pei Zheng reacting quickly to support her waist, the tea would have splashed directly onto Madam Luo.
Even so, Madam Luo still startled, losing all her earlier composure.
Jiang Yao looked apologetic. “Sorry, my legs are a bit sore. Mother should drink the tea first, or it will go cold.”
Madam Luo stared at her in disbelief. “You—what happened to your manners? You can’t even stand properly for this short a time?”
Jiang Yao sighed. “It’s my first time squatting for so long. Please forgive me. Also, my mother passed away early, so no one properly taught me etiquette.”
That statement made Madam Luo choke slightly.
At that moment, Pei Zheng spoke. “Mother, Jiang-shi is my legally wedded wife.”
The implication was clear: enough is enough.
Seeing her eldest son show her no face, Madam Luo frowned and waved her hand. “Fine, get up.”
“I know your Jiang family is of humble standing and lacks proper rules, but now that you have married into the Pei family, you must follow our customs.”
“Morning and evening greetings are mandatory. Serve your elders, be a proper wife and mother, and maintain gentleness and thrift. Can you do it?”
Jiang Yao blinked. “I’m afraid I cannot.”
“What?”
Madam Luo thought she had misheard and widened her eyes. “Say that again.”
Jiang Yao smiled lightly. “Mother, as for morning and evening greetings, I cannot do it.”
Madam Luo’s face darkened. “What do you mean? Others can do it—why can’t you?”
“Because I—”
Before she could continue, Pei Zheng cut in first. “Mother, Jiang-shi has suffered from hypersomnia since childhood.”
“Hypersomnia?”
Jiang Yao paused. Since when did she have hypersomnia?
Meeting Pei Zheng’s calm and deep gaze, she nodded without changing expression. “The Marquis is correct. I have had hypersomnia since I was young. If I do not sleep enough, I cannot get up. I must sleep until the hour of You and get at least six full hours of sleep. Otherwise, I cannot pay morning respects.”
Madam Luo frowned. “And what happens if you don’t sleep enough?”
Jiang Yao sighed solemnly. “Then it may be harmful to offspring.”
“What?!” Madam Luo was shocked.
Pei Zheng glanced at her sideways.
So she could talk nonsense so smoothly—let’s see how she would justify this.
Jiang Yao spoke seriously, without the slightest guilt.
“If I do not sleep enough, I will be in a bad mood. A bad mood leads to emotional blockage, which harms the liver and lungs. When the liver and lungs are affected, the spleen and stomach will also suffer. Over time, all internal organs will be damaged, and my body will become weak. If my body is weak, I naturally will not be able to conceive children.”
“In short, this condition is neither serious nor trivial. As long as I sleep enough and do not force myself to wake early, it can be resolved.”
She spoke with complete seriousness, as though she truly believed every word.
Because in her mind, it was indeed logical—even if not directly, then indirectly.
Madam Luo was stunned. “Nonsense! I have never heard of such a thing. Are you deceiving me?”
Jiang Yao smiled. “The world is vast and full of wonders. Now you have heard of it, haven’t you?”
Madam Luo remained skeptical, but seeing that her son did not object and thinking of something else, she eventually relented.
“Fine. Everything must prioritize offspring.”
Once she gave birth, she would deal with her properly!
Just then, servants announced that the second and third madams had arrived.
Madam Luo said, “Zheng’er, you may return first. I still have matters to discuss with the daughters-in-law.”
Pei Zheng glanced at Jiang Yao. Seeing her already sitting and drinking tea without any concern, he nodded and left.
Shortly after, three women entered in succession.
The first two were married women in their twenties, while the third was a teenage girl who had not yet married.
The moment they entered, all three were drawn to Jiang Yao, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Rumors had spread since last night that the new Madam Jiang was a peerless beauty. They had assumed the servants were exaggerating.
But now they realized it was not an exaggeration at all.
“So this must be the new eldest sister-in-law? She looks so young—I almost feel embarrassed calling you sister-in-law.”
The first to speak was a gentle-looking woman with a rounded pregnant belly, though her limbs remained slender.
She smiled as she approached. “My surname is Xue, given name Jiao. You may call me Jiao-niang.”
Seeing her pregnant state, Jiang Yao instinctively stood to support her and smiled back. “My name is Jiang Yao. You can call me by my name.”
Xue Jiao blinked. “Which ‘Yao’? As in beautiful jade?”
“No,” Jiang Yao smiled. “The ‘Yao’ in Yao, Shun, and Yu.”
Xue Jiao paused. “What a good name.”
At first glance, seeing a woman, she had assumed it was the character for “beautiful jade.”
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the room.
“Fox-like face.”
The sound was neither loud nor soft, but it stood out clearly.
Jiang Yao immediately locked onto the source.
She glanced over and replied without politeness, “A fox-face is still better than your flat pancake face. Or should I say baked flatbread? Sprinkle a few sesame seeds and it becomes sesame flatbread.”
“As for sesame flatbread… Lü Fei, I suddenly want the sesame flatbread from Aunt Hu’s shop on Tianxiang Street.”
Her expression turned nostalgic.
Lü Fei’s mouth twitched. “……”
Madam, please restrain yourself. Can’t you see Miss Mingrong’s face has already turned green?