Chapter 322: Acquaintance

Chapter 322: Acquaintance
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Seeing Jiang Gui’s wife so upset that she couldn’t speak, Jiang Xia kindly said, “Auntie, your makeup is smudged. When your brother-in-law’s family arrives, you’ll be embarrassed looking like this.”
Startled, Jiang Gui’s wife quickly touched her face. Her panicking expression made her look even uglier.
At that moment, Jiang Hong also came out of the house. Seeing this mother-daughter pair, Jiang Xia thought: from their appearance to their attire, no one would doubt they’re from the same family.
Their foundation was so thick it seemed thicker than a city wall. It made them look ghostly. The blush on their cheeks was so intense it almost matched the red lanterns hanging at the door. Their eyes were tiny, like small slits, and their overall makeup looked greasy!
Jiang Hong had all her hair tied back, leaving a thick, straight fringe in front. She wore a red hairband.
Jiang Xia wondered, “City girls dress this way and look good. Why does it look so awkward on Jiang Hong?”
Jiang Gui’s wife quickly approached Jiang Hong and asked, “Jiang Hong, is my makeup smudged?”
“Ah! It really is! Mom, you better go inside and fix it quickly; they’ll be here soon!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Gui’s wife rushed inside.
Old Madam Jiang realized these three weren’t here to help but to cause trouble and freeload.
She began to shoo them away, “If you three don’t want to help, just go home and don’t be in the way.”
“Oh? I heard Old Madam Jiang scolding someone as soon as I enter. Who is she talking about now?” A voice interrupted. Zhou Lan looked and saw it was the village chief’s wife.
Without a doubt, she was here to back up Zhou Lan.
Today was Jiang Hong’s engagement day. The Old Jiang family, known for showing off, would have surely sent invitations throughout the village given their daughter was marrying into the city.
The village chief was busy farming in the fields that morning and asked his wife to wait for him so they could go together. However, the chief’s wife, worried that Zhou Lan might be bullied by the old Jiang family, so she came by herself since the chief didn’t return by midday.
In front of the village chief’s wife, Zhou Lan didn’t want to cause a scene and harm her image. She played the peacemaker, “You’ve misunderstood. My mother was just telling me to find a table to sit at and wait for lunch. Isn’t that right, mother?”
After saying this, Zhou Lan looked maliciously at Old Mada Jiang.
In front of the village chief’s wife, the old madam couldn’t deny it. She could only watch as the three women, without lifting a finger to help, not only angered everyone but also took their seats, ready to freeload off the meal.
The old madam grunted from her nose, sounding very reluctant. Zhou Lan didn’t care and, taking the village chief’s wife by the arm, sat at a table to the left of the main table.
Apart from the main table, this one received dishes the fastest. It was in line with the status of the village chief’s wife and also elevated the status of the third household.
The main table was reserved for the engaged couple and their parents. The eldest household’s children and the second household sat on either side of the main table. The third and second households dined together, giving them an appearance of hosts in the eyes of outsiders.
Just as they had settled, a clamor of gongs and drums was heard from outside; it seemed the groom’s side had arrived.
The old madam quickly put on a smile and hurriedly went out to greet them. Jiang Gui’s wife also rushed out of the house at top speed, assisting the old madam outside.
Thinking that she was also part of the family, Zhou Lan felt it wasn’t appropriate to just sit idle. So she, along with her two daughters, moved closer to the door.
Upon looking, Jiang Xia recognized a familiar face. It was Lin Xia, the haughty woman from the city they had met on the bus their first time. The young woman who loved to be flattered and looked down on everyone.
Judging by her expression, Lin Xia had also recognized Jiang Xia.
However, both pretended not to know each other and didn’t reveal their connections. Jiang Xia didn’t want others to know about their trips to sell vegetables in the city, and Lin Xia didn’t want to bring up the embarrassing incident from the bus ride.
The groom’s side brought five people: Lin’s parents, the groom Lin Yi, the matchmaker Madam Wu, and the groom’s younger sister, Lin Xia.
Jiang Xia noticed that the expression on Lin’s mother’s face wasn’t too pleased; she probably didn’t think highly of Jiang Hong.
Madam Wu kept whispering praises in Lin’s mother’s ear, “Look at her figure, such wide hips; she’ll surely bear sons!”
Only then did Lin’s mother stop her displeased murmurs. After all, it was she who had agreed to the marriage without meeting the bride, leading to this awkward situation..