Although Mother Zhang had mentioned Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang, Liu Zhen attended class with them, so if she was to call for them, she had to call for all of them. Madam Zhang understood this bit of social etiquette, so she sent a maidservant over to summon the three sisters who were in the middle of their lesson. Liu Nan was often away from the residence during the day lately, usually off messing around with his third uncle, so Madam Zhang didn't make a special effort to call him back.

Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang hadn't seen their maternal grandmother in a very long time. Liu Wan still had a faint impression of her, but Liu Zhuang had forgotten completely. They followed Liu Zhen inside and immediately saw the old woman sitting next to their mother, Madam Zhang. Her face was old and haggard, and her clothes were drab and shabby.

"This is my mother, your grandmother. Come and pay your respects!" Madam Zhang said with a smile, her good mood causing her to overlook the strange expressions on her two daughters' faces.

The three, Liu Zhen included, bowed in unison. Mother Zhang acknowledged them with a smile and beckoned them closer, but she was unwilling to put down Liu Jin, who was in her arms. She could only free one hand to pull one girl's hand and pat the other's head.

Mother Zhang's hands were shriveled and rough, bearing the marks of years of heavy, coarse labor. To be touched on the face by such hands was likely not very comfortable, Liu Zhen thought, because she saw Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang flinch instinctively when Mother Zhang stroked them, their faces showing none of the joy of meeting their grandmother.

This was hardly surprising. It wasn't as if they had spent years together. Children were sensitive yet forgetful creatures. They hadn't even developed much affection for their paternal grandfather's family, whom they used to visit frequently to pay their respects, let alone their maternal grandmother whom they saw only a few times a year.

Perhaps because Liu Zhen was not Madam Zhang's biological daughter, Mother Zhang only smiled at her and asked a few questions, not reaching out to stroke her face as she had with Liu Wan and the others.

If her birth mother were still alive, she would surely have a maternal grandfather and grandmother now, too. Liu Zhen's mind wandered for a moment, recalling that her father seemed to have said that after her birth mother died, they had cut off all contact with her maternal family.

The studies these past days had not been without results. At the very least, the three girls, Liu Zhen included, were able to greet Mother Zhang and sit there properly for half the day with impeccable etiquette.

Madam Zhang looked at the three girls' conduct and was also very pleased. She felt more and more that hiring Madam Han to teach her daughters had been the right decision. "Do you have any more lessons today?"

Liu Zhen said: "When our Tutor heard that Grandmother had arrived, she excused us from our lessons for the day and told us to come accompany Grandmother."

Madam Zhang nodded with a smile. "In that case, let's have the noon meal here together. If there's anything you want to eat, just tell Ah Lu. She will naturally instruct the kitchens to prepare it."

It wasn't just the three Liu Zhen sisters who had been disciplined; even Madam Zhang, influenced by her surroundings, was developing more and more the air of a household's matriarch.

The three sisters agreed in unison and accompanied their mother and grandmother, making idle chitchat until it was time to eat.

To entertain her mother, Madam Zhang went to great lengths, specifically instructing Ah Lu to prepare and serve all the best dishes. Ultimately, she harbored a subtle desire of the newly rich to eagerly show off.

Seeing the dishes being served one after another, Mother Zhang's eyes were indeed glued to them, unwilling to even look away.

She pointed to the ear-cup in front of her and asked, "What is this?"

Madam Zhang smiled and said, "This is called Tu. It's a beverage much like syrup wine, and it's said to be refreshing and revitalizing. Mother, why don't you try some?"

In truth, it was tea, but at the time, the word for tea didn't exist; people generally called it Tu. Although tea leaves originated with Shennong, the popular beverages of the era were various syrups and wines. Historically, tea would not become popular until the Three Kingdoms period. At this time, tea was still a rarity, so it wasn't strange at all that Mother Zhang didn't recognize it.

Hearing it was so miraculous, Mother Zhang couldn't resist picking it up with both hands and taking a large gulp. The next moment, her entire face scrunched up, and she immediately began to cough and choke loudly.

Liu Zhuang giggled. Liu Wan, with slightly better self-control, also couldn't help but turn her head and cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"This... this is too bitter!" The granddaughter's laughter held no malice, and Mother Zhang didn't mind. She just clicked her tongue and said, "How can it taste so strange? If you hadn't told me, I would have thought it was bitter medicine!"

Madam Zhang actually couldn't get used to the stuff either, but she still said to her mother, "They say good medicine tastes bitter, and only intelligent people drink it. This Tu was originally a medicine, and besides, it's not something one can drink just anytime. It was a gift from Mr. Song for the Governer to try. If Mother hadn't come, I wouldn't have been willing to take it out."

Liu Zhen also said, "Grandmother, Mother is right. Although this Tu is bitter, it is beneficial for one's health."

Madam Zhang laughed, "Look, Ah Zhen says so too. She's the one who reads the most. Since she says so, it must be true!"

Mother Zhang quickly waved her hands. "Enough, enough! I really can't get used to this taste. Let's not waste it. Since it's so good, let Ah Zhen and Ah Wan drink it!"

Liu Zhuang quickly whispered loudly, "I don't want it, I don't want it! I don't like drinking Tu either!"

"Since when was it your turn to speak!" Madam Zhang shot her a glare and said to Mother Zhang, "If Mother doesn't like it, I'll just have someone change it. Ah Lu, bring another pot of honey syrup and osmanthus syrup. Let Mother choose which one she'd like!"

Ah Lu answered in the affirmative. Soon, two more types of beverages appeared on the dining table. Madam Zhang didn't rely on servants but diligently waited on her mother herself. However, the most lavish meal the Zhang family usually had was just millet cooked with lamb; how could they have ever seen such a wide variety of dishes? Mother Zhang was dazzled. In the end, she looked more than she ate, her mouth clicking in amazement. Even after the meal, she couldn't stop sighing with emotion, feeling that her daughter had truly married the right person and was living a good life.

Mother Zhang sighed and, thinking of her ill-fated third daughter, couldn't help but say tearfully, "Your poor third younger sister... she's lost her husband. I don't know how she will get by in the future!"

Madam Zhang was greatly surprised. "When did this happen? I didn't even know!"

The meal was over, and the subsequent topic was not suitable for children to overhear. Madam Zhang had someone take Liu Jin away and then dismissed Liu Zhen and the others before questioning her mother in detail.

Mother Zhang said: "It happened after you all went up the mountain. When you left Xiang Town, you didn't come to say goodbye. Your father and I couldn't just go looking for you rashly, for fear of causing you trouble, so we weren't able to tell you sooner."

Her words were tinged with complaint. Madam Zhang didn't have time to dwell on it and asked again, "Mother, please tell me the details!"

So Mother Zhang explained that after her third younger sister had married, she had been living quite well. Her husband's family owned land, and although they weren't wealthy, they at least had no worries about food and clothing. But for some reason, last year her husband fell suddenly ill and passed away quickly. Her third sister was left all alone, without any children, and was immediately driven out by her husband's family. Now she could only stay with her maiden family.

Madam Zhang sighed along with her mother for a while, then asked, "Has Third Sister found a family to remarry into?"

In this era, there was no emphasis on female chastity. In the countryside, there were countless men and women who, upon finding mutual attraction, would directly make the sky their quilt and the earth their bed for a passionate encounter before going their separate ways to marry. Widows who remarried were even more common, a practice the world viewed as perfectly ordinary. That was why Madam Zhang asked this question.

Mother Zhang shook her head. "Your third sister is heartbroken and says there's no hurry. Your father and I can't very well force her. Although our family is poor, we can still afford to support one daughter."

After a pause, Mother Zhang sighed, wiped her tears, and said, "Now that your husband is a Governer, your father and I have never seen such a high-ranking official in all our lives. I imagine that with your husband's ability, it would be easy to find a husband for your third sister. So I thought I would brazenly ask for your help. Your third sister is still young. Your father and I really can't bear to see her waste her best years in her maiden home!"

Madam Zhang said: "Since Mother has asked, how could I dare refuse? Not to mention, Third Sister and I are sisters. I will naturally do my best in this matter!"

Only then did Mother Zhang's tears turn to smiles. "I knew you were a filial daughter. It's only right that you married such a good husband!"

Madam Zhang said, "Since Third Sister is living at home, why didn't Mother bring her along this time?"

Mother Zhang said reproachfully, "Wasn't I afraid of causing you trouble?"

Madam Zhang smiled. "Mother, there's no need to be so cautious. I can make the decisions in the Governer's Residence now. Tomorrow, I will send someone to bring my sister here!"

Mother Zhang was overjoyed. "That would be wonderful!"

The mother and daughter chatted about some household trifles. Madam Zhang recalled Madam Han's previous evaluation of Liu Zhen and couldn't help but confide in her mother, "Ah Zhen has always had her own ideas since she was little, I never had to worry about her in the slightest. I originally thought that was a good thing, but unexpectedly, this sort of problem has cropped up. They all say it's hard to be a stepmother, and now I see it's absolutely true. I haven't disciplined her as I have Ah Wan and Ah Zhuang, and now I don't know what to do!"

Mother Zhang laughed. "When Ah Zhen was with Ah Wan and the others just now, she seemed much more sensible and courteous than they did. That's also a credit to your teaching. Although she is not your birth daughter, she has grown up under your care since childhood. If you speak of a barrier, it's really just the one that separates your womb from her!"

Madam Zhang nodded. "What Mother says is right. But even if she is at fault, I can't scold her as freely as I do Ah Wan and the others. Ah, this sense of propriety is such a headache!"

She had originally wanted to tell her mother what Madam Han had said, as well as her own subsequent conversation with Liu Zhen, but on second thought, her mother might not understand, so she could only gloss over it with a few vague words.

Mother Zhang said, "You are your father's eldest daughter, so we paid much more attention to you than to your three younger sisters. By the same token, Ah Zhen is the Governer's eldest daughter. If you discuss it with the Governer, he surely won't ignore it."

Madam Zhang had a sudden realization. "Thank you for your guidance, Mother!"

That night, Madam Zhang told Liu Yuan about the matter. Who would have thought that Liu Yuan would not only disagree but would say instead, "The way I see it, Ah Zhen is not wrong. Although I am now the Governer of Yingchuan Commandery and you all enjoy wealth and status with me, there are countless people waiting to see us become a laughingstock. If I make the slightest mistake, wouldn't you have to go back to the bitter days of the past? In the future, have Madam Han instill less of that royal and noble nonsense in them, lest Ah Wan and Ah Zhuang develop the fault of having high standards but low abilities!"

Madam Zhang grew nervous upon hearing this. "What? Is someone still trying to harm you, my husband? Didn't I hear that the rebel armies have already fought their way to Xianyang? The Qin army is retreating at every turn, what is there to fear?"

"They haven't entered Xianyang yet, only reached the lands of Xi!" Liu Yuan had no interest in giving her a long-winded explanation. Besides, even if he explained, Madam Zhang might not understand. So he said impatiently, "In any case, that Madam Han is an outsider. You don't need to listen to her so much!"

Madam Zhang was displeased. "But Governess Han was recommended to me by you, my husband. Now you turn around and say she's no good!"

Liu Yuan said, "You are gullible, always believing whatever you hear. Remember when the County Magistrate of Changshe County sent people up the mountain to welcome you? If Ah Zhen hadn't stopped you in time and burned those clothes, you would have worn them down the mountain. Thanks to Ah Zhen's clear-headedness, we didn't give people the impression that you were living luxuriously on the mountain. Ah Zhen is intelligent and willing to settle down and study. She's a hundred times better than Ah Nan. It's a pity she wasn't born a boy, otherwise, what would be wrong with me keeping her by my side every day? Now that you have her with you, you should ask for her opinion more often when things come up."

Madam Zhang had originally intended to have Liu Yuan speak to Liu Zhen, but instead, she got a harsh lecture from him, and he even brought up her past mistakes. She was angry and couldn't help but say, "Ever since I married into the Liu family, we were dirt poor. The household finances were only maintained by supplementing them with my dowry, just enough to get by. Now my husband has become a Governer, and you turn around and lecture me about everything! No matter how intelligent Ah Zhen is, she is still a child. Where is the logic in a child lecturing her parents?!"

Liu Yuan couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Lately, he had been completely engrossed in familiarizing himself with his official duties. He left early and returned late, and also had to cram cultural knowledge under the guidance of Song Xie. He wished every day had twelve two-hour periods to use. He hadn't even visited the two concubines in the rear courtyard in a long time, let alone argued with Madam Zhang.

His response was to lie down, pull up the quilt, and fall asleep in a second.

Madam Zhang was furious but helpless.

Nothing more was said that night.

The two failed to reach an agreement on their daughter's education. The next morning, Liu Yuan went to work early again.

Madam Zhang's daily life was usually rather monotonous. The household wasn't large, so there were few chores to worry about. The servants that had once been a headache for her were now managed by two stewards, and everything was in good order. The two concubines were as good as invisible and posed no threat whatsoever. Madam Zhang didn't even have to attend lessons and study like Liu Zhen and the others, so her days were even more leisurely. Now, with her mother for company, things were a bit better.

Madam Zhang looked forward to the people she had sent out bringing her third sister over soon, which would make the house livelier.

Seeing her boredom, Mother Zhang said, "I've heard that those great aristocratic families hold banquets from time to time to network and foster relationships. You are now the Governer's formal wife. If the Governer permits, you could also host such a banquet. Invite the female relatives of the prestigious families of Yingchuan. For one, it would alleviate your boredom, and for another, you could help your Governer build some connections."

Reminded by her mother, Madam Zhang's eyes lit up. She felt as though a door to a new world had been opened for her. Before this, she truly had never thought in this direction.

She summoned Steward Jiang and had him take out all the gifts that others had sent before.

The gifts had all been unwrapped, but the boxes and name cards had been kept. Liu Yuan hadn't forbidden her from accepting gifts before, so Madam Zhang had naturally accepted them all. However, she had at least had the foresight to have Steward Jiang keep all the name cards, which were finally proving useful.

Madam Zhang didn't know many characters, so Steward Jiang read the cards to her one by one. The more she listened, the more astounded she became. It turned out that even the residence of Song Xie, whom Liu Yuan now respected as his teacher, had sent someone with a gift. It was just that back then, she was still scrambling to manage the Governer's Residence and had no time to attend to these social obligations. Looking at them now, she realized how impolite she had been.

With this in mind, Madam Zhang began to consider hosting a banquet. Firstly, it would be a way to return the courtesy. Secondly, as her mother had said, it could help build relationships with the families of Liu Yuan's subordinates. And thirdly, of course, Madam Zhang harbored a tiny bit of a desire to show off, but with such respectable reasons up front, this little thought was not worth mentioning to outsiders.

She was cautious enough to ask Liu Yuan first. Of course, he wouldn't concern himself with such a minor affair, so he had no objections. Madam Zhang then went to ask Madam Han, who agreed and even offered to help.

And so, the first banquet since the Liu family took over the Governer's Residence came to be.