CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: THE PEOPLE AT MEI GARDEN ARE DOWN-TO-EARTH

On the way, Cheng Shi gave Tang Xiaowan a brief introduction to the people of Mei Garden.

Who arrived early, the oldest ones with special skills, daily life, and which people were responsible for the yard management, and who was the most favored by the old lady, and what their names were.

It was only a two-minute walk from the second-floor wardrobe to the first-floor hall. Despite Cheng Shi’s fast speech, Tang Xiaowan remembered everything.

At the stairway entrance, she paused, fixing her hair.

"Does this look okay?"

With a graceful figure and a delicate, powdered face, even her angry voice was soft, sweet, and adorable; such playful charm would make any man’s heart flutter.

Cheng Shi calmly replied, "Very good."

"Ah, mainly because I didn’t sleep well last night, forgot to put something on my face, and left in such a hurry, really a bad move."

"Miss, don’t be nervous, we are all family here."

Tang Xiaowan pursed her lips and nodded.

To say she wasn’t nervous would be a lie; after all, she was just 20 years old, and everything about Mei Garden was vague for her. Suddenly seeing so many people was indeed a bit overwhelming.

What should I say in a bit?

From what Cheng Shi implied, they should all be elder figures; I mustn’t lose my composure later.

Keep it up, I’m the best!

After Tang Xiaowan psyched herself up, she bit her lower lip and then walked towards the hall with a smile.

Because of the suddenness of the event, neither of them had changed their outfits, both wearing sneakers, so their footsteps were very light; if you didn’t listen carefully, you could hardly hear any sound.

However, the situation didn’t develop that way.

A middle-aged man first spotted Tang Xiaowan.

"Miss, look, the Miss has arrived."

But before Tang Xiaowan could begin to greet them, a group of people swarmed up to meet her and then organized themselves to introduce.

Each person’s demeanor was cordial, just like family.

Some of the women even cried, wiping their tears while managing a smile.

Everyone is so warm!

It feels a bit different from the people I met at Li Garden, very down-to-earth.

After the introductions, a beautiful woman suddenly approached Tang Xiaowan, holding her hand tightly, "Miss, you have finally come back, we have been waiting for you. It’s good you are okay, it’s good you are okay."

She then burst into tears, causing Tang Xiaowan to tear up as well.

"Thank you, Yunxia Sister, I’m fine."

Li Yunxia was a tailor. Although only 36 years old, she had already been in Mei Garden for nearly 20 years and mainly made cheongsams and traditional Tang clothing for the late Tang Mei.

Her skills were exquisite and she was quite famous throughout Qingcheng.

She was very kind, and everyone affectionately called her Yunxia Sister.

Even the casual outfit Tang Xiaowan was wearing today had been crafted by her.

A gradient purple, vibrant yet dignified.

At first glance, the clothes seemed to fit closely, seemingly restrictive, but they were actually comfortable to wear, making leaping highly unaffected.

When Tang Xiaowan jumped over the wall earlier, she even startled Bai Long.

Her action was skilled, light as a swallow.

Li Yunxia touched Tang Xiaowan’s arm, her lips curving slightly, "It’s time to make new clothes for the Miss, she’s already a young lady."

"Wow, that’s wonderful, I couldn’t ask for more."

Both of them laughed, then another person came up, still showing concerned greetings.

This continued for a full half hour.

Outside the crowd, a man about 40 years old shook his head at this scene and hastened his steps.

He was the butler, called Li Fugui, known as Old Li.

A shout followed soon thereafter.

"Alright, alright, that’s enough. Everyone go back to your business, let the Miss rest a while. There will be plenty of time to chat later."

Everyone immediately zipped their lips and dispersed.

Granny Yu gave Li Fugui a stern look and then whispered into Tang Xiaowan’s ear, "For lunch, there will be sweet and sour fish, mouthwatering chicken, and bamboo shoots with duck, all your favorite dishes, so save some room."

Tang Xiaowan’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously as if she had springs installed.

Just as Granny Yu was about to say a few more words, Li Fugui said with a wry smile, "Granny Yu, it’s already ten o’clock, shouldn’t you be getting lunch ready?"

"Just you wait, you’ll be peeling garlic for me later; otherwise, there’s no lunch for you."

"I’m wrong, please forgive me."

Granny Yu, indeed over 60, was certainly much older than Old Li, so it was natural to address her that way.

Besides, they loved to bicker!

"Alright, you know your place."

"Yes, indeed, your generosity knows no bounds."

Old Li gave Tang Xiaowan a slight bow and then left with Granny Yu.

He still had many tasks to arrange.

The flowers in the courtyard needed trimming, the daily reserves in the storeroom needed replenishing, and even the water caltrops in the pond needed harvesting, among various other big and small tasks.

The lively hall quieted down in an instant.

Only then did Tang Xiaowan notice that Li Zishen, who had appeared out of nowhere, was standing far away at the entrance to the restaurant, staring fixedly in her direction.

His gaze was wicked, exuding a devilish charm, seemingly amused by the drama!

Acting first, reporting later, am I your pet canary?

Hmph, just wait until I’ve repaid the money and see if you can still be so arrogant!

Her large, almond-shaped eyes twinkled, and her smiling lips curled slightly, making her already tender red lips even more captivating.

Li Zishen feigned nonchalance, slightly lifted his chin, and glanced at his limited edition watch.

Tang Xiaowan thought that the man, being so proud and narcissistic, would definitely come over to mock her a bit.

Little did she know, she had miscalculated!

Li Zishen, without any rush, walked away and following him was Chen Xin, who hadn’t been seen for two days.

Just as I thought, I guessed right!

"Miss, Miss."

Two calls interrupted Tang Xiaowan’s thoughts.

She then came back to her senses, smilingly looking at the young woman with a low ponytail, "Meijuan, are you Wang Meijuan?"

"Yes, Miss, I am Meijuan."

Wow! My memory isn’t that bad after all, got it right in one guess, spot on.

I’m really awesome, unbeatable now!

Tang Xiaowan’s proud look immediately shifted towards Cheng Shi as if to say, "See how impressive I am?"

The man straightened up and nodded slightly.

As a bodyguard, maintaining vigilance was his top priority, to prevent any surprise attacks.

Wang Meijuan was also particularly excited at the moment, her eyes brimming with tears, for herself and for her narrowly escaped young mistress, Tang Xiaowan.

"It’s so good, you still remember me!"

"Of course I remember, let’s go upstairs and chat in private."

"Yes, Miss."

The two of them walked one after the other towards the stairs, halfway through Tang Xiaowan turned her head back and shouted, "Cheng Shi, aren’t you coming? Let’s go, let’s go."

Cheng Shi: "?"

I can listen to girl’s private talks too!

"What are you standing there for?"

"Yes, Miss, I’m coming right away."

Cheng Shi cleared his throat and quickly followed.