Chapter 28.2: Part 2: Shocking Transformation
At that time, she was simple-minded. Hugging Xue Huaiyuan's arm, she smilingly said: "Ah Li is not going anywhere. Ah Li will just watch over daddy, staying with daddy together for a lifetime."
Jiang Li took a deep breath and held the tears in her eyes from falling.
In the end, the person who said she wasn't going anywhere abandoned her father and younger brother to marry far away and no longer went back. The conclusion that beautiful women suffer unhappy fates, perhaps it was the punishment because her words couldn't be counted on.
Jiang Yu'e stood beside Yang shi, her eyes looking at Jiang Youyao who was on the stage completing her rite. It was difficult to cover the longing and envy in her eyes. Her own rite definitely would not be as grand as Jiang Youyao's. Thinking up to this, in the end, she was somewhat unreconciled and couldn't help glancing towards Jiang Li.
Both were the Jiang family's daughters of the first wives. As Jiang Li looked at Jiang Youyao's birthday rite and thought of herself, she was probably even more resentful and had difficulty staying calm. Suddenly Jiang Yu'e felt a kind of pleasure in her heart. However, as she glanced at Jiang Li watching Jiang Youyao on the stage attentively, Jiang Li was undisturbed, as if she was looking at a stranger.
How is this possible?
Don't tell her Jiang Li doesn't feel anger, unfair and unreconciled?
Not just Jiang Yu'e, the many guests in the surrounding were also watching Jiang Li's expression.
But this was how Jiang Li looked, the corner of her lips held a sincere smile as if she was truly happy for Jiang Youyao.
All the surrounding people were baffled.
While Jiang Youyao made her salutations on the stage, she didn't let Jiang Li's expression slip. The more Jiang Li showed her calmness, the more she felt uneasy. Her heart was shouting frantically, she is pretending, everything is just an act.
Jiang Youyao was only aware that she almost forgot her manners when Ji Shuran admonished her with her eyes. She calmed herself down and thought of the scene that Jiang Li would confront in a short while. Soon after, the anger she just felt vanished like smoke and was replaced with impatience and excitement.
Right at this time, the three worships were completed. Jiang Youyao knelt in front of Jiang Yuan Bai and Ji Shuran, listening to their teachings1. When they were done, she completed the rite by bowing to them in thanks.
Following the completion of the rite, it was time for the guests to deliver their greetings.
In order to express their closeness to the Jiang family, these nobles shot generously. Each gift was more precious than the other. In the Jiang family, except for the third branch who delivered a light gift, the rest were all expensive.
Jiang Youyao held the box that Jiang Li asked Tong'er to deliver and looked towards Jiang Li with all smiles. She spoke: "Second sister, may I open the gift that you sent me right now?"
Her smile had a somewhat embarrassed look, the shyness that came from the age between a girl and a lady, making her appear particularly lovely.
The guests stopped their footsteps and looked towards Jiang Li.
Although Jiang second miss now gave the impression of being tender and adorable, the previous matter had indeed occurred. Jiang third miss's age was still small, moreover, she was doted on and protected from the sinister human world. How would this vicious hearted Jiang second miss reply to Jiang third miss's question?
Jiang Li laughed: "Of course you may."
Xiang Qiao, who was standing far away from the crowd, didn't know since when, a few beads of sweat started to seep out from her hands. To be honest, Jiang Li had treated her pretty well these days. Apart from bestowing her with gifts generously, she was also friendly. She was much better than Jiang Youyao and Ji Shuran by tenfold.
But, Xiang Qiao thought regretfully, in this earth, to be good people didn't mean that they would receive good things. Virtuous people would be taken unfair advantage of by other people. A good horse would be mounted by people. Even a 3 years old child would understand this principle.
Jiang Youyao lowered her head to open the box. Nobody saw the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened, before in a twinkling of an eye she cried out in fear. As if receiving a tremendous fright, she involuntarily cried out: "Heaven ah, what is this?"
In Tyrannical Wang's Beloved Wangfei (highly recommended!) chapter 222 MC goes through her coming of age ceremony and the ceremony is very detailed compared to what I've read in any other novel, moreover the translator accompanies it with pics of the clothes style and some explanations, you should definitely check out the novel ^^ but start from the beginning xD it's really good, one of my faves for sure!
Footnotes:
1: For those who are interested to know the details of the birthday rite: https://torguqin.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/guan-li/.