Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Marrying a Dragon-Born Woman
In ancient times, such figures as immortals and old priests were often welcomed, moving among prominent families to perform rituals for the ladies and receive excellent treatment.
Lv Daopo was such a presence.
Introduced by someone, Lv Daopo first got acquainted with the Third Madam of the Pei Family, and later established contact with Ji Nishang.
The times were set, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, calculating the birth dates and characters.
She earned two amounts in one day, a considerable income indeed.
Though Lv Daopo was greedy, it couldn’t be denied she had some talents; otherwise, she wouldn’t roam successfully in the Capital City.
She first inspected the Third Household of the Pei Family and found indeed their luck to be poor. They needed to marry someone born in the Year of the Dragon to change their fortune.
The Third Madam recalled that, previously, Master Huideng had predicted that her child, Lan’er, was clashed by someone from the Year of the Dragon. Now Lv Daopo recommended marrying someone back from the Year of the Dragon, wasn’t...?
The Third Madam expressed her thoughts to Lv Daopo, who instead got excited, saying, "If that’s the case, then it makes sense. It was precisely because of the clash from someone born in the Year of the Dragon, damaging the luck of the Third Household, that now requires marrying one back. It’s called fighting poison with poison. You must follow my method to turn misfortune to fortune completely and dispel the bad luck of the Third Household."
The Third Madam felt the aunty’s words were very reasonable and hurriedly asked for details, "Is it necessary to marry any from the Year of the Dragon, or specifically that one?"
Lv Daopo replied, "It would be best to marry the one who clashed with the Third Household. The one who ties the bell must untie the bell."
"Yet we’ve checked before; there’s no one aged ten to forty in the mansion born in the Year of the Dragon, so we don’t know who clashed with the Third Household. How can we find and untie the bell now?"
Lv Daopo argued, "The Pei Mansion is vast, with many maidservants, not necessarily everyone’s identity information is accurate. For some, the birth date is precise where origins can be found; for others, it’s not accurate where origins can’t be found."
"Then this makes it even more difficult to find!" The Third Madam said anxiously.
Lv Daopo replied calmly, "Don’t worry; I have methods."
After saying this, she took out something from her bosom, muttered some words like a spell, and finally handed the item to the Third Madam, "Later find an opportunity to put this powder into the tea, and let those maids with unclear origins drink it. Those with problems will feel stomach pain, and naturally, they will be identified."
The Third Madam hurriedly took it and expressed abundant gratitude.
Lv Daopo added further, "Once located, bring her back home as a concubine. No need to treat her well. Only if she lives poorly, the luck of the Third Household can improve. Remember this."
Thus sacrificing another’s well-being to improve the Third Household’s fortune.
This behavior belongs to evil practices, one that principled people disdain.
Lv Daopo wasn’t afraid of shortening her life, nor of committing such ruthless and malicious deeds.
The Third Madam quickly nodded.
Subsequently, Lv Daopo calculated the birth date for Ji Nishang.
"You’ve encountered a formidable opponent. If you detour in the future, there won’t be too much of an issue."
Lv Daopo only had Ji Nishang’s birth date, naturally could only predict her fortune but couldn’t predict others’.
But Ji Nishang’s destiny is encountering a powerful rival.
Such an answer couldn’t satisfy Ji Nishang, "If I detour, but the other party relentlessly pushes, is there no solution?"
Lv Daopo’s expression wasn’t entirely definite, so Ji Nishang knew there was room for negotiation.
"Just seeking the immortal’s help, I will greatly reward you."
Lv Daopo’s expression indeed showed relaxation, "There is a way after all..."
*
Due to the blooming of chrysanthemums in the Pei Mansion, the Third Miss held a banquet, inviting some close friends in the capital to her home to admire the flowers, which naturally included Qu Fulan and Ren Hua.
Qu Fulan was quite different, having previously been a maid in the Pei Mansion, naturally familiar with the environment and didn’t feel uncomfortable.
As for Ren Hua, it was her first time contacting such a household, truly not knowing where to place her hands and feet, following Qu Fulan everywhere she went, not willing to stray even half a step.
Although the Third Miss was hospitable, with many guests gathered, even with Cheng Ru and Fang Yuan assisting, some oversights were inevitable; Qu Fulan took charge of caring for Ren Hua, attending to where she could.
Today, the female guests in the Pei Mansion were mostly at the age to discuss marriage, apart from a couple who were already engaged like the Third Miss, the rest were waiting to be matched from their homes.
There were two young male heirs in the Pei Mansion not yet engaged, naturally becoming a target for the ladies’ interest, coming as guests to the Pei Mansion was to create some opportunities.
Among them were Miss Tan and Miss Liu, one aiming for the first heir, and the other for the second heir, with clear targets.
Actually, the Third Miss didn’t intend on inviting these two, but when the news spread, these two proactively sent invitation cards, which made it difficult to refuse.
As a result, the gathering of young ladies led to inevitable comparisons, feeling some were lesser than themselves or some seemed superior, creating a sense of crisis.
Ultimately, after looking around, they noticed Qu Fulan and Ren Hua.
It must be said, among the gathering of girls, the most striking and beautiful were Qu Fulan and Ren Hua; both were uniquely beautiful, impossible to ignore.
"Sister, who are they? Why have I never seen them before?" Someone couldn’t help asking the Third Miss.
The Third Miss smiled, "This is Sister Fulan, and this is Sister Ren Hua, both are my friends."
This revealed the Third Miss’s considerate nature, not mentioning Qu Fulan and Ren Hua’s backgrounds among the noble ladies, otherwise even if she didn’t mind, others might view them with peculiar eyes.
This consideration didn’t resonate with everyone; Miss Tan had seen Qu Fulan before, such a beauty is unforgettable once seen, "Isn’t Qu Fulan the maid beside the Heir Pei? Has she redeemed herself from the mansion now?"
Having asked, it wasn’t feasible not to explain, so the Third Miss nodded affirmatively and further explained, "Sister Fulan is capable, now working outside of the mansion, still valued by my Second Brother."
Through such explanations, many wealthy ladies couldn’t conceal their disdain in their eyes.
Given Qu Fulan’s humble status, so Ren Hua, staying beside her, wouldn’t have a distinguished background. Yet to confirm, some deliberately asked, "What does Miss Ren’s family do?"
Ren Hua didn’t feel ashamed, revealing her background as a merchant’s daughter.
The displeasure in the eyes of those merchant’s daughters became evident, purposefully avoiding Qu Fulan and Ren Hua in the subsequent activities, refusing to engage, distinctly setting boundaries.
Qu Fulan and Ren Hua wouldn’t deliberately seek to please these noble ladies; if they didn’t want to share their company, they’d entertain themselves. The Pei Mansion was spacious, the garden vast, no need to stick together.
Soon everyone divided into groups and went their separate ways.
Miss Tan, having held back for a while, finally had the chance to complain to the Third Miss, "Why invite such people? Isn’t it an insult to everyone’s status?"
The saying "scholar, farmer, worker, merchant," whether Qu Fulan or Ren Hua, they both had humble backgrounds and weren’t worthy of admiring flowers together with them.