Mid-April, nearing the minor fullness of grain, the weather had already begun to heat up. Even before the hour of the snake, the sun was becoming somewhat fierce.
Pedestrians on the imperial road quickened their pace, all thinking that the sun was already fierce, and as noon approached, it would become even more so. If they didn't hurry now, they would be too hot to walk when the sun became truly scorching.
However, a procession on the imperial road seemed to have a different mindset. They did not appear to be affected by the sun and proceeded at a slow pace.
The procession looked like that of a prominent family on an outing, with many people, numbering around fifty in total, men and women, accompanied by guards.
Leading the way were four burly men, each with a saber at his waist. Behind them were several men dressed as household servants.
Behind the servants were maids and governesses. The maids and governesses in front wore simpler attire, while those behind were better dressed, presumably close attendants. They were seen supporting
three young women, graceful and elegant, adorned with an air of nobility. Unfortunately, all three noblewomen wore veils, concealing their faces.
Not only were the faces of the three noblewomen hidden by veils, adding an air of mystery, but the servants supporting them, as well as the servants and guards walking ahead of them, were also unrecognizable. The men wore conical hats, and the women wore veils, obscuring their faces.
The same was true for those behind them.
Behind them was a carriage. Following the carriage were three stout men with sabers at their waists, appearing to be guards. Both the driver of the carriage and the guards wore veils and conical hats, completely concealing their faces, giving each of them a mysterious aura.
The most attention-grabbing and curious aspect was the driver of the carriage. The driver was a woman, and judging by her physique, she appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old.
Despite her small stature, the young girl possessed an excellent figure, even more graceful and voluptuous than the three noblewomen walking in front of the carriage. Moreover, she exuded an even stronger air of nobility, making her appear anything but a lowly carriage driver.
"Yue'er, you don't have to drive the carriage yourself. The manor has drivers; you could let them handle it," a soft, delicate, and beautiful voice suddenly came from inside the carriage.
"How can you be so foolish, child? If Yue'er drives, she can ride in the carriage herself," another, older female voice quickly followed from inside the carriage.
Huangfu Yue, driving the carriage, heard her fourth sister-in-law and grandmother speaking from the carriage behind and the corners of her lips curved almost imperceptibly.
Grandmother was indeed smart. However, her personal reason for driving the carriage wasn't entirely to have a seat and avoid walking; it was primarily for her fourth sister-in-law.
Her fourth sister-in-law was pregnant and needed extreme care. She worried that if the manor's drivers handled the carriage, they might make mistakes while driving, accidentally bumping into stones, or driving too fast, or carelessly causing the carriage to jolt, all of which could affect her fourth sister-in-law's pregnancy.
But some people were unaware of her gentleness and thoughtfulness, her good intentions. A low voice expressed dissatisfaction...
"She's quite cunning, driving the carriage herself so she can ride, yet making us walk."
Zhu Jiayi, walking beside Xu Yuqing, heard her grumbling and frowned slightly.
"Second Sister, what you're saying... be careful not to let Yue'er hear, or she'll get angry," Zhu Jiayi whispered, her voice very low.
Xu Yuqing pouted and let out a soft hum.
Zhong Liangshu, walking on Xu Yuqing's other side, supported by two maids, simply listened without speaking. However, beneath her veiled hat, the corners of her lips turned up slightly, revealing a smile.
The smile was somewhat complex and difficult to decipher, its meaning unclear. What was she smiling about?
Although Xu Yuqing and Zhu Jiayi's voices were very low, Huangfu Yue's hearing was excellent, and she heard their words clearly. Huangfu Yue wore a somewhat speechless expression.
This second sister-in-law was truly...
Calling her cunning! How amusing!
In what way was she considered cunning?
She was not cunning in the slightest!
She had absolutely nothing to do with cunning, alright!
Never mind, she couldn't be bothered.
To hold a grudge over such words would be quite meaningless.
Besides, she only dared to mumble quietly and not speak loudly to her face.
She would simply pretend not to have heard.
In fact, someone else could sit beside her, and it wouldn't be impossible to let her get in and ride.
But seeing how these noblewomen from deep mansions lived pampered lives daily, lacking exercise, it was good for them to walk and exercise more.
However, if she said this, her second sister-in-law would probably think she was making excuses and was just being mean by not letting her ride in the carriage.
This second sister-in-law, in the original owner's memories, was quite... but not a bad person.
"Yue'er, you're so amazing, you know how to do everything, even driving. Is there anything you don't know!" Yang Wanqian's voice suddenly came from behind, filled with admiration and envy.
Huangfu Yue turned her head and looked at her fourth sister-in-law in the carriage, saying, "I grew up at the border, living with my parents in the army. My father taught me everything."
"Your father taught you well. Fortunately, you know how to do everything, so this whole family can rely on you, and there's nothing to worry about for the future."
Consort Dowager Zheng looked at her granddaughter with a face full of relief, but her eyes held a hint of sadness, likely thinking of her son who had died in battle.
Huangfu Yue noticed this and was about to comfort her grandmother when Huangfu Xuan, sitting opposite Consort Dowager Zheng and Yang Wanqian and who had been examining the sofa beneath his bottom, exclaimed...
"Little Aunt, is this a chair? Why is it completely different from other chairs? It's so soft and comfortable to sit on, and it even has elasticity. It feels so magical." He had wanted to ask for a while.
Hearing her brother ask Huangfu Yue, Huangfu Jing and Huangfu Ying, who were also very curious about the sofa and had been examining it like Huangfu Xuan, as well as Huangfu Ling, also called out to Huangfu Yue...
"Little Aunt, this chair is so thick! Is there something inside the chair?"
"Little Aunt, what is the thing inside the chair?"
"Little Aunt, the backrest of this chair also seems to have something thick inside. What is it?"
"This chair is called a sofa. Under the seat cushion and behind the backrest, there is sponge and springs, so it's very thick, soft, and comfortable to sit on, and it has elasticity," Huangfu Yue explained to the little ones with a smile.
The people in this world didn't know about sofas, so telling them about the existence of "sofas" wouldn't cause any problems.
"What are springs?" Huangfu Xuan immediately asked curiously.
Huangfu Yue was just about to think of a simple explanation that Huangfu Xuan could easily understand when suddenly Lu Danian's shout came from the front...
"What's someone lying here for? Are they dead!"