After Transmigration, Her Whole Family Are Villains - Chapter 241

Despite the long and tiring journey,

It did not affect Lord Commander’s elegance in the slightest.

In the afternoon.

A pleasure boat.

Drifting on the lake.

The winter wind was a bit chilly.

But it was warm on the boat.

Jiangzhou was wealthy, situated by a great river.

Unlike the somewhat rapid flow of the Jing River,

The river in Jiangzhou was vast and boundless, which ancient people who had never seen the sea might have mistaken for the ocean itself.

Lord Jia was immediately captivated by Commander Jiang’s grace upon meeting him.

He politely received him at the courier station, a guesthouse specifically for hosting traveling officials.

After settling in, he promptly arranged for afternoon tea.

Lord Jia was a typical scion of an aristocratic family. His official rank wasn’t high, his salary wasn’t impressive, but his family was powerful. He knew how to enjoy life’s pleasures, though his administrative abilities were average, so he ended up in a reception position.

It suited him well enough.

Of course, while his rank wasn’t high, his grade wasn’t actually that low.

It was just relative.

With family backing, even the weakest would be at least fifth or sixth grade.

Ordinary people had no idea how to choose an official career or get promoted, but in great families, there was already a familiar path. One just needed to follow it step by step, as everything had been arranged.

The Jia family was also an old aristocratic clan.

Jia Sen didn’t have any great talents. He barely passed the imperial exams and barely managed as an official, but he was most fond of the literati lifestyle and socializing with famous scholars.

Jiangzhou happened to be a place teeming with renowned scholars.

If someone had more political acumen, they probably wouldn’t immediately engage with Commander Jiang, but rather wait for the situation to become clearer.

But Lord Jia happened to lack this particular insight.

Upon meeting Commander Jiang, he was utterly amazed.

At this moment on the pleasure boat, Lord Jia was like a peacock spreading its tail, his face even adorned with powder and rouge.

Mianmian, dressed in the robes of a wealthy young master, sat beside her father like his servant.

Looking at the uncle across from them, she noticed his face was actually covered in foundation?

But because the base wasn’t done well, the pores were a bit coarse. From afar it looked whitish, but up close it actually triggered a bit of trypophobia, with each large pore plugged with white powder. However, as people get excited, they produce oil, so the edges of the pores would become moist, and the powder would be eaten away by the oil, forming a face that was both white and full of holes.

Ah, this was the result of using too many cosmetics but not cleaning properly, failing to remove makeup thoroughly.

It also showed that their family’s sales ability was lacking.

Just selling skincare and cosmetics, such basic consumer goods, should have made their family as rich as a nation, but the result was just normal. They seemed only slightly richer than the average wealthy family, without feeling exceptionally wealthy. It must be that their business acumen was poor.

They hadn’t even sold to Jiangzhou city.

The capital was a first-tier city, so Jiangzhou and Qingzhou, the hometown of Teacher He, the imperial censor, would be considered quasi-first-tier. Jingzhou used to be a fifth or sixth-tier city, but under Commander Jiang’s vigorous development, it should have reached second-tier status.

Jiang Mianmian didn’t stare at his face for too long, as that would have been impolite.

She just glanced once, but couldn’t help internally criticizing.

Actually, Lord Jia was very nervous at this moment.

Because Commander Jiang was already handsome and elegant, and after freshening up to attend the appointment, in a navy blue robe, it accentuated his fair skin and beautiful features even more, making him indescribably perfect.

Seeing him wear such a navy blue robe, Lord Jia thought that when he returned, he should also purchase one, it looked so good.

But what made Lord Jia sit up straight wasn’t just the graceful Lord Commander, but the young boy beside him.

Or rather, not a young boy, but a young girl.

Commander Jiang had actually brought his youngest daughter.

“My little girl is mischievous and wanted to see the world. Brother Jia, please don’t mind,” Commander Jiang said indulgently.

Lord Jia felt a bit unsettled, because the appearance of the young boy in front of him was really, really too exquisite.

There are many beautiful poems praising people’s appearances.

But faced with this young boy’s looks, he found himself speechless.

Commander Jiang’s heroic bearing was such that his daughter should naturally have a beauty that could topple cities.

But when such city-toppling beauty still carried a childish air, unaware of itself, with a lazy self-satisfaction, it became something else entirely.

Radiant and dazzling, as if not real.

Mianmian also quite liked her own appearance, feeling like she had hit the jackpot.

Father was as beautiful as a celestial being.

So she was Celestial Being Plus.

Although Mianmian didn’t usually look in mirrors.

Mainly because she hadn’t even invented and created mirrors yet, how embarrassing~

She had made a half-baked mirror, but it wasn’t very good, dead heavy, dead expensive.

Anyway, she didn’t look in mirrors much, but occasionally when she could see her reflection in a mirrored surface, she would be a little shocked and entranced.

With this face, she felt that even if she did bad things, it would be easy to be forgiven.

It was also with this face that every time her mother beat her, she actually couldn’t bear to use much force.

If her mother had used force, there basically wouldn’t have been any survivors.

One’s values follow one’s appearance, and after looking at her own face a few times, Mianmian worried she might become arrogant.

She was also worried about having appearance anxiety.

Ordinary people’s appearance anxiety is feeling they don’t look good and wanting to look a bit better.

Her appearance anxiety was, looking too good, what if she didn’t look good in the future?

It’s said there was a narcissus who died from such anxiety.

Mianmian didn’t have any appearance anxiety now, at least she thought she didn’t, but her whole family actually thought she did, because she brushed her teeth morning and night, and also applied face cream, and made a bunch of things to smear on her face.

Essence water? Essence liquid? Face cream? Sunscreen? Face mask?

Anyway, Mianmian thought she needed normal skincare things, and made a bunch, but she was still young and didn’t use them. Her older sister and mother didn’t like to use them much either, and her older brother cared even less about such things. Only her father would use them, because he had a mother who was eager to protect her husband and would apply them for him.

Anyway, Mianmian glanced at Lord Jia across from her, and he became a bit restless.

As if wanting to spread his tail even wider.

However, maintaining a fully spread tail state is actually quite tiring.

Fortunately, there was the pretentious tool of kungfu tea.

Presumably, people from the bitter cold land of Jingzhou hadn’t tried such an elegant activity before.

Lord Jia spread his tail and made tea.

Sandalwood charcoal burned, boiling water.

Expensive, top-quality spring water came to a boil, then was poured over porcelain cups thin as cicada wings, steaming.

After wasting one round, he began to add tea leaves, steep, use the fair cup, and distribute the tea.

Worried the others might make a faux pas, Lord Jia specifically said, “No need to drink the first pour, it’s for washing the tea.”

Of course, it was also for warming the cups.

Boiling water rinsed the cups, then the first pour warmed them, keeping the cups consistently warm to maximize the release of the tea’s fragrance.

Lord Jia meticulously handed the slightly cool fair cup to Commander Jiang in front of him, prompting, “Brother Jiang can smell the tea’s fragrance.”

Commander Jiang casually took the fair cup and gave it a sniff, resigned. He had done this gesture too many times at home.

When the little one first started making tea, she forced him to smell several cups every day and describe the different flavors.

After smelling, he passed the fair cup to his daughter.

Mianmian took a sniff. It smelled quite nice, with a honey fragrance. The only flaw was that it might have been stored slightly improperly, with a bit of a stale smell, but it was already a very good tea.

Mianmian’s hometown was a place where everyone had tea mountains. Later it became an excuse for telecom fraud, and she never dared tell people “my grandfather grows tea” again, fearing they’d accuse her of fraud, even though her family really did have tea mountains.

She smelled it, then handed it to Aunt Yin standing behind her.

Aunt Yin stood behind her master like a door panel.

She also took the fair cup offered by the young mistress, smelled it, then frowned slightly and handed it back.

Lord Jia was made slightly unhappy by this series of actions.

Making tea was a very elegant affair.

Especially kungfu tea, which had been passed down from the imperial palace.

Although Commander Jiang’s young daughter had city-toppling beauty, she was a bit disrespectful, actually giving the fair cup to her family’s maid to smell, and that old maid even frowned.

It was also at this moment that Lord Jia noticed the old maid.

Only upon noticing did he realize that this maid had an unusual bearing, not looking like an ordinary person.

She looked even more formidable than the maids by his own family’s Old Lady. He had completely failed to notice this maid earlier.

“How is the tea fragrance? Does it have a honey scent? To be honest with Brother Jiang, one tael of these tea leaves is more expensive than one tael of gold. I only managed to snatch two taels from my elder brother, and usually don’t dare to brew it. I only bring it out for honored guests.”

“Very good,” Commander Jiang nodded.

“It seems to have a plum fragrance too,” Mianmian said.

Lord Jia’s long face immediately lit up, his cheeks quivering slightly, clearly very pleased.

“Yes, yes, that’s the plum fragrance. This tea is made by slowly roasting it over green plum wood.”

“If Lord Jia likes this type of tea, you can also try tea made with small green tangerines. You remove the flesh and put tea leaves inside. The resulting tea has both tea and tangerine fragrances. The flavor is smooth and lingering, not only delicious but also nourishing and energizing,” Mianmian said.

Then she turned to Aunt Yin and asked, “Auntie, did you bring that tea? Please brew some for Lord Jia later.”

Aunt Yin nodded helplessly.

Commander Jiang smiled indulgently, playing along.

They all sat together, drinking tea and chatting.

Lord Jia thought to himself, this young lady is exceptionally beautiful and speaks well, but her knowledge is limited. Not everyone can brew this kind of tea properly; it requires skill. How could an old nanny do it? But considering how pretty she was, he didn’t object. When you’re good-looking, you can say whatever you want.

It’s just letting an old nanny brew tea, so be it.

Aunt Yin gave a few instructions, then sat down at the tea table.

Facing the river.

The singing minstrel changed to a new tune.

Fresh incense was lit.

Lord Jia was still trying to find topics for conversation.

Then he saw the old nanny in front of him extend her hands, which were even more beautiful than those of a sixteen-year-old girl. A pair of delicate, nimble white hands picked up the teapot, added water, and brewed the tea. Every movement was filled with a unique beauty and sense of ceremony.

It left him speechless.

Until a cup of tea was pushed in front of him.

He picked it up dumbly and took a sip.

Neither too hot nor too cold, it was smooth on the palate, pleasant down the throat, and warming in the stomach.

One sip of tea could flow so smoothly all the way through.

Lord Jia was a bit bewildered. What kind of tea was this?

What kind of nanny was this?

An etiquette instructor?

How could brewing tea look so beautiful?

It made him completely forget about the nanny’s age, feeling as if he was watching a true peerless beauty.

Smelling the serving pitcher again, a rich fragrance wafted up, completely different from the tea he had brewed earlier, which required effort to detect any scent.

No wonder Brother Jiang had just casually sniffed it earlier. He had thought Brother Jiang didn’t know how to appreciate it.

Lord Jia asked somewhat embarrassedly, “May I ask who this tea-brewing lady is?”

Mianmian smiled and said, “Lord Jia, didn’t you just say you like brewing kung fu tea? My aunt’s surname is Yin, and she wrote ‘The Origin of Kung Fu Tea.’ You must have read it.”

“This… this…” Lord Jia’s face was full of surprise, and he quickly stood up and bowed.

“I’ve made a fool of myself.”

…