Chapter 654 - 653: Scolding People
Fortunately, as it was a new marriage, Song Chongjin had people stock up on plenty of grain and vegetables in the kitchen. Since it was an elder who had passed away, it would not be proper to serve a meat feast, so they could only send someone to buy a slab of tofu, creating a tofu banquet with an assortment of mountain delicacies and mushrooms, which still presented quite decently.
The neighbors arrived at the mourning hall, offered incense, and were met by filial sons and grandsons who knelt and returned their greetings.
Then they were invited to the side hall, where Old Granny Zhang accompanied them, and Wang Yongzhu personally served tea to the guests.
The visiting neighbors took note of Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu, both dressed in heavy mourning attire, completely devoid of any jewelry, with only a small white flower pinned to their neatly combed hair.
For a moment, they felt pity for the bride; she had just gotten married the day before, and the next day, an elder in her family had passed. Her fate seemed too sorrowful, and had she married into a less reasonable in-law family, they might have labeled the new bride an omen of bad luck.
Even in the dress of a new daughter-in-law, though Wang Yongzhu wore mourning clothes and no adornments, her beauty was magnified even more.
This elicited several sighs of admiration.
Since the visitors offering condolences were all women, they exchanged a few pleasantries before probing each other for information.
Wang Yongzhu, playing the role of a shy young bride, bowed her head and remained silent no matter what was asked.
But Old Granny Zhang, seasoned and astute, had the measure of these neighbors within a few words.
She vaguely mentioned that her family was not from Qi City but lived in the countryside and that this house belonged to her son-in-law, who had grown up with them since he was a child; he had come back to marry.