Chapter 85 - 43: Thick Makeup or Light, Always Appropriate
In Ningyuan, Sang Wan began to change her clothes and dress up after breakfast.
Today was the first visit of her eldest brother and sister-in-law to recognize their relatives, and it had to be treated with grandeur.
Especially considering Mrs. Zhuang’s previous visit, it was clear how much Mrs. Wang valued appearances.
Thus, Sang Wan, contrary to her usual demeanor, dressed as extravagantly and richly as possible.
She wore a begonia-red cloud brocade outer coat with grape patterns and gold and silver threads intertwining along the border of half a finger’s width. Her fiery red pleated skirt was adorned with patterns of lotus flowers and gemstones on gold brocade, and she wore jujube-red soft-soled shoes with upturned toes. Her black hair was coiled up with drooping Japanese-style sideburns, fastened at the front with a gold carving hairpin of joyful patterns before her brow. Concealing the temple and accentuating the heart of the head were white jade inlaid with gold, and on her left temple was a hairpin with a ruby-beaded cockatoo that swayed with her movements.
Her figure was slender and delicate, her waist slender and twisting gracefully, her neck elegant and long, her skin fair and smooth. Her cheeks were lightly brushed with rouge, her lips soft and tenderly red. Her eyebrows followed the line of her temples, and her eyes sparkled like stars. Every gesture and movement exuded a majestic grace, a richness blended with elegance. The whole aura she projected was heart-captivating and awe-inspiring.
"The eldest madam looks so beautiful!" Xingzhi and the others, who had never seen Sang Wan dressed so lavishly, couldn’t help but exclaim with sparkling eyes.
"Indeed! The eldest madam has not only a beautiful appearance but also an extraordinary aura. Whether in casual wear or formal dress, she always stands out!" Mrs. Li also praised with a beaming smile.
Feeling shy from the compliments, Sang Wan smiled and pursed her lips. Even she was taken aback when she saw her reflection in the mirror, hardly believing the majestic and noble person in the mirror was herself!
Once Sang Wan was dressed up, she made a special trip to Mrs. Wang, accompanied by Mrs. Li and others. Along the way, the servants who saw her stopped to bow, their eyes lighting up with astonishment and admiration.
Upon seeing Sang Wan, Mrs. Wang was momentarily speechless, blinking her eyes, and then joyfully clapped her hands, exclaiming, "Good, good! This is the true eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch of the Shi family! Come, sit down, take a seat!" She then said to everyone with a laugh, "Tell me, which daughter-in-law in Qingzhou City could compare to ours? Even those ladies and madams of official families are no match!"