Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 90

“Am I really just going in like this? Shouldn’t I buy something for your grandmother?” Jiang Miao stands at the entrance of the Duke’s Mansion, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Pei Che gets up early this morning and tells Jiang Miao that he should come with him today to get his measurements taken for the wedding clothes. Jiang Miao can’t find an excuse to refuse, so he has to bring the vacationing Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu with him to the Duke’s Mansion.

The mansion’s vermilion gate looks very grand, with two imposing and fierce stone lions guarding the entire residence, one on each side.

“No need, my grandmother has everything she could want. Just come with me to her courtyard to pay your respects,” Pei Che reassures him. Besides, his grandmother typically wouldn’t use things given by others.

Jiang Miao still feels a bit nervous, thinking it seems a little impolite to visit the Pei family empty-handed. He worries that the old lady might not have a good impression of him. After a moment, Jiang Miao pats his forehead, realizing he is overthinking. He isn’t actually coming here to be a daughter-in-law or son-in-law of the Duke’s Mansion, so why should it matter what impression he makes? Besides, generally speaking, when faced with a grandson marrying a male spouse, she probably wouldn’t feel favorably anyway, right?

Pei Che doesn’t know what Jiang Miao is thinking. He just notices that Jiang Miao suddenly goes from being nervous to looking more relaxed. Although his movements are still a bit stiff, at least he no longer appears so bewildered, like earlier when even his gaze reveals a sense of helplessness, which had looked rather pitiful.

The two of them walk in, each holding their own brother’s hand. Xiao Shitou is full of excitement, his eyes darting around curiously. This is his first time visiting such a large place, much bigger than the Zhu Mansion they visited last time! And it is also very beautiful. Xiao Shitou feels like he finally understands what the teacher means by “carved railings and painted beams.”

Pei Mu, observing Xiao Shitou’s thrilled expression, looks slightly puzzled. In his mind, the Duke’s Mansion is not a good place. He was never happy when he heard they had to come back here, so why is Xiao Shitou so cheerful?

“Granny Gao, could you please go inside and let Grandmother know that we’ve come to pay our respects?”

Pei Che enters his grandmother’s courtyard without any obstacles. The little maid standing at the door of the main hall has already gone inside to report as soon as she sees him approaching from a distance. Before long, a person with a kind expression comes out. She looks at Pei Che, then at Jiang Miao, and her smile deepens.

“Alright, the Madam is inside. Little Xi has already gone in to inform her, and she sent me out to greet you. Young Master, Young Lord Jiang, please come in.” Madam Gao walks ahead to lift the curtain for them, then leads them all the way inside to the innermost room.

At that moment, Grandmother Pei is sitting on the couch, turning the string of prayer beads that has accompanied her for a long time. She stares intently at the door, feeling a mix of emotions. She isn’t sure if she wants them to come in quickly or if she wishes they would take their time, so she wouldn’t have to face the reality of Pei Che marrying a male spouse so soon.

“Grandmother, your grandson has come to pay his respects,” Pei Che greets her with a bow and then begins the introductions. “This is Jiang Miao, and this is Ah Miao’s younger brother. His full name is Jiang Lei, but he goes by the nickname Xiao Shitou…”

After the introductions, Jiang Miao leads Xiao Shitou forward to respectfully pay their respects. Normally quite talkative, he is a little speechless at this moment.

“Get up,” Grandmother Pei says. Her lips curve slightly into a smile, but it feels somewhat forced and insincere.

After Jiang Miao stands up, Grandmother Pei asks a few casual questions and makes some small talk. Then, she shifts the conversation to Pei Che, beginning to ask in detail about his daily life and routines over the past few days.

Every time Pei Che finishes answering, Grandmother Pei smiles approvingly. This smile seems much more genuine than the one she gave earlier.

“Grandmother, I brought Ah Miao here today to get his measurements taken. It’s getting late now, so shall I take him over there?” Pei Che finally can’t help but interrupt his grandmother’s questioning.

“The style and fabric for the wedding clothes were sent over a few days ago, so we’re just waiting for you to come and get measured. Then A Che, you take him there first,” Grandmother Pei replies.

Pei Che gives her a deep look, then responds with a respectful “Yes.” He then leads Jiang Miao and the two children out.

After leaving the courtyard, Jiang Miao lets out a quiet sigh of relief. He is just about to share his thoughts when he hears Pei Che say apologetically, “Ah Miao, I’m sorry. My grandmother didn’t mean to ignore you earlier. It’s just that she’s probably still a bit reserved. Once you get to know her better, you’ll surely see her kinder side.”

“Mm.” Jiang Miao nods, although he doesn’t believe that spending more time together will make the old lady like him any better. He has already mentally prepared himself when he entered. He even imagines a scenario where Pei’s grandmother would throw cups and dishes at him and then toss a stack of silver notes his way, telling him to take the money and leave her grandson alone.

This kind of melodramatic scene, like something out of a cheesy soap opera, makes Jiang Miao ready to face any difficulty from Pei’s grandmother. In the end, he hadn’t expected to be simply ignored. It feels like he has donned top-notch body armor in preparation for a barrage of bullets, but the other side only throws a paper airplane at him.

Pei Che leads Jiang Miao back to his courtyard. As soon as they enter, the servants inside, led by Chan Yi and Wen Jing, all greet Jiang Miao warmly.

This genuine and enthusiastic welcome leaves Jiang Miao with mixed feelings. It is clear that Pei Che has instructed them beforehand, or that whenever Pei Che mentions him, he always speaks with respect.

Pei Che notices Jiang Miao’s discomfort and waves his hand to dismiss the other servants, leaving only Chan Yi and Wen Jing behind.

“Have the seamstresses been called?” Pei Che asks. The estate has a tailoring room, and the seamstresses there are all highly skilled, capable of transforming ordinary materials into something extraordinary. Every time the people in the Duke’s Mansion wear their new clothes out, it earns endless praise from people in other estates.

“They have been invited. They are waiting in the back. Young Master, Young Master Jiang, would you like to have your measurements taken now? If so, I will call them over,” Chan Yi replies.

The seamstresses who come are two women in their forties. Generally speaking, it is older women who take the measurements for the young masters of the estate. This practice helps avoid any misunderstandings or inappropriate situations and reduces potential complications.

After saying, “Pardon me,” one of the women takes out a soft measuring tape she carries with her and meticulously measures the two men’s bodies. After each measurement, she calls out the numbers to the other woman, who then uses a piece of charcoal to make some marks on paper. Jiang Miao and the others can’t understand what is written, but an experienced seamstress can glance at it and immediately read out the measurements. Jiang Miao tries hard to decipher the writing but eventually categorizes it as “doctor’s handwriting”—the kind that is notoriously hard to read.

After a while, they finally finish taking all the measurements. With this data, the wedding outfits will surely be made to fit perfectly.

As the two seamstresses are about to leave, Pei Che suddenly calls them back and asks a few questions. Jiang Miao is quite curious, and as soon as they leave, he quickly leans over to ask Pei Che what he said to them.

Pei Che teases him for a bit, and just as Jiang Miao is starting to get impatient, he slowly explains. It turns out he was asking about the style of the wedding outfits. Upon learning that they are both men’s clothing, he feels relieved. Jiang Miao’s previous question had clearly left an impression on his mind.