The Likeness Was Uncanny
The First Madam had never seen the Master Kang depicted in Xu Xi's painting, so she couldn't know Xu Xi's painting resembled him or not. Since this was a matter of great importance, she naturally wanted to verify it. After much thought, painting Matron Zhou was the best option.
This was her trusted confidante, and even if Matron Zhou was unwilling, she wouldn't object for her mistress's sake. Besides, she was old, so it didn't matter if the portrait was seen by others. As long as she instructed Xu Xi to give the finished painting to Matron Zhou, Matron Zhou probably wouldn't have any objections.
Seeing that the First Madam was lost in thought, Xu Xi knew that things were looking promising and had been waiting for her to speak. Although the painting depicted Zhou Mama instead of Matron Zhou, Xu Xi was still very Gao Xing.
Things didn't go off track and continued to develop in the direction she hoped for.
"Of course, no problem," Xu Xi said. "I paint very quickly, about half an hour will be enough. After dinner, please have Matron Zhou come to the Tea Tasting Residence to find me."
"Alright." Seeing that there was hope for a solution, the First Madam was different from before; her eyes brightened, and her spirits improved considerably.
She stood up. "I'll have someone bring the meal." She looked at the old lady. "Mother, how about I eat here with Miss Xi?"
She didn't want to go back to the main room for dinner.
Looking at Zhao Jingli's face and hearing him affectionately call her "Mother," she thought that this child she had carefully raised might be born to Lady Wei, Lady Wei had used him to exchange for her own child, plotting to seize the position of heir apparent, and leaving her child to suffer hardship in exile. Her heart ached, and she was so distressed that she couldn't eat. She didn't know how to treat Zhao Jingli.
The old lady hadn't initially thought of that possibility, and she even found it strange when the eldest madam suggested that Xu Xi paint a portrait of Matron Zhou.
She knew Lady Zhu well. Lady Zhu was always steady and considerate. She wouldn't let Xu Xi, who had been tired all day at the academy, draw a portrait of a servant just because of her own curiosity.
Now that Lady Zhu looked much more energetic, the old lady suddenly realized what her daughter-in-law was thinking.
Her eyes lit up immediately.
"Okay, okay, I'm Gao Xing to have dinner with you all. As people get older, although they prefer quiet, sometimes it gets too quiet and they miss the hustle and bustle," she said with a smile.
Seeing this, the First Madam knew that the Old Madam understood her intentions.
She understood the old lady's worries all too well. Even so, the old lady still supported her in finding out who her real child was, for which the first lady was very grateful.
"Thank you, Mother." She thanked her and hurried out to instruct the servants to bring the meal.
Xu Xi stood up. "Then I'll go back, wash my face, change my clothes, and come back."
The old lady smiled and nodded, her attitude becoming increasingly affectionate. "Go ahead."
After a while, Xu Xi returned to the Rongxi Hall, and the food was delivered.
The old lady looked at Xu Xi's portion of food and said to her, "We've both been eating alone lately, so why don't we eat together from now on? It'll be more lively that way."
Her rations were naturally more than Xu Xi's, and even a level or two higher. As an elderly woman, she had a limited appetite and couldn't eat that much. She would often have the dishes she didn't particularly like sent to the eldest, second, and third wives, whoever behaved well would receive them as a reward. However, the vast majority of the food went to the eldest wife. Even so, there were still many dishes left over, and those that weren't touched were given to the servants in the courtyard.
Rather than wasting it, it's better to let this capable granddaughter eat it, and at the same time, it'll do my eldest daughter-in-law a favor.
From the moment Lady Zhu gave her the cold shoulder, she realized that Lady Zhu treated Xu Xi Xizhen like her own child. If she treated Xu Xi well, her eldest daughter-in-law would definitely be Gao Xing.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the First Madam became Gao Xing and said to Xu Xi, "Yes, having dinner with Grandmother is also a way of showing filial piety on our behalf."
Xu Xi was naturally unwilling to dine with the old lady. Her portion consisted of four dishes and a soup, with both meat and vegetables, and she could order according to her own taste, as long as she didn't exceed the limit. Eating alone was free and easy; no one would care if she ate slowly or quickly, and she could eat however she wanted.
Having meals with the old lady involves many rules, and you have to accommodate and take care of her in every way, which is extremely tiring.
But since the two of them had said that, what could she do? Naturally, she smiled and replied "okay," and even had to stand up and bow to the old lady to thank her for her favor and special treatment.
The First Madam stood and served the Old Madam two dishes with her chopsticks. Only when the Old Madam repeatedly told her to sit down did she sit down to eat.
The old lady said to Xu Xi, "Look, this is why I don't let them eat with me. Your aunt gets exhausted eating at the same table with me. She not only has to take care of me, but also the whole family. She's already tired enough. If she can't even eat properly, how can she stay healthy? I went through the same thing, so I understand your aunt very well. I don't want to be a disliked old lady."
"Thank you for your consideration, Mother." The First Madam's eyes were full of gentle smiles. "You're not an annoying old lady at all; you're the kindest person I could ever ask for."
Although the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had their disagreements, overall, Lady Zhu was still very grateful to the old lady.
Perhaps because Zhao Yuanxun was her only biological son, and everyone else in the household was an outsider, the old lady treated her very well, showing consideration and genuine affection in every way.
Furthermore, even though the old lady disliked the second and third wives, she never tormented her two illegitimate daughters-in-law like other old ladies did. As for Lady Wei and Lady Su, even if she didn't like them, she tried her best to keep them out of sight and not to make things difficult for them.
From this perspective, Lady Zhu truly felt that her mother-in-law was a very good person.
The old lady wasn't the kind of rigid person who insisted on rules. She would occasionally say a few words during the meal, but the atmosphere wasn't uncomfortable, and the three of them ate their meal happily.
After the meal, Xu Xi immediately asked Qingfeng to bring the things to the Rongxi Hall and began to draw a portrait of Matron Zhou, who was sitting there.
The First Madam and Matron Jin accompanied the Old Madam for a walk around the courtyard twice, then sat down behind Xu Xi and watched her paint.
To hone her skills, Xu Xi had once drawn portraits on the street in her previous life, so her hand speed was quite good. Now, she only needed to prove to the two of them that her portraits were very lifelike, and she didn't need to pay attention to the use of lines; she could just use sketching techniques as much as possible.
She wanted to find out about her origins as soon as possible to prevent Lady Wei from causing trouble all the time and becoming annoyed.
Therefore, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she finished the portrait of Matron Zhou.
The old lady and the first lady watched from behind. They were already amazed when Xu Xi drew the eyes, but they tried their best to remain silent so as not to disturb Xu Xi. When Xu Xi finished drawing the nose and mouth, even though some shading was still incomplete, they finally couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so lifelike! So lifelike!"