An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

The person who came was also within Sang Ling's guess, but he was at the end of the list.

It was the Nie family——

Sang Ling's gaze met Nie Ce behind Madam Zhaoyu unnaturally, and he lost focus unconsciously. After a while, he knelt down and followed the old woman in front of him.

The Nie family was treated differently when they came. Madam Zhaoyu chose the right time, a day when officials were on holiday. The head and mistress of the Sang family came. Sang Wu and Ma sat in the main seats, Sang Ling sat next to Ma, and the mother and son of the Nie family sat in the upper seats. From a distance, the front yard of Langxiang Pavilion leading to the gate was full of servants, some of whom were from the Sang family and some from the Nie family. She could recognize the different clothes of the two sides.

Behind the servants of the Nie family were piles of boxes. One didn't have to think too much to know what the things inside meant.

Perhaps it was because the early morning sun was too warm, she looked away in her chaotic thoughts, her eyes were still a little warm, and in the sparkling eyes, she looked back at Nie Ce. He was looking at her, but because of the tears in his eyes, Sang Ling could not see his eyes clearly.

He blinked a few times and then looked away unnaturally.

The two elders were still talking, and her mind continued to be empty. She didn't know how much time had passed before Sang Wu's voice came, calling her over to pay her respects to Madam Zhaoyu and Marquis Nie.

The rules and etiquette of the imperial dynasty were actually not that complicated. She slowly got to know them better in the days that followed. She had never heard of a daughter of a large family having to go forward alone to pay her respects in the presence of her parents. She thought that this meant that her marriage was about to be arranged.

After all, this was still an era where men were superior to women. If she got married, she would need to pay respects to her future mother-in-law and husband.

He supported himself on the floor and slowly stood up, glancing at Ma beside him. Naturally, the stepmother's expression was not very good. The woman with a big belly had a more swollen face than before. If the corners of her mouth were not deliberately raised, she would have a naturally sour face.

She also wondered whether her aunt and cousin would come today, and whether they were a little late. If she went over to pay her respects and her aunt happened to come over, would it be completely irreversible?

As he was thinking, his steps became even slower.

Nie Ce also stood up at the same time - if Sang Ling saluted, he would need to return the salute. She paused again and glanced towards the door.

The copper ball of the fire bell rang once, and a servant came forward to change the incense. It was already the morning hour.

She hesitated for a moment, and had to let go of the breath in her heart - if they were really anxious, it would be impossible for her aunt and cousin not to come until now. Although she was reluctant to admit it, she had to quickly face the reality.

They won't come. If they were to come, they should have come long ago.

Sang Wu's slightly dissatisfied cough came to her ears, so she took another step and stopped in front of Madam Zhaoyu and Nie Ce, performing the squatting salute and the regular salute respectively. After Nie Ce returned the salute, Madam Zhaoyu's smile slowly appeared on her face.

Who in the room didn't notice Sang Ling's hesitation when he came over just now?

Sang Wu twirled his beard and laughed twice, not caring at all, "I didn't prepare much, and neglected my wife. Is the master in good health now?"

"Thank you for your concern. Grandfather is still healthy and was going to come today, but considering that he is on leave, it would be troublesome to let his colleagues know about it. The commander also knows that the old man does not like publicity. We will have a formal and lively time after the child is married."

At this point, Sang Ling put his full attention on the room. He sat back in his seat and listened carefully to the conversation in the room.

Madam Zhaoyu must be a powerful person. She said that if Master Nie was coming, she would give him favors first. But who knows whether Master Nie would come out or not? Perhaps it was true what she said, that she didn't want to be involved in favors before the marriage. After all, both families were well-known people in Beijing, and they had worked together in central institutions. They could change the situation with just a flick of their fingers. If the news of the marriage between the two families spread first, there would be a lot of people who would flatter them and give them gifts.

However, if the ministers form too many private connections, they will inevitably attract attention.

Sang Ling lowered her head and restrained her expression. At this moment, she felt that it would be better to marry into the Xun family. Although neither family was a perfect place, the Donghou Mansion was at least not so conspicuous.

If she were to stand in such a critical position in the future, there would probably be more uncertainties.

The elders were talking about something, even Ma smiled with her hands clenched, but she became more and more upset. When she raised her eyes, she looked at Nie Ce involuntarily. He was also a person who didn't care much about socializing. In such an occasion, both families were greeting each other warmly, and even she knew how to pretend. Only he had a stern face the whole time, with his long legs crossed and his head casually placed on his knees. His temperament of keeping strangers away was even more terrifying than that of everyone else in the room. Looking at Sang Wu again, he was probably not as creepy as him.

No wonder no one paid attention to his performance throughout the whole process.