As they chatted, they had already walked into the garden, where refreshments had been laid out in the open pavilion. Zhou Lijun had just instructed people to set up, and turned around to see the guests, quickly stepping forward to greet them.
Manbao introduced them, "This is my second niece."
Seeing Manbao call a girl older than her niece, they found it unsurprising; in large families, an eight-year-old uncle or a forty-year-old grandnephew are common occurrences.
Seated in the open pavilion, Madam Tang asked who she had invited.
Manbao replied, "Just some friends that I know. Besides you, I only invited my friend Second Sister Fu, and a few young ladies from the Liu Family, Li Family, and Wang Family."
These were acquaintances officially made at the palace last time; before that, she had visited their homes for medical consultations but hadn't spoken much.
