Being a second wife is difficult

The weather was fine that afternoon; the sun wasn't too strong, and the wind was gentle.

Jiang Wan couldn't sit still in the room, so she put down her needlework and said to Qing He, "Let's go for a walk and digest our food."

Qinghe responded and followed, and the two walked along the covered walkway toward the garden.

Recently, Jiang Wan has developed a habit of taking a walk every day. She calls it a stroll, but it's really about getting to know the roads and people. The mansion isn't very big, but it has many winding side roads. The more she walks, the more familiar she becomes with them.

As Jiang Wan approached the garden entrance, she faintly heard a soft sobbing sound coming from the artificial hill.

He was speaking in a low, sniffling voice, as if he was afraid of being heard but couldn't hold it in any longer.

She slowed her pace and looked over, and saw Lu Wan squatting in the crevice of the artificial rockery, her pale yellow skirt spread all over the ground, her head buried in her knees, her shoulders trembling.

The wet nurse stood to the side, holding a small plate of snacks with three pieces of osmanthus cake on the rim.

The wet nurse bent over and casually placed the snacks on the stone next to her, saying something. Jiang Wan couldn't hear clearly from a few steps away, but the tone sounded like she was coaxing her. Lu Wan didn't look up or reply, just kept shaking her head.

Jiang Wan didn't walk over directly. She stopped a few steps and winked at Qing He. Qing He understood and circled around a little to approach from the other side. She didn't say anything and just stood not far away watching.

Jiang Wan then took a step, her pace neither fast nor slow, as if she were just passing by.

The wet nurse saw her first, her expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Madam has arrived."

Lu Wan heard the noise and looked up. Her face was red from crying, her nose was red, and there were still tears on her eyelashes.

When she saw it was Jiang Wan, she froze for a moment, then suddenly lowered her head and frantically wiped her face with her sleeve, as if she didn't want her to see.

Jiang Wan didn't speak immediately. Her gaze first fell on the stone next to her. The dessert plate was still there, with the three remaining pieces of osmanthus cake lying neatly inside, with the wet nurse's handkerchief stuck to the side.

The plates are celadon, the same set used in the young lady's room in the mansion.

She understood.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her tone unhurried.

The wet nurse, quick-witted and articulate, replied, "Madam, the young lady didn't eat enough snacks today and is throwing a tantrum. I told her that the doctor advised her that she has a weak spleen and stomach and shouldn't eat too much, but the young lady is still so young—"

"How many snacks did you receive today?"

The wet nurse paused for a moment, but still told the truth: "Reporting to Madam, I received six coins."

"Then why are there still three pieces left?" Jiang Wan glanced at the plate, then at the wet nurse, her voice low, "Where are the other three?"

The wet nurse tightened her grip on the handkerchief. She opened her mouth, her smile still on her face, but it was a little stiffer than before: "Miss has a weak stomach, and I told her she couldn't eat too much, three pieces would be enough. As for the rest... I thought I shouldn't waste it, so I ate it myself."

Jiang Wan glanced at her but didn't reply.

The reason sounded plausible, but she knew in her heart that giving away three out of six pastries and claiming that she would take care of the remaining three to avoid waste was ultimately just her own greed taking over.

But things had gotten this far, and it wouldn't look good if things escalated, especially since Lu Wan was still squatting there. She didn't want to say anything too offensive in front of the child.

She didn't argue with the wet nurse about it, but turned to Lu Wan, squatted down, and softened her voice: "Wan'er, come here."

Lu Wan raised her head, tears still on her face, but they had stopped flowing.

She glanced at Jiang Wan, then at the wet nurse, as if hesitating about something. After a while, she stood up and slowly moved to Jiang Wan's side.

Jiang Wan reached out and tidied her disheveled hair: "Are you hungry?"

Lu Wan nodded, a very small nod.

"Come on, come back to the house with me." Jiang Wan took her hand. "I have some good food there."

Lu Wan grasped her hand tightly.

Jiang Wan took Lu Wan a few steps, then turned to the wet nurse and said, "Put the snack plates away first, we'll talk about it later." Her tone wasn't harsh, but the wet nurse's face paled slightly, and she nodded repeatedly.

Back in her own courtyard, Jiang Wan asked Lu Wan to sit on the couch and pulled a thin blanket over her legs. Lu Wan sat very properly, with her hands on her knees, but her eyes kept glancing towards the door, as if she was waiting for something.

Jiang Wan didn't rush to the kitchen. Instead, she said to Qing He, "Go and invite the female physician from the manor here."

There was no resident doctor in the manor, but there were two female physicians. The older one, surnamed Liu, was a skilled doctor who had served the manor for many years. The younger one was still learning from her and usually only treated minor ailments.

Last time Hui-ge had a fever, we called an outside doctor. Firstly, because Physician Liu had gone back to her hometown to visit relatives and was not at home, and secondly, because that junior doctor only treated mild cases. Hui-ge's fever broke out so suddenly that time, and we were afraid that we wouldn't be able to accurately diagnose the symptoms, so we didn't dare let her treat the patient alone.

Now that Physician Liu has returned, it would be perfect to invite her to see Lu Wan.

Qinghe was taken aback: "Madam, what's wrong with Miss?"

"She cried for so long just now, I'm afraid that crying too hard will upset her spirit. Besides, she has a weak spleen and stomach, so we have to check what she eats first," Jiang Wan said. "There's no need to make a big fuss, just ask the female doctor to take a look."

Qinghe responded and left.

Upon hearing the words "female healer," Lu Wan nervously gripped the edge of the blanket: "Mother, I'm alright..."

"I know you're alright." Jiang Wan sat down next to her. "Having the female physician come and take a look makes me feel at ease."

Lu Wan then fell silent.

Not long after, Qinghe arrived with the female healer.

The physician Liu, who lived in the manor, was in her forties and didn't talk much. She greeted Jiang Wan and the others as soon as she entered, and then sat down by the couch to take Lu Wan's pulse.

She examined the tongue coating carefully for a while, then asked about the patient's diet over the past few days, before stopping.

"The young lady is fine, but her spleen and stomach are indeed a bit weak. She can't eat too much raw or cold food, and it's right for her to eat smaller meals more frequently."

Dr. Liu said, "However, she cried for a long time today and is a little weak. If you want to feed her something, just choose something mild."

Jiang Wan nodded: "Is white fungus soup alright?"

"White fungus is neutral in nature, nourishes the stomach and moistens the lungs, just right." Doctor Liu paused, "Just don't add too much sugar, just eat a bowl warm."

Jiang Wan nodded and asked again, "The child has a weak spleen and stomach. How much snack should she eat each day? The manor currently gives the young lady a ration of six pieces, but the wet nurse is afraid that she will have indigestion, so she only gives her three pieces each time and puts the other three away. I'm always worried that she will go hungry, but I'm also worried that giving her too much will really hurt her spleen and stomach. I'm not sure what to do."

Upon hearing this, Physician Liu's expression became more serious: "Six pieces of pastry are not a lot for a young lady's age. As long as she doesn't eat them all as snacks before a meal, it's appropriate to eat them separately."

"A weak spleen and stomach doesn't mean you can't eat, it means you can't eat raw or cold foods, and you can't eat too much at every meal. A soft and warm dessert like osmanthus cake, six pieces a day is within the range of conditioning, there's no need to reduce the amount to the extreme just to save time."

She paused for a moment, then added, "It's just that I should mention that eating small, frequent meals doesn't mean eating only half full at every meal. Some servants, to save trouble, treat 'eating small, frequent meals' as 'eating small meals at every meal,' which is actually not good for the child's growth."

She spoke in a normal tone, but Jiang Wan noticed that the wet nurse was standing at the door and her expression changed slightly.

"This servant..." The wet nurse opened her mouth and took half a step forward. "This servant was thinking that the young lady's health was weak and that she might have indigestion from eating too much, so I reduced the amount for her. This servant misunderstood and didn't ask clearly. I only listened to half of what the doctor said and then made my own decision."

Jiang Wan glanced at her.

The wet nurse's words were much nicer than what she had said in the garden earlier, and her tone softened. She knew she couldn't keep harping on it. After all, the wet nurse had been punished with a beating, had her monthly wages deducted, and had to kneel in the ancestral hall. Making a big fuss over a few pastries would only make her, the mistress, seem mean-spirited.

Besides, the wet nurse wasn't entirely wrong; she was indeed carrying the young lady's body, but she had only taken a few pieces of sweet food from inside.

"You're just concerned about Miss's health, but concern can lead to mistakes," Jiang Wan said calmly. "In the future, if you're unsure about something, ask Physician Liu first. Don't make decisions based on your own assumptions. Miss's health is of utmost importance; neither of us can afford any mistakes."

The wet nurse lowered her head and replied, "Yes, I've got it."

The female physician, Liu, put away the pulse pillow and stood up: "Don't worry, Madam, the young lady is fine. She's been crying for a long time today and is probably a little tired. She'll be fine after a night's rest."

"Thank you for your trouble." Jiang Wan asked Qinghe to see Liu Yinu out, and then added, "Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

The female physician Liu understood, nodded, and left.

Lu Wan sat on the couch, her earlier tension largely gone, and asked softly, "Mother, is the white fungus soup delicious?"

"You'll see in a moment." Jiang Wan stood up and went into the small kitchen.

It's called a kitchen, but it's just a small kitchen partitioned off from the east wing of the main courtyard. It's not used much on weekdays, but it's fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils.

The dried white fungus was just retrieved from the kitchen. She grabbed a small handful, soaked it in warm water, tore it into pieces, put it in a small earthenware pot, added water and rock sugar, and simmered it slowly on a small charcoal stove.

Qinghe followed her in and looked around: "Madam, why weren't you letting me in?"

"Just keep an eye on the fire." Jiang Wan put the lid on. "Just simmer a small bowl, no need for more."

Lu Wan sat on the couch. Qing He brought her a plate of candied fruit. She picked up one, but didn't eat it. She just held it in her hand. After a while, she picked up another one, but still didn't eat it.

When Jiang Wan came out of the small kitchen, she saw that the girl was holding two candied fruits in her hand, as if she were hiding some treasure.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Lu Wan shook her head: "Let's eat when the soup is ready."

When she spoke, her voice was finally a little louder than before, although it was still soft, but it no longer trembled.

Jiang Wan sat down next to her, and she moved closer, her shoulder touching Jiang Wan's arm. She didn't say anything, just leaned against her.

After simmering for about half an hour, the white fungus soup was ready.

Jiang Wan ladled out a small bowl of soup. The soup was clear and bright, the white fungus was stewed until soft and tender, and the rock sugar had melted inside, giving off a faint sweet aroma.

She placed a cloth on the table, put the bowl on it, and handed the small spoon to Lu Wan.

"Eat slowly, it's hot."

Lu Wan took it, bent down to scoop up a spoonful, blew on it, carefully put it in her mouth, took a sip, paused, and then took another sip.

Jiang Wan noticed that her hand holding the spoon was trembling, so she gently patted her back to comfort her.

Lu Wan stopped abruptly after taking her third sip, staring at the soup in the bowl for a long time. Her own blurry face was reflected in the soup, and as she stared, her eyelashes became wet again.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Wan asked softly.

Lu Wan shook her head, her voice muffled: "No."

She lowered her head and took another spoonful, holding it in her mouth for a long time before swallowing. Then she whispered, "This... tastes like my mother."

Jiang Wan didn't respond, but simply sat down beside Lu Wan, gently placing her hand on Lu Wan's back to let her know that someone was listening.

Lu Wan finished the remaining half bowl, leaving the bottom clean. When she put the bowl down, she looked at the two candied fruits again, peeled one, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and finally smiled.

"Let's go," Jiang Wan stood up. "The weather is nice, I'll take you for another walk in the garden."

Lu Wan nodded, slid off the couch, and took her hand again. She took a step, then turned back and put the remaining candied fruit into Jiang Wan's palm: "For Mother."

Jiang Wan looked down at the candied fruit and said, "Okay, I'll keep it." She carefully put the candied fruit into her purse and took Lu Wan's hand as they went out.

As Jiang Wan led Lu Wan past the wet nurse, she paused for a moment: "I'll take Miss Lu to the garden for a walk. You can go back first."

The wet nurse opened her mouth: "Madam, the young lady cannot be left alone—"

"I'm with her." Jiang Wan said calmly, "You go back to the courtyard first, I'll call you if I need anything later."

The wet nurse responded and left the courtyard with her head down.

Lu Wan looked up at Jiang Wan, as if trying to confirm something, and hesitated before asking, "Mother... if I want to eat some snacks later, do I need to ask the wet nurse?"

"No need." Jiang Wan looked down at her. "Just come and find me whatever you want to eat."

As they walked through the covered walkway, a gust of wind blew, scattering Lu Wan's hair. Jiang Wan reached out and tucked it behind her ears.

Lu Wan walked beside her and suddenly shook her hand.

"Mother."

"Um?"

"Can we still drink it tomorrow?"

"able."

"And the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Lu Wan nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but her hands clenched even tighter than before, as if she was afraid that if she loosened them, they would be gone.

As they walked over to the garden, they saw Aunt Liu standing by the flowerbed with Lu Shan in the distance.

Lu Shan squatted in front of the flower bed, her butt sticking out, seemingly looking at something. Aunt Liu stood beside her, holding a handkerchief in her hand, watching her with a smile.

"Second Sister!" Lu Wan called out, her voice bright and clear, as if the crying from before had never happened.

Lu Shan turned around, saw Lu Wan, clapped her little hands on the ground, stood up and ran over to her, calling out, "Sister!"

The two little girls huddled together and started chattering. Lu Shan pulled Lu Wan's hand and dragged her towards the flower bed. Lu Wan glanced back at Jiang Wan, who nodded at her, and then she ran after them.

Aunt Liu quickly stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Madam, you seem to be in a good mood today."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Jiang Wan, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment, "Madam seems to be in a good mood today."

"The weather's nice, let's go for a walk." Jiang Wan gestured with her chin toward the children, "Shan'er has grown taller again."

"That's right," Aunt Liu said with a smile. "The new clothes I had made a few days ago are too short when I put them on today. I was just saying I wanted to alter them."

"She's not big enough to need much fabric for clothes. I have a bolt of silver-red fabric lying around anyway. I'll have Qinghe send it to you later."

Aunt Liu paused for a moment, opened her mouth as if to decline, but swallowed her words back, and finally whispered, "Thank you, Madam."

Two adults stood by the flower bed, watching two little girls squatting in front of it.

Lu Shan pointed to a flower and said, "It's so red." Lu Wan looked at it closely for a while and said, "This is called a rose." Lu Shan looked up and asked, "What is a rose?" Lu Wan hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "It's a particularly beautiful flower." Both of them thought this was a good answer, so they went to look at other flowers together.

The wind blew through the treetops, warm and carrying the scent of grass and earth.

Lu Shan tugged at Lu Wan's sleeve and said she saw butterflies. Lu Wan followed her and ran over. The two little figures swayed among the flowers, and their laughter fell softly on the ground.

Aunt Liu stood next to Jiang Wan for a while, then suddenly whispered, "The eldest young lady and the madam have become much closer."

Jiang Wan smiled but didn't reply.

She watched Lu Wan squatting by the flower bed, her small figure adorable, gesturing something to Lu Shan.

The afternoon light fell on her, casting a short shadow, like a small clump of newly sprouted spring grass.

By the time we got back, the sun was already starting to set.

Lu Wan walked beside her, her steps much lighter than when she came, and she was still muttering about the butterfly she had just seen.

After passing through the covered walkway and the moon gate, her little hand remained clenched tightly.

Jiang Wan glanced down at her, said nothing, and let her hold it.

The two walked slowly back along the bluestone path, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun, overlapping and indistinguishable from one another.

The evening breeze blew in from the garden, warm and carrying the scents of flowers and plants.