Being a second wife is difficult

On May 27th, the gatekeeper delivered a letter saying that the young master of the Dong family would have to wait two more days before arriving.

Jiang Wan finished reading the letter and placed it on the table. She calculated the date in her mind. Today was May 27th. Dong Sinian would probably not arrive until the end of May. The menu for the welcoming banquet needed to be decided first, and the guest quarters also needed to be rearranged properly.

She asked Qinghe to go to the kitchen and tell Granny Zhou, and then asked Qiutang to replace the withered orchid on the windowsill in the guest courtyard with a new one.

Fang arrived that afternoon.

Qinghe came in first to announce that the Second Madam had arrived. Jiang Wan put down her needlework, straightened her clothes, and thought to herself that it was probably about the welcoming banquet.

Although the old lady had told her a few days ago that she would be in charge of the welcoming banquet, Fang Shi has always been in charge of the banquets in the mansion.

She's gotten used to handling all sorts of things over the years, and with the change of personnel, Fang is probably coming over to discuss how to help out.

Today, Madam Fang wore a light purple jacket and a white jade hairpin in her hair, looking more formal than when she came last time.

She chuckled as she entered, sat down on the embroidered stool, and took a sip of the tea Qinghe offered her: "Are you busy, sister-in-law?"

"No rush, sister-in-law, please have a seat." Jiang Wan pushed the sewing basket aside. "You've come for the welcome banquet, haven't you?"

Fang nodded: "Exactly."

"I'm thinking that since we've invited Grand Secretary Dong's grand-nephew this time, we can't be negligent. We need to decide on the dishes and decorations in advance to avoid being caught off guard at the last minute."

She smiled again, "In previous years, I was the one who organized the banquets at the manor. Since my sister-in-law is in charge this year, I came over to ask if there's anything I can help with."

Fang put down her teacup and sighed, "Sister-in-law, as you know, our Earl's Mansion looks glamorous on the surface, but the income is limited. I've been calculating and saving money wherever possible."

Jiang Wan held her teacup but didn't reply.

Madam Fang added, "Young Master Dong will be arriving in a few days. He is the grand-nephew of Grand Secretary Dong, so we cannot neglect him. The welcoming banquet must be held properly, otherwise people will say that the Earl's mansion cannot even afford a decent banquet, and we will be laughed at."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I've already made arrangements for the welcome banquet."

Madam Fang nodded, then changed the subject: "Speaking of which, when I was going through old account books the other day, I saw that my sister-in-law brought quite a few items with her when she married into the family. There was a gold-inlaid screen, which I heard is worth a lot of money. If we could display it, putting it in the hall at the welcoming banquet would surely make the Earl's mansion look impressive."

Jiang Wan paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.

So this was Fang's real purpose in coming; the welcoming banquet was just an opening act, and the screen was what she truly wanted to mention.

The gold-inlaid screen was part of Gu's dowry, and Fang finally brought the conversation to the table.

"I've never seen any of my sister-in-law's things before." Jiang Wan put down her teacup. "As for the screen that my sister-in-law mentioned, I'm afraid we'll have to ask the old lady for details."

Fang leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice: "Sister-in-law, it's not that I necessarily want to touch your things, it's just that the welcome banquet is coming up soon, and there really aren't any decent decorations in the storeroom."

"If we could borrow this screen for a bit, we could just put it back after the banquet. It wouldn't be a problem. You're the matriarch; can't you even make a decision about something like this?"

Jiang Wan didn't answer immediately. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then tapped her fingertips lightly on the table twice, as if she were pondering something.

After a few moments, she looked up at Fang Shi and said, "I need to think about what my sister-in-law said."

Seeing that she didn't refuse outright, Fang's eyes brightened slightly: "Sister-in-law, think it over carefully. I'm doing this for the sake of the Earl's family's reputation—"

"Please have a seat, sister-in-law. I'll have Qinghe get a fresh pot of tea," Jiang Wan said, turning her head to Qinghe. "The tea's getting cold."

Qinghe paused slightly in her teacup; she understood Jiang Wan's implication.

The wife asked her to go out, not just to change the tea.

She lowered her eyes, answered "Yes," picked up her teacup, turned around, and went out the door.

She didn't go to the tea room, but went straight to the backyard, where she found Xiaoman by a pillar.

Qinghe walked over quickly and said in a low voice, "Go to Songhe Hall and tell Granny Gui that Madam has something important to ask the Old Madam for instructions."

"The Second Madam brought up the gold-inlaid screen from the Late Madam's dowry in the Madam's room, wanting to use it as an excuse to welcome her over. The Madam didn't want to refute her directly, so she asked the Old Madam for advice."

Xiaoman gripped the rag tightly in her hand, knowing the urgency of the situation. She nodded, stood up, and quickly ran towards Songhetang.

Qinghe didn't linger. She turned around, went to the kitchen, brewed another pot of tea, and carried it back home.

Xiaoman ran all the way to Songhetang.

Granny Gui was drying handkerchiefs on the veranda when she saw Xiaoman arrive. The handkerchief in her hand was still wet, so she draped it over the line before speaking: "What's wrong? Why are you running so fast?"

Xiaoman took a breath and lowered her voice to repeat what she had said: "Madam sent me to deliver a message, saying that Second Madam is in Madam's room and brought up the matter of that gold-inlaid screen from the late Madam's dowry. She wants to use it under the pretext of the welcoming banquet. Madam doesn't want to refute her to her face, so she asks for the old lady's instructions."

After listening, Granny Gui didn't ask any more questions and turned to go inside.

Xiaoman stood under the porch for a while and heard her mother-in-law's voice from inside the house: "Let her in."

Granny Gui lifted the curtain and beckoned to Xiaoman. Xiaoman lowered her head and followed her inside, standing by the door.

My mother-in-law was sitting on the couch copying scriptures, her pen never stopping until she finished writing the last character.

She looked up at Xiaoman, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment, before suddenly asking, "You were... someone who used to work in the Gu family's household?"

Xiaoman lowered her head and replied, "Yes, this servant used to serve the late Madam."

Her mother-in-law stared at her for a while, as if recalling something. After a moment, she looked away and said in a flat tone, "No wonder you looked familiar. How did you end up being transferred to Madam Jiang's room?"

"After the late Madam passed away, I was assigned to several different jobs before finally being assigned to Madam's courtyard this spring."

The mother-in-law didn't press the matter further. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and stood up as she put it down: "Granny Gui, come with me to take a look."

Xiaoman stepped aside to clear the doorway.

Granny Gui helped her mother-in-law out the door. When her mother-in-law reached the porch, she paused, glanced at the sky under the eaves, and then continued walking.

As Fang was getting into her speech, she said, "Sister-in-law, that screen is just gathering dust in the storeroom anyway. What's wrong with taking it out and using it? It's not like we're going to keep it for ourselves—"

"Sister-in-law—" Jiang Wan was about to reply when footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

Granny Gui lifted the curtain and came in, stepping aside to make way for the doorway.

The mother-in-law stood outside the curtain, her voice soft but clear: "Madam Fang is here too? What a coincidence."

Fang's hand holding the teacup trembled, and she almost spilled it.

She stood up more quickly than usual, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a dull thud: "Grandma... why did you come over?"

The mother-in-law stepped across the threshold, her gaze sweeping from Fang's face to Jiang Wan's, finally settling on Fang: "I heard you were discussing the welcome banquet with your sister-in-law?"

Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "I've already had your sister-in-law take care of the welcome banquet. If there are any missing items in the storeroom, just have her take the correct tokens to get them. You don't need to worry about it."

Fang's face paled for a moment: "Grandma, your daughter-in-law didn't—"

"That's good."

The mother-in-law sat down in the main seat, picked up the cup of cold tea in front of Fang, glanced at it, and put it down again. "Fang, how many years have you been in the household?"

Madam Fang tightened her grip on the handkerchief: "Reporting to the old lady, it has been nine years."

"Nine years have passed, you should know the rules of this household by now." The mother-in-law's voice was not loud. "No one is allowed to touch the late Madam's things, and I won't say this twice."

The room was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window.

Fang stood there with her head down, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back. After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice three degrees lower than before: "Your daughter-in-law has remembered."

The mother-in-law stood up: "Alright, everyone disperse."

Fang bowed and withdrew without saying goodbye. She quickly left the courtyard, her footsteps fading into the distance on the bluestone path.

The mother-in-law glanced at Jiang Wan, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment: "You did the right thing."

"Grandma is joking. Your daughter-in-law was just doing what she was supposed to do."

"No need to say more." The mother-in-law waved her hand. "You can make the decisions about things inside the house. If you're unsure about anything, come and ask me. As for Fang Shi, I'll keep her quiet."

Jiang Wan lowered her head and replied, "Yes."

Her mother-in-law didn't linger. Granny Gui helped her out the door, and Jiang Wan saw her off at the courtyard gate, watching her mother-in-law's figure slowly disappear into the distance.

Qinghe stood behind her, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

Jiang Wan turned and went back into the house. Xiao Man was still standing on the porch, her head down and her hands folded in front of her, as if she was waiting for something.

Jiang Wan stopped and glanced at her as she passed by.

"Did you hear what Fang said inside the room just now?"

Xiaoman lowered her eyes and after a moment replied, "This servant heard you."

How did you feel after hearing that?

Xiaoman's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the hem of her clothes. She remained silent for a while before speaking, her voice soft but each word clear.

"It's been almost four years since the late Madam passed away, and not many people in the manor remember her anymore. I served her for several years. Her things... are being targeted, and it makes me very sad."

Jiang Wan was silent for a moment, looked at her for a while, and then said, "It's good that you understand."

Xiaoman looked up at her, her gaze seeming to hold both relief and confirmation. She bowed to Jiang Wan and withdrew.

Qinghe watched from the side, and only after Xiaoman had walked away did she lean over and whisper, "Madam, what did Xiaoman understand?"

Jiang Wan did not answer immediately.

She turned and went inside, sitting down by the window: "She understood that since the late Mrs. was gone, her old acquaintances had to find a place for themselves."

Qinghe thought for a moment: "So that's why she came to your courtyard?"

"She came to my hospital herself," Jiang Wan said, picking up a needle. "After hearing what Fang said today, her last bit of hesitation should have dissipated."

Qinghe didn't ask any more questions and turned to tidy up the teacups.

After a while, someone else came to the courtyard gate. Qiu Tang led Lu Zhao in, carrying a food box in her hand.

Lu Zhao stopped at the door and called out "Mother." Qing He took the plate and opened it to see that it contained several plates of exquisite pastries.

Lu Zhao said, "My grandmother asked me to bring these over, saying she made a few extra dishes for you to try."

Jiang Wan invited him in to sit down. Qing He poured him a cup of tea, which Lu Zhao took but didn't drink immediately. He sat quietly for a while, holding the teacup, before suddenly speaking.

"Mother, when Aunt Zhou came to see you last time Father returned, was it because she wanted you to hire a tutor for Hui-ge?"

Jiang Wan paused, her hand holding the teacup still. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody told me," Lu Zhao said, slowly tracing the rim of his teacup with his finger. "I guessed."

Jiang Wan looked at him; this child had been paying attention to this matter even earlier than she had thought.

He had witnessed everything about Aunt Zhou's unusual behavior at the birthday banquet and his father's actions that night, but he hadn't said a word.

Lu Zhao seemed to carefully consider his words: "Mother, Aunt Zhou shouldn't have come to see you. You are the stepmother, and if you interfere in Hui-ge's affairs, people will say you've broken the rules, which will be bad for your reputation."

"But Hui-ge'er's studies are a serious matter," Jiang Wan said. "I will keep an eye on it, not because Aunt Zhou came to see me, but because Hui-ge'er is a child of the Lu family."

Lu Zhao paused in his grip on the teacup, then looked up at her.

He didn't ask any further questions, finished the rest of the tea in his cup, stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Mother, I'll be going back now."

"Go."

Lu Zhao stopped at the door, stepped over the threshold without looking back, and walked away.

Jiang Wan sat by the window watching his retreating figure walk through the courtyard. Qing He, who was tidying up the teacups beside her, said, "Madam, why did the Second Young Master suddenly ask about this?"

"He's been thinking about this for a while, he just finally brought it up today."

Qinghe put the teacups back on the tray and didn't ask any more questions.

Jiang Wan sat by the window and picked up a handkerchief to continue embroidering, the needle and thread making a soft rustling sound as they passed through the fabric.

The orchid on the windowsill swayed gently in the wind, its petals falling onto the windowsill and then rolling onto the blue brick floor.