Being a second wife is difficult

Jiang Wan had just rested for a short while when a report came from outside.

"Aunt Zhou, accompanied by Aunt Liu and Concubine Zhao, has come to pay their respects to Madam."

Qinghe was packing the boxes when she heard this and looked up at Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan got up from the couch, tidied her hair, and sat down in the main seat.

What's meant to come will come.

The timing was perfect.

They had just met at Songhetang in the morning, and came here in the afternoon. This showed respect without making people think they were neglecting the new wife.

Aunt Zhou changed her clothes when she entered the room.

She changed her silver-red jacket to a lotus-root color, and the red-gold hairpin in her hair was replaced with a white jade hairpin. Her makeup was much lighter than in the morning.

Jiang Wan saw it all.

This was deliberately downgraded by half a level.

In the morning, she serves her mother-in-law, so dressing well is to make her mother-in-law look good. In the afternoon, when she comes to see the mistress, she is a concubine and cannot overshadow her.

The fact that he could strike such a perfect balance shows that he is a meticulous person.

"This humble servant, Zhou, greets Madam."

Aunt Zhou performed a proper bow, bending her knees to the perfect degree.

Aunt Liu followed behind, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz: "This humble servant, Liu, greets Madam."

Zhao Tongfang remained silent, only bowing in return.

Jiang Wan smiled and waved her hand, "Get up quickly, we're not strangers, no need for such formalities."

Qinghe brought over the tea.

Aunt Zhou took the teacup, but didn't drink it right away. She spoke first: "This morning in the old lady's room, I was so busy serving her that I didn't have a proper greeting to you, Madam. I've felt really bad about it, so I specially chose this time this afternoon to come. Please don't take offense, Madam."

"Taking care of the old lady is your duty, there's nothing to feel bad about."

Jiang Wan picked up her teacup and said casually, "With someone as capable as you by the old lady's side, I'm more at ease than ever."

Aunt Zhou smiled and said, "I have been serving the old lady since the time of the late Madam. It is a habit that I cannot break in a short time. I dare not refuse the old lady's kindness."

She spoke the words "my late wife" very naturally, as if she were talking about something ordinary.

This is to show my seniority; I've been in this house longer than you.

It also serves as a reminder of my identity: I am the wife's woman, not just some random Tom, Dick, or Harry.

Jiang Wan acted as if she hadn't noticed: "The old lady praised you for being thoughtful this morning, saying you took good care of her. As her new daughter-in-law, I'll need you to give me more pointers in the future."

"Madam, you flatter me." Aunt Zhou bowed slightly. "What kind of status do I have? How dare I offer advice to Madam? But if there are any matters in the household that Madam is unclear about, I will speak frankly to the best of my knowledge."

"Thank you in advance," Jiang Wan said with a smile.

Aunt Zhou glanced at her and then changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, I saw Madam once from afar a few years ago."

"When the late Madam first came into the family, she came to drink, and I was serving her from behind. I saw her sitting at the women's table. She was still young then, and I thought she was very beautiful. Now, looking closely, she is even more outstanding than before."

These words were like a soft nail, outwardly praising someone while subtly reminding Jiang Wan how she came to the Earl's mansion and which corner she sat in back then—I remember it all.

Jiang Wan held her teacup, blew on the foam, and smiled without responding to the question.

What's the use of being fancy? A concubine is a concubine.

Aunt Zhou stopped speaking after she finished, her smile remaining polite.

Aunt Liu huddled in the chair, holding the teacup in both hands as if it were something fragile. She didn't drink a drop, nor did she dare to put it down.

Zhao Tongfang sat even further away, half of her body hidden behind Aunt Liu, her presence as thin as paper.

Jiang Wan glanced around and suddenly smiled.

"The old lady is right. Aunt Zhou is meticulous, Aunt Liu is quiet, and Concubine Zhao is also a dutiful person." She paused, "They are all indeed pleasing people."

These words sound like praise, but the phrase "the old lady is right" brings up the mother-in-law to put her down. The old lady has already told me what kind of people you are, and there's no point in hiding it.

Aunt Zhou's smile remained unchanged.

Jiang Wan then looked at her: "By the way, I saw you giving the old lady a massage this morning, your skills were really good. I was just worried about how to please my mother-in-law, you'll have to teach me in the future."

"If Madam wishes to learn, I will naturally impart all my knowledge to her," Aunt Zhou readily agreed.

"Then it's settled." Jiang Wan put down her teacup. "I'll have Qinghe learn from you another day, so she can take care of the old lady."

These words, spoken lightly, transformed what was originally a job exclusively for Aunt Zhou into one that anyone could do.

You're good at massage? Okay, I'll have my maid learn.

Once you learn this, you won't have to hang around the old lady every day.

Aunt Zhou's smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Jiang Wan pretended not to see her and turned to Aunt Liu to chat: "I saw Shan'er this morning. She's fair-skinned and well-fed. You've taken good care of her."

Aunt Liu was flattered and almost knocked over her teacup: "Madam, you flatter me. Shan'er is very mischievous..."

"It's good for kids to be a little mischievous," Jiang Wan said. "I'll bring her to my room to play another day, and I'll prepare some little toys for her."

Aunt Liu nodded repeatedly, her eyes a little red, probably because she hadn't expected the new wife to be so kind.

Zhao Tongfang remained silent throughout.

Jiang Wan didn't force her.

After exchanging a few casual words, Aunt Zhou stood up and said, "Madam, you must be tired from your journey. We won't bother you any longer."

Aunt Liu and Concubine Zhao stood up as well.

"Wait a minute," Jiang Wan called out to them, "I'm not quite familiar with the rules for paying respects in the manor. What time in the morning do we go to the Old Madam's?"

Aunt Zhou turned around: "I was just about to tell Madam about this. The old lady gets up at Chen Shi (7-9 AM) every day to worship Buddha for half an hour, so she has to pay her respects a little later, around 3:45 AM. When Master comes back from court, he has to pay his respects to the old lady first, so if Madam goes too early, she won't be able to meet her."

It was 3:45 AM, a full hour later than usual.

After listening, Jiang Wan nodded: "Then I will go there at three-quarters past Chen time tomorrow. Thank you for reminding me."

"You're too kind, Madam." Aunt Zhou bowed slightly and led her people out.

The door closed.

Qinghe finally blurted out after holding it in for a long time: "Madam, what did Aunt Zhou mean by that? What does 'I saw you once from afar a few years ago' mean?"

"It means exactly what it says."

"But the tone of her voice—"

"What's wrong with her tone?" Jiang Wan leaned back on the pillow, closing her eyes. "What she said wasn't the truth? I did see the late Madam enter the house, and I did sit in the corner. What's there to be angry about telling the truth?"

Qinghe choked.

"Besides, what she said made me uncomfortable. If I really felt uncomfortable, she would feel comfortable."

Jiang Wan didn't open her eyes. "Wouldn't it be stupid to show her I'm not feeling well?"

Qinghe thought about it and agreed, so she stopped talking and continued packing the boxes.

After a while, Jiang Wan suddenly spoke up: "Bring me that list."

Qinghe pulled out a booklet from the bottom of the trunk and handed it over.

Lu Huaijin had it delivered.

The monthly allowance, the number of maids and servants in each household, the manager of the manor, and the people in charge of the estates and shops were all written down.

The few dry pages didn't reveal anything.

The roster is static, but people are dynamic.

You can't tell who has real power, who has money to be made, or who is in cahoots with whom.

But we need to have a baseline first.

Jiang Wan flipped through the list and memorized the names of several people.

Manager Liu was in charge of the warehouse, Manager Zhou was in charge of the land, and Manager Wang was in charge of purchasing.

The three names were on the first page, standing out more than the others.

Jiang Wan closed the booklet, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes to rest.

Before things could get any quiet, there was some noise outside again.

"Second Young Master and Eldest Miss have come to pay their respects to Madam."

Qinghe opened the door.

A seven or eight-year-old boy was leading a little girl as they stood at the door.

The boy wore a royal blue robe, was handsome, and had a resemblance to Lu Huaijin in his features. He was tall for his age and stood very straight.

It was the eldest son, Lu Zhao.

The little girl was none other than Lu Wan, the older girl who had come earlier that morning. She had changed into a pale yellow jacket, had her hair tied in two little pigtails, and was timidly hiding behind her brother.

"Your son greets his mother." Lu Zhao cupped his hands in a proper bow, his movements were so refined that it was clear he had been taught.

Lu Wan followed up softly, "Greetings to Mother."

Jiang Wan smiled and replied, "Good child, please sit down."

Qinghe brought up some snacks.

Lu Wan kept her eyes on the snacks, but didn't move her feet.

Lu Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and said as soon as he sat down, "Mother, Father said that I should listen to you from now on, and I will."

His words were concise and to the point, leaving no room for error.

But the word "mother" sounded stiff, like someone reciting a poem.

Jiang Wan smiled and said, "I'm relieved to hear that."

Lu Zhao stood up after sitting for less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea: "Mother, I haven't finished my homework yet, so I'll take my leave now."

"Go."

Lu Zhao turned and walked out. Lu Wan hesitated for a moment, then chased after her brother and ran out.

Qinghe saw him off at the door, but when she returned, her expression was not good.

"What's wrong?"

"What the second young master said at the courtyard gate..."

"What did you say?"

Qinghe bit her lip: "He told the wet nurse, 'She's not as pretty as my mother.' He said it very loudly, and everyone in the courtyard heard it."

Jiang Wan paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.

Then continue drinking.

Qinghe grew anxious: "Madam, aren't you angry?"

"What's wrong with being angry about a seven-year-old child who misses his own mother?"

"But what he was doing was—"

"He's telling the truth," Jiang Wan interrupted her. "I'm not as pretty as the late Mrs., and he's not wrong about that."

Qinghe opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Jiang Wan put down her teacup: "Alright, don't argue with a child. If you do, I'll be the one who looks bad."

Qinghe swallowed back the words she was about to say and gave a muffled reply.

It was evening.

As dusk fell, Qinghe lit a lamp, and soft footsteps could be heard outside.

A corner of the curtain was lifted, and a small head peeked in.

It's Lu Wan.

He came alone, without his wet nurse.

Qinghe was somewhat surprised: "Young Miss? Why did you come alone?"

Lu Wan remained silent, her eyes scanning the room before settling on Jiang Wan.

Jiang Wan put down the embroidery frame she was holding and beckoned to her, "Come in."

Lu Wan walked in slowly, standing three steps away from Jiang Wan, neither getting closer nor moving away.

"Where is the wet nurse?" Jiang Wan asked.

Lu Wan shook her head.

"Did you come here by yourself?"

nod.

Jiang Wan frowned slightly.

It wasn't about Lu Wan, it was about this matter.

She got up, walked to the door, and glanced outside. The courtyard was quiet, and no one followed her.

To get here from the backyard, you have to go through two or three moon gates, and there's a covered walkway and a small stone bridge in between. If a six-year-old child walks alone and falls or bumps into something, no one will know.

"What do you need me for?"

He neither nodded nor shook his head, just stood there with his hands clasped together.

Jiang Wan glanced at her, squatted down to meet Lu Wan's gaze, and asked in a gentle tone, "Did your wet nurse know you were coming out?"

Lu Wan hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"So what is she doing right now?"

Lu Wan pursed her lips and said softly, "We'll...we'll have tea in the small kitchen."

Jiang Wan understood.

She didn't ask any more questions. She took Lu Wan's hand, looked down at it, and saw that the back of her hand was clean and there were no bumps or bruises. Her clothes were also neat, so she must not have fallen.

But that's it.

A six-year-old child, with no one by his side, the wet nurse went to have tea and left the child aside. This is not an oversight, but a neglect.

She released Lu Wan's hand and smiled, "Then you can...sit here with me for a while."

The tone was very polite.

After saying that, she turned her head to look at Qinghe and gave her a wink. Qinghe understood and nodded slightly, meaning: go and talk to the wet nurse later, not because she was afraid that she would worry, but to let her know that she should worry.

Seeing that the child only shook his head and nodded, refusing to say a word, Jiang Wan was not in a hurry. She then whispered to Qing He, "Go and get some pastries and make a cup of hot milk."

Qinghe responded and left. A short while later, she brought back a plate of osmanthus cake and a small cup of warm milk.

Jiang Wan took it and placed it on the low table next to her. She beckoned to Lu Wan and said in a very soft voice, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Here, have a snack and a hot drink first."

Lu Wan hesitated for a moment, then slowly scooted over, took the pastry, and ate it in small bites. Jiang Wan didn't urge her to speak, but picked up the embroidery frame again and bent down to embroider her bamboo leaves.

The room fell silent, save for the soft rustling of needle and thread.

After a while, Lu Wan took a step forward.

After a while, it moved another step.

He moved closer to Jiang Wan, stopped, and stared at the embroidery frame in her hand.

"What is this?" the voice asked softly.

"A handkerchief." Jiang Wan turned the embroidery frame around for her to see. "I embroidered two bamboo leaves on it. Isn't it pretty?"

Lu Wan tilted her head and looked at it for a long time before nodding.

"Do you want to learn?"

Shake head.

"So what can you do?"

Lu Wan thought for a moment, then stretched out her hand and made a "seven" gesture.

"Seven what?"

"Seven... seven-piece tangram puzzle, I can do it." The voice was muffled.

Jiang Wan smiled, her eyes filled with admiration: "Tangram? That's quite a clever puzzle, and even a young lady like you can do it?"

Lu Wan nodded and gestured, "I can assemble a bunny, and I can also assemble a house."

"Wan'er is really amazing." Jiang Wan's tone was serious, not like she was coaxing a child. "Unlike me, I could never spell things well when I was little."

Lu Wan's ears were still red, but the corners of her mouth turned up.

Jiang Wan picked up a piece of osmanthus cake from the plate and handed it over: "Have another piece."

Lu Wan took it, took a small bite, chewed it, and then took a big bite. Her cheeks were bulging, like a little hamster.

Jiang Wan looked at her and suddenly remembered when she was six years old, before her stepmother, Madam Sun, entered the family. Her birth mother was still alive and would make osmanthus cake for her.

Those things are too distant to mention now.

"What do you usually do for fun?" Jiang Wan asked.

Lu Wan swallowed the cake in her mouth, thought for a moment, and said, "Watch the ants."

"Want to see ants?"

"There are ants in the backyard," Lu Wan said. "They move house, and it takes them a long time to move."

Jiang Wan laughed: "What's so interesting about that?"

Unable to explain why, Lu Wan repeated, "It just looks good."

"Then let me tell you a story," Jiang Wan said, putting down her embroidery frame. "Have you heard the story of the ant and the cricket?"

Lu Wan shook her head.

"In the summer, ants were busy carrying food, while crickets sang. The cricket said, 'Why don't you take a break?' The ant replied, 'Winter is coming soon, we need to store food.' The cricket laughed at its foolishness and continued singing. Later, winter really came, and the cricket couldn't find any food. It was starving and had no choice but to beg the ants for food. Only after the ants gave it food did the cricket realize its mistake."

Lu Wan listened intently, her eyes never blinking.

"Do you think crickets are stupid?" Jiang Wan asked.

Lu Wan nodded: "Silly."

"Then you mustn't learn from it."

"Um."

After telling the story, Jiang Wan took out a small trinket from the drawer.

It's a small cat hairpin, made of silver, with two tiny beads for eyes. The workmanship isn't top-notch, but it's undeniably cute.

I originally wore it for fun.

"Here, this is for you." Jiang Wan handed it over.

Lu Wan took it, looked at it over and over several times, then suddenly looked up and said in a louder voice, "Mother."

This "mother" sound was different from the one from that afternoon.

I was forced to wake up in the afternoon.

This time, she called it herself.

Jiang Wan responded and reached out to pin the hairpin to her hair bun.

Lu Wan touched the hairpin in her hair and grinned.

"Alright, let Qinghe take you home. It's getting dark."

Lu Wan nodded, then turned back at the door and asked, "Mother, can you come again tomorrow?"

"able."

"Will you tell stories again tomorrow?"

"speak."

Lu Wanxin was satisfied and ready to leave.

"Wan'er," Jiang Wan called out to her gently, "I'll pack you some pastries so you can take them home and eat them slowly."

Lu Wan turned around, her eyes lighting up.

Jiang Wan winked at Qing He: "Go and pack a few pieces of osmanthus cake."

Qinghe responded and walked to the table, took a handkerchief to wrap the pastries, and then wrapped them in oil paper.

Lu Wan was very obedient; she lifted the curtain herself and went out to wait outside.

Qinghe, busy with her hands, lowered her voice and asked Jiang Wan, "Madam, regarding the eldest young lady's wet nurse... should I go and say a few words?"

Jiang Wan picked up the now-cold milk and took a sip: "Don't curse. Just say that the young lady came here alone. There are too many people in the manor, and if something happens to her, who can bear the responsibility? As long as she understands, that's fine."

Qinghe nodded, tucked the wrapped pastries into her sleeve, and added, "I'll take Miss back and give her a little talking-to on the way."

"Go."

Qinghe lifted the curtain and went out. Her gentle voice came from outside the door: "Miss, let's go, I'll see you off."

The footsteps faded into the distance.

……

When Qinghe returned after seeing the person off, Jiang Wan was looking at the accounts.

"Did you send it back?" Jiang Wan asked without looking up.

"It's been sent back." Qinghe walked over, her expression quite indignant.

"Madam, guess what—I escorted the young lady to the gate of her courtyard, and when I went in, I found the wet nurse still chatting with someone in the small kitchen, cracking melon seeds and talking enthusiastically. She had no idea that the young lady had run out."

Jiang Wan didn't reply, but her brows were furrowed.

"I told her that the young lady had come here alone, and she panicked and kept saying, 'This servant deserves to die.'"

Qinghe grew angrier as she spoke, "You didn't see her face, she was drinking her tea with relish, she doesn't act like a wet nurse at all! It's only lucky that the young lady knows the way, what if—"

"Alright," Jiang Wan interrupted her, her tone not harsh, but it silenced Qing He. "Why are you getting angry with her?"

Qinghe pouted and remained silent.

Jiang Wan walked to the window, picked up the glass of milk that had gone cold, glanced at it, and then put it down again.

"I've only been here two days. My wet nurse is an old servant in the household. Even if I'm unhappy, I can't just start yelling and killing. Let's observe first, there's no rush."

Qinghe thought about it and realized that her young lady was right. She had only been here for two days and hadn't even settled in yet. How could she make a scene over a wet nurse?

She composed herself, then remembered something else, and finally smiled: "Madam, Miss is easy to please. It's only been a short while, and she's already sincerely calling you 'Mother.' I think she really likes you."

"Children will be close to whoever treats them well."

Jiang Wan stood up and stretched.

After a whole day of commotion, things have finally calmed down.

She glanced out the window; it was already completely dark.

It seems Lu Huaijin won't be coming tonight again.

It's better if they don't come.

It's peaceful to be alone.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window.

Time to sleep.