Being a second wife is difficult

She came here to relax. Since she didn't need to serve the second mistress during her afternoon nap, she slipped away to find a shady spot in the garden to rest. She had only squatted down for a short while when she heard footsteps.

He heard every word Ding Mama and Cui'er said.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the handkerchief, and her heart pounded like a drum.

Only when the footsteps of the two people were no longer audible did she slowly straighten up. Her knees were numb from squatting, and she had to hold onto the wall to steady herself.

She didn't rush to leave. She stood behind the flower bushes, going over the words she had just heard in her mind again, and a faint smile slowly crept onto her lips.

Sister Cui'er is doomed this time.

Cui'er had been favored by the Second Madam for quite some time. Relying on being the Madam's most favored head maid, she often looked down on others. The maids below her would be scolded if they were slow to serve tea, or if their clothes were not folded neatly.

Once, she accidentally spilled tea on the tray, and Cui'er scolded her in front of everyone for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, saying, "You can't even do this little thing right, don't you know your background?" She remembered those words for more than half a year and couldn't forget them no matter what.

Now, God has opened his eyes and let her stumble upon this.

She originally thought Cui'er was just a bully pretending to be powerful, but she never expected her to have such a big hole hidden underneath.

If the Second Madam finds out that Cui'er climbed into the Second Master's bed, not only will Cui'er suffer, but even Granny Ding will be in trouble.

She had previously worried that Cui'er would gain power in front of the madam and that she would never be able to turn things around. Now that she had this leverage over her, Cui'er's position was probably in jeopardy.

Hongxiu patted the dirt off her skirt and emerged from behind the flower bushes. The smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a clean-cut, clueless expression.

She glanced at both ends of the alley, and seeing no one around, she quickly walked towards the east courtyard.

Her skirt swept across the blue brick ground, kicking up a small fallen leaf that flipped halfway before falling back down. Without even turning her head, she was gone in a flash.

Hongxiu was a completely different person after she returned from the alley. She went back to her room to change into clean clothes, combed her hair in front of the bronze mirror, and straightened her clothes.

The face in the mirror was tinged with a thin layer of excitement; the corners of her mouth wanted to turn up, but she forced them back down.

She sat on the edge of the bed for a while, mentally reviewing what she had just heard to make sure she hadn't missed a single word, before standing up and walking out.

Cui'er wasn't there. When she came back from the alley, she saw Cui'er turn into the direction of the back room, probably to go back to rest.

Hongxiu stood under the corridor for a moment, making sure there was no one else in the main room of the east courtyard, before walking to the door and saying to the maid guarding the door, "I have something urgent to discuss with Madam, please inform her."

The maidservant went in and came out after a short while. She turned and lifted the curtain, then stepped over the threshold with her head down and knelt down in front of Madam Fang's bed.

Fang had just woken up from her afternoon nap and sat up from the couch, her hair still loose, leaning back lazily. Seeing her suddenly kneel down, she asked, "I heard you have something urgent to report. What is it?"

Hongxiu didn't look up. She repeated exactly what she had overheard in the alley yesterday. Her voice trembled as she spoke, but she enunciated each word clearly without missing a single one.

Finally, she added, "I also heard Granny Ding say that Sister Cui'er is from the same hometown as her. She went to great lengths to get Sister Cui'er into the mansion and even arranged for her to work in Madam's courtyard."

"This servant knows this matter is of utmost importance and dares not keep it from Madam."

Fang Shi, who was still somewhat drowsy from just waking up, tensed up immediately upon hearing these words. She didn't speak, and the room was so quiet that you could hear Hongxiu nervously swallowing.

But the silence didn't last long. Suddenly, Fang sat up, the sound of her getting up being particularly clear in the quiet room.

She stared at the top of Hongxiu's head, her voice like a thin layer of ice, seemingly calm yet carrying a chilling intensity: "Did you hear that clearly? Granny Ding said herself that she and Cui'er are from the same hometown?"

Hongxiu knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head, her voice tight: "This servant heard it clearly, it was Ding Mama herself who said it! This servant dares not lie in the slightest."

Fang's heart skipped a beat. She reached for the teacup on the table, but put it down after picking it up. The teacup made a crisp sound as it hit the table, and a few drops of tea splashed onto her clothes, but she didn't care.

She originally thought that Cui'er was just having a moment of distraction, but she didn't expect that someone had already planted a thorn in her side. What was Ding Mama's purpose in going to such lengths to get her in?

Fang's fingers tightened, her knuckles turning white. Several thoughts raced through her mind, and the more she thought about it, the colder she felt down her spine.

"You just said that after Cui'er did such a thing, Granny Ding still intends to send her out of the mansion?" When Madam Fang asked this question, her voice did not rise at all, but it was as if she was suppressing her anger, which made people's spines go cold.

Hongxiu nodded quickly: "Yes."

Fang didn't reply, but her mind was in turmoil. Cui'er had committed such a shameful act, yet Ding Mama not only didn't avoid suspicion, but also had the ability to arrange for her to be sent out of the mansion and suppress the matter.

These days, Granny Ding has been in close contact with her, and Granny Ding knows a lot about her private schemes and things that she can't tell others.

She originally thought she was just a shrewd and capable stewardess that she could use, but she never expected that the other party had already laid a trap and even planted Cui'er, a thorn in her side, long ago.

Fang's expression grew even colder: "I had no idea that a maid in the manor would commit such a shameful act, and that Granny Ding would actually try to cover it up and send her away as if nothing had happened? She certainly has some nerve."

Hongxiu knelt on the ground, her voice tight: "What Madam said is true... Sister Cui'er usually takes advantage of Madam's trust and acts arrogantly, and we servants dare not utter a word."

"But this is a grave mistake. Granny Ding is trying to get away with it by sending her out of the mansion. Madam, you can't let them off so easily. If I have uttered a single falsehood, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

As she spoke, she raised her eyelids to glance at Madam Fang's face, then quickly lowered her head again, her voice softening slightly: "Madam, please don't let these despicable people upset you and ruin your health. It's not worth it. With you here, they can't cause any trouble."

Fang didn't speak. She stared at the few drops of tea that had splashed out, leaving a small wet patch on the table. Her gaze fell on that wet patch, suppressing the impatience, anger, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She spoke, her voice no longer as tense as before, but rather as smooth and worldly as ever: "You are a thoughtful person. Cui'er has been by my side for so many years, and I never knew she had this connection with Granny Ding."

She paused for a moment. "You handled things well today. Go back now, and don't mention this to anyone else, including Cui'er. Pretend you don't know anything she asks. Once this is over, I certainly won't treat you unfairly."

Hongxiu responded repeatedly, then lowered her head and left the room.

After the curtain fell, her steps quickened compared to when she came, and the slight smile on her lips couldn't be suppressed. As she walked through the corridor, the hem of her skirt swept across the blue brick floor, as if she were stepping on an invisible wind.

Cui'er was just coming out of the back room when the two met face to face. Hongxiu didn't stop, but just slightly curved the corners of her mouth and called out in a low voice, "Sister Cui'er."

The "sister" was addressed politely, but the last syllable rose slightly, suppressing an undisguised smugness, and even carrying a hint of contempt.

Cui'er paused, trying to suppress her displeasure. Remembering Ding Mama's instructions, she maintained her composure and simply gave a faint reply. She didn't look at Hongxiu again and let her walk past her.

After Hongxiu had walked far away, Cui'er turned around and looked in the direction where she had disappeared. Suddenly, a thought struck her: the path Hongxiu had taken seemed to have come from the Second Madam's courtyard.

Cui'er had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but she didn't show it on her face. She simply beckoned a maid who was sweeping nearby and casually asked, "Did Hongxiu go to see Madam just now?"

The young maidservant leaned closer and whispered, "That's right, Sister Cui'er, you don't know, she had a smile on her face when she went there, and she was even more arrogant when she came back. She didn't even look at us properly, and she walked with a swagger."

Cui'er didn't reply. She quickly calculated in her mind, telling herself not to act rashly. No matter how smug Hongxiu was, as long as she kept things stable and didn't do anything, once Granny Ding had made arrangements to send her out of the mansion, it was none of her business how these people in the mansion acted.

She swallowed her anger and walked towards the kitchen. She still had to do her job well these next few days. It was time to go to the small kitchen to get Fang's afternoon snack.

Inside, Madam Fang remained seated on the couch, the curtains were drawn, and the windows were mostly closed, allowing light to filter in from outside, making the room half-lit and half-dark.

"Now is not the time," she told herself.

If she were to harm Cui'er now, Granny Ding would have plenty of ways to cover it up. She would wait for the right opportunity, and she would make sure that none of them could escape!

Thinking of this, Fang Shi used all her strength to tear the handkerchief she was holding in her hand in two.

The scraps of cloth fell onto her knees. She stared at them for a long time, and the anger in her heart slowly subsided, turning to something else.

Don't rush things; rushing will only alert the enemy.

She should wait until everyone is there, the lights are on, and everything that's supposed to be there has arrived before she flips the table.

A few days ago, the gatekeeper delivered a letter saying that Lu Huaijin would rush back before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone from each household would be there then, but she insisted on choosing the night when the whole mansion was at its most complete to bring this matter up. Then no one would be able to escape.

Even if Granny Ding had ten mouths, she couldn't smooth things over. She also wanted to make Lu Huaiyu's sullen face stand out in front of everyone. She wanted to see if Cui'er could still cry when she knelt in front of the old lady.

She thought that once this matter became public, the old lady would naturally feel guilty towards her, and the household would be in chaos for a while. This would give her a perfect excuse to reclaim the power that had been taken away.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly, the curve lingering on her lips like a layer floating on water, concealing some unseen plan beneath.

The wind chimes under the eaves rang out crisply in the wind, as Cui'er brought in a plate of delicate pastries.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wan's courtyard was very quiet.

She had Qinghe send everyone out of the room except Xiaoman. After the curtain was drawn, only the three of them remained in the room.

Xiaoman stood by the table, her eyes downcast, her hands clasped in front of her. It was impossible to tell if she was nervous or not; she just stood there quietly waiting.

Jiang Wan didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "You didn't tell anyone about what happened at Ganen Temple last time, did you?"

Xiaoman's voice was neither too loud nor too soft: "Since Madam forbids me to say it, this servant naturally won't tell anyone else."

Jiang Wan looked at her for a moment, as if weighing something, before speaking again after a while: "If I asked you to do something even more outrageous next time, would you do it?"

Xiaoman was silent for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Wan before lowering her head again. She didn't answer immediately, as if she was thinking about how to start the conversation. After a while, she slowly said, "Does Madam know that I wasn't originally assigned to your place? I asked to come and serve in your courtyard myself."

Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to say that: "Oh?"

Xiaoman didn't look up, her voice flat, as if she were talking about something unrelated to herself: "After Madam Gu left, I took turns doing chores in various parts of the mansion and saw a lot of things."

"The people in this mansion all follow the wind. Whoever has power and influence, the servants will flock to them. I am a common person and do not wish to be an exception. But I can also see that you, Madam, are not the kind of person who can be led by others. As long as you do not do anything foolish, I will always be your person."

After she finished speaking, she looked up at Jiang Wan with a look that was neither humble nor arrogant, as if she was waiting for an answer.

After listening, Jiang Wan didn't speak at first, then chuckled softly: "When other maids pledge their loyalty, they practically want to cut their hearts out for you to see, spouting all sorts of vows of undying loyalty. But you, you only say the most sober things, not a single nice word."

She paused, then added, "But that's exactly what I like. You really are a smart person."

Xiaoman didn't reply, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Jiang Wan stopped smiling and said seriously, "From now on, if there are any matters inside or outside the manor, I will have you handle them. Just do your job and don't ask me about everything. If you're unsure about anything, then come to me."

Xiaoman responded with a "Yes".

Jiang Wan then had Qinghe personally escort her out. After seeing her off, Qinghe returned and stood beside her for a while, thinking for a moment before speaking: "Does Madam trust her that much? She used to be Madam's person..."

Jiang Wan interrupted her: "You heard what I just said. She took care of the Ganen Temple matter without letting it leak out. She has already passed the first hurdle."

"Today I asked her if she would do something even more outrageous. She didn't rush to pledge her loyalty, nor did she make excuses. She spoke based on her own judgment. She has seen what kind of masters she has, and she knows what kind is worth following. That's the second test."

As she spoke, her tone softened, "As for the third challenge, there's still a long way to go, we'll see how it goes."

She suddenly turned her head and glanced at Qinghe: "You've been with me for so many years, have you ever thought about why I value you so much?"

Qinghe paused for a moment, then shook her head: "Perhaps... I was just lucky?"

Jiang Wan smiled upon hearing this answer: "It's because you're good to me. I can see that you're good to me."

"The relationship between master and servant is about empathy, and it's built up over time. Xiaoman is the same. If she's willing to work with me, I'll trust her; if I don't, I won't use her."

Seeing Qinghe still standing there, she added with a smile, "Besides, don't I still have you by my side? With such a great helper like you, even if Xiaoman encounters any problems in the future, do you think I'm afraid I won't be able to get through it?"

Qinghe blushed slightly at her words and muttered, "Madam is married now, why does she still tease me like before..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan laughed even more heartily.

The two of them seemed to have suddenly returned to the time when they were in their own backyard, and chatted for quite a while.

The sunlight from behind the house slanted in through the window, falling warmly on their shoulders.