Being a second wife is difficult

Jiang Wan had just rinsed her mouth in the morning when Qing He brought in a basin of water. She was sitting by the window tending to the leaves of the orchid.

The sky outside the window had only been bright for a short time, and the dew in the yard had not yet dried. Water droplets clung to the leaves of the begonias at the base of the wall, glistening in the morning light.

This is a habit she developed after marrying into the family: every morning she gets up and sits for a while, taking a good look at the potted plants in her room.

Once you've dealt with which pot needs watering, which leaves are turning yellow, and which flower stems are bending over, then you can think about other things.

But in the past few days, he couldn't care less about these things. Every day at dawn, he would bury himself in the pile of account books, flipping through those old accounts page by page with Granny Gui and Granny Liu. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would check for discrepancies in the figures.

Today was different. The accounts were finally settled, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief and sit peacefully by the window, picking up her daily morning routine of tending to the flowers and plants again.

When Qinghe handed over the handkerchief, she said, "Madam, it's your turn to take a seat today."

Jiang Wan took the handkerchief and wiped her hands, knowing that it was a reminder that her aunts and the others would be coming to pay their respects soon, and she would have to accept their greetings before leading them to the old lady's place.

Such was the rule in the household: every morning, the concubines would first go to the principal wife's room to pay their respects. After the principal wife received their greetings, she would then lead them together to pay their respects to the old lady.

However, the old lady had to chant scriptures in the Buddhist hall before 3:45 AM every day and not allow others to disturb her, so they didn't need to rush too early. They could sit and chat with her first, and then go to Songhe Hall together when the time came.

Last month, she was busy checking accounts. She would get up early and go over the account books with Granny Gui and Granny Liu. For several days in a row, she didn't have time to properly greet them and skipped all the formalities.

Now that the main tent has been tidied up, it's time to resume the proper etiquette of paying respects.

Thinking that the person should have arrived by now, Jiang Wan put the handkerchief back on the edge of the basin, stood up and straightened her clothes. Since someone had come today, she should sit down and greet them properly.

When Jiang Wan arrived at the main room, she sat down in the main seat. Qing He placed freshly brewed tea on the table and added a plate of almond shortbread and a plate of candied fruit to the table.

The window inside the house was half open, and the wind blew in from outside the courtyard wall, carrying a hint of the sweet scent of autumn osmanthus.

Not long after, footsteps came from the courtyard gate. Qinghe went out to take a look, then came back and announced, "Madam, the concubines have arrived."

The curtain was lifted, and Aunt Zhou walked in at the front. She had changed into an autumn-colored dress and was wearing a pair of gold and jade earrings, which were very appropriate for the occasion.

Aunt Liu followed behind her, wearing a sky-blue vest, which looked quite formal today. She not only wore a gilded hairpin but also a pair of jade bracelets.

As usual, Zhao Tongfang walked at the very back, wearing a light blue jacket. The clothes looked a bit old, but they were much cleaner and tidier than when she last saw him. The frayed edges on the cuffs looked like they had been taken apart and re-sewn, and the stitches were much denser than before.

After the three people entered, they bowed according to custom.

Jiang Wan asked Qinghe to offer them seats, and only spoke after they were all seated: "The concubines arrived early, it's quite a gathering today."

Aunt Zhou took a sip of tea and said, "It is customary to pay respects in the morning. These past few days, Madam has been busy with accounts, so we haven't come to disturb you."

"I thought it was time to come today, so I invited Sister Liu and Sister Zhao to come together."

As she spoke, she glanced at Zhao Tongfang, "Sister Zhao was all ready early this morning, and she arrived a little earlier than me."

Zhao Tongfang sat at the very bottom. When she heard Aunt Zhou call her name, she clenched her handkerchief uncomfortably, looking somewhat nervous, but she didn't bury her head as deeply as before.

She looked up at Jiang Wan, as if she had mustered up her courage, and said, "Madam, I have come here today to thank you in person."

She paused for a moment, then explained, "It's about last month's allowance..."

Jiang Wan paused slightly in her teacup, glanced at her, and softened her tone: "What are you thanking me for? The household has wronged you regarding the monthly allowance; you shouldn't have to suffer that injustice."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tongfang's eyes reddened slightly for a moment, but she suppressed it and continued, "I know that according to the rules, the concubines' allowances have been neglected by them, but they have been suppressed for years and no one has taken care of it, so I have gotten used to it."

Zhao Tongfang's voice choked for a moment, but her gaze did not waver as she looked directly at Jiang Wan: "I want to thank Madam for her great kindness. If it weren't for Madam standing up for me, I'm afraid I would never have received what I deserve in this lifetime."

"In all these years I've been in this household, this is the first time I've felt like a proper mistress." As she spoke, she rose from her chair, knelt down, and kowtowed respectfully.

Jiang Wan was surprised by her grand gesture, so she quickly put down her teacup, got up, walked around the table, and personally helped her up.

"What are you doing? Get up!"

She held Zhao Tongfang's arm, her tone warm, "If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell me, don't keep it to yourself. You just said that for the first time you felt like a proper mistress. From now on, you have a part in this family, so you don't have to kneel down all the time."

Zhao Tongfang was helped to stand up. Her eyes were still red, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back and only responded softly, "Yes."

After Zhao Tongfang finished speaking, she lowered her head, her ears slightly red. Although her voice was still choked with emotion, the corners of her mouth had turned up.

Aunt Zhou listened from the side, and only after these words were spoken did she put down her teacup and add, "Madam stood up for Sister Zhao, and Sister Zhao remembers it. We are also happy for her."

"When Madam is in charge, she thinks of the people who serve Master first. This shows Madam's kindness." She said this in a natural tone, as if she were talking about something that everyone could see.

Aunt Liu nodded softly, "I also feel that Madam is truly sincere towards us sisters. Last time I mentioned that Shan'er was learning to read, and Madam immediately gave her such good calligraphy practice sheets. Shan'er has been practicing calligraphy with great enthusiasm these past few days."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan did not answer Aunt Liu's question at first. Instead, she slowly swept her gaze across the three people's faces before smiling and speaking: "Don't just keep praising me. The reason I've been able to gain a foothold in this mansion is twofold: firstly, the old lady is willing to let me do things, and secondly, all the sisters are willing to give me face and help me in every way, so I'm not left to perform alone."

"So, if we're talking about benevolence, that applies to everyone."

As she spoke, she glanced at Aunt Liu again, then replied to her separately, her tone even gentler, "It's good that Shan'er likes to draw. When a child is learning something, having interest is more important than anything else."

Aunt Liu's face relaxed upon hearing these words.

Zhao Tongfang sat in the corner, took a sip of tea with her head down, her ears still red, and chuckled softly, like an insignificant seed blown to the corner by the wind, accidentally touching the soil and suddenly coming to life.

Seeing her like this, Aunt Zhou couldn't help but chuckle, with a hint of teasing: "Sister Zhao is quite proactive today. In the past, it was always the concubines who talked, and you just listened from the side. Today is the first time Sister Zhao has spoken so much to us."

Seeing Aunt Zhou teasing her, Aunt Liu laughed along, her voice a little lighter than usual: "That's right, when Sister Zhao used to come to pay her respects, all she said was 'Greetings, Madam' or 'This concubine takes her leave,' it was rare to hear her say anything more."

Zhao Tongfang's face flushed even more. She lowered her head and put down her teacup, her voice softer than before.

"I know I used to be introverted and quiet. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and offending people, so I kept everything to myself and didn't dare to talk to my sisters. But these days, I've spent more time with my sisters and found that they are all easy to get along with."

"I will definitely spend more time with my sisters from now on."

She looked up and smiled as she spoke. Her smile was clean and pure, like the warm, thin sunlight of an early winter midday.

Aunt Zhou followed up with a few words, making sure her words didn't fall to the ground, and the smile on her lips was even more genuine than before.

Aunt Liu had just picked up her teacup and taken a sip, and before she could even swallow, she exclaimed, "That's wonderful!" as if she were genuinely happy for Concubine Zhao.

Zhao Tongfang didn't say anything more, but she straightened her back and didn't shrink back anymore. She looked very different from before, no longer always hunched over.

Jiang Wan watched the three of them sitting together talking. Aunt Zhou was upright, Aunt Liu was gentle, and Zhao Tongfang finally peeked out from the corner.

Before marrying into the family, she thought the concubines in the mansion must all have their own agendas and be at odds with each other, but after getting to know them, she realized that the people sitting in front of her were three such vibrant and real people.

Seeing how happily they were getting along with her, Jiang Wan only had one thought in her mind: people's hearts are nurtured.

The three sat together, chatting idly about flower viewing and children, their voices neither too loud nor too soft in the morning air.

Jiang Wan occasionally chimed in, but mostly listened quietly, holding a cup of tea in her hand; the tea was warm, and so was her palm.

As Aunt Liu was talking about how Lu Shan had recently learned to recognize the character "moon," Aunt Zhou chuckled and added, "She's better than her brother was back then."

Footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate. Qinghe peeked out and was about to announce it when the curtain was lifted from the outside.

Lu Huaijin stood at the doorway, the morning light filtering in from behind him, casting a thin layer of gold on the blue brick floor.

He was wearing a casual navy blue robe today, but he had obviously just come back from outside, as the clothes on his shoulders were damp with morning dew.

Jiang Wan thought to herself, "They probably just came from the study."

Lu Huaijin first glanced at the group of people sitting in the room, then paused slightly.

"You're all here?" His voice carried a hint of surprise.

Jiang Wan stood up and took a step to greet him, her heart fluttering slightly.

Lu Huaijin has been back for two days. On the first day, he rushed back from the capital and immediately went to Songhe Hall to pay his respects to the old lady. He then spent most of the day in his study looking through old official documents.

She had remembered the news that had come back from the capital earlier—that someone had impeached him—but seeing that he looked normal and not at all dejected in the past two days, she didn't bother to ask him about it.

Last night, while he was having dinner in the main courtyard, she subtly inquired, "Is things peaceful at the Ministry of Personnel lately?"

He seemed to know what he wanted to ask, and replied, "It's just a little squabble between colleagues. It's just someone trying to kick me while I'm at it. I'm far enough away that I can't get to it, so it naturally falls apart."

His tone was flat and indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

He was peeling a crab when he said this, busy with his hands and not looking up. She didn't press him further, and judging from his expression, she knew it wasn't anything serious.

Aunt Zhou rose and curtsied, her words flowing smoothly: "Master has arrived. We were just paying our respects to Madam. You've come at the perfect time; the tea is still warm."

Aunt Liu also stood up and curtsied, and Concubine Zhao also stood up and bowed from the very end, but she looked as if she wanted to shrink into a corner.

Lu Huaijin's gaze swept across their faces one by one, finally landing on Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan had already asked Qinghe to bring over a chair and add a new cup of tea.

Lu Huaijin sat down in the chair, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke, his tone more relaxed than before, as if he were speaking in his own home: "I just remembered that my mother told me that you were the one who selected the Mid-Autumn Festival gift list this year?"

"It was indeed the old lady who asked me to do it. I just followed the usual procedure from previous years, making a few minor additions and changes."

Lu Huaijin nodded, seemingly not too surprised, yet also as if he had taken it to heart: "Mother said you did a good job."

He paused, then added, "It's not easy to do this well on your first time handling these matters."

Jiang Wan lowered her eyes slightly and replied politely, "It's just following the old custom, I don't deserve such praise from you, sir."

Lu Huaijin didn't respond to that, took another sip of tea, and his tone became more relaxed: "I don't come back to the manor often, so you can handle it as you see fit. If there's anything you're unsure about, just discuss it with Mother."

After saying that, he didn't say anything more about the affairs of the manor, as if explaining things clearly was enough. He then changed the subject and asked, "Where are Wan'er and the others?"

"They went to school, and they haven't finished class yet."

Lu Huaijin nodded.

Aunt Zhou, holding her teacup, added, "The eldest young lady has been learning painting from the new teacher at the academy these past few days. Yesterday, she painted a cat and showed it to me, saying she would give it to the master when it's finished."

She spoke in a relaxed tone, with a hint of a smile, "I think the cat in the drawing is quite round and plump, and it does resemble the subject somewhat."

Hearing this, Jiang Wan chuckled: "Speaking of which, the other day Wan'er finished her drawing and showed it to Lu Zhao. Zhao looked at it for a long time and said, 'This cat drawing is better than your usual calligraphy. At least the cat has the spirit, but your calligraphy doesn't even have the shape of the characters.'"

"Wan'er was so angry that she threw her pen down. Later, Hui-ge tried to coax her for a long time, and finally said, 'Your drawing is much better than mine. My cat looks like a big gray mouse.' Only then did she calm down and pick up her pen to continue drawing."

Lu Huaijin was drinking tea when he heard this, and he almost choked on his tea, letting out a muffled choke. The teacup wobbled in his hand.

Everyone in the room heard it, but they all kept their heads down in unison, and no one looked up at him.

He coughed awkwardly, put the teacup back on the table, and mumbled, "These kids... they're getting more and more mischievous every day."

Aunt Liu chimed in from the side, her voice a little softer but still audible: "The other day, when Shan'er saw the eldest young lady painting, she clamored to paint too. In the end, she poked a blob of ink on the paper with her brush and said it was a 'little bird'."

Before she could finish speaking, she herself was amused, as if she remembered the smug look on Lu Shan's face after she poked the inkstone that day.

Lu Huaijin sat in the chair, listening to them talk about the children, his face expressionless, as if he were watching the commotion through a thin layer of mist.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Aunt Zhou and Aunt Liu before finally settling on Jiang Wan. He occasionally chimed in with a word or two, not in a hurry to leave.

A gust of wind blew in from the doorway, flipping the half-page of paper lying on the table. Aunt Liu reached out and pressed it down, casually remarking, "What a strong wind—"

Before she could finish speaking, a maidservant rushed in from the courtyard gate, gave a hurried bow, gasped for breath, and said urgently, "Madam, Master—"

"The second mistress is causing a scene in the old lady's courtyard, saying she's going to call everyone in the mansion to come and stand up for her!"