Being a second wife is difficult

Five days after marrying into the family, Jiang Wan had figured out the rhythm of the household.

At 3:45 AM, after paying respects to the Buddha, the mother-in-law sat on the couch listening to reports from each household.

Although it's called a report, it's really nothing major. It's just about what to eat today, what to use tomorrow, which maid is sick and needs to be replaced, and which piece of fabric has arrived and needs to be put into storage.

It's trivial, but you have to listen.

As usual, Aunt Zhou stood behind her mother-in-law, massaging her shoulders with a moderate force and rhythm.

Jiang Wan sat at the lower end of the table, holding a cup of tea, listening to Madam Fang talk about the trivial matters of the second branch of the family.

Fang Shi liked to speak in roundabout ways, and she could go on and on about a small matter. It took Jiang Wan a while to understand that she wanted to give the maid of the second branch of the family a winter coat.

"Let's add more then," the mother-in-law decided with a single sentence.

Fang smiled and agreed, then turned to look at Jiang Wan: "What does your sister-in-law need? I still have some new cloth that I can't use up."

"Thank you, sister-in-law, but we don't need it for now," Jiang Wan replied with a smile.

Fang's enthusiasm came too quickly; she couldn't keep up, nor did she want to.

After the greetings were over, Madam Fang followed and walked beside her.

"Sister-in-law, you look great today," Fang said with a smile. "You've recovered from this period of rest, haven't you? You always looked like you hadn't slept a few days ago."

"It's alright, you'll get used to it eventually." Jiang Wan slowed her pace to walk alongside her.

"I have two newly acquired bolts of autumn-colored silk. Shall I send one to my sister-in-law?"

Fang's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the maids in front and behind to hear, "You've just arrived, so it's only right that we furnish the room with some things."

Jiang Wan counted the days in her mind. She had only been married into the family for eight days, and Fang Shi had already said "send things" three times.

The first time it was cloth, the second time it was tea, and this time it's silk. The hospitality is evident, but it also feels deliberate.

"Sister-in-law, keep it for yourself. My dowry isn't much, but it's enough for daily expenses," Jiang Wan said politely. "Besides, the old lady hasn't given any permission for me to manage the household affairs yet. It would be inappropriate for me to buy things for her."

Fang's smile faded slightly, but quickly returned: "Sister-in-law is right, it was my oversight."

The two parted ways at the Ruige Gate.

Jiang Wan turned into her courtyard, and Qing He couldn't help but approach her: "Madam, why did you turn down Second Madam's words? Wasn't it a good thing that she sent things?"

"It's good that she sends gifts, but she sends them too often." Jiang Wan stepped over the threshold. "If I accept them, what will I use to defend myself if she brings it up later? It's not worth exchanging a bolt of silk for such a big favor."

Qinghe thought it made sense, so she stopped asking.

In the afternoon, Jiang Wan did needlework by the window.

The fabrics from the dowry were all arranged, and she picked out a small piece of pale yellow scrap fabric, intending to embroider a purse for Lu Wan.

The gardenia pattern has been drawn, and the needle and thread are put on, each stitch carefully made.

Qinghe was grinding ink beside her when she suddenly remembered something: "Madam, last time you asked me to inquire about those head housekeepers, I asked a few more questions."

"Speak."

"Zhou Mama, who is in charge of the kitchen, is the old lady's personal maid. She is in charge of the bulk of the purchasing, and no one in the mansion dares to offend her."

"Wu Mama is in charge of the sewing room. She's the second madam's person and was only promoted two years ago."

"Granny Ding is in charge of daily shopping and is close to Aunt Zhou. She handles the monthly allowance for the east courtyard."

"And one more?"

"Granny Liu, who manages the storeroom."

Qinghe lowered her voice, "This person is very strange. She is impartial and doesn't rely on anyone, but no one dares to offend her. Her subordinates say that she has a key that was left by the late Madam, and no one knows what lock it opens."

Jiang Wan paused for a moment, then continued threading the needle.

My late wife's things.

Before she married into the family, her stepmother told her that the late Madam Gu had brought a generous dowry when she married into the family, and that the dowry was sealed in the storeroom after she left.

Whoever has the key has the right to access that item.

"I understand." She said in a flat tone, "Don't tell anyone, just keep it to yourself."

Qinghe nodded in agreement.

The embroidery on the purse was mostly finished, and the petals of the gardenia were already taking shape.

Jiang Wan looked at it against the light. The stitches were fairly neat, but the flower stamen was still empty. She would find two small beads to attach and it would be complete.

Suddenly, the curtain was lifted a crack, and a small head peeked in.

Today, Lu Wan wore a light pink vest and had her hair tied in two small buns, one of which was adorned with a small cat hairpin, the same one Jiang Wan had given her last time.

She gripped the curtain with one hand and held up the hairpin with the other, tiptoeing closer to Jiang Wan.

"Mother, your eye has fallen out again."

Jiang Wan took it and saw that the black bead that looked like a cat's eye on the hairpin was missing. It must have come loose from rubbing it against her head.

She rummaged through the drawer and took out her sewing kit, picked out a new one, threaded the needle, and sewed it on in a few quick strokes.

"alright."

Lu Wan took it and looked at it several times. Satisfied, she was about to put it in her hair when she stopped and said, "Mother, you know so many things."

"This is nothing. When I was a kid, I always mended my own clothes when they were torn."

Lu Wan blinked at her, not knowing whether she understood or not, but just nodded, snuggled up to stand next to her knees, and watched her embroider a purse.

After watching for a while, I couldn't resist reaching out to touch the gardenia, but then I pulled my hand back.

"Is this for me?"

"Here you go." Jiang Wan held up the purse for her to see. "But it's not finished yet. I'll give it to you when it's done."

Lu Wan's eyes lit up, and she grinned, revealing a missing front tooth.

Qinghe brought over osmanthus cake and milk, and Lu Wan sat on a small stool to eat, her cheeks bulging.

She didn't leave after finishing her meal, but instead flipped through the sketchbook on Jiang Wan's table, turning it over and over again. Jiang Wan let her be and continued embroidering the purse.

Footsteps came from outside the window, one heavy and one light. Jiang Wan didn't look up, but she could guess who it was just by listening to the footsteps.

"Mother." Lu Zhao's voice rang out at the door, slightly out of breath from just returning from school.

"Zhao'er is here? Come in and have a seat."

Lu Zhao walked in and sat down in a chair. He immediately noticed Lu Wan hunched over the couch, flipping through a picture book, and frowned. "Have you finished your homework?"

Lu Wan didn't even look up: "It's done."

"Have you finished the homework your teacher assigned?"

Lu Wan paused in flipping through the picture book, slowly raised her head, moved her lips but didn't make a sound.

"You came here before you finished." Lu Zhao's tone turned serious, sounding more like a strict little teacher than a seven-year-old child.

Lu Wan pouted, put down the picture book, slipped off the couch, put on her shoes, and walked out listlessly.

She turned back at the door, as if remembering something: "Mother, I'll come again tomorrow."

"it is good."

Lu Wan left, but Lu Zhao remained seated, his back ramrod straight, his hands resting on his knees, as if waiting for something.

Jiang Wan glanced at him and put down the embroidery stand: "Zhao'er, is something wrong?"

Lu Zhao took a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to her. Jiang Wan took it and saw that it was a large piece of calligraphy, containing a few lines from the "Thousand Character Classic": "Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless. The sun and moon wax and wane, the stars and constellations are arrayed in the sky."

The handwriting isn't top-notch, but each stroke is neat and orderly, showing that it's been written more than once.

"The master asked an elder to review it," Lu Zhao said softly. "Since the father isn't here, the mother's signature is just as good."

Jiang Wan spread the paper out on the table, took a pen from the pen holder, dipped it in ink, looked down at the few lines of text, and her gaze lingered on one character.

"The bottom vertical stroke of this character '荒' is well-finished, the brushstroke is well-concealed and steady, not floating."

Lu Zhao was taken aback, probably not expecting her to look so seriously and even notice which stroke was good.

Jiang Wan wrote "Read" in the lower right corner of the paper and signed her name. Her handwriting was neat, neither ostentatious nor sloppy, but proper and orderly.

Lu Zhao folded the paper and put it away, then stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Mother."

"You're welcome. Go back and do your homework."

He walked to the door, paused, and asked without turning around, "Did my sister cause you any trouble today?"

"No, she's very well-behaved."

Lu Zhao nodded and stepped out.

When Qinghe returned after seeing him off, she couldn't help but laugh: "The second young master's temperament is just like the master's. He clearly cares about the eldest young lady, but he always has a stern face and scolds her."

Jiang Wan put the pen back and shook her head with a smile.

The evening light slanted in through the windowpanes, giving the room a warm amber hue.

Jiang Wan put the purse into the sewing basket, stood up and stretched her wrists. She heard Qinghe talking to the cleaning woman outside, their voices distant, as if separated by a layer of water.

She was about to pour herself a glass of water when she heard hurried footsteps in the yard.

There were several people running fast and haphazardly on the stone pavement, with a girl's sobbing voice mumbling something indistinctly among them.

Jiang Wan's hand had just touched the handle of the teapot, but she hadn't had a chance to pick it up yet.

The curtain was suddenly pulled open from the outside, and Qinghe came in first, her face pale, her lips moving but she couldn't say a word.

Immediately afterward, the wet nurse rushed in carrying Lu Wan, covered in sweat, her clothes askew, and babbling incoherently, "Madam, Madam, Miss slipped down the artificial hill—she scraped her knee—"

Lu Wan burst into tears in her arms, her face pale, her face covered in tears and snot.

Her little cat hairpin was crooked to one side, and another little bead had fallen off, but she didn't care and just kept crying.

Jiang Wan rushed forward and took the child from him.

As soon as Lu Wan touched her shoulder, she gripped her collar tightly and curled up into a ball, crying.

Jiang Wan looked down and saw a large patch of skin scraped off her knee, with blood beads mixed with dirt seeping out, and her skirt was covered with moss stains, which looked frightening.

"How did you fall?" she asked the wet nurse as she carried Lu Wan toward the bed. Her voice wasn't loud, but she pronounced each word clearly.

"Flutter, flutter—Miss saw a yellow one and ran after it. I was sitting in the pavilion and called out once, but she couldn't stop me. In the blink of an eye—"

How far is the pavilion from the artificial hill?

"About, about twenty steps—"

Are you sitting or standing?

The wet nurse hesitated for a moment: "Sit, sit down—"

Jiang Wan didn't ask any more questions.

She had already placed Lu Wan on the couch, squatted down, and looked up at Qing He, saying, "Bring a basin of warm water, and bring the medicine box over." Her tone was steady, just like usual.

Lu Wan was still crying, gasping for breath in pain.

Jiang Wan soaked a handkerchief in warm water and gently wiped the dirt around the wound, moving very slowly so as not to hurt her. She glanced at Lu Wan's face every time she wiped.

"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, Mother is here."

Lu Wan continued to cry, but Jiang Wan didn't urge her. She changed the handkerchief three times and cleaned everything clean before opening the medicine box.

The ointment was light green and felt cool when applied. Lu Wan flinched in pain, and her crying subsided a little.

Are you feeling any better?

Lu Wan nodded, sobbing.

"Shall we blow on it again?"

Jiang Wan bent down and gently blew two breaths on her knees.

Lu Wan stared at her blankly for a while, then suddenly burst into tears, this time not from pain, but from grievance.

She buried her face in Jiang Wan's arms, clutching her clothes with her little hands, crying and trembling all over.

Jiang Wan didn't say anything more. She put her arm around her and gently patted her back with the other, one pat at a time, slowly and steadily.

The crying inside the room gradually changed from wailing to sobbing, and from sobbing to intermittent sobs, as if the person was about to fall asleep.

Qinghe stood to the side, holding a basin of water, her eyes slightly red. She glanced at the wet nurse, who stood anxiously by the door, and lowered her voice, "Madam, what should we do with the wet nurse?"

Jiang Wan didn't look up, and lowered her voice: "Let her stand in the yard first. The old lady will make her own decision. Don't let her stand here. The child will panic if she sees her."

The wet nurse heard this, opened her mouth as if to say something, but was pulled away by Qinghe.

The courtyard fell silent, save for Lu Wan's occasional sobs.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lu Wan fell asleep completely in her arms. Her little face was still red, tears were hanging on her eyelashes, and her mouth was slightly pouting, looking aggrieved.

Jiang Wan didn't put her down, but held her there, wrapped tightly in the blanket.

There was a sudden noise at the door.

Jiang Wan looked up and saw Lu Zhao standing outside the threshold, his hands behind his back. He must have heard the crying and rushed over from the school.

He saw Jiang Wan holding Lu Wan, saw his younger sister wrapped in a blanket nestled in her arms, and saw her calmly patting his sister's back. He stood there for several breaths, took half a step forward, and then stepped back.

Jiang Wan beckoned to him: "Zhao'er, come in."

Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment, then stepped over the threshold and slowly walked to the edge of the bed.

He didn't sit down, but just stood there watching Lu Wan. After watching for a while, he reached out and touched Lu Wan's little finger.

Lu Wan didn't wake up, so Lu Zhao withdrew his hand and sat down on the side of the bed.

Jiang Wan didn't speak to him, but continued patting Lu Wan's back. After a while, Lu Zhao suddenly spoke.

"Mother, how did my sister fall?"

"Chasing butterflies, sliding down the artificial hill."

"Where is the wet nurse?"

"I didn't keep an eye on it."

Lu Zhao frowned for a moment, then relaxed and said, "The wet nurse should be punished."

"I've already made her stand in the yard," Jiang Wan said. "The old lady will decide what to do later; we won't interfere."

Lu Zhao remained silent. After sitting for a while, he stood up, walked to the table, poured a glass of water, brought it back to Jiang Wan, and said in a muffled voice, "Mother, have some water."

Jiang Wan glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile: "Okay, thank you, Zhao'er."

She put one arm around Lu Wan and took a sip from her cup with the other.

Lu Zhao sat back down, this time closer than before.

The news quickly reached Songhetang.

When Granny Gui came in, her mother-in-law had just finished copying the last page of the scripture. Upon hearing that Lu Wan had fallen, she put down her pen: "How did you fall?"

"While chasing butterflies, the wet nurse wasn't watching and the young lady slipped down the artificial hill and broke her leg. Madam has already taken her back inside, applied medicine, and comforted her for half a day. The young lady should be asleep by now. Madam has even made the wet nurse stand in the courtyard waiting for the old lady's judgment."

The mother-in-law paused for a moment, then asked, "What did Jiang herself say?"

"The madam held the eldest daughter the whole time, and did everything herself, from applying medicine to coaxing her to sleep. The second young master also came later and sat there for half a day without leaving. He even poured the madam a glass of water."

After finishing her sentence, Granny Gui added, "The wet nurse is crying outside, saying she deserves to die."

The mother-in-law picked up her teacup, took a sip, and after a long while spoke: "Although Jiang is a second wife, she is not a bad person. I will give her face for treating Wan'er this way."

She put down her teacup, her gaze falling on the scripture she had just finished copying, and her tone became somewhat indifferent: "Unlike some people, who appear respectable on the outside but scheme and plot all day long behind the scenes."

Granny Gui kept her head down and didn't reply.

Although the words weren't explicitly named, when the mother-in-law said "certain people," her gaze drifted for a moment towards the direction of the east courtyard.

"The wet nurse has neglected her duty, causing the young lady's injury. She's done a terrible job. Detain her for ten strokes of the cane, fine her a quarter's salary, and make her kneel in the ancestral hall for half an hour every day for seven days, starting today, so she can reflect on her responsibilities. If it happens again, kick her out." He waved his hand. "Go."

Lu Huaijin didn't return home until it was completely dark.

First, I went to Songhetang to pay my respects to my mother-in-law and inquired about Lu Wan. Granny Gui replied that Lu Wan had fallen and hurt her knee, but Madam had treated her and then called a doctor to come and see her. She said it was nothing serious.

Lu Huaijin didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk towards Lu Wan's courtyard.

The lights were on inside the house. Lu Wan had already woken up. Qing He escorted her back to her own courtyard, where she was leaning against the headboard, flipping through a picture book.

Seeing Lu Huaijin come in, she put down the picture album and called out "Father".

Lu Huaijin stopped by the bed, bent down and looked at the injury on her knee. It had been treated with ointment and wrapped with gauze, the edges pressed down neatly, showing that it had been done carefully.

"Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Mom blew on it for me."

Lu Huaijin straightened up, stood for a few moments, and reached out to touch Lu Wan's head.

"My stepmother took good care of me," he said.

The tone was flat, not heavy, but not perfunctory either. It was as if a sentence had been thought through several times before being spoken. It was spoken softly, but every word was delivered firmly.

Lu Wan nodded vigorously: "My mother is so kind, she even embroidered a purse for me."

Lu Huaijin didn't reply, but patted her head and turned to leave.

After leaving the courtyard, Lu An followed behind.

The master and servant walked along the covered walkway for a while, and Lu An said in a low voice, "Master, Madam is truly sincere towards Miss."

Lu Huaijin didn't answer. When he reached the main gate, he paused and glanced in the direction of Jiang Wan's courtyard. The light was still on, casting a dim yellow glow on the window paper.

He glanced at it for a few moments, then looked away and turned to go back to his study.

Jiang Wan is still awake.

She sat under the lamp, mending the cat hairpin that had broken again. When she looked at it in the morning, she thought only a bead had fallen off, but after a closer look, she found that some parts of the thread had come undone, so she had to mend it again.

She stood outside the door for two hours after the wet nurse left, her legs went numb, and she only dared to go back after Granny Gui went to deliver the message.

Qinghe sat on the small stool next to her and went through the events of the day from beginning to end.

When her mother-in-law said "not a bad person at heart," Qinghe parroted it back. Jiang Wan didn't look up and continued with her needlework as usual.

The next morning, Jiang Wan went to Songhetang to pay her respects.

My mother-in-law was in good spirits today and said a few more words.

"That girl Wan'er has been coming to your place a lot these past few days, hasn't she been bothering you quite a bit?"

"It's no trouble at all, Miss is very sensible," Jiang Wan said with a smile. "Yesterday she even asked me to tell her a story, and she listened very attentively."

The mother-in-law nodded: "Her mother passed away early, and she lacks someone to care for her. As her mother, you should take good care of her."

"Don't worry, Grandma."

The mother-in-law glanced at her, then at Aunt Zhou standing behind her, and suddenly said, "Zhou, don't do the pounding today, let Jiang try."

Aunt Zhou paused for a moment, then quickly resumed her composure, smiling as she took a step back.

Jiang Wan stood up, walked behind her mother-in-law, and put her hand on her mother-in-law's.

She wasn't very skilled at massage and could only rely on her senses. She was afraid that if she pressed too lightly, it wouldn't be effective, and if she pressed too hard, she was afraid of hurting her mother-in-law. She pressed a few times tentatively.

"You didn't use enough force," the mother-in-law said.

Jiang Wan put in a little more effort.

"Yes, that's the right feeling."

Jiang Wan pressed for a while, her hand got a little sore, but she didn't stop.

The mother-in-law had her eyes closed, as if she was enjoying herself.

"You learn quickly."

"Aunt Zhou taught me well," Jiang Wan said. "I had Qinghe learn from her yesterday, and she taught me when she came back."

The mother-in-law opened her eyes, glanced at Jiang Wan in the bronze mirror, and said nothing.

As they left Songhe Hall, Qinghe followed behind and whispered, "Madam, was the old lady deliberately testing you today?"

"She's not testing me," Jiang Wan said slowly. "She's testing Aunt Zhou."

"Testing Aunt Zhou?"

"The old lady asked me to give her a massage in front of Aunt Zhou because she wanted to see how Aunt Zhou would react."

Jiang Wan said, "If Aunt Zhou shows displeasure, the old lady will think she's petty. If she's too happy, the old lady will think she's fake."

Qinghe listened, completely stunned.

"What was Aunt Zhou's reaction?"

"There was no reaction at all." Jiang Wan smiled. "She smiled just like usual, so the old lady didn't say anything more."

Qinghe sighed, "The people in this mansion are all so cunning."

"Whether it's deep or not is none of my business," Jiang Wan said. "I'm not going to argue with them."

Qinghe wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

Two more days passed.

That afternoon, Jiang Wan was organizing her dowry chests in the house.

The dowry consisted of seventeen loads, which was neither a large nor a small amount. The items brought from the Jiang family were all packed into chests and had not yet been properly sorted.

She opened each box one by one and checked the contents.

Several bolts of cotton cloth, two sets of silverware, a set of writing implements, a few pieces of ordinary jewelry, plus a camphor wood box containing a pair of jade bracelets left by her birth mother.

The jade bracelet was of average quality and not very translucent, but for Jiang Wan, it was her most valuable possession.

She closed the box and put it back in the deepest part of the trunk.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside.

It wasn't just one person, it was several people.

Jiang Wan raised her head and looked towards the doorway.