Being a second wife is difficult

The gates of the Earl's mansion have not been closed since noon today.

Old Chen, the gatekeeper, moved a bamboo chair and sat under the porch, with a teapot at his feet. Every time a carriage came in, he would stand up and take two steps to greet it, calling out, "Coming! Coming!" Then a servant would run in to announce its arrival.

The first to arrive was the third uncle's family. The third uncle was over seventy years old and his legs were not very agile. This time he did not come in person, but sent his eldest son, Lu Huai'an, with his family.

Lu Huai'an was a middle-aged man in his forties with fair skin and a slow, deliberate manner. Upon entering, he first asked the gatekeeper, "Is my elder brother here?" When he heard that Lu Huaijin was in the study, he nodded, told his wife and children to go to the backyard first, and then walked towards the study himself.

A woman in a dark green jacket stepped down from the carriage following behind him. She looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a round face, curved eyebrows and eyes, and naturally upturned lips. She had the kind of appearance that made her easy to talk to.

After getting out of the car, she straightened her clothes and then turned back to call to the children in the car: "Cheng-ge'er, stop dawdling and get out."

A seven or eight-year-old boy jumped off the cart shaft, clutching a small bamboo grasshopper in his hand. He stumbled forward a couple of steps when he landed, but his mother grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him up.

Immediately afterwards, another blue cloth carriage turned into the alley. The curtain was lifted slightly, revealing half a face. According to seniority, she should be Jiang Wan's aunt, surnamed Zhao.

After the carriage came to a stop, her husband got out first and stood by the carriage waiting. Only then did Zhao have her maid help her down. Once she was steady, she first peeked into the doorway and saw that several people had already arrived before slowly walking inside.

Jiang Wan was standing inside the second gate, with Qing He following behind her. In her hand, she held a list listing the number of relatives from each branch of the family and their accommodations. She drew a line after each family's name as they arrived.

When Zhao reached the second gate, she paused, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Wan's face as if seeing her for the first time. She looked her up and down before speaking, "This must be my eldest nephew's wife, right? I've heard that my elder brother remarried, but I've never met her before. I'm so glad to meet you in person today."

Jiang Wan nodded to her, her tone polite yet respectful: "Auntie, you must be tired from your journey. Your accommodations have been arranged. Let the maid lead you to rest for a while."

Zhao didn't leave immediately. She glanced at her a couple more times, saying "okay, okay" while her eyes darted to the list in Jiang Wan's hand.

Jiang Wan noticed her gaze, so she simply tilted the list slightly to reveal the words "three rooms in the east courtyard" written on it. Only then did Zhao Shi look away, nod in satisfaction, and follow the maid inside.

Zhao, the third wife, was notoriously gossipy; Jiang Wan had heard her mother mention it once when she was preparing for her marriage.

It is said that this aunt is the best at finding fault with people, especially the younger daughters-in-law who have just entered the family. She always finds an opportunity to give them a few words of advice in order to show off her seniority and knowledge.

Less than a quarter of an hour after entering the mansion, Madam Zhao first complained about the poor orientation of her room, then complained that the tea was not hot enough, and the maid had to be replaced three times before she was finally satisfied.

When the maid who had led her there returned with the news, she said in a low voice, "Madam, that Aunt Zhao asked several questions about the second wife's affairs, asking why the second mistress wasn't greeting guests in front."

Jiang Wan didn't reply after hearing this, and just told her to leave.

After all the relatives arrived, the old lady sent Granny Gui to deliver a message, saying that the women should gather at Songhe Hall to have a chat.

Jiang Wan handed the list to Qing He and added, "Zhou Mama is overseeing things in the kitchen. The dishes have already been reviewed three times. Go and tell her that the banquet tonight doesn't need to be changed. The main event is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet tomorrow."

Qinghe agreed, and Jiang Wan walked towards Songhe Hall.

When she arrived, there were already several people sitting inside.

The old lady sat in the main seat, with a plate of walnut pastries and a pot of hot tea steaming in front of her.

Aunt Zhao sat on the chair to the left of the old lady, crossing her legs and cracking sunflower seeds. The tea in front of her had already been refilled twice. Aunt Zhou sat opposite her, sitting upright and not saying much.

The other sisters-in-law sat in a row, some chatting and laughing, others listening quietly.

Fang sat at the very end, her face taut, holding a teacup but barely drinking any.

Jiang Wan glanced over and thought for a moment. This Aunt Zhao was taking the initiative today, and her unforgiving attitude looked just like Fang Shi's usual self.

Although she was new to the family, she had already learned that Madam Fang and this Aunt Zhao had never gotten along. Whenever they met, they would inevitably exchange a few words, and neither of them could gain much advantage over the other.

Today, Fang was unusually quiet, barely raising her head. She must have known what was going on. The second branch of the family had just had that scandal, and if she spoke up, she would be handing herself over to someone else. So she simply kept quiet, which was smarter than before.

Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze and didn't look any further. She didn't want to get involved in their grudges and grievances.

She first bowed to the old lady, then greeted the other women in the cooperative, and then the old lady gestured for her to sit to her right.

However, before she could even sit down properly, Zhao's side started talking.

"Oh my, my niece-in-law is here." Zhao threw the melon seed shells into the dish, clapped her hands, and said, "When I came in just now, I saw you greeting guests at the second gate. You must have worked so hard. When I married into the family, I was about your age, and it was my first time organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. I was so flustered and made several mistakes."

"You weren't even born when I married into the family," Zhao said with a smile. Then, her tone shifted abruptly to Fang, "Speaking of which, you second wife's family have been so busy these past few years, how come you haven't had a child yet?"

"On the eldest son's side, the new bride has only been married for half a year, and the eldest nephew is away from home for most of the year, so it is not expected that there will be no news. Besides, the first wife left behind a son and a daughter, so they can be considered to have an heir."

"Look at your aunt on your left, she just had a grandson last year, and the family on your right got married last year and had a baby this year too. How come your second branch of the main line is still empty-handed?"

She cracked open a sunflower seed as she spoke, as if she were talking about something unrelated.

Fang gripped her teacup without replying. Although her face remained tense, the corners of her mouth were pursed into a thin line.

The sisters-in-law in the room exchanged glances, but none of them responded to the conversation, pretending not to have heard it.

But Zhao seemed completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and added, "I don't mean anything by it, I'm just worried about you. Women should have children while they're young, it's not so easy when they get older."

Fang put the teacup down very gently, but Jiang Wan noticed that she pressed her fingers firmly against the cup when she did so.

Before Fang could speak, Zhao's aunt, surnamed Liu, chimed in, "Yes, Second Sister-in-law, you've been married into the family for so many years now. I married three years later and have already given birth to two children. Aren't you overworking yourself? Put aside the affairs of the household; your health is the most important thing."

After she finished speaking, she seemed unable to hold back and let out a soft chuckle.

Jiang Wan looked down at the teacup in her hand. Aunt Liu's words sounded like concern, but in reality, every word was cutting.

She said she was overworked, but as a second wife, Fang Shi didn't even have the power to make decisions on the important matters of the household. What was she overworked about? She was openly advising her to take it easy, but she was actually implying that Fang Shi didn't have much power at all. Her words were even more vicious than what Zhao Shi had said earlier.

Not satisfied, Zhao added, "However, even if I can't conceive, it would be good for my husband to take a concubine, so that at least the second wife can have an heir."

After she finished speaking, as if she suddenly remembered something, she raised her voice slightly, "I did hear that a while ago, one of your maids slept with the Second Master and got pregnant. Is that true?"

"Second niece-in-law, don't blame me for being nosy, but since she's pregnant, why don't you make her a concubine? After all, she's from the second branch of the family. It's better than sending her away, don't you think?"

Fang's face had turned pale, and her fingers holding the teacup were trembling slightly.

As if she hadn't had enough, Zhao added, "Second niece-in-law, don't think I'm being nosy. I'm just worried about you. Doesn't your family pressure you? Your father's business has grown quite large; you have to make your family proud, don't you?"

"Auntie," Jiang Wan said.

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the room could hear it. Zhao turned her head to look at her; the smile was still on her face, but her eyes had softened a bit.

Jiang Wan held her teacup and said in a calm and unhurried tone, "Auntie, you must have had a long journey. You came to chat with the old lady before even resting after arriving at the mansion. You are so thoughtful."

Zhao laughed and said, "You're too kind, niece-in-law. We're all family, so there's no need to talk about the long journey."

"Auntie is right." Jiang Wan took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, glanced at Fang Shi, and then turned back to Zhao Shi.

"My second brother is still studying at the Imperial Academy. His studies are demanding, and he can only come home a few times a year. My sister-in-law manages the affairs of the second branch of the family all by herself. After Madam Gu passed away a few years ago, she has also been helping the old lady manage the affairs of the family. She is really very busy."

"She also has to take care of the affairs of the household. I am a newcomer and I am not familiar with many interpersonal relationships in the household. I rely entirely on her to help me and deal with the interactions between the various households. It is no easier for her than for others."

"As for the matter of offspring, the old lady often says that studying hard and making progress is the most important thing, and there is plenty of time for everything else. We appreciate your concern for us younger generation, but my second brother is at a crucial time right now. If we delay his studies, it would be a loss for the greater good."

She phrased it tactfully, attributing the "childlessness" to Lu Huaiyu still being in school, highlighting the hard work of the housekeeper Fang, and even bringing up the old lady to deflect blame.

If Zhao continued in the conversation, it would make her seem ignorant.

Zhao's smile froze for a moment. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. She glanced at the old lady's face. The old lady's face was expressionless, but her eyes were looking at her, with a hint of warning in them.

Zhao's heart skipped a beat. She had gotten too carried away with her argument with Fang and had almost forgotten that she was in the Earl's mansion, not arguing with her sister-in-law in her own courtyard.

She knew in her heart that if Jiang Wan hadn't spoken up in time to smooth things over, the old lady would have really gotten angry, and she would have been the one to suffer. She swallowed back the words she was about to say and mumbled, "My niece-in-law has a sharp tongue," before stopping there.

The tense atmosphere in the room finally eased.

Zhou picked up her teacup, took a sip, and glanced at Jiang Wan as she put it down. Her glance carried a hint of reassessment. She had originally thought of Jiang Wan as a young wife who had just entered the family and had not yet established herself, but she hadn't expected that Jiang Wan would suppress Zhao's momentum with just a few words.

Sitting next to Jiang Wan, before Jiang Wan could veer too far off topic, Fang turned her head and whispered, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

"What are you saying, sister-in-law? We're family, so let's not be so formal. If your aunt is being tactless, we can't just sit here and do nothing." He spoke frankly.

Upon hearing this, Fang seemed to weigh something in her heart, then sat up straight. Unlike before, she didn't shrink back and remain silent. Instead, she looked up at Zhao and smiled slowly, "Auntie is right. Our second branch of the family is indeed not as lively as others. But then again, my cousin's eldest sister-in-law only gave birth to her first child after nine years of marriage, and now she has both a son and a daughter, doesn't she? Auntie said you were worried for me, but I don't think there's any need to rush."

Her words were laced with barbs; the fact that she only had her first child after nine years was clearly a reference to Aunt Liu's daughter-in-law. Zhao often used this to make fun of others, but now Fang had used it against her exactly.

Aunt Liu's expression changed slightly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but the old lady's glare hadn't completely disappeared yet, so she didn't dare to move closer. She just lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and pretended not to hear.

Zhao was taken aback by these words. Fang was using other people's shortcomings to deflect her criticism. If she continued to press the issue, she would only appear mean-spirited. She gave a dry laugh and did not press the matter further.

Seeing that Zhao had completely stopped talking, Jiang Wan steered the conversation elsewhere: "The jar of osmanthus wine that Auntie brought last Mid-Autumn Festival, the old lady drank it and said it was good, and she's been talking about it ever since. If Auntie brings it again this year, you must give me a jar."

As expected, Madam Zhao followed up, her tone much more natural than before: "Yes, yes, this year's jar is even better than last year's; I specially brewed it for an extra half month."

The old lady sat in the main seat, not saying much until she put down her teacup and said, "Alright, everyone, take a rest. There will be a banquet later. Zhao, you should go inside and change your clothes, so you don't complain that the Marquis's family has neglected you."

These words carried a hint of playful teasing, which Zhao understood. She stood up, patted her clothes, and said, "Grandma, you're joking. I'll go change right away."

She paused for a moment as she walked to Jiang Wan's side, her tone becoming warmer than before, "Elder sister-in-law, I spoke without thinking just now, please don't take it to heart."

Jiang Wan smiled and said, "Auntie, you're just being caring. I'm already remembering your words."

Zhao chuckled and left with her maid. After she left, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou stood up, stretched, and said, "Finally, it's quiet."

Fang was still sitting there. Although the teacup in her hand had gone cold, she picked it up and took another sip. When she put it down, she was much more composed than before, no longer as tense as she had been.

Jiang Wan calculated the time, put down her teacup, and bowed slightly to everyone at the table: "I'll go check on the kitchen. Please continue your conversation."