Being a second wife is difficult

The last time the manor was this lively was on the day she married into the family, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. The manor was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the whole place was filled with joy.

This time, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival.

On the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Wan was awakened by the noise of sweeping outside the courtyard wall. When she opened her eyes, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and Qing He was already waiting outside the curtain with a basin of water.

Jiang Wan sat up. Most of the leaves on the pomegranate tree outside the window had turned yellow, and a few crooked pomegranates hung on the branches, swaying in the wind. She looked at them through the window paper for a while before turning her gaze away.

When Qinghe came in, she was wringing out her handkerchief as she said, "Madam, Granny Zhou from the kitchen sent someone over before dawn to say that the cold dishes at the banquet have been checked three times and the hot dishes have been checked twice, so you can rest assured."

"Granny Zhou is always reliable in her work." Jiang Wan took the handkerchief and wiped her face, then asked, "What about the second branch of the family?"

"The second madam sent someone over early this morning to ask what you need or what you're missing, and said that if there's anything she can do for you, just let her know."

Qinghe lowered her voice as she spoke, "Madam, Second Madam is being a little too attentive today. Although Aunt Zhao's words yesterday touched a nerve, she has never been the type to rush to offer favors after being beaten."

Jiang Wan put down the handkerchief, tidied her hair in front of the bronze mirror, and did not rush to reply.

She had come to understand Fang Shi well after being married into the family; she never did things with just one intention.

Yesterday, Aunt Zhao exposed her childlessness in public. If she had turned on her on the spot, that would have been more like her. But instead, she didn't react. Instead, she came to fawn over her today, which means she has already planned it all out. There must be something else going on behind this act of kindness.

"Just tell her everything's settled when she asks, don't let her worry about it." Jiang Wan said, standing up and taking out the gold and red jacket from the trunk. She had specially made it for the Mid-Autumn Festival a few days ago.

The colors are festive yet not overly flashy. After being stored at the bottom of a trunk for several days, the fabric still carries a faint scent of soapberry.

Qinghe tied her sash while going around to the back to smooth out the folds in her skirt, saying without stopping, "Judging from the way Second Madam acted today, I'm afraid she wants more than just to get closer to you."

"In the few months since you entered the household, although you haven't handled all the big and small matters of the mansion, the old lady's attitude has already been made clear. The second mistress is unsure of herself, so naturally she has to offer a way out first."

Jiang Wan lowered her head and smoothed the subtle patterns on her cuffs, ignoring the previous question, and simply asked, "Are the children all up?"

"The eldest young lady woke up before dawn, saying she wanted to wear that pale yellow jacket today. The wet nurse has already found it. The second young master also got up. When I came over just now, I saw him reciting his lessons in the corridor. He seemed to be studying harder than usual."

Jiang Wan nodded, straightened her clothes in front of the mirror, and then left the inner room.

When she reached the courtyard gate, Lu Wan was already waiting outside.

The little girl wore that pale yellow jacket today, with a white velvet trim around the collar, which made her face look fair and clean. She also had that little cat hairpin in her hair.

It was the one Jiang Wan gave her not long after she married into the family. It was later broken and repaired, and silver foil was added to fix the patterns, turning it from a little white cat into a little cat with tabby patterns.

Now, the hairpin complements Lu Wan's outfit perfectly, making her look even more vibrant.

When Lu Wan saw her come out, she had been standing obediently, but as soon as she saw her, she couldn't hold back anymore and ran over in three steps, shouting, "Mother! You've finally come out! Grandmother told us to go over as soon as possible, and I've been waiting for you for quite a while!"

As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe, adjusted the hairpin, and puffed out her chest: "Look, I'm wearing the little kitten hairpin you gave me today!"

Jiang Wan looked down at it, then smiled and straightened the crooked hairpin for her: "It looks good. You suddenly remembered to wear it today?"

"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival," Lu Wan said matter-of-factly. "You have to wear something pretty on a holiday."

As she spoke, she grabbed Jiang Wan's wrist and turned back to call out, "Brother! Mother's out, what are you dawdling for!"

Lu Zhao stood a few steps away from the threshold, wearing a royal blue robe. He was taller than when he had entered, his shoulders and back were straight, and he was not holding any books. He stood upright.

He heard Lu Wan call him, so he walked over and stood in front of Jiang Wan. Unlike Lu Wan, he didn't get close, but instead respectfully cupped his hands and called out "Mother".

The "Mother" was still not very warm, but it was much better than the dry, reciting tone when she first arrived.

Jiang Wan smiled at him: "Let's go, don't keep the old lady waiting."

The red lanterns on both sides of the corridor have been hung up, swaying gently in the wind.

Lu Wan walked in the middle, holding Jiang Wan's hand with one hand and trying to tug at Lu Zhao's sleeve with the other. Lu Zhao was pulled twice by her. At first, he struggled a bit, but later he simply let her pull him.

The three of them walked through the covered walkway toward the main hall. Along the way, they encountered several cleaning women who stepped aside to let them pass, bowed their heads and called out "Madam" and said some auspicious words before dispersing.

They hadn't walked far when they ran into Granny Gui coming from the direction of the old lady's courtyard.

Granny Gui was dressed in a dark brown plain vest, her hair was combed neatly, and she held a white porcelain bowl in her hand. The bowl was covered tightly with a lid, and thin white steam was rising from it.

Upon seeing Jiang Wan, she didn't stop walking, but stepped aside to let her pass before calling out "Madam".

Jiang Wan stopped, her gaze falling on the white porcelain bowl, and asked, "Did the old lady sleep well last night?"

Granny Gui shook her head slightly, her voice low: "Not good. She coughed twice in the first half of the night and only managed to doze off for a while in the second half. I was worried that the old lady might not be able to hold on since there are relatives from outside at the banquet today, so I prepared a cup of ginseng tea and will quietly refill it for her at the banquet later."

She paused after speaking, then added, "Madam, the old lady isn't feeling well today. If there are any things she didn't say or explain at the banquet, please bear with her."

Jiang Wan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Granny Gui stepped aside to let her pass. Lu Wan looked up at the steam rising from the ginseng tea cup and asked curiously, "Is Grandmother ill?"

"No, I'm just a little tired." Jiang Wan led her forward, "When you see Grandma later, don't bother her."

Lu Wan obediently responded.

Several people were already seated in the main hall.

The old lady sat in the main seat, wearing a maroon jacket with a longevity character pattern, which was more formal than usual. However, Jiang Wan noticed at a glance that the cup of ginseng tea had already been placed beside her. Granny Gui was quick and had delivered the item in no time.

The old lady looked to be in good spirits, but Jiang Wan noticed that her fingers holding the teacup were weaker than usual, as if she couldn't grip it properly.

Fang is sitting on the lower left.

Today, Madam Fang wore a begonia-colored jacket with gold thread embellishing the collar and cuffs, and a pair of ruby ​​earrings. Her whole outfit was so bright and dazzling that she didn't look like she was attending a family banquet.

She was talking to her cousin Liu, who was standing to the side, with a smile on her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes were still glancing towards the door, and she only looked away when Jiang Wan entered.

The people sitting at the opposite table were relatives from other branches of the family. Aunt Zhao sat at the head of the table, wearing a brand-new silver-red jacket and a red gold hairpin that weighed heavily on her hair, like a small piece of gold.

She was cracking sunflower seeds, the shells crunching in her mouth. When she saw Jiang Wan come in, her gaze lingered on her for a moment, then moved to Lu Wan and Lu Zhao following behind her before looking away.

Jiang Wan sat down in her seat, Lu Wan sat next to her, and Lu Zhao sat on the other side of Lu Wan.

Lu Hui sat next to Aunt Zhou, fiddling with a dish of peanuts on the table. He picked out the peanuts one by one and arranged them on the table, then picked them back one by one, repeating this over and over again, as if he was using the dish of peanuts to pass the time.

Before the meal began, the old lady said some polite words: "It's rare for everyone to be here for Mid-Autumn Festival this year. Those who should come back are all back, and those who should be here are all here. Everyone, please eat and drink well, and don't be shy."

Aunt Zhao put down her melon seeds and replied with a smile, "That's right, with my eldest nephew's wife joining us this year, the table is even fuller and more lively."

She said it as if she was just being joking, but she pronounced the words "my eldest nephew's wife" very clearly.

She was a second wife, not the first wife. Outsiders might not understand what she meant, but those who understood would.

Fang took a sip of tea, put it down, and suddenly chuckled, continuing the conversation in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft: "Auntie is right. This year is indeed much more lively than in previous years. Since you came into the family, everyone in the mansion has been watching you closely. Even the kitchen's menu is more organized than before."

"I went to the kitchen to get something the other day, and Granny Zhou kept praising my sister-in-law for being efficient, unlike her who used to worry about the list all by herself."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and drank her tea, as if it were just a casual remark, but Jiang Wan knew she wasn't.

Fang's words seemed to be praising her, but the phrase "even the kitchen menu is more organized than before" was also a subtle reminder to the people at the table of who used to manage the kitchen and who used to set the menu.

Aunt Zhao's smile faltered for a moment before she picked it up again.

The old lady didn't reply, but her gaze lingered on Fang's face for a moment before turning to Jiang Wan. Her gaze wasn't intense, but Jiang Wan felt that it contained a lot, as if she was weighing whether Jiang Wan could accept the ladder that Fang was offering.