Being a second wife is difficult

The dishes were served one by one, with cold dishes first, followed by hot dishes.

Osmanthus-scented glutinous rice lotus root, braised lion's head meatballs, steamed sea bass, and tender braised pork knuckle—the table was laden with soups and broths.

Lu Wan had been sitting still for a while, and after a while she started to secretly tug at Lu Zhao's sleeve.

Lu Zhao initially ignored her, but after she tugged at his sleeve until it was almost askew, he turned his head and whispered, "Sit properly."

Lu Wan pouted, but her eyes glanced across at Lu Shan, who was sitting next to Aunt Liu. She was wearing a light green jacket, her hair was tied in two small buns, and she was stuffing a piece of osmanthus cake into her mouth, her cheeks bulging.

Lu Wan looked at her for a while, then looked down at the osmanthus cake on her plate that she hadn't had time to touch yet. The powdered sugar was sprinkled evenly, and the golden cake was studded with dried osmanthus flowers.

She hesitated for a moment, then broke her piece of cake in half, placed the larger half under a handkerchief, and secretly slipped it into Lu Shan's hand when no one was looking.

Lu Shan was taken aback and looked up at her. Lu Wan lowered her voice and said, "My sister is younger than me, so she should eat more."

Lu Shan held the half-eaten cake, with crumbs still in her mouth, and mumbled, "Thank you, sister." Aunt Liu, who was nearby, overheard this and quickly whispered, "Miss, you're too kind. She has enough for herself."

Lu Wan waved her hand: "It's okay, I'm alright, I'm not hungry."

As she said this, her stomach actually rumbled, but the sound was faint and was drowned out by the laughter and chatter at the table.

Lu Zhao saw this scene, lowered his head, picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it on his plate without saying anything.

Lu Hui sat next to Aunt Zhou, still fiddling with peanuts with his head down, but he had already picked out most of the peanuts from his plate, arranging them in a crooked line, like a troop of soldiers waiting for inspection.

He took out another peanut, peeled it, and held the peanut in his palm for a while, as if he had made up his mind. Then, he took out a palm-sized wooden rabbit from his sleeve, quietly handed it to Lu Zhao under the table, and touched Lu Zhao's knee.

Lu Zhao glanced down at it, then took it and examined it in his palm. The wood was polished smooth, and the ears were thinly shaved. Although the lines weren't particularly fine, it was clear that a lot of thought had been put into it.

Lu Zhao looked up at him: "Did you carve this?"

Lu Hui nodded, his voice low: "Last time, my mother said she liked little rabbits, so I... carved an extra one. You can have it if you want."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head again and continued peeling the remaining peanuts in the dish.

Lu Zhao put the rabbit into his sleeve and after a while said "Thank you".

Jiang Wan caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of her eye. She saw Lu Zhao gently press his fingers on the wood as he put the rabbit away, as if afraid of breaking it. But Jiang Wan also saw a slight smile on Lu Zhao's lips, as if he was very happy.

Aunt Zhao's place is bustling again.

She picked up a piece of osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root with her chopsticks, took a bite, chewed it, put down her chopsticks, and smiled as she spoke in Jiang Wan's direction: "I say, niece-in-law, in the few months since you entered the family, you've managed to keep all the children in the household completely under your thumb. When I first married into the family, it took me three years just to deal with my sister-in-law. Seeing you like this today reminds me of that spirit I had back then."

As she spoke, she leaned back in her chair, picked up a peanut, and peeled it slowly and deliberately, as if she were waiting for something.

Her words sounded like a compliment, but they were clearly a dig at her: You've only been in the family for a few months and you've already got the child under your thumb; your methods are quite efficient.

Jiang Wan put down her chopsticks, smiling, and said in a gentle tone, "Auntie, you're joking. The children are all sensible; there's no need for me to subdue them."

"Now that you mention it, Aunt, I'd like to ask you for some advice. How do you deal with your sister-in-law for three years? I'm far from being good at that. If you don't mind me bothering you, Aunt, you can teach me more another day."

Her response was soft and gentle, lightly pushing the question back, and she even added fuel to the fire by publicly bringing up the past conflict between Aunt Zhao and her sister-in-law.

Someone at the table chuckled softly, but no one knew who it was. Fang Shi, holding her wine bowl, smiled slightly without looking up.

Aunt Zhao's smile froze for a moment, and the peanut shell in her hand stopped in mid-air. She squeezed it twice before putting it down.

She picked up the wine bowl in front of her, took a sip, and mumbled, "My nephew's wife has a sharp tongue," before falling silent.

After three rounds of dishes, the bowls and plates on the table were cleared away twice, and all the desserts that were supposed to be served were also brought out.

The old lady hadn't said much until now. She put down her chopsticks, a soft sound as they landed on the rim of the bowl, which gradually silenced the laughter and chatter at the table.

She picked up the wine bowl in front of her, took a sip, swallowed, and then spoke. Her voice wasn't deliberately raised, but as soon as she opened her mouth, everyone at the table involuntarily fell silent.

"There's something I need to make clear this Mid-Autumn Festival."

The old lady's gaze swept across the table before finally settling on Jiang Wan.

"Jiang has been in the household for less than half a year, and she has already taken on the responsibilities and duties of the household. From now on, she will be in charge of all the winter clothing allowances and the expenses of each household. If any of you stewards have any issues, please report them directly to her. There is no need to ask me anymore."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Aunt Zhao's chopsticks hovered in mid-air for about two breaths before being put down, tapping against the edge of the plate with a crisp sound.

Fang's fingers, which were holding the wine bowl, tightened slightly and then relaxed.

Aunt Liu lowered her head, as if trying to shrink herself into the back of the chair.

Aunt Zhou was adding soup to Lu Hui's bowl. She paused for a moment, then continued scooping.

Jiang Wan's heart skipped a beat.

She originally thought that the winter clothing allowance was just the old lady letting her "try it out first," but she didn't expect that the old lady would choose such an occasion today, in front of relatives from other branches and several daughters-in-law, to explain the four words "expenses for each household" so clearly.

The weight of the words "each room" was clear to everyone sitting in the room.

The old lady didn't say anything more, nor did she look at her. She simply picked up the bowl of ginseng tea, took a sip, and said as she put it down, "Mid-Autumn Festival, let's have a drink to celebrate family reunion."

Fang was the first to react. She picked up the wine bowl in front of her, raised it towards the old lady, then turned the bowl around and raised it towards Jiang Wan. The movement was very light, as if unintentional, yet also as if deliberate.

"Grandma is right, today is a good day, let's all drink." She said, curving her lips at Jiang Wan. "Sister-in-law, I'll toast you with a bowl. From now on, please take care of things in the household."

She pronounced the "you" clearly, like a door nail being put in place.

Jiang Wan picked up her wine bowl and glanced back. The two were separated by half a table, and neither of them said anything, but their wine bowls met in mid-air for a moment.

The rims of the bowls touched, making a soft, crisp sound.

By the time the banquet ended, it was already dark.

The red lanterns under the eaves were all lit, casting a warm orange glow on the blue brick floor.

The people from each room gradually dispersed. Aunt Zhao walked in front, her steps much faster than when she came. Her silver-red figure flashed in the lantern light and she turned through the moon gate, without even saying her farewell.

Jiang Wan stayed behind to help Granny Gui clear the dishes from the table. Lu Wan was already so sleepy that she leaned against her. Her little head bobbed up and down, her eyelids closed twice and then forced open again. The third time, they finally closed completely. She leaned against Jiang Wan's arm, her little hands still clutching the fabric of Jiang Wan's clothes tightly.

Lu Zhao stood to the side and waited, neither urging him nor leaving first.

Granny Gui took the stack of bowls and plates from Jiang Wan's hands, glanced at Lu Wan in her arms, and said in a low voice, "Madam, what the old lady said today was for everyone to hear."

Jiang Wan did not respond.

Granny Gui added, "When Madam Gu was alive, the old lady never spoke so confidently in front of outsiders. Now that she has said this, everyone in the household will know what to expect."

Jiang Wan looked down at Lu Wan, who was leaning against her. The little girl was already half asleep, her breathing light and even.

She raised her hand and gently supported Lu Wan's head, making it more stable.

Granny Gui continued, "Although the old lady seems aloof, she always has a clear sense of right and wrong, and today she has placed that sense of right and wrong in your hands."

Jiang Wan responded and said, "I'll take Wan'er and Zhao'er back."

She carried Lu Wan towards the courtyard, while Qing He walked ahead carrying a lantern, its light forming a small halo that illuminated the bluestone path beneath her feet.

The osmanthus tree at the corner of the corridor was in bloom. A gust of wind blew, and two delicate petals fell onto her shoulder, but she didn't brush them off.

As Jiang Wan walked through the moon gate, she glanced down and saw that Lu Wan was fast asleep, with a tiny crumb of osmanthus cake still clinging to her eyelashes, which she didn't know when it had gotten there.

She reached out and wiped it away for her. When her fingers touched her cheek, the little girl flinched in her sleep, then slowly loosened her grip on her clothes and instead placed her hand on her arm, like a cat with its claws folded.

The lantern light shone through the latticed windows of the corridor, cutting their shadows into squares that were cast onto the blue brick floor, moving forward little by little with each step she took.

The shadow of the pomegranate tree at the entrance of the courtyard was stretched long by the moonlight, its crooked branches drooping down and swaying in the wind.

The courtyard quieted down, but the red lanterns under the eaves were still lit, and a gust of wind made their glow flicker on the paper walls.