Being a second wife is difficult

It wasn't until the fourth day after the Mid-Autumn Festival that the mansion finally became completely quiet.

The relatives from the outer branches have all left, the row of lanterns at the entrance of Songhe Hall has been taken down and put into the storeroom, and the kitchen no longer starts cooking before dawn to prepare the feast.

The cleaning women no longer had to rush to sweep up the sunflower seed shells and scraps of red paper in the yard before dawn. They walked a little slower, as if they had finally relaxed and were too lazy to walk fast.

Jiang Wan was on her way to Songhe Hall to pay her respects, with Qinghe following behind. As they turned through the moon gate, Qinghe suddenly remarked, "Madam, the mansion has been so quiet these past few days that it's almost unsettling."

Jiang Wan slowed her pace and glanced at her sideways: "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

Qinghe followed her steps, her voice tinged with melancholy: "Last night I passed by the garden and didn't hear the women laughing and talking. It felt like a large part of the garden was empty. We were used to the lively Mid-Autumn Festival a few days ago, but now it's all so quiet. It's like a different mansion."

Jiang Wan only said, "Mid-Autumn Festival is over, everyone who was going to leave has left, and things will naturally quiet down. In a few days, the Ganen Temple will start making arrangements, and it will be lively again."

Upon hearing this, Qinghe's eyes lit up: "This servant is looking forward to that day. I've been remembering that Madam didn't take me with her when she went to Ganen Temple last time."

"Since I moved into the mansion with my wife, I haven't left the mansion much, and I'm really itching to go out again."

As they chatted, they passed through the hanging flower gate, and the courtyard of Songhe Hall was right in front of them, so they stopped talking and didn't continue.

Upon entering the main hall, the greetings were, as usual, the same few sentences.

The old lady asked how the autumn clothes for each room were being prepared, and Fang replied that the sewing room had already taken the measurements for those who needed them.

After asking about the children's studies over the past few days, Jiang Wan added, "Zhao'er's teacher sent word the other day that he has memorized the lessons much better than last month, and the teacher has praised him several times."

The old lady smiled and nodded, "At least the money spent on paper and ink wasn't wasted."

When the meeting ended, the people in each room got up one after another.

Jiang Wan also got up, but before she had taken two steps, the old lady's voice came from behind her: "Jiang, please stay for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Jiang Wan stopped and sat down again.

The old lady leaned back on her pillow and, without beating around the bush, said directly, "You should already know that the birthday of Dipankara Buddha is just around the corner."

"Most of the family members will go with us. In previous years, when Madam Gu was alive, she was in charge of arranging the list of carriages and offerings. After she left, it was Granny Ding who made the preparations."

"Now that Granny Ding has fallen, there's no one else in the manor capable of handling things. Besides, you've been married into the family for half a year now, and it's time for you to establish yourself properly. So, you'll be in charge of making the arrangements for this trip."

The old lady spoke casually, as if she were just recounting an ordinary matter, but Jiang Wan knew that there was a great deal of weight behind that casualness.

Jiang Wan did not refuse, but simply lowered her head and replied, "Wife knows."

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Grandma, what are the rules for the annual Dipankara Buddha Ceremony? Are there any particularly important parts? This is my first time handling this, and I'm afraid I might have overlooked something. Please give me some pointers."

The old lady picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and moistened her throat: "The 22nd day of the eighth lunar month is the birthday of Dipankara Buddha."

"Every year around this time, the Chengnan Ganen Temple holds a large-scale Dharma assembly, which is attended by several respectable families in the city. They offer incense and lamps, eat vegetarian food, and seek peace and tranquility."

"As usual, we will all stay at the temple for three or four days. Young wives like you can take this opportunity to get to know people."

Jiang Wan nodded after hearing this: "I've got it."

The old lady put down her teacup and said, "The children should all go too, so they can play with other children."

"In the morning, they follow the adults to worship Buddha, and in the afternoon they are free. They usually go to the farmland next to the temple to pick autumn crops, which is also a way to celebrate the season."

After listening, Jiang Wan thought for a moment and asked with some curiosity, "Grandma, does worshiping Buddha take a whole day? Isn't it tiring?"

The old lady chuckled: "They don't kneel there all day. A little over an hour of prayer in the morning is considered a lot. Most people just chat quietly in the hall, eat their vegetarian meals, and stroll around the temple grounds."

"In the afternoon, when the children went out to play, we adults were more relaxed. Some of us went for a walk in the garden behind the temple, enjoying the scenery and chatting. It wasn't tiring at all."

Jiang Wan then smiled with a sigh of relief: "So that's how it is."

After chatting for a while, Jiang Wan slowly steered the conversation to the main topic: "Grandma, regarding the usual customs for accompanying guests in previous years, did Granny Ding keep a record, or do you know the details yourself?"

The old lady waved her hand: "Granny Gui has some old files. I'll have her send them to you. You can decide for yourself what to add or subtract, and how many carriages to prepare. You don't need to ask me about everything."

Jiang Wan replied, "Okay."

Seeing that it was getting late, she stood up to say goodbye. The old lady added, "Remember to show me the list once it's finalized."

Jiang Wan responded again before leaving.

As she left Songhe Hall, she slowed her pace, pondering the Lantern Festival.

We'll be staying at the temple for three or four days, not just a day trip. We need to plan ahead everything, from who will go and who won't, how to divide the transportation, and how to pack the luggage.

As she was thinking, she had already reached the gate of her courtyard. She stepped over the threshold, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Qinghe to say something.

"Go to the storeroom and get a few clean, thick cloths, not the thin silk ones. The children will need to bring bamboo baskets when they're gathering autumn produce, and they'll need to line them with something."

Qinghe responded, but didn't leave immediately. Standing there, she asked curiously, "Madam, how exactly does one pick autumn leaves?"

"I overheard the old women in the courtyard talking about it. They said they go up the mountain in the fall to collect leftovers from the crops, but they were being vague, and I didn't understand. Does Madam know anything about this?"

Jiang Wan thought for a moment and said, "It's because after the autumn harvest, farmers deliberately leave some sweet potatoes and peanuts in the fields for the children to pick up."

"Firstly, it's for the good luck of 'every grain being stored up,' and secondly, it's to let the children have some fun. In previous years, the older children in the manor all went, including Zhao-ge and Hui-ge. This year, it's Shan-jie's first time, and I'm afraid she'll go crazy with fun."

Qinghe laughed after hearing this: "Then it will probably be very lively."

"If I have some free time, I'll take you for a walk in the fields," Jiang Wan said. "It's good to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the mansion for so long."

Upon hearing this, Qinghe's smile deepened, and she repeatedly said auspicious words such as "That's wonderful" and "This servant thanks you in advance, Madam," before happily turning around and heading towards the storeroom.

Jiang Wan then asked Qiu Tang to go to the carriage and horse stables to inquire: how many carriages are available in the manor, how spacious they are, and how many people can be seated in each one.

Qiu Tang returned after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn: "Madam, the carriage and horse stable says that there are currently three large carriages and two small carriages available in the mansion."

"The most exquisite one is the one the old lady uses for daily outings. It is well-made and the most stable. There is another very spacious one, which is used by the women in the family when they go out. It can accommodate seven or eight people."

"The third large cart is the one we use regularly. The wheel rims were a bit loose a few days ago, but the mechanic at the carriage workshop just fixed them yesterday, and they're usable now."

"Of those two carriages, one is always on standby and ready to use, while the other is idle. The people at the carriage shed said that if we want to use it, we need to clean it in advance because the seats are a bit old."

Jiang Wan mentally reviewed the arrangements: the old lady would ride alone in that exquisite carriage, with Granny Gui attending to her.

She, Madam Fang, and several children rode in the spacious carriage, the maids rode in a small carriage, and the luggage was packed in another large carriage; the four carriages were just enough.

There was also a spare carriage left in the manor as a backup, so that we wouldn't be caught off guard if any emergency occurred.

She nodded: "That's enough. Go tell the carriage and stables to check the repaired carriage carefully again, so that nothing goes wrong on the way out."

Qiu Tang responded and turned to go out to ask again.