Being a second wife is difficult

After resting for only a short while in the afternoon, the children couldn't sit still anymore.

Lu Wan placed her hand on the edge of the table and stood on tiptoe to look out the window.

The sky outside was high and blue, with a few clouds hanging far away, motionless. A gentle breeze was blowing, and the weather looked perfect.

She looked around for a while before turning around, resting her chin on the back of the chair, and said to Jiang Wan in a coquettish tone, "Mother, when are we going?"

Jiang Wan put down her teacup, smiled at her, a hint of helplessness in her smile: "Your grandmother hasn't said anything yet, what's the rush?"

Lu Wan glanced at the old lady who was resting with her eyes closed, then leaned closer and took Jiang Wan's arm: "Grandmother said she would go after resting for a while, I heard her say that."

Before Jiang Wan could answer, Lu Zhao walked over from the side. He had been holding a Buddhist scripture in his hand, probably just flipping through it to pass the time, but now he had closed it and placed it beside him, as if he was ready.

Lu Hui, who was sitting in the corner flipping through a miscellaneous book about mages, stood up when he saw the two of them approaching. He patted the dust off his clothes and looked at Jiang Wan with bright, expectant eyes.

Seeing the children's reactions, Jiang Wan already knew what was going on.

She turned to look at the direction of the main seat. The old lady was leaning against the pillow. She had kept her eyes closed since she spoke, as if she was resting, but she was still slowly turning the prayer beads in her hand without stopping, so she was obviously not asleep.

Jiang Wan stood up and walked over, her voice softening: "Grandma, the time is perfect. The sun hasn't reached its highest point yet. It's still cool on the path to the fields, and there's shade from the trees on the edge of the fields, so it won't be too sunny."

"If we go any later, the sun will be too strong, and the children might not be able to stand the heat when they leave. My wife thinks it would be better to take them there now, so they can digest their food after dinner."

The old woman didn't open her eyes, and the prayer beads in her hand stopped moving.

Granny Gui chimed in from the side, "What Madam says is true. The abbot just sent word that everything is ready in the fields, just waiting for us to come over."

The old lady opened her eyes, her gaze first sweeping across Jiang Wan's face, then landing on the children at the door. Seeing Lu Wan standing at the front, she immediately straightened her back when she saw Lu Wan looking over. Lu Zhao also put down the book in his hand, and Lu Hui squatted by the threshold, seemingly impatient.

Seeing that the children all looked so eager to play, the old lady couldn't help but chuckle, "This year, everyone seems to be really interested."

Lu Wan, quick to speak, immediately added, "That's because Mother is going with us this year!"

Upon hearing this, the old lady picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and glanced at Jiang Wan as she put it down, her tone carrying a hint of amusement: "It hasn't been that long, and the children are already so close to you."

Jiang Wan smiled and continued, "It's just that the children don't mind their daughter-in-law."

The old lady didn't say anything more, just waved her hand and said, "Go ahead." She added, "Tell them to be careful when they run, so they don't fall."

Jiang Wan responded and turned to wave to the children.

Exiting the temple's side gate, there's a narrow dirt road with rows of unharvested bean vines draped over bamboo trellises, their leaves already turning yellow.

In the distance are even larger fields of farmland, where most of the corn stalks have been cut, leaving only stubble stuck in the ground. When the wind blows, the dry leaves rustle as they rub against each other.

Several people were already standing on the ridge of the field.

Jiang Wan glanced at them and could roughly recognize them as the young wives she had met in the hall that morning.

A man dressed in a light blue jacket saw her first, smiled, and called out, "The First Madam of the Earl's Mansion is here? I caught a glimpse of her from afar this morning but didn't have a chance to say anything. It's great to see you again now."

Jiang Wan walked over and greeted her with a smile: "You're too kind, Madam. There were so many people this morning that I didn't have a chance to move around."

The lady looked her up and down, her tone warm: "I was just telling people that the Marquis's family has made quite a fuss this year. Even the First Madam brought the children here herself. I've never seen anything like it before. This must be the first time, right?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan followed up with, "Yes, it's my first time here, everything is new and exciting."

The woman smiled and said in a natural tone, "The first time I came here, I was the same. I stood on the edge of the field and didn't know which way to go. Later, my husband told me to just follow the edge of the field. The things left in the field are for the children, so it's okay to step on them."

Jiang Wan glanced at her; her clothes were made of the finest silk, and the patterns on them were Suzhou embroidery, making her look like the wife of a wealthy official. She asked, "What should I call you, sister-in-law?"

"My husband's surname is Xu," the daughter-in-law continued. "My father-in-law used to be an official in Tongzhou. This year he got old, so the authorities transferred him back to his hometown of Huzhou. It's like he's returning to his roots."

"Years ago, before my father-in-law was transferred to Tongzhou, our family and the Earl's Mansion were quite close. My grandmother and your grandmother were also old acquaintances."

Jiang Wan nodded: "So it's Mrs. Xu. The old lady mentioned her, saying she's an old acquaintance. Now that you're back, you should come visit often, so the children will have more playmates."

Mrs. Xu smiled and waved her hand: "You're too kind. Speaking of which, our eldest son played with your young lady last year when we were picking autumn leaves."

As she spoke, she gestured towards a group of children squatting on the ground digging in the distance, "Last year, the two of them had a contest to see who could pick up more dirt, and my daughter lost. She held a grudge for the whole year."

"I heard during dinner that your young lady is here again. She said she wanted to come early even before she finished eating, and that she must beat her this time."

After exchanging a few more words, Lu Wan came running back from the field, carrying something covered in mud. She handed it to Jiang Wan, exclaiming, "Mother! Look what I dug up!"

Jiang Wan looked down and saw a sweet potato the size of a fist. The skin was covered with a layer of soil, and only a small section the size of a fingernail was broken off at the very top, revealing the orange-yellow core inside, which was juicy and looked very fresh.

"Did you dig this all by yourself?"

"Yes!" Lu Wan puffed out her chest and said proudly.

"I was afraid it would break if I dug it directly, so I first peeled away the soil on top of it with my hands, and then used the wooden stick on the back of a small hoe to pat away the surface soil little by little. Only when its whole body was exposed did I gently pull it out!"

Jiang Wan smiled as she took the sweet potato and weighed it in her hand, saying, "You dug it really well. When we get back, we'll wash it clean and have the kitchen steam it for you."

Lu Wan nodded happily, took the sweet potato from Jiang Wan's hand, and put it back in the basket.

Mrs. Xu, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "This girl is really quick. Ours took quite a while to find a suitable piece, and it's not as good as hers."

Jiang Wan then remembered to introduce them, turning her head to Lu Wan and saying, "This is Mrs. Xu. Her eldest daughter picked autumn leaves with you last year, do you remember?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wan bowed respectfully to Mrs. Xu and greeted her in a clear voice, "Hello, Aunt Xu."

Mrs. Xu quickly bent down and replied, "Oh, how polite!" She then took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and said with a smile.

"Wan-jie, how come you're digging so well? You're really amazing! Could you teach our eldest daughter? She's been digging for ages and still hasn't figured it out."

Lu Wan turned her head to look in the direction Mrs. Xu was pointing, readily agreed with "Okay," happily stuffed the sweet potatoes back into the basket, and ran towards the field.

Mrs. Xu watched her run away, and when she looked back, she turned to look at Jiang Wan, her tone filled with genuine emotion: "These children in your household all seem quite close to you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan calmly replied, "Mrs. Xu is right. I'm used to spending time with these children, so naturally we're closer."

As she spoke, she glanced in Lu Wan's direction again, and casually added, "I usually like to spend more time with them. Kids can't hide their feelings; they know who treats them well."

Mrs. Xu listened but did not reply, only smiled and nodded.

The two stood side by side for a while. The wind on the ridge of the field carried the scent of soil and grass, neither too strong nor too weak. In the distance, several children squatted on the ground in a group, occasionally letting out a cry of surprise, as if they had dug up something good again.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, discussing which direction to go and what to pick up, which plots of land were reserved, and which plots hadn't been cleared yet. Jiang Wan noted everything down, thanked them, and then followed the ridge down into the field.