Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

The winter sun rarely shines brightly.

The continuous snowfall had cast a chilly and silent shadow over the Earl's mansion for days. Today, the snowstorm suddenly stopped, the clouds dispersed, and a thin layer of warm sunshine shone down.

The chill still lingered in the streets and courtyards, but the biting cold of the past had faded, and a rare scene of mild and sunny weather prevailed.

The snow in the east courtyard was swept clean by the servants early in the morning, leaving the bluestone ground dry and tidy. The remaining snow on the eaves slowly melted, dripping and making a soft, pattering sound.

After being quiet for many days, the "simple" courtyard can finally be tended to with care, adding a touch of freshness to the flowers and trees.

When Jiang Wan moved to this brand-new courtyard a few months ago, she felt that the courtyard was too empty and desolate, lacking the vitality of human life.

At that time, she specifically instructed Granny Lin in the flower room to select some cold-resistant plants for transplanting. There was no need to look for flower seeds or seedlings; she only needed to select mature flowers and trees that had already been cultivated, with lush branches and full buds, and were cold-resistant and frost-resistant. She then transplanted them into the courtyard when the weather was fine to enhance the courtyard scenery.

Granny Lin is reliable and capable. These days she has visited all the flower shops outside the city and has already selected all the flowers and trees. She delivered them to the mansion for inspection a few days ago.

However, those few days were cold and snowy, with fierce winds, making it unsuitable for moving or transplanting the plants. So they were kept in the greenhouse and carefully cared for, waiting for this sunny day.

As dawn broke, Granny Lin, accompanied by two young maids in charge of gardening and two capable servants, carried several flower racks into Anhe Hall.

All the flowers and trees were covered with thin velvet covers to keep them warm. Lifting the covers revealed a delightful scene.

Several wintersweet plants are covered with tender yellow buds, their branches strong and resilient. Other peach and crabapple trees also have full branches, brimming with buds, with not a single withered branch or leaf. They are all excellent seedlings that can survive the cold winter.

Lin Mama stepped forward respectfully to greet her, her eyes displaying a composed yet slightly smug smile: "Madam, the past few days have been filled with continuous snow and unpredictable weather. I was afraid that transplanting the seedlings would damage them, so I hesitated to do so. Fortunately, the weather has been kind to us today, so I quickly had the flowers and trees delivered here to await Madam's instructions on whether to plant them immediately."

"I visited several flower growers before finally finding these seedlings, comparing and selecting them one by one. It took a lot of effort to find them all! Look, Madam, these wintersweet, crabapple, and peach blossoms are all perfectly shaped and symmetrical, with branches full of buds."

"Once they are planted properly, the flowers will bloom in succession, and the courtyard will surely be lively and beautiful! The wintersweet can bloom now, adding to the winter scenery. When winter ends and spring comes, the crabapple and peach blossoms will follow in full bloom."

Even after the flowers have faded, the branches, though sparsely spaced, remain pleasing to the eye, maintaining a clean and elegant appearance throughout the year. It's the perfect decoration for your yard, Madam!

Jiang Wan stood under the corridor, dressed in an elegant moon-white casual jacket, her black hair loosely tied into a gentle bun, her eyebrows and eyes peaceful.

She slowly walked down the steps, bent down to examine each flower and tree, and gently brushed her fingertips over the plump buds, feeling very satisfied.

"Thank you so much, Granny."

Her gentle tone was comforting.

Lin Mama quickly bowed and replied, "Serving Madam is my duty. Madam is always kind and considerate, and I dare not slack off in the slightest."

During their conversation, Jiang Wan's gaze fell back on the celadon flowerpot on the windowsill of the warm pavilion, and her eyes softened unconsciously.

This orchid was an old item that was placed on the windowsill of the small courtyard where she used to live on the day she married into the family.

When she first entered the Earl's mansion, she was in an awkward situation. She lived alone in a cold and secluded study and courtyard, without any relatives or friends and no one to help her.

At that time, the orchid was on its last legs, its leaves withered and curled, almost dead, and it accompanied her through the most lonely and difficult days when she first entered the mansion.

For almost a year, she carefully watered and tended to the plants every day, patiently caring for them.

In autumn and winter, it was moved into a warm pavilion to avoid the cold, and in summer, it was moved to the corridor for ventilation. With careful care day after day, the dying orchid was finally saved.

Now, in the depths of winter, the warm room is calm and cozy. The orchid on the windowsill is growing vigorously, its branches and leaves spreading out, lush and verdant. Its vibrant life is hidden among its slender leaves, showing no trace of the bleak and withered appearance of winter.

Jiang Wan frowned slightly as she looked at the orchid, a hint of doubt lingering in her heart.

She was unfamiliar with gardening and felt that even though she had watered it on time and fertilized it carefully in recent days, and kept it in a warm and windless room every day, the orchid still looked somewhat wilted, and she couldn't find the cause.

Just then, Granny Lin brought flowers and trees into the courtyard, and Jiang Wan took the opportunity to ask her about it.

"Granny is an expert in flower arrangement, and I happen to have something I'd like to ask her."

"I've been tending to this orchid in the warm pavilion, and I've put a lot of effort into it, barely managing to pull it back from the brink of death. But lately, for some reason, even with careful tending, the leaves always seem a bit listless. Could you please take a look at it for me, Granny?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Lin immediately agreed and hurriedly followed Jiang Wan to the windowsill, bending down to carefully examine the entire orchid.

After a moment, she nodded in admiration.

"Madam is truly capable! This orchid is inherently delicate and difficult to care for. It was on the verge of dying, but you managed to take care of it and make it sprout new leaves and grow evergreen again. That's truly remarkable."

Jiang Wan sighed, "But I always feel it's not in good condition. I've tried many methods, but it still hasn't fully recovered. Could it be infested with pests or not adapted to the environment?"

"It's not a pest infestation." After examining it carefully again, Lin Mama slowly explained, "Madam took too good care of it. The orchid is growing so vigorously that its roots have already filled the celadon flowerpot, leaving no room for it to grow any further."

"Therefore, the nutrient supply is limited, and even if you water and fertilize on time, the plant will appear weak and listless. It is best to transplant it into a larger container right now."

Jiang Wan suddenly realized, "So that's the reason. I have an idea in my mind, I wonder if we could just transplant it into the soil in the yard and let it grow freely?"

Granny Lin gently shook her head and patiently explained the details.

"Absolutely not now. It's the dead of winter, the ground is cold, and the orchids have just grown their roots, which are still weak. Planting them outdoors makes them very susceptible to damage from the cold. Although your courtyard is sheltered from the wind, it is still not as warm and comfortable as a heated room."

"In my opinion, it is best to keep it indoors for the time being, open the windows for ventilation on sunny and warm days, and allow it to receive moderate soft light. It is safest to move it to the courtyard when the temperature steadily rises in the spring."

Jiang Wan listened attentively and nodded slightly: "Thanks to Granny's reminder, I was unfamiliar with the habits of plants and almost did something wrong. Since it is not suitable to plant in the ground, let's find a larger flowerpot, change the soil and transplant it, and keep it indoors for now."

Lin Mama immediately replied with a smile, "This is easy to handle. I will select two meticulous maids who are familiar with transplanting techniques. They can carefully remove the plant from its pot, change the soil, and properly place it so as not to damage the orchid's roots."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Thank you for arranging the maids to help, Granny, but I have another idea in mind."

"This orchid holds special significance for me. Would I be willing to help with its transplantation?"