Min: "..."
There was no need to ask anymore. She knew what Nannan liked.
Money and gold.
That preference was rather... practical.
As it happened, Min had a pair of little gold horse paperweights in her storeroom. She sent Cangchun to fetch them and put them in a box.
Jian Ruonan had spent the night kneeling in the ancestral hall. Well, not really the whole night-she could sleep while kneeling, though it was rather uncomfortable.
But for a slacker like Jian Ruonan, who could sleep wherever she lay down, that was good enough.
That morning, Min brought her back to Westglow Garden. While she was still groggy, a box was suddenly tucked into her arms.
Jian Zhang acted with the speed and force of thunder. In a single night, he had gotten to the bottom of almost everything about Madam Zhou's baby swap all those years ago.
After confirming that Jian Ruonan was indeed her biological daughter, Min not only gave her the pair of solid gold horses, but also added a gold neck ring weighing seven or eight taels.
Jian Ruonan: !!
My own dear mother!!! She really is beautiful and kind!!!
Wang Defa, praying to the ancestors really works!!
She would go pay her respects again the next time she had a chance.
Min: ??
Who was What Thefuck?
It sounded like a young gentleman's name. Could he be the gentleman Nannan fancied? She would have to make some inquiries beforehand.
Min knew how difficult life was for women. She hoped both her daughters would live in harmony with their husbands, like a zither and lute playing in tune, and would respect their wishes when it came to marriage.
At that thought, Min began worrying about Xilu's marriage again.
Jian Xilu was sixteen this year. Min intended to keep her at home until she was eighteen before marrying her off. At the end of last month, they had exchanged birth details with Duke Dingguo's household and sent them to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to check the couple's eight characters. The results would be ready in another two days or so.
Checking the eight characters was merely a formality. Generally, if both families were satisfied, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau would return an auspicious verdict such as "a match made in heaven."
If they wanted to call off the marriage, they had to bribe an official at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau before the results came out, have him declare that the couple's eight characters clashed and made them unsuitable for marriage, and end the matter there. Otherwise, if they backed out after the auspicious match had been formally accepted, Xilu might gain a reputation as a girl whose engagement had been broken. Arranging another good marriage for her would be difficult.
Thus, Min decided to take Jian Ruonan to visit the Duke of Pingguo's household that day. Meanwhile, Jian Zhang had also begun secretly investigating whether Gao Yang was keeping three mistresses outside his home.
Jian Ruonan caught up on her sleep in the Green Gauze Alcove at Westglow Garden. She had only just turned over when a young maid arrived outside the door with washing supplies.
Zang Chun asked considerately, "Fifth Young Miss, would you like to get up?"
Jian Ruonan yawned. At the thought that she was now a young lady of the Marquis's Estate, surrounded by servants, needing only to hold out her arms to be dressed and open her mouth to be fed, she nearly laughed aloud.
Life without overtime was wonderful. She would sleep a little longer.
Jian Ruonan waved Cangchun away, rolled over to face the inner room, pulled the quilt over her head, and went back to sleep.
Zang Chun: "..."
Every morning, Min had to go to Joy and Longevity Court to pay her respects to Shi-shi and attend to her at breakfast. Who knew what had gotten into Shi-shi that day? She made Min stand beneath the veranda for over an hour. When Min returned and saw a whole line of maids standing at the door, she asked quietly, "Still asleep?"
Zang Chun nodded and covered her mouth with a smile. "We've called her several times, but she simply won't get up."
Min smiled helplessly. Her younger daughter must have prayed so earnestly for wealth last night that she had truly worn herself out.
She never ate well at the old madam's place, so after returning, Min usually had some Bird's Nest Porridge and pastries to fill her stomach.
Min had just ordered the pastries set on the table when she saw the person beneath the quilt wriggle.
She lifted the lid from the Bird's Nest Porridge. As its delicious aroma spread, a fuzzy head poked out from beneath the quilt.
Immediately afterward, Min heard someone swallowing hard.
The maids could not help snickering.
"Your breakfast has been kept for you. Sleep a little longer if you like," Min said with a smile.
Jian Ruonan had more or less had enough sleep. She sat up with her hair resembling a chicken's nest, making the young maids struggle to contain their laughter again.
Seeing that the Fifth Miss had finally gotten up, a young maid immediately came forward holding a blue-and-white Ru Kiln teacup. "Fifth Miss, moisten your throat."
Jian Ruonan took it and lifted the lid. A floral fragrance wafted into her face. The blue-and-white Ru Kiln cup held excellent flower distillate, refreshing and pleasant. After one cup, every pore in her body felt nourished.
As soon as she finished the flower distillate, a young maid handed her a hot towel. Jian Ruonan wiped her hands and face, then changed into a pale green gauze skirt with the maids' help. Another young maid took a wooden comb and began combing her hair.
Girls' hairstyles in ancient times were simple. After finishing, the young maid picked up a bottle of osmanthus oil from the dressing table, poured some into her palm, rubbed it between her hands, and reached to apply it to Jian Ruonan's hair.
Jian Ruonan leaned back to avoid her and asked, "What's that?"
The young maid replied, "Fifth Miss, this is osmanthus oil. It's applied to the hair."
Jian Ruonan disliked putting things on her head. A clean, fresh scalp was best. "I don't want that."
Once she had finished washing and dressing, Min personally tied two pouches to her waist. "One holds a sachet, and the other has some small pieces of silver. You can use them to tip the maids and such."
"You've only just come back from the Farm Estate. Would you like to keep living with Mother, or have a courtyard of your own?"
Jian Ruonan thought for a moment. "I'll stay with Mother for two months first, then move out once I'm familiar with everything."
Min smiled. "That's perfect. If there's anything you don't understand, Nannan, just ask Mother."
Jian Ruonan agreed with a smile.
My dear mother really is so gentle. Beautiful and gentle-she's practically a fairy descended to earth!
Now this is living!
After the Bird's Nest Porridge, Min was going to take Jian Ruonan and Jian Xilu to visit the Duke of Pingguo Residence. Before they left, Jian Ruonan went to the old madam's courtyard to pay her respects.
Great Xia placed the greatest importance on filial piety. From now on, she would have to pay these respects every day.
"When you see the old madam in a moment, don't be too nervous. Just answer whatever she asks." Old Madam Shi never had a pleasant face for the women of the eldest branch. Ordinarily, they maintained nothing more than a veneer of cordiality.
Neither Min nor Jian Xilu was close to the old madam.
Jian Ruonan's visit was merely going through the motions, too.
Inside Joy and Longevity Court, Old Madam Shi was listening to an older servant woman's amusing chatter.
"That Fifth Miss is such a country bumpkin. She's never even seen hair oil. When the young maid combed her hair this morning, she asked what osmanthus oil was..."
Shi-shi laughed. "Only brought back at ten years old-with manners that coarse, who knows whether anyone will marry her?"
As Jian Ruonan walked, she asked the system to dish out some gossip. System, give me some juicy gossip about the old madam?
Sure thing. The old madam is gossiping about you with an older servant woman right now.
What gossip is there about me?
She said you're a country bumpkin who doesn't know what hair oil is, and that no one will marry you.
No one will marry me?
Yep.
Jian Ruonan sighed with heartfelt appreciation. Not getting married is a good thing!
The old madam's actually pretty nice.
The system: "..."
Shouldn't you be focusing on who leaked that information?
Who leaked it? Has the old madam planted a spy in my mother's rooms?
A maid named Wen Xue.
Oh. I'll ask for that maid later, then find an excuse to send her away.
Joy and Longevity Court was the largest courtyard in the entire Marquis's Estate. They passed through a winding covered walkway, went around a large standing screen, crossed a three-bay hall, and traversed the front courtyard before finally reaching the main rooms.
Shi-shi sat on a huanghuali daybed chair. Jian Ruonan stepped forward and curtsied.
"Good child, you've suffered. Come here and let Grandmother have a look at you." The old madam wore a vermilion jacket patterned with clouds and a set of gold hair ornaments. A gold-mounted jade bead adorned her forehead band.
The old madam was in her fifties, but thanks to careful upkeep, she looked only a little over forty. Because she was rather plump, she was somewhat breathless when she spoke.
Although Shi-shi disliked the eldest branch, she put on a good show, outwardly presenting herself as an affectionate grandmother.
Jian Ruonan slowly approached. Shi-shi reached out to take her hand, but just before their hands touched, that familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang out-
Ding- The old madam has athlete's foot. The old madam likes picking at her feet.
Jian Ruonan, who had looked like a delicate, frail little girl, suddenly sprang back, as agile as a startled cat.
Holy crap, athlete's foot is a fungal infection! It's contagious!
Thank goodness we didn't hold hands. That was close, so close-I almost caught it!
Who would have thought such a kindly, approachable grandmother was secretly an old foot-picker! With athlete's foot, too!
Min: "..."
Jian Xilu: "..."
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