"Your Highness, Nanny Jing is new here, so you just need to be polite to her," Xiu'er had previously instructed Tang Zhuyun. "Leave the gathering of information to me."
Tang Zhuyun chuckled and teased her, "Fine, then you're the spy I planted in the Song Family. It's easier to talk behind closed doors since you're all family."
Xiu'er wasn't shy at all, and said, "Whether we're family or not, we'll have to see. But I'm certain that you and I will always be of one mind."
Tang Zhuyun was amused by her. "What? Song Jingyang gave so many holiday gifts, do you want to back out now?"
"That depends on whether Nanny Jing is willing or not," Xiu'er said. "If she is willing, everyone will be happy; if she is not, chaos will ensue."
"Wait, didn't you say before that if Nanny Jing didn't agree, you and Song Jingyang would break up? Why are you arguing about it now?"
"Sigh, Song Jingyang is really good to me, I know that perfectly well," Xiu'er said. "So for his sake, I have to endure it a little longer. I'll wait until I can't take it anymore before I flip the table, and then everything will be over."
But as it turns out, Nanny Jing was a very kind person.
Nanny Rong was a person who adhered to the rules, while Nanny Jing was completely different; she was a person of strong emotions.
Nanny Jing was a tall and strong woman with a simple and kind face. She looked like someone who was used to hard labor. She looked at Tang Zhuyun with humility.
She couldn't speak Mandarin and spoke with a strong Nan Commandery accent, but her eyes were always smiling and filled with tears of emotion as she spoke.
Tang Zhuyun didn't know what Xiu'er was thinking, but she really liked Nanny Jing.
She Yingying and asked about Nanny Jing's health, then took her pulse.
Nanny Jing was terrified.
Xiu'er helped her up and said softly, "Her Majesty is sincerely showing this to you, not just being polite. If you refuse, you will only disappoint Her Majesty."
Good heavens, Tang Zhuyun was stunned.
Xiu'er, is there ever a time when you speak so obediently?
She's such a good actress.
Xiu'er was really going all out for Song Jingyang.
Nanny Jing took off the bracelet from her wrist and put it on Xiu'er's wrist.
The bracelet was wide and thick, and they had used a lot of gold; Tang Zhuyun estimated it to be about two taels.
Ordinary working people wouldn't wear such heavy jewelry; so it's obvious that she prepared it especially for Xiu'er.
Somewhat clumsy, yet so sincere.
For a woman like Nanny Jing, who hadn't seen much of the world, what could better express affection than real gold and silver?
Moreover, Nanny Jing kept giving her one bracelet, and then another; it turned out she had prepared a pair of bracelets.
Xiu'er didn't refuse and accepted it generously, then pulled her to sit down on the embroidered stool in front of Tang Zhuyun.
After examining Nanny Jing, Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "It's nothing, she's just a little weak. She'll recover well in the capital for a while, which will be a good opportunity for Song Jingyang to show his filial piety. Xiu'er, get some bird's nest and stew a pot for Nanny Jing every day."
Nanny Jing hurriedly declined.
Xiu'er said, "Thank you, Your Highness. This servant will take the nanny to familiarize herself with the living quarters."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and agreed.
Oh my goodness, my mother-in-law is here, and she's a completely different person now.
Song Jingyang didn't ask her to improve, but her mother-in-law did.
But Xiu'er soon returned.
"How could it be so fast?" Tang Zhuyun asked in surprise.
"I've put on such a convincing act, that's enough," Xiu'er said. "Any longer and it'll be exposed."
Are you satisfied?
Xiu'er: "My satisfaction is useless; it has to be her satisfaction that matters."
Judging from this title, you can tell that Xiu'er is satisfied.
"I'm very satisfied. I feel at ease entrusting you to such a mother-in-law," Tang Zhuyun said earnestly.
"Song Jingyang had actually told me some things before, but seeing it in person makes me feel much more at ease," Xiu'er said. "What goes around comes around. She's good to me, and I'll take care of her until the end."
Tang Zhuyun chuckled, "Nanny Jing is only in her forties, she has a long way to go before she passes away!"
"That's right," Xiu'er said. "She's used to doing manual labor, and she's a good person. She'll definitely live to be a hundred."
She told Tang Zhuyun about Nanny Jing.
It turns out that Nanny Jing was just a lowly maid in the mansion. She was bought into the mansion when she was a teenager. She was neither clever nor skillful. If she had to say what her special talent was, it would probably be that she could eat a lot—including eating and enduring hardship.
Then Song Jingyang's father, with his "discerning eye," who was already a junior officer at the time, took a liking to Nanny Jing.
The master of the Xiao Family then asked Nanny Jing if she was willing.
Nanny Jing remarked, "They're all captains, and they've taken a liking to her? Is there really such a good thing?"
How could she not want to?
So Nanny Jing happily married General Banner Song and gave birth to Song Jingyang.
At this time, Xiao Wu gave birth to Prince of Jin, which caused a great uproar. However, since he was still a child of the Xiao Family, wet nurses and maids had to be found to take good care of him.
Nanny Jing was chosen because of her excellent breast milk.
"Is General Banner Song willing?" Tang Zhuyun couldn't help but ask upon hearing this.
After all, if she went to breastfeed the Prince of Jin, her own son would go hungry.
He's an official, after all; how could he bear to abandon his own son?
"Your Highness, are you crazy!" Xiu'er exclaimed. "Who wouldn't be upset in this situation!"
This means that being able to establish a relationship with the most important master of the Xiao Family will guarantee a bright future.
Tang Zhuyun thought that although she had been here for so long, she was not born and raised here, and there were some things that were still difficult for her to agree with.
Nanny Jing's breast milk was excellent; both Prince of Jin and Song Jingyang grew up on her milk.
She was rather simple-minded, but her sincere heart earned her the respect of the Prince of Jin.
Consequently, Song Jingyang also became closest to Prince of Jin.
Nanny Jing's background and experiences destined her to be different from Nanny Rong.
Nanny Rong had grown up with Xiao Wu since she was a child, learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and etiquette together. Her elegant demeanor surpassed that of ordinary girls.
Her fiancé, who died in battle before they could get married, was already a fourth-rank official when he died.
"I just tried to probe her a bit," Xiu'er said, "And I feel that she and Nanny Rong are really not on the same side."
"Mm." Tang Zhuyun nodded.
"However, she was also very kind to me," Xiu'er said. "As soon as I mentioned Nanny Rong, she told me to stay away from her."
"Hmm? Why? Did you give a reason?"
"I did," Xiu'er said, "I said that Nanny Rong is arrogant and looks down on people, so don't mess with her."
Strictly speaking, this isn't exactly a bad thing to say.
"They say that Nanny Rong only ever listened to the old lady and didn't care about anyone else. It's not that she's bad, just don't get too close."
Tang Zhuyun seemed to be deep in thought.
Xiu'er said, "When I heard this, I rushed back to tell you. She was also afraid of delaying my duties, so she kept urging me to come back, saying that serving the mistress was the most important thing, and I must do my best."
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "You've already done your utmost."
"Birds of a feather flock together," Xiu'er said smugly.
"Therefore, you should be the Song Family's daughter-in-law."
Xiu'er blushed slightly, then said, "Your Highness, after hearing what she said, I feel that Nanny Rong's matter doesn't quite make sense..."
(I can still write one more chapter, but I can't sleep now that I'm back from my rest...)