When the sun rose high, A’Ru and A’Hao carried a trunk into the courtyard.

“What are you doing?” Qi Yue asked. “Be careful, you two children, don’t hurt your hands.”

As she spoke, watching the two walking unsteadily, she hurried forward to lend a hand.

“Young Madam, please rest,” A’Hao said.

Finally, the three of them slowly placed the trunk on the stone table in the courtyard.

“The weather is good today, so we’re airing out clothes,” A’Ru said with a smile. “When the Young Master returns, Young Madam can wear them.”

Since learning the news that the Prince would return next month, A’Ru had been smiling even in her dreams.

Qi Yue pressed her forehead with her hand – what a worry.

A’Hao opened the trunk here, and Qi Yue looked over, unable to help exclaiming “Wow!”

“So beautiful!” She reached out to touch them, her face full of amazement. The trunk contained neatly folded sets of clothing, with golden needlework and silver thread gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

These were clothes? They were clearly works of art!

“These are all part of Young Madam’s dowry that the Old Madam gave her,” A’Ru said with a nostalgic expression. “There are more in the storeroom. The Old Madam originally gave Young Madam a separate storeroom filled with things she had accumulated…”

“A separate storeroom?” Qi Yue said in surprise.

A’Ru nodded.

“Young Madam, you’ve forgotten, but I still remember. When the Old Madam was gravely ill, she had Nanny Sun take you to see it. I followed along that time too. Even now when I think about it, the glare still makes me unable to open my eyes,” A’Hao said with exaggerated expressions of amazement.

This Old Marchioness really was extraordinarily good to Qi Yueniang, Qi Yue sighed inwardly. How strange – why would she be so good to this beggar picked up halfway? If it were while she was alive to show compassion and a kind heart for a good reputation, providing good food, drink, and clothing would be understandable. But she even considered the afterlife, not only arranging the marriage but also leaving behind so much wealth. Even real parents wouldn’t be more wholehearted than this.

Could this Old Marchioness be her illegitimate daughter? But that doesn’t make sense – the ages don’t match…

“Young Madam, should you wear this one or this one?” A’Ru looked at the clothes with a frown.

“This one is good, this bright red one suits Young Madam best,” A’Hao said. “Then paired with a large phoenix hairpin… oh right, there’s a Nine Phoenix Holding Pearls large golden hairpin that the Old Madam left in the storeroom…”

The two girls’ enthusiastic conversation interrupted Qi Yue’s wandering thoughts. Looking at their spirited smiling faces, she shook her head, pushing aside those chaotic thoughts. Whatever happened before didn’t matter – living well in the present was what counted.

“What kind of person is your Prince?” she sat down nearby and asked.

“The Prince…” A’Hao, who was usually talkative, opened her mouth first but seemed hesitant, as if not knowing what to say.

Hmm? Qi Yue raised her eyebrows – there was a problem here.

“The Prince is a good person, just a bit mischievous… but but…” A’Hao hurriedly said, “But that was when he was small. Boys are all a bit naughty when they’re young. The Prince is grown up now and isn’t like that anymore.”

“Oh,” Qi Yue said, drawing out the sound.

A’Ru nearby somehow thought of Third Young Master.

“The Prince just has a quick temper, but he’s really a good person,” she interjected. “The Prince has practiced martial arts since childhood, so his temperament is strong. Young Madam, don’t be afraid of the Prince. Actually, actually he’s very reasonable…”

Qi Yue nodded, understanding. From these two maids’ few words, she could already sketch out a pampered young master type – domineering and arrogant.

What should she do? Really be husband and wife with this Prince? Qi Yue felt a chill.

Seeing Qi Yue’s heavy expression, A’Ru and A’Hao exchanged glances.

“Sister, you see Young Madam is very worried. Actually, I’m a bit worried too…” A’Hao couldn’t help but say in a low voice.

“What are you worried about? What is there to worry about! Don’t think nonsense! Young Madam is the Prince’s properly married wife. Don’t think nonsense,” A’Ru immediately interrupted her words, speaking urgently in a low voice.

A’Hao looked at her, somewhat amused and exasperated.

“Sister, actually, you’re also thinking nonsense in your heart,” she muttered.

To celebrate the Prince’s return, both masters and servants in the household made new clothes. After half a month of rush work, the clothes were finished. Distributing fruits, monthly silver, and new clothes was the happiest time for all the servants in the household, especially those low-ranking maids who relied on these things to get by and rarely received rewards. They were calling friends and running around to find out when it would be their turn to receive clothes.

“These little wenches, we’ve never seen them run this fast at other times…” several head maids said with laughter, watching the young maids ahead carrying bundles of clothes.

The clothes for young ladies and concubines were naturally delivered by special people. Only after the masters’ clothes were delivered would it be the servants’ turn to receive theirs.

“Such good material was used this time – I heard it’s the most fashionable style from the capital.”

“Each courtyard also received a box of silk flowers as a reward…”

The maids talked and laughed as they walked. Suddenly they saw a maid standing by the roadside outside a courtyard, looking toward them.

“Hey, look,” one maid nudged another and said in a low voice, “A’Hao…”

The other maid looked over, a trace of mockery appearing on her face. She gave a look, and several head maids raised their heads and quickened their pace, seemingly not seeing A’Hao, and bumped into her hard.

A’Hao saw them coming but didn’t expect that with such a wide road, they would bump into her when they got close. She was knocked back several steps onto the grass. It had rained just last night, so immediately her foot was covered in mud, and even her dress hem was soiled.

“What are you doing?” A’Hao shouted angrily while lifting her skirt.

“Oh my, Sister A’Hao, sorry, we didn’t see you,” the maids said with smiles.

“Are you blind?” A’Hao asked huffily. “Xiao Zhuan, Xiao Cui, are you deliberately picking a fight?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the tallest maid glared.

“Why are you cursing at people?” she said with a wronged expression.

“Cursing? Well, you deserve to be cursed,” A’Hao glared and shouted, then lifted her foot to wipe the mud on those maids.

The maids cried out and dodged. The young maids carrying clothes heard and all ran back, making the road lively.

“What’s going on?” Several women walked over from a distance and immediately shouted when they saw this.

A’Ru in the courtyard also heard the commotion and ran out.

“What’s this?” The women approached with angry faces. “Is this courtyard a place for you to make trouble? If you want to fight, get out of the courtyard and fight to your heart’s content!”

“Nanny, yes,” A’Hao snorted and started to speak.

“Nanny, it’s Sister A’Hao cursing at us and trying to hit us…” the three maids rushed to say.

“Hey, why don’t you say why I cursed at you?” A’Hao said huffily.

A’Ru reached out and pulled her back.

The woman looked A’Hao up and down.

“I don’t care why you did it. I only know that in this courtyard, maids are not allowed to fight and cause trouble,” she said indifferently.

“Yes, Nanny, we were wrong,” the three maids immediately knelt down.

When they knelt, the young maids following them naturally all knelt too, leaving only A’Hao and A’Ru standing awkwardly.

“What, does Miss A’Hao think this old woman is speaking incorrectly?” the woman looked at her and said with a slight smile.

“What? You want me to kneel?” A’Hao asked dumbly.

“What? Is Miss A’Hao saying I can’t manage you?” the woman asked with a smile.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. They bumped into me first…” A’Hao said huffily.

A’Ru reached out and pulled her.

“Nanny Liu,” she looked at the woman with a slight smile, “Let things be what they are – don’t go too far.”

Nanny Liu smiled.

“Yes, I’ve just taken on this job and can’t compare to you two young ladies’ high positions, but since I’m now managing the inner courtyard’s rules, I can’t let the rules be disrupted,” she said with a stern face. “If I’m doing wrong and wronging the young ladies, I’ll go to Great Madam right now and resign from this job.”

Taking it to Great Madam…

A’Ru bit her lower lip and turned to look at A’Hao.

“Kneel and admit your mistake,” she said in a low voice.

Though A’Hao was unwilling, she still listened to A’Ru and knelt as told.

Only then did the woman’s expression soften slightly.

“Miss A’Hao says Xiao Zhuan and the others provoked you first, but you still shouldn’t have acted on your own. You should have come to tell us, and we would naturally punish them. If everyone acted like you – you provoke me so I hit you, you hit me so I hit you, with maids all fighting together – what would that look like? Don’t you think so?” the woman said gently.

A’Hao gave a cold laugh.

Right or not, when other maids fought, that might be the reasoning, but if a maid of A’Hao’s status was confronted by these maids, the proper response should be to slap them across the face, then have the supervising woman come over, bow and scrape, then give those maids another slap…

Rules – the Marquis Dingxi household’s rules had always been to step on those below, not those above. Offending superiors was a major transgression.

After the woman finished speaking and saw both sides were compliant, satisfaction appeared on her face.

“Why don’t you hurry and take the clothes back? The concubines are still waiting. It’s not like you’re free to wander around. Go back and try them on – if they don’t fit, the tailors are still waiting to make alterations,” the woman’s face darkened again as she scolded Xiao Zhuan and the other maids.

Xiao Zhuan and the others immediately said yes, got up, and walked away quickly in a group.

“Miss, don’t blame me for being unfair, letting them get up and leave. Great Madam gave orders to get all the clothes sorted out today. These maids have urgent work to do, unlike you young ladies who are so leisurely…” the woman said with a smile. Before she could finish, a shout came from Qiutong Courtyard.

“A’Ru, A’Hao, where have you all disappeared to? Who’s going to do all this work?” Qi Yue came out waving a handkerchief and saw the scene. “Oh my, so many people gathered here – what are you all playing at?”

She looked over with a half-smile, leaning against the doorframe.