When the sky had just brightened, Jiang Shi came to Chu Garden and directed the servant women: “Set aside this pavilion. I need to use it.”

The servant women didn’t immediately respond with agreement, looking at each other.

Jiang Shi said angrily: “What? Can’t I even make decisions about my own family’s garden now? Has this place become Miss A’Zhao’s domain?”

One servant woman hurriedly shook her head: “No, no.”

Another servant woman rushed to say: “We need to ask Miss A’Tang first. She’s the one in charge of the garden.”

Hearing it was A’Tang, Jiang Shi’s anger vanished completely, her face full of delight: “My child has become capable. Then why should I even look? Just let my child make the arrangements.” Having said this, she stopped inspecting the garden and went to find Chu Tang instead.

Since returning home, Chu Tang, like Chu Zhao, no longer ate meals with her parents. The reason—of course no reason was needed.

She had only sighed and said one sentence: “I can’t always be living at someone else’s home.”

Jiang Shi had lovingly embraced her: “You just stay in your courtyard, no need to come out. I’ll set up a small kitchen for you. Whatever you want to eat or drink, you decide yourself.”

Jiang Shi hadn’t seen Chu Tang for several days. Not knowing that matters in the garden were actually decided by her daughter, she came happily to Chu Tang’s quarters. Chu Tang was eating breakfast—not cold, quiet and peaceful as imagined, but surrounded by seven or eight maids and servant women.

These seven or eight maids and servant women weren’t serving the meal. Some held account books, some were talking, chattering noisily but in an orderly manner.

This scene truly showed someone in charge of household management. Jiang Shi exclaimed with a laugh: “Miss A’Tang is busy.”

The room quieted down. The maids and servant women hurriedly bowed. Chu Tang rose with a smile to welcome her: “Mother, come quickly.”

She took Jiang Shi’s hand and led her to sit at the desk.

Jiang Shi saw that only simple congee and vegetables were laid out on the desk. Occupying most of the table were thick account books in different colors with various labels.

“What’s this? Drunken Immortal House—” she said, reaching to take one.

But Chu Tang had already spoken first, urging the maids and servant women: “Quickly put these away and bring out the food.” She asked Jiang Shi, “Mother, have you eaten yet?”

Jiang Shi was about to say she had eaten, but Chu Tang was already acting coquettishly: “I haven’t eaten with Mother in so long. Even if you’ve eaten, you must accompany me.”

How could a mother ignore her daughter’s coquetry? Jiang Shi immediately smiled and agreed.

The maids and servant women busily carried away the account books and brought out more congee and vegetables. Mother and daughter sat facing each other to eat.

“Mother, I wrested this from her hands,” Chu Tang said in a low voice, winking at Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi understood what she meant, her expression delighted: “My child, you’re so capable.”

“I had such a hard time coaxing her,” Chu Tang made a show of looking exhausted. “She’s now like an unbridled horse. When she goes mad, none of us will have good days.”

Jiang Shi nodded repeatedly: “I know, I know.” She picked up some food and fed it to Chu Tang, her eyes full of affection. “Coaxing her has really wronged my child.”

Chu Tang ate it in one bite.

“By the way, Mother, what instructions do you have?” she asked.

Jiang Shi hesitated, then said: “Recently, the madams from various families have all sent cards saying they want to come see this Little Wangchun Garden literary gathering. I can’t not accompany them. I need to arrange a good place—”

Seeing Chu Tang furrow her little brow at these words, Jiang Shi immediately changed her tune with concern: “Of course, if it won’t work, we can discuss it further. I can’t make things difficult for you. If she gets upset and makes a scene, it would wrong my child.”

Chu Tang held her chopsticks and thought for a moment: “How about this—when the madams come, Mother can accompany them sitting at home, and I’ll have the maids in the garden relay the competitions in real time. The chess games played, the calligraphy written—I’ll have them brought in immediately for everyone to see.”

Like this? Jiang Shi hesitated.

“The girls are now all like her—extremely arrogant and wild during competitions. You know that Qi Leyun, right? Oh my, she cried when she lost and nearly got into a fight with her opponent—” Chu Tang said in a low voice. “The scene really isn’t presentable. If the madams and elders go, the girls will be constrained and the competition won’t proceed—that’s one thing. But if we anger those madams and they blame our Chu family for being indulgent, that’s another matter entirely.”

If the competition couldn’t proceed, those thick account books would be no more. If the madams were angered, she as the person in charge would be resented. These were matters concerning themselves. Jiang Shi immediately nodded: “Good, good. Your thinking is thorough. We’ll do as you say.”

Chu Tang smiled sweetly: “Being able to share Mother’s worries and solve the family’s difficulties makes me so happy.”

Jiang Shi reached out to stroke her head, sighing softly: “When things happen, my child has also grown up.”

Seeing this, Chu Zhao, standing at the courtyard gate, withdrew her gaze and turned around.

Chu Tang told her about Chu Garden’s expenses and income every day. This morning she had come and seen this scene.

“Miss A’Zhao,” the maid at the gate who had been stopped from announcing her asked anxiously. “The madam came suddenly.”

Chu Zhao smiled at her: “Mother and daughter talking is natural and right. I won’t disturb them. I’ll talk after A’Tang is done.” Having said this, she walked away.

A’Le hurried to follow. The two walked slowly.

“Now that she sees many people coming and thinks there’s no problem, the great madam has run back to take charge again,” A’Le snorted.

Chu Zhao made a sound of agreement: “It’s fine. Don’t worry. A’Tang will handle it.”

A’Le saw she seemed somewhat distracted. Not worried, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be angry, right? She asked carefully: “Miss, are you angry?”

Chu Zhao made a sound of surprise, coming back to herself. Seeing A’Le’s worried expression, she smiled: “No, no.” After a moment of silence, she looked back at Chu Tang’s courtyard. “Is this what it’s like being with a mother?”

A’Le froze, also looking back. So the young lady was thinking about this—

“I don’t know. I don’t have a mother either,” A’Le said. “The great madam treats Miss A’Tang completely different from how she treats everyone else.”

Chu Zhao made a sound of agreement: “This is what a mother is like—infinitely indulgent toward her own child, finding everything about them good.”

The two girls stood on the path, staring blankly at that courtyard, as if they could still see and hear the mother and daughter talking intimately, feeling the overflowing affection in Jiang Shi’s words and manner toward her daughter.

A’Le grasped Chu Zhao’s hand: “Miss, don’t be sad.”

Chu Zhao felt the little girl’s concern: “I’m not sad, really. I’m thinking—” She squeezed A’Le’s hand. “My mother also treated me this way.”

A’Le blinked, not quite understanding. The young lady was saying if her mother were alive, she would also treat her this way.

“Yes,” A’Le nodded. “Definitely. If my mother were still alive, she would especially love me. Even if I went stealing things, she wouldn’t beat me.”

Chu Zhao laughed and reached out to tap A’Le’s forehead: “Your mother really chose a good name for you. You’re happy, and you bring happiness to others too.”

A’Le grinned.

Chu Zhao pulled her forward at a quick pace without looking back. She was somewhat sad, but not that kind of sadness, because she also had a mother. In her previous life, her mother had done many things for her—

Perhaps even sacrificed her life.

What made her sad was that mother and daughter hadn’t met in life, hadn’t known each other in death.

In this life, she wouldn’t have such regrets again. She wanted to see her mother. No matter why husband and wife didn’t meet, why mother and daughter were separated, she would demand clear and explicit answers.

The two had just returned to their courtyard when Chu Tang’s maid Linlong came hurrying over with account books.

“Our young lady knows Miss A’Zhao came over. You don’t need to worry about the madam’s matter—she’s blocking it,” Linlong said, then handed over the account books. “These are yesterday’s accounts, already organized. Please review them, Miss A’Zhao.”

Chu Zhao smiled and pushed the account books back: “I don’t need to look at these. My heart isn’t in this. I only need to focus on doing my own things. For other matters, I’ll trouble Cousin Tang.”

Linlong didn’t insist on formalities and bowed: “Please rest assured, Miss A’Zhao.”

After seeing Linlong off, Chu Zhao had just picked up the chess manual from Qi Leyun’s losing match when a little maid poked her head in from outside and called to A’Le. A’Le hurried out, then soon hurried back in.

“Miss, the heir of Prince Zhongshan has come calling,” she said in a low voice.

Chu Zhao’s hand holding the chess manual paused.