Second Miss Jiang’s birth mother, Ye Zhenzhen, had been married into the Jiang family for three years without bearing a son. It was not until Jiang Yuanbai’s chamber maid gave birth to a concubine-born eldest daughter that Ye Zhenzhen finally conceived Jiang Li. Unfortunately, Ye Zhenzhen’s fate was thin—after giving birth to Jiang Li, her health deteriorated day by day, and she passed away half a year later. It was precisely because Jiang Yuanbai considered that his young daughter needed someone to care for her that he married Ji Shuran not long after.
The courtyard where Ye Zhenzhen had convalesced was this very Fangfei Garden.
Jiang Yuanbai was a scholar. Though he was a scholar with ambition for power who devoted himself wholeheartedly to climbing upward, he had still absorbed some of the pedantic temperament of scholars. For instance, Jiang Yuanbai liked to flaunt his refined tastes and disliked vulgarity. Ye Zhenzhen, born into a merchant family, had always loved prosperous and lively things. Even the flowers she grew had to be delicate and brilliant, while Jiang Yuanbai preferred things like pure lotuses and emerald bamboo.
Ji Shuran knew how to cater to his preferences, making elegance and refinement her hallmark. This Fangfei Garden was one she disdained to enter. Now that Jiang Li had returned to the residence, whether intentionally or not, she had given her the very courtyard where her birth mother had convalesced.
Thinking more deeply and darkly about it, this courtyard was the most remote one in the first branch, far from all the other siblings and brothers, not to mention Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Yuanbai—naturally this meant distance. And living in the courtyard where her birth mother had convalesced, would Second Miss Jiang feel sorrow at seeing familiar things, perhaps be deeply stimulated, or even be provoked to anger?
Tong’er’s worries completely dissipated when she saw Jiang Li’s actions.
Jiang Li showed neither sorrow nor anger. Aside from being somewhat stunned when she first saw the three characters “Fangfei Garden,” she remained quite calm throughout. Even Nanny Sun found this very surprising. After hurriedly giving a few instructions, Nanny Sun left.
Only Jiang Li and Tong’er remained in the room. Now that they had returned to the Jiang residence, Yuxiang had also returned to Madam Liu’s side at the Vice Director’s residence. Before leaving, Jiang Li had entrusted Yuxiang to express her gratitude to Madam Liu, saying she would definitely visit in person to give thanks another day.
The room had been cleaned fairly well. It was just that in the past, Fangfei Garden had been filled with various flowers that Ye Zhenzhen had ordered servants to plant. Now the courtyard had been abandoned for many years—aside from cleared weeds, there was only desolation. Because the courtyard was too large, it appeared particularly cold and lonely.
Tong’er looked at Jiang Li, hesitated, but still asked, “Miss, don’t you feel uncomfortable?”
“This courtyard is quite good.” Jiang Li looked around. “Very spacious and quiet.” She seemed not to take Tong’er’s concerns to heart, but instead looked at the abandoned flower beds and thought seriously for a moment before saying, “It’s just that without flowers and plants, it’s rather barren. But no matter—you and I lived at Mount Qingcheng for many years and became quite skilled at tending flowers and plants. Another day, go find some flower seeds and we’ll plant them in the courtyard. After some time passes, it will become lively.”
As Tong’er listened, she grew happy and said, “Miss speaks truly. We planted grain at Mount Qingcheng, and flowers are the same. This courtyard is large—planted with flowers, it will surely be very beautiful.” She felt that ever since Jiang Li had that dangerous experience of falling into the water, from the moment she awoke, each day had been better than the last. Perhaps the matter with Marquis Ningyuan had truly stimulated Jiang Li. The current Jiang Li acted with method and had a strong will—this was perhaps what the elderly often called “establishing oneself after being broken.”
“Our days will be like flowers blooming in this courtyard—each day livelier than the last, each day better than the last,” Tong’er said sincerely.
Jiang Li smiled slightly. She planted flowers in the courtyard not for atmosphere, nor to show that she was full of hope for life. Rather, she always needed to do something to attract others’ attention, to let people know that the Jiang family’s Second Miss was not someone who could be thrown into a corner to gather dust and be forgotten at will.
Planting flowers was like this, and what she would do in the future would be the same.
She had no intention of being an obscure noble young lady.
By evening, Fangfei Garden became lively. First came the tailor Ji Shuran sent to make clothes for Jiang Li. The words Jiang Li had spoken in front of everyone at the Jiang residence gates during the day could not be glossed over by Ji Shuran no matter what. In order to display this stepmother’s magnanimity and salvage her shattered image, Ji Shuran naturally had to make a significant investment, making several truly luxurious garments for Jiang Li.
Not only that, Ji Shuran also sent a box of jewelry, and Old Madam Jiang had someone send over some silver as well. Compared to jewelry, the silver Old Madam Jiang sent was more practical. Jiang Li currently had nothing in her hands—without silver, in this Jiang residence, she would have no way to order people about to accomplish tasks.
Jiang Yuanbai also came once. Seeing that Fangfei Garden was arranged fairly properly, he nodded, but after speaking a few words, both father and daughter felt that years of separation had made their affection distant, so Jiang Yuanbai left.
After a while longer, when lamps were lit in the room, the two maids Ji Shuran had sent—Xiangqiao and Yunshuang—arrived.
These two maids whom Ji Shuran’s mouth praised as “sensible and well-behaved” stood before Jiang Li, paying their respects.
The maids Ji Shuran sent could only serve as Jiang Li’s personal maids. These two were dressed far more preciously than Tong’er, especially Xiangqiao, who wore a gold bracelet of pure gold on her wrist, its color bright and vivid.
Though Yunshuang stood paying respects, her gaze revealed some arrogance, and her courtesy was performed carelessly. She probably felt that Jiang Li was just a young miss who had lost favor—even if she returned to the residence, under the current situation where Ji Shuran managed the household, she would have no good ending sooner or later, so she did not even bother to put on a proper act.
Xiangqiao was shrewd with a sweet tongue. Her pair of eyes constantly rolled about, making a circuit over the jewelry box Ji Shuran had sent, then she respectfully paid her respects to Jiang Li.
Whatever their demeanor, they were ultimately people Ji Shuran had sent to watch her. With just one glance at these two’s expressions and movements, Jiang Li roughly understood their natures.
Yunshuang was the type to fawn on the powerful and trample the weak, regarding no one as important. Xiangqiao was greedy and worshipped money, trimming her sails to the wind. Both were petty people—though not her own people, they might not be useless either.
Tong’er looked at these two from every angle with displeasure, displaying her dislike plainly on her face.
Jiang Li waved her hand and said, “There’s nothing more for me here. Xiangqiao, you stay and tell me about the current situation in the residence. Yunshuang, you may go for now.”
Yunshuang could not wait to leave and immediately assented. Xiangqiao remained. Jiang Li told her to sit, but Xiangqiao repeatedly claimed she dared not.
After Xiangqiao declined several times before sitting down, Jiang Li opened the jewelry box Ji Shuran had given, selected a ruby dragonfly hairpin from inside, and pressed it into Xiangqiao’s hand, saying, “I’ve just returned to the residence and must rely on Elder Sister Xiangqiao’s guidance. Elder Sister Xiangqiao, please also tell me about the situation in the residence.”
Xiangqiao swallowed. She should have declined, but the gemstone hairpin in her hand was so heavy that she could not bring herself to say words of refusal.
When Second Miss Jiang made a move, it was irresistible temptation! Who could resist?
After thinking for a moment, Xiangqiao thought to herself that it seemed Second Miss was brainless. Since she now served at Second Miss’s side, as long as she pleased Second Miss, wouldn’t she earn a fortune every day? As for the situation in the residence, there were no clever people around Jiang Li anyway—wasn’t it all up to her own mouth to say what she pleased? This way she would not be betraying Madam, and would even have two sources of income to take from.
Thinking of this, Xiangqiao became happy and said, “Second Miss must not speak this way. Answering your questions is this servant’s duty. Right now in this residence…” Yet her hand holding the hairpin never let go.
Tong’er was so anxious she scratched her ears and cheeks. This Xiangqiao clearly had ill intentions, yet Jiang Li still gave her such a generous reward—one must know that human hearts are never satisfied. But looking at Jiang Li now, she was clearly listening to Xiangqiao very attentively.
Xiangqiao spoke until spittle flew and her mouth was dry. Seeing that Jiang Li listened carefully, she could not help feeling smug. What she said seemed detailed, but most of it was actually about the second and third branches. As for Madam of the first branch’s side, she had not revealed a single word. This Second Miss was also foolish, actually listening with complete trust. Speaking some inconsequential words could earn her a gemstone hairpin—this was truly a rare cushy assignment.
After speaking for half an hour, she finally had nothing more to say. Xiangqiao then said, “Reporting to Second Miss, this is the current situation in the residence.”
Jiang Li had listened intently. Now that Xiangqiao stopped, she seemed to want to hear more, still unsatisfied. After thinking, she said, “Since there’s nothing more to say about the residence, then tell me about interesting matters outside.”
“Outside the residence?” Xiangqiao was startled.
“Yes, have there been any interesting events in the capital in recent years? I heard that the old lady of the Marquis Rongxin passed away three years ago. I remember when I was small, she even gave me a double-sided Guanyin embroidery. Also, I heard Sister Yuxiang mention the most beautiful woman in the capital, whose husband was even the top scholar in the imperial examinations. I heard he passed away from illness some days ago—is that true?”