Song Wan showed no reaction, but Nanny Zhao and all the maids in the room grew displeased.

Their young mistress was, after all, the daughter of the Chancellor’s Estate. She had married holding a memorial tablet and remained a widow for many years. Now that Heaven had finally shown mercy and her husband had returned from the dead, how could things be like this?

Heng Wu pressed her lips together and was about to speak when Song Wan interrupted her. “Heng Zhi, take the Young Master to the dressing room.”

Heng Zhi nodded and led Jiang Xingjian out.

As soon as the two left, Heng Wu immediately placed her hands on her hips and began cursing. “What kind of thing is she? Jiayue, Jiayue—she’s nothing but an ignorant little slut who doesn’t know propriety! How is it that the Young Master treats her like a treasure, coaxing and doting on her? Servants’ clothes aren’t proper for her to wear? I think she’s not even as good as a servant! A creature who doesn’t even know how to write ‘propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame’!”

“Miss, you didn’t hear what that little fox spirit said to the Young Master outside.”

“She told the Young Master she wanted ‘one life, one generation, one pair of people.’ Who does she think she is? Not only did she announce her personal name to a man in broad daylight, but she also returned home with a man without matchmaker or betrothal. Such frivolous behavior is worse than even a little prostitute from a brothel.”

Heng Wu rolled up her sleeves, growing angrier as she cursed. “Any girl from a decent family—which one would dare to randomly have a private relationship with a man without name or status? Doing such filthy things, what difference is there from eloping with a man? Even if in the future she’s brought into the household with a small sedan chair, it would still be adultery first, marriage later—something that wouldn’t be presentable even in poor, thin-fated families, let alone in our marquis estate!”

“Miss, will you really just let the young master elevate that base creature?”

Song Wan heard Heng Wu’s breathing grow heavy with anger and helplessly pressed her fingers to her brow.

Nanny Zhao was both Song Wan’s wet nurse and her training nanny. Hearing Heng Wu’s words, she immediately scolded her. “What nonsense are you spouting? You clearly know that woman is of lowly birth and cannot be presented in proper company, yet you want the young mistress to act jealous and bitter with her, lowering herself to that level? What would that make the young mistress?”

“Moreover, since ancient times, men taking concubines has been proper and normal. Now you would be good—trying to incite the young mistress to become a jealous wife despised by all? What difference is there between a jealous legitimate wife and a thief who disrupts the household? In the future, keep such improper words to yourself and don’t speak such nonsense before the young mistress.”

Heng Wu had already been feeling stifled. Being scolded by Nanny Zhao only made her feel even more that her young mistress was being wronged.

“A gentleman does not speak of others behind their backs. Do not discuss these matters anymore in the future.”

Song Wan spoke lightly, stopping the two from arguing with a single sentence.

Nanny Zhao glared at Heng Wu, then raised her head toward the outside. Seeing this, Heng Wu finally bit her lip and quieted down.

The marquis estate was ultimately not the Song estate. Speaking here was not comfortable. If her words and actions were improper, she would only implicate the young mistress with a reputation for being unable to discipline her servants.

Seeing her still huffing with anger, Song Wan smiled. “What are you huffing and puffing about here? If you’re bored, go play with the embroidered ball with Golden Silk Tiger. Just be careful not to let him run out of the courtyard—it wouldn’t be good if he frightened Old Madam’s mynah bird.”

Heng Wu knew the young mistress felt sorry for her. After curtsying, she silently withdrew.

But right now she had no mind to play with Golden Silk Tiger. Instead, she hurried in a few steps to the dressing room inside the main bedroom.

She couldn’t let the Young Master take the young mistress’s things and give them to that little slut.

As soon as she reached the dressing room, she saw Jiang Xingjian pointing to a light coral-colored gauze skirt with brocade trim and embroidered silver patterns, saying it was not bad.

“That one won’t do.”

Before Heng Zhi could speak, Heng Wu snatched the skirt back and rehung it in the wardrobe.

“Didn’t the Young Master notice that this entire cabinet is full of plain mourning clothes, and only this one patterned gauze skirt is different? Madam became a widow before even reaching her coming-of-age ceremony. For her entire life, she cannot wear colored clothing or use rouge and powder. Old Madam felt sorry for her and sent this outfit on the day that should have been Madam’s grand coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Madam hasn’t borne to wear it all these years, and this is the one piece you want to take away?”

Being rebuked by a maid, Jiang Xingjian felt displeased. He narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when Heng Zhi said, “Heng Wu has an impatient temperament—please don’t hold it against her, Young Master. It’s not as serious as she says. Compared to these things, slighting an honored guest of the estate would be the real discourtesy.”

Heng Zhi picked the gauze skirt back out from among the row of plain clothes, then took Song Wan’s only set of jewelry and hair ornaments from the dressing case and handed them to Jiang Xingjian.

“Women need some time to style their hair. Young Master, please hurry.”

The maid behind Jiang Xingjian received the clothing, and the two left in grand fashion.

Seeing her sister give away the young mistress’s things, Heng Wu cried out in anger. “You, you, you… Did you develop some improper thoughts seeing the Young Master return, making your heart so biased?”

Heng Zhi’s face flushed at her words. With a helpless laugh, she stretched out her finger and poked her sister’s forehead. “In the past when Nanny Zhao said you were brainless, I didn’t want to believe it. Now I see it’s truly so.”

“I have my reasons for giving that outfit to the Young Master. What are you shouting about? Hurry back and help the young mistress style her hair and change clothes.”

Even after the two returned to Longxiang Studio, Heng Wu was still muttering about how the young mistress had no clothes to wear besides plain mourning garments. Even while styling Song Wan’s hair, her little mouth kept chattering away like popping beans.

Song Wan smiled gently and waved her hand, sending the two away so she could change clothes herself.

Only after the room quieted down did she sit on the cushion, slightly lost in thought.

Heng Wu had said it—Jiang Xingjian knew that was her coming-of-age outfit, and aside from her mourning clothes, it was the only garment suitable for receiving guests. Yet he still took it and gave it to Lin Jiayue…

Outside the room, the scorching sun blazed high, yet Song Wan felt that Longxiang Studio was excessively quiet and empty. She rose and walked to the window seat, sitting down and gazing at the row of zodiac wood carvings placed at hand. She extended her slender, pale fingers and gently pushed one over.

With Jiang Xingjian’s return to the estate, tonight Old Madam Jiang had invited everyone from the eastern and western branches, both legitimate and concubine-born lines of the Jiang family, to attend a banquet at Fuhe Hall. Although everyone knew Song Wan had previously lived as a widow and never appeared before others, even so, she could not continue wearing plain mourning clothes at such a joyous occasion.

She selected a plain-colored long robe, then went to Heng Zhi’s cabinet and took out a goose-yellow embroidered crabapple soft gauze vest to wear over it. Though it still looked somewhat bland, at least it wasn’t as oppressive as before.

Song Wan looked at herself in the mirror, then casually drew two small pearl hairpins from Heng Zhi’s dressing case and fastened them in her hair.

When Heng Zhi entered the room and saw her young mistress looking like this, she too couldn’t help but redden her eyes.

Their young mistress had been pampered in the Song estate for over ten years. Just because she married Jiang Yi, she had suffered so much hardship—who could swallow such grievances?

“Don’t tell me you’re crying because you feel sorry seeing me wearing your clothing and accessories?”

Seeing Heng Zhi secretly wiping tears, Song Wan gently comforted her. “Later I’ll give you an entire set of gold-inlaid jade hair ornaments, all right?”

“Miss always teases this servant.”

Heng Zhi was amused but felt even more distressed.

Song Wan knew she was worried about her, but didn’t know how to comfort her. After thinking for a long time, she only said gently, “I know your intentions, but the marquis estate is ultimately not like our own home. Lanting Courtyard has over a hundred servants—with so many people, gossip spreads easily. You should guide Heng Wu more so she doesn’t give people something to criticize. If in the future someone catches her in a mistake, I may not be able to protect her.”

Heng Zhi nodded, indicating she understood her meaning.

When a woman marries out, it’s equivalent to separating from her maternal family. She must entirely live according to her husband’s family’s mood. If she gains her husband’s respect, those days can at least be barely tolerable. But looking at how their young master elevated Lin Jiayue today, their young mistress would likely have more suffering ahead.

Thinking of this, a highly disrespectful thought suddenly emerged in Heng Zhi’s mind.