The rain gradually ceased. The two figures had long since merged into the darkness and disappeared from sight. Song Wan stood under the corridor, murmuring: “Heng Zhi, have you ever thought about marriage?”

“This servant doesn’t want to marry, and even more doesn’t want to leave Miss.”

Heng Zhi’s eyes reddened: “This servant only wants to serve Miss forever, going nowhere else.”

Heng Wu had an impulsive temperament. Hearing these words, she immediately jumped up: “Is it some damned scoundrel from the outer courtyard who’s taken a fancy to our beauty and come to Miss to request a favor? Miss must never be deceived.”

“Those foul-smelling men—how dare they harbor such delusions about us?”

“…”

Originally her heart had been somewhat unsettled, but Heng Wu’s few words dispersed the clouds of worry, and she laughed softly.

“Shameless girl, no one came to request you.”

Song Wan wrinkled her nose slightly, her eyes full of mirth: “You’re quite good at flattery. I think you should change your name—from now on you should be called Matchmaker Wang.”

Heng Zhi also smiled, but not as carelessly as Heng Wu. Song Wan returned to her room and sat on the bed, opening the nanmu wood box by her pillow. She took out the servant contracts of those around her and stroked them carefully until a thin mist appeared in her eyes. Only then did she fold them gently and walk back out.

Heng Zhi and Heng Wu were chattering about something. Nanny Zhao stood under the eaves corridor, loudly cursing toward Xiuyan Pavilion’s direction. Those unbearably vulgar and offensive words—if Song Wan hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes, she would never dare imagine they came from Nanny Zhao, who daily instructed her on proper etiquette.

“Why not coax Nanny Zhao a bit? What’s the point of letting her anger herself like this?”

Calling them back, Song Wan pulled Heng Zhi, Heng Wu, Xiang Cao, Lv Zhu, and Nanny Zhao to sit in the room.

Her eyes reddened at the corners. Pressing her lips together, she said: “When waters are deep, fish rejoice; when forests are lush, birds are happy. Even fowl, fish, and insects understand this principle—why should we people insist on trapping ourselves in a place that’s increasingly going downhill?”

“Miss…”

Heng Zhi and Nanny Zhao were first to see Song Wan’s intention, and their eyes instantly reddened.

“No matter what Miss does, this old servant will follow you. You were nursed by this old servant—you’re even dearer than my own daughter. This old servant cannot leave you alone in this den of thieves with no rules or order, where superiors and inferiors aren’t distinguished.”

“How can it be so serious?”

Song Wan smiled: “Go on. You’ve reached the age for honorable retirement. The year before last, my milk-brother gave you a little grandson—you should return to look after him.”

Drawing out the servant contract and banknotes from the wooden box, Song Wan held back tears: “Here is one thousand taels, enough for you to live peacefully in the countryside…”

Placing the banknotes in Nanny Zhao’s hands, she continued: “Keep the money safe yourself. Don’t give it all away, even to relatives—they can’t necessarily be relied upon. All manner of suffering cannot compare to poverty in old age. If you have silver in hand, your children and grandchildren will always be filial.”

“Miss!”

Nanny Zhao embraced Song Wan and cried aloud, hating enough to want to eat Jiang Xingjian’s flesh and drink his blood.

“Xiang Cao, I remember a few years ago your brother was granted a favor by father and went to the Xianjiang River to be a shopkeeper?”

Xiang Cao shook her head crying. Song Wan touched her cheek, saying: “Go find your brother. Have him find you a good family.”

“Lv Zhu, I remember your mother arranged a marriage for you in early years, correct?”

When Jiang Xingjian died and she came to the marquis residence to observe widowhood, the four—Heng Zhi, Heng Wu, Xiang Cao, and Lv Zhu—couldn’t bear for her to live alone and came together. Lv Zhu was originally a house-born servant. Her mother was also a Song residence servant who had arranged a marriage for Lv Zhu years ago—reportedly with a young servant in the residence.

“A few days ago I inquired with Granny Lang. All these years he’s never taken a wife—he’s still waiting for you.”

Mentioning her childhood sweetheart, Lv Zhu’s eyes grew hot, feeling guilty in her heart.

“This servant has wronged him, but no one is more important than Miss. This servant won’t leave.”

Song Wan shook her head: “If you don’t leave, in the future you’ll have to become a secondary wife for Jiang Xingjian.”

The dowry maids brought by daughters of aristocratic families were naturally used as chamber servants for the husband’s family. If she hadn’t married to observe widowhood that year, why would she have brought the four of them? And after Jiang Xingjian returned to the residence, one chaotic matter followed another, leaving her no time to handle these affairs.

With no hope from others, she must forge a path herself. And with too many people following her, she wasn’t at ease.

After giving the contracts and banknotes to the two, Song Wan looked toward the Heng sisters. Heng Zhi smiled: “My sister and I have neither parents nor marriage arrangements. Where could Miss send us?”

“Exactly. No matter what we become for the marquis, this servant will never leave Miss.” Heng Wu bit her teeth, her charming face showing unusual determination.

Song Wan lowered her eyes in brief contemplation, finally nodding. The two had nowhere to go. Even if she released them from the residence, she wouldn’t be at ease.

A room full of young ladies and nannies were grief-stricken, but Song Wan stubbornly held firm, absolutely refusing to let the three remain.

The next morning, just after seeing off Nanny Zhao, Song Wan heard from Heng Zhi that Baozhu from the old lady’s room had come to find her and Jiang Xingjian.

She lowered her head, knowing what it was about.

When Jiang Xingjian hadn’t returned to the residence, the old lady had truly cared for her. But no matter what, she couldn’t surpass the old lady’s own blood grandson. Thus now the entire residence naturally made everything revolve around Jiang Xingjian.

Previously she was a widowed person—the marquis residence’s century-old foundation needn’t concern her. But now it was different. Jiang’s mother and Lin Jiayue couldn’t shoulder the marquis residence’s burden. To leave no future troubles, the old lady would certainly exhaust every method to make her assume household management authority.

Collecting her emotions, Song Wan turned and returned to Lanting Courtyard.

Seeing the old lady needed to change clothes, she walked to the large rosewood wardrobe, staring silently at the large rosewood carved begonia-patterned trunk with silver feet beneath it.

When she left the courtyard again, Jiang Xingjian was standing in the courtyard waiting for her. Song Wan stepped forward to bow, softly telling her husband to go ahead as usual.

Jiang Xingjian’s expression was stern. He didn’t wait for her as in the past, even deliberately quickening his pace.

Upon arriving at Fuhe Hall, Old Madam Jiang struggled with effort to sit up to see the two. Jiang Xingjian hurried forward, firmly grasping her hand. Old Madam Jiang stretched her head to look, seeing the ambiguous red marks below his ear, and couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“Wan’er.”

“Wan’er is here.”

Song Wan moved closer to Old Madam Jiang. The old lady said: “When men reach a certain age… their temperament settles. Once you two have children in the future, Xingjian will completely settle down.”

“The marquis residence ultimately belongs to you two… help grandmother protect it well.”

Jiang Xingjian said: “Grandmother need not worry. I’ve already sent a letter to elder sister, having her assign a female official of age to be released from the palace. Henceforth all matters in the residence will have the female official managing them.”

“Wan’er… why did Wan’er…”

Old Madam Jiang gasped with difficulty. Song Wan quickly reached out to support her.

The extended half of her hand revealed a purple-red color, as if injured by a heavy object. Jiang Xingjian frowned and grasped it in his palm. Song Wan gently withdrew it.

“It’s because Wan’er carelessly injured her right hand. Husband felt sorry for Wan’er, which is why he sought Your Highness to recommend a palace female official. Grandmother, be at ease—don’t overthink it.”

Her words were spoken gently, but Jiang Xingjian’s eyes were filled with dark clouds, brimming with fury.

Tears fell from Old Madam Jiang’s eyes. Finally she abandoned the thought of having Song Wan resume household management.

That year when she, a girl not yet thirteen, dared to embrace a memorial tablet and marry into the marquis residence, she knew Song Wan had a resilient character. At that time she wholeheartedly felt sorry for her grandson, that he couldn’t grow old together with such a fine girl, remaining devoted for life.

Now Song Wan hadn’t changed, but her grandson could no longer obtain such a fine girl.

She would rather inflict such a ruthless hand upon herself than give the marquis residence the slightest opportunity. Wan’er… had come to hate them utterly!