After returning to Qing Tong Court, Liu Xiang had already come back and was eagerly waiting for Jin Chao to enter. She smiled as she took Jin Chao’s hand, while Cai Fu was imperceptibly pushed to the back, leaving her to stand silently to the side.

Liu Xiang was one year older than Gu Jin Chao, now sixteen. She was quite attractive, and because the young lady favored her, her clothing and appearance were better than other maids. She wore a gold-detailed hairpin in her hair, a peach-red phoenix-tail skirt, and a floral brocade jacket on the outside. Her eyes were lively and delicate.

Usually, the young lady was always pleasant when she saw her, but today her expression was as calm as water. After sitting on the large kang bed by the window, she ordered Cai Fu to brew tea for her.

Liu Xiang felt uneasy, wondering if she was being blamed for being gone too long. The young lady disliked people who delayed matters the most.

When Cai Fu brought the tea, Liu Xiang smiled and said, “Young Lady, do you know what I’ve been doing that took me so long?”

Jin Chao lifted the tea lid, not even raising her eyes as she said flatly, “How would I know what you were doing?”

Liu Xiang awkwardly pursed her lips, thinking to herself that the young lady was truly angry. She glanced at Cai Fu, feeling she had lost face in front of this second-rank maid. She lowered her voice slightly and said, “The matter you asked me to inquire about, I’ve found out. My brother works as a coachman in the Yu family, and today he came to see me, bringing a box of fermented soybeans. So I asked him about this matter…”

Gu Jin Chao put down her teacup. Although the Gu family wasn’t among the top two most powerful families in Shi’an Prefecture, they were definitely among the elite. This Wanchun Silver Leaf Tea was one of the tribute teas from Sichuan, quite rare. She didn’t know where her father had found it.

She looked up at Liu Xiang, unable to recall exactly what she had originally instructed her to do.

Seeing her expression, Liu Xiang was likely seeking credit, so Jin Chao went along and asked, “What did your brother say?”

Liu Xiang said, “My brother didn’t know about this matter originally, but the legitimate young lady of the Yu family will be coming of age in three months, so the matter was mentioned by the old woman. They say that years ago, the Yu family’s Lady Dowager was good friends with the Chen family’s Lady Dowager, and when the Yu family’s legitimate daughter was four years old, they arranged a childhood betrothal with the Chen family’s Seventh Young Master. I heard the betrothal gift was a pair of jade pendants from the Yu family’s Lady Dowager…”

She paused at this point, “Although they are betrothed, the two families don’t interact much nowadays. Back then, the Chen and Yu families were of comparable status, but now Chen Second Master and Chen Third Master both have flourishing official careers. Chen Second Master serves as the Financial Commissioner of Shaanxi, and Chen Third Master serves as a Secretary of the Imperial Household Department. They’ve long surpassed what the Yu family of those days could match. I suspect this marriage arrangement might not succeed…”

Chen Third Master was Chen Yan Yun, the father of Chen Xuan Qing—Jin Chao’s husband in her previous life.

Gu Jin Chao recalled the events of those years.

Chen Xuan Qing was the seventh son in the Chen family, so everyone called him Chen Seventh Young Master. At that time, not only did she not see Chen Xuan Qing at the flower fair, but she inadvertently heard someone mention that Chen Seventh Young Master already had a marriage arrangement. After returning home, she had thrown a major tantrum, smashing several vases and cosmetic boxes. She had even punished several young maids to kneel in the snow for an entire afternoon. After thinking about it from all angles, she still felt aggrieved, so she called her head maid Liu Xiang to find out what this betrothal was all about.

Liu Xiang was quite quick, having her brother visit so soon.

Jin Chao smiled and said, “Thanks for your attentiveness, otherwise I would certainly have been heartbroken. What kind of fermented soybeans did your brother bring?”

Liu Xiang was taken aback, not expecting the young lady to ask about this, and hurriedly said, “Newly made fermented soybeans, not worth much. If Young Lady wants some, I’ll immediately go back to my room and give you half.”

Jin Chao waved her hand and said, “I don’t care for those things. I sat with my mother for half a day and am hungry now. Go to the small kitchen and bring back a few plates of snacks.”

Liu Xiang accepted the order and left. Just as she was leaving, Bai Yun stepped into the corridor and saw her, immediately smiling: “Sister, you’ve returned too.”

Liu Xiang was the young lady’s headmaid, so of course they had to carefully flatter her. Although Liu Xiang was usually quite proud, she would at least nod in acknowledgment, but today her expression wasn’t pleasant, and she walked straight out without even acknowledging Bai Yun.

She felt terrible inside. First, the young lady had embarrassed her in front of Cai Fu. Originally, she thought she would be rewarded for gathering information, but the young lady had merely smiled. Then she sent her out to get snacks—she was a personal maid, how could Cai Fu not go instead? The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became, suspecting that perhaps Cai Fu had said something about her to the young lady.

Cai Fu pretended she hadn’t seen anything and stood quietly beside the young lady.

Jin Chao, however, softly asked, “What do you think of Liu Xiang?”

Cai Fu’s heart skipped a beat. Why was the young lady asking her this?

Liu Xiang was the young lady’s headmaid; it wasn’t her place to say anything. But the young lady’s question was direct—could she be dissatisfied with Liu Xiang? After careful consideration, she said, “Sister Liu Xiang is socially adept, very much to the Young Lady’s liking, and she’s clever and intelligent. She even knows a few characters, which is quite rare.”

This statement, when interpreted differently, suggested that Liu Xiang was merely good at pleasing the young lady, but when speaking to second-rank maids like them, she was quite arrogant.

Gu Jin Chao smiled. Cai Fu had a good temperament. She traced the raised floral pattern on the rim of her teacup and said casually, “Newly made fermented soybeans are only good when made in summer. Those made in winter always lack flavor.”

Cai Fu was puzzled. Did the young lady know how to make fermented soybeans?

Jin Chao was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Gu family. These were just ordinary snacks—how would the young lady know about them, and why was she telling her these things?

Jin Chao didn’t say anything more. In her previous life, after her downfall, she had nothing to do all day and learned to make these things from Shi Ye. Shi Ye was originally from Tongchuan in Sichuan, but later her family became poor and she was sold, eventually making her way to Baoding Prefecture. Gu Jin Chao developed good culinary skills. She had originally been clumsy with needlework, but after years of practice, she also became skilled at embroidery. She found these things interesting as she learned them.

Liu Xiang was indeed clever and quick-witted, but she was too easily tempted by profit and forgot loyalty. In her previous life, if not for Liu Xiang’s ability to forge her handwriting, Chen Xuan Qing might not have defeated her so easily. When she was nearly forced to death, Liu Xiang had already accepted silver notes and a three-courtyard house from Chen Xuan Qing, and never came to see her again.

Jin Chao gazed at the snowy ground outside, lost in thought.

Liu Xiang’s brother came to the Gu household whenever he wanted, even meeting her without resorting to Jin Chao first. This showed how much privilege she had given her headmaid. It didn’t matter if her brother came just to deliver fermented soybeans, but if he came specifically to gather information, that was worth pondering. Liu Xiang didn’t have such foresight; what worried Jin Chao was that someone might be manipulating her from behind.

Gu Jin Chao woke up extremely early the next day. Opening her eyes, she saw the red wooden intricately carved bed with jade magnolias, qilin, and auspicious clouds, and felt relieved. She felt her spirit was getting better and better. A few days ago, she had felt somewhat weak, as if she couldn’t quite control her limbs, but today she didn’t have that feeling.

Liu Xiang helped her wash up and dress, changing into a light red gold-embroidered lotus petal vine pattern robe and wearing three gold filigree jeweled flowers in her hair. Jin Chao went along with these preparations without saying anything.

Liu Xiang asked, “Young Lady has risen so early today, will you first attend to the Madam?”

Jin Chao said, “I haven’t paid respects to Father for several days, so I must go today…” Then seeing her take out a pair of earrings, she frowned and said, “No need for those gold pendants.”

The Gu family’s rule for morning and evening greetings was that the concubines had to pay respects to the main wife every day, and the children had to first pay respects to their father, and then to their mother. But Jin Chao not paying respects to her father for three to five days was common. When her father saw her, he always had much to say, telling her to read more of “Women’s Instructions” and “Women’s Precepts,” and to learn more needlework from the Suzhou embroidery master he had invited. Gu Jin Chao naturally disliked this.

Today, she would first pay respects to her father.

Jin Chao needed to familiarize herself with the current situation of the Gu family, after all, too much time had passed, and she couldn’t clearly remember some things.

Bai Yun brought in a large lacquered square tray, with milk porridge, a plate of floral fruit oil pastries, a plate of ganlu cakes, and a plate of dried bamboo shoots. Jin Chao saw that it was already getting light outside, so she only drank the milk porridge before heading to her father’s Ju Liu Pavilion.