When Tong Mama saw Gu Lan coming out, she quickly hid in the main hall nearby, only emerging after Gu Lan had left.

Having witnessed the previous scene, she felt deeply moved. Regardless, the Young Master had finally stopped trusting the Second Young Miss so easily. However, the words the Second Young Miss had said did indeed present a problem. The Young Master was so dejected now, surely thinking about Madam’s death. He was filled with guilt and self-reproach, desperately wishing he could do something to make amends.

Tong Mama thought for a moment and decided to return and tell Jin Chao about this matter.

Jin Chao was in the study flipping through books, having just sorted through those letters. She was looking for information on how to care for cactus plants. The books didn’t record much, except one that mentioned they required no care or watering. It said the plant could easily survive, even if left unattended in a study for ten days or half a month.

Jin Chao had just put down the book when she saw Tong Mama enter. Tong Mama related the events at Jing Fang Zhai in detail.

After listening, Jin Chao pondered for a long while.

She still resented Gu Jin Rong, which was why she had been avoiding him. But if the child continued like this, he would likely become even more dispirited.

She recalled how in her previous life, Gu Jin Rong had come to the Chen family looking for her. His tall frame had appeared even shorter than hers, his back hunched, his face aged and haggard.

Jin Chao felt a dull pain in her heart. After some thought, she instructed Tong Mama: “…Go to the ice cellar in the mansion and bring out some ice. Then tell Cai Fu to go to Jing Fang Zhai and inform the Young Master that I wish to see him.”

In winter, blocks of ice were cut and stored in ice cellars, usable through summer.

Tong Mama acknowledged and went to carry out her tasks. Jin Chao had Qing Pu help her wash her hands, then headed to the small kitchen.

Meanwhile, at Jing Fang Zhai, Gu Jin Rong had remained silent since Gu Lan’s departure. He didn’t even listen when Qing An and Qing Xiu spoke to him.

Gu Jin Rong stood before the window of his study, gazing at the banana tree in the courtyard. A string of pale yellow flowers had just bloomed on the tree, washed fresh and tender by the rain.

In his childhood summers, he would often feel irritable and unwell due to seasonal fevers, unable to eat. His mother would peel bananas for him. He would take a bite from his mother’s hand, then giggle and hide his head in her embrace, only raising it to take another bite after her thousand gentle coaxings.

His mother never grew angry or scolded him, always showing immense patience.

Thinking about it now, even the sweet taste seemed bitter to him.

Such a good mother and he had caused her death… The thought caused Gu Jin Rong an excruciating pain in his heart.

Qing An noticed that the Young Master wasn’t responding no matter what he said. He pursed his lips and decided not to mention Tong Mama’s visit. Shortly after, a young maid came to announce that Cai Fu, from the Young Miss’s Qing Tong Courtyard, had arrived.

Gu Jin Rong invited Cai Fu in. Upon hearing that his eldest sister had requested his presence, he felt momentarily dejected.

He felt he had no face to see her.

He instructed Qing An to bring water for him to wash his face, then straightened his clothes before following Cai Fu to Qing Tong Courtyard.

Jin Chao wasn’t there yet. Gu Jin Rong sat on an embroidered stool in the western side room, observing the interior decorations. Near the window was a long table enshrining Guanyin Bodhisattva, with incense burning in the center. The luxurious decorations that had once been there were now gone. He remembered his eldest sister used to have a white jade and emerald inlaid screen of a hundred birds, a thousand-gold-worth golden silk nanmu wood small table, and gold-threaded bed curtains. Now the bed curtains had been replaced with sandalwood-colored damask with intertwining branch patterns, the screen was a landscape painting, and the small table held a thriving pot of devil’s ivy.

His mother had also liked to keep devil’s ivy in her rooms, saying it had a serene quality.

Gu Jin Rong’s eyes grew hot, and he quickly looked away toward the window. In the courtyard, there was a lush grape trellis bearing clusters of purple grapes.

When Jin Chao entered, she saw him gazing at the grape trellis and said with a smile, “If you’d like some, I can have someone pick them for you.”

Hearing Jin Chao’s voice, Gu Jin Rong hurriedly stood up.

Jin Chao looked at him. Gu Jin Rong’s delicate face had become very thin, though his features still showed youthfulness. He wore a blue cotton robe with hemp cloth adorning the chest, like hers. When he had just returned from Qi Fang Hutong, Gu Jin Rong had been about the same height as her, but now he had grown taller by quite a bit, though he was as thin as a bamboo pole.

Gu Jin Rong stammered, “Never mind, eldest sister needn’t trouble herself…”

But Jin Chao pulled him outside, saying, “Why not pick them yourself?” She asked Yu Zhu to bring a basket and scissors.

Yu Zhu had been eyeing the grapes for a long time but hadn’t dared to pick them without Jin Chao’s permission. Now she was excited and quickly went to find a basket and scissors. The master and servants began picking grapes. For the clusters Jin Chao couldn’t reach, she asked Gu Jin Rong to help. She handed him the scissors, and he easily snipped the highest, most purple bunch with just a slight stretch, delighting Yu Zhu whose eyes curved with happiness.

Cai Fu and Qing Pu also came to help, fetching water to wash the grapes.

The grapevine was as thick as a wrist and yielded two full baskets, almost overflowing.

Jin Chao sent one basket to her father and two younger sisters, and brought the other basket inside, giving each maid a bunch.

The maids were all smiling, but Gu Jin Rong remained silent.

Jin Chao said to him, “You should come visit me more often. If nothing else, your sister will always treat you to good food.”

Gu Jin Rong nodded, not asking why his eldest sister had summoned him.

After a while, Tong Mama arrived carrying something. There were two small celadon bowls, very exquisitely made.

Gu Jin Rong was stunned at the sight.

Jin Chao took one bowl of honey-bean ice and smiled, encouraging him to try it: “…When I first returned, I saw that mother would always make honey-bean ice for you in summer. Once she forgot, and you clung to her, refusing to leave. I wondered what honey bean ice was, so I pestered her to teach me. This is made according to the mother’s recipe. See if it tastes right?”

Gu Jin Rong scooped a spoonful of crushed ice into his mouth. After a moment, the ice melted, releasing the honey flavor—it was very comforting.

This was the taste of his mother’s honey-bean ice. Winter-stored ice, crushed and placed in porcelain bowls, topped with mashed red bean paste, then drizzled with several spoonfuls of honey—cool and sweet, perfect for relieving summer heat.

Gu Jin Rong wanted to tell Jin Chao that it was indeed the right taste, but when he opened his mouth, he burst into tears: “Eldest sister, I… I miss mother…”

He clutched Jin Chao’s sleeve, crying so hard he could barely breathe. Trembling, he curled into a ball, slowly crouching down to the floor.

Jin Chao sighed and stroked Gu Jin Rong’s back to comfort him. “Eldest sister is still here. It’s alright.” He might not have felt so miserable at first, but his mother was gradually permeating his memories, making him feel more and more painful.

Jin Chao said to him, “I don’t hold the past against you, but all this must eventually pass. If Mother’s spirit in heaven sees you blaming yourself like this, she would surely be distressed… Rong’er, if you truly feel bad, study well and bring honor to the family—that would be the best thing for Mother…”

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin Rong raised his head and said through teary eyes, “Eldest sister, can you forgive me… I know it was all my fault. I trusted Gu Lan too easily and hurt you and Mother. I won’t do that anymore… I want to properly respect you…”

Thinking of what Tong Mama had told her, Jin Chao understood.

She smiled and said, “What use is forgiveness? You need to do something useful.”

After hearing this, Gu Jin Rong pondered for a long time. He seemed to have somewhat grasped his eldest sister’s meaning. The maids had all left the room, leaving it quiet. Jin Chao took a sachet from her sleeve and placed it in his palm, telling him, “Go back and think it over. When you’ve figured it out, come find your sister.”

She rose and walked out. Gu Jin Rong opened the sachet to find two gold nuggets inside.

He remained silent for a moment, clutching the sachet tightly in his hand.

The sky had darkened, and no candles had been lit in the room yet.

Song Miao Hua woke from her afternoon nap to find everything pitch black before her eyes. She put on her shoes and got out of bed, walking to the western side room. There she saw the two newly arrived young maids holding a box, gleefully taking items out and playing with them.

Song Miao Hua leaned against the doorway without speaking. By the faint light of a small lamp, the maids were playing, one of them holding a gold filigree hairpin inlaid with yellow beryl.

Those were her belongings…

The maid Huang Li was wearing several kingfisher feather bracelets on her wrist and was laughing as she inserted the hairpin into the other maid’s bun. The two kept looking at themselves in an exquisite copper mirror inlaid with white jade, chatting away.

Song Miao Hua was so angry that she gripped the doorframe tightly, her hands trembling. But she said nothing, quietly retreating to the inner chamber and sitting dazed on the large kang bed.

Lan’er hadn’t come to see her for a long time, and these two new maids dared to show her such disrespect, even worse than the previous maids! They dared to openly play with her things. In the past, she would certainly have broken these maids’ hands!

What had happened? Had Gu Jin Chao meddled again?

Song Miao Hua thought for a moment, then called out loudly, “…Huang Li, bring a lamp over here!”

The maid responded in a crisp voice, “Yiniang, please wait a moment. We’ve run out of candles, and Cao Ying has gone to fetch butter lamps.”

…Run out of candles? Then what were you just using?

Song Miao Hua was furious but became even more certain of her suspicions. Though she had fallen from favor, she was still a pregnant concubine. If not for something happening outside, these two maids wouldn’t dare be so brazen!

What could she do? Trapped here, it was truly a case of heaven not responding and earth not answering. Who could help her?

If this continued, with Lan’er unable to see her and Gu Jin Chao intent on harming her, would she have any means to fight back?

Song Miao Hua felt somewhat lost. Now that Gu De Zhao had abandoned her, her only reliance was the child in her belly. Otherwise, she would have long been forced into a nunnery by Gu Jin Chao and Ji Wu Shi! Worse still, after her incident, she hadn’t been able to communicate with the Song family, who might have protected her and Lan’er.

Her father was the Deputy Director of the Imperial Sacrifices, only in his fifties, not considered old. The Director of Imperial Sacrifices was over seventy and would retire in a few years. If the Director retired, her father might take that position—a third-rank official…

Years ago, when she had agreed to marry into the Gu family as a favored concubine, her father had been very displeased with her and forbade anyone in the family from contacting her for several years. Later, when she brought Lan’er back to visit, her relationship with her father had somewhat improved.

Originally her father had been unwilling to concern himself with her affairs, but for the sake of his career, he wouldn’t allow his legitimate daughter to be sent to a nunnery.

Moreover, if she was being treated this way while Lan’er was outside, how difficult must it be for Lan’er!

If she could contact the Song family and have her father support Lan’er, Gu De Zhao wouldn’t mistreat her. Besides, her father had always liked Lan’er and wouldn’t refuse to help her.

Song Miao Hua silently thought about many things. She felt that now, perhaps only the Song family could help her and Lan’er.

But if she remained trapped like this, it would all be empty talk.