The distance was somewhat far, and the lights in the courtyard weren’t very bright, so Chang Yunqi couldn’t clearly see the woman’s features.

“Young Master, let’s go quickly. If someone sees us…” Caijuan said in a low voice, her tone somewhat worried.

It really wasn’t appropriate for a brother-in-law to be standing in front of his sister-in-law’s courtyard late at night.

“Can’t I just pass through here? If a maid is gluttonous and wants to eat, can’t I indulge her once?” Chang Yunqi said with a smile, speaking these words as he lifted his feet and walked slowly.

“You clearly didn’t have to pass through here…” Caijuan muttered in a low voice, “I didn’t insist on eating…”

How unfair – she had merely smelled the fragrance and casually remarked about what smelled so good, and the Young Master had her go eat it.

“No problem, go take a look and have a taste. Go on, go on, don’t make it seem like I’m being harsh to you. Go on.”

When the Young Master spoke like this, it would be embarrassing for her not to go… when being gluttonous should be the embarrassing thing.

Chang Yunqi acted as if he hadn’t heard, casually pulling a skewer from her hand.

“What is this? Garlic?” He smelled it and said in surprise, “This can be grilled and eaten too?”

“Yes, who specifically eats garlic?” Caijuan didn’t like the smell of garlic and simply covered her nose and mouth. “Has Qiutong Courtyard really reached the point where they have to use garlic to fill their stomachs?”

Chang Yunqi didn’t speak. He looked at the garlic in his hand that had been grilled with the skin still on, and his mind conjured the image of that woman secretly grilling beans to eat, becoming a laughingstock when the maids saw her.

“Truly beggar origins – ignoring golden jade delicacies to hide and eat grilled beans. No wonder the old saying goes that dogs can’t change their nature…”

Qi Yueniang stood in the courtyard like a startled rabbit, tears in her eyes, looking terrified. If she could, she would want to shrink her entire body, curl up into a ball…

“Food has no distinction between noble and base. Heaven and earth have spirits and give birth to all things. No matter what it is, it’s all heaven’s grace,” he said slowly, taking a bite. The garlic fragrance burst forth.

The night was deep, and the fragrance above Qiutong Courtyard gradually dissipated.

“Young Madam, the night dew is heavy. Please return to your room to rest,” A’Ru said in a low voice, looking at Qi Yue who was lying on the beauty couch with a fan covering her face, seemingly asleep.

Here, A’Hao was so full she was hiccupping beside them.

“Alright, everyone go to sleep. Tomorrow we should remove the stitches from your brother,” Qi Yue said with a smile as she got up.

“Troubling Madam to make another trip,” A’Ru quickly bowed in gratitude.

Qi Yue waved her hand to indicate she shouldn’t say such things, yawned, and went into the room.

The night passed without incident.

“Miss A’Ru, please wait a moment. Nanny Su is checking accounts with the storeroom people,” a young maid said with a smile.

A’Ru said she was grateful to the younger sister and stood aside to wait.

There were quite a few old women and maids coming and going. When they saw her, they all cast glances at her, but almost none came forward to greet her.

A’Ru stood here alone, appearing so conspicuous, but her face didn’t show the dejection of the past. Instead, it carried a hint of a smile.

In the distance, she saw three or four people walking along the road. One of them, wearing a buttoned jacket embroidered with intertwined peony branches and with newly bloomed flowers arranged in her hair, was swaying as she walked in front – it was Su Mei, who had already been promoted to concubine status.

She was speaking to a young maid beside her with a smile. When she looked up and saw A’Ru, the smile on her face froze.

A’Ru turned her gaze away.

“What is Sister A’Ru doing standing here so early in the morning?” Su Mei swayed over and asked with a smile, “Not busy today? Have you finished all the work in the courtyard?”

Qiutong Courtyard had no servant maids – only the three of them, master and servants. At first, it was forgotten due to busy confusion, but later it was intentionally forgotten. So A’Ru and A’Hao received the silver allowances of first and second-class maids but did the work of rough maids and old women.

“Miss’s facial injury has healed well,” A’Ru turned to look at her and said indifferently.

Su Mei’s face immediately flushed red. The humiliation she had suffered at Qiutong Courtyard that day was something she didn’t even want to think about.

It wasn’t too surprising that A’Ru’s words were so merciless. Back when they served the Old Madam, which maid was easy to provoke? It was just that following such a master for three years had made everyone think she was completely a spineless clay figure who could be kneaded at will.

Thinking of this, Su Mei smiled again.

“The Young Madam has been much more spirited lately, and Sister’s complexion has brightened along with her – it’s quite dazzling,” she said, fanning herself with a small fan. “I just don’t know if what comes quickly also goes quickly.”

“That’s not for Miss Mei to worry about. Better to think about how to serve the Marquis well and fulfill your duties,” A’Ru said indifferently.

A’Ru’s attitude made Su Mei grind her teeth in anger.

“Ya’er, I have business with Nanny Su. Please announce me,” she turned to tell a young maid who was watching the drama.

The young maid maintained her smiling expression throughout.

“Miss Mei, I was here first,” A’Ru said.

“You know to call me Miss Mei,” Su Mei said, swaying her head to look at her, pursing her red-painted lips. “Then naturally you know the rules of who comes first and who comes after, right?”

A’Ru smiled slightly and handed her token to the young maid.

“The Young Madam has ordered me to go out. Please exchange the token,” she said.

The smiling young maid immediately reached out to take the token. When A’Ru first came, she had only requested to see Nanny Su based on her own status, so naturally she could be slightly slighted. But now that she had produced the Young Madam’s token, there was no room for negotiation – whatever was said was what it was, whatever was wanted had to be given.

“Please wait a moment, Sister. I’ll fetch it right away,” she said with a smile, then made a polite gesture to Su Mei. “Please come in with me, Miss Mei.”

Su Mei looked at A’Ru with a cold, teeth-grinding smile. She originally had no business, and seeing Nanny Su would inevitably require some smooth talking. But now she had to go in. Though she had become a concubine, compared to the Great Madam’s chambermaid, she was still just a maid who couldn’t put on airs.

“Using your master to pressure people – I hope you can always keep up the pressure,” she said with a cold laugh.

“I’m not pressuring anyone. This is just a fact,” A’Ru said with a pursed-lip smile.

The Young Madam’s position was right there – you, a concubine, could never surpass it.

“Miss Mei, please,” the young maid said with a smile. Having watched enough of the excitement, she turned and went in first.

Su Mei glared at her angrily, fanned herself, and followed. Soon after, the maid personally brought out the token for A’Ru, and A’Ru left.

This brief scene at the entrance fell into the eyes of many people, both obvious and hidden, and quickly spread among those with ulterior motives.

The Young Madam was going to emerge and take charge of household affairs!

Didn’t you see how A’Ru, the head maid, had regained her commanding presence from when she served the Old Madam!

Actually, A’Ru didn’t feel she had much commanding presence. Qiutong Courtyard was still deserted, people still avoided her when she walked the streets, this month’s silver allowance was still forgotten, and the request to replace pots, bowls, and utensils was still ignored. Everything, if she didn’t take the initiative, no one would actively attend to. The only improvement was that when she actively stepped forward, the deliberate cold shoulders and difficulties were no longer so naked, but that was all.

“However, Sister really does look much more spirited,” A’Hao said with a smile, packing up a box of sponge cakes made early that morning for A’Ru to take to her brother.

“I just feel I have energy. I don’t know why,” A’Ru said with a smile, stopping her from putting other food items inside. “Enough, they’ll still inspect when going out. It wouldn’t look good if people saw. A gesture is sufficient.”

“I think it’s because we have hope now, not like before when we couldn’t see an end,” A’Hao said, tilting her head thoughtfully. “That’s how I think of it. Seeing the Young Madam smile and talk, I unconsciously feel bright and cheerful inside, and then talking and walking feel energetic too.”

Saying this, she nodded, reaffirming her feeling.

“The current Young Madam is really wonderful,” she added.

A’Ru, who had been smiling, paused, her smile freezing on her face.

The current Young Madam…

“A’Ru, hurry up!” Qi Yue’s voice rang out in the courtyard, interrupting their conversation.

“Coming!” A’Hao wrapped the food box in cloth and responded loudly, “Young Madam, let me come along too!”

“No, you stay home. It’s not anything fun or interesting to see.”

Hearing the master and servant’s conversation, A’Ru walked out of the kitchen.

“A’Ru, remember to bring the clothes you want to give to your neighbor aunt,” Qi Yue said to her with a smile.

This smile was bright and radiant, like the morning sunlight, capable of sweeping away all gloom.