Although the Master rarely concerned himself with inner household affairs in normal times, with his presence, everyone inside and outside the Yang residence gained several measures of confidence in their actions.

Fourth Miss no longer sought death or life, and even Fourth Aunt wiped away her tears and came to the main courtyard to attend to the Great Lady.

“Fourth Aunt should return to look after Fourth Miss instead,” the Great Lady said considerately to Fourth Aunt. “After all, she is also a patient!”

“We concubines naturally must first take good care of the Lady…” Fourth Aunt’s expression revealed an unhappiness that could no longer be hidden. “When the Lady is unwell, how can we concern ourselves with the younger generation?”

The Great Lady simply pressed her lips together in a silent smile.

Only after dismissing Fourth Aunt several more times did Fourth Aunt finally return to the Jasmine Garden.

Seventh Miss felt that the Master truly understood how to win the Great Lady’s heart.

The several physicians from the Ouyang family indeed represented the highest level of medical care in Jiangnan. Once the Master returned and the Great Lady’s mind was settled, she indeed began to gradually recover.

However, she had grown accustomed to having Seventh Miss attend to her daily needs. For turning over and washing, she still specifically requested Seventh Miss’s service.

Seventh Miss dared not be negligent, dedicating herself wholeheartedly without any relaxation or laziness.

With First Miss managing external affairs and Seventh Miss managing internal ones, they finally brought the Great Lady to gradual improvement.

Although she still dared not face the wind or rashly allow visitors, the Great Lady’s fever had finally broken, and the blisters on her body were gradually forming scabs.

When idle, the Great Lady joked with Seventh Miss: “Our Little Seven has grown thin! Later I’ll have Sister Cao prepare several good meals for you to nourish yourself properly!”

As she spoke, she reached out to arrange Seventh Miss’s hair at the temples.

The two had spent day and night together, and Seventh Miss had witnessed even the Great Lady’s most unbearable and filthy moments.

And had not Seventh Miss’s fatigue and sweat been equally exposed before the Great Lady?

The two naturally grew intimate.

Seventh Miss sighed. “It’s Mother who needs nourishment—this past month you’ve barely had a bite of food… you’ve grown so thin you’re nearly unrecognizable!”

The Great Lady worried again: “I wonder how Fourth Miss’s face is now.”

The Ouyang family’s Rejuvenating Dew was naturally sent to the Jasmine Garden as if it cost nothing, but Fourth Miss still refused to come out and see people. No one knew whether the pox marks had not completely faded, or if the scars on her face had caused this sensitive and gloomy young girl to lose confidence in appearing before others.

Seventh Miss also sighed.

In the great households of that era, the most basic requirement for a daughter-in-law was an unblemished face.

If even the slightest faint scar remained on her face, Fourth Miss could forget about marrying into an upper-class family.

Logically speaking, the Great Lady should be happy, since all these years her heart’s desire had been to surpass Fourth Aunt in marriage arrangements.

However, Fourth Miss had never done anything improper. Suppressing her was one thing, but watching her be disfigured was another matter…

“Now Fourth Aunt confines herself in the Jasmine Garden every day without coming out, and no one knows whether Fourth Sister has improved or worsened,” she said tactfully. “They say such things as karmic retribution from the underworld are not to be believed, but I think it has truly manifested in Fourth Aunt… All the unconscionable deeds done in this lifetime are being revenged upon her daughter—that’s even more painful than revenge upon herself.”

The Great Lady felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Had she not herself just recovered from a serious illness? If Fourth Miss’s illness was karmic retribution, then her own illness…

She was about to darken her expression, but seeing the dark circles under Seventh Miss’s eyes, her heart softened: Seventh Miss was truly exhausted, which made her speech less cautious.

“It’s because she has done too many unconscionable deeds!” she replied lightly.

She felt itching all over her body again. “Little Seven, bring some more medicinal powder to apply.”

Seventh Miss quickly responded and deftly wrung out a cloth, opened the medicine box, dipped it in the pale red powder, and wiped the Great Lady’s body.

The Great Lady slowly lay down.

Her field of vision was filled with Seventh Miss’s focused expression.

Even now, she needed to be wiped down several times a day, not to mention the ten-plus days when she was gravely ill.

Whatever Seventh Miss’s thousand faults might be, toward herself she was truly dedicated and faithful, fulfilling filial duty…

The Great Lady’s gaze upon Seventh Miss gradually softened.

“Has the young master from the Gui family left yet?” Yet she asked about something completely unrelated.

Seventh Miss was slightly startled.

Even at this point, was the Great Lady still thinking about forming a marriage alliance with the Gui family?

“No,” she answered softly. “However, Little Seven isn’t very clear—these past days I haven’t left the main room.”

The Great Lady gave a self-deprecating smile.

Yes, how could Seventh Miss possibly leave her side?

“Send Lidong to inquire,” she ordered calmly.

Seventh Miss went out to the west side room to relay the message.

The Great Lady valued her dignity—the wiping was entirely handled by Seventh Miss alone, with no need for others to enter the room at such times.

Lidong quickly returned with a reply. “The Gui family’s young master came with the deputy general to expedite grain supplies. The deputy general escorted the first batch on the road, but he stayed behind to arrange the transport, and likely won’t leave Suzhou until September.”

The Great Lady nodded thoughtfully.

Three or four more days passed, and the Great Lady completely recovered. The pox marks all over her body had completely faded, leaving not a single scar.

Although she was at this age, what woman doesn’t love beauty?

“It’s still Little Seven’s attentiveness,” the Great Lady praised Seventh Miss. “If it had been Little Five nursing me, she might not have had such patience!”

During the days when the Great Lady’s condition was most severe, Seventh Miss had slept on the floor in the west side room, immediately rising to grasp the Great Lady’s hand at the slightest sign of scratching.

Fifth Miss pouted at Seventh Miss. “You’re the only diligent one, you’re the only attentive one!”

Everyone laughed, and the Great Lady looked at Seventh Miss with affection. “You’ve truly grown thin.”

She turned to instruct Nanny Liang: “Ask Young Master Ouyang to prepare several nourishing dietary therapy prescriptions for Little Seven. That bit of flesh we finally managed to put on her—how can we let it just disappear like this?”

Ninth Brother looked at Seventh Miss and smiled. “Now that Seventh Sister has grown thin, we don’t look as alike anymore.”

The Great Lady examined Seventh Miss, then had Seventh Miss and Ninth Brother stand side by side. “Indeed, Ninth Brother’s face looks somewhat round, while Little Seven increasingly has an oval face.”

Bailu smiled behind Seventh Miss with pursed lips. “It’s Ninth Brother who has gained weight.”

Ninth Brother protested: “Sister Bailu only protects your mistress.”

The Great Lady looked back and forth between the pair of children, nodding with a smile. “Ninth Brother has gained weight, but Little Seven has indeed grown thin.”

Fifth Miss looked at Seventh Miss, then at the Great Lady, then lowered her head with pursed lips, lost in thought.

As everyone was laughing and talking, First Miss also entered the east side room with a smile.

“Has Mother fully recovered?” She sat intimately beside the Great Lady. “Let me see—yes, not a single pox mark left!”

The Great Lady beamed with joy. “It’s your Seventh Sister who attended well!”

First Miss pouted. “So my attendance wasn’t good? Mother only favors the younger ones!”

“Also good, also good!” The Great Lady hastily placated First Miss. “Between us mother and daughter, why speak of good or not good? But your Seventh Sister, though young, is more careful and patient than adults, and doesn’t claim credit—she truly surpasses you!”

First Miss couldn’t help but laugh heartily, teasing Seventh Miss: “With you here, Mother doesn’t even want me anymore. Seventh Sister, you’re quite capable.”

The cheerful laughter inside made Seventh Miss feel somewhat awkward.

So this was the feeling of being a confidante…

She pressed her lips together, then raised her head with a mischievous smile. “Elder Sister needn’t be polite with me. Who doesn’t know how hard you’ve worked managing everything inside and out? Mother praises me outwardly, but in her heart she surely aches for you! I’ve seen Nanny Yao coming and going—isn’t she arranging the festival gifts you’ll take home again?”

First Miss and Seventh Miss began bantering back and forth like rapid-fire cannons.

The Great Lady, having not seen her children for so long, laughed until she rocked back and forth.

Even Fifth Miss forgot her distraction, laughing heartily at the dialogue between First Miss and Seventh Miss.

The room was filled with harmony.

That evening, though Fifth Miss intended to stay and attend the sickbed, the Great Lady ultimately sent her away.

“Those of you who haven’t had smallpox should still be careful. Laughing and talking during the day is fine, but there might be harm at night.”

Seventh Miss fanned the Great Lady while chatting idly with her.

The Great Lady spoke while closing her eyes.

Before long, Seventh Miss’s voice gradually weakened.

The Great Lady opened her eyes—Seventh Miss had already fallen asleep leaning against the bed.

Though her breathing was light, it was very steady, and her thick eyelashes were like two small fans, casting deep shadows on her cheeks.

A smile appeared in the Great Lady’s eyes.

After all, she was still young and couldn’t withstand the exhaustion.

She gently draped the thin blanket from the bedside over Seventh Miss’s back.

#

Entering the sixth month, the Great Lady was completely recovered.

The first order of business was to carefully select the festival gifts for First Miss to take back to her husband’s family.

As the eldest daughter-in-law, First Miss had been away for several months, unable to fulfill her duty of serving her elders—this would provoke gossip in the countryside.

Although there were reasons for it, as her natal family, they couldn’t carry themselves too high-handedly.

First Miss sent the festival gifts back to Yuhang, but remained herself.

“Though Mother has recovered, she still cannot overexert herself. I’ll stay until after the seventh month before returning to Yuhang!” She smiled and touched Little Nuannuan’s face. “Little Nuannuan also wants to wander around the Hundred Fragrance Garden for a few more days.”

The Great Lady naturally would not object.

“Very well, then I’ll play the hands-off manager for a few more days.”

Hearing that the Great Lady was well, several close friends and relatives also came to visit.

Lady Li wore an apologetic expression. “It’s my fault for not thinking—having a sick person at home and still running about everywhere…”

The Great Lady inevitably exchanged courtesies with Lady Li. “This is something no one could predict.” She also inquired about the Twelfth Young Master: “Has the Twelfth Young Master also recovered?”

Lady Li’s expression brightened slightly. “Yes, the fever only lasted half a month before he was completely better. Now he’s bouncing around lively… causing trouble at home all day. I’m thinking of sending him to Shantang Academy next year to let his older brothers discipline him and make him study properly.”

The Twelfth Young Master and Ninth Brother were the same age—both would be entering Shantang Academy.

The Great Lady’s eyes flashed. “Good news.”

Ninth Brother had also reached the age for entering school.

After entertaining Lady Li, Lady Zhang, the Seventeenth Lady of the Wang family, the servants and daughters-in-law sent by the Zheng family to pay respects, and the ladies from the Grain Commissioner’s, Education Commissioner’s, and Commander-in-Chief’s households… the Great Lady finally had some leisure.

Then she busied herself arranging the items to be transported back to the northwestern hometown.

Second Uncle from the main branch had finished collecting accounts in Jiangnan and, as usual, needed to borrow people from the first branch to transport the silver and grain back to the northwest.

Although draft banking business had gradually expanded in those times, the northwest was in the midst of war—having drafts didn’t necessarily mean one could exchange them for silver, and having silver didn’t necessarily mean one could buy grain. Second Uncle from the main branch simply converted some of the surplus into rice locally, planning to rely on the Jiangnan Governor-General’s influence to find several escort agencies to jointly guard the shipment through the passes.

Naturally, the first and second branches also had some things that couldn’t see the light of day, which they needed Second Uncle from the main branch to take back to the northwestern hometown for safekeeping.

First Miss helped the Great Lady arrange all these matters inside and out, keeping busy without a moment’s leisure.

Privately, however, she also instructed Seventh Miss.

“This time, they absolutely must enter you younger ones into the family register,” Nanny Yao spoke with wholehearted sincerity. “Under whose name Ninth Brother is registered—that’s a matter of great significance. Seventh Miss, you’re currently in favor at just the right time… you must work harder for future matters.”

How could Seventh Miss not understand this principle?

As a concubine, Ninth Aunt naturally had no qualification to be entered in the family register.

Unless she was elevated to become the legitimate Second Branch Lady and received a ninth-rank imperial mandate, only then could she be written into the family register.

If Ninth Brother were written under such a Second Branch Lady’s name, his position would naturally be more secure, and it wouldn’t be something the Great Lady could shake with a single word about adoption.

In the future, after the Master passed away, no clan members could gossip about Ninth Brother’s status or interfere with his inheritance…

Logically speaking, elevating a dead person should be simple enough—if the Great Lady could see reason, it was merely a matter of one sentence.

The problem was that the Great Lady certainly would not see reason.

Seventh Miss let out a long breath, stirring the soup in the black porcelain rabbit-hair bowl thoughtfully.

“I think you should just drink it in one go!” Bailu smiled as she urged Seventh Miss. “By evening, Sister Cao will be bringing over newly stewed chicken soup again.”

The Great Lady had given her word, so how could Sister Cao dare be negligent? Three times a day, she prepared nourishing soups according to the prescription and personally delivered them to the steps, not even daring to accept reward money.

“This is our proper duty, our proper duty!”

The embroidery workshop came to take Seventh Miss’s measurements. “The Lady says you should also have several sets of presentable clothes.”

Soon after, they sent over several trunks of exquisitely crafted, brightly colored hair ornaments and garments.

The Great Lady’s virtues were as pronounced as her flaws.

“Tell me, should I speak up about this matter?” As Seventh Miss drank her soup, she consulted with Bailu.

For such a major matter as entering the family register, Bailu naturally would receive word. Everyone also had their own views on how this register should be compiled.

Bailu exchanged a glance with Lixia.

“If you ask me, the Lady… her mind is somewhat narrow,” Bailu’s tone was somewhat vague.

Her meaning was already quite clear.

Seventh Miss had only been in favor for a short while—if she now spoke up for her birth mother’s imperial mandate, she would inevitably incur the Great Lady’s suspicion. Perhaps this hard-won favor would soon dissipate.

However, this thought ultimately did not properly account for filial duty, so Bailu felt too embarrassed to speak too plainly.

“You have a point.”

Seventh Miss actually nodded.

Then she set aside that topic and asked Bailu: “Has Elder Sister been close to the Lady lately?”

Bailu was slightly startled. “She has been frequently going to various places to burn incense and pray for blessings on the Lady’s behalf!”

Lixia was somewhat disapproving. “First Miss is quite skilled at pleasing the Lady.”

“That Elder Sister is willing to give me such tremendous credit shows her magnanimity,” Seventh Miss darkened her face to scold Lixia. “We ourselves must remember this kindness—in front of people and behind them, we cannot speak ill of Elder Sister.”

Lixia quickly assented repeatedly, lowering her head and not daring to say more.

But Bailu began to ponder deeply.

She had witnessed the several interactions between First Miss and Seventh Miss.

She didn’t know why, but from the very beginning, First Miss had been very willing to promote this sister she had barely met, and this time, she had even yielded the task of caring for the Great Lady to Seventh Miss…

This incense-burning and prayer business also seemed suspicious.

First came the Master wanting to privately recite rebirth sutras for Third Aunt, and now that First Miss had gained some free time, she was constantly running out—reportedly visiting every temple, large and small, in Suzhou.

Bailu couldn’t help but think of the rumors spreading throughout the residence.

Ninth Brother’s incident was Third Aunt’s haunting, and the Great Lady’s illness—could that also be Third Aunt’s haunting?

This excuse seemed far too convenient, didn’t it?

What scheme was Seventh Miss planning to execute using the Great Lady’s illness?

She described in detail to Seventh Miss: “First Miss has been to Guanyin Mountain, Hanshan Temple… she’s nearly visited all the famous monasteries throughout Suzhou.”

On Seventh Miss’s delicate little face, a hint of joy faintly appeared.

“How is Fourth Sister’s face now?” she asked again.

Her smile already carried several measures of confidence in her plans.