“If I win, I can ask for anything?” Jiang Pei’s eyes lit up, completely ignoring the consequences of losing.
Her second sister was always considerate; how could she possibly send back a younger sister who had been formally invited? In Jiang Pei’s mind, this was impossible, so there was no need to worry about what would happen if she lost.
“Anything you want,” Jiang Si confirmed.
“I want your set of red-gold ruby headdress!” Jiang Pei exclaimed.
Jiang Si looked at Jiang Pei for a moment, then suddenly smiled. After all, she was just a young girl, concerned only with food, drink, and clothing, with nothing more substantial in her mind.
“Are you unwilling? You just said I could ask for anything—”
“Fine,” Jiang Si nodded readily.
Jiang Pei grew excited. “You can’t go back on your word now.”
“I certainly won’t go back on my word. What about you?” Jiang Si asked with a smile.
Whether young or old, one should be punished for speaking recklessly. Her brother was barely seventeen, yet her second uncle and aunt showed him no mercy. Moreover, her second brother was innocent, while Jiang Pei truly deserved a slap for her loose tongue.
“Of course, I won’t go back on my word either,” Jiang Pei said without hesitation.
Why would she want to go back on her word? It was an entire set of red-gold ruby headdresses! After years of humbling herself before her stepmother, she wouldn’t receive such a fine headdress even for her wedding.
The more Jiang Pei thought about it, the more excited she became as if the red-gold ruby headdress was already in her possession.
“Sixth Sister, perhaps we shouldn’t bet…” Jiang Li felt uneasy and couldn’t help but advise.
“Mind your own business!” Jiang Pei glared at Jiang Li.
She looked down on this fifth sister who was older than her yet so timid.
“Then it’s settled,” Jiang Si said.
“Hehe, Fourth Sister, just have the red-gold ruby headdress ready. Don’t be reluctant to part with it when the time comes,” Jiang Pei extended her hand.
Jiang Si curved her lips slightly and reached out to clap hands with Jiang Pei.
The crisp sound of their hands meeting broke the monotony of the carriage’s journey.
Jiang Li lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and said softly, “We’ve arrived at the Marquis of Changxing’s mansion.”
The carriage soon came to a stop, and the four sisters disembarked one after another.
Jiang Qiao took the opportunity to pull Jiang Si aside and sneered, “Do you have too many good things and nowhere to put them?”
“No, I just think someone needs to wash their mouth out,” Jiang Si replied.
Jiang Qiao let go, looking at Jiang Si’s delicate and calm profile. She suddenly felt that this sister, only a few months younger than her, was becoming increasingly inscrutable.
“Young ladies have arrived. The Young Madam had me waiting here since early morning,” a maid in green clothing stood at the entrance, bowing to Jiang Si and the others as they got off the carriage.
Jiang Pei, who had been boisterous on the carriage, immediately composed herself, keeping her eyes lowered, the very picture of a well-bred young lady.
The green-clad maid looked at Jiang Pei with surprise. This young lady’s deportment was indeed proper, but she was the youngest, so why was she walking in front?
Jiang Pei had been on edge since getting off the carriage, afraid of making a fool of herself. Sensing the maid’s odd look, she glanced to the side and suddenly realized her mistake. She had been closest to the carriage door and in her nervousness, she had forgotten her place!
Jiang Pei hesitated, her face immediately turning red.
Fifth Miss Jiang Li naturally linked arms with Jiang Pei and said, “Afraid of keeping Second Sister waiting, Sixth Sister is even more impatient than I am.”
With one sentence, she dispelled Jiang Pei’s embarrassment.
Jiang Si gave Jiang Li an extra glance. Her fifth sister had always been quiet and unassuming, timid and low-key, but she turned out to be quite perceptive. It was a pity that in her previous life, she had been so unremarkable that Jiang Si couldn’t remember what had become of her later.
The layout of the Marquis of Changxing’s mansion was similar to that of the East Peace Earl’s mansion, only more spacious and grander. This was all quite normal, except for the garden, which far surpassed that of the East Peace Earl’s mansion.
In the garden of the Marquis of Changxing’s mansion stood an artificial mountain three stories high, with a pavilion at its peak. One could climb the steps from the foot of the mountain to enjoy the cool breeze and panoramic view of the garden from the pavilion at the top.
Besides this, the garden was lush with flowers and trees, particularly a patch of peonies blooming brilliantly in the eastern corner.
The four sisters couldn’t help but cast a few extra glances at the peony patch.
At this time of the year, peonies were typically past their prime, often looking somewhat lackluster elsewhere. The fact that these flowers were blooming so vibrantly was truly a rare and beautiful sight.
The green-clad maid was proud of the mansion’s peonies. As she led Jiang Si and the others forward, she smiled and said, “The young ladies have come at just the right time. If you had come a few days later, the peonies would have already withered.”
The maid quickly led the four to Jiang Qian’s residence.
Jiang Qian was standing at the entrance of the courtyard. As soon as she saw Jiang Si and the others arrive, she hurried to greet them: “My dear sisters have finally arrived.”
Her gaze lingered on Jiang Si for a moment longer, and she smiled with relief as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
“We’ve kept Second Sister waiting,” Jiang Pei affectionately linked arms with Jiang Qian.
Jiang Qian frowned instinctively, but quickly relaxed and led her sisters into the house.
Jiang Qian resided in the heir apparent’s quarters, which was the most spacious and bright area after the Marquis and his wife’s residence. The furnishings in the room struck a balance between opulence and elegance, clearly arranged with care by the lady of the house.
“My dear sisters must be tired from the journey. Have some tea first, and please make yourselves at home here with me, just as if you were in your own home.”
Jiang Qian’s warm welcome made Jiang Pei feel even more at ease. Looking at Jiang Qian, her eyes reddened: “Second Sister, you’ve lost weight.”
A flash of displeasure crossed Jiang Qian’s eyes, but she said mildly, “I’ve been worried about Grandmother’s health, and as the weather is getting hotter, I’ve been eating less.”
Jiang Si shook her head inwardly. Jiang Pei was still too young to understand that someone as proud as Jiang Qian would never want to hear such words of sympathy from a half-sister, no matter how difficult her circumstances were.
Jiang Pei, having been rebuffed, fell silent awkwardly.
Among them, Jiang Pei was the most talkative, Jiang Li was naturally quiet, and Jiang Si and Jiang Qiao were from different branches of the family. With Jiang Pei silenced, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Jiang Qian, realizing it wasn’t the time to stand on ceremony, was about to liven up the atmosphere when Jiang Si calmly said, “Second Sister, could you dismiss the maids? I have something to say.”
Jiang Qian was somewhat surprised but quickly gestured for the maids to withdraw. She asked gently, “What does Fourth Sister want to say?”
Jiang Si glanced at Jiang Pei and said directly, “I don’t want to stay here with Sixth Sister during our visit to the Marquis’s mansion. Second Sister, please send her back.”
This time, Jiang Qian’s surprise was unconcealed. She quickly looked at Jiang Pei and asked, “Fourth Sister, have you and Sixth Sister disagreed?”
Jiang Si was something, first inexplicably picking on her, and now falling out with Sixth Sister. Did she intend to offend all her sisters before she’d be satisfied?
Jiang Pei was even more shocked, her mouth agape.
She had thought Jiang Si would use some clever words to persuade Second Sister to send her away, but it turned out to be this blunt and forceful!
Heavens, had Jiang Si gone mad, or did she think Second Sister had lost her mind?
Jiang Qiao secretly held her head in her hands.
She had always thought Fourth Sister was proud and arrogant, but she never thought she was foolish.
“Fourth Sister, if there’s been any unpleasantness, you can tell Second Sister about it. We’re all sisters from the same household—”
Jiang Si set her teacup down on the table with a clunk and stood up. “If Sixth Sister doesn’t leave, then I’ll leave.”
Seeing Jiang Si turn to leave without hesitation, Jiang Qian felt a surge of panic and quickly said, “Fourth Sister, please stay. I’ll have someone send Sixth Sister back right away.”