Nanny Qiu took a few steps closer to the bed.
“First Madame, this old servant has come to ask the Second Miss whether she would be willing to move into Chunhua Ge.”
“Chunhua Ge…” Jiang Sihe murmured the words almost unconsciously.
“Yes. By all rights, since the Second Miss has already undergone the ji-pin ceremony, she may have her own courtyard. But First Madame thought that since you have just returned to the residence, you might first move into Chunhua Ge to familiarize yourself…”
Nanny Qiu still wanted to test Jiang Sihe, so she framed it as a question of whether she was willing.
Jiang Sihe had not expected First Madame to bring her into Chunhua Ge so soon. She had assumed that at the very least, they would wait until her injuries healed before making any arrangements.
Nanny Qiu smiled and explained, “I know the Second Miss may have some reservations. After all, Concubine Ruan is your birth mother. Having you move into the main wife’s courtyard so suddenly—you might find it hard to accept for the time being…”
Jiang Sihe detected a hint of probing in Nanny Qiu’s words and realized that Jiang Jingshu’s earlier remarks had indeed planted some doubts in Nanny Qiu’s mind.
“Nanny, since Sihe has willingly agreed to be adopted into First Madame’s name, I have already thought through how I will conduct myself with my birth mother and younger sister in the future. I would never cause First Madame any difficulty!”
Nanny Qiu was quite satisfied with Jiang Sihe’s attitude. That remark just now had carried a hint of testing, and she had not expected this girl to be so perceptive.
First Madame might not have any concerns, but as an old servant who had been by the lady’s side for years, she only feared that the lady might take in an ungrateful wolf. Now it seemed that this Second Miss and the Fourth Miss were indeed not of the same temperament.
“Nanny, if First Madame is willing to let me stay in Chunhua Ge and is not afraid that I might disturb her peace, then I would be overjoyed—how could I possibly be unwilling…”
These words were spoken with such obedient innocence, without a trace of flattery or fawning, that Nanny Qiu was very pleased.
“Come in and help the Second Miss pack her things. The Second Miss is moving into Chunhua Ge!”
Nanny Qiu called out toward the outside, and the several young maidservants waiting beyond the door responded and filed in.
Jiang Sihe had not truly been living here anyway; everything in this room was merely standard furnishings provided by the residence.
“Second Miss, please take a look yourself. Whatever items in the room you find to your liking, have them pack up and bring along. What you don’t care for, leave behind—once we return to Chunhua Ge, new things will be procured for you!”
Jiang Sihe looked at the items in the room, all of considerable value, and yet they were being discarded so casually.
“Second Miss, there is no need to feel regret. From now on, you will be the di-daughter of our main branch. Your food, clothing, and daily necessities naturally cannot be treated carelessly.”
Even though Jiang Sihe was still somewhat dazed, she quickly understood: to be First Madame’s daughter, she would need to change from the inside out. From this moment on, she was no longer the shu-daughter raised by her birth mother.
First Madame was the legitimate second daughter of the Minister’s household—how noble was that status? If she herself remained as she had been before, she would indeed bring shame to First Madame’s name.
Jiang Sihe glanced at Danfeng. “Help me bring the things in that box. There’s no need to bring anything else…”
Nanny Qiu appraised Jiang Sihe once more. What she wanted was precisely this kind of attitude—a willingness to sever ties with the past. Seeing her like this now, she was naturally satisfied, and her expression toward Jiang Sihe warmed considerably.
“A palanquin has been prepared outside for the Second Miss. Since you are injured, it would not be convenient for you to walk.”
“Thank you, Nanny. You are most thoughtful!”
…
By the time they arrived at Chunhua Ge, the sky had already darkened. Nanny Qiu settled Jiang Sihe into the East Wing and then went to report back to First Madame.
For a moment, only Danfeng and Jiang Sihe remained in the room.
Danfeng had originally been a second-class maidservant serving in Chunhua Ge. Now that she had followed Jiang Sihe back and seen her arranged to stay in the East Wing, she understood clearly that this Second Miss had truly won First Madame’s favor.
Jiang Sihe looked around the spacious East Wing. The room used floor-to-ceiling screens and beaded curtains as partitions, and the furnishings and layout were all quite refined—one could tell at a glance that it had been thoughtfully arranged for her.
“The Second Miss is inside… Madame, please walk slowly…”
Nanny Qiu’s voice came from outside, and soon footsteps entered. Jiang Sihe looked up and saw First Madame striding in quickly, followed by several maidservants, with Nanny Qiu walking ahead, carefully holding aside the beaded curtain for her.
Their gazes met, and First Madame paused for a moment.
Jiang Sihe was also somewhat surprised. In neither her past life nor this one had she ever had the chance to study First Madame so closely.
She was tall and slender, not soft and delicate like her birth mother. Her long brows swept toward her temples, and her eyes were somewhat deep, carrying an inexplicable air of sharpness.
No wonder her father had never favored her—with such a slightly heroic bearing, she did give people a sense of distance.
While she observed First Madame, First Madame naturally took her measure as well.
Clearly, First Madame was very pleased with this newly acquired daughter. The girl’s delicate, pretty appearance nearly melted her heart. She wanted to step forward and ask about her injuries, but fearing she might startle her, she softened her voice instead.
“Is the East Wing comfortable to stay in? If there’s anything you find unsatisfactory, just have them change it for you…”
First Madame did not quite know how to converse with a girl of this age, so the first words out of her mouth were these.
Nanny Qiu could not help but secretly smile. So even First Madame could be this ill at ease.
“Thank you, First Madame. I’ve been comfortable here, and there’s nothing amiss…”
Jiang Sihe answered each of First Madame’s questions in turn, and seeing that First Madame was even more ill at ease than she was, she breathed a sigh of relief.
In truth, given her current state of mind, she ought to have been more naive—perhaps that would have endeared her more to First Madame. But knowing that she had deliberately seized this opportunity through careful scheming, she felt a pang of guilt at the thought of not facing First Madame with sincerity.
First Madame smiled and said to Nanny Qiu, “This child does seem rather composed…”
Nanny Qiu nodded in agreement with First Madame.
Jiang Sihe struggled to rise from the bed, but First Madame stepped forward to stop her.
“Child, don’t move… You still have injuries—don’t you know that yourself?”
“I wish to pay my respects to First Madame, I—”
First Madame glanced at Danfeng. “Come over and help the Second Miss up at once…”
Danfeng, receiving the order, stepped forward to support Jiang Sihe.
“No need for such formality. Have Danfeng help you sit down.”
“Thank you, First Madame…”
Nanny Qiu suddenly chuckled. “First Madame, isn’t that form of address a bit too distant…”
Thus reminded, Jiang Sihe understood Nanny Qiu’s meaning. She hesitated for a moment and was about to speak when she heard First Madame say,
“No rush. She’s only just been brought back. Let her adjust first. Once she’s recovered, we’ll hold a banquet in the manor for her formal recognition as a legitimate daughter—she can change how she addresses me then.”
First Madame did not wish to put the young girl who had taken a calamity for her in a difficult position.
Nanny Qiu knew all too well that First Madame, though fierce in appearance, had the softest heart of all—otherwise, she would never have allowed a concubine like Wei to throw her weight around the manor.
First Madame had said her piece, but Jiang Sihe understood that ever since First Madame had entered the Jiang family, she had exhausted herself trying to bear a child. If Sihe were adopted into her lineage and enjoyed the treatment of a di-daughter, yet refused to acknowledge her…
“Alright, I just came to see if there’s anything you find uncomfortable. These next few days, you stay here and recover.”
“Yes, Sihe will follow Mother’s arrangements!”