“Yes, I am.” Jiang Zhaoyue admitted openly.
“Unreasonable.” Pei Jingzhou snatched the booklet and strode away.
This…
What was he doing?
Jiang Zhaoyue called out, “Second Master.”
Pei Jingzhou ignored her completely and walked straight into the study.
Jiang Zhaoyue wanted to go and ask what was going on, but she had not yet sorted her dowry, arranged her maids and matrons, or met the servants of Linhua Courtyard. So, she paid no further mind to Pei Jingzhou and looked down at Pei Heng. “Fifth Brother.”
Pei Heng lifted his chubby little face and said, “Second Sister-in-law, that was so scary.”
“What was so scary?”
“Second Brother was so scary. He frightened Hengge’er.” Pei Heng patted his rattan ball.
Was he?
Was Pei Jingzhou scary?
Perhaps because Jiang Zhaoyue knew Pei Jingzhou’s fundamental character was excellent, or perhaps because she found him too handsome, so far she hadn’t found anything frightening about him. “Don’t be afraid. Second Sister-in-law will protect you.”
“Okay.” Pei Heng immediately wrapped his arms around Jiang Zhaoyue’s arm.
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled and said, “Then let’s sort the dowry together.”
“Okay.”
The original host had brought all her birth mother’s dowry to the Guogong Mansion, which was extremely substantial.
Jiang Zhaoyue, Pei Heng, and Xiang Qiao alone couldn’t possibly finish sorting it all in a day. So, she called over her accompanying maids and matrons, as well as the maids and matrons of Linhua Courtyard, to get acquainted with their faces, and ordered all the maids and matrons to help sort the dowry together.
“Second Sister-in-law, what should I do?” Seeing the maids and matrons carrying the dowry into the storeroom, Pei Heng was too small to lift or carry anything. He grew anxious.
“You can count.” Jiang Zhaoyue said, holding the dowry inventory.
Pei Heng tilted his little head. “Count?”
“Yes. Can you count one, two, three, four, five?”
“Yes, I can count up to twenty!”
“So impressive! Then go count these things and see if the numbers match.”
“Mhm.” Pei Heng, clutching his rattan ball, trotted to the storeroom entrance. He insisted on counting every item that went in, only allowing passage once the number matched what was on Jiang Zhaoyue’s inventory.
Seeing the little fellow’s earnest expression, Jiang Zhaoyue smiled and continued organizing.
They took a break for lunch in between, then resumed work in the afternoon.
They worked until the sunset bathed the earth in its glow.
All the dowry was finally stored away.
Jiang Zhaoyue sat in the main hall and spoke as the mistress of Linhua Courtyard, expressing her hope that every servant would serve the Second Master and Second Mistress well. Then, she gave each servant a generous red envelope.
Xiang Qiao and the other accompanying servants were seeing the Second Mistress handle matters so properly for the first time.
Sun Momo, Yingge, and the other servants of Linhua Courtyard had been waiting for red envelopes since the second day after Jiang Zhaoyue’s arrival.
By evening, they hadn’t received a single copper coin.
They thought Jiang Zhaoyue was no ordinary noble lady, that she acted without proper decorum, and surely wouldn’t give any. So, when Jiang Zhaoyue called them to help sort the dowry, they were reluctant in their hearts.
Unexpectedly, after finishing the dowry sorting, Jiang Zhaoyue distributed red envelopes, and such large ones at that—almost equivalent to two months of their regular wages.
They were overjoyed.
Suddenly, they felt Jiang Zhaoyue wasn’t as bad as the rumors said. At least these past two days, they hadn’t been scolded or beaten, and helping sort the dowry even earned them a reward.
Now, they would see how Jiang Zhaoyue would manage Linhua Courtyard going forward.
Jiang Zhaoyue was simply following protocol and had no idea the servants were thinking so much. Holding the last red envelope, she looked at the little fellow, Pei Heng, who was still clutching his rattan ball.
“Second Sister-in-law, are we all done?” Pei Heng asked.
Jiang Zhaoyue nodded and handed the red envelope to Pei Heng.
“Second Sister-in-law is giving me a reward too?” Pei Heng asked.
“No, this isn’t a reward. It’s your wages.”
“Wages?”
“That’s right. You’ve been counting numbers all day, and you did it very well. Naturally, you should get wages.”
“I can count to one hundred now!” Originally only able to count to twenty, but with Jiang Zhaoyue’s guidance, he easily reached one hundred. Pei Heng was incredibly proud.
“Indeed, Heng is truly amazing!” Jiang Zhaoyue praised.
Pei Heng’s eyes sparkled with joy, his chubby little body swaying slightly.
“Take it. You earned this yourself,” Jiang Zhaoyue said.
Pei Heng accepted it: “I want to earn lots of wages in the future too.”
“In the future, earn scholarly honors.” Someone like Madam Wang, who holds herself in high regard, would likely disdain mentioning money.
If Pei Heng were to say he wanted to earn wages in the future, Madam Wang would probably fly into a rage, and might even come to resent Pei Heng, the youngest illegitimate son.
Jiang Zhaoyue couldn’t let the little one suffer for it.
“Earn scholarly honors?” Pei Heng didn’t quite understand yet.
“Yes, like your Second Brother in the future—become a very impressive person.”
Although Pei Heng was afraid of Pei Jingzhou, he secretly admired him. He immediately nodded: “Okay.”
“Then you must study hard from now on.”
“Mhm, I’ll study hard, earn scholarly honors, and become as impressive as Second Brother.”
Jiang Zhaoyue nodded: “Mhm, it’s getting late. You should go back with Momo now.”
“Then I’ll come find you tomorrow to kick the rattan ball.”
“Not tomorrow.”
“Ah?” The little one looked crestfallen.
“Tomorrow, Second Mistress and your Second Brother have to return to the natal home. It’s very busy. I’ll play with you the day after.”
“Promise!”
“Promise!”
Pei Heng finally left.
Jiang Zhaoyue also dismissed the servants.
By then, it was time for the evening meal.
Pei Jingzhou returned from his study.
The two sat at the round table to eat.
The atmosphere around Pei Jingzhou seemed colder than the past couple of days.
Exhausted from the day, Jiang Zhaoyue didn’t feel like talking either. She simply ate quietly with him, and at night, she still slept on the inner side of the bed.
When she opened her eyes again, the sky was faintly bright. The words from yesterday morning echoed once more in her ears: “Can you let go of me?”
Once again, she was clinging to him like an octopus. However, compared to his livid expression last time, this time his face was filled with intense disgust.
She immediately grew displeased, sitting up abruptly: “Pei Jingzhou, what do you mean?!”
“Pei Jingzhou?” Pei Jingzhou sat up as well.
Jiang Zhaoyue had a temper too: “Yes, what’s wrong with calling you by your name?”
Pei Jingzhou frowned and asked: “Is this your idea of propriety?”
Jiang Zhaoyue replied frankly: “Yes, this is my idea of propriety. What about it?”
“No wonder you show no regard for your parents.” Pei Jingzhou threw off the covers and got out of bed.
Jiang Zhaoyue didn’t hold back either: “So this is how the esteemed Ministry of Personnel official Pei speaks—so rashly.”
Pei Jingzhou paused, turning to look at Jiang Zhaoyue.
Jiang Zhaoyue asked: “Have you met my father and mother, or have you been their child? When you say I have no regard, do you know what they’ve done?”
Pei Jingzhou’s face turned livid: “Raising you to adulthood—is that not enough for you to be grateful?”
“How do you know it was them who raised me to adulthood?” Jiang Zhaoyue retorted.
Just as Pei Jingzhou was about to speak, Sun Momo’s voice sounded from outside: “Second Master.”
“What is it?” Pei Jingzhou asked.
“It’s time to get up and wash. You’ll be returning to the natal home soon.”
“Understood.”
“Then this old servant will come in to assist you and Second Mistress with washing.”
“Come in.”
Sun Momo and the others entered.
Pei Jingzhou said nothing more.
Jiang Zhaoyue threw off the quilt, got straight out of bed, and walked toward the clothes rack. As she passed Pei Jingzhou, she deliberately bumped into him.
Pei Jingzhou swayed slightly, instantly feeling furious.
No wonder.
No wonder.
No wonder everyone said that Jiang Zhaoyue, the eldest legitimate daughter of Chengnin Marquis Mansion, was unruly, untalented, immoral, and lawless—whoever married her would be unlucky.
At first, he didn’t believe it. He even thought he could use his own efforts to guide her into becoming a dignified and graceful wife.
But he never expected… he had been far too naive.
Far too naive.
He suppressed his emotions, his entire demeanor growing even colder. After washing up, he followed etiquette and took Jiang Zhaoyue to pay respects to Pei Maokun and Madam Wang.
“Come back early,” Pei Maokun said.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Pei Jingzhou both acknowledged the instruction, then left Songqing Hall. They boarded a carriage and traveled in silence all the way to Chengnin Marquis Mansion.
Jiang Shihong, the Marquis of Chengnin, his wife Wu Shi, and others came to the entrance to greet them.
Pei Jingzhou hurriedly bowed in respect.
Jiang Shihong and Wu Shi quickly stepped forward to assist him, showing their regard. “Come inside and sit.”
“Yes,” Pei Jingzhou replied, his peripheral vision catching Wu Shi pushing Jiang Zhaoyue aside.
Jiang Zhaoyue had never been one to tolerate such behavior. She immediately asked, “Mother, what are you doing?”