Thinking of this, Jiang Zhixiu sighed. “Meiying, Madam He is more than ten years older than you, and though she comes from a noble family, when it comes to raising children, she is far less capable than you. Yu’er and Ying’er, brother and sister, will need your care in the future—otherwise they may be ruined in Madam He’s hands.”
Xie Meiying said nervously, “Me? Take care of them? That wouldn’t be proper!”
She was only three years older than Jiang Jiayu, and Jiang Jiaying was already as tall as she was. With so many servants in the household, what could she possibly do to “take care” of them?
Jiang Zhixiu found her hesitation endearing and laughed. “My children are your children. Do you think you can shirk the responsibility?”
After a pause, he added, “They are fond of you as well.”
Xie Meiying smiled brightly. “That’s true.” Before coming to the capital, she had worried that Jiang’s parents and children would not accept her. But once they met, she realized his parents were kind and understanding. Since Jiang Lang loved her, they loved her too. The children did not treat her as a wicked stepmother but respected her relationship with Jiang Lang.
Ying’er even said: ‘Love arises without reason, and once it begins, it cannot be stopped.’
Those words struck her heart. If she could control her own feelings, she would never have fallen for Jiang Lang.
She immediately promised, “Rest assured, Jiang Lang, I will take good care of the two children.”
Jiang Zhixiu bent down to kiss her cheek. He was just about to say, “In the future, we’ll have a few of our own,” when a maid came to report that the Second Master requested his presence at Songrong Hall.
“So late? What could be so urgent?” Jiang Zhixiu frowned. He didn’t really want to go—he wasn’t planning to stay overnight at Luomei Pavilion, only to chat with Meiying a while longer.
The maid replied respectfully, “I do not know, sir. But the Old Master, Old Madam, Second Madam, and Young Lady are all there. You must go.”
Jiang Zhixiu scowled. “Furong still hasn’t returned home? She’s already a mother, yet she acts so willfully, staying at her parents’ house as long as she pleases. It’s disgraceful. She wasn’t always this bold—it was He Fangting who spoiled her.”
The maid confirmed, “She has not returned.”
Jiang Zhixiu thought: since the whole family was waiting, it must indeed be something serious. He had no choice but to go.
Seeing Xie Meiying’s worried look, he smiled. “They must want to discuss a happy occasion. Rest early—I’ll tell you the details tomorrow.”
Xie Meiying blushed and saw him off.
Jiang Zhixiu arrived at Songrong Hall and found his parents and siblings all gathered. He frowned slightly. “What’s the matter? Couldn’t it wait until morning?”
Jiang Linxiu, refreshed after a day’s rest, laughed. “Interrupting my elder brother’s moonlit tryst with Miss Xie—what a crime, what a crime!”
In truth, he felt a pang of jealousy. His elder brother was so much older, yet still blessed with such romantic fortune.
Indeed, in the brothels and pleasure houses, as long as one brings enough silver, there are countless beauties to be found. But how could any of them compare with Miss Xie?
Miss Xie’s medical skills are outstanding, her heart full of compassion. The name “Immortal Mei” has already spread from Huainan to the capital. Her love and devotion with Elder Brother will surely become a celebrated tale.
Jiang Zhixiu’s face darkened. “Second Brother, mind your words!”
They were not yet married—moonlit trysts were hardly a respectable reputation to have.
Jiang Linxiu laughed and admitted fault, secretly cursing his elder brother as hypocritical. *He does it himself, yet forbids others to speak of it.*
Li Xixiang, weary from household chores, had slept only an hour during the day. Dizzy and exhausted, she did not want to beat around the bush. She spoke directly: “Elder Brother, the household is nearly at the point of not being able to put food on the table. What do you propose we do?”
Jiang Zhixiu was momentarily stunned. “Why ask me? The household accounts are managed by Madam He!”
He was about to send someone to summon He Fangting and ask how she had been running things.
Jiang Linxiu quickly stopped him, smiling bitterly. “Because you insist on marrying Miss Xie, Sister-in-law grew angry and no longer wishes to manage the household. Last night she handed everything over.”
Jiang Zhixiu thought he had misheard. “Handed over? To whom?!”
Li Xixiang answered weakly, “To me. Last night she gave me the ledgers—the general accounts and the divided ones.”
She had thought she might profit from it, but instead it was a bottomless pit.
Jiang Zhixiu had always been courteous to his younger brother’s wife, but now his patience snapped. “She handed it to you, and you dared to accept?”
Though he quarreled with He Fangting and resented her lack of propriety, he had never imagined letting Li Xixiang manage the household. The Jiang family’s standing was upheld by him, Jiang Zhixiu! The one to oversee the inner quarters should naturally be his wife.
Perhaps in the future it would be Xie Meiying, but until she entered the household, it could only be He Fangting. Li Xixiang had no such qualification. His mother, Madam Pan, might have the status, but not the ability.
Li Xixiang grew angry too. “I didn’t want it either! They all forced me to take it!”
“They” included He Fangting, as well as her father-in-law and husband.
Jiang Zhixiu suppressed his fury and turned to his brother. “Such a serious matter—why did you make the decision on your own, without informing me?”
Jiang Linxiu explained, “Yesterday we tried to summon you, but you weren’t home. Later we heard you had gone to Luomei Pavilion, so we dared not disturb you.”
The excuse of “not daring to disturb” was false. In truth, they wanted to take advantage of his absence to probe into the household accounts.
And what they discovered was that the accounts held very little.
Jiang Zhixiu recalled that indeed, he had returned home very late yesterday and had gone to Luomei Pavilion. But that was no reason for them to keep him uninformed!
He was the head of the household. For such a major matter to occur without his knowledge until now—did these people truly hold him in no regard?