Jiang Yixi paid respects to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, lit eternal lamps for Jiang Chen and Mrs. Hu, and generously donated one hundred taels of silver before going to enjoy the scenery behind the nunnery.
The area was rich with vegetation, filled with fine trees and exquisite flowers.
Jiang Yixi thought to herself: Some say Prince Yong and others are accompanying Precious Jewel County Princess at Zhaoming Nunnery. I wonder if they’ve left yet.
After eating vegetarian lunch at noon, the group returned to Hu Estate. Following the afternoon rest, Jiang Yixi resumed copying scriptures.
Her days fell into a steady rhythm: visiting Zhaoming Nunnery to burn incense in the morning, tending to flowers and plants for about half an hour, copying scriptures for half an hour in the afternoon, and spending the remaining time reading medical books while “self-studying” acupuncture. This pattern continued unchanged for several consecutive days.
During these days, Jiang Yixi neither encountered Precious Jewel County Princess and her family by chance nor heard any rumors about her. However, this place still differed from other temples – there were always men who didn’t look like commoners lingering around the nunnery. They were likely guards protecting the County Princess.
Jiang Yixi felt puzzled. With so many guards in the open and shadows, she wondered how the County Princess had managed to escape the nunnery in her previous life, and whether things might change in this lifetime.
During this period, Third Master Jiang specially brought a troop of soldiers to visit Jiang Yixi at Hu Estate.
Jiang Yixi also sent Wu Yougui to Meng Estate in Linfeng Town three times to inquire whether Old Duke Meng and Young Master Meng had returned, but each time she was told they hadn’t come back yet.
On the morning of the ninth day after breakfast, Mama Wu took Shui Xiang to town to buy ingredients. Jiang Xun was coming in the afternoon, and if Granny Qin had returned to the capital, she would certainly come too.
Jiang Yixi still brought Shuiling and Wu Yougui to Zhaoming Nunnery.
The sunlight was particularly strong today. After burning incense, Jiang Yixi took Shuiling to rest under a tree beside the main hall, with Wu Yougui standing about ten feet away.
Suddenly, a cat’s meow was heard, followed by a tabby cat jumping out from the grass. It ran up to Jiang Yixi and sat down, watching her. The tabby was exceptionally beautiful with black and white fur, round almond-shaped eyes, and white coloring from its mouth down to its belly. It meowed repeatedly as if begging for food.
Jiang Yixi had kept a cat in the nunnery during her previous life. Smiling, she reached out to pet the kitten’s head but had no food to give it.
After enduring several pets without getting what it wanted, the kitten turned and ran away.
A series of footsteps approached as two young nuns passed by.
“Master Yuhe’s Buddhist wisdom is truly profound. He predicted Junior Master Jie Shi would regain clarity, and indeed she has become clear-minded.”
“But when she’s conscious, she keeps demanding meat. This is a nunnery after all. No matter how angry Abbot Cangji gets, she can’t scold Junior Master Jie Shi out of consideration for the Prince.”
“Not only does she demand meat, she’s also quite rude to the Prince and Princess Consort. The other day when I delivered vegetarian food, I heard her throwing a tantrum. The Prince was carefully coaxing her, and it seemed she even pulled the Prince’s beard. Ah, if my worldly parents had been half as good, I wouldn’t have become a nun.”
“How can we compare to Junior Master Jie Shi? That’s her fate – enjoying privilege in the secular world, and still enjoying privilege after becoming a nun. She craves meat, while we just worry about having enough to eat…”
Their voices faded into the distance.
Shuiling finally couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Miss, why do those young nuns talk just like me, constantly mentioning ‘meat’ and ‘eating enough’?”
Jiang Yixi laughed, “Young nuns are people too. For any person, the first thing they think about is eating. Only by eating can they survive.”
“But they also talked about meat…”
Jiang Yixi tugged at her sleeve. “Let’s go, time to head home.”
She knew that the more clear-minded the Dieting Little Nun became, the more trouble she would cause.In the evening, half the setting sun had sunk behind Green Snail Mountain when the sound of cart wheels finally came from beyond the courtyard.
Wu Yougui rushed to open the gate, and Jiang Xun entered accompanied by a woman, a girl, and a young boy.
The woman appeared to be around thirty years old, though she had aged considerably. Jiang Yixi still recognized her as Granny Qin. The young girl was twelve or thirteen, while the boy looked about seven or eight.
Granny Qin knelt immediately upon seeing Jiang Yixi, weeping, “I never thought this humble servant would live to see Second Young Lady again. That place was so remote—I only learned last year that Second Master had fallen in battle. My heart broke. Thinking of Second Young Master and Second Young Lady, so young with both parents gone…”
Jiang Yixi’s heart ached as well. She personally helped Granny Qin to her feet. “Granny Qin, you’ve suffered. I’ve been well, thanks to Mama Wu’s care. Now that Xun’er has you by his side, I can rest easy.”
The girl and the boy knelt to pay their respects.
“This humble servant Qiao’er greets Second Young Lady.”
“This humble servant Qin Lin greets Second Young Lady.”
Jiang Yixi bade them rise and rewarded Granny Qin with five taels of silver, while Qiao’er and Qin Lin each received two taels.
Jiang Xun explained, “Granny Qin has already moved into my quarters. I didn’t want Qiao’er to be assigned elsewhere by The Eldest Uncle’s wife, so I didn’t bring her into the estate. Qin Lin is staying with Shuiling’s family for now, and Qiao’er is temporarily with Xiao Hong’s family.”
Granny Qin’s family had previously lived in the servant quarters of Marquis Wuxiang Estate, but those rooms had since been taken over. Now that they had returned to the capital, they had nowhere to stay.
Jiang Yixi took an immediate liking to Qiao’er and Qin Lin—they clearly had been well raised. She said, “From now on, Qiao’er will serve me. I will provide her monthly stipend separately. Qin Lin may stay at the manor for now and enter the estate to assist Xun’er when he’s older.”
The estate had fixed regulations. If one wished for additional servants, they had to cover the monthly wages and meal expenses themselves. Qiao’er was already thirteen; if she wanted to work in the estate, she would have to be assigned by First Madam Jiang and the steward. Qin Lin, being only seven, would not be accepted into the estate.
Granny Qin smiled, “That would be wonderful.”
Jiang Xun laughed, “That’s just what I had in mind.”
When Qiao’er learned she was to become the young lady’s maid, she happily stepped forward and kowtowed to Jiang Yixi.
Jiang Yixi smiled, “All my maids have names containing ‘water.’ From now on, you shall be called Shuiqing. Like Shuiling, you will be a second-rank maid.”
That evening, Jiang Yixi and her brother pressed Granny Qin to share stories of Mrs. Hu.
Although Mama Wu had accompanied Mrs. Hu as part of her dowry, she had only met Mrs. Hu after marrying Uncle Wu. Uncle Wu was the son of Mrs. Hu’s wet nurse, but being a man, he had limited insight. Granny Qin, however, had been Mrs. Hu’s chief maid since childhood. If they wanted to learn more about Mrs. Hu, she was the one to ask.
A gentle light filled Granny Qin’s eyes. “The young mistress was beautiful, soft-spoken, and skilled with her hands… Ah, Second Young Lady, you resemble her greatly, especially your lips—like flower petals. She loved wearing pale blue dresses and playing the flute…”
Through her descriptions, that beautiful, hazy figure gradually grew vivid and three-dimensional.
Jiang Yixi had asked Jiang Chen about their mother before, but he never went into such detail, only saying she was beautiful, gentle, and virtuous.
Jiang Xun listened without blinking, filled with regret. “Sister, you must have some memory of Mother, but I have none at all.”
Jiang Yixi shook her head. “I was only two when Mother passed away; I have no memories of her either. But Father’s voice and face—I remember them clearly and will never forget, even in death.”
Jiang Xun added, “I remember Father’s appearance too.”
Granny Qin’s gaze darkened slightly as she looked at Jiang Yixi, and she let out a soft sigh.
The next morning, Granny Qin finally spotted Uncle Wu chopping wood alone in the outer courtyard. She quickly walked over.
After making sure no one was around, she lowered her voice and asked, “Brother Wu, did the Second Master give any special instructions about that matter before his passing, or before heading to the battlefield?”