Recalling those past events, Jiang Yixi grew angry. Pouting, she said, “Granny Yu is getting old and can no longer manage serving Xun properly. It’s time she retired and returned home.”
Mama Wu snorted coldly. “It would be best to dismiss her. That old woman is not only lazy but also has a sharp tongue. Relying on her elder brother being Lord Jiang’s personal attendant, she often bullies and hits the young maids…”
When Jiang Xun was young, his wet nurse had taken leave to care for her sick husband. First Madam Jiang had then assigned Granny Yu to attend to Jiang Xun’s daily needs, and the wet nurse never returned. While Jiang Chen was alive, Granny Yu didn’t dare act so recklessly. But after Jiang Chen passed away and with the elders paying no attention, her boldness gradually grew.
Jiang Xun also had one maid and one young servant boy, both around twelve or thirteen years old.
Jiang Yixi remembered that Granny Yu did indeed enjoy bullying others, especially Jiang Xun’s maid and servant boy, who had suffered plenty under her mistreatment.
Only after refusing the marriage proposal, dismissing those who needed to be dismissed, and securing the people she needed could she peacefully go to the estate—and it had to be the Hu Estate located in the western suburbs.
The first task was to help someone: at that critical moment, assist the Dieting Little Nun who was practicing asceticism while retaining her hair. The Dieting Little Nun’s secular name was Li Zhenbao, daughter of Prince Yong and biological granddaughter of the current Empress Dowager. Due to her fate and health issues, she had been sent to Zhaoming Nunnery as a child to practice asceticism while keeping her hair. She was now twelve years old.
The second task was to “repay a kindness”: find a way to treat Meng Cimo’s eyes. She had heard from Jiang Xun that the estate where Meng Cimo and the old duke were recuperating was also in the western suburbs of the capital.
Then, she needed to secretly earn some money to plan for her and Jiang Xun’s future.
Her mother, Mrs. Hu, had left a small dowry, which wasn’t much and had always been managed by Old Madam Jiang. Among the assets was the Hu Estate, where Mama Wu’s husband served as the estate manager.
Her maternal grandfather held a minor official post in another region, and her uncles were all unaccomplished. Jiang Yixi and her brother couldn’t rely on their maternal family for support.
In the Jinhe Dynasty, women could establish independent households or choose to remain unmarried. Old Madam Jiang and Lord Jiang would certainly not want to waste her as a valuable pawn; even marrying her off to an older widower of some status would be a contribution to the Jiang family.
Over the next two years, Jiang Yixi needed to plan carefully. If she could find a suitable match, that would be ideal. If not, she would find a way to pressure Old Madam Jiang into allowing her to establish an independent household and remain unmarried. Her past life had taught her that if she couldn’t marry well, it was better not to marry at all.
She asked again, “Mama Wu, how far is Hu Estate from Zhaoming Nunnery?”
Mama Wu replied, “Zhaoming Nunnery is at the foot of Green Snail Mountain. It’s only a quarter-hour’s walk from Hu Estate.”
“So close…”
Mama Wu asked, “How does the young lady know about Zhaoming Nunnery?”
Jiang Yixi smiled. “At the Peach Blossom Banquet, I overheard several noble young ladies whispering that Precious Jewel County Princess of Prince Yong’s household was practicing asceticism at Zhaoming Nunnery. They also said that last month, the County Princess suddenly underwent a drastic change in temperament, clamoring to return to secular life and insisting on eating meat. Prince Yong, his consort, and the heir have all gone to Zhaoming Nunnery to stay with her, and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is so worried she can’t sleep…”
The news about Precious Jewel County Princess demanding to return to secular life and eat meat was indeed something Jiang Yixi had heard at the Peach Blossom Banquet, while the information about the County Princess being at Zhaoming Nunnery had come from Mama Wu.
In her previous life, around mid-April, a young girl with unshorn hair dressed in plain nun’s robes had sprained her ankle while passing by Hu Estate. She had tearfully knocked on the door, hoping to use a silver ingot to hide at the estate for a few days.That little nun kept her hair and had so much money. Old Wu instinctively felt she was no ordinary person. With only three men in the estate—Old Wu and his two sons—he dared not let her stay. He refused payment and offered her some medicinal herbs and vegetarian meals instead, inviting her to rest outside.
The little nun was unwilling and had just started making a fuss when a group of people arrived. An elderly nun with unshorn hair forcibly carried her on her back, calling her “Master Jieshi”…
Jiang Yixi remembered clearly: it was around mid-April, shortly after her engagement had been settled. Mama Wu had returned to the estate and later shared this story with her as an amusing anecdote.
Except for outsiders, nearly everyone in the capital knew that Precious Jewel County Princess’s monastic name was the laughable “Jieshi” (Fasting), though no one knew exactly which nunnery she practiced in.
If she could build a good relationship with Precious Jewel County Princess, many matters would become much easier to handle.
That night, Jiang Yixi dreamed again of the scene where she was caught in adultery, with Meng Cimo urging her to “survive”… After waking, she thought to herself: perhaps only by completely rejecting that marriage and changing her fate would she stop having this nightmare.
The next morning, the rain had stopped. The sky was clear as if washed, and a fiery red morning sun hung in the eastern horizon.
The old lady’s servants went to the various masters’ courtyards, saying the old lady had not slept well the previous night and that the younger generation need not come to pay their respects.
Shui Xiang brought back breakfast—the same as the day before: two small steamed buns, a plate of pickles, and a bowl of mung bean porridge.
Although Jiang Yixi had accurately predicted two events, whether the third would come true remained to be seen that afternoon. Thus, First Madam Jiang had not instructed the kitchen to restore Jiang Yixi’s regular provisions.
Shui Lu glanced at the meal but said nothing. The previous evening, she had gone to speak with her mother and learned that the Earl’s fall wasn’t serious—he had only sprained his foot. Her mother also mentioned that the First Madam would transfer her to serve the Fifth Miss. The Fifth Miss was a concubine’s daughter, so it would be a temporary assignment; if an opening arose later in the Third Miss’s service, she would be transferred there.
At this point, she didn’t want to cause trouble and even offered up a not-so-important piece of information: “I heard from my mother that the Earl was summoned by the old lady to the Hall of Auspiciousness yesterday. He didn’t return to the main courtyard all night and didn’t go to his office this morning either.”
Jiang Yixi said coldly, “Don’t tell me these things from now on. Those who know the situation will think you’re being indiscreet; those who don’t will assume I deliberately planted a spy.”
Shui Lu’s eyes reddened, and she pressed her lips together, feeling utterly wronged. She resolved to seek out her mother as soon as possible and leave this place earlier.
Mama Wu also taunted, “Look at your frivolous manner—more like a young lady than the young lady herself.”
Unable to hold back, Shui Lu ran off in tears.
Jiang Yixi instructed Mama Wu to take a silver fragment to buy pig’s large intestine outside, along with a few seasonings and several medicinal herbs, and to invite Jiang Xun for the midday meal.
Jiang Yixi’s private savings were meager—only a dozen or so taels of silver. Thinking of the five hundred taels she had refused from Jiang Xun, her heart tightened. How could she have been so foolish before, letting the old lady benefit for nothing? No matter how simple Jiang Xun was, he wouldn’t have disclosed that Meng Cimo had given him the silver. It must have been Granny Yu who found out and secretly informed the First Madam, who then told the old lady.
Jiang Yixi also took out twenty copper coins and sent Shui Xiang to the main kitchen to buy more firewood. The estate supplied each courtyard with firewood, but only in limited quantities—enough for boiling water.
In the side room of Brilliant Garden, there was a stove specifically for boiling water or reheating meals.
Before long, Shui Xiang returned to Brilliant Garden’s main gate, followed by Silly Girl, who carried a large bundle of firewood on her back and held two more bundles in her hands.
Silly Girl set down the firewood, pulled an axe from her belt, and began splitting the wood.
Seeing Jiang Yixi come out, she quickly stopped her work and bowed to her.
“This humble servant greets Second Miss. Um… the firewood is a bit thick, afraid the sisters aren’t used to burning it… hehe.”
She wiped her face with her hand, immediately leaving a smudge of soot on her cheek.
Silly Girl wore her hair in double buns, standing over 1.7 meters tall with long legs, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and full lips. Her clothes were unclean and had two patches.