The night was deep, and the courtyard lay in complete silence.
Jiang Xiu draped an outer robe over herself and personally led Xing’er, clearing out her remaining dowry chest by chest, sending them overnight to a private residence her father had purchased for her in earlier years.
The small storeroom, once filled to the brim with chests, decorative items, silks, and jewelry, was now completely emptied.
In the end, only the Wu family’s original old cotton quilts and the congratulatory gifts Wu Xiong had received over the years remained.
Fu Fu nestled in her swaddling clothes, watching with a sense of satisfaction.
[Yes, yes, just like that.]
[You should have done this long ago, Mother.]
[This nest of bloodsuckers from the Wu family has drained your lifeblood for ten years, and they really think your dowry belongs to them?]
Jiang Xiu glanced down at her, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile finally surfaced in her eyes.
She suddenly felt that this daughter had come at just the right time.
As if even Heaven could no longer stand by and had sent her a treasure.
The next day, within just half a day of Old Mrs. Wu taking over the household management, the Marquis’s residence descended into chaos.
Early in the morning, the kitchen staff hurriedly came to Jiang Xiu’s courtyard.
“Madam!” The cook wore a pained expression, sweat beading on his forehead from anxiety. “The old madam only gave five copper coins for groceries, yet she demands fish and meat, and even specified that Concubine Lin wants a lamb leg. The entire household is waiting for their meal—how can this possibly be enough?”
The assistant cook beside him nodded repeatedly.
“The old madam said that if it really isn’t enough, we should come to you for money. She said you’ve always been the most generous and would never stand by and watch everyone go hungry.”
The tone was utterly matter-of-fact.
Jiang Xiu held her teacup, gently blowing on the floating foam, her tone as mild as if she were chatting about everyday matters.
“Now that the old madam is managing the household, where would I have any silver left?”
The assistant cook choked, his eyes darting around before he forced a smile and said, “But everyone in the residence knows you have a small private treasury, Madam, and there’s always plenty of money in there.”
“The kitchen is truly at its wit’s end, which is why we’ve come to beg you, Madam.”
Jiang Xiu looked up, her gaze finally turning a few degrees colder.
“There is no silver in the private treasury.”
“If you don’t believe me,” she set down her teacup, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, “you can accompany the old madam to see for yourselves.”
The group had initially intended to plead further, but upon meeting Jiang Xiu’s eyes, for some reason, none dared to say more and could only retreat awkwardly.
Not long after, a clerk from Huaxiang Pavilion arrived.
It turned out that Lin Shuang, having just entered the household, had taken Wu Jiaojiao to buy a large pile of rouge, powder, pearl hairpins, and silk fans, all of the most expensive variety.
Wu Jiaojiao even boasted to everyone she met that these were for her “new sister-in-law,” claiming that the Marquis’s residence now had someone more considerate and that their days would only get better from now on!
Her smug demeanor seemed eager to let the entire capital know that Lin Shuang was the sister-in-law she recognized.
In the past, whenever she bought things, the bills were always sent to Jiang Xiu.
But this time, Jiang Xiu didn’t even spare them a glance.
“The old madam is managing the household now. Just give the bills to her.”
The clerk had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Wu Jiaojiao stormed into the courtyard in a rage.
As soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Xiu sitting by the window, leisurely sipping her tea.
Wu Jiaojiao immediately rushed forward, snatched the teacup from Jiang Xiu’s hands, and smashed it fiercely onto the ground.
“Jiang Xiu, what do you mean by this!”
Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and tea splattered across the floor.
“How dare you have the bills sent to my mother! I only bought some rouge and powder—do you have to be so petty?”
She grew angrier the more she spoke, her gaze falling once again on the tea jar on the table, jealousy blazing through her mind.
“And this special tribute tea! Why should you drink it all alone? Today, neither Mother nor I got a single sip!”
“In the past, all these fine things were always sent to our courtyard first!”
Yet Jiang Xiu showed not the slightest trace of annoyance.
She merely lifted her eyes, calmly looking at Wu Jiaojiao.
“Now it is the Old Madam who manages the household. Naturally, your bills should be sent to her.”
“As for the special tribute tea,” she paused, a faint smile touching her lips, “this was sent from my maternal family. What is wrong with me drinking my own things?”
Wu Jiaojiao was momentarily speechless, then grew even more furious.
In her mind, Jiang Xiu’s possessions naturally belonged to the Wu family as well.
“What’s yours or mine? Why draw such clear lines?”
“Don’t try to shut me up with such talk!” she shrilled. “Isn’t it just because you resent my brother giving Mother the authority to manage the household? You can’t stand my brother taking a concubine, can you? You’re doing this on purpose!”
“A man having three wives and four concubines is only natural! My brother was already honoring you by taking you as his principal wife!”
“Do you really think so highly of yourself?”
Jiang Xiu listened quietly to the end.
Suddenly, she felt how pitiful her former self had been.
Subsidizing the Wu family, managing household affairs, treating her mother-in-law and sister-in-law kindly, bearing children for Wu Xiong, struggling to uphold the outwardly glamorous facade of the Marquis’ estate.
In the end, it all amounted to nothing.
The room fell silent for a moment.
After finishing her tirade, Wu Jiaojiao, as usual, flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
She walked slowly, deliberately stomping her feet heavily.
She was certain that within three steps, Jiang Xiu would call her back, coax her as always, and then have better rouge and powder sent to her courtyard.
But this time,
silence persisted behind her.
Wu Jiaojiao’s steps abruptly halted.
Jiang Xiu simply remained seated where she was, reached for another teacup, and said calmly, “Xing’er, bring another cup of tea.”
Then, as if remembering something, she lifted her gaze and leisurely added:
“And from now on, keep a closer watch on the things in my courtyard.”
Fuming with pent-up anger, her face flushed crimson, Wu Jiaojiao flung out, “Just you wait!” before storming out of Jiang Xiu’s courtyard.
The door curtain swung violently from her force, shattering the quiet in the room.
On the small daybed, Fu Fu, who had been sleeping heavily, was startled awake by the commotion. She frowned, her little face displeased, and opened her eyes.
These past few days since Lin Shuang’s arrival, the Wu residence had been in utter chaos, and her new human body had suffered along with it.
Too weak.
It was truly too weak!
The more Fu Fu thought about it, the more disdain she felt.
【This body is utterly useless.】
【Damn it, even a demon dog lived better than this.】
Just as she finished grumbling to herself, she looked up and saw a thin, small boy peeking his head in and walking through the doorway.
It was her second brother, Wu Zhan.
Wu Zhan was six years old, with delicate features, but he was too thin, making him seem exceptionally quiet.
He stood by the door, wanting to see his newborn sister, yet somewhat afraid.
His appearance made Fu Fu’s heart clench.
【How tragic.】
【This is Second Brother, right.】
【Clearly an extremely intelligent child, yet he was poisoned, damaging his throat, becoming the mute everyone calls him.】
【That scumbag father finds him unfit for public appearance, refuses to acknowledge him as a son, won’t even let him enter the academy.】
【Poor Second Brother, even until his death, he still longed for a shred of paternal affection from that dog.】
Fu Fu watched him while shaking her head inwardly.
【And the result?】
【After his mother died, he was merely hiding in his room crying, yet he was resented for it. In the end, he was dragged by a horse for a hundred miles, left mangled and bloody, his corpse so disfigured it could no longer be recognized as human.】
【Tsk, how tragic.】
【All bloody and gory, even uglier than being skinned and having one’s tendons pulled out.】
【The Wu family’s methods—even I have to admit I’m not as ruthless as them.】
The soft, milky voice of an infant, word by word, fell into Wu Zhan’s ears.
Wu Zhan froze completely.
His little face turned pale in an instant, his eyes widening bit by bit, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
His sister hadn’t opened her mouth.
But that voice… it was unmistakably the voice of an infant.
And how could Father possibly treat him like that?
Even though he couldn’t speak and was always looked down upon, deep down, he had always known that Father was a marquis, a man of integrity and honor.
If he could just be a little more obedient, a little smarter, a little more likable, Father would surely come to like him one day.
But now, that tiny, pitiful hope seemed to have been crushed abruptly.
Wu Zhan’s eyes reddened instantly.
He bit his lip hard, trying not to cry, but his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
He didn’t want to be dragged by a horse.
He didn’t want to be disfigured beyond recognition.
And most of all… most of all, he didn’t want Father to treat him like that.
Jiang Xiu looked up and saw Wu Zhan’s deathly pale little face, her heart tightening sharply.
It seemed Zhan’er could also hear their daughter’s inner thoughts.
She quickly stood up and pulled Wu Zhan into her arms.
Wu Zhan, frightened, burrowed tightly into Jiang Xiu’s embrace, his lips trembling as he managed to force out two words:
“Li… little sister…”