Sun Jiarou looked at Su Wan’er, who had called her mother for over a decade, feeling somewhat vexed.
If not for that village woman, Su Leyun would not have been separated from her since birth, enduring so much hardship.
Yet Su Wan’er had been raised in the Marquis Manor for over ten years. While she could ignore her, she could not openly tear apart their relationship.
Seeing the softness in Sun Jiarou’s eyes, Su Wan’er seized the opportunity to link arms with her, acting coquettishly as she always did.
“Mother, please agree to my request.”
Noticing Sun Jiarou’s dilemma, Su Leyun stepped in: “Since Sister Wan’er wishes to learn, Mother should permit it. It would be nice for me to have a companion.”
She knew her mother was soft-hearted and had not yet seen Su Wan’er’s true nature, making it difficult to refuse outright.
She did not want her mother to be put in an awkward position. Moreover, keeping Su Wan’er within sight would make it easier to discern her schemes.
Why would the midwife die so suddenly? She was no longer the simple-minded village girl from her past life—she did not believe such a coincidence could occur.
“Since you agree, then learn together.”
Sun Jiarou withdrew her arm from Su Wan’er’s grasp, smiling as she tucked the stray hairs behind Su Leyun’s ear. Turning to Su Wan’er, she instructed, “Your sister is new to etiquette and manners. You must look after her in every matter.”
Suppressing the displeasure in her eyes, Su Wan’er smiled even more gently and replied, “Rest assured, Mother. I will naturally take care of my sister.”
With that, she walked slowly to Su Leyun’s side: “For tomorrow’s banquet at General Zhao’s Residence, have you prepared your hairpins and jewelry? Why not come to my room and take a look? If anything suits you, I will gift it to you.”
Hearing this, Su Leyun’s lips curled slightly—such hypocrisy.
In her past life, she had been deceived by Su Wan’er’s sweet words, allowing her to arrange her hairpins and accessories for outings, even believing her to be genuinely kind.
Who would have thought that Su Wan’er, taking advantage of her ignorance in dressing and matching, would deliberately choose gaudy, unsuitable jewelry for her? Coupled with maids harboring ill intentions and flattering her, she was repeatedly embarrassed in public, eventually making her reluctant to go out.
It became widely known that Marquis Su’s Manor had a legitimate daughter who was utterly disgraceful…
“Thank you, Sister, but I will not trouble you.”
Su Wan’er’s words reminded Sun Jiarou that tomorrow’s banquet at General Zhao’s Residence for his legitimate daughter’s birthday would be Su Leyun’s first appearance among the noble families of the capital. She ought to dress properly to avoid appearing timid.
Sun Jiarou led Su Leyun to the dressing table and opened all her jewelry boxes.
“Take a look. Which ones do you like?”
She picked up a gold-carved colorful phoenix hairpin and held it against Su Leyun’s hair, saying softly, “My daughter has such lovely features. Bright gold suits you well.”
Su Leyun sat before Sun Jiarou, letting her fuss over her. In her past life, she resented her mother for losing her and had always kept her distance, never sharing such intimate moments discussing jewelry and hairpins like this.
“This jade hairpin is also beautiful. It looks especially elegant and refined on you.”
Sun Jiarou tried one piece after another, wishing she could present the finest treasures in the world to her long-lost daughter.
Su Wan’er was left aside, watching enviously as the mother and daughter handled precious jewelry she had never seen before.
Clutching her handkerchief tightly, Su Wan’er remained silent, wearing an awkward expression of grievance as she retreated from the room.
“My daughter’s eyes and brows are radiant. Tomorrow, wear a peach-red dress and pair it with this pearl headpiece. It will surely look beautiful.”
Sun Jiarou didn’t even notice Su Wan’er leaving, fully focused on arranging things for Su Leyun.
Su Leyun sat quietly before the bronze mirror, looking at her hair adorned with pearls and jewels, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Was Mother treating her head like a treasure chest, piling on every fine piece she had?
She raised her hand, removed the gold, jade, and pearls, carefully placing them back into the jewelry box. With a light laugh, Su Leyun said, “Mother, how could I possibly wear so many?”
“Take all these back with you and wear them slowly over time.”
Sun Jiarou closed the chest, signaling Cuiliu beside her to handle it carefully.
Su Leyun had no choice but to agree, knowing that otherwise, her mother would likely feel upset again.
“Tomorrow is your first appearance among the noble families in the capital. As your mother, I must plan carefully for you.”
Sun Jiarou gently stroked Su Leyun’s hair, looking at her daughter who seemed carved from the same mold as herself, feeling a deep sense of contentment.
“It’s getting late. Go back and rest now. You have a banquet to attend tomorrow.”
The sound of the water clock reminded Sun Jiarou that night had grown deep. She hurriedly had Nanny Zhang and the maids escort Su Leyun back to her courtyard.
The moonlight was hidden in the sky as a young maid walked ahead, holding a lantern to light the way.
Returning to Morning Glory Cottage, Su Leyun instructed Cuiliu to store the jewelry her mother had given her and laid out the clothes she would wear to the banquet the next day before finally retiring to bed.
Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Su Leyun was roused from bed by Nanny Zhang. She washed and dressed, and by the time she was fully awake, her hairpins, ornaments, and jewelry were already in place.
Su Leyun smoothed the jade pendant tassels on the side of her dress and smiled at the elegant young woman reflected in the bronze mirror.
In her previous life, because she was not recorded in the Family Register, she had spent the entire New Year season confined at home. It wasn’t until after the New Year, during the Flower Festival, that her mother took her to the Duke’s mansion to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet.
At that time, she was timid and weak, sticking close to Su Wan’er at every step. Little did she know that Su Wan’er harbored ill intentions, having long ago spread the news that she had grown up in the wilds of Jingzhou. Su Wan’er even deliberately schemed to make her embarrass herself in front of all the noble young ladies.
She remembered that only Zhao Mingyan had spoken up for her, unable to bear the injustice. Yet, she had believed Su Wan’er’s provocations, thinking that no proper noble young lady would associate with someone from a military family.
She had looked down on Zhao Mingyan for her straightforward and decisive manner, finding her less refined and delicate than the other noble young ladies. So, she had treated her coldly, completely disregarding the long-standing friendship between her maternal grandfather’s family and the Zhao family.
In her previous life, when Zhao Mingyan jumped from the Wangjing Tower, she was already married into the Li Family. Remembering Miss Zhao’s kindness to her, she had wanted to pay her respects personally but was confined by the Li Family, unable to even step out of her courtyard…
Su Leyun and Su Wan’er shared a carriage, with a stove burning inside and the faint fragrance of tea wafting through the air.
Su Leyun leaned against the carriage wall, intending to close her eyes and rest, but Su Wan’er, caught up in her act, put on a show of affection and chattered incessantly.
“The Zhao family’s courtyard is large. Stay close to your elder sister. If you encounter any difficulties, I can help smooth things over for you.”
Su Wan’er clasped her hands in front of her, wearing a goose-yellow outer robe that made her appear particularly elegant and refined. A set of red-gold hair ornaments added a touch of opulence, perfectly embodying the demeanor of the Marquis Manor’s legitimate daughter.
In her previous life, hearing these words from Su Wan’er, she had believed that Su Wan’er genuinely cared for her and had called her “elder sister” with sincere affection.
Hmph, now she was no longer the country girl from her past life, easily deceived and bullied. She wanted to see what other tricks this esteemed legitimate daughter had up her sleeve.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Zhao residence. A clever servant had already placed a footstool by the carriage door. Su Leyun followed Su Wan’er as they alighted.
The Zhao family servants gathered around, welcoming them into the rear hall.
The rear hall was warmed by underfloor heating, with plum blossoms on the table emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.
Seated in the main position was a tall woman with an air of heroic spirit in her eyes and brows. A bright red outer garment embroidered with golden silk crabapple blossoms accentuated her dignified presence.
Seeing the young ladies from Marquis Su’s Manor enter, Zhao Mingyan rose to greet them.
“Wan’er, you’ve arrived. This must be Sister Yun’er.”
Zhao Mingyan’s expression remained neutral as she spoke to Su Wan’er, but when she turned to Su Leyun, her demeanor warmed noticeably.
“Greetings, Sister Zhao.”
Gazing at the familiar woman before her, Su Leyun felt a warmth welling up in her eyes. Concealing her emotions, she curtsied slightly and performed a courtesy appropriate for peers.