“She actually came forward for Jiang Jiaran… How could that be? What does he mean by this?”
After urgently summoning Second Master back, Second Madam pulled him aside and asked in confusion.
Ever since meeting Jiang Jiaran today, she had been restless, her thoughts constantly drifting in different directions.
Having a madman in the household was truly exhausting. Was he doing this on purpose?
Why? Was it because he was dissatisfied with what they had done before, and only now planning to act?
Was he going to do something else?
“Alright, stop overthinking,” Second Master interrupted her and soothed her. “Since he has not done anything further, just leave it alone.”
Even if they wanted to control it, they could not.
Ying Zhaolou was someone whose actions could not be judged by any normal or abnormal logic. After so many years, when had anyone ever understood what he wanted to do?
Thinking about it was useless.
Second Madam fell silent for a moment, then nodded. That was true. His actions had never been normal, not even once.
As for Jiang Jiaran, until Ying Zhaolou’s attitude was clear, they could only avoid interfering with her.
“Focus on tomorrow’s banquet instead,” Second Master continued. “Madam of the Grand Chancellor will attend. You and First Madam should try to build some connections. Also Madam Zhong Shisan. It was Minister Chen’s household that was raided by Minister Zhong’s people the day before. He is now able to speak beside Grand Chancellor Zhan…”
The two continued speaking in low voices.
Meanwhile, in the Jiang residence, First Branch’s courtyard erupted with a furious shout.
“What does she mean? How dare she curse my son?”
After Jiang Jiaran left the residence and encountered Jiang Qin, she had pointed at him and said he would die soon. She had not lowered her voice or avoided anyone, so all the nearby servants heard it clearly.
Everyone present, including Aunt Shen, had been shocked by her sudden words and actions. Even Jiang Qin himself had stood frozen for a long time, apparently forgetting he could even argue back.
First Madam had not been present at the time, having left the front courtyard after being driven away by the old madam. She only had people watching the situation.
The servants all pushed the responsibility onto one another and did not dare report it immediately. It was only when First Madam saw Jiang Qin and questioned him that she learned the truth.
No mother could tolerate her son being pointed at and told he would die.
First Madam was burning with rage.
While First Madam raged, Jiang Qin sat beside her in a daze.
His mind kept replaying that moment when Jiang Jiaran had looked at him with certainty and a strange cold smile.
That instant, she had even crooked her finger at him, and for no reason at all, he had felt a chill of fear rise in his heart. It had shaken him more than he cared to admit.
By the time he came back to his senses and prepared to lash out, Jiang Jiaran had already passed him. Then she leaned slightly and said softly that if he did not want to die, he should come find her. She could save him, and she would not hold it against him.
Her tone was soft and eerie. At that exact moment, a cold wind passed through the corridor, making his spine turn ice-cold.
Jiang Qin rubbed his temples, trying to push the thoughts away, and sneered inwardly.
Just scaring people. Acting like some mystic fraud.
After spooking everyone, Jiang Jiaran went back to eat and rest.
When she woke up, she suddenly remembered something important.
She had forgotten to ask Second Madam about her dowry.
At the time, she had been using Ying Zhaolou’s name to confuse Second Madam into compliance. If she had asked for her dowry under his name, she might have actually agreed.
Jiang Jiaran pushed open the door and stepped outside, glancing toward the neighboring courtyard.
Forget it. There would be other chances.
Borrowing the name of a powerful figure without permission was still not very appropriate.
Being too greedy could backfire, and getting too complacent could lead to disaster.
If that big boss ever found out and got unhappy enough to kill her, she would have nowhere to cry.
Since that day, Second Madam no longer came to trouble her.
No new relatives such as branch young masters or young ladies appeared in Jiang Jiaran’s courtyard either.
Life after transmigration had become unusually peaceful.
As the weather changed, the wind grew stronger that day.
Jiang Jiaran was inside her room when she heard Yu’er sighing repeatedly outside. She pushed open the window to look into the courtyard.
Because of the wind, the leaves Yu’er had just swept up were scattered again, leaving her flustered.
Jiang Jiaran could not help but smile. The girl sometimes really was a little silly in a cute way.
A laugh sounded in her ear.
She paused.
Did I just laugh out loud?
But she had not opened her mouth.
Leaning against the window, she looked out and saw Lier by the window.
Yu’er heard the laugh and looked up. Seeing them both looking at her, she quickly became embarrassed and hurried to clean the blown-away leaves again.
Jiang Jiaran tapped Lier on the head.
“Do not laugh at others.”
Lier rubbed the spot where she had tapped him and held up something excitedly.
“Sister-in-law, can you make kites?”
Jiang Jiaran looked at the bamboo strips in his hands.
Make kites…
The weather these past two days was indeed suitable for flying kites.
Ying Li had wanted to fly a kite and also wanted to make one himself. But he did not know how, so he went to ask Ying Zhaolou.
Ying Zhaolou could not be bothered and only had Shi Feng prepare bamboo strips and paper painted with swallows, then tossed them to him to figure it out himself.
Ying Li worried over it for a long time, thinking he was just a child and had no idea how to do it. So he came to find his sister-in-law.
After all, she seemed to know everything, from building stoves to roasting sweet potatoes, cooking strange and delicious food.
Jiang Jiaran had indeed made a kite before, though it was from a primary school craft class long ago.
It was too distant a memory. She was not sure if she could succeed.
Still, luck seemed good today. The kite they finally assembled did not have any imbalance or structural problems.
Seeing that she had really made one, Lier clapped excitedly and ran around the courtyard. In his excitement, he looked like an ordinary playful child, nothing like the feared little troublemaker people said he was.
He raised the kite, ran a few laps, and then finally succeeded in flying it with Yu’er and Jiang Jiaran’s help.
Jiang Jiaran told Yu’er to take a break and join them, then sat nearby drinking tea while watching the kite rise slowly into the sky.
The sky behind it was clear blue, making everything feel vast and open.
For a moment, she felt a faint sense of envy. It would be nice if she could be like a kite, flying freely wherever she wanted.
Just then, Lier suddenly cried out.
The string snapped without warning. The kite spun helplessly in the air before drifting down toward the ground.
Jiang Jiaran: …
Forget it. Better to be a person after all.
Because the kite had flown high and far, it drifted beyond their courtyard and landed in the neighboring courtyard belonging to Ying Zhaolou.
Lier immediately handed the spool to Yu’er and ran off to retrieve it.
Since the weather was good, Ying Zhaolou was also sitting in his courtyard.
Lier’s noisy laughter was impossible to ignore, but Ying Zhaolou did not care until something fell into his yard.
He raised his eyes slightly.
Above the courtyard wall, a kite drifted over, carried by the wind.
He watched it for a moment, then lightly flicked his finger.
A barely noticeable force shot upward.
The kite string snapped instantly.
The out-of-control kite fell, landing neatly at his feet. He bent slightly and picked it up, examining it.
When Lier arrived, he saw his brother leaning lazily in his wheelchair, turning the kite in his hand.
“Mine! Mine! Give it back!” he said, reaching for it.
He could not reach.
He jumped again, but Ying Zhaolou simply lifted it slightly higher each time.
After a few failed attempts, Lier finally understood.
“Brother, give it back already,” he said, annoyed.
Ying Zhaolou raised a brow. “Yours?”
“Yes! I made it with sister-in-law. Of course it is mine.”
Ying Zhaolou said lightly, “I picked it up. It is mine now.”
Lier stared at him in disbelief.
Ying Zhaolou swung the kite slightly in front of him. “If you want it, come and take it.”
Lier huffed in anger and ran off again.
Ying Zhaolou continued examining the kite until his gaze landed on a small corner.
There was a tiny drawing, clearly added later. The brushwork was unfamiliar.
He frowned slightly.
What was this? A few balls? Or eggs?
He looked closer again.
It seemed… like chestnuts.
Ah. It really was chestnuts.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
It was extremely ugly.