Gu Huaiqiu was the only son of the main branch, two years older than Gu Jin. His appearance was quite ordinary compared to Gu Jin’s, but his eyes were unforgettable.
Even without any change in expression, they gave off an endless chill, as if it seeped from his very bones.
Perhaps it was because of his disability.
Jiang Zhiyu had heard from people in the mansion that Gu Huaiqiu in the past was a complete wastrel—chasing cats and teasing dogs, indulging in food, drink, and gambling, with only whoring missing from the list.
With the main branch in decline and Gu Huaiqiu’s reputation in tatters, not a single marriage proposal came his way. First Madame had someone pull strings to send him to the military, hoping to temper him through experience.
Who could have expected that the Southern Ming Kingdom would tear up the treaty and invade that year? Prince Huai, who was just one step away from being named Crown Prince, led the troops into battle, and Gu Huaiqiu’s battalion followed him to the front lines.
A Cold Plague left the army plagued by internal and external troubles. In the fierce battle, Prince Huai died in the great explosion, and Gu Huaiqiu was sent back with both legs crippled.
With his legs useless, the once lively young man was confined day after day to this tiny space. Having experienced the brutality of the battlefield, it was only natural that his temperament changed drastically.
In her previous life, Jiang Zhiyu had little contact with this husband of hers on the marriage certificate, but he was the only person in this marquis’s mansion who had ever helped her.
At the time, however, she was unwilling to believe it. He likely despised her for being hopeless, and so there was never a next time.
Now, even starting over, the debt of gratitude remained.
From the moment she decided to go to the main branch, Jiang Zhiyu had already thought it through.
Merely breaking away from the second branch was far from enough. The inner quarters were like the imperial court—power determined one’s status and freedom.
It was both repayment and strategy. She wanted to cure Gu Huaiqiu’s legs, support him in inheriting the title, and become the mistress of the household herself. Only then could she live the life she desired and deserved.
However, that icy gaze did not linger on Jiang Zhiyu for long—just a moment, and then it shifted away.
As if Jiang Zhiyu, in his eyes, was no different from the fallen leaves in the courtyard.
“This servant advises you not to entertain improper delusions. Even though you now hold the status of the young mistress, how you came by it—you know it well yourself. Moreover, our young master dislikes others getting close,” the plump maidservant remarked with a mocking tone.
“Thank you for the reminder, miss.”
The plump maidservant’s cheeks twitched in frustration. Looking at Jiang Zhiyu’s unruffled, agreeable demeanor was like throwing a punch into cotton—infuriating yet impossible to argue against.
After pursing her lips several times, she finally snorted in anger, turned around, and continued leading the way.
The main branch’s quarters were small, and they soon arrived at the desolate courtyard the plump maidservant had mentioned.
It truly lived up to the word “desolate.”
Weeds ran rampant, some as tall as half a person. The paving stones were cracked and broken, covered in moss.
A few trees stood with only bare branches, the courtyard littered with fallen leaves, many of which had already rotted.
The rooms were no better, thick with dust. Peering through the door, the interior was empty, save for the windblown leaves and layers of spiderwebs in the corners.
This time, not only Mama Cao but even the maidservants who had followed along wore pained expressions.
Jiang Zhiyu took two steps forward, looking around as if searching for something.
The plump maidservant watched Jiang Zhiyu’s back, thinking to herself that she must be frightened by the desolate scene before her. A young lady from a noble family had never lived in such a dilapidated courtyard. Her earlier easy agreement was only because she hadn’t seen it yet.
Having vented much of her earlier frustration, her tone was both triumphant and provocative: “Our main branch has limited space, and currently only this courtyard is vacant. There’s nowhere else. Moreover, we are short-handed and must attend to First Madame and the young master, so we cannot spare anyone to help you tidy up the courtyard, young madam. Please forgive us.”
The words “forgive us” were nearly drowned out by her laughter.
Everyone present felt humiliated by this mockery—it was clearly a blatant insult.
It was made plain: the main branch did not welcome Jiang Zhiyu.
If she wanted to stay, she would have to live in this dilapidated courtyard and clean it herself. The main branch, let alone First Madame and the young master, would not even assign a maid for Jiang Zhiyu to command.
Could she… really stay under such circumstances?
“You are too kind,” Jiang Zhiyu said with a smile as she turned around. Her amiable expression left not only the plump maid but everyone else stunned.
Not only was she not angry, but she was also thanking her?
Could she not understand human speech?
“We are all one family. There’s no need to speak of forgiveness or understanding. We will be spending decades together from now on.”
Jiang Zhiyu took a step closer to the plump maid. Before the other could recover from her astonishment, she pulled a silver hairpin from her own hair and inserted it into the maid’s.
“Miss Fudong, you have worked hard today. This hairpin is a token of my appreciation. Let us get along well in the future, without any reservations.”
With that, she patted Fudong on the shoulder, as if Fudong had been overly polite throughout the journey.
“I… you…” Fudong was so furious she could hardly speak.
She wanted nothing more than to tear the hairpin from her head, but throwing back a reward would be an outright insult.
Staring at Jiang Zhiyu’s gentle, radiant face—a face that seemed capable of smiling through anything—Fudong’s anger made her cheeks puff out even more. She brushed off Jiang Zhiyu’s hand and stomped away, her steps shaking the ground.
“Young madam, First Madame deliberately sent that plump maid to harass and humiliate you. Why did you speak kindly to her?” Mama Cao stepped forward to stir trouble.
Jiang Zhiyu ignored her completely. Instead, she turned around and swept her gaze over the courtyard once more, inwardly amused.
Harassment?
First Madame indeed intended to harass her, but this was hardly convincing.
Whoever heard of harassing someone by giving them such a large courtyard?
It was a bit desolate, yes, but it included a main hall, two side rooms with adjoining chambers, four wing rooms on the east and west sides, and a rear building. It was considerably larger than Ruanyan Ge, where she had lived in the second branch.
As for the plump maid Fudong, she was hardly the image of a malicious servant. She couldn’t even manage to act fierce and thought herself terribly harsh.
Arranging today’s spectacle must have been quite a challenge for First Madame.
Not only did it fail to achieve the desired effect, but she also ended up infuriating herself.
“Young madam, although we have come to the main branch, you must not be too soft-spoken and allow yourself to be bullied. Perhaps I should go and…”
“Very well, it’s you then,” Jiang Zhiyu concluded before Mama Cao could finish.
Mama Cao was momentarily stunned, about to happily agree, when Jiang Zhiyu added, “I leave the entire courtyard to you to clean up.”
“Me?” Mama Cao pointed at herself. Seeing Jiang Zhiyu’s expression unchanged, she forced a dry laugh. “Young madam must be joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Jiang Zhiyu retorted, her face now cold and devoid of its earlier amiability. “If you wish to be the stewardess, you must prove your capability. This is the main branch. You are my dowry attendant, not under Marchioness’s command, but mine.”
Mama Cao’s expression froze, not daring to utter a word of rebuttal.
The dowry maids were indeed at the discretion of their mistress. If she refused now and Jiang Zhiyu sent her back, how would the Marchioness ever let her off?
Mama Cao could only grit her teeth and agree, bending her aged back to pack everything one by one.
Only when she began tidying the courtyard did she realize how vast it was. By the time Mama Cao was so exhausted she could almost see the ghosts of the underworld, she had only managed to finish a third of the work.
Meanwhile, Fudong had already recounted everything that had happened in full detail before First Madame.