Jiang Zhiyu wiped the sweat from her brow under the eaves, straightened her collar, and then entered the room.
First Madame was already seated in the main chair at the head of the hall. Watching Jiang Zhiyu walk in, the disgust in her eyes intensified.
From the crack in the window earlier, the view had been somewhat distant, but now, up close, Jiang Zhiyu’s appearance was even clearer.
Even without a trace of makeup, her face was dazzlingly beautiful—like a seductive enchantress, utterly unsuitable for a respectable household.
“Greetings, Mother-in-law.” Jiang Zhiyu curtsied respectfully.
“Don’t call me Mother-in-law. I am not your mother-in-law,” First Madame declared, drawing a clear line.
Who would want to be the mother-in-law of a secondhand item? She was not A-Qiu’s wife.
Jiang Zhiyu looked up, feigning confusion. “Then how should I address you?”
Huh?
First Madame was taken aback. She hadn’t considered this question.
What should Jiang Zhiyu call her?
“Mother-in-law” was definitely out of the question. So, what should it be?
Given their current relationship, being too distant wouldn’t do, but being too familiar was even worse.
Her head aching from the thought, First Madame waved it off dismissively. “Just know that I am not your mother-in-law.”
“Very well, First Madame.” Jiang Zhiyu promptly performed another half-curtsy, the kind reserved for elders.
First Madame hadn’t expected Jiang Zhiyu to settle the matter so decisively. Blinking her large eyes, she stared at Jiang Zhiyu, whose expression remained unchanged, and inexplicably felt as though she had lost—though she couldn’t pinpoint how.
It was as if Jiang Zhiyu had somehow gained the upper hand.
She was the elder! How could she be overshadowed by a junior?
“Since you’ve come to the main household, behave yourself and stay put. There’s no need to come here daily to pay your respects, and don’t go wandering around A-Qiu either. Just stay quietly in your own courtyard.”
First Madame secretly congratulated herself on how authoritative her words sounded.
She was just a junior, after all. On the main household’s turf, there was no way she could outmaneuver her.
“No,” Jiang Zhiyu uttered calmly.
The smugness on First Madame’s face froze instantly. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. After a moment, she stared at Jiang Zhiyu and asked, “What did you say?”
“First Madame, I said no,” Jiang Zhiyu repeated. “Now, everyone in Jingdu knows that Gu Jin married on behalf of his elder brother. My marriage certificate with the eldest young master has already been processed by the authorities and recorded. Whether you are willing or not, he and I are husband and wife, and you are my mother-in-law.”
“Even if you, as my mother-in-law, are considerate enough to waive the daily morning and evening greetings, the five-day formal visitation is still required. I cannot avoid contact with the eldest young master either. Otherwise, those with ill intentions could use this against us, which would be detrimental to both the main household and the Marquis’s estate.”
Jiang Zhiyu calmly explained and analyzed everything, as if she were discussing someone else’s affairs, not her own.
To First Madame, it felt as though Jiang Zhiyu were wielding a club, striking her head blow after blow.
Yet, she couldn’t refute a single word.
Her face flushed red with anger, and she finally snapped, “You… how can you be so shameless? How can you accept a change of husband so calmly and speak these words so easily?”
“What can unrest achieve?” Jiang Zhiyu retorted.
First Madame fell silent.
Indeed, what could refusal accomplish?
The marriage certificate had long been tampered with, and public opinion was overwhelmingly against her. With her natal family not in Jingdu and herself confined to the inner quarters, what resistance could she offer?
Would crying, making a scene, or even risking her life change anything?
Jiang Zhiyu was indeed a pitiable person, but wasn’t her own son even more pitiable?
“Did First Madame not consider the possibility of today when she agreed back then?”
Jiang Zhiyu’s question made First Madame tremble from head to toe.
She truly hadn’t thought about it back then.
When Marchioness had laid down all those grand principles, saying it was merely a public declaration to give Princess Royal an explanation, and never mentioned that everything had to be made real, she had agreed just like that. It wasn’t until Jiang Zhiyu was about to move to the main household that she realized she had suffered a great loss.
But things had already come to this—what could be done?
Unable to find an answer, First Madame actually turned her gaze toward Jiang Zhiyu, waiting for her next words.
However, Jiang Zhiyu simply straightened up and said, “It’s getting late. I still have Ginseng Tea simmering on the stove, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Jiang Zhiyu quickly retreated, and First Madame couldn’t very well stop her. She fumed inwardly, annoyed that this person would say only half of what she meant, coming and going as she pleased, as if this were some casual place.
But First Madame’s anger did not affect Jiang Zhiyu’s pace. She walked along the corridor all the way back to her own courtyard.
After last night and this morning, the courtyard had been mostly tidied up. The plaque that had been covered in dust was now revealed, bearing three elegantly written characters: Qinghe Courtyard.
“Qinghe” symbolized new life, and she truly was reborn.
In a cheerful mood, she stepped into the courtyard. Jiang Zhiyu entered the room, took out the ginseng she had prepared the night before from the medicine chest, and went to the water room to light the stove.
Mama Cao had been so exhausted yesterday that her back was nearly broken, and now she lay on the bed, unable to get up. The other maids didn’t dare to ask Jiang Zhiyu about her affairs, so they simply watched as she personally tended to the fire, brewed a cup of Ginseng Tea, placed it on a tray, and walked out.
No one dared to stop her, nor did anyone know who should follow her, so they could only watch as Jiang Zhiyu walked away.
But Jiang Zhiyu didn’t go far before sitting down under the corridor, her gaze fixed on the main road that the servants of the main household had to pass by.
She didn’t know where Gu Huaiqiu lived, so she could only wait for a guide.
Before long, a familiar plump figure came into view.
“Miss Fudong,” Jiang Zhiyu called out warmly, reaching out her hand.
Fudong was startled, nearly dropping the duck leg in her hand.
Flustered, she searched for the source of the voice and saw Jiang Zhiyu walking toward her. Suddenly, the duck leg in her hand didn’t seem so appetizing anymore.
“What is the young mistress doing here?”
“I was waiting here especially for you.”
“For me?” Fudong immediately grew wary, hiding the duck leg behind her back as she asked, “What do you want from me?”
“To guide me, of course. I’m going to deliver Ginseng Tea to the eldest young master.” She lifted the tray in her hand, smiling brightly as if she and Fudong were on the best of terms.
Fudong nearly laughed in disbelief.
She actually wanted her to guide her to deliver Ginseng Tea to the eldest young master—how could that be possible!
“This servant told the young mistress yesterday, didn’t she? The eldest young master dislikes people getting close to him. Besides, this servant is busy.” Fudong made to walk away.
Jiang Zhiyu didn’t stop her, only speaking unhurriedly, “What a pity. I already paid my respects to my mother-in-law this morning and explained the situation. I originally thought that since Miss Fudong is, after all, someone from my mother-in-law’s side, it would be better for you to guide me. But since that’s the case, I’ll just find someone else to guide me.”
Fudong’s footsteps halted.
She hadn’t expected Jiang Zhiyu to have already paid her respects to First Madame.
First Madame had always loved sleeping in, and Fudong had been slacking off in the morning. She had just snagged a duck leg from the kitchen and was about to return to the main courtyard when she ran into Jiang Zhiyu.
If what Jiang Zhiyu said was true—that First Madame had already agreed—and she still refused to guide her, then First Madame might very well blame her for slacking off in the morning.
Moreover, when delivering Ginseng Tea to the young master, other maids wouldn’t dare cause trouble, but what if that shameless Jiang Zhiyu did something? The young master wouldn’t even be able to resist.
No way!
“I’ll show you the way then.” Fudong turned around and quickly walked back the way she had come.
Jiang Zhiyu curled the corner of her lips and followed her steps.