The four greetings sounded like they were from a distant horizon to An Ran.
Green plums and green apricots! How did I end up seeing them here?
In her previous life, after Anran married into the Chen family, Qingmei and Qingxing were among the first people to serve her. In the end, when her courtyard became deserted, Qingmei and Qingxing remained loyal and stayed by her side until the very end...
Where exactly did things go wrong?
“…Miss? Ninth Miss?” Seeing An Ran still lost in thought, Mama Shi asked in confusion, “Is Miss not satisfied with these people? If Miss doesn’t like them, I will tell Madam to choose four more for Miss to serve.”
Shi's mother's words jolted An Ran back to her senses.
Replace them? Of course not.
The two people in front of her were perhaps the first good news she had received since arriving at the Marquis's residence!
“I have no complaints!” An Ran replied hastily, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Perhaps I was a little tired from traveling these past two days, and that’s why I was lost in thought just now.”
Madam Shi nodded. "In that case, I won't disturb your rest any longer, young lady." With that, she took her leave.
"Take care!" An Ran didn't keep her any longer and got up to see her off to the corridor.
Before she could even enter the house, Cuiping came over to report that it was not appropriate for Anmu to stay in the inner courtyard, so Anxi and Anmu would be temporarily placed in the east garden.
Although An Ran was unwilling to be separated from them, she understood the rules of the Marquis's mansion.
As for how to proceed, she will have to plan it out herself.
The maids brought over food boxes and arranged various dishes on the black lacquered marble round table in the east side room.
An Ran suppressed the urge to talk to Qingmei and Qingxing, and had Jinping and Cuiping help her change her clothes and redo her hair. She only ate a few bites of lunch before having it removed, saying she was tired, and went to bed early to rest.
Upon seeing the green plums and green apricots, An Ran's previously suppressed memories of her last life involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
An Ran shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off her troubles. Now that she was back in the Marquis's mansion, she should make plans for herself and her younger siblings. The previous life… after all, was in the past!
This life can be described as completely different.
In the previous life, no Marquis's family came to claim kinship. Did they not discover them? Also, Grandmother was originally a maidservant by the Grand Madam's side. Is this a change in this life, or was it the same in the previous life? Since Qingmei and Qingxing are now in the Marquis's mansion, why did they go to the Chen mansion in Yangzhou two years later?
An Ran couldn't figure it out for a while, and the more she thought about it, the more her head ached.
Perhaps the most incredible thing is that she can live again! Even now, lying on her bed covered with soft, thick brocade and fabric, she still feels a sense of unreality, as if she were in a dream.
For now, we can only take it one step at a time.
******
After lunch, the old lady reclined on her daybed, dismissed all the servants, and only summoned Su Mama to ask her questions.
"Now that Ninth Girl is back, what do you think of her doing, just watching her coldly?"
Sitting on a small stool, Madam Su replied, "I dare not say anything else, but Ninth Miss is extremely composed and very sentimental. When she heard that we sent people to fetch her, she was not overjoyed. Instead, she was worried about how to settle her younger siblings. If you hadn't instructed us to bring them along, I'm afraid Ninth Miss might not have been so willing to come."
The old lady nodded.
"You know Qiu Sui's character; the children she raises will not be bad." Su's mother sensed a hint of nostalgia in the old lady's tone.
Before Su Mama could speak, the Grand Madam sighed again, "If it weren't for... we wouldn't have let her take Jiu Niang away."
Madam Su had served the Grand Madam since she was still a young woman, and had now served her for over forty years. Knowing the Grand Madam's worries, she quickly advised, "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things. It is thanks to your foresight that the Marquis's mansion has achieved its current prosperity."
Fearing that stirring up old memories would displease the Grand Madam, Su Mama steered the conversation back to An Ran. "Judging from Ninth Miss's demeanor upon entering the manor today, she is no less refined than the noble ladies of the capital. I remember when Sixth Miss entered the manor, she was not as composed and demure as Ninth Miss."
"Sixth Sister is thoughtful." The Grand Madam changed the subject, saying calmly, "Has Granny Liu come by these past few days?"
Madam Su couldn't help but shudder. Now that the old lady wouldn't even call her by her name, the old lady's former bond with her servant had probably been worn away to almost nothing.
Liu Mama was one of the maids who took away Liu Niang back then, and she was also one of the dowry maids of the Grand Madam.
“She came to visit two days before Ninth Sister returned,” Su’s mother said cautiously. “She didn’t ask anything else, but only talked about some old, trivial matters.”
A cold glint appeared in the old lady's eyes.
Su's mother stood to the side, not daring to say a word.
"Well, it's always better for people to be smarter." After a moment, a smile appeared on the Grand Madam's face, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
Just don't be too presumptuous.
Su's mother silently added a comment in her mind.
Chapter 5 Difficult
After resting for the afternoon, the first thing Anran did after getting up was to take off the bracelet on her wrist and instruct Cuiping to put it away properly for her.
I was so excited when I saw Qingxing earlier that I forgot about the bracelet. I can't be careless now.
This bracelet is too eye-catching, and it's Third Sister's beloved possession; she only gave it to me today because she had no other choice. Remembering the jealous look that flashed in Seventh Sister's eyes, and knowing I'd only just returned to the manor and was uncertain about everything, it was best not to be too conspicuous.
She let Cuiping and Jinping help her to comb her hair again, clean her face, apply a light layer of powder, and blend a little rouge on her cheeks. Immediately, a beautiful and delicate face was reflected in the bronze mirror.
Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, An Ran was lost in thought.
Youth is truly wonderful; with just a touch of makeup, one can be as charming as a newly blossoming flower on a branch in spring.
An Ran knew that her face was still pleasing to the eye. If she wasn't pretty, there was no shortage of beautiful women in Jiangnan. Why would she be chosen by the young master of the royal family?
"Miss, we'll be having dinner at the Grand Madam's courtyard. Which outfit would you like to wear?" Jinping beckoned the maids carrying clothes to come up so Anran could choose.