Qing Tong Courtyard.
"Xu Ruyue has a good plan!" Aunt Chen sneered, saying disdainfully, "Don't think everyone else is stupid!"
"When Yao Niang was thirteen, she talked to her about other men. Why is there no news now?" Aunt Chen said angrily, slamming her hand on the table. "She saw that Madam Luo was seriously ill and that she had a chance to become the mistress of the house. With her own daughter becoming the legitimate daughter, the men she talked about were naturally different!"
Mrs. Zhou, standing to the side, said with a forced smile, "She doesn't have a son, so whatever she says is useless! You gave birth to Second Master! Why should she compete with you?"
Aunt Chen was still furious. She remembered the smug look on Aunt Xu's face after her husband left her courtyard that morning, and it made her even angrier. "Master can't even give me any face! It's been so many days, and he's still always staying at Cui Luo Courtyard!"
"Don't hold a grudge against her, her good days are numbered!" Mother Zhou advised. "Now that you're the mistress of the house, the days of dealing with her are yet to come!"
"If only I hadn't teamed up with her in the first place..." Aunt Chen murmured. Aunt Xu's meaningful smile kept replaying in her mind, sending chills down her spine every time she thought about it.
"Please don't bring it up again!" Mrs. Zhou said anxiously, lowering her voice, "You haven't done anything, and it's not certain who has dirt on whom! You should keep these things to yourself!"
Aunt Chen then realized what she had said, and her expression immediately changed. She composed herself before speaking, suppressing her anger, "I was furious! You're right, whose hands are truly clean! In that matter, she and I were in the same boat! If I die, she won't live either!"
As if she had made up her mind, she said with a hint of resentment and fierceness, "Send Hongmei to the master tonight!"
"We must not let the master stay in that vixen's courtyard any longer!"
Since the last time, Jinrong Courtyard, where Xiao Jin and her brother lived, was no longer as deserted as before. Yao Niang and Ying Niang visited Xiao Jin frequently, bringing her valuable gifts from time to time, which Xiao Jin had no choice but to "reluctantly" accept.
These items weren't originally in the official accounts, so Xiao Jin felt perfectly justified in putting them into his own private treasury. In just a few days, Xiao Jin amassed a considerable fortune.
"Miss, look at these pendants!" Zisu was tidying up the pair of red gold pendants inlaid with jadeite eye stones that Yao Niang had just given to Xiao Jin, and she exclaimed in amazement, "It's rare to see such a perfect cat's eye! The jadeite seems to be dripping out!"
Xiao Jin didn't share Zisu's excitement; she responded listlessly. It was beautiful, of course, and valuable, but for her, it was useless for a long time.
She has to observe a three-year mourning period, which is strictly speaking twenty-seven months. How can she wear such bright jewelry? Moreover, it's a pity that such valuable items can't be exchanged for money! If word gets out... she won't be able to face anyone in the Imperial Academy.
"What goes around comes around! Now Qing Tong Courtyard and Cui Luo Courtyard are both lining up to curry favor with us!" Zi Su didn't care that Xiao Jin ignored her and said enthusiastically, "Miss, you're really something!"
Xiao Jin listened and shook her head with amusement.
Speaking of Yao Niang's cat's-eye pendants, it seems they were acquired after Ying Niang gave her the gold and ruby-set pomegranate earrings, right? As the eldest sister, she wouldn't allow anyone to surpass her even a little bit! These cat's-eye pendants were also her favorites, but since Ying Niang had given her the ruby pendant, she had no choice but to take out these cat's-eye pendants in order to outdo Ying Niang.
If she could compete on both fronts, she wouldn't dare call herself the fisherman, but she could still gain some small benefit.
The curtain at the door was lifted, and Huanyue came in carrying a black lacquered tea tray, with wisps of steam rising from the sky-blue teacups.
She had heard what Zisu had said earlier, and surprisingly, she didn't refute it. She handed the teacup to Xiao Jin and said with a smile, "Miss, please try this Pu'er tea."
Although Xiao Jin didn't know much about tea, he could tell from the aroma that it must be a top-quality tea, with a refreshing fragrance that was very pleasant.
"Who sent this again?" Xiao Jin took a sip, the taste was completely different from the tea she usually drank! Tsk tsk, so it seems that in the entire Scholar's Mansion, her quality of life as the legitimate daughter is the lowest.
"It's Third Miss!" Huanyue replied with a smile, "It's all thanks to the tea that you ordered me to brew for the Eldest Miss that time!"
After spending these days together, Huanyue and Zisu trusted Xiao Jin more and more, and the melancholy in their eyes had lessened considerably, replaced by the cheerfulness and liveliness that should be present in their age group.
“Yingniang is indeed a thoughtful person.” Xiao Jin took another sip of tea, her satisfied expression like that of a contented and languid cat. “It’s just that it’s a burden on my eldest sister! Every time she sends something, she insists on surpassing Yingniang’s, causing her to spend so much money!”
When Huan Yue saw the emerald light flash within the jewelry box that Zi Su had closed, she hesitated before asking, "Miss, you've accepted such a valuable gift from the eldest young lady, shouldn't you offer something in return?"
Xiao Jin didn't answer, but instead asked, "Zisu, what did I give back to Yingniang when she gave me those ruby pendants?"
"It's a pearl bracelet, but the size and luster of the pearls..." Zisu recalled the expression on Yingniang's personal maid Shaoyao's face when she received the gift from her mistress. It was so satisfying! She said gloatingly, "You didn't see it, her face turned pale and red at the same time."
"It's not that I'm reluctant to give, I'd like to return the favor in a dignified way!" Xiao Jin spread her hands, sighed pretentiously, and said, "Everyone in the manor knows that our Jinrong Courtyard is the poorest. As the least favored young lady in the manor, it's normal that I don't have anything good to offer!"
Huan Yue and Zi Su laughed out loud with pleasure upon hearing Xiao Jin's words. These past few days have indeed been very enjoyable.
“Yaoniang is the eldest sister, and the gift she gave was quite valuable. As for the return gift, it should naturally be better!” Xiao Jin pondered for a moment and said with a forced smile, “I’ll send my eldest sister the pearl bracelet that I was stringing together for fun the other day, with an extra agate on it.”
"I'm sure my elder sister will understand my good intentions! I'm poor, so this is all I can offer as a token of my appreciation!" Xiao Jin defended herself confidently. "Didn't I also add an extra agate?"
Hearing Xiao Jin's confident words, Zisu and the other woman couldn't help but laugh. Just as Zisu was about to speak, the maid Cuiyun rushed in from outside, her face pale and filled with anxiety. "Miss, something terrible has happened!"
"Master knows those words came from Jinrong Courtyard and are coming this way. He wants to ask you, Miss!"
Xiao Jin abandoned his previous laziness, a cold glint flashing in his eyes—what was bound to happen would happen!
*********************
These days, Xiao Ji has been focused on preparing to marry Zhao Ruizhu, and his most capable steward, Zhang Xing, has also been secretly making preparations for the wedding. As a result, he has neglected the affairs of the mansion. It was not until they heard from the servants of Zhao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, that they realized that something bad was about to happen.
Zhang Xing quickly set about investigating the matter, only to discover that rumors about Xiao Ji had already spread throughout the prominent families of the capital!
Upon hearing this news, Xiao Ji was naturally both shocked and furious. He was shocked that he had been completely unaware of such rumors, and furious that his marriage to Zhao Ruizhu was now virtually impossible.
Xiao Ji hurriedly ordered Zhang Xing to trace the source, only to discover that these words originated from the Scholar's Mansion, and from Jinrong Academy!
He was furious and immediately took Zhang Xing to Jinrong Courtyard to confront her. He wanted to see when his timid second daughter, whom he remembered so well, had become so capable!
********************
Xiao Ji was over forty years old, and although he had a stern face, one could still see the handsome features he had in his youth. No wonder Luo Shi was willing to follow him back then... In the village, Xiao Ji could be considered a dragon among men.
Although she had made full preparations, Xiao Jin still felt a little apprehensive when she saw Xiao Ji.
"Daughter greets Father!" Seeing Xiao Ji's aggressive demeanor, Xiao Jin knew he had come with ill intentions. She composed herself and obediently stepped forward to curtsy.
Fortunately, I sent Ye'er to Yingniang's place to play a while ago, otherwise he would have been terrified...
Xiao Ji gave a cold snort as an answer. He didn't sit down, but instead coldly swept his eyes around, which made the maids, including Zisu Huanyue, weak in the knees. They shrank back and dared not make a sound.
"All of you step back!" Xiao Ji's voice was terrifyingly cold, inspiring fear in everyone.