These three were none other than the third daughter, Mingrong; the fourth daughter, Mingfang; and the sixth daughter, Minglian. Although Mingwei had never met the three of them, she could guess their identities from their appearances, and since they were all her sisters, she couldn't possibly call them by the wrong names.
"Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister!" Mingwei stepped forward, curtsied, and greeted the three women with a smile.
The three of them nodded with smiles. Mingrong stepped forward and took Mingwei's hand, saying warmly, "Little sister, you're finally all better! Your fourth and sixth sisters and I have been thinking of you! But Mother said you had a fever, and our arrival would only disturb your peace, so we delayed coming until today." After saying that, she added half-jokingly, "Little sister won't blame us, will she?"
"If that's what you say, Third Sister, then I have nowhere to stand!" Mingwei felt more composed now that she hadn't guessed wrong. She smiled gently and said, "I'm so grateful for the care and concern that Mother and my sisters have shown me!"
Hearing Mingwei's words, Mingrong's smile deepened, while Mingfang's eyes flashed with disdain. Minglian, equally composed, subtly revealed concern in her flickering eyes.
"Seventh Sister, your words have become even sweeter these past few days. With such cleverness, even if you fall seriously ill again, Mother will still dote on you!" Mingfang raised the corners of her lips, but the expression on her beautiful young face was anything but kind; she was clearly there to watch the show.
“Speaking of cleverness, even the third sister, me, and the seventh sister combined can’t match the fourth sister!” Minglian, seeing the slight embarrassment on Mingwei’s face, quickly came to the rescue: “Didn’t Father praise the fourth sister the other day, telling us all to learn from her? Right, third sister?”
Mingrong, with the demeanor of an elder sister, nodded with a smile.
Only then did Mingfang's brow relax a little, revealing a smug look. "It's just that Father is praising me!"
"Sisters, don't just stand there talking, please sit down!" Mingwei hurriedly invited the three of them to sit down, and from an angle where Mingrong and Mingfang couldn't see, she gave Minglian a grateful smile.
Minglian was actually helping her. Mingwei felt a mix of emotions. Was she really just concerned about her half-sister? One wrong step, and the price would be a miserable death! After her previous life, she no longer dared to trust anyone easily.
"I heard that my sister has had a fever for several days?" After the four of them sat down, Mingrong asked carefully, "Even if it was just a cold, it shouldn't have dragged on for so long. What did the doctor say?"
"They only said it was a fever," Mingwei replied cautiously. "The doctor only said that I was weak, which is why I wasn't getting better. After taking medicine for a few days, the fever gradually subsided. I didn't want my mother and sisters to worry."
Mingrong nodded. In her slightly flickering eyes, Mingwei sensed a hint of sadness, a feeling of shared fate, and immediately understood. The news that she was seriously ill and dying had probably already spread among the second wife's concubine's daughters. After all, the four of them lived together in Yuxiang Garden; even a guess would have some basis for it.
As daughters of concubines, the fact that their half-sister was tortured to death by their stepmother was bad news for both of them. Their present was their future. Even though their stepmother, Lady Liu, had no legitimate daughters, their lives were still difficult. To outsiders, they appeared to be young ladies from noble families, living a life of luxury, but only they knew the hardships they endured.
“I heard that my sister’s condition was very serious, and she almost lost her life, didn’t she?” Mingfang’s tone carried an inappropriate hint of regret. She said coolly, “They say that those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune. It’s clear that my sister is a lucky one.”
From the moment she entered, Mingfang didn't say much, but when she did, her words were sharp and cutting. Mingwei, after all, wasn't a teenage girl, and she remained composed, unfazed by Mingfang's provocations. She showed no anger on her face, and smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, Fourth Sister."
Hearing Mingwei's seemingly sarcastic remark, Mingfang immediately raised her eyebrows, but hesitated when she saw Mingwei's calm expression. Could it be that Mingwei really thought she was being comforted?
"Miss, the tea is here." Just as the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, Yue Lin walked in carrying a large vermilion lacquer tray. On it were four identical old official kiln teacups, each painted with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.
Mingwei stood up and personally greeted them, her demeanor showing no sign of distress. Only then did Mingfang believe that Mingwei wasn't faking it. It was like throwing a punch at cotton, her strength nowhere to be used. Mingfang's face grew increasingly gloomy.
The four of them were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, so they had nothing to talk about. Since Liu rarely took them out, they would only discuss clothes, jewelry, embroidery, and tailoring.
Mingfang was the first to take her leave. Once she left, Mingrong and Minglian didn't linger, and the three of them left together.
Minglian was the slowest to leave. She hesitated for a moment before turning back to look at Mingwei, who had come to see her off, a hint of doubt in her eyes. Although Mingwei had always been quiet, the timid and insecure Mingwei of the past seemed to have gained a more peaceful and composed air now.
Can a person's personality change after a serious illness? Minglian was puzzled, but at the same time, she felt that perhaps she was overthinking it.
"Sixth Sister, what are you thinking about so intently?" Mingrong smiled and said, "Are you thinking about Seventh Sister?"
Minglian finally came to her senses and, meeting Mingrong's probing gaze, quickly composed herself to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, Mingfang had already left the two of them far behind, returning to her own courtyard with her maidservant as fast as her feet touched the ground.
After watching the three leave, Mingwei stood for a while before returning to her room. In modern times, she was an only child. Although her family was extremely wealthy in her previous life, they were small. She only had two children, her older brother Tang Yao, who was a few years older than her and had been pampered by her like her parents since childhood.
However, there were as many as nine daughters in the Chengping Marquis's household.
Mingwei's head began to throb slightly.
Once Mingwei's health improved, or rather, once she had completed enough embroidery to appease Liu Shi, the matter of paying respects could no longer be delayed. Fortunately, she now felt more confident, so she chose a day to take Tangli and Yuelin to pay respects to her stepmother, the second madam.
The original owner of the body's background and the family affairs of the Marquis of Chengping's mansion had been mostly found out by Mingwei during her occasional fevers and subsequent feigned ignorance.
Speaking of the original owner's fate, it could definitely be described as miserable. The second branch of the family didn't inherit titles, so their children were already a step below in status. Being born out of wedlock, she was even further below. Moreover, when Mingwei was born, her aunt died in childbirth. The legal mother disliked her illegitimate daughter, and without the support and love of her birth aunt, her life in the second branch was the most difficult.
Her adoptive father, the Second Master, was a womanizer who had taken four concubines, but unfortunately, none of them had children and all only gave birth to daughters. However, her legal mother, the Second Madam, had two legitimate sons. Therefore, no matter how beautiful and charming Wen, the Fourth Miss Mingfang's concubine, was, and no matter how clever she was in seducing the Second Master, she could not surpass the Second Madam.
Relying on the Second Master's favor, Aunt Wen always tried to outmaneuver the Second Madam. Lacking a son, she ultimately lacked confidence, but this didn't stop her from frequently causing trouble for the Second Madam.
She wouldn't come to pay her respects in the morning for seven out of ten days. Her heart ached, her liver ached, her head ached, her back ached, her legs ached—every part of her body ached in turn—before she would finally appear, alluring and flamboyant, and her first words would infuriate Liu Shi. With someone like that bouncing around in front of her, how could the Second Madam possibly be at ease?
Mingfang, raised by Consort Wen, was always arrogant, but her fellow concubine daughters, Mingrong, Minglian, and Mingwei, suffered greatly, becoming increasingly disliked by their stepmother. Although the Second Madam was the second legitimate daughter of the third branch of the Duke of Ying's mansion, she was neither clever nor resourceful. She couldn't control the ostentatious Consort Wen, nor could she win her husband's heart. When she was angry, she often vented her frustrations on her concubine daughters.
The second wife and concubines were not on good terms, and the unfortunate one was Mingwei. Mingrong and Minglian at least had their own concubines to care for them, but Mingwei had been all alone since childhood. The old lady had too many grandchildren, so there was no reason for her to care for Mingwei alone. The second master's concern for his children was limited; he would only ask about his legitimate son's studies, and among his concubine daughters, Mingfang was favored more by Concubine Wen. Naturally, he didn't care about the other three sisters.
It's no surprise that Mingwei developed a self-conscious and timid personality.
Bypassing the marble screen carved with auspicious floral patterns, Mingwei found the main room completely silent. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Liu was still resting.
"Miss, Madam hasn't woken up yet!" Tang Li, who was following behind her, lowered her voice and said somewhat disapprovingly, "You're still weak, and it's still chilly in early spring. Are you going to stand in the courtyard and wait?"
Although Yue Lin didn't speak, her expression clearly showed that she agreed with Tang Li.
The second wife disliked her illegitimate daughters, so the rules in the main house were extremely strict. Without the second wife's permission, ordinary illegitimate daughters were not allowed to enter. If the second wife didn't speak, Mingwei could only stand under the eaves and wait. If the second wife intended to torment Mingwei, she could pretend to be asleep and ignore her, leaving her outside in the cold wind for an hour; Mingwei would be half-dead.
Mingwei gave the two a reassuring smile and then gracefully walked to the front of the main room. Two young maids with shaved heads stood outside the curtain; clearly, the senior maids had all gone to rest.
"Seventh Miss." Upon seeing Mingwei, the two maids stepped forward and curtsied, but made no attempt to go in and announce her arrival.
Yue Lin gritted her teeth and forced a smile. "My sisters, please go and see if Madam has woken up. If she has, please let our young lady know." As she spoke, she slipped a small piece of silver to each of the two maids.
No one turns down money. They both accepted, one of them quietly lifting the curtain and going inside, while the other's face softened with a smile. "Please wait a moment, young lady; Madam should be waking up soon."
Mingwei nodded with a smile.
Tang Li suddenly looked down at the tips of her shoes, barely suppressing her anger. The young lady only earned two taels of silver a month, almost all of which went towards bribing officials!
Whether it was because the small amount of silver sent by the maid was to plead for her, or because the Second Madam was afraid that something might happen to Mingwei in her courtyard and give others something to gossip about, this time Mingwei was allowed to enter very quickly.
Upon entering, Mingwei was greeted by a warm, fragrant aroma. The opulent furnishings inside far surpassed those of her small courtyard. This was the proper decorum of a marquis's residence. Liu's dislike for her illegitimate daughter was evident; she wasn't even willing to maintain appearances. It seemed she had to be even more careful.