In the early morning, Yuxi got up for her morning exercise. Afterwards, she took her medical books and memorised them. She had memorised several medical texts, but unfortunately, she had sufficient theoretical knowledge but zero practical experience. It was a good thing that Yuxi was also studying it just in case, and not for her to be a physician. Having studied pharmacology for so many years, she could now make simple medicinal meals for herself and Qiu Shi.
Zisu looked at Yuxi, who was memorising the book with great dedication, and she came over to remind her, "Miss, it's time for breakfast." Because Yuxi had to socialise, the morning meal was prepared nearly two-quarters of an hour earlier than usual.
After breakfast, Yuxi sat in front of her dressing mirror.
Bingmei stood behind Yuxi and asked, "What kind of hairstyle Miss like to have?" Bingmei's hair combing was first-rate, so the job of combing Yuxi's hair naturally falls on her.
Bingmei was the daughter of a senior steward, so it stood to reason that in her capacity, she did not need to be an errand maid as she could be a master of her own home. It was just that Han Xing sent all his children into the residence to show his loyalty. Bingmei had a lively temperament and was a very clever person. After coming to Taoran House in just one month, she had become one with everyone.
Auspicious Cloud Bun
Image Credit | The picture owner via Hair Styles Blog
Image Credit | The picture owner via Hair Styles Blog
After combing her hair, Yuxi chose a pearl hair clip to insert on the left of the bun and a pure gold phoenix hairpin inlaid with jewelled beads strung together to create a slanting three wings to wear on the right. While for her ears, she wore a pair of mutton jade earrings. Then, she picked a mutton jade bracelet from the jewellery box to put on her wrist.
When Zisu looked at how Yuxi was dressing, she felt that it was rather tasteless. She suggested, "Miss, shouldn't you put on the pure gold pearl gems necklace?"
Yuxi answered with a smile, "The Jiang family is a family of scholars, and Madam Jiang is also from a family of scholars. People like them won't look at people sprucing up themselves and also resplendent with jewels." It did not mean that one couldn't wear gold and silver jewellery or dressed up looking wealthy and high-ranking, but it had to depend on the occasion.
When Yuxi arrived at Biteng Courtyard, Wu Shi, Yurong and Qiu Yanfu had already freshened themselves up, and they were currently waiting for her.
Yuxi looked at Wu Shi's new clothes, especially the eye-catching ruby headdress on her head, making her look particularly rich and noble. It was not her place, as a junior, to remind her of such things, and Wu Shi might not appreciate it even if she did. She just gave Wu Shi a bow and said, "Mother, can we go now?"
Wu Shi nodded as she said, "Let's go!"
The invitation from the Jiang family was for Han Jingyan, so this time it was only the members of the Third House who went to the banquet. Hence the First house would not be participating. The four of them went out, and two carriages had been prepared. Naturally, Wu Shi and Yurong shared the same carriage, while Yuxi went with Qiu Yanfu.
As soon as Yuxi got into the carriage, she squinted her eyes and pretended to sleep. She and Qiu Yanfu were not even close, so she did not need to say anything hypocritical.
Qiu Yanfu was not the kind of person who tormented herself. Every time Yuxi saw her, Yuxi would always be sneering and treated her sarcastically. It was rare that Yuxi didn't want to bother with her this time. Qiu Yanfu certainly wouldn't intentionally put her self-respect up for Yuxi to verbally abuse it.
The carriage stopped at the gate of the Jiang family. As soon as their group got off the carriage, an old woman servant came to welcome them. At this time, a sharp-eyed Yuxi saw a person standing not far away, a man she would recognise even if she turned into ashes. When she looked over, she saw Jiang Hongjin's disappointed expression. By now, she had confirmed her previous suspicions. Jiang Hongjin indeed had improper thoughts for Yuchen.
As Yuxi thought of this, she couldn't wait to rush forward to tear Jiang Hongjin apart. Just because of his improper thoughts, he had hurt her for a lifetime.
This time it was Zisu who followed Yuxi out. When she saw Yuxi's expression, she asked in a lower voice, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Yuxi lowered her head and restrained all her emotions. They were in Jiang family residence. Thus she couldn't show any unusual behaviour. She just smiled and answered, "It's nothing, let's go!"
After entering the second gate, Jiang Qi came over to welcome them. If Qiu Shi had come over, Yu Shi would have received them in person, but since Wu Shi was not as good as Yu Shi regarding her family background or rank, naturally, she would not welcome them personally.
When Yurong saw Jiang Qi, she was full of smiles and praised, "Qi Jiejie is so beautiful."
Jiang Qi today wore a very light goose yellow beizi, with a white zhongyi, and a rosy cloud coloured ruffled gauze skirt underneath. An exquisite ring jade was tied around her waist, and her hair was combed into a flowing cloud bun. A bluish coloured begonia bead head-ornaments and a crystal lotus hairpin had been stuck into the right side of the bun, which made her truly beautiful.
Crystal Lotus Hairpin
Image Credit | Original Picture Owner via Taobao
Image Credit | Original Picture Owner via Taobao
Jiang Qi smiled and responded, "Yurong Meimei is also very beautiful." After she had done speaking, she led the group to the parlour. While on the road, Jiang Qi intentionally or otherwise glanced at Yuxi and saw a decent smile on her face. Jiang Qi was too familiar with this smile because Yu Xiyu often wore such a smile on her face. It showed others that one was trustworthy, but others still couldn't get close to this person.
Yuxi was still familiar with the layout of the Jiang family residence. Even when Jiang Wenrui later became the Imperial Secretariat of Revenue, he did not move to another dwelling but bought the two surrounding homes to open up his current place.
When Yuxi arrived at the Master Courtyard, she saw Madam Jiang, today's leading role, talking with a woman who was about forty years old with a smile on her face.
Seeing Wu Shi come in, Yu Shi smiled and introduced, "Lady Han, this is my San Sao." The so-called san sao was the Third Madam of the Yu family, Yu Shi's blood elder brother's wife.
For Yu Shi's birthday celebration this time, she did not invite many guests. Apart from Wu Shi and her sister-in-law, a few madams also had a good relationship with her. Wu Shi had come somewhat early.
After all the invited guests had arrived, Yu Shi smiled and said to Jiang Qi, "Qi-er, take a few of these girls to the back garden to play!"
The Jiang family's back garden was not very large, probably about twice the size of Yuxi's former Rose Courtyard backyard. But it was well planned, with a small pond dug in the middle, which brought running water where koi were kept, and water lilies were planted on top. Around the pond, many potted plants were placed, all of which had different flowers and were very beautiful.
Yurong had been studying with the nursing momo for the past two years and had learnt the rules well, but she rarely went out, so she didn't know how to avoid saying many things. She thought the back garden was beautiful, but it was just a bit small as she said, "What a pity. If the garden had been bigger, we could have flown kites."
Yuxi looked at the flash of annoyance in Jiang Qi's eyes and added, "If Gu Meimei wants to, she can invite Miss Jiang to fly kites at our residence then."
Jiang Qi couldn't even maintain the smile on her face. What did they mean by this? Were they implying that her family was too small to be compared with the State Residence? Hump, what about the State Residence, which only its outside face seemed good? If her father hadn't said that he wanted to invite the Han family this time, who would have been happy to accompany these people? However, even though Jiang Qi was feeling resentful in her heart, she would not say anything unpleasant as the host family. She just responded with a smile, "Yes, when we have the chance, we will definitely fly kites with Yurong Meimei." She only said that she would fly kites, not that she would go to the State Residence.
Yuxi smiled and asked, "Why don't I see Xiyu Jiejie? I thought Xiyu Jiejie would also come to attend Madam Jiang's birthday celebration."
Jiang Qi replied with a smile, "Xiyu Jiejie has been summoned to the Imperial Palace by Song Guifei. By the way, I heard that Chen Jiejie has also entered the Imperial Palace?"
Yuxi nodded as she responded, "Well, my San Jie went to the Imperial Palace the day before yesterday, and since Qinxin Gongzhu likes my San Jie, she asked her to stay there for a few more days." One was to accompany Song Guifei, and the other was to accompany the Gongzhu. Seemingly the same but in fact the difference was huge!
Qiu Yanfu looked at Jiang Qi's unnatural face and was a little surprised. She didn't know how Jiang Qi had provoked Han Yuxi that she kept oppressing every word Jiang Qi had said.
As they were talking, Yuxi heard a quacking sound. She had lived in the countryside for more than a year, and she knew what the quacking sound was as soon as she heard it. She was surprised that she immediately asked, "Jiang Meimei, I think I heard a duck quacking? How come there are ducks in your house? Could it be that I heard it wrong?" Ducks were undoubtedly not kept in a large family residence, and even the kitchen would certainly not be built near the back garden.
Jiang Qi really wanted to curse Yuxi for having such a good hearing. Why was she so sharp? "You heard them right. They're the sound of ducks. My grandmother keeps a lot of ducks in her yard."
Yuxi was in a daze. She had heard the old servants talk a lot about Old Madam Jiang when she was in the Jiang family before. Jiang Qi's grandmother, Old Madam Jiang, was not a girl from a scholarly family but a genuine peasant's daughter. There was a story here, too, as Jiang Qi's grandfather had a severe illness before and was halfway to his coffin. Dowager Madam Jiang only had one son, so to save her son's life, she was so desperate that she turned to any physician she could find when her son was critically ill. She insisted on arranging him a 'warding off' wedding, despite the opposition of other people. A 'warding off' wedding paid great attention to matching eight characters of her son, and the eight characters of the Old Madam matched with him.
After Old Madam Jiang entered the door, Jiang Qi's grandfather's health gradually improved. Dowager Madam Jiang was not a person who would destroy the bridge after crossing the river. Seeing that her son was in good health, she was also very benevolent towards the daughter-in-law, who had just entered the door by agreeing to the marriage.
Her husband had not long recovered from his illness before Old Madam Jiang became pregnant, and in the tenth lunar month, she gave birth to a big fat boy, followed by two more sons. With the birth of three boys in quick succession, Dowager Madam Jiang was close to giving her sacrificial offering. The most surprising thing was that Old Madam Jiang and her husband were unusually affectionate towards each other. One was a son of an influential family, and the other was a peasant girl who could not read a word. Such two people married when both Yin and Yang were wrong not only did not become strangers but instead became extraordinarily deeply in love with each other, which others thought was beyond logic and above reason.
Yuxi had not met Old Madam Jiang in her previous life as she had not returned to the Jiang family's home, not even during the ancestral rituals. At that time, Yuxi hadn't heard that Old Madam Jiang had gone to live in the capital for some time either. However, many things had changed, like Jiang Hongfu did not end up dead, so it was not surprising that Old Madam Jiang would come to live in the capital for a while.
Yuxi pretended to look very indifferent as she asked, "Jiang Meimei, since the Old Madam is here, isn't it rude of us not to go over and greet her?"
Jiang Qi suppressed the loathing she had in her heart as she said with a smile, "My grandmother doesn't like outsiders to disturb her. She likes quiet days. This time, for my mother's birthday celebration, she had told my mother not to bring so many guests. For fear of disturbing my grandmother, my mother only invited a few familiar people to come over for a meal this time. Thus it was no big event."
When Yuxi saw that the others did not find it unusual, she did not bring up the subject anymore. However, when they had finished looking at the flowers and birds in the garden, twenty ducks suddenly appeared in front of them on their way back, followed by a group of maids and old women servants.
The group of people was dumbfounded.
On the other hand, Jiang Qi was a little furious, but before she could say anything, she saw a woman in red sandalwood coloured dress pointing at her and said, "Qi-er, help me drive the ducks over."
The six girls present, including Yuxi, were frozen in shock. So this was Jiang Qi's grandmother. En, sure enough, she really stood out from the masses.
Noob Translator's Musing
Do you think if Yuxi had met with Old Madam Jiang in her past life, would her life have been any different? 🤔
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi