Chapter 6 Chapter 6 "And I can only wear it in my room."...

When Jasmine woke up, the light from the window pane was almost red, indicating that it was almost evening.

The Duke will be back soon.

Jasmine quickly got up, put on her clothes, and put her hair up.

When Shancha came in to serve her, Jasmine had almost tied her hair into a bun, and the only thing left was to put on the hair accessories.

Jasmine looked at the few hairpins before her, hesitated for a moment, then opened the set of gold headgear given by the Duke. She put it on her head with great pleasure and looked in the mirror for a long time.

Shancha looked at her, her eyes not eyes and her nose not nose, and said, "You are really something."

Jasmine carefully plucked it and even more carefully placed it back in the box. She turned around and said to Shancha, "Master is very considerate. Even if it wasn't me today, he would have given it to someone else."

Shancha thought about it and felt that it was indeed true. But Shancha also decided not to forgive her: "But why did such a good thing happen to you?"

Jasmine: "No matter what, I am still a concubine. Only the wife of Daqi can wear gold, and I can only wear it in my room."

Jasmine continued, "I'm only keeping this headgear temporarily. The master gave it to me as a reward from the imperial concubine, and I'm afraid he doesn't know the rules. Once he realizes what's going on, he might want it back."

Shancha: "The General is not that kind of person."

Jasmine: "I'm sure I wasn't. Even if I realized I was wrong, I'd probably just let it go. But what about Madam Luo? If the mistress sees me when she comes, will I still be able to survive?"

Jasmine's face was filled with anxiety. "Although I like this headdress very much, who doesn't like it? But this thing is also a hot potato for a concubine like me."

Shancha thought that if she followed her, she might have to follow her for the rest of her life. If her master had no way to survive, she, the maid, would definitely be even more miserable.

Shancha thought of her own unfortunate self and asked anxiously, "What should I do? Or should I sell this thing?"

Jasmine: "This is a gift from the Imperial Concubine. Who would dare take something from the palace outside? We might get reported the moment we take it out."

Shancha was confused. "What should we do? We have it. Why don't we just melt it down quietly? As for the pearls and treasures on top, we can remove them and sell them slowly."

Jasmine: "What if Master says he wants to take a look? How would I explain it?"

Shan Cha was furious: "Then what do you say we should do?"

Jasmine comforted her, "It's not that serious. As long as we hide it well and don't show it off, even if the Luo family's wife finds out I have it, she won't come to search me."

Shancha nodded: "Yes, it's unreasonable for a mistress to search the concubine's room for no reason. If she wants to search, it's wrong. Master will definitely make the decision for us."

Jasmine went forward and hugged her: "Cha, thank goodness you're by my side."

Shancha had never been so close to anyone before. She turned her head awkwardly and spread her hands: "What are you doing?"

...

As a concubine, Jasmine certainly doesn't need to eat with the old lady and young lady in the mansion.

These days, Jasmine ate alone in the side courtyard with Shancha. As for the Duke, Jasmine sometimes served him breakfast, lunch at the camp, and dinner, of course, with the old lady and a few other gentlemen.

This is the rule of the Duke's Mansion.

That day, the Duke was away, and Jasmine was planning to have hot and sour noodle soup with Shancha as usual for lunch, but the eldest young lady unexpectedly invited her.

The eldest young lady’s courtyard.

The eldest master was born out of wedlock, and the eldest young lady was the legitimate wife of a illegitimate son. Jasmine felt that paying her respects to the eldest young lady was a bit embarrassing for the Duke.

But this was also the first time she met the eldest young lady alone. Jasmine then graciously knelt down and said hello, "Hello, eldest young lady."

The eldest young lady's wife looked at her with a smile, but she didn't get up. Instead, she told her personal maid Cuizhu to help her sit down and said, "Why don't you go to the small room and bring a bowl of soup to my aunt?"

After Cuizhu left, the eldest young lady looked at Jasmine and said, "Everyone says that the concubine is unremarkable, but after a closer look, I see that the concubine is just as pretty as the Luo family's daughter, except for being a little thinner. No wonder our Duke is so obsessed with her."

Without asking, Jasmine knew that the eldest young lady must have heard the noise in the main courtyard.

Shancha felt embarrassed for her, mainly because the eldest young lady's words were too explicit.

When I went to see Jasmine, I saw her lowering her head and shyly replied to the eldest young lady's wife, "Please, Madam, don't tease me anymore."

"Ma'am, I am telling the truth."

Cuizhu brought the soup over, and the eldest young lady's wife introduced it to Jasmine: "I bought this soup at a high price, Madam. It can beautify and nourish your skin."

The eldest young master's wife frowned and said, "Alas, in this Duke's Mansion, Madam, I often talk to myself and don't get along with anyone. Seeing Aunt is like seeing my own sister. Aunt, remember to come often in the future and treat this place as yours, oh no, as Sister Jasmine's family home."

Jasmine sniffed and said with emotion, "Thank you, Madam Young Master. From now on, Madam Young Master will also be Jasmine's sister, a legitimate daughter."

The two held hands, tears in their eyes, it was an extremely exciting scene of recognition.

After eating the soup, the eldest young lady took Jasmine's hand and walked into the room mysteriously.

Jasmine followed obediently.

"Open it and see if you like it?"

The eldest young lady took out an exquisite box carved with intricate peony patterns from the cabinet.

Jasmine took it curiously and opened it, revealing two sets of dresses in eye-catching colors.

No need to ask, just looking at the box you can tell it's worth a lot of money.

As expected, the eldest young lady's wife couldn't help but say, "This was specially chosen for you by my sister at the Imperial Concubine's Clothing Shop. It should have been prepared for you on your first day, but the Duke was so tight-lipped that he didn't tell anyone at home and brought his sister home with him. That's why my sister felt so bad that day. It should have been given to you the next day, but the Imperial Concubine's Clothing Shop sold out of their new stock. I waited for two days and heard this morning that they had a new stock, so I went out and bought it myself at a high price. Take a look at it. Do you like it?"

Jasmine's eyes widened as the eldest young lady's wife looked at her, her smile deepening.

Jasmine reluctantly pushed the brocade box back: "Sister, this is too valuable, Jasmine can't accept it."

The eldest young lady never gave her a chance to refuse.

When Jasmine left, the eldest young lady stuffed the clothes directly into her arms, as if to say, "If you don't accept it, I'll throw it away and we can't be good sisters anymore."

Jasmine had no choice but to accept it.

After watching Jasmine leave, the eldest young lady's smile faded.

Cuizhu said excitedly, "Madam, she seems to like it very much. We are making the right move."

The eldest young lady's wife curled her lips in pride: "A little girl who has never seen the world, suddenly seeing such a good thing, how can she not be fascinated. In the future, she will only become more demanding. But she is just a concubine in the Duke's Mansion. What will she do if she can't get it?"

Cuizhu: "Of course, I can only come to please our wife."

The eldest young lady smiled even more proudly.

...

On the way back to the main courtyard, Jasmine unexpectedly ran into the Third Young Master's wife again.

Jasmine also paid her respects to the Third Young Master's wife.

The Third Young Master's wife grabbed her in panic and said, "Auntie, you are embarrassing me."

Jasmine shook her head: "The Third Young Master's wife is the Third Master's wife, and Jasmine is a servant, so it's only natural."

Upon hearing this, the Third Young Master's wife treated her even more affectionately. She took her arm and said, "As soon as Auntie came in and saw Auntie for the first time, I felt that I was destined to be with her. Please forgive me for not being as eloquent as my eldest sister-in-law."

Jasmine smiled and shook her head again. "Jasmine also thinks the Third Young Master's wife is particularly kind. Jasmine wants to be close to her, but she's afraid she might be unhappy. I'm so touched to hear her words today."

The Third Young Master's wife took out a jade hairpin with auspicious clouds from her sleeve and said, "This is my gift to you, Aunt. It's not as good as the one given by my eldest sister-in-law, but it's also a token of my appreciation. I hope you will accept it."

Jasmine thought that since she had already accepted the eldest young master's wife's, it would be unreasonable not to accept the third young master's wife's. So she took the hairpin and said happily, "Jasmine likes it very much."

"Then I'll go talk to my aunt some other day."

"Jasmine is waiting for Madam." Jasmine and the Third Young Master's wife waved goodbye.

When Jasmine returned to the main courtyard, she found the fourth young master's wife waiting for her in the pavilion outside the main courtyard.

The Fourth Young Master's wife was wearing a half-new, half-worn lilac-colored double-breasted skirt. She stood in the pavilion with a worried look on her face. When she saw Jasmine, she smiled shyly and walked quickly forward, "Mingle greets Sister-in-law Jasmine."

Jasmine was horrified. "Madam, please don't address me like that. I truly don't deserve it."

The Fourth Young Master's wife looked uneasy: "I've caused trouble for my sister-in-law, so how about I call her Jasmine from now on?"

Jasmine nodded: "That couldn't be better."

"Then from now on, Jasmine, please call me Mingle."

Jasmine waved her hands hurriedly: "I am a concubine, and the Fourth Young Master's wife is the legitimate wife. How dare Jasmine?"

The fourth young master's wife said with a worried look on her face, "Don't worry if you laugh at me. I've always been useless. I just want to stay in the courtyard and enjoy the flowers and embroider. The old lady has despised me countless times. To be honest, I was forced to come here today."

Jasmine cried out, "Ah!" She realized she had lost her composure and apologized to the Fourth Young Master's wife.

"You're not wrong, it's me who's useless." The Fourth Young Master's wife blamed herself, "Mother has high hopes for the Fourth Master. I knew that the eldest and third sisters-in-law came to see you, but I didn't want to be like them. I didn't come, but I was afraid that the old lady would blame me. So I came here. I hope Jasmine won't blame me."

Jasmine was surprised for a moment. She didn't expect the Fourth Young Master's wife to be so direct.

The Fourth Master is the Old Madam's biological son, yet it is quite strange that the Old Madam let the Fourth Master marry the Fourth Young Master's wife, who is an introverted and naive wife.

Jasmine tried to call out, "...Mingle?"

"Jasmine!"

The Fourth Young Master's wife gave Jasmine a set of porcelain. Jasmine couldn't tell whether it was expensive or cheap, but since it was a gift from the Fourth Young Master's wife, it must have been expensive.

Jasmine placed the three gifts in the main courtyard and waited from noon until dusk, waiting for the Duke to come back so that she could report to him.

As a result, her grandfather had not returned yet, so the old lady sent someone to invite her.

It was dinner time, and Jasmine knew that after the three young ladies, the old lady would definitely come to see her.

But when they really came to her door, Jasmine still couldn't control her nervousness.

The living room in the backyard was brightly lit. There were two large rooms, and a large round table was placed in the right room. Several maids were running back and forth arranging the bowls, plates and dishes.

The left room is where the ladies sit and chat.

Jasmine entered the left room. The old lady stood up and said with a smile, "Look, someone's here. Let's take a seat."

Jasmine greeted the old lady, "This servant greets the old lady."

The old lady held her back and said, "We are a family, please don't be so polite."

The old lady said this and took her hand to the right room.

There was a door between the right and left rooms, separated by a beaded curtain. The old lady took Jasmine by the hand and entered the right room.

When they arrived at the round table, the old lady did not let go of her hand. Nanny Qian helped the old lady to sit down, and the maid behind Jasmine helped Jasmine pull the chair away.

Jasmine was so frightened upon seeing this that she knelt down. "Old Madam, this is unacceptable. How can I possibly dine with my masters? Furthermore, how can I possibly sit beside you, Old Madam? Please don't embarrass me."

The old lady helped the man up personally, with Nanny Qian helping.

Jasmine stood up and heard the old lady sigh, "He's a good child who knows how to behave. No wonder he's favored by the Duke."

The old lady patted her hands and said, "Don't worry, the Duke at least calls me mother. If the Duke embarrasses you, I, an old woman, will take care of it for you."

Jasmine had no choice but to sit down. It felt like she was sitting on a branding iron, and it was extremely irritating.

Only cold dishes were served; neither soup nor any freshly cooked dishes were served. The only empty seat at the table was next to Jasmine, but no one was eating, clearly waiting for the Duke to return.

"The Duke is back!"

The doorman called inside. In a blink of an eye, the Duke was already in front of the main hall.