"It seems that the old lady has come to hate the young lady. I heard that the old master has returned to the capital several times in the past few days."

"I spent a lot of money trying to get a job, but the noblewoman's family ruined it all."

"The old man was disheartened and returned to the Taoist temple. This time he packed a lot of luggage, so he's probably going to stay for a long time."

"This is terrible! The male head of the household is actually living in a Taoist temple?"

The maids clicked their tongues in amazement. Upon seeing Jiang Shuwan, they quickly bowed and asked her to wait a moment, as the old Marquis, the heir apparent, and the old lady were discussing important matters of the court inside the room.

No one is allowed to go in.

"Young mistress, would you like to sit in the warm pavilion for a while?"

The little girl was afraid that she would just wait around.

Jiang Shuwan shook her head and refused.

Of course, she had to listen to news from the imperial court.

"I'll wait a moment."

Jiang Shuwan was holding the hand warmer when she heard Old Madam Pei's angry voice coming from inside.

"The Earl's Mansion has been truly outrageous these past two years, only showing up when they have something to ask."

"The mistress came to complain, saying that her daughter-in-law was bothering her son all day long, disturbing his studies, and that it was improper."

"She thinks she's not proper either, and she's hoping her son and daughter-in-law will drift apart every day."

"Since Miss Jiang has been behaving well these past few days and hasn't caused any trouble, why not give her some face? But she's the mother-in-law who's always stirring up trouble."

"However, we cannot ignore Pei Lingyu's studies; after all, he is surnamed Pei."

"Pass on my order: once the fifteenth of the lunar year has passed, Pei Lingyu should go to the Imperial Academy to study diligently."

"If he dares to run off to play whenever I call his name, I'll make him come see me. Let's see if he dares!"

Jiang Shuwan: "?"

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month...

Does that mean Jiang Yao's sweet days won't last long?