Zheng Shi transformed into the principal wife. For the sake of her son's future, she no longer hesitated and acted with the aura of a matriarch, selling off most of the servants in the mansion in one fell swoop.
To avoid criticism, the elderly woman in the mansion returned her indenture and was released, leaving only two personal servants in her own room.
The biggest taboo for wealthy families is selling old servants. Not only will outsiders say the master is unkind, but every household has its private affairs. Old servants know a lot, and once they are released from the mansion, they will be unable to keep their mouths shut, and it will be the master's reputation that will be damaged.
On the estate outside the capital, Jiang Jiaojiao only knew that the Prime Minister's mansion was gone, and was completely unaware of the changes that had occurred in her family.
On her first day at the estate, she instructed Caiyan to brew and drink the abortion medicine.
After taking the medicine, Jiang Jiaojiao was bedridden. On the first night, she suffered severe abdominal pain, which made her writhe in agony on the bed.
The next day, she gave birth to the nearly formed fetus.
The old woman in charge of the village treated her respectfully, thinking she had come to recuperate.
Several days passed, and Jiang Jiaojiao still felt unwell. She said to Caiyan, "Tomorrow, go back to the capital and find a renowned gynecologist to prescribe medicine, and then go to the manor to have the family physician fill the prescription."
Having been at the estate for several days without any officials coming to her door, Jiang Jiaojiao felt safe and could finally relax.
Caiyan felt her future was bleak and said listlessly, "Second Miss, it will take at least ten days to half a month for your body to recover after a miscarriage. I asked the kitchen to make chicken soup. Drinking that bitter medicine is not as good as drinking a bowl of chicken soup."
It would take most of the day to get back to the capital, and by the time I found a renowned gynecologist and returned to the mansion to get the medicine, the city gates would already be closed.
It would take two days to go back and forth, and she didn't want to go through all that trouble.
Jiang Jiaojiao looked haggard, like a withered flower. "Is chicken soup really more effective than medicine?"
She was already afraid of drinking that bitter medicine soup, but after hearing Caiyan's words, she began to waver.
"Does Miss remember how long it took for the concubine in the manor to leave the courtyard after her miscarriage?"
"Forget it, I'll just stay in bed and rest a bit longer."
She clearly remembered that after her father's two concubines became pregnant and miscarried, they would stay in the courtyard for almost a month, and her father would not stay overnight in their rooms for at least two months.
She never left her bedroom and wouldn't let her mother-in-law serve her. Caiyan even specifically instructed the kitchen to kill an old hen and make soup.
Those old women were no pushovers; although they dared not discuss it in private, they all knew what was going on.
After lunch, Caiyan suggested, "Miss, the weather is nice today, why don't you go out to the yard and soak up some sun?"
Jiang Jiaojiao drank a large bowl of chicken soup and ate a lot of chicken for lunch. It's unclear whether it was a placebo effect or if her health was actually starting to improve.
She clearly felt much better.
"Hurry up and comb my hair. The autumn scenery here has a unique charm. I want to go for a walk." Jiang Jiaojiao propped herself up on the bed with one hand and slowly sat up.
She felt her back was aching from lying down all day.
"I should put on some makeup. Do I look a little pale?" Jiang Jiaojiao turned her head and asked Caiyan, her reflection in the bronze mirror not quite clear.
"It's alright, much better than a few days ago. Let me apply some light makeup for you, Miss."
Caiyan didn't understand. The estate was full of servants. Who was the second young lady dressing up for?
How could a servant dare to utter a single word of dissent to her mistress? After a moment, Jiang Jiaojiao smiled with satisfaction at the bronze mirror.
After getting married, her breasts became fuller than before, and her eyes and brows radiated the spring-like beauty unique to young women.
After changing into a lotus-root-colored dress with a light gauze sash, she was still the unmarried Miss Jiang.
The mistress and servant left the inner courtyard. The old woman in charge saw that she was dressed in a bright and beautiful manner and stepped forward to bow and say, "Second Miss, are you going back to the capital? This old servant will tell Zhao Wu to prepare the carriage."
Zhao Wu is a coachman on the estate. There are no extra horses on the estate now, and he only goes to the market once every few days, so Zhao Wu is quite bored.
"No need, I'll just look around outside the manor." Jiang Jiaojiao raised her chin and walked outside.
"Would the Second Miss like a carriage?"
As I passed the gatehouse, a man stood up, bowed, and asked me a question.
Caiyan looked the person in front of her up and down. "You're Zhao Wu?"
“Reporting to Miss, this servant is indeed Zhao Wu. The gatekeeper is out on business today, so I happen to be free to help guard the gate.”
Zhao appeared to be in his early twenties, with a robust build, broad shoulders, and a slightly open front of his shirt, revealing a clump of dark hair on his chest.
This was a rugged mountain man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and dark skin.
Caiyan thought to herself: This Zhao Wu is really strong. Even in this season, he still keeps his clothes open.
She couldn't help but glance at Zhao Wu again.
Jiang Jiaojiao glanced at Zhao Wu and said indifferently, "No need for a carriage today."
"This servant lives right next to the stables. Second Miss can summon me at any time," Zhao Wu said, his eyes quickly sweeping over Jiang Jiaojiao and Caiyan.
The village was full of men and a few old women. When Zhao Wu saw the young girl, his eyes lit up.
"Don't just stand there, open the door quickly, Miss wants to go out for a stroll," Caiyan urged.
Zhao Wu hurriedly went forward to open the door.
Seeing Jiang Jiaojiao and her companion heading towards the bamboo forest, Zhao Wu said solicitously from behind, "Miss, please don't cross that mountain pass ahead. The farmers in the neighboring village keep dogs. Don't let them hurt you."
Upon hearing that there was a dog, Jiang Jiaojiao immediately stopped in her tracks.
Caiyan's eyes darted around, and she glanced back at Zhao Wu.
“Miss, this place is sparsely populated, and the dogs kept by farmers tend to run around. What if a dog from the neighboring village comes to our vicinity? That would be very dangerous. Why don’t we have Zhao Wu take care of things? He’s big, and even the dogs will be afraid of him.”
Jiang Jiaojiao looked at the vast bamboo forest in front of her, its branches and leaves lush and verdant, a sea of green. A breeze swept by, and the bamboo shadows swayed, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.
This scene is not visible in the capital. She nodded and said, "Okay, they are familiar with everything here, so it's good to bring him along."
Upon hearing that the young lady had agreed to let him accompany her, Zhao Wu immediately bowed and said, "Please come forward, young lady. I will serve you and ensure your safety." He then gave Caiyan a grateful smile.
The master rarely comes to the estate, and the servants don't usually get any rewards. Now that a master has finally come, they can serve him and, if the master is in a good mood, they might even get a reward.
Since the sun couldn't reach her in the bamboo grove, Jiang Jiaojiao walked towards a path outside the grove.
Zhao Wu was very good at reading people's expressions. Whenever Jiang Jiaojiao stopped and looked into the distance, he would explain whose territory it was, what season it was, and what beautiful scenery it had.
Jiang Jiaojiao felt extremely tired after walking only a short distance.
Seeing that she had stopped, Caiyan quickly said, "Miss, you should go back and rest."
Zhao Wu assumed Jiang Jiaojiao was unwell and bowed, saying, "Miss, please go back and rest. Just tell me what you need."
A gentle breeze blew by, and Jiang Jiaojiao smelled a faint fragrance of chrysanthemums in the air.
She asked, "Who grows chrysanthemums here?"
"They are wild chrysanthemums. There is a large patch of them behind the bamboo grove. This servant will go and pick a bunch for Miss."
As Zhao Wu spoke, he ran towards the bamboo forest.
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