God knows how many years she waited for those two simple words.
When I was in a daze, when I couldn't react for a long time after listening.
It was only after Tan Yue called her name a few times that Old Madam Jiang refocused her eyes and smiled slightly, "Good child, you're back."
There was no embracing and weeping, no trembling and tears.
Is it because the upbringing of such a large family is too superior, or because they had already shed all their tears when no one was around?
Jiang Sheng was unaware of this; she pursed her lips, trying her best to play the role of the obedient and well-behaved granddaughter of the Jiang family.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Old Madam Jiang breathed a long sigh of relief, and stretched out her slightly aged hand, unsurprisingly placing it on the round arm.
Jiang Sheng leaned over and, along with Tan Yue, supported her from both sides.
This child.
Madam Jiang smiled broadly, "The gatekeeper should inform the two courtyards and have the main kitchen prepare a good meal to welcome the young lady at noon."
"Okay!" the doorman replied loudly, then turned and ran off.
He Rui followed behind attentively, making his presence known from time to time, "Madam, please slow down; Miss, please slow down; Miss Tan Yue, please slow down."
Madam Jiang knew perfectly well what was going on, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. From now on, you will follow the young lady and protect her."
He Rui immediately accepted the order, as excited as if he had struck gold.
Perhaps she had run out of energy, because Madam Jiang was walking very slowly, occasionally describing her surroundings in a low voice.
Jiang Sheng listened attentively.
She had only told her brothers that she was coming to broaden their horizons as a way of comforting them, but when she arrived at the Jiang family home, she realized that she was truly about to have her eyes opened.
It turns out that wealthy families did not live in two, three, or four courtyards, but rather built several courtyards directly on the land, with each courtyard divided into two or three sections according to its size.
One Jiang family is equivalent to ten two-courtyard houses.
This doesn't even include the lotus ponds dug between the courtyards, the pavilions built, and the land occupied by the colorful gardens.
The Jiang family was divided into east and west courtyards, which together housed less than ten masters, but had nearly a hundred maids and servants to serve them.
There were people in charge of the kitchen, people in charge of purchasing, people in charge of clothing, people who took care of people personally, people who swept and cleaned outside, and people who fed the horses.
The Jiang family has a large kitchen that is responsible for all three meals a day for the entire mansion, as well as banquets for guests and family reunion dinners during holidays.
Each courtyard also has a separate small kitchen, which is usually used to warm the master's medicine or reheat meals, and occasionally to make pastries and desserts.
The Jiang family's sons studied at the Imperial Academy, and the girls also had private tutors. They were well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, and were no less accomplished than the scholars from outside the family.
The monthly salary of a Jiang family's personal maid is as high as five taels, while that of an ordinary maid is two taels. On a daily basis, the master would also reward them with various gold and silver jewelry, making them richer than girls from ordinary families.
The Jiang family also...
The detailed introduction was still ringing in her ears, but Jiang Sheng was lost in thought.
She remembered that Aunt Zhang had bought a bolt of cloth for a hundred coins, which could be cut into three sets of clothes, which she wore in rotation for two whole years.
Remembering that the large pharmacy charged three taels of silver per catty for angelica, while the small pharmacy in the north of the city only charged two and a half taels for a catty, Wen Zhiyun carried the medicine basket for an hour, just to save five hundred coins.
Remembering the opening of Jiuzhenfang, Zheng Ruqian bought a new outfit and deliberately said it was fifty taels, which earned him a beating from Jiang Sheng. He was only let off the hook when he found out it was ten taels.
Remembering how Jiang Sheng painstakingly sold her surname-themed pastries, thinking she had set an outrageous price, only to find it was less than what the Jiang family casually tipped their maids.
I remember the padded jacket they bought for twelve coins. It was made from old cloth from the bottom of a trunk and rotten cotton, making it a big, baggy style. It let in the wind if you didn't wrap yourself up tightly, but it was the warmest thing that winter.
The past is filled with fragmented yet detailed details.
Jiang Sheng suddenly realized that even though they had only been apart for a little over half an hour, she already missed her brothers, Aunt Zhang, Zheng Ruqian who was traveling, and Fang Heng in the northern frontier.
But she was at the Jiang family's house.
The Jiang family without the brothers.
"My dear, my dear." Old Madam Jiang's voice rang in my ears.
Jiang Sheng turned around abruptly and looked up. "Grandmother, what's wrong?"
Tan Yue stood nervously beside her, pursing her lips. Old Madam Jiang smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to call you."
Jiang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, concealing her confusion and helplessness.
Old Madam Jiang observed this thoughtfully.
It took the mother and daughter about half an hour to walk from the main gate of the Jiang family to Deren Courtyard. During this time, apart from servants passing by to pay their respects, there was no other movement from the Jiang family.
Madam Jiang remained calm and pointed to the nearest empty courtyard. "Do you like it? It was prepared for you."
The courtyard was about two sections in size, with Deren Courtyard on the right and a large pond on the left. Crabapple trees were planted in the pond, and it was the season when they were in full bloom. The tall branches stretched out of the courtyard, and whenever a breeze blew, petals would fall.
Two steps further, a plaque hanging above the courtyard gate came into view, with the three characters "Yunxi Pavilion" written in a flamboyant style by someone.
He Rui was very perceptive and took the initiative to push open the courtyard gate. The crabapple tree, which could only be seen as branches before, was now fully visible. Under the pink and white flowers, there was a swing set, swaying gently in the wind.
Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up.
No girl could resist a swing set under a flowering tree. I remember the villagers of Shilipu Village would tie a rope between two trees and put a thick cotton coat in the middle of the rope, enough for the children to play for a long time.
Jiang Sheng wanted to play too, but she had no rope, no old cotton-padded jacket, and was a dirty little beggar, so no one wanted to talk to her.
It's okay, we can sneak over and play for a while after dark.
But who would have thought that a rope is unstable and that someone would fall if no one was holding on to it? Little Jiang Sheng bumped her head and got a big bump. Afraid that her crying would disturb the owners, she could only leave with tears in her eyes.
Later, she began to shy away from swings and kept quiet about them.
But some memories are etched into our bones, and some desires have never faded with time.
"Want to play?" Old Madam Jiang's gentle voice rang out. "Go ahead, it's very sturdy, you won't fall."
Jiang Sheng tentatively walked over and touched it lightly with her fingertips.
The swing set is made of pure wood, the ropes are as thick as three fingers, the small stool is tied tightly, and a layer of soft satin is laid on it, so it is stable and comfortable to sit on, and you won't fall head over heels.
The distance between the stool and the ground is also cleverly designed, enough for Jiang Sheng to easily lift both feet off the ground by using her toes to push off.
He Rui walked over at some point and gave the little girl a gentle push, and she started swinging on the swing.
Swaying back and forth, one in front and one behind.
Her expression shifted from bewilderment to surprise, and then from astonishment to delight.
"Miss, do you need more strength?" He Rui asked.
Jiang Sheng nodded, "Mm."
He Rui increased her strength, drawing a semicircle in the air, leaping high and landing, the wind lifting her braids, petals dancing around her.
The only sound in the entire Yunxi Pavilion was the little girl's clear laughter, as melodious as heavenly music.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
