6. Send sachet
◎This time, I am here to apologize to you, cousin.◎
Lu Jiaan was a guest staying temporarily in the mansion and did not need to go to the main courtyard to greet him in the morning or evening.
She had just woken up when the maid came to report. She was lazily leaning against the table with her hair loose, drinking porridge. When she heard that Chu Yufu wanted to see her, she was a little surprised. She looked up and looked at her personal maid Sang Lu, and said, "Please wait a moment, second cousin. I need to change my clothes."
After the maid who had delivered the message left, Sang Lu whispered, "What a rare visitor! Normally, Second Cousin would be eager to get around you, so why would she come here on her own initiative now?"
The east wing was not big, with two rooms inside and outside. Chu Yufu could not be allowed to come in to wait, so Sang Lu quickly tied up her master's hair into a high bun, simply inserted a plain hairpin, changed into a set of narrow-sleeved casual clothes, and went to open the door.
Miss Chu Er, who had been waiting at the door for half an incense stick of time, walked in and smiled faintly, "Cousin."
The girl's hair was a little messy in the morning breeze, and she pursed her lips in a soft smile that would make anyone feel soft-hearted. But Lu Jiaan just nodded at her and asked calmly, "Second cousin, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Lu Jiaan was a little angry with this cousin.
When she first arrived at the Chu family, the first person she saw was her second cousin. She was like a fair and delicate orchid, huddled behind the crowd, blinking at her. She naturally preferred the simple-minded second cousin to the older cousin who looked at everyone with her chin raised. She thought that since they were not much different in age, they should be able to get along well.
But later, she tried to make peace with her many times, but her second cousin always turned a blind eye. There were even a few times when she was clearly walking towards her, but her second cousin turned into another road to avoid her, as if she was some kind of monster, which was very unpleasant.
If you don't like her like this, then just keep it that way. Why did you come to look for her today?
Hearing her cold tone, the girl's lips curved slightly, her smile becoming somewhat forced. She fumbled from her sleeve and pulled out a sachet embroidered with a daylily pattern, placed it on the table, and spoke softly.
"I saw a fragrance in a book the other day called 'Xue Rui'. It uses sandalwood, clove peel, plum flesh, and saltpeter to imitate the scent of a cold plum blossom in the snow. After making it, I think the scent is very suitable for my sister."
Lu Jiaan was a straightforward person. He glanced at the sachet and then at Chu Yufu, who was trying to force a smile. He couldn't figure out what she was up to. He felt a little annoyed and couldn't help but speak with a hint of sarcasm.
"It's really strange that my sister would think of sewing a sachet for me. Don't worry, I've come to the wrong place."
Her reaction was within Chu Yufu's expectations. She had been upset some time ago and had to vent it out in order to have any hope of peace. So she lowered her head, twisted her slender white fingers together, and let her talk in silence.
Seeing her speechless, like a young wife ready to be scolded, Lu Jia'an suddenly couldn't say anything else. She felt an inexplicable sense of unease in her heart. She took a sip from her teacup, then took a deep breath, her tone stiff.
"I'm a straightforward person, so please don't be offended, sister. But in the Chu family, you are the host and I am the guest. Why do you always act like I've bullied you?"
The corners of Miss Chu's eyes quickly turned red. She took a deep breath, raised her watery eyes, and said weakly as if she had made up her mind: "I'm here to apologize to you, cousin."
Lu Jiaan: “?”
"I think cousin can sense that Yu Fu is neither valued by father nor liked by mother in this family. She lives her life cautiously, fearing that she will be found guilty."
"Actually, from the moment I saw you, cousin, I sincerely wanted to be close. That day, you were wearing a crimson jacket and had such a beautiful smile... But later, you and my elder sister started to have a falling out, and I felt really awkward being caught in the middle. I had no choice but to deliberately avoid my elder sister. I apologize for any impoliteness."
Lu Jiaan fell silent when she heard the second sentence. She had no idea her second cousin actually thought this way. Not only did she not dislike her, but she actually liked her? A sense of strangeness could not help but rise in her heart. She forced her mouth to lower the corner of her mouth, looked into the other's red rabbit eyes, and asked, "So we don't need to avoid each other now?"
Chu Yufu wiped her eyes with her sleeve, a faint blush on her ears. She smiled shyly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's: "At breakfast today, my mother said that my marriage with Mr. Li San is settled, and I expect it to be around next year..."
She spoke vaguely, but Lu Jiaan understood clearly.
That is to say, she didn't dare to offend her stepmother and step-sister before, so she could only avoid me deliberately. Now that her marriage is set and she will be getting married next year, she has fewer concerns, so she dares to contact me.
The sachet on the table was beautifully embroidered, and the slightly cold plum fragrance was also her favorite. The second cousin sitting opposite her looked at her eagerly, and her black pupils reminded her inexplicably of the little white dog she raised when she was a child. The sincerity in her eyes was exactly the same.
As for her, she was always strong when she met a strong opponent, but could not say harsh words when she met a weak one. When her second cousin looked at her pitifully like this, most of her anger disappeared immediately, and she even felt a little distressed.
I feel sorry for my second cousin who is helpless at home and has to live by other people's wishes.
Chu Yufu paused, then took out an apricot-yellow sachet embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns from her sleeve and placed it on the table. When she raised her hand, her sleeve was accidentally lifted up, revealing her right wrist wrapped in white gauze.
"Oh, by the way, I also found a recipe in a book called 'Nourishing Heart and Aid Sleeping Fragrance'. It's perfect for elderly people to sleep peacefully. I'd like to ask my cousin to pass it on to my grandmother."
"Did you grind the scented powder in the sachet yourself?" Lu Jiaan's eyes fell on the plain white gauze, and his tone unconsciously softened a lot.
The girl noticed her gaze and quickly pulled her sleeves straight to cover her wrists.
"After all, my sister is different from me. She was raised by my aunt and uncle. She must have seen all kinds of good things. Only by making them by hand can she show some novelty."
Then she smiled awkwardly and changed the subject: "I don't know when Grandma will be free, so I'm afraid to disturb her worshipping the Buddha if I go over there rashly. I'm sorry to bother you, sister."
After saying that, she stood up and said goodbye without waiting for Lu Jiaan to speak: "Then I'll go back first."
Lu Jiaan stood up and walked her to the door of the wing room. He watched her slender figure slowly walk away and sighed, "When there are more people in the backyard, the relationships become complicated."
Sang Lu turned around and asked her as she closed the door, "Girl, are you still angry? It sounds like this second cousin has had a hard time."
Lu Jiaan didn't reply. He picked up the sachet and brought it close to his nose to sniff it. Thinking of his second cousin's wrist wrapped in white gauze, he sighed.
During the time she lived in the Chu family, she was really unhappy. Her eldest cousin was very arrogant and looked down on her cousin who came from outside Beijing. Her second cousin avoided her like the plague. Her fourth cousin was okay, but because of the big age gap between them, they didn't interact much.
These recent events have made her almost doubt herself, wondering if she is really that bad and annoying. Today, knowing the reason why her second cousin is avoiding her, she finally feels relieved.
She hummed softly, picked up the apricot-yellow sachet, and walked out.
The layout of Cishou Hall is similar to that of Zhuyuyuan, but it has more and larger rooms. The east wing was cleaned up for the granddaughter to live in, and the west wing was converted into a Buddhist hall. Every morning, Mrs. Wei would go there to worship Buddha, and then return to the main house for meals.
When Lu Jiaan approached, the old lady in a dark purple robe with longevity patterns had just come to the table. Seeing her arrival, she hurriedly ordered the servants to add another pair of bowls and chopsticks. Lu Jiaan didn't hesitate, but smiled and leaned over to smell the snacks on the table, saying playfully, "Grandma's food still smells so good!"
The old lady was amused by her and giggled. She picked up a piece of frankincense yam cake and put it over to her: "Then eat more. Come and eat every day."
Lu Jiaan had previously drunk porridge, but after a few mouthfuls, he put down his chopsticks, fished out a sachet from his sleeve, and placed it on the table. He said, "My second cousin just came over and said she found a good fragrance recipe for nourishing the heart and promoting sleep, so she made a sachet and asked me to give it to you."
The old lady put down her chopsticks, took the sachet and sniffed it, saying, "Miss Fu is so thoughtful."
Then she casually handed the sachet to the waiting maid, turned to look at her granddaughter, and said lovingly, "Yesterday I heard the maid say that you came in smiling all the way, but did something good happen?"
Lu Jiaan's face flushed. She was usually cheerful and outgoing, but now she felt a little shy. She coughed lightly and said mysteriously, "Grandma, do you still remember the brother Zhou that your granddaughter mentioned? He's the kindhearted man who escorted us back to Beijing. He actually used an alias. I saw him at the Li family's house yesterday!"
"Oh?" Old Mrs. Wei sat up straight, her slightly cloudy eyes brightening slightly.
-
The second Chu Yufu walked out of Cishou Hall, she stopped crying, returned to Zhuyu Courtyard, took off her coat, crawled back into the bed and closed her eyes.
Lan Zhu tucked the quilt over her and asked worriedly, "Miss, do you want to rub your wrist with some medicated oil?"
Chu Yufu waved her hand. She had twisted her hand while talking nonsense that morning, so she simply tied two rounds of gauze around it. There was no need to rub medicine on it.
The light in the bed curtains was dim, and her consciousness gradually became confused. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Lanzhu's voice came again from outside the door.
"Girl, Mother Meng from Yunxi Hall is here!"
Yunxi Hall?
Chu Yufu frowned and stood up, saying, "Let her in."
The door was pushed open, and a tall and thin maid came in with Mother Meng. Mother Meng stood in the middle of the room, bowing slightly like a dragonfly skimming the water.
"Second Miss, Madam said that there are not enough maids in your courtyard and she is worried that you will be too busy in a while, so she specially sent Yun Sui to serve you."
The maid named Yunsui bowed politely and said, "Greetings to the Second Young Lady."
In the Yan Dynasty, getting married was a troublesome matter. After the two parties exchanged draft invitations, they had to send a detailed invitation. Along with the detailed invitation came a load of "promise wine". After the woman agreed and returned the gift, the marriage contract was officially confirmed.
Next, the parents will start to arrange the small betrothal, big betrothal, betrothal gifts and marriage. The girl cannot be idle at this time. She has to embroider the red makeup, handkerchief, veil, purse and wedding dress by herself. She needs help with everything.
But Chu Yufu knew that sending a maid to help was secondary. The most important thing was to keep a close eye on her and prevent her from doing anything stupid and "shameful" like what she did at the chrysanthemum viewing banquet.
After Mother Meng left, she instructed Yinsuo to show Yunsui around the courtyard. Lanzhu closed the door, frowning, "Would Madam be so kind? Miss, there must be something fishy going on!"
Chu Yufu didn't refute her. She yawned lazily and said with a smile, "Isn't it good to have someone come to help you with the work? Don't think too much, let's carry on as usual."
【Author’s words】
Chu Yufu (wiping tears): Sister won’t blame me, right?
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