Chapter 5 Stepmother Jiang Zhiyao suddenly felt sorry for him...
Jiang Zhiyao has been at the Yan residence for two months. Apart from the wedding and the tea ceremony, she has not seen Yan Zhenxi's parents again.
Firstly, Jiang Zhiyao wouldn't wander around the Yan residence casually; secondly, those two didn't seem to like being disturbed and never set foot in Yan Zhenxi's courtyard.
But today is strange.
In Gu Lanru's room, Jiang Zhiyao stood waiting for her to come over.
Gu Lanru is Yan Zhenxi's stepmother and the current mistress of the Yan family.
After waiting for about half an hour, Gu Lanru finally arrived, and Jiang Zhiyao bowed to her.
Gu Lanru didn't spare her many glances. She sat down on the couch by the window, took a small sip of tea, and immediately put the cup down with a loud thud. She frowned and said, "The tea has gone cold."
None of the servants around stepped forward, so Jiang Zhiyao went up and said, "Let me make tea for Mother."
Jiang Zhiyao took the teacup and went to the tea-making area, carefully beginning to brew the tea.
She had learned all of these things with her sister Ji. Ji Wanqing not only brought Jiang Zhiyao to banquets, but also brought Jiang Zhiyao along when learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Although Jiang Zhiyao's talent and intelligence are not as good as Ji Wanqing's, after so long of being immersed in the world, she has learned etiquette and skills that no one can find fault with.
The old woman beside her watched Jiang Zhiyao make tea without saying a word.
After brewing the tea, Jiang Zhiyao handed it to Gu Lanru.
Gu Lanru took a sip, her expression softened, and her attitude became gentler.
"You've been in the manor for two months now, haven't you?"
"Yes," Jiang Zhiyao replied, bowing her head slightly.
Gu Lanru looked at Jiang Zhiyao and continued, "I heard you're still sleeping in separate rooms?"
Jiang Zhiyao didn't know what to say, and before she could finish thinking, Gu Lanru said, "Although you were a substitute bride, everyone knows that, but..."
Jiang Zhiyao lowered her head even further.
"But my son doesn't seem very happy."
"You are, the cousin of the Ji family, right?" One of the words was pronounced very heavily.
"Although my son is now blind, he is still a fourth-rank official in the imperial court. I have selected many noble ladies for him before, but he was not satisfied with any of them. So it is normal for him to have this attitude towards you now." His words were all aimed at belittling Jiang Zhiyao.
“After a woman gets married, she has to rely on her husband’s family. I’m afraid you haven’t been having a good time these days.”
Jiang Zhiyao secretly retorted in her heart, "No, I still have Sister Ji and Mingzhu."
Sister Ji gave Jiang Zhiyao several shops and taught her how to manage them. Although Jiang Zhiyao never personally managed them, Sister Ji guided her from behind the scenes. Now the business is booming, and she no longer needs to rely on her in-laws.
"Your most important task right now is to win your husband's favor and get pregnant as soon as possible. That way, you'll have a place in the Yan family," Gu Lanru said earnestly.
Looking at Jiang Zhiyao's submissive demeanor, Gu Lanru felt very satisfied.
She pulled Jiang Zhiyao's hand, and Jiang Zhiyao sat down on the couch next to her: "I'm doing this for your own good. It's never been easy for us women."
Gu Lanru glanced at the nanny behind her, who then went up and handed her a small bottle.
Jiang Zhiyao looked down at Gu Lanru holding her hand. Even though there was charcoal burning in the room, Gu Lanru's hand was unusually cold. In addition, her skin was very delicate and smooth due to years of maintenance. Jiang Zhiyao felt as if she was being entangled by a snake.
Gu Lanru handed the small bottle to Jiang Zhiyao and said earnestly, "This contains some things for the room. I don't need to explain it too clearly. Zhiyao, you have to fight for many things yourself."
Jiang Zhiyao took the bottle and said softly, "I recognize it, thank you, Mother."
"Good girl." Gu Lanru patted Jiang Zhiyao's hand.
"Then I'll go down first." Jiang Zhiyao bowed to Gu Lanru and was about to leave.
Gu Lanru casually asked, as if it were nothing, "Is Zhenxi's eye any better?"
Jiang Zhiyao lowered her eyes and replied, "Daughter-in-law doesn't know."
Gu Lanru waved her hand: "You may leave."
After Jiang Zhiyao left, the old nanny behind Gu Lanru stepped forward and asked, "Madam, was she really effective?"
Gu Lanru looked at the newly dyed nail polish on her hand and said casually, "Who knows? It's just a little more chance. Maybe even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."
Looking towards Yan Zhenxi's courtyard, Gu Lanru's eyes couldn't help but reveal viciousness.
Why didn't you kill him outright that time?
But it doesn't matter, now that she's disabled, she's no longer qualified to compete with her son for the Yan family mansion.
Of course, it would be best if he were dead. Only when such a scheming person becomes dead will he no longer be able to cause any trouble.
-
After leaving Gu Lanru's courtyard, Jiang Zhiyao took a deep breath of fresh air.
The incense in Gu Lanru's room was so strong that Jiang Zhiyao felt dizzy and lightheaded inside.
Nanzhi, who was waiting outside the courtyard, hurried over, her face showing some concern: "Miss, are you alright?"
Jiang Zhiyao shook her head: "It's nothing, we just said a few words."
Seeing Jiang Zhiyao's somewhat listless expression, Nanzhi felt extremely distressed: "Miss, I'll make your favorite cherry pork later today."
"Okay." Jiang Zhiyao's eyes brightened a little, and she felt some of the heaviness in her heart dissipate.
After dinner, Jiang Zhiyao stayed in her room alone and opened the small bottle, which contained brown powder.
Even if Jiang Zhiyao didn't understand medicine, she knew that this was definitely not the kind of medicine Gu Lanru mentioned for use in the bedroom; it was very likely poison.
She really hated all the backstabbing and infighting in the mansion.
Jiang Zhiyao stared at the small bottle for a while, not knowing what to do, so she put it away for the time being, planning to take it out and deal with it when she left the manor someday.
It seems that Gu Lanru is indeed as rumored in the capital: all talk and no action.
Yan Zhenxi's biological mother passed away not long after he was born. A year or two later, Gu Lanru entered the household and gave birth to a son named Yan Ciying.
Yan Zhenxi and Yan Ciying are only three or four years apart. At first, everyone thought that Gu Lanru was the epitome of virtue and gentleness. She treated her son Yan Zhenxi very well in front of everyone and often praised his intelligence at banquets.
But in full view of everyone, nine-year-old Yan Ciying pushed Yan Zhenxi into the pond. His tender face was full of a vicious expression that was frightening to behold, and he uttered vicious words: "My mother is right, you should die."
Everyone was shocked. If they dared to act like this in public, it was clear how they treated Yan Zhenxi in private.
Although the Yan family tried to suppress the news, those who saw the boy in the pond that day felt pity for him, who was soaking wet and had his head bowed. The news still got out.
So no matter how well Gu Lanru pretends now, others will only secretly spit a few words, saying that she is all talk and no action.
Furthermore, as Yan Zhenxi increasingly demonstrated his talent and demeanor, while Yan Ciying became more and more arrogant and domineering, the contrast between the two, though not outwardly expressed, made everyone secretly very dislike Gu Lanru and Yan Ciying.
Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiyao suddenly felt sorry for Yan Zhenxi. He was already in such a state, yet Gu Lanru still seemed unwilling to let him go.
Behind this, there must have been the indulgence of Yan Zhenxi's father.
Although Jiang Zhiyao didn't have a good childhood, she had a mother who loved her very much. Even though they lived in the most remote courtyard in the mansion and were ridiculed by others, her mother would always play with her, cook delicious food for her, teach her to write with twigs, and watch her play. That period was the most carefree time for Jiang Zhiyao.
But after her mother passed away... Jiang Zhiyao blinked her long eyelashes gently, unwilling to recall it any further.
But she had also experienced her mother's love. The thought that Gu Lanru had come to the mansion not long after Yan Zhenxi's mother passed away made Jiang Zhiyao feel a pang of bitterness.
Jiang Zhiyao's favorite food used to be jujube and yam cake made by her mother. Not only was it sweet and sticky, but her mother would also make it into beautiful flower shapes.
This is also the only pastry that Jiang Zhiyao can make and is best at.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Zhiyao got up and went to the small kitchen to make some pastries and send them to him.
-
"Sir, Miss Jiang was summoned by Gu Lanru for a while, and Gu Lanru gave Miss Jiang a small bottle."
Then she told Yan Zhenxi about their previous conversation in detail.
Yan Zhenxi casually turned a page of the book: "So what is she doing now?"
The guard continued, "Miss Jiang is currently making pastries in the small kitchen."
"Oh?" Could it be that the timid young lady really wanted to drug him?
He wanted to see how Jiang Zhiyao would talk to him later.
"And then there's Gu Lanru. Her family sent someone over to ask her, sir, if you really have lost all your sight."
Yan Zhenxi tapped the edge of the book twice with his finger, referring to Gu Lanru's maternal home.
Since Gu Lanru's reputation fell into disrepute, the General's Mansion has rarely interacted with her. Has it now become involved again?
"You can go down now," Yan Zhenxi said.
After turning another page, Yan Zhenxi suddenly wondered if she had believed that woman's words.
Yan Zhenxi felt that it wasn't impossible, after all, that Miss Jiang didn't seem very smart.
He put down the book in his hand and picked up the eye veil beside him.
-
In the small kitchen, Nan Zhi was helping Jiang Zhiyao: "Miss, why are you making jujube and yam cake now? Was the cherry meat not good today?" So you didn't eat enough?
But Nanzhi recalled how her mistress had eaten today, and it shouldn't have happened.
"No, no," Jiang Zhiyao denied. "Cherry meat is delicious, I was just thinking of making some pastries to send to Yan Zhenxi."
"Oh, it's for the son-in-law." Nanzhi understood.
Seeing that Nanzhi was staring intently at the pastry in her hand, Jiang Zhiyao smiled, picked up a piece and fed it to Nanzhi: "I'll save half for you."
"Thank you, Miss." Nan Zhi said cheerfully. The jujube and yam cake made by Miss was the most delicious!
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