Chapter 21 Zhao Xian: Are you being called upon? Did you hear that...?
Madam Li's smile remained unchanged, and she was not annoyed by Zhao Xian's blunt words. Instead, she explained, "The previous prefect is being transferred, and according to his seniority, my husband is also eligible for a promotion. He's been so busy with this that he can't leave his post. Su'er is studying at his maternal grandparents' house, so he can't spare any time either."
Zhao Xian was puzzled. Logically, sending a steward would have been fine, so why did it have to be this Li Zhou Shi?
He raised his hand to his chest; the original owner's emotions were too intense, and he felt a little nauseous.
"The full moon celebration is set for the 21st of this month. There are still a few days left. You must be tired from your long journey. Please rest at my residence first."
Zhao Xian found the original owner's memories quite gossipy, but the original owner's emotions were disgusting, making it difficult for her to deal with this Madam Li.
She let out a breath, put her other hand to her forehead, looking uncomfortable, and her voice became weak: "To be honest, I caught a cold a few days ago, and I'm not fully recovered yet, so I don't have much energy. Lianniang, I'll leave the arrangements for receiving your mother and sister entirely to you."
Li Lianniang had always had a question. She knew about that incident, but she didn't understand it when she was young. As she grew older, she felt ashamed when she thought about it. She also knew that her mother-in-law's dislike for her was probably related to that incident.
When the servants told her that the people from the Li family were her stepmother and sister, she was very surprised.
But his mother-in-law didn't react at all, and even thoughtfully arranged for someone to pick him up along the way.
She thought her mother-in-law was broad-minded and had already let it go.
"Okay, Mother, you should rest more."
After the Li family members left.
Zhao Xian showed no signs of discomfort; in fact, she was in excellent spirits.
The nausea also disappeared.
Zhao Xian sighed: "Sister, your life is truly miserable."
After everyone left Haitang Residence, Li Lianniang led her stepmother and younger sister Li Xinxin to Xiequ Pavilion.
Cui Tingyue stood on the corridor, watching the old women carry the sedan chair away for a long time without moving.
Dong'er asked, somewhat puzzled, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Cui Tingyue pursed her lips: "It just feels like Madam Li looked at my sister-in-law with a rather critical gaze, as if she were appraising merchandise."
She had seen that look in her eyes before.
Even though Madam Li hid it well and it wasn't obvious, she still noticed it.
The sister-in-law seemed to sense it too; she felt somewhat uncomfortable whenever Madam Li glanced at her.
Dong'er's eyes widened, and she subconsciously lowered her voice: "No, that's the eldest young mistress's mother."
Cui Tingyue shook her head. Madam Li had a square face, while her sister-in-law had an oval face. Mother and daughter? There was no such dissimilar mother and daughter in the world.
Xiequge
"My mother and sister will stay here for a while; everything has been replaced with new stuff."
The younger sister of the Li family exclaimed with delight, "Mom, I love it here, it's so beautiful!"
Li Zhou looked at the furnishings of Xiequ Pavilion with a critical eye, but after a long while she could not find any problems, she nodded reservedly: "It's alright."
He turned around and reached out with a smile to take Li Lianniang's hand, but Li Lianniang avoided him.
Li Lianniang subtly took two steps back, ready to leave at any moment: "Mother and sister must be tired, so please rest at Xiequ Pavilion. I have already instructed someone to bring lunch."
Madam Li Zhou had no intention of letting her leave. She reached out and grabbed Li Lianniang's arm again, saying, "I'm not tired. I slept enough in the carriage. It's been a long time since we've seen each other. Sit down and let your mother take a good look at you."
"Speaking of which, it's only been a little over a year since you got married, and I hardly recognize you." Madam Li Zhou looked Li Lianniang up and down, and when her gaze fell on her waist, she frowned slightly and said, "After having a child, your figure is not as good as before. You have to pay more attention. Being greedy for food is a big no-no. Don't forget what your mother used to say. Men all like a slender waist that can be held in one hand. You can't slack off just because you have a child."
Danruo couldn't help but mutter, "Why don't the Madam and the Second Miss pay more attention? Their waists are several sizes thicker than the Young Madam's."
With a snap.
The old woman accompanying Madam Li stepped forward and slapped Danruo across the face, scolding in a shrill voice, "You little slut, how dare you interrupt your mistress!"
"Danruo, fight back."
Snap—
Before Danruo could even cover her face, she raised her hand and slapped back upon hearing this.
Chi Lan glared at the old woman who was still trying to fight back, and said sternly, "You know that we servants have no right to interrupt when the master is speaking, but you still acted without the master's permission. Do you think you are the master? You have a lot of nerve."
Following Li Lianniang's lead in managing the household, Chi Lan has been learning these days, and her role model is Granny He. She has also developed a certain air of authority without being angry.
The old woman was truly frightened by Chi Lan's gaze; her raised hand froze, and she retreated.
The smile on Li Zhou's face instantly turned cold.
Just before her expression changed, Li Lianniang spoke, her tone seemingly casual, yet every word was crucial: "Mother, Chi Lan is right, the nanny beside you is indeed a bit unruly. If Danruo said something wrong, I will punish her. How can your servant overstep her bounds and scold her?"
Seeing Li Zhou's dissatisfaction, Li Lianniang continued calmly, "This is Jin'an, where there are many high-ranking officials and nobles. Doesn't Father want to be promoted further? Mother should keep a close eye on the servants around her to prevent them from causing trouble and implicating the family."
If Granny He were here, she would surely notice that Li Lianniang was imitating Zhao Xian's speech.
The younger sister of the Li family was inspecting the house when she came out and saw the nanny next to her mother being beaten. She pouted and said, "Sister, it was clearly Danruo who disrespected Mother and me first."
Li Lianniang slightly raised her beautiful eyes, glancing at her waist, and said unhurriedly, "Danruo is just bad with words, but what she said... was it wrong?"
Madam Li suddenly smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Well done, my daughter is amazing. Being a young mistress really changes things."
"Speaking of which, I was just about to tell you about your father." Madam Li Zhou abruptly changed the subject, glossing over the servants' affair as if the recent farce had never happened, her tone shifting effortlessly:
"You know your father, he's the most inflexible and inflexible person. There are plenty of people who want to get promoted, but while others are busy smoothing things over and giving gifts, he's focused on building his political achievements and even goes there in person. It's really frustrating."
Li Lianniang said calmly, "What does Mother want to say?"
Madam Li Zhou looked like she was heartbroken for the Li family and her father. "Your father refuses to pull strings, and I can't persuade him otherwise, but I'm always afraid he'll suffer. It just so happens that you've given birth now, and your father-in-law is the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, a third-rank official..."
Before Li Zhoushi could finish speaking, Li Lianniang interrupted her again: "Mother, Father-in-law has been away for several months and is not in the mansion, so he cannot help."
To be honest, as she grew older, the Jiang family never proposed marriage, and Li Lianniang also thought that she would not be able to marry Jiang Wei.
Her stepmother paid close attention to her figure, measuring her waist every day was a must, because King Yu liked a slender waist.
After marrying into the Jiang family, she saw her mother-in-law's attitude and knew that because of that incident, she would never be able to hold her head high in front of her mother-in-law. However, she was also grateful that the Jiang family kept their promise and did not let her be sent to be a concubine of King Yu.
Jiang Wei had no idea that every time he asked her to refuse the concubines his mother-in-law arranged for him, she felt incredibly ashamed, even if her mother-in-law didn't say anything.
Li Zhoushi was surprised by the coincidence and, unwilling to give up, said, "Your father-in-law is not in Jin'an, but where is your son-in-law? He must know how to get around this. I even brought the silver notes with me this time."
Li Lianniang chuckled softly, "Mother, some things don't disappear just because of the passage of time."
Madam Li's smile vanished instantly. Without a smile, she appeared somewhat harsh, and her voice became sharper: "Who am I doing this for? Isn't it for your father and for the Li family? Do you think I'd willingly grovel to beg the Jiang family? Besides, your father has been promoted. With your maternal family backing you up, your position in the Jiang family will be more secure. Without your maternal family, see how the Jiang family will torment you."
Li Lianniang stretched out her hand, palm facing upward, and said, "Does Mother have any letters from Father? If Father speaks up, I will swallow my pride and beg him."
Li Zhou's expression faltered, her lips pursed and her breathing became somewhat heavy, but she did not produce any letters.
Li Lianniang stared at Li Zhoushi for a long while before standing up. Some people are just like that.
"I have other matters to attend to at home, so I cannot linger any longer. Mother and sister, please rest. If you need anything, just have the maid pass on the message to Madam Li; she is the person in charge of the household."
After saying that, he turned and left without even looking at Li Zhou's expression.
We left the Xiequ Pavilion.
Li Lianniang carefully examined Danruo's cheeks. The finger marks were obvious, and the redness and swelling were tinged with purple. She knew that the old woman had a heavy hand.
Seeing this, she felt a pang of heartache: "It's already swollen, quickly go find Doctor Liu and get some medicine to apply."
Danruo avoided eye contact, "This servant has caused trouble for the young mistress again."
These days, Granny He has been advising her to speak less, and she has been doing a good job of it, but she just couldn't hold back when facing the stepmother.
"Our Danruo is the best. Let's go find Doctor Liu to get the medicine." Danruo was the most protective of her, but she wasn't very good at speaking. Like her, both mistress and servant were clumsy with words.
But it's okay, we can teach her slowly. She's much better now, isn't she?
After Danruo left with a maid, Lilianniang said to Chilan, who was supporting her, "Send a servant out of the manor to buy some pastries from Zhao's shop. If Danruo likes that shop, take twenty taels from the box. You and Danruo each take ten taels."
Previously, Li Lianniang herself lived a very frugal life. After taking over the household, the first lesson her mother-in-law and Granny He taught her was that rewards and punishments must be clearly defined in order to gain the respect of the people.
Moreover, during her postpartum period, her mother-in-law gave her many gifts and money, and even increased her monthly allowance several times over, so she was no longer short of money.
“Young Madam, Chi Lan cannot take the money. Give it all to Dan Ruo. She has suffered too much.”
Li Lianniang shook her head. "You are very good. Danruo is quick-tempered and speaks bluntly, which can easily offend people. You need to keep an eye on her."
Chi Lan pursed her lips: "Young Madam, it's not that I'm good, it's that your current position in charge of the household gives me confidence."
If it were before, Chi Lan would never have dared to talk back to the old woman next to Zhou Shi.
Li Lianniang tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand, experiencing for the first time the benefits of power. Although she had felt this after taking charge of the household, it was far less profound than it was now, allowing her to speak with her head held high in front of Madam Zhou. "Brother, you should be coming to Jin'an for the imperial examination next year, right?"
Chi Lan nodded. "Yes."
My father is a practical man. He is far less adaptable than my father-in-law. If he can get promoted, that's because of my father's ability. If not, it's not so bad for him to be content with the status quo.
Her brother, however, was the one who gave her the most hope.
--
The news that Li Lianniang had left the Xiequ Pavilion and that Danruo had gone to see Doctor Liu with her small face quickly reached Zhao Xian's ears.
According to the original owner's memories, this Madam Li was a bold and daring person.
Xiujie's full moon celebration will be attended by prominent officials and dignitaries, so there can be no room for error.
"Go and tell the eldest young mistress that it's a rare occasion for her mother-in-law to come, and that a banquet will be held tonight."
Peony accepted the order and went to deliver the message.
afternoon.
Zhao Xian suppressed the emotions that were inherent in the original owner of the body and sat at the same table with Madam Li.
Jiang Wei arrived in his official robes, standing side by side with Li Lianniang, carrying Jiang Shuxiu in his arms. Upon seeing Madam Li, he politely greeted her, "Mother-in-law."
Upon seeing Jiang Wei, Li Zhoushi immediately stood up, her smile growing even brighter. She praised him, "You're back! Please sit down. Look at our Brother Wei, so elegant and dignified. I doubt you could find many outstanding individuals like him in Jin'an."
Her tone suggested that she was part of the master's family.
Jiang Wei nodded slightly, his expressionless face remaining blank.
Li Xinxin followed behind her mother and called out shyly, "Brother-in-law."
Everyone took their seats.
The servants then arranged the dishes in order.
Suddenly, Madam Li Zhou spoke up, "Lianniang, this is not how I taught you in the Li family. As a daughter-in-law, how can you not serve your mother-in-law? What kind of talk is this? If word gets out, people will say that the girls of the Li family do not know the rules."
Li Lianniang was about to get up when Zhao Xian pressed her hand down and said calmly, "We don't have that rule in our family."
“My dear in-law, don’t spoil her like this. It is only natural for a daughter-in-law to serve her mother-in-law. You have a good heart, but you can’t let the rules be broken.”
Hearing her constantly spouting rules and regulations, Zhao Xian felt nothing but sarcasm.
"Peony, how much is your monthly salary?"
Peony respectfully replied, "Reporting to Madam, it's three taels of silver."
Li Zhoushi was puzzled. What was the point of talking about rules and regulations? Why was she bringing up the maid's monthly salary? Was she showing off to her that the servants in the Jiang family received more money each month?
But it was indeed a lot, more than her daughter Yueyin.
Zhao Xian glanced at the maid behind Li Zhoushi and continued:
“My dear in-laws, every maid in the Jiang household has her own duties. Now that Lianniang is serving me, what are the maids who work for a monthly salary doing? Those who have no value will be sold off, because the Jiang family doesn’t keep idle people.”
For a moment, Madam Li Zhou couldn't think of a way to respond. Feeling that she was being teased, she smiled awkwardly and changed the subject, "Where is your second son?"
"He can't stay idle, so he found a job and only comes back once every ten days or half a month."
Li Zhoushi asked in surprise, "My father-in-law works in the imperial court, why didn't he find a job for Erlang?"
Zhao Xian was shocked: "Openly leading the way in bribing people? No, no, no! If he gets caught, the Emperor will scold him to death, and the Jiang family will be disgraced as well. I can't do such a thing."
Li Zhoushi: "..."
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