Chapter 4 The Undercurrents in the Red Leaf Garden
Upon hearing Ye Wanning's words, Ye Jingshu's smile instantly froze, turning as stiff as lard. She had assumed Ye Wanning would vehemently object, uttering foolish words like, "My sister spoils me; how can I force someone else to take what they love?" Then, she could feign concern and persuade Ye Wanning, appearing magnanimous while legitimately pushing her into the westernmost courtyard. Who knew this bumpkin Ye Jingshu would dare accept such a request!
"Sister has just returned and probably doesn't know the rules of Red Leaf Courtyard..." Ye Jingshu tightened her grip on the handkerchief, her voice, though slightly angry, held barely any danger. "That courtyard was left by Mother for herself to grow flowers and plants. Every single flower and leaf there is carefully chosen. If sister doesn't like it—"
"What's there to dislike!" Ye Wanning tilted her head to look at her, her eyes reddening, looking utterly aggrieved. "What my sister said about giving it to my older sister is something even Father agreed to. Could it be that my sister has gone back on her word?"
Her voice was soft, but just soft enough for Minister Ye, who was standing next to her, to hear.
"Jing Shu, since you said you'd give it to Ning Ning, hurry up and have someone move your things. My sister has just returned and is still weak; she can't handle any more of this."
"Father!" Ye Jingshu's eyes immediately reddened, and she was about to cry with grievance. "That's not what I meant..."
“That’s good,” Ye Wanning interrupted, giving a gentle curtsy. “Thank you for your consideration, Father, and thank you for your generosity, Sister. I’ll go to the guest room to freshen up now, and I’ll come over after you’ve finished moving your things.”
After she finished speaking, she didn't give anyone a chance to back out. She picked up the coarse cloth bundle that Xue Lin'an had bought for her and walked towards the guest room.
His back was slender, but his steps were very steady.
As Zhou watched her retreating figure, a deep resentment welled up within her. "That little slut! She's just returned and she's already arguing with Jing Shu over things. Looks like she's picked up quite a few crooked tricks while she was out there!"
“Husband, look at this…” Madam Zhou pulled at Minister Ye, her Adam’s apple bobbing as if she were having difficulty swallowing, “Jing Shu has been raised in Hongye Garden since she was a child. Moving away so suddenly might make her uncomfortable…”
"Whether you're used to it or not, you have to move!" At this moment, Minister Ye felt guilty towards his deceased wife, and he found everything about Ye Wanning agreeable: "Ningning is the rightful second young lady of the Ye family, and it's only right that she lives in Hongye Courtyard! Besides, that courtyard originally belonged to her. Jing Shu occupied it for so many years, so it's only right that she give it up."
Ye Chengjing listened from the side, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He had a feeling that there was something wrong with this new sister. Just now she was crying and whining at the door like a pushover, but now she was taking over the yard so decisively, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness and snobbery. How could she be someone who had been abused in the countryside, raised in a cramped environment? Could she really be the imposter he imagined, a freeloader?
Ye Wanning didn't care what they thought. She followed the maid beside her towards the guest room, memorizing the layout of the Minister's mansion. When she returned in her previous life, she was trembling with fear, not even having the courage to look up. Now, walking through it again, she realized that the carved beams and painted rafters of this mansion revealed the heritage left by her birth mother's family—unfortunately, it had all become the possessions of the Zhou mother and daughter.
"Miss, this way please." The maid leading the way was a stranger, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old, with her hair in two buns and her eyes timid.
Ye Wanning glanced at her: "What's your name?"
"Miss, my name is Chuntao."
"Is she Madam Zhou's maid?"
"Chuntao replied to Miss, it was...it was Madam who sent me to serve you." Chuntao trembled slightly.
"I've just come in and I've forgotten all the rules of the manor." Ye Wanning slowed her pace and softened her voice. "If you see anything wrong with me, please let me know."
Chun Tao was taken aback by her politeness and hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Where are you referring to, Miss?"
Upon arriving at the guest room, Ye Wanning immediately noticed how shabby it was. The room was small, furnished with old furniture, the paint on the table was chipped, and the window paper had a small hole that creaked in the wind. Compared to the exquisite Red Leaf Pavilion, this place was practically a woodshed.
"Please rest, young lady. I'll go fetch a basin of hot water." Chun Tao put down the bundle on her shoulder and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute," Ye Wanning called out to her, pointing to the teapot on the table, "Was this tea freshly brewed?"
Chun Tao's eyes flickered. "It...it was just delivered from the kitchen."
Ye Wanning didn't speak, but reached out and lifted the lid of the teapot, releasing a faint musty smell. She smiled. Zhou Shi was really quick; she'd barely brought her here before sending someone to trip her up.
"Chuntao," Ye Wanning picked up the teacup on the table and slowly wiped it, "Do you think Dad will be angry if I give him the teapot now?"
Chun Tao's face turned pale instantly.
"Miss! Chuntao... Chuntao didn't know it would be like this! It was Liu Ma from the kitchen who said this tea was pre-rain Longjing! She asked Chuntao to deliver it!"
"Ah? Aunt Liu?" Ye Wanning raised an eyebrow. "Are you Aunt Liu, Madam Zhou's personal maid?"
Chun Tao bit her lip and didn't answer, tears streaming down her face.
Looking at Chun Tao's timid demeanor, Ye Wanning could roughly guess what was going on. Chun Tao seemed timid, but she wasn't a bad person. She was probably being used by Zhou Shi for her own purposes.
"Alright," she put down her teacup, her tone softening slightly. "I won't hold this against you, but you should know your limits. Although I've just returned to the manor, I'm not someone to be trifled with. From now on, whether you're truly following the young lady or just making a fool of someone else, you should think it through carefully."
Chun Tao suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with astonishment. She had thought this young girl from the countryside was stupid, clumsy, and cowardly, but she never expected her to be so insightful.
"This servant...this servant understands." Chun Tao gritted her teeth and knelt down. "This servant will serve you, young lady, with absolutely no disloyalty!"
Ye Wanning nodded in satisfaction. "Get up. Go and fetch me a basin of clean hot water, and find me some clothes that I can wear. They don't matter if they're old, as long as they're clean."
"Yes!" Chun Tao felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly withdrew.
After Chun Tao left, Ye Wanning walked to the window again, gazing at the courtyard outside. Red Leaf Courtyard… she remembered there was an old crabapple tree there, planted by her birth mother. In her past life, she had only seen it from afar; Ye Jingshu had said it was her forbidden area, and no one was allowed to set foot there.
In this lifetime, she will not only move in, but she will also take back everything that belongs to her mother, bit by bit.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by Ye Jingshu's sweet voice, "Is sister there? I've almost finished tidying up the yard, so I came to invite you over to take a look."
Ye Wanning turned around and opened the door. Ye Jingshu, dressed in a lotus-colored silk dress and with a red-gold and kingfisher feather hairpin in her hair, stood in the doorway with four or five maids following behind her, her entourage even more impressive than Ye Wanning's.
"My little sister is quick." Ye Wanning smiled, her eyes falling on the hairpin on her head. She recognized the hairpin; it was her mother's keepsake. In her previous life, Ye Jingshu had worn it countless times in front of her, saying it was a gift from her father.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com