After Xin Jie'er returned to the courtyard, she took out the jade bracelet Bai Shi had given her and examined it for a moment before placing it in the innermost layer of her jewelry box. Her mother thought she didn't know the family's situation, but after looking at the food, clothing, and daily expenses of the girls her age who frequently visited her, it was clear to her. Lying on the couch, Xin Jie'er thought of the little maid from a few days ago; she was quite good at sewing.
"Your servant Lan'er comes to pay her respects to the young lady." The maid Lan'er knelt down and saluted after entering the room.
Xin Jie'er, who was sitting in the main seat, asked, "How old are you this year? Who else is at home?"
Lan Er raised her head and replied, "I am seven years old this year. I have a father, a mother, two older sisters, and a younger brother."
At only seven years old, her embroidery skills are so outstanding, and she comes from a farming family. Xin Jieer continued calmly, "Well, your embroidery skills are quite good. Who is your teacher?"
With a jolt in her heart, Lan'er replied calmly, "I don't have a master. I figured it out on my own. Fortunately, it caught the young lady's eye."
After looking Lan'er up and down, Xin Jie'er smiled and said, "You are young, so it's not good for you to work too hard. From now on, you can just stay in the house and serve."
A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and Lan'er kowtowed and thanked her: "Thank you for your kindness, Miss."
Xin Jie'er had more doubts in her heart. How could a little peasant girl's manners be comparable to those of an official's daughter? Could it be that she had a different background?
The maid took Lan'er to their new residence. After tidying everything up, she said to Lan'er, "From now on, you should do some needlework in the room during the day. You should do whatever the young lady asks, and you will definitely benefit from it."
Lan'er felt deeply uncomfortable, but she could only nod in agreement. She was young now, so she could only endure it for now. When she grew up, as long as she stayed by Xin Jie'er's side, and when she became Princess Pingning and married into the Duke of Qi's mansion, she would have made it through. Whether it was growing up with the young master or finding an opportunity to have something happen with Gu Er, it was a way to make it through.
After the maid had settled Lan'er, she came back to report to Xinjie'er: "Miss, everything has been settled."
Hearing this, Xin Jie'er looked up and said, "Watch out." The maidservant retreated accordingly.
Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and those girls are bothering my mother again. Back when I was young, I could stand up for her, but now that I'm about to be married, I can only stay in the courtyard feeling frustrated. I really don't know what my father is thinking. He can't have any children, but he brings them back to the mansion in droves, making the place a mess and leaving the government accounts with a hole in the bank.
If I ever get married, I absolutely must not let this happen. It would be so much better for the couple to live in harmony, but they had to bring in all those outsiders to annoy them. Xin Jie'er thought about the recent candidates for marriage proposals: the second son of the Duke of Qi, the eldest son of the Marquis of Dongchang, and even candidates from the imperial clan. Xin Jie'er leaned back in her chair, lost in thought.
When the sun was setting outside, the maid knocked gently on the door, and Xin Jie'er rubbed her eyes and recovered. The maid was holding a headband, and Xin Jie'er took it and looked at the stitching, and she felt that Lan'er was more unusual.
At dinner, Xin Jie'er joined her mother. The Marquis of Xiangyang was naturally absent, as he was busy favoring the daughter of a newly married scholar. Rumor had it that the scholar's daughter had four older brothers and two younger brothers, and her immediate and extended family also flourished. From the moment she entered the family, the Marquis of Xiangyang declared her a concubine, promising her a noble concubine if she bore a child.
Perhaps because this kind of thing happened so often, my mother went from crying until dawn at the beginning to not caring at all now.
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