In the Xiangyang Prefecture of Dengzhou, Lan'er, nearly ten years old, had already become a second-class servant. The once dark and thin little girl had now become pretty, and if one looked closely, one could tell she would be quite a woman in the future.
Since they began doing business with the Jiangnan Bai family a few years ago, the Xiangyang Marquis' wife has suddenly become incredibly wealthy. Xin Jie'er's food, clothing, and daily expenses are now comparable to those of the glamorous young ladies of the Marquis' mansion. She receives new fabrics and clothes every month, and her jewelry and food are even more exquisite.
Lan'er, who served Xin Jie'er, also benefited from this. Occasionally, Lan'er touched the materials given by the young lady, and they were actually better than those she used in the Sheng family before.
Before the end of the year, the Xiangyang Marquis's family would be returning to the capital from Dengzhou. Lan'er had been looking forward to this day for a long time. She also found it strange that Bai Shi hadn't gotten pregnant yet. Besides, Bai Shi should have died by now, and Xiao Qin Shi would have become a concubine. But Xiao Qin Shi had actually gone on a marriage alliance. Could it be that Xiao Qin Shi had the same adventure as herself?
Lan Er thought about this while teaching the little maid how to sew. Thinking about how she had patiently sewed for two years before Xin Jieer promoted her to the second rank and allowed her to occasionally serve in the house, Lan Er felt that life was really not easy.
How could she be so impulsive? If she hadn't given Li that note, as the daughter of a concubine from the Sheng family's eldest wife, it would have been nice to marry into a family of equal status. But then she thought, having been a marquis' wife in her previous life, how could she commit herself to an ordinary man?
Before, Lan'er had thought that after she entered the Duke of Qi's Mansion, the lady might let her be a concubine. Then she remembered that in her previous life, the lady could not tolerate a concubine.
Shaking her head, Lan'er sighed as if resigned to her fate. After dying and coming back to life again and again, Lan'er had adapted well to her role as a maid. She could only take things one step at a time. Fortunately, she was still young.
Xin Jie'er looked out the window at Lan'er, listening to the head maid's report: "Miss, this Lan'er is quite well-behaved. She is good at needlework and not lazy. I have observed her for a long time and have not found anything unusual about her. If there is anything unusual, it is that she is very polite when greeting others."
After a pause, the maid continued, "She doesn't look like a maid, but more like a young lady from that family."
Xin Jie'er had asked the maid to keep an eye on Lan'er because she noticed this abnormality. Over the past few years, Xin Jie'er has grown to like Lan'er more and more. Helping the maid away from the window, Xin Jie'er said as she walked, "You don't have to keep an eye on me anymore. Let her take care of my fabrics."
After returning to the courtyard, Xin Jie'er sat down and thought about her own marriage. She was about to reach the age of marriage, but her marriage had not yet been decided. The Duke of Qi's Mansion had been talking about it for so long but there was no confirmation, while the Marquis of Dongchang's Mansion had already decided on a bride.
The Duke of Qi's mansion was a first-class marquisate. While their second son couldn't inherit the title, he could still marry the legitimate daughter of another duke. The Marquis of Xiangyang was clearly marrying up, and Xin Jie'er, seeing the Duke of Qi's attitude, was reluctant to marry into their family. However, the Marquis of Xiangyang was determined to marry into their family, and Xin Jie'er couldn't resist.
However, thinking that Sheng Hong had married in Beijing, and that she would be able to see her friends often after she returned, was also a happy thing. Thinking of this, Xin Jie'er picked up her pen again and began to write a letter to Sheng Hong. She wrote three pages before stopping and adding a painting to send to Youyang.
Afterwards, Xin Jie'er ate the Youyang specialties brought by Sheng Hong, drank a few sips of tea, and went to find Madam Hou.
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