The winter of the eighteenth year of Jingming was extremely cold. It snowed before the winter solstice.

Snowflakes fluttered down like cotton needles, falling on the roofs and streets, gradually covering the ground with white.

The bluestone road was covered with thin snow, which had condensed into a pale white with a bluish tint. When pedestrians stepped on it, there was a slight squeaking sound, making them a little slippery.

It's really cold.

People walking on the road rubbed their hands, covered their ears, and quickened their pace.

No one would be willing to go out in such a cold day unless they had to make a living or had something necessary.

But there was a guest at the Dongping Marquis's mansion today.

When Jiang Si was invited over by the maid from Ci Xin Tang, he was full of doubts.

The winter solstice is approaching, which is a big festival for every family. Even the imperial court will hold a grand court meeting. Why are you coming to visit at this time?

When I arrived at the door of Ci Xin Hall, I could hear people talking and laughing inside.

"The fourth girl is here."

Following the maid's message, the room fell silent.

Jiang Si took a quick look.

Old Madam Feng was sitting cross-legged on the kang, and a woman of about eighteen or nineteen was sitting next to the edge of the kang with her brows lowered and her face could not be seen clearly for a moment.

The third girl Jiang Qiao, the fifth girl Jiang Li, and the sixth girl Jiang Pei have all arrived, and the third wife Guo is also there.

Jiang Si took off his cloak and handed it to the maid, then walked in and bowed to Old Madam Feng and Guo: "Grandmother, Third Aunt."

Old Madam Feng looked at Jiang Si with a smile on her face, her attitude was unusually gentle: "Come here and meet your cousin."

Then he said to the woman beside him: "This is the fourth girl."

The woman raised her head and took the initiative to greet Jiang Si: "Fourth Miss."

Only then did Jiang Si see the woman's appearance clearly.

With the hairstyle of an unmarried woman, a beautiful oval face, and moist almond eyes, she looks like a quiet person.

Cousin?

Jiang Si's mind was in turmoil, wondering about the woman's identity.

The people she calls her cousin are either the daughters of her grandfather's sisters or the daughters of her grandmother's brothers and sisters.

My grandfather passed away many years ago. Given my grandmother's personality, she would never want to pay attention to anyone from that place. So the woman in front of me was most likely the daughter of my grandmother's brothers or sisters.

I have never seen it before, so it is difficult to determine which one it is.

Jiang Si was thinking about this, but he didn't stop moving. He bowed slightly to the woman and said, "Hello, cousin."

"Fourth Miss, please don't be so polite." The woman gave him a fake hand and smiled with pursed lips.

Jiang Si looked at the quiet and shy girl and felt a certain liking for her.

At this time, Old Madam Feng spoke up: "Your cousin is the daughter of your aunt's grandmother. She just came from Jinsha and will live in the mansion from now on. You should get closer to your cousin."

Only then did Jiang Si know the woman's identity.

Madam Feng’s younger sister married in Jinsha County, south of the capital. Her husband’s surname was Dou. Because he was a dozen years younger than Madam Feng, his children were all young. Unfortunately, he did not live long and passed away more than two years ago.

So, this cousin has just finished the mourning period?

Thinking of this, Jiang Si's eyelids suddenly twitched and he felt uncomfortable.

She couldn't explain where this feeling came from, but she chose to trust her intuition.

Such a cousin came just before the Chinese New Year. No matter what her character is, I always feel that my grandmother is going to make trouble again.

Jiang Si couldn't help but look at the woman again.

With graceful eyebrows and a serene expression, she looks like a really lovely girl.

Could it be that my grandmother was planning to take my aunt's grandmother's daughter with her, so she brought her to the capital city to find a good marriage for her?

That's understandable.

But Jiang Si still couldn't ignore the uncomfortable feeling.

Fortunately, my cousin is a generation younger than them, so she doesn't have any ideas about my brother.

Of course, she didn't look down on people who relied on their relatives, but she was wary of her grandmother. She couldn't help but pay attention to anyone who had anything to do with her grandmother.

Who puts her grandmother's interests above all else?

The woman lowered her eyes to avoid Jiang's gaze, and was secretly surprised in her heart: compared with the other three girls, the fourth girl's eyes were so sharp, as if she could see through people's hearts.

She was even more surprised by Mrs. Feng's attitude towards the fourth young lady.

When the other three girls came in, my aunt clearly treated her granddaughters with the usual attitude of a grandmother, but after the fourth girl came in, my aunt changed her leisurely demeanor and seemed to perk up.

This kind of attention is not like a grandmother treating her granddaughter, but rather——

But what, the woman couldn't tell for a moment, she just felt something was wrong, and because of this, she paid extra attention to Jiang Si.

"Ms. Guo, has Qinfang Garden been cleaned up?"

Mrs. Guo, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, "It's all ready. I don't know what style of screens and curtains my cousin likes. If you don't like them, we can change them."

The woman hurriedly said, "My cousin is so polite."

Madam Feng patted the girl's hand and said, "Don't be so polite. From now on, the mansion will be your home. If you find anything you are not used to, remember to tell your third cousin."

Jiang Si became more and more surprised.

Qinfang Garden was the courtyard closest to their main house, and no one had lived there since their aunt left the palace.

There are four brothers and sisters in Jiang Ancheng's generation. Only the third master Jiang is a concubine's son. The other two sons and one daughter are all born to Madam Feng.

Madam Feng naturally loved her only daughter very much. After she married and moved away, she did not let the yard be abandoned and had servants clean and sweep the yard regularly.

My grandmother let cousin Dou live in Qinfang Garden, which shows how much she loved her.

Love? Jiang Si quickly denied this idea.

I don’t even have this kind of feeling towards my own granddaughter, so how could I have it towards my sister’s daughter?

Madam Feng added, "By the way, your cousin is drinking tea with your father. Go back and see him, or you will not recognize the elders if you live in the mansion."

Only then did Jiang Si realize that in addition to cousin aunt Dou, cousin uncle Dou had also come.

"Si'er, Qinfang Garden is not far from Haitang Residence. You and your aunt should go there together to send your cousin."

"Okay." Jiang Si agreed with a smile and decided to wait and see what happens.

After accompanying Guo to send cousin Dou to Qinfang Garden, Jiang Si went to Jiang Yi's place to sit for a while and mentioned that the Dou brothers and sisters came to live in the Bo Mansion for a long time.

Perhaps it was because the process of revealing Zhu Ziyu's true identity was too bloody, leaving Jiang Yisi no chance of deceiving herself. After taking these few days off, her condition was much better than Jiang Si had imagined.

Jiang Yi frowned upon hearing this: "From my impression, that cousin has a very erratic personality. Sister, don't get too close to him."

"Have Uncle Dou and Aunt Dou been here?"

"I have been here before, but you were too young to remember it. Anyway, it's better for you to stay away from Uncle Dou."

"Don't worry, big sister. I understand. Uncle Dou doesn't live in the inner courtyard, so I don't think we will have many opportunities to meet."

The two sisters chatted for a while, and then Jiang Si returned to Haitangju.

In the afternoon, the fifth girl Jiang Li actually came to Haitangju for a short visit.

Jiang Li is a person who doesn't like to cause trouble. She would rather not go out than go out. She is a rare guest in Haitangju.

Jiang Si suppressed his surprise and entertained Jiang Li, but Jiang Li left soon after.

Jiang Si felt it was strange and was thinking about what Jiang Li had said. Suddenly, one sentence caught her attention.

"My mother may be feeling unwell, so she got really mad today."