Chapter 36: My Cousin's Visit
After dealing with Granny Wang and showing kindness to the servants by bestowing fruits as a reward, the Duke's mansion enjoyed several days of peace and quiet. Su Wanrou gradually grew accustomed to the peaceful life of handling household chores, spending time with Mingxuan, and occasionally dining with Gu Yangui. She even began to feel that perhaps life in this deep mansion could be as stable as a gentle stream.
However, that morning, just after she had finished breakfast and was watching Mingxuan chasing a colorful butterfly in the courtyard, the steward Gu Zhong came in with steady steps to report.
“Madam, Granny Cui, who serves the Old Madam, has arrived. She says the Old Madam requests your presence at Songhe Hall.”
Upon hearing this, Su Wanrou's heart stirred slightly. The Dowager Madam, Gu Linshi, was Gu Yangui's grandmother and the most senior member of the Duke's mansion. She was advanced in years, preferred quiet, and spent most of her time worshipping Buddha in her residence, Songhe Hall. She rarely concerned herself with household affairs, even skipping the morning and evening greetings. After Su Wanrou married into the family, she only visited her once, on the day after her wedding, as was customary. The Dowager Madam was kind and gentle, asking a few questions, gifting her a fine jade bracelet, and then let her go without further ado.
Why are you suddenly summoned?
"Uncle Zhong, do you know why the Old Madam summoned me?" Su Wanrou asked, gesturing to Yunbin to fetch the clothes for receiving guests.
Gu Zhong's face revealed a complex expression that was difficult to detect. He said in a low voice, "Madam, this old servant heard that it is the cousin who lives with the old lady. She went back to her hometown in Longxi a few days ago and just returned yesterday. Perhaps the old lady wants the cousin to meet you, Madam."
Cousin? Su Wanrou searched her memory, vaguely recalling Yunbin mentioning that the old lady's maternal family had a distant grandniece who, having lost both parents, had come to live with the old lady a few years ago and had been raised in Songhe Hall, where she was deeply loved by the old lady. However, when Su Wanrou married into the family, this cousin had just returned to her ancestral home in Longxi to pay respects to her ancestors, so she did not meet her.
"I understand, thank you, Uncle Zhong." Su Wanrou nodded, already having made up her mind. For the Old Madam to personally arrange for her to meet this young lady, she must hold a significant place in the Old Madam's heart.
She changed into a light purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) embroidered with lotus scrolls, styled her hair in an elegant round bun, and adorned it with two simple pearl hairpins, neither impolite nor overly formal. Having finished dressing, she headed towards Songhe Hall on the east side of the mansion, her hair styled in a cloud-like bun and her hair adorned with moon-white hair.
The Songhe Hall was a tranquil place, with several ancient, vigorous pine trees planted in the courtyard, and a faint sandalwood scent permeating the air. After being announced by a maid, Su Wanrou was led into the main hall.
The old matriarch, dressed in a dark brown robe with longevity patterns, leaned against a rosewood couch by the window, fiddling with a string of prayer beads, looking quite well. Beside her, on an embroidered stool, sat a young girl in a light red silk dress.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, fair skin, and a remarkably beautiful face. She was speaking to the old lady with a smile on her lips, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head, and when her gaze fell on Su Wanrou, her smile seemed to freeze for a moment. A fleeting, elusive emotion flashed across her eyes, before she smiled even more sweetly and stood up.
"Granddaughter-in-law greets Grandmother." Su Wanrou stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the old lady.
"Get up quickly and sit over here." The old lady smiled kindly, pointed to the seat on her other side, and said to the girl in red, "Yiyi, this is your cousin Yan Gui's new wife. You should call her cousin's wife."
The girl named Yiyi immediately stepped forward and bowed gracefully to Su Wanrou. Her posture was elegant, and her voice was so soft it could melt water: "Yiyi greets cousin-in-law. I have long heard that cousin-in-law is a celestial being, and seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved. I was unable to attend my cousin-in-law's grand ceremony when I returned to my hometown to pay respects to our ancestors, and I have been feeling very regretful ever since."
Her tone was warm and her smile was impeccable, but Su Wanrou keenly sensed that when she looked at her, there was a sense of scrutiny and comparison in her gaze.
"Cousin, please rise." Su Wanrou offered a slight helping hand, a perfectly timed smile on her face. "I've long heard that Grandmother has a sister who is as beautiful as a fairy, and I'm finally meeting her today. You must be tired from your long journey."
The old lady was clearly pleased to see the (superficial) harmonious relationship between the sisters-in-law. Holding Liu Yiyi's hand, she said to Su Wanrou, "This child has had a hard life. Her parents passed away early, and she's all alone. I felt sorry for her, so I brought her to live with me. She'll keep me company. She's gentle and considerate. Now that you're in charge of the household affairs, please guide her if there's anything she doesn't understand."
Su Wanrou understood that the old lady's words showed both her care for Liu Yiyi and an implication that she, as the head of the household, should take good care of this cousin. She smiled and replied, "Grandmother, don't worry, I understand. My cousin is like family in this household. If she needs anything, just come to me."
Liu Yiyi immediately chimed in, her tone slightly coquettish: "Thank you, cousin-in-law. Grandmother always praises you for being so capable, managing the household so well. I'm rather slow-witted, and I'll have to trouble you in the future to learn how to manage a household."
After a seemingly harmonious exchange of pleasantries, Liu Yiyi enthusiastically recounted her experiences returning to her hometown and the various local gifts she brought back for the old lady, making the old lady laugh continuously. Su Wanrou mostly listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words, but her mind gradually cleared.
This cousin, Liu Yiyi, was far from being as innocent and harmless as she appeared. The way she looked at Su Wanrou, the subtle comparisons and probing hidden beneath her enthusiasm, and the unintentional familiarity with the Duke's mansion's affairs revealed in her words ("she manages the mansion perfectly"), all made Su Wanrou feel vaguely uncomfortable. Especially when she mentioned Gu Yangui, that natural and affectionate "Cousin Yangui" made Su Wanrou feel inexplicably choked up.
After sitting in Songhe Hall for about half an hour, Su Wanrou excused herself, saying she didn't want to disturb the old lady's rest, and took her leave. Liu Yiyi personally escorted her to the courtyard gate, held her hand, and said reluctantly, "Sister-in-law, I'll be visiting you often in the future, so please don't find me annoying."
"What are you saying, cousin? You're welcome anytime," Su Wanrou replied with a smile, then turned and left.
After walking a distance from Songhe Hall, Yunbin, who had been silent all along, whispered, "Madam, this young lady... she really knows how to talk, she's made the old lady very happy."
Yuebai added softly, "I overheard the maids from Songhe Hall gossiping in the courtyard just now. They said that before Miss Biao returned, the Old Madam often mentioned that Miss Biao and the Duke were childhood sweethearts and their relationship was extraordinary..."
Su Wanrou didn't stop walking, her expression calm, only saying lightly, "Oh? Is that so?" But in her heart, it felt as if something had gently pricked her. Childhood sweethearts? A bond that was extraordinary? She had never heard Gu Yangui mention this before.
two
In the following days, Liu Yiyi indeed came to "bother" Su Wanrou's residence in the main courtyard as she had said.
Sometimes she would bring over pastries she had made herself, saying that she had just learned them from the old lady's kitchen maid and asked her cousin-in-law to taste and give her feedback; sometimes she would bring a half-embroidered handkerchief and ask Su Wanrou about some complicated needlework techniques; and most of the time, she would simply come to keep Su Wanrou company and keep her company.
She always addressed Su Wanrou as "cousin-in-law" this and "cousin-in-law" that, her words both affectionate and subtly respectful, leaving no room for criticism. But Su Wanrou gradually noticed that seven or eight out of ten sentences her cousin uttered would revolve around Gu Yangui.
"Sister-in-law, you don't know, Cousin Yan Gui was very serious when he was a child. When we were a group of kids playing, he would always be reading books and practicing martial arts by himself, and he didn't like to talk to us."
"My cousin loves this sweet osmanthus lotus root the most. We used to eat it at Songhetang..."
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