Granny Li helped the old lady sit on a round rosewood chair brought by a servant. Her maroon brocade cheongsam embroidered with peacocks, paired with the Zhuang brocade cushion embroidered with butterflies and trimmed with peonies, made her appear even more luxurious and radiant. Yan Ning was stunned and stood there in front of the old lady.
The old lady glared at Li Mama and said, "Since Madam is so knowledgeable about the principles in this book, then you should teach her manners! She doesn't even know how to bow properly now. If word gets out, how will the Fucha family maintain its reputation?" Although her tone was indifferent, it was full of dissatisfaction with Yan Ning.
Upon hearing this, Yan Ning knew that the old lady was annoyed by her rudeness, so she took a step back, gently placed her hands on her left hip, supported herself with her right foot, and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Old Madam!"
The old lady's expression did not soften when she saw Yan Ning bow. She glanced at Granny Li. Granny Li understood, walked to Yan Ning's side, straightened her back slightly, then stepped forward with her left leg, bent her right knee, and said loudly, "Greetings, Old Madam!" After saying this, she lowered her head and remained silent. The old lady said softly, "Rise."
Seeing the curtsy performed by Granny Li, Yan Ning thought it wasn't difficult and followed her example, saying sweetly, "Greetings, Madam!" Just as she was about to stand up, Granny Li pressed down on Yan Ning's shoulder and said coldly, "Madam hasn't told you to stand up, so you can't!" Yan Ning glanced at the old lady's face, then lowered her head, waiting for the old lady to speak.
The old lady sipped her ginseng tea from her jade bowl, admiring the pink and crimson peony petals within. She thought to herself that no matter how elegant and refined the pink, it could never match the richness and nobility of the crimson. Her expression remained calm and composed. Granny Li stood beside her, her face radiating undisguised pride and smugness. Yan Ning knelt before the old lady, her body swaying gently like a willow in the spring breeze, occasionally eliciting a cold snort from Granny Li. The servants of Peony Hall, though busy with their tasks, coldly observed everything unfolding in the courtyard, inwardly mocking the new lady as merely a figurehead, all show and no substance.
From sunset until the sun disappeared completely, the sky grew dark and cold. Yan Ning's cherry-red cheongsam embroidered with lilies was already soaked with sweat, and her right leg was so sore and numb that she could no longer feel it. Her initial panic and complaints had transformed into a blank, transparent sheet of paper.
Under the dim light, the peony petals floating in the jade bowl in the old lady's hand had lost their color. Looking at Yan Ning, who had been kneeling with her head bowed for several hours, she felt a pang of pity. She slightly shifted her straight back, handed the jade bowl to the maid beside her, and raised her hand. Granny Li immediately helped her up with both hands.
"Alright, you've been performing this ceremony for so long, I'm sure you won't make the same mistake again! Get up!" the old lady said to Yan Ning from her superior position.
"Yan Ning thanks the Old Madam!" Yan Ning's lips, bitten until they bled from the unbearable pain in her leg, were now filled with the metallic taste of blood as she spoke. She tried to stand, her right leg numb, but her knee slammed heavily to the ground again. Hai Tang, seeing Yan Ning fall, tried to help her up, but He Hua grabbed her arm, her eyes widening, and said urgently, "Do you want to be beaten? Didn't you see the Old Madam didn't give any permission?"
Seeing this, the old lady, supporting Li Mama's hand, turned to Hehua and Haitang and said, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly go and help the madam up!"
Lotus and Begonia, having received the old lady's order, hurriedly ran to help Yan Ning to her feet. After Yan Ning stood up, she bowed respectfully to the old lady's retreating figure as she walked towards the main room.
Haitang helped Yan Ning roll up her trouser legs and gently applied a hot towel to her swollen knee. Tears welled up in Yan Ning's eyes. Hehua brought over some liniment, and Haitang got up to take the hot water away. Hehua gently applied the liniment to Yan Ning, sometimes lightly, sometimes firmly. Yan Ning cried out in pain, then said softly, "Hehua, I can do it myself!"
Lotus frowned slightly. "Madam, please bear with the pain for now. This ointment needs to be applied evenly for it to work quickly. Otherwise, if the General blames us, we servants will be in deep trouble." As she finished speaking, she unconsciously increased the pressure on her hands.
Yan Ning knew that if it weren't for Li Mama's instruction, Hehua wouldn't have dared to treat her like this. Even if Hehua didn't care about her, she was still afraid of Fukang'an. Li Mama's instruction was the Old Madam's order. Thinking of all that Fukang'an had done for her, Yan Ning felt that her pain and grievances were nothing, after all, the Old Madam was an elder.
After everything was arranged, Haitang helped Yan Ning lie down, drew the bed curtains, and then withdrew. Yan Ning tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. She knew that the tranquil life in the Fu family mansion was gone forever. She had only wanted the position of Lady to avoid a fate like Xiang'er's; she had never intended to compete with Xi Ying for power. Therefore, when Fukang'an promised her his hand, she agreed to marry him without hesitation. Although Fukang'an repeatedly protected her, she feared that in the eyes of everyone in the Fucha mansion, she had already become a vixen who used her beauty to seduce Fukang'an. Yan Ning secretly told herself that since she had decided to marry Fukang'an, she could not rely entirely on his protection to survive in the Fucha mansion; every step from now on, she would have to take on her own.
The next day, before dawn, Haitang woke Yanning. Yanning sat up, her mind still foggy, and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?" Haitang, seeing Yanning's complete lack of awareness, said, "Madam has to get up early to serve the Old Madam in the morning! Aunt Ying used to wait outside the main room early, regardless of whether she was sick or it was raining or snowing, to help the Old Madam get up!"
Before Haitang could finish speaking, Yan Ning hurriedly dressed herself, quickly washed up, and prepared to leave the room. Just as she stepped out, she remembered how much the old lady valued her appearance, so she turned back, applied a light dusting of makeup, and simply tied her hair into a small bun. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Yan Ning felt clean and elegant, but worried that the old lady might think she was too lazy and disrespectful. So she began searching her jewelry box for simple yet elegant hairpins. Fortunately, Fukang was thoughtful and meticulous; as soon as she left yesterday, she had ordered her clothes, accessories, and everyday items from the Fu residence to be sent over.
Although these pieces of jewelry had been prepared for Yan Ning by Fu Kang'an at the Fu residence, she rarely used them, and several boxes had never even been opened. A thin layer of sweat appeared on Yan Ning's forehead; her powdered face was fair and delicate. Her eyes lit up as she took out two round lily hairpins from the bottom of the box. The silvery-white petals seemed incredibly soft, and the delicate, pale yellow stamens were clearly visible. The dangling ruby tassels made the lily hairpins appear elegant, serene, and noble.
As Yan Ning hurriedly entered the main room, the servants had already styled the old lady's hair into a high bun. Granny Li coldly snorted, "Madam is so sleepy! She even dares to be late for something as important as serving the old lady in the morning!"
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