Chapter 1154, Redemption 5
The end of the year and the beginning of the year are the peak seasons for family gatherings. While other girls in the Zhang family are busy attending various gatherings, Zhang Huahan is practicing various etiquette rules in Wutong Courtyard.
After the first month of the lunar year, the Zhang family members gradually became free.
"I heard the new governor has arrived with his family. Given the relationship between our two families, shouldn't we take the initiative to pay him a visit?"
In Old Lady Zhang's room, Mrs. Zhang II asked Old Lady Zhang tentatively.
Hearing this, the others also pricked up their ears.
Old Mrs. Zhang remained silent.
Doesn’t she want to have contact with the Yan family?
She thought about it, even in her dreams, but the Yan family would never care about the Zhang family, unless the person from Wutongyuan came forward.
Mrs. Zhang San smiled and said, "Mother, my eldest sister-in-law rarely leaves the house. She may not know what's going on outside. How about we tell her?"
Old Mrs. Zhang still didn't say anything.
Others didn't know, but she knew clearly that the man from Wutong Courtyard had hardly ever left the Zhang family, but he was not completely ignorant of what was going on outside.
Let’s not talk about anything else, just talk about the companions that man brought with him. They were all capable and helped him set up many shops and farms in Qingshi County.
There was no way she didn't know about Governor Yan's affairs.
Old Mrs. Zhang sighed inwardly. Although Yan Yile was the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, she, as the mother-in-law, had never even had a cup of tea with her after she married into the Zhang family, let alone set rules for her like she did for other daughters-in-law.
Not only did that person not need to report to her what he was going to do, she didn't even dare to ask.
Whenever she thought of this, she felt very depressed.
She is probably the first mother-in-law to do this.
Seeing that Old Lady Zhang looked unhappy, Miss Zhang Er immediately smiled and said, "Hasn't Fifth Sister been learning the rules in Wutong Courtyard all this time? When she comes later, can't we just ask her to go and tell her?"
Speak of the devil, and here he is. At this moment, the maid's voice came from outside the door: "The fifth lady is here!"
Immediately afterwards, the door curtain was lifted, and Zhang Huahan walked in leisurely, accompanied by Yan Yile's personal maid An Ran.
Looking at Zhang Huahan, everyone in the room, from Old Madam Zhang to the girls of the Zhang family, were all surprised.
It’s nothing, Zhang Huahan has changed so much.
"May your grandmother be well."
"Second Aunt."
"Third Aunt."
Zhang Huahan stepped forward and bowed to Old Lady Zhang, Second Madam Zhang, and Third Madam Zhang.
His voice was neither too high nor too low, and the smile on his face was just right, a look of blessing that was both decent and generous, and indescribably pleasing to the eye.
Old Mrs. Zhang was the first to come back to her senses, and with a stiff smile, she asked Zhang Huahan to sit down.
Seeing her granddaughter's behavior and demeanor changed drastically, Mrs. Zhang was greatly shocked and realized the difference between a merchant family and an official family.
The fifth girl went to Wutong Courtyard to learn the rules for only a little over a month, but in such a short time, she was already distinguished from the other girls in the family.
Old Mrs. Zhang looked at the dignified and proper Zhang Huahan, and then looked at her other granddaughters. It would have been fine without comparison, but once she compared them, she suddenly felt that the other granddaughters didn't know how to sit or stand properly, and were shy and petty.
Not only did Old Lady Zhang notice the difference, but everyone else in the room felt it too, and the girls felt it most deeply.
In the past, Zhang Huahan was the same as them, but at this moment, Zhang Huahan looked like a lady from a noble family, and she immediately outshone them.
Miss Zhang and the others felt a little inferior.
Miss Zhang Er, who had previously wanted to assign Zhang Huahan to do something with confidence, now remained silent, pursing her lips and saying nothing.
An Ran took in the expressions of everyone in the Zhang family. Seeing that no one spoke and no one noticed her, she could only smile and stand out. "This servant pays respects to the old lady, the second lady, and the third lady."
At this moment, Mrs. Zhang noticed An Ran and immediately sat up straight. Perhaps she felt that she had overreacted, and her expression was a little unconcerned. After a pause, she said, "The eldest daughter-in-law sent you here, is there something wrong?"
An Ran smiled and said, "It's indeed a small matter. A few days ago, the eldest lady asked about the affairs in the Fifth Miss's courtyard and found that the servants were not very attentive. She wanted to replace some and even add a few more."
After hearing this, Mrs. Zhang Er and Mrs. Zhang San looked a little upset.
Replacing servants and adding servants, is this still a small matter?
Mrs. Zhang's face remained calm. She smiled and said, "I have neglected the affairs of the Fifth Girl's courtyard. The eldest daughter-in-law is the head of the Zhang family. She wants to change the servants for the Fifth Girl. Just tell the steward."
An Ran smiled and bowed, "Thank you for your understanding, old lady. My wife meant that the fifth girl will be coming of age next year, so this time we can replace her right away."
Mrs. Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Do you want to buy new ones from outside, or choose from the ones in the mansion? How many people do you want in total?"
An Ran: "If possible, it's best to buy new ones from outside." Seeing the unhappy expressions of Mrs. Zhang Er and Mrs. Zhang San, she thought for a moment and explained, "This is mainly to facilitate training."
"As for the number of people, let's tentatively choose sixteen. When my wife is at home, she has four senior maids, four second-class maids, and several third-class maids and servants. Only with this arrangement can it be convenient for the fifth lady to command her."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room looked over, including Zhang Huahan.
Zhang Huahan knew in advance that An Ran came with her to ask for people this time, but she didn't expect that Aunt An Ran would ask for so much right away.
Mrs. Zhang hesitated for a moment, then smiled and agreed. She turned to look at Mrs. Zhang II and said, "You go find the matchmaker yourself tomorrow and make sure Fifth Girl chooses someone she likes."
Mrs. Zhang Er quickly nodded in agreement.
Afterwards, Zhang Huahan chatted with Old Lady Zhang and others for a while, then got up and returned to Wutong Courtyard to continue learning the rules.
As soon as she left, the girls from the Zhang family couldn't help but start talking.
"Does Fifth Sister really need so many people to serve her?"
"Exactly. To support so many people, how much more monthly allowance would it cost?"
Mrs. Zhang was silent for a moment, then looked at Mrs. Zhang Er and Mrs. Zhang San: "Call a few more matchmakers tomorrow. Just as you arrange the maids around the fifth girl, the eldest girls should do the same."
If their family foundation is not enough, then just follow and learn.
Yan Yile would never harm her own daughter. She chose so many people at once, probably considering the fifth girl's future marriage.
When the girls heard this, they all looked happy.
Who would complain about having too many people under him?
The next day, Mrs. Zhang Er and Mrs. Zhang San quickly found several matchmakers with good reputations, who actively and enthusiastically followed An Ran around throughout the process.
The two of them had the same idea as Old Lady Zhang: if they didn't know how to do it, they would just learn from them.
An Ran didn't care about these things. She took Zhang Huahan with her throughout the whole process. She first explained to her the possible tricks of selecting servants, and then let her choose by herself.
At first, only Zhang Huahan was choosing, but later, Zhang Da and several others also came.
For Zhang Huahan's sake, An Ran would also give a few suggestions, which benefited them a lot and helped them choose several good maids.
After selecting the maid, An Ran was officially assigned to Zhang Huahan by Yan Yile, and she helped Zhang Huahan manage the yard.
When this news came out, not only the other members of the Zhang family, but also Zhang Huahan was surprised for a long time.
Zhang Huahan looked at An Ran in confusion: "Aunt An Ran, why did mother let you come to me?"
An Ran smiled and poured Zhang Huahan a cup of tea: "A few days ago, the Xinrong family sent a letter in. It was sent from the provincial government."
Zhang Huahan knew that it was Xinrong's house, and that was his mother's companion room.
Seeing Zhang Huahan still looking puzzled, An Ran knew she knew nothing. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It's the young lady's uncle who has come to the provincial government to take up a position."
Zhang Huahan was stunned: "Uncle?"
This was the first time someone mentioned her maternal grandparents' home in front of her.
An Ran nodded: "My uncle came to Huai'an to serve as the governor, and he and my master are brothers from the same mother."
Zhang Huahan looked a little dazed. Even if she was ignorant, she knew that the governor was a second-rank official, the highest official in a province.
My uncle is such a powerful person!
At this moment, she instantly understood the reason why her father and elder sister's attitude towards her had changed during this period.
Even if my mother doesn't want to contact my uncle, his arrival is a deterrent to my father and the Zhang family.
At the same time, I also understood the source of my mother's confidence in ignoring everyone in the Zhang family.
A second-rank official, even the richest man in the provincial government, would not dare to act rashly in front of him, not to mention the Zhang family, which is only the richest family in Qingshi County.
An Ran continued, "The young lady also has a biological second aunt, but her second uncle has been transferred back to the capital to serve as an official. If you want to see her, you can only go to the capital."
"As for the girl's maternal grandparents, they did not follow the uncle to take office, but stayed in their hometown."
"The letter is from your aunt. July is your uncle's birthday, and she wants to see you and your uncle."
At this point, An Ran sighed: "Back then, the master had some unpleasantness with his family and didn't really want to go to the provincial capital. But the master felt that the girl should go and meet her uncle and aunt."
Hearing this, Zhang Huahan moved his lips, wanting to ask what kind of unpleasantness had happened between his mother and the Yan family, which led to his mother never having any contact with her parents' family after marrying into the Zhang family.
But when the words came to his lips, Zhang Huahan gave up the idea.
She was not stupid. Considering her mother's attitude towards the Zhang family, her father, and her over the years, she thought that the unhappiness must be a huge scar in her mother's heart, and she didn't want anyone to mention it.
Although An Ran came to her side, Zhang Huahan could also learn etiquette and rules in her own yard, but she still greeted Old Lady Zhang as usual, and then went to Wutong Courtyard to practice etiquette and rules there.
In the upper room, Yan Yile sat in front of the window, looking at Zhang Huahan who was concentrating on studying in the yard, with a dazed look on her face.
She hated Zhang Wan so much that she transferred her hatred for him to Zhang Huahan.
However, this is her own daughter after all, and her heart aches every time she ignores her.
Looking at the small world of Wutong Courtyard, Yan Yile's eyes were full of regret. During the years in the Zhang family, she had tasted the evil consequences of her ignorance and willfulness.
Marrying into the Zhang family was certainly a trap set by Zhang Wan, but if she hadn't given him the opportunity, he would not have been able to get close to her even if he had the ability.
In the final analysis, she was the one who was wrong!
Yan Yile closed her eyes in pain. She had tried not to think about these things over the years, but she just couldn't let it go.
"Girl, take a break."
"No need, Aunt Anran, I can still hold on."
The conversation in the yard interrupted Yan Yile's sadness, and she opened her eyes and looked over again.
Looking at the stubborn and struggling girl in the yard, Yan Yile's eyes flashed, as if he saw himself when he was young.
Once upon a time, she was like this too.
Just then, the maid came in carrying a food box.
Watching the maid put the food on the table, Yan Yile glanced at Zhang Huahan in the yard, her expression somewhat conflicted, and finally said, "Let the Fifth Miss come and have dinner with me."
The maid was stunned for a moment before happily running to invite Zhang Huahan.
A moment later, Zhang Huahan walked into the house nervously and excitedly. When he saw Yan Yile sitting at the dinner table, his eyes were slightly red.
Now that she has grown up, she can finally eat at the same table with her mother.
"Sit down!"
Yan Yile didn't know how to get along with Zhang Huahan, and looked a little awkward.
Zhang Huahan walked carefully to the table and sat down opposite Yan Yile.
After that, the mother and daughter didn't say anything and each ate the food in front of them.
An Ran and others who were serving on the side felt a little sad when they saw how unfamiliar and reserved the mother and daughter were.
After dinner, Yan Yile drank tea silently.
Seeing that she didn't ask him to leave, Zhang Huahan stayed and imitated Yan Yile, sipping tea in small sips.
"An Ran will follow you from now on. If you don't understand something, just ask her."
Yan Yile's sudden voice scared Zhang Huahan and he almost choked. Fortunately, the etiquette he learned during this period was not in vain and he did not lose his composure.
"It's mother, my daughter knows."
Looking at Zhang Huahan, who was so respectful that he didn't dare look at her, Yan Yile was silent for a moment, then asked, "Did An Ran tell you about your aunt's letter?"
Zhang Huahan nodded: "I said it."
Yan Yile hummed, "Letting An Ran stay by your side is, firstly, to continue teaching you etiquette and rules. Young ladies from wealthy families are trained in their words and deeds from a young age."
"Although you've learned quite well during this period, there's still a big gap between you and a true lady from a noble family. If you want to make up for this gap, you need someone to constantly give you pointers and corrections."
"Secondly, it's to help you train the servants in the yard."
"A girl, whether she's at her parents' home or married into her husband's family, must have her own confidants. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, there won't even be anyone to run errands for you."
"You must be more attentive to the people in your own courtyard. Loyalty comes first, followed by ability. As for those who are useless and only cause trouble for the master, you should send them away as soon as you find them. Don't be heartless. If you are kind to them, you will have to bear the consequences of their mistakes."
Zhang Huahan listened carefully and said, "My daughter will remember your mother's teachings."
Yan Yile was silent for a moment: "The Yan family is of high status, and the people they interact with are all dignitaries. Not only you, but also the maids around you, must behave properly and generously."
"Study more with An Ran during this period. When you go to your uncle's house, you will be more confident and not show your fear in front of others."
(End of this chapter)
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