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Lu Man was supported by the two maids to the side room, where a large heated brick bed was placed by the window. Hong Ling opened the food box, taking out Lu Man’s breakfast—bird’s nest porridge, milk rolls, vegetable congee, and steamed egg custard. Additionally, a plate of small buns, milk steamed buns, and two bowls of vegetable congee were placed on a low table on the floor for the two maids’ meal.
Excitedly, Lu Ying remarked, “Third Young Madam, the masters here is truly kind. Even after upsetting them, they still treat you this way. Bird’s nest porridge! I’ve never had it before.”
This maid was simple-minded, only seeing things at the surface level. These dishes were all easy to swallow, considering her sore throat. It seemed that, despite their anger, the people in this household still wanted her to continue living. Lu Man couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
However, Hong Ling disagreed with Lu Ying’s statement, “The Lu family is not wealthy. Not to mention Third Young Madam, even the Old Madam, Madam, and the others hardly get to drink bird’s nest porridge in a year. And, be careful, Third Young Madam. I don’t think the Third Young Master will easily let this go. Although the kitchen staff provided us with this food, none of them gave me a friendly look.”
This maid was shrewd, but she sided with Mrs. Xiao Chen and her daughter, always speaking on their behalf.
Lu Man remained silent and silently prayed, hoping that the old Marquis, who held the power over her life and death, would live well. After drinking the bird’s nest porridge and eating two milk rolls, she didn’t want to eat anymore. The porridge and rolls were smooth and didn’t irritate her throat, so the pain wasn’t as noticeable.
After finishing the remaining food, both Hong Ling and Lu Ying were famished.
After the meal, Lu Man felt a bit stronger and asked Lu Ying to help her walk out of the room to observe her living quarters—Orchid Pavilion.
The front courtyard was quite spacious, with the main house consisting of four large rooms and two side rooms, along with three compartments for storage. The courtyard was adorned with beautiful trees and flowers, and in the middle, there was a clear pool of water. A small stream flowed from the west side of the backyard, entering the front yard, feeding into the pool, curving around, and then flowing out along the wall.
Walking through most of the inner courtyard, Hong Ling explained that the small stream was sourced from the mirror lake in the rear garden, passing through Orchid Pavilion, then flowing to several other courtyards in the front, circling back to the lake.
Passing through the side room to the east of the main house, Lu Man arrived at the backyard. The backyard contained three compartments on the east and west sides, with numerous flowers, plants, and trees, along with a pavilion, a fake mountain rock in the middle, and finally, a white painted wall. On the wall, there was a moon gate, leading to the back cover room. The back cover room served as the kitchen, the dressing room, and living quarters for the servants. Beyond the back cover room was another painted wall, and upon exiting through the back door, a little over a hundred meters away, lay the rippling Mirror Lake. Across the Mirror Lake was the estate’s rear garden, a picturesque sight with a profusion of colors, clouds, and mist.
Upon returning, to the west of the main house, there was a moon gate leading to a small courtyard containing three main rooms and two side rooms.
Exiting the courtyard gate, to the east was a winding stream flanked by countless flowers and plants, along with porches, artificial rocks, and, a little over a hundred meters ahead, a large cluster of buildings and courtyards. It seemed this courtyard was somewhat distant from the central area.
The peaceful environment was preferable.
The Marquis’s, grand Princess’s estate was truly boundlessly wealthy. Even an uncherished illegitimate son had married such an unpleasant wife, and yet the courtyard was still as beautiful as a fairyland. However, the interior furnishings seemed much less magnificent than the outside scenery.
For now, this was her place of residence. As long as the old Marquis remained alive, she could spend another day living in this beautiful villa.
In this lifetime, she didn’t know how long she would live. Career, love, family—these extravagant things were all beyond her imagination. Instead, she thought about her mother from her past life, that great woman who, having lost her only loved one, was a woman in utter despair. Her love was enough to warm her across two lifetimes…
As Lu Man pondered, she suddenly felt a pain in her calf as a small stone landed on the bluestone floor.
Looking to her right, she saw a boy and a girl standing next to a large tree. They were exquisitely beautiful but their eyes were filled with resentment.
“Let me guess, you must be the Eighth Young Master and the Second Young Miss, am I right?” Lu Man asked with a smile.
“We won’t tell you who we are. You’re so detestable.” the boy said bitterly.
The young girl didn’t respond and simply pursed her lips, nodding her little head vigorously after the boy’s words. Seeing their self-loathing, Lu Man was more certain—they were the illegitimate Eighth Young Master Jiang Zhankui and the Second Miss Jiang Jiu, twins of Jiang Yuanzhao, the second son of the Old Marquis and Princess Changting, making for an awkward presence in the household. The names they were given, Kui and Jiu, were shameful, leaving a bitter taste. It’s a wonder who named them and if it would leave a psychological impact on the children.
According to Lu Ying, the Princess Changting’s residene was a place many young ladies aspired to marry into. Not only was the estate wealthy, but Princess Changting was deeply favored, and her deep affection with the old Marquis made it an appealing prospect for young ladies. However, it was known that the old Marquis did not allow concubines and illegitimate children in the household, making it a mystery as to what exactly happened with Second Master Jiang’s illegitimate children.
Lu Man loved children, especially beautiful little ones, whether newborns or a few years old. Moreover, they were Jiang Zhanwei’s own siblings, and deep down, she still wanted to mend her relationship with Jiang Zhanwei, her “Husband”.
She smiled and invited them inside, “Since you’re here, why don’t you come in and sit for a while?”
The boy sneered, “Don’t think that by pleasing us, you can please my brother! Let me tell you, it’s impossible! Hmph, because of you, my brother lost his original fiancée. What’s good about you? Your voice is more unpleasant than a duck’s quack, and your family has been beheaded as a traitor. It’s my brother who’s at a loss for marrying you, not you. You even tried to hang yourself, bringing shame to my brother… We hate you.”
The girl pouted and added, “My brother is so good, and because of you, he’s lost his dignity and doesn’t even return home. You’re bad.”
After speaking, they ran hand in hand toward the courtyard ahead.
Lu Man didn’t feel inclined to argue with children, especially when they were not entirely wrong. Indeed, the original Lu Man had sought this marriage, and her suicide attempt had brought disgrace to Princess Changting and Jiang Zhanwei. Additionally, Jiang Zhanwei was so furious that he didn’t even return home? This was truly the original Lu Man’s… no, her own fault.
She lost interest and returned to her room to await judgment.
From early morning to noon, then from noon to evening, there was no sign of the master or any of the servants. Fortunately, the kitchen continued providing their meals, indicating that the Jiang Family still acknowledged their presence. However, the quality of food declined day by day. On the fourth day, there was not even a slice of meat.