Chapter 4: Family

Fuhe Hall is the courtyard of Old Madam Jiang, the most prestigious place in the entire Chengyang Marquis’s mansion. It is located in the center of the mansion, not only in the best location but also covering a vast area. Although the younger generation of the mansion comes to pay their respects every morning and evening, it is rare to see both the legitimate and illegitimate branches of the family gathered together as they are today.

As the eldest grandson’s wife of the Marquis’s mansion, Song Wan had to help her mother-in-law with the preparations for such an occasion, so she arrived the earliest. As soon as she entered Old Madam Jiang’s courtyard, she encountered other illegitimate children of the mansion who had come to pay their respects.

Seeing the handsome boys and lovely girls in the room, Old Madam Jiang couldn’t help but feel delighted. She called Song Wan over and introduced the group of children to her one by one.

“The child leading the group is Yi’er’s half-brother, Jiang Yan, who is only two years younger than Yi’er. This boy is well-behaved and polite, unlike other mischievous children.”

“The next one is Jiang Ang, who just turned ten this year. Although he is not as refined as his two older brothers, he is still considered an adult.”

“These three girls are your third, fifth, and sixth sisters. In the future, when you have time, take them with you more often. I will be at ease if they can develop a gentle and soft temperament like yours.”

Song Wan smiled and agreed, then looked at Jiang Xingjian’s younger siblings. Since she had been living as a widow, it was not appropriate for her to see the male members of the mansion, so Old Madam Jiang and Mother Jiang exempted her from the morning and evening greetings. Therefore, in the six years since she married into the Marquis’s mansion, she was not very familiar with Jiang Xingjian’s siblings, having only met Jiang Yan a couple of times.

Jiang Yan was two years younger than Jiang Xingjian and had reached the age of adulthood, but Old Madam Jiang had not mentioned his courtesy name, so it seemed his birthday had not yet arrived.

“Greetings, sister-in-law.”

“Greetings, second brother, third sister, fourth brother, fifth sister, sixth brother.”

Song Wan returned the greeting and signaled Heng Wu to bring a lacquered tray with auspicious items, which she distributed to each of them.

When Jiang Yan received the red envelope, he looked up at Song Wan and quickly lowered his head again.

The masters in the room were chatting lively when a commotion suddenly erupted outside. Song Wan looked out and saw that Jiang Xingjian had arrived at Fuhe Hall with Lin Jiayue.

Lin Jiayue was wearing the light coral-colored brocade skirt with silver embroidery that belonged to Song Wan. The skirt’s elegant color and matching jewelry were all light and simple, giving a refined appearance, but it did not match Lin Jiayue’s age.

Although the children were young, they were born into noble families and were not like ordinary people. At the age of seven or eight, they were already aware of things, and seeing the two of them arrive, they all fell silent.

Lin Jiayue ignored the cold atmosphere caused by her presence and walked gracefully to Old Madam Jiang, smiling obediently. Jiang Xingjian seemed to want her to get closer to Old Madam Jiang, so he sat beside her.

Unable to bear watching their behavior, Song Wan took Heng Zhi and Heng Wu to the door, quietly admiring the flowers and plants in Old Madam Jiang’s room.

“Sister-in-law.”

Song Wan looked up and saw Jiang Yan standing beside her. She smiled slightly and made room for him.

Jiang Yan did not move and stopped a step away from her.

Looking at the dignified and bright woman in front of him, with starry eyes that seemed to be slightly angry, Jiang Yan felt his blood boiling, his hands trembling slightly with excitement. However, he always restrained himself, suppressing the excitement in his bones and blood, and only softly said two words, “Sister-in-law…”

Song Wan smiled and nodded, her demeanor clearly distant.

Jiang Yan didn’t mind. He shifted his gaze away from Song Wan and said in a slightly hoarse voice, “I have reached the age of adulthood this year and should choose a courtesy name. I recently thought of the name ‘Yu Chi.’ What do you think, sister-in-law?”

Song Wan was taken aback, not understanding why Jiang Yan would mention this to her.

“Yu Chi?” She repeated softly, and Jiang Yan’s heart trembled, revealing a very restrained smile.

“What are you and my wife talking about?” Jiang Xingjian had walked over to them without them noticing. He looked at Jiang Yan, thinking that he had changed a lot.

Jiang Yan was only twelve or thirteen years old when he left the mansion. Although he was mature for his age, he did not have the demeanor he has today. He was wearing a purple-gold brocade robe with arrow sleeves and black boots, and his black hair was tied with a silver hairpin, making him look exceptionally handsome and elegant. However, his complexion was too pale, and he appeared slightly thin. Although he had a gentle and scholarly appearance, Jiang Xingjian saw a hint of ambition and inexplicable fervor in his dark eyes.

“Your face is red. Are you feeling unwell?” Jiang Xingjian raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent.

Jiang Yan bowed slightly, “Thank you for your concern, Brother. I am fine. It’s just that the room is crowded, so I came here to get some fresh air.”

Their conversation was polite and respectful, but Song Wan suddenly thought that if Jiang Xingjian had not returned, the title of Chengyang Marquis would have fallen to Jiang Yan. Now, that was impossible.

Thinking that there might be future conflicts between the brothers, she felt a bit disheartened.

“You and Brother can continue chatting. I will go help Mother prepare the meal.”

Song Wan had no interest in their conversation and led her maids to the inner hall.

Old Madam Jiang, Mother Jiang, and Lin Jiayue were in the room. Mother Jiang looked at Lin Jiayue’s clothes with both anger and urgency. Her ancestors were military generals, and she had rarely learned any rules or etiquette since childhood. It was only after marrying into the Marquis’s mansion that she had cultivated some manners, but she was not as composed as Old Madam Jiang and Song Wan. She glanced at Lin Jiayue and coldly asked, “Didn’t Old Madam Jiang give you clothes? Why did you take Wan’er’s coming-of-age dress?”

Lin Jiayue didn’t understand what a coming-of-age dress was, but she guessed that the clothes she was wearing had some significance. She only wanted to prove that she was more important to Jiang Xingjian than his nominal wife. She had no intention of offending Old Madam Jiang and Mother Jiang.

So Lin Jiayue smiled and said, “The clothes Old Madam Jiang gave me are indeed excellent, but they didn’t fit well, so Brother Xingjian found me another set.”

“In front of Old Madam Jiang, you keep saying ‘you’ and ‘I.’ What kind of upbringing is that?” Mother Jiang frowned at Lin Jiayue, feeling even more frustrated. Seeing her displeasure, her maid stepped forward and said, “It’s not Lin Jiayue’s fault. She comes from a humble background and doesn’t understand our mansion’s rules. Madam, don’t worry. When I first entered the mansion, I was just as reckless and ignorant of etiquette. We can find a governess to teach her in the future.”

Lin Jiayue had been smiling all day, but she couldn’t hold back any longer after hearing this. She looked at the maid and sneered, “My family may not be a prestigious scholarly family, but it is a hidden noble family in China. It’s normal if you haven’t heard of it, but I can’t accept being called ‘humble.'”

As she said this, Song Wan was walking into the inner hall. She was dressed simply but elegantly, with a dignified demeanor that was incomparable to ordinary people.

Lin Jiayue felt stifled but reminded herself that Song Wan was also a victim of the feudal era, which eased her resentment a bit. She took a deep breath and said with a forced smile, “My family specializes in various unique skills that benefit all trades. Jiang Xingjian invited me to the Marquis’s mansion because he knew my abilities and specifically asked me to come.”