"...Cousin." The young girl's voice was as thin as a mosquito's, her face blushing as she looked at Qi Huan.
Following her form of address, Qi Huan replied, "Hello, younger cousin."
Beside them, Young Madam Song introduced with a smile, "This is An An."
Song You'an pulled out an exquisitely chosen lotus pearl silk flower from behind her back, presented it to Qi Huan, and then quickly retreated behind Young Madam Song.
Her complexion was excessively pale, her hair wrapped tightly in a light gray silk cloth. Her eyes were as clear as a fawn's, her whole face pitifully lovely, yet somewhat timid.
However, Qi Huan didn't show any curiosity. Instead, she graciously thanked her for the gift and then said:
"When I passed through Yao Prefecture, I heard that the Yaoguang Brocade there was famous. So I asked Xu Nanny about grandmother's, aunt's, and my cousins' favorite colors, and picked out a few bolts to bring back. Please ask Xu Nanny to have someone bring them in."
"Yaoguang Brocade?"
Elder Madam Song's eyes lit up with delight. After receiving the fabric, she couldn't bear to let it go, but felt embarrassed to take advantage of her junior. She secretly calculated that she should call the tailor to make a few new winter clothes for Huan.
To be honest, she didn't have much affection for this suddenly appeared niece.
But with her husband's repeated reminders, plus her mother-in-law's obvious favoritism, Elder Madam Song wasn't foolish.
Seeing that Qi Huan was sincere and easy to get along with, she felt more genuine affection.
Qi Huan was praised like a flower, and the entire main hall was filled with laughter.
At this moment, a maid came to report: "Old Madam, the eldest young master has returned from the academy."
Old Lady Song smiled and responded, "Cheng'er, come in quickly and meet your cousin."
The eldest young master, Song Jingcheng, was tall and slender with a handsome face. Upon entering, he first paid his respects to his grandmother and mother, then inconspicuously glanced at his wife, Young Madam Song, before warmly calling out, "Cousin."
Qi Huan politely replied, "Elder cousin."
She suddenly remembered that Xu Nanny had mentioned earlier that the Song family had a second young master.
But he had contracted tuberculosis, so she probably wouldn't see him today.
Just as she was thinking about this, Old Lady Song sighed slightly and explained, "Huan'er, Cheng'er is your eldest cousin. You have another cousin, Che'er, who is about your age, but he's been ill for a long time and isn't in good health. It's not that he deliberately didn't come to see you."
Old Lady Song fingered her prayer beads, her thoughts racing like wild horses.
Huan'er had lost both parents and was the descendant of a criminal official, so her marriage prospects would undoubtedly be difficult.
If Che'er hadn't contracted tuberculosis, how wonderful it would be for the two children to strengthen their family ties through marriage.
But Che'er's health was poor, and she couldn't possibly push Huan'er into a fire pit...
Immediately, Old Lady Song felt sorry for describing Che'er as a fire pit and quickly shook her head to dispel these messy thoughts.
When she mentioned Song Jingche, everyone in the room had a touch of worry in their eyes.
Elder Madam Song looked at Qi Huan, her thick lips moving a few times, but she hesitated to speak.
Finally, she turned to Old Lady Song and said, "Mother, it's getting late. Why don't I take Huan'er to settle in at Qinghuan Court first?"
"Go ahead." Old Lady Song waved her hand tiredly.
Turning to Qi Huan, her gaze softened: "Good child, from now on, the Song family is your home. If you need anything, just tell your grandmother or your aunt. Your grandfather and uncle haven't returned from their duties yet, so you can pay your respects to them at dinner."
"Alright, thank you, grandmother."
Qi Huan bid farewell to Old Lady Song and followed Elder Madam Song towards Qinghuan Court.
The inner courtyards of the Song family weren't particularly exquisite. There weren't many precious flowers or plants, nor were there pavilions or waterside structures. In fact, they showed signs of age, but they were clean and tidy.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, they arrived at Qinghuan Court.
Qinghuan Court was very close to the main compound of the Song family. To welcome Qi Huan, Old Lady Song had specially allocated some funds and instructed Elder Madam Song to have people renovate this courtyard, making it look brand new.
There were three main rooms: the bedroom on the east side and the study on the west. The side rooms included a bathroom, servants' quarters, and a room for Qi Huan to use as a storeroom.
In her previous letter, Xu Nanny had mentioned that the young miss had lived quite well in Mo County and had considerable private property.
So Elder Madam Song thought that Huan'er's luggage would be plentiful and specially left a room for her to store her belongings.
However, the luggage Qi Huan brought wasn't as much as they had imagined.
Her private property was all stored in her spatial ring.
The maids quickly arranged the unloaded luggage.
In the main room, the light was a bit dim in the evening sun. Elder Madam Song's gaze fell on the young girl seriously drinking tea beside her. After pondering for a moment, she finally asked hesitantly, "Huan'er, do you really not know any medical skills?"
Qi Huan put down her teacup and answered honestly, "To tell you the truth, I know a little."
She had memorized half a medical book and studied with the medical sage Shen Jueming for a few days, so she indeed knew a little.
However, Elder Madam Song didn't expect that when she said "a little," she really meant just a little.
She thought Qi Huan was being modest.
Elder Madam Song's eyes suddenly brightened, and she said with a smile, "I knew it. How could your father, with his excellent medical skills, not teach you? What areas are you good at, Huan'er?"
"I can treat external injuries, and I can cure constipation......"
Hearing this, Elder Madam Song's smile froze on her face.
After a moment of silence, she decided to ask directly, "Did your father ever mention to you how to treat tuberculosis?"
Throughout the entire Li Country, from ancient times to the present, only Qi Huan's grandfather, Qi Yu, had ever cured tuberculosis, but he was already dead.
Among the surviving members of the Qi family, only Qi Huan remained.
Who could have imagined that she wouldn't learn the crucial medical skills, but instead only learned how to treat constipation?
After Qi Huan shook her head, Elder Madam Song's gaze immediately dimmed.
She became less enthusiastic towards Qi Huan, but didn't neglect her. Instead, she said with waning interest, "Huan'er, rest for a while. Your aunt will go check if dinner is ready. I'll send someone to call you later."
"Alright, thank you, aunt." Qi Huan stood up and saw Elder Madam Song out of Qinghuan Court.
After returning to the courtyard, she called everyone over.
Xu Nanny, Ruo Lan, and Ruo Zhu had all been assigned to her. Along with Tao Su and Yan Qing, whom she had brought, there were four personal maids in total.
Ruo Lan was responsible for grooming, Ruo Zhu for bathing, Tao Su temporarily managed the jewelry, and Yan Qing was in charge of following and protecting. However, in everyone's eyes, the youngest, Yan Qing, seemed to only be responsible for eating.
Besides these five, there was also a small maid responsible for laundry and two rough-work maids responsible for sweeping and cleaning.
The staff was simple and easy to manage.
Qi Huan stood under the porch and said concisely, "Once you've entered Qinghuan Court, you're my people, and my people must listen to me."
"As long as you remain loyal and dutiful, I will never mistreat you. There will be generous bonuses during festivals and holidays. However, if anyone tries to cheat or betray me, Qinghuan Court will not tolerate it, and I'll have no choice but to sell you off. Time reveals a person's true nature, and a long journey tests a horse's strength. I hope you won't disappoint me."
After this mix of kindness and authority, Xu Nanny and the maids hastily agreed, trembling.
Tao Su chimed in, "My mother always said, 'A servant cannot serve two masters.' Now that I'm with you, young miss, I'll be yours in life and death. I'm definitely the most loyal!"
Yan Qing made a face at her, "I'm the most loyal of all. Not only am I yours in life and death, young miss, but even if I'm reincarnated, I'll follow you in my next life too!"
Xu Nanny quickly spat twice in their direction.
"Stop talking about life and death! It's inauspicious. I see you two still haven't learned proper manners. Come to my room after dinner for some special training!"
The two girls shrank their necks, immediately deflated.
Qi Huan was both amused and exasperated by their antics. If all her maids were prim and proper, it would be quite dull. Having these two adorable girls around could help relieve boredom.
Most importantly, they were very loyal.
Skills can be cultivated, but loyalty is crucial.
As the courtyard was filled with a harmonious atmosphere, suddenly a maid came to knock on the door.
It was Yin Chuan, who served Elder Madam Song. She smiled gracefully and said, "Miss Qi, the madam invites you to the dining hall."
