Traveling is tiring.
Even when riding in a horse-drawn carriage.
Although Aunt Yin still appeared to have good posture, showing no signs of fatigue,
She was, after all, of advanced age and not as resilient as in her youth.
Having endured much hardship when young, she hoped to experience less suffering in her old age.
Aunt Yin chatted with the two young ladies.
Qin Luoxia had already nimbly prepared the bed. As Brother Chong had just left, this room would now be arranged for Aunt Yin.
In the future, if the two young ladies needed to study, they would still share a room.
Later on, when Mianmian grows up, she might want her own room as well.
Looking at it this way, with so many people in the household, there certainly weren't enough rooms.
Moreover, Qin Luoxia felt that her husband was in a weak position, and if he had a teacher like Mr. Bi to assist him, things would be much better.
Her husband was also quite delicate and easily bullied when out, so having a guard like Black Tower would be reassuring.
Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that wealthy families need large houses with many rooms.
However, these were all matters for the future, and she wasn't sure about them. They couldn't just keep adding one single-story room after another. She would have to ask Aunt Yin later, as she would surely understand.
Speaking of which, this General Zi was quite particular, actually sending a female teacher over.
Aunt Yin said she had come after spending all her family fortune, so it wouldn't be right not to treat her well.
Besides, Qin Luoxia had always felt that a family without elders seemed somewhat unsettled.
Her mother had passed away early, and it's best not to mention her husband's side. Now that an elderly person had arrived, she felt much more at ease.
When her husband returns in the evening, they would discuss how to treat Aunt Yin.
For now, Qin Luoxia had made the bed and brought in Aunt Yin's bundle, surprisingly finding it a bit heavy.
Aunt Yin looked frail, but unexpectedly seemed quite robust.
The room was very empty, with only a bed, a small table, and four rush cushions.
Qin Luoxia brought in another small cabinet and placed the bundle on top.
She also put a lock on one of the cabinets.
After some thought, she went to pick a handful of bamboo leaves and placed them in a pottery vase, which she brought into the room.
She fumigated under the bed with a brazier, making it nice and dry for sleeping.
The windows were propped open, allowing plenty of sunlight to stream in, making the room clean and bright after tidying up.
Seeing that everything was more or less in order, Qin Luoxia went to fetch a new pair of straw shoes. Although woven from straw, they had cloth lining and an open back. These were made for Mianmian when she started walking.
They could be worn indoors.
Qin Luoxia tried them on and found them quite comfortable. Her husband quite liked changing into them when entering the room.
She figured Aunt Yin would like them too.
She also placed a new pair of cotton-lined, backless indoor shoes. Mianmian called these "slippers," saying they were shoes for shuffling around.
Qin Luoxia sensed that Aunt Yin was a refined person.
She had met General Zi before.
Her husband said General Zi was the most capable person he had ever encountered in his life.
He explained that General Zi's abilities weren't just about his own skills, which were already impressive, but more importantly, his talent for recognizing and utilizing people. Everyone around him was highly capable.
Each one had their own strengths.
General Zi had an excellent eye for people.
Therefore, the person sent by General Zi must certainly be very capable.
Seeing that the room was tidied up, she brought in a kettle.
She placed it on the brazier in the corner, where the water could be kept warm. Then she nailed a few wooden pegs into the earthen wall, hanging separate towels for hands and face.
On the shelf, she placed bamboo tubes that could be used for storing water and for teeth cleaning, keeping them separate.
All these were prepared based on the details of her husband's living habits.
After everything was set up, she went to prepare food.
For lunch, with Aunt Yin joining them, Qin Luoxia made noodle soup.
Hot noodle soup is most comforting in winter, warming the stomach.
Aunt Yin had already been talking with the two young ladies for quite some time.
Although there were some issues here and there,
Overall, the elder girl was sincere and devoted to her family. Such a girl, even with many small flaws, was impossible to dislike.
The younger girl was a bit cleverer, a bit lazier, and seemed somewhat precocious, though not in the right areas.
However, she was also a very kind-hearted little girl, very soft-hearted, seemingly not having experienced hardship or seen evil, all soft and tender.
On the whole, Aunt Yin was satisfied.
Except for some odd intrusions.
The household protective deity ants and such were not a big problem; even the masters in the palace had their quirks of keeping strange things.
At noon, they had a soft, comfortable meal.
Then Mrs. Qin led her to the room to settle in, suggesting she rest a bit at midday.
She was somewhat surprised, not expecting this countryside place to have the habit of an afternoon nap.
But she was indeed very tired.
Besides, during the day she had only met her students and the lady of the house.
In the evening, she would meet the master of the house and the young master, which would be the real test.
From what Elder Sister Yu had said, it seemed the real decision-maker in the family was actually the master.
But she wasn't too worried.
Having been through several life-and-death experiences, she believed that with her abilities, no one would refuse her as a female teacher.
In fact, when she was in the Capital City, many great families had vied to hire her.
But she had grown weary of the lifestyle in those great families.
Instead, she had married a good man and followed him to the remote Jingzhou.
Yet unexpectedly, like duckweed drifting through life, even this mid-life marriage couldn't last until old age.
Aunt Yin entered the room, surprised to find it not only clean but also exuding an air of elegance.
A foot of sunlight streamed in front of the window.
A pot of Asparagus fern sat in the corner.
Tea was prepared.
Separate towels for hands and face were thoughtfully provided.
Even the bamboo cups for drinking tea and rinsing the mouth were separate.
Though simple, everything had a touch of refinement.
The small table and rush cushions particularly pleased her.
There were even change of shoes, new and quite fitting.
Regardless of what kind of person the master of the house was, just the thoughtfulness of the lady of the house made Aunt Yin feel extremely well-accommodated.
This sense of comfort continued until she lay down.
Lying on the dry bed, hearing the creaking sounds from her waist, she realized she was indeed tired and getting on in years.
She had always been vigilant, not easily falling asleep.
Yet unexpectedly, in this place she was visiting for the first time, she fell asleep during her afternoon rest.
She slept soundly, not even dreaming.
This was quite rare.
It's worth noting that even after leaving the palace and getting married, she would sometimes still dream of various aspects of palace life when sleeping, feeling a sense of being in a different world, terrifying and exciting yet unbelievable. Dreaming of returning to the imperial palace was truly the greatest nightmare.
This nap lasted until the sun was leaning westward.
Aunt Yin sat up, feeling excellent.
Just for this bed that allowed her to sleep, she felt that the days ahead couldn't be bad.
At this moment, she truly felt she had come to the right place.
She had truly left the imperial palace behind.
Arriving in this remote and impoverished place, though distant and poor, one could sleep soundly and eat with peace of mind.
In the room, she pondered carefully on how best to teach the two girls.
Although the two girls were born of the same mother, their personalities were vastly different. One was very lively, never still for a moment, while the other was extremely lazy, languidly motionless. It might be because she was younger, but after careful observation and inquiry, Aunt Yin learned that many household tasks were done at the younger one's reminder to the adults.
Everything stemmed from a desire to indulge in laziness.
This revealed their personalities.
They would need to be taught according to their individual traits, with different focuses.
Moreover, General Zi sending her here might have additional reasons. Perhaps the master of the house was an impressive person, highly regarded by General Zi.
She had heard that General Zi was extremely good to all his subordinates, settling their entire families comfortably.
Regardless of the reason, by chance or fate, Aunt Yin had already made up her mind. She would diligently teach the two girls here, spending the last stage of her life in this rural cottage, passing her days in peaceful tranquility.
She liked it here.
She appreciated Qin Luoxia's considerate respect.
She enjoyed the girls' simplicity.
She also liked the simple atmosphere of this home.
Judging from the girls' personalities, she knew that such characters couldn't be nurtured in a complex family environment.
All in all, everything was perfect.
Aunt Yin heaved a long sigh, poured herself a cup of warm water, which tasted sweet and delicious.
Then she pushed open the door, ready to get to work and tend to the children.
As she opened the door, she saw the elder girl killing a chicken in the courtyard. Seeing her come out, the elder girl turned back with a smile and said, "Great-aunt, Mother said you've arrived. We're having chicken for dinner tonight."
Her face was splattered with chicken blood, and she smiled foolishly.
The beautiful Aunt Yin wanted to cover her face.
The younger girl was lazily leaning on a small bamboo chair, cushioned with a blanket. She stretched out her little feet, happily wiggling them. From the frequency of her short legs' movement, one could see how leisurely and comfortable she was...
It was as if watching a grand old master shaking his leg.
Aunt Yin wanted to close her eyes again.
She walked over, took the little girl in her arms, put her legs together, and then said to the elder girl, "When killing a chicken, don't chop off its head directly. Make a cut on the chicken's neck to drain the blood. Once the blood is drained, the chicken meat will be more tender and less gamey. The chicken blood can be used separately, there's even a kind of pastry called blood sugar that's extremely delicious."
Jiang Yu listened with wide eyes.
As expected of Great-aunt, she knew so much.
Excitedly, she grabbed the knife and went to catch another chicken.
"Wait for me, Great-aunt, I'll be right back."
Aunt Yin just smiled as she watched her, thinking that the girl loved good food. It was best to cater to her interests first, then discipline her once she was compliant. This way, half the effort would yield twice the result.
She had spent nearly ten years in the imperial kitchen, enough to handle a young girl.
However, she still had no clue about the little one in her arms, who had even put her finger in her mouth to suck...
Aunt Yin silently pulled out her finger, thinking she should apply some coptis to her finger later.
When Qin Luoxia returned, she saw Aunt Yin and her two girls getting along harmoniously, which made her very happy.
Indeed, having an elder in the family was like having a treasure. With an elder presiding over the household, everything was different.
She very sincerely brought out a set of clothes and said to Aunt Yin, "Aunt, time was short, so I've quickly found you a set of cotton clothes. You can wear them to sleep at night."
Aunt Yin glanced up and noticed that the clothes were indeed her size. This Mrs. Qin had a good eye, which was very satisfying.
As evening fell, the sunset painted the sky.
The village echoed with the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking, wisps of cooking smoke rising.
Aunt Yin had successfully become the most revered great-aunt to the elder girl, and was slowly beginning to connect with the younger one as well.
Feeling the cold village wind, she surprisingly didn't feel chilly, but rather felt a warmth in her heart.
This feeling was something she had only experienced when she first married her husband.
Some places and some people just make one feel attached.
After just half a day of interaction, Aunt Yin already felt she could grow old here.
Time seemed to stand still in the mountains, which was wonderful.
Having lived most of her life, at this moment she felt that this was truly living.
Genuinely at peace.
A place like the imperial palace was truly not fit for human habitation. She would never go to such a place in this life, the next life, or the life after that.
The red clouds in the sky piled up layer upon layer, looking like the rosy cheeks of a group of young girls.
The little girl in Aunt Yin's arms suddenly spoke, "My father is back!"
Then they saw the elder girl stand up in a flash and run outside. At the door, she shouted loudly towards the distance, "Father, Brother, we have a relative visiting! It's Mother's aunt, our great-aunt, and she's amazing!"
Aunt Yin felt that this elder girl needed to be taught a lot about etiquette, but hearing her words, she couldn't help but smile, a genuine smile.
The little girl in her arms also struggled to get down, wanting to go greet her father.
It was quite an effort for her to be willing to take a few steps.
Aunt Yin held her hand and went to the door.
Standing under the tree by the door, they watched as the people in the distance gradually came closer, closer, and closer still, until they were right in front of them.
Seeing the face of the newcomer, with a smile, he bowed to her: "Mr. Yin, thank you for your hard work."
Aunt Yin: ...
She wanted to let go of the little girl's hand, but the child held on tightly.
She looked down at the little girl's face, then raised her head to look at Mr. Jiang standing before her.
Her old face remained composed, expressionless, but her heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys all began to twitch. Had she, had she stirred up a hornet's nest in the imperial palace?
What grudge, what enmity was this?
