Night had fallen.
The Jiang Manor was no longer ablaze with lights.
Jiang Wan was now the housekeeper.
She felt that excessive lighting was wasteful.
And too conspicuous.
It was sufficient to illuminate only the rooms of each master.
As it didn't affect people's lives and actually made everyone feel more comfortable, the household quickly adapted to her management.
However, being a housekeeper wasn't easy. After gaining control of the household, Jiang Wan was initially overwhelmed. She wasn't born with this knowledge and needed time to adapt.
She eliminated a steward, confiscated his property, and took over Aunt Yao's remaining assets to keep the household afloat.
Jiang Wan's methods were ruthless, and she performed exceptionally well.
But she was, after all, just a young girl, not yet married. Her actions inevitably made people feel she was overly calculating.
There were no idle hands in the manor now; every position was filled with purpose.
The household was essentially divided into three parts. Jiang Huaisheng, his wife Wu Qingzi, and their newborn daughter Jiang Shu lived together. Jiang Huaisheng's face was scarred; he always felt he hadn't received proper medical treatment, and now the scar was clearly visible on his left cheek.
He once had a broad, cheerful face, with sunny and generous features. The elders preferred his face to Jiang Changtian's, finding it more reliable.
But now there was an unwelcome scar. Though it had healed well and wasn't large, just half a finger's length.
All the mirrors in the room had been removed. To avoid upsetting her husband, Wu Qingzi even gave up her dressing mirror.
In these chaotic times, he still appeared to maintain his old routines: reading, practicing swordplay, and occasionally educating the children.
However, he couldn't concentrate on his studies now, growing restless. His sword practice became more intense, sometimes resulting in minor injuries.
He no longer frequently scolded Jiang Rong, who was even more diligent, rarely leaving his room while studying.
He now had more time to spend with his little daughter, Jiang Shu.
This child had arrived at a peculiar time, but she had soothed Jiang Huaisheng's heart.
As he spent more time caring for her himself, their bond deepened.
He hadn't realized how demanding an infant could be, and it had brought him closer to his wife.
At night, Shu Shu was a late sleeper, her eyes rolling about. Jiang Huaisheng sat beside his little daughter, reading aloud to her.
Wu Qingzi was doing needlework. As a girl, her needlework had been poor, merely for show. She hadn't expected that in this remote place, day after day, she would actually hone her skills.
At this moment, she felt content. This was what peace truly meant.
Jiang Rong was still studying. Jiang Wan had replaced all his attendants, but he didn't mind.
The new attendants would remind him to sleep on time, bring him late-night snacks if he stayed up, and try to persuade him to take walks. Though somewhat annoying, Jiang Rong appreciated their efforts.
So during this time, Jiang Rong hadn't lost weight; he'd actually gained some.
A bit of stress-induced weight gain.
Old Lady Jiang was a light sleeper, afraid to go to bed too early. If she slept too early, she'd wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to fall back asleep.
In truth, she hadn't experienced much hardship for most of her life.
Even during their exile, she had been cared for. It was considered a difficult journey, but looking back, it wasn't so bad.
They hadn't traveled far before the Emperor pardoned them, and they were back in their carriages.
Though Ming County was remote, they still lived as top-tier gentry. Aunt Yao had taken excellent care of her.
After Aunt Yao's departure, she struggled to adjust. However, with Wan'er around, her granddaughter had trained new maids. At first, it was uncomfortable, but now it felt quite good. They followed her cues, and while not as attentive as Aunt Yao, they were more respectful.
They served her more thoroughly. Although she knew the family's finances were now tight – two-thirds taken by rebels, and that beast had plundered most of the rest – they were barely managing.
Old Lady Jiang could tell from the quality and quantity of food that the family's surplus was insufficient. This was why she ultimately decided to lead her children and grandchildren to seek refuge with her daughter.
It wasn't the best choice; returning to the Jiang Family's Old Residence would have been better, avoiding burdening her daughter.
But with Huaisheng's facial scar and that little beast still alive, she dared not return to their old home, which was too close to the capital.
Her daughter was, after all, a prince's consort. In her fief, given Yu Luan's nature, they could be settled comfortably.
At night, Old Lady Jiang didn't drink tea, fearing midnight trips to the bathroom. Instead, she kept half a ginseng slice in her mouth to nourish her spirit.
In fact, Old Lady Jiang was the household's largest expense.
She required numerous items. Jiang Huaisheng thought the money diverted was for his mother to support his brother, but it was actually for various medicinal herbs Old Lady Jiang used, like the ginseng slices she sucked on daily. For poor families, ginseng was a lifesaving medicine; for her, it was merely a sweet snack.
For sleep, if her bed wasn't draped in real silk, she couldn't rest. Silk products were easily wrinkled and as expensive as gold. Replacing them frequently was akin to using gold for a while and then discarding it.
Jiang Wan was aware of this. Although she didn't want to seek refuge with her aunt, rationally feeling it improper as it would naturally put them in an inferior position, the family indeed struggled to sustain itself. Being a housekeeper was exhausting; her once pure and bright smile now always carried a hint of fatigue.
Jiang Wan herself spent quite a lot. Before, when buying paintings, calligraphy, and jade, she hadn't noticed. It was only after becoming housekeeper that she realized how much she could spend.
Now that she was in charge, she couldn't cut her own expenses, could she?
Moreover, she had to procure some attire for herself. The jewelry shop owner was too despicable; initially agreeing to buy her designs at a high price, then reneging.
Jiang Wan felt the owner was greedy, memorizing her styles before backing out.
She was still too young, disadvantaged in dealing with people.
It was also due to the rebels' rule; they didn't need to show respect to the Jiang Manor.
No matter how much intelligence and talent one had outside, ultimately, it depended on power and influence.
This period was somewhat unpleasant for Jiang Wan, but not too terrible. It was also a process of growth through adversity.
In this world, there were no detours; every path was necessary.
She had read many books. Although she lost her composure upon seeing Jiang Yu and her mother during the day, she quickly regained her composure.
There was no need for surprise. A leopard can't change its spots. Even if Jiang Yu's temperament had improved slightly, it wasn't much. She could see through it at a glance; it was still very childish.
Qin, born in the countryside, could only throw her weight around in Ming County. There was no need to indulge in momentary satisfaction in front of her.
Jiang Wan adjusted her mindset, copied an extra Heart Sutra, and practiced the zither for an entire afternoon.
Her music now carried more emotion, but it was also more melodious and lingering.
It didn't matter; they would soon leave Ming County.
Leave this place that made her feel uneasy.
"Bang!"
"Clang!"
The sound of a door being smashed.
The clash of swords.
Surprisingly close to her ears.
At first, she thought rebels had come again. Could it be that the rebels were fighting among themselves? These rootless rebels were most prone to infighting. Before accomplishing anything, they would start quarreling internally. This was also why rebellions throughout history often failed.
But the sound was too close.
It seemed to be coming from within the courtyard.
"Bang!"
A guard's body flew in from outside, smashing the door open.
He lay sprawled in front of Old Lady Jiang and Jiang Wan.
Old Lady Jiang was so startled she nearly choked on the ginseng slice in her mouth.
Jiang Wan jumped in fright, and her first instinct was to look down at her own clothes, ensuring her outer garments were properly arranged.
The guard's body had flown in.
Outside the door was pitch black.
From the darkness emerged a man with long black hair cascading over his shoulders, dressed in a black robe. He wore a smile, as if he had stepped out of a painting.
Old Lady Jiang was so frightened she nearly suffocated.
Jiang Wan sat there, trembling uncontrollably.
"You beast, what are you doing?" Old Lady Jiang managed to sputter.
Jiang Changtian, his eyes slightly reddened, said, "Mother, I had a nightmare in the middle of the night. Suddenly, I missed you terribly, so I came to see you."
His repeated use of "mother" made Old Lady Jiang's skin crawl. She couldn't fathom what madness had possessed him.
"Thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump."
Behind Jiang Changtian came the sound of uniform footsteps.
Dozens of armored men wearing helmets and carrying swords stood in formation at the doorway.
"I was worried that Mother wouldn't let me in to fulfill my filial duties, so I brought a few subordinates along. See, Mother? We got in just fine."
On the other side, guards had seized Jiang Huaisheng and his wife Wu Qingzi, even bringing along their infant. Jiang Rong had also been captured and brought over.
"After my nightmare, I found myself missing Mother, my elder brother, my sister-in-law, and my nieces and nephews. Seeing you all here puts my mind at ease. I just wanted to gather with you, and fearing you might be unwilling, I brought more people. You see? It proved useful. Now, we're all reunited. We brothers are friendly and respectful to each other. Mother must be so pleased."
Jiang Changtian found a chair and sat down, wiping the blood from his hands. His face was all smiles, and his voice gentle.
