With Madam Lu managing the various affairs of the Duke's residence, Wen Ye's life was quite leisurely.
As the saying goes, "A timely snow promises a good harvest." As the New Year approached, another heavy snowfall blanketed the ground.
Amid her busy schedule, Madam Lu learned that the elder aunt planned to visit the west courtyard the next day. Today, she specifically called Wen Ye over to give her some instructions.
While flipping through a gift list, Madam Lu said to Wen Ye, who was seated below, "Though the elder aunt is open-minded and rarely picks on others, she is still an elder. It would be best if you could rein in your usual little quirks for now."
Just because Madam Lu could tolerate them didn't mean the elder aunt would feel the same.
Madam Lu remembered when she first married into the Duke's residence, the elder aunt had stayed for a few days. Back then, she was quite stern and dignified, her smiles always faint and reserved.
Perhaps in recent years, with her younger cousin becoming more accomplished and marrying, the elder aunt had finally been able to relax a bit, and her temperament had softened accordingly.
However, a person's nature doesn't change overnight. Madam Lu worried that Wen Ye, having only met the elder aunt a couple of times, might assume that what she had seen was the full extent of the elder aunt's character. If she wasn't careful, some unpleasantness might arise between them.
Wen Ye obediently agreed to Madam Lu's instructions.
She truly didn't know much about the elder aunt. Although they both lived in the Duke's residence, they rarely crossed paths.
Madam Lu's proactive advice made Wen Ye feel grateful.
With an elder coming to visit, Wen Ye couldn't afford to be anything less than hospitable. After Madam Lu finished speaking, she asked about the elder aunt's and Lady Yao's usual tastes.
Madam Lu explained everything in detail.
Finally, she added, "There's no need to be nervous. The elder aunt is just bored and thought of visiting your west courtyard formally before the New Year. She simply wants to chat for a while."
Wen Ye smiled and replied, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I will surely take good care of the elder aunt and my cousin's wife."
Hearing her assurance, Madam Lu noticed Wen Ye's simple and plain hair ornaments and couldn't help but ask, "Do you have enough silver? Why haven't you used the box of rubies I gave you?"
Wen Ye explained, "The rubies are too precious. I haven't decided yet what style of hairpiece to make with them."
Madam Lu waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a box of rubies. If you don't like the hairpiece once it's made, bring it back, and I'll exchange it for a new box."
Her tone was brimming with confidence.
As the most beloved eldest daughter of the Ding'an Marquis's household, Madam Lu's dowry had been nothing short of extravagant. If it weren't for the rule that noble daughters' dowries couldn't surpass those of the royal family, Madam Lu's dowry would have been even grander.
A box of rubies truly meant little to her.
Madam Lu's appearance was naturally striking and flamboyant, but as the Duchess, she had to appear more dignified. Her clothing and accessories leaned toward a more subdued style, which, when combined with her demeanor, gave her an air of solemnity and grace.
However, today, her casual attitude toward Wen Ye made her radiate even more charm.
Wen Ye caught a glimpse of this and couldn't help but think to herself, "The Duke of Xu is a lucky man."
"Then I'll follow your advice, sister-in-law. In a few days, I'll have Yun Zhi take the rubies to make a new hairpiece."
Originally, Wen Ye hadn't planned to touch that box of rubies.
But when a wealthy and stunningly beautiful woman suddenly tells you, "Go ahead and indulge. If it doesn't work out, it's on me," it's hard not to be tempted.
Whether she could exchange for new rubies didn't matter much to Wen Ye. What mattered was not to waste Madam Lu's kindness.
Madam Lu had always believed that her tolerance for Wen Ye's occasional eccentricities stemmed from Wen Ye's ability to understand boundaries and act appropriately in important matters.
Though not as steady as other noblewomen, Wen Ye possessed a clever and perceptive heart.
Noticing the smile Wen Ye couldn't hide, Madam Lu's eyes flickered with a hint of helplessness, but she said, "The finest hairpieces in the capital are made at Liuyun Studio. Remember to have Yun Zhi take the Duke's residence token with her."
Wen Ye's eyes curved into a smile. "I've noted it all down."
Madam Lu still had to review the gift lists for the New Year, while Wen Ye stayed in the main courtyard, idling her time away, sipping tea and nibbling on pastries.
She looked utterly at ease.
The warmth and closeness that had just blossomed between the two sisters-in-law vanished in an instant. Madam Lu, both annoyed and envious, said, "You can go back. There's no need to stay here with me."
Wen Ye immediately stood up, curtsied, and said, "Then I'll leave you to your work, sister-in-law. I'll head back to the west courtyard now."
Madam Lu didn't even look at her, pretending to focus on the gift list as she said, "Go on, then!"
Wen Ye silently smiled and quietly left the main courtyard.
Returning to the west courtyard, Wen Ye began instructing Tao Zhi and Yun Zhi on their tasks.
Ling City was located to the southwest of Sheng Jing, and its people had a preference for spicy food.
Though the elder aunt was a native of the capital, having lived in Ling City for many years, her tastes had been influenced by the local cuisine.
As a result, both the elder aunt and Lady Yao shared similar preferences for bold flavors, much like Wen Ye.
Wen Ye quickly drafted a menu and had Tao Zhi relay it to the kitchen, specifying that the dishes for tomorrow's lunch would follow this list.
/
If it were just the elder aunt visiting, things would be simpler. But with Lady Yao also coming, Xu Yuejia wouldn't be able to join them for the meal in the west courtyard.
That evening, Xu Yuejia stayed over as usual.
Wen Ye mentioned it to him in passing.
A smart man like Xu Yuejia understood immediately. "I happen to have some business to attend to outside tomorrow," he said.
Talking to someone perceptive was always easy. Wen Ye lay down, her heart calm. "Husband, let's rest now."
Since she had to wake up early the next day, tonight wasn't the time for any strenuous activities.
/
The next morning, at the hour of mao (around 5-7 a.m.), Wen Ye woke to find Xu Yuejia already gone from the west courtyard.
Even during the New Year holidays, Xu Yuejia maintained his usual routine. Wen Ye couldn't help but admire his discipline.
After washing up, Wen Ye had a light breakfast. Soon after, Nanny Ji brought Xu Yuxuan over. Wen Ye picked out a few toys from the box she had bought a few days ago at the west market and let him play on his own.
With Nanny Ji and the others watching over him, Wen Ye didn't need to worry.
By the hour of si (around 9-11 a.m.), the maid stationed at the moon gate reported that the elder aunt and Lady Yao were heading toward the west courtyard.
As a junior, Wen Ye went out to greet them.
The elder aunt, accompanied by Lady Yao, entered through the moon gate and smiled upon seeing Wen Ye coming to welcome them. "There's no need to come out in this cold weather. The maid could have shown us the way."
Wen Ye replied, "Aunt and cousin's wife have braved the snow to visit. How could I stay indoors, keeping warm for myself?"
The three of them entered the main hall, where Wen Ye immediately had the maids serve tea. She also called Xu Yuxuan over to pay his respects.
The elder aunt sat down, sipped her tea, and once she had warmed up a bit, said, "I've been so busy meeting old friends these past few days that I forgot to visit you earlier."
Wen Ye quickly responded, "Aunt, you've been away from the capital for so many years. It's only natural that you'd want to catch up with your friends. I wouldn't dream of interrupting that."
The two of them, still unfamiliar with each other, exchanged polite words.
The elder aunt glanced around and noticed that the west courtyard was quite different from the main courtyard.
The difference wasn't in the scenery or the furnishings but in the atmosphere. The main courtyard was solemn and orderly, while the west courtyard felt relaxed the moment she stepped in.
It wasn't that the servants in the west courtyard lacked discipline, but the leisurely and comfortable ambiance was rare.
In grand households, servants were no mere puppets. Among them, there were always bonds of closeness and conflicts of interest.
"This place suits you well," the elder aunt praised sincerely.
She continued, "Your sister-in-law has been managing the entire Duke's residence all these years. It hasn't been easy for her."
Her brother and sister-in-law had passed away early, and without Madam Lu, the household would have been in chaos.
Wen Ye nodded in agreement. Every time she visited the main courtyard, Madam Lu was always busy. It truly was a lot of work.
The elder aunt sighed. "Jing Rong is only eight this year. It'll be at least a decade before he's old enough to marry."
Wen Ye looked up and asked, "Aunt, what do you mean?"
The elder aunt gave her a look that said, "How could you not understand?" and explained, "Once Jing Rong marries, your sister-in-law can finally take a break."
"Otherwise, what's the point of going through all the trouble of finding him a wife?"
Hearing this, Wen Ye instinctively glanced at Lady Yao, who was seated below the elder aunt.
Lady Yao wore a troubled expression. When she noticed Wen Ye's gaze, she forced a brave smile.
Lady Yao was also frustrated. Before her marriage, her mother had repeatedly warned her not to focus on trivial matters like household management. It was only natural for her mother-in-law to handle such things. Her priority was to conceive quickly and give birth to a son.
Little did she expect that after her marriage, her life would be nothing like what her mother had envisioned. Barely two months into her marriage, her mother-in-law had handed over all household responsibilities to her, leaving her to fend for herself while she enjoyed her leisure.
In that instant, Wen Ye understood everything.
This grand-aunt seemed quite different from how Madam Lu had described her. Sensing her hesitation, the grand-aunt immediately said, "What, do you think I'm wrong?"
Not really, Wen Ye remained silent, though in her heart, she strongly agreed.
"Auntie makes a good point."
The grand-aunt could roughly guess Wen Ye's thoughts from her expression and let out a hearty laugh. "Your sister-in-law has a different temperament from yours. Naturally, I have to put on a bit of an act in front of her, or else I might scare her."
One's true nature can't be changed, but acting can be sustained for a while.
Wen Ye couldn't help but smile, saying, "So that's how it is."
With this realization, it seemed she no longer needed to pretend to be virtuous in front of her either.
Wen Ye gradually relaxed.
The grand-aunt added, "Once the Duke's household divides in the future, you'll understand the hardships of managing a household."
Wen Ye lowered her head and took a sip of tea, calmly replying, "Yuxuan is still young and can't be separated from his aunt just yet."
This sounded a bit odd, but since Xu Yuxuan had been raised by Madam Lu, it also seemed reasonable.
The grand-aunt glanced at the obedient and innocent Xu Yuxuan and said, "But you don't need to worry. Children grow up in the blink of an eye. Before you know it, he'll be of marriageable age, and by then, you'll be able to relax."
Wen Ye did a quick calculation in her mind. It would take at least sixteen or seventeen years before Xu Yuxuan could marry.
She hadn't thought much of it before, but now, after the grand-aunt's words, Wen Ye suddenly realized she might not be able to stay idle for that long.
She wondered if Madam Lu could tolerate her for another sixteen or seventeen years.
Wen Ye looked at Xu Yuxuan, who was leaning obediently in her arms, and sincerely wished, "You must strive hard, alright?"
Xu Yuxuan half-understood and nodded solemnly.
His serious little expression made the grand-aunt and Lady Yao laugh.
Especially Lady Yao, whose gaze at Xu Yuxuan was filled with longing. She had been married into the Shen family for nearly two years but had yet to conceive.
Fortunately, she had a good mother-in-law who never pressured her or asked her to take a concubine for her husband.
To ease her worries, her mother-in-law even found a reliable physician to examine both her and her husband.
The physician said there was nothing wrong with either of them, and the lack of a pregnancy was simply a matter of fate.
This time, her mother-in-law brought her to the capital partly to help her relax.
As the conversation flowed, the atmosphere in the west courtyard grew lighter.
The grand-aunt gradually revealed her true nature. "I have a sharp eye for daughters-in-law. When the time comes for you to be a mother-in-law, you can come to me, and I'll help you choose wisely."
Lady Yao, sitting nearby, felt so embarrassed she wanted to cover her face.
Hearing this, Wen Ye raised an eyebrow.
Then she lowered her gaze to Xu Yuxuan, who was nibbling on a pastry, completely unaware of the conversation. She glanced at Lady Yao and slowly nodded in agreement. "Auntie does have a good eye."
However, her standards weren't high—she just needed someone who could manage the household.
The grand-aunt was pleased but added, "Good daughters-in-law are hard to find. My son, Xu Yuejia, will continue to rise in status. If you want an easy life, you'll need to find someone like your sister-in-law."
For the first time, Wen Ye realized that having an overly outstanding husband could also be a burden.
Seeing her conflicted expression, the grand-aunt gave her a knowing look and said, "Are you trying to figure out how to cling to your sister-in-law?"
Wen Ye refused to admit it. "What do you mean 'cling'? I just can't bear to part with her."
The grand-aunt chuckled. "There's no shame in saying it. If I were you, I'd find a way to cling to her too."
Her gaze at Wen Ye carried a hint of envy. "You're truly blessed to have such a good sister-in-law. You don't have to do anything."
Unlike her, who had always been the one serving as a sister-in-law to others.
Sometimes, women would boast to each other about the strangest things.
Wen Ye straightened her back and said, "I'm just lucky."
