“So you felt it too!” Sang Wan raised the cushion under her neck with an arm and gently sighed. Well, it was so obvious that anyone could detect!
Liu Ya’s eyes glistened and she clapped with a smile, “This servant understands now! It must be because Young Mistress fought to not make the Shi family lose face today, Old Mistress becomes happy, and since Nanny Jiang did not treat you favorably, she had come to make it up to Young Mistress!”
Sang Wan giggled and scolded with a smile, “There I thought you following Nanny Li would make you grow up a little, but who knew you’re still a foolish worm!”
Under Nanny Li’s earnest tuning, Liu Ya had gained much enlightenment. Although those enlightenments would often continue to accompany her, she would have to speak of them with Nanny Li once in a while. Nanny Li would also praise her to show her appreciation. Her five senses, now heightened, was nowhere as close to Nanny Li in terms of perfection, but she was much better than before. Hearing what Sang Wan said, she was not entirely convinced and pouted, “Young Mistress, could you give this servant a reason why this servant is foolish?”
Sang Wan raised her chin a little to look at her in the eye before smiling, “Nanny Jiang is an old lady who serves my mother-in-law for her entire life and is one who is respected even by the young master. So long as she doesn’t do anything out of line, the Shi family will be generous towards her and care for her until death. If that is so, why would she need to make up to me?”
Liu Ya was startled and her mouth blurted, “That’s true. Her making up to you may also end up provoking Miss Gu! It makes no sense to for her to be so foolish as to stir up a storm—— ugh, Young Mistress, this servant has spoken too excessively…”
A trace of loneliness pierced Sang Wan’s heart, but she kept a smile and shook her head, “You’re right, it makes no sense for her to be this foolish…”
“Young Mistress,” Liu Ya, somewhat nervous, took the initiative and asked, “Why don’t, this servant help you inquire about it a little?”
“Absolutely not!” Sang Wan hurriedly rejected, “The matters regarding Old Mistress’s side is not something we can find out easily about. Don’t act rashly!”
Feeling a little awkward, Liu Ya quickly smiled, “This servant will certainly not do it personally for wouldn’t doing so cause trouble for Young Mistress? This servant can find it out through my godmother. Young Mistress, rest assured; in this household, there’s nothing my godmother cannot obtain information about! Moreover, this servant warrants that no one will find out!”
Liu Ya spoke very proudly without a trace of shame.
“That’s a no too!” Sang Wan spoke firmly, “Old Mistress is the young master’s mother. Do you think Nanny Li would dare to do such a thing? What’s more, I do not wish to trouble her! Don’t you worry, if there really is something, Nanny Jiang would say it herself! There’s no need for us to inquire!”
Liu Ya’s eyes widened in great disbelief as lots of question flooded into her mind, but Sang Wan just smiled and told her to sleep.
On the next few days, Wang Shi displayed an unparalleled favor towards Sang Wan. Good products arrived one after another in the small garden: clothes and jewelry, beauty products, antique ornaments, display jewelry, fresh fruits and snacks, trendy dishes, and so on.
The crowd could see that Young Mistress was being doted. It was clear that she had shown who the future incharge the household would be!
In Ning Garden1Ning GardenSang Wan & Shi Fengju's place of residence, the members were busy adjusting to the improvements. Liu Ya, Zhide, and many others would occasionally be fawned over by their peers wherever they went. The number of Missies and Mistresses who came to extend their greetings to Ning Garden also increased.
Sang Wan treated all modestly which made all those present extremely happy, especially the Mistresses who found her interesting and would often praise her over the heaven!
Wang Shi often sent gifts and messages, and the one to pass them was Nanny Jiang. Sang Wan politely welcomed her in an attempt to wait out before Nanny Jiang began to speak her mind. But who would have known that as the days went by, Nanny Jiang’s smile became somewhat forced as the words continued to remain in her mouth.
Sang Wan pondered, and after racking her head, she seemed to have somehow understood.
Nanny Jiang would not speak, unless, she took the initiative to ask.
Of course, asking Nanny Jiang would be useless. The one she should be asking would be Wang Shi.
“It has been some time since Sang Wan came to greet Mother. Mother, your complexion has become better than before!” Today, Sang Wan dressed neatly before arriving at the main courtyard. With a pleasant laugh, she greeted Wang Shi with a smile.
“Isn’t that so!” Wang Shi grinned, “Mother is extremely happy. Having enough sleep and good food, it’s natural that my complexion will improve! But it’s such a pity,” Wang Shi pretended to give a sigh, “recently, I’m being bothered by something and I wish that it could be resolved as soon as possible. If that happens, then my heart can finally be at ease!”
Sang Wan had originally wondered how she could lure her mother-in-law to speak about the trouble, but who knew her mother-in-law would be itching to get on with the subject.
Seeing Nanny Jiang giving a signal with her eyes to the other servant girls to retreat, Sang Wan’s expression became even more imposing. She rose and spoke to Wang Shi, “Mother, why not speak with your daughter-in-law about what’s bothering you? Even if your daughter-in-law does not have the power to solve it, saying it out will surely make your heart feel better!”
When would Wang Shi ever pay any attention to Nanny Jiang’s expression? The moment she heard so, she quickly blurted out, “Sang Wan, it has something to do with you! To solve this, it all depends on you!”
“Me?” Sang Wan was baffled.
Wang Shi waved her hand and gestured to her to have a seat, before she smiled kindly and asked, “Sang Wan, touch your heart and tell me. How am I treating you?”
Hurriedly, Sang Wan was about to get up but was insisted by Wang Shi to remain seated. Sang Wan, without a choice, spoke while seated, “Mother treats me well and is very thoughtful towards Sang Wan! Sang Wan is extremely grateful towards Mother and truly respects Mother!”
“Is that true?”
“It is! Sang Wan dare not tell lies!”
“En,” Wang Shi nodded in satisfaction and asked, “What are your thoughts about Fangzi?”
Listening to Wang Shi mentioning Gu Fangzi, Sang Wan’s heart could not help but stiffen and she squeezed a smile from her neck, “Cousin-in-law Fangzi is… she’s very good.”
She was immediately greeted by a great sigh of relief from Wang Shi, “You also think so? Then I’m truly relieved! Sang Wan, it has already been quite some time since you were married into the family. Erm, that, ke, Fangzi and Fengju’s relationship, you——should be quite aware of it, am I right?”
Sang Wan, in a moment of distress, spoke nervously as her heart pounded heavily, “Mother, why did you bring this up…”
The hardest words to leave the mouth had already left. With no scruples, Wang Shi spoke, “Fangzi will certainly be married to Fengju as his concubine, this I shall not hide from you. Sang Wan, you won’t have any wrong ideas right? You are a good woman, to follow and listen to your husband, I’m sure there’s no need for me to say since you already understood.”
Sang Wan’s face was burning with embarrassment and distress, and with much effort, she managed to hold the thick mucus fluid in her nose. Speaking softly, she replied, “Sang Wan understands. So long as Sang Wan’s husband likes her, Sang Wan——shall have no second opinion!”
“Then that’s good,” Listening to Wang Shi speak, Sang Wan’s body gently quivered uncontrollably all of a sudden, as if covered in ice. There was a deep sense of fear, sending her a premonition that Wang Shi was about to speak of words she wished she would never have to listen, words which intertwine with the lingering nightmare of her previous life.
Yet, Wang Shi’s words steadily approached, “From what I think, since Fangzi will sooner or later be marrying into the family, having it done early would have its benefit! At least the two of you can get acquainted as soon as possible and can get along better in the future! Moreover, Fangzi managing the household will be more justifiable! Sang Wan, what do you say?”
What do I say? What can I say? Sang Wan remained silent. She fiercely bit her lips as she tried to control the tears from bursting through the dam. Humiliation, embarrassment, anger, unwillingness, and all sorts of helplessness came at her, choking her from the air she needed!
She had only stepped into the Shi family as a member for no more than two months! And already, her mother-in-law could not wait to have Gu Fangzi married in? Everyone only thought for Gu Fangzi, but who had ever thought about her?
If the Shi family were not fond of the Sang family, then why had they not cancel the marriage? Is marrying her in a blessing for the Sang family, and she should be feeling forever grateful? The Sang family had never valued this marriage! Sang Wan herself had also never yearned to marry into a rich family’s household before!
At this moment, Sang Wan was angry at her mother-in-law, Wang Shi; even if she knew that her mother-in-law might have arrived at such a decision after Gu Fangzi’s instigation.
“Don’t worry,” Wang Shi thought that Sang Wan was somewhat concerned and she promised, “You are married into the family officially as my son’s wife. Your position as the young mistress will not be stolen from you!” In the future when Fangzi gives birth to a child and becomes his wife, she would still have to respect you as an “elder sister”!
Wang Shi’s tongue swung. A feeling that those last words should not be spoken and she held them back before speaking, “Fangzi, I’ll teach her and have her respect you! You are knowledgeable, and she’s clever; I’m sure the both of you will be able to get along together! Fengju, being able to have both of you by his side, that’s his blessing!”
“Understood,” Sang Wan endured the pain in her heart and secretly let everything out in her heart with a sigh before answering softly, “Everything, shall go as Mother wishes!”
Wang Shi turned a little hesitant, and she quickly swallowed, “This matter, I think it’s better for you to be the one who steps forwards! This will greatly show your virtuousness and generosity! Why don’t, when Fengju returns, you take the initiative to mention it. When that time comes, Fengju will surely have a form of admiration towards you! And he’ll surely respect you even more! Don’t you say?”
Sang Wan’s whole body felt cold. Her face had turned pale, and she was almost short of breath!
Virtuousness? Generosity?!
It was obviously a bitter fruit, yet forcing her to swallow it and smile to say it was good was already too much! Now, adding that it was for her own good?
Sang Wan suddenly felt an unparalleled amount of disappointment and sorrow. She thought everything in this life would change, and a new development would happen. But she had not expected fate to have its own way to make a roundabout!
Could it be that in this life, there was no way for her to escape the bleak and lonely life?
No! She had already experienced the worst of the worse, throwing her face in this life was nothing! At most after a year, she would just escape to a place far from here! She would not believe that there would not be a place for her in this world.
Even at death, her life this time around would not be as bad as her previous one.
“Mother is right, and Sang Wan understands! When Lord is back, Sang Wan shall speak with him personally.” Sang Wan held back the pain in her heart and spoke gently.
“Mother knew you can see the bigger picture! Unlike that certain someone who’s sour and jealous and only knows how to create trouble!” Wang Shi was greatly overjoyed and could not help but held Sang Wan’s hand before patting it gently. Raising her head, she looked at the partition and laughed, “Fangzi ah, you can come out now!”
Sang Wan was taken aback and she looked up, only to see Gu Fangzi, dressed nicely in a begonia red dress, making her appearance shyly. Turning around, she called to her aunt as the edge of her lips slightly hooked upwards.
