The Double-Chapter 424 - 140: Giving Orders_2

However, that’s the way it is, life often throws drastic changes at us, and it’s inevitable to mature overnight. Innocence and cheerfulness can’t guarantee one’s safety.

While pondering, Situ Jiuyue had already finished inserting the last needle for Xue Huaiyuan, who seemed weary and fell into a deep sleep. Jiang Li helped him onto the bed to lie down, covering him with the quilt and tucking it in properly at the corners.

Situ Jiuyue stood aside, watching. She was sweet and charming, yet dressed in all black with a smile that carried a hint of fierceness—one could tell at a glance that she was not someone to be trifled with. She said, "You really do know how to take care of people."

"Really?" Jiang Li smiled.

"Has no one ever told you that?" Situ Jiuyue wondered.

"You’re the first," Jiang Li said.

In her previous life, while at her husband’s family’s home, she served the entire Shen family well, but never received any praise. Before her marriage, the task of caring for others had always fallen to Xue Zhao. Xue Huaiyuan doted on his daughter but insisted on toughening up his son. Besides expertise in both civil and military strategies, Xue Zhao could even cook.

At times, Jiang Li felt that she, as the elder sister, still needed to rely quite heavily on Xue Zhao’s care.

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly noticed something flickering before her eyes—it was Situ Jiuyue waving her hand in front of her, asking, "What’s on your mind that has you so distracted?"

Snapped back to reality, Jiang Li replied, "I was thinking about family matters."

"I see," said Situ Jiuyue.

"Miss Jiuyue has made a special effort to treat the County Magistrate Xue, and I am grateful for that," Jiang Li said beforehand.

"No need for thanks," Situ Jiuyue replied, "I wouldn’t dare to disobey Jih Heng’s orders. Do you have anything else? If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going first."

After saying this, she really did leave without any further conversation with Jiang Li. However, Jiang Li didn’t feel anything amiss and actually found the girl rather interesting.

After she left, Jih Heng had also disappeared at some point. Upon seeing Jiang Li emerge, Wen Renyao’s eyes lit up and he eagerly started pestering her, calling her "Second Miss." Overwhelmed by his enthusiasm, she felt sweaty and promptly found an excuse to leave the Ye Residence and returned to the Jiang Residence first.

After Jiang Li left, Wen Renyao stood in the courtyard and asked Situ Jiuyue, "Jiuyue, do I look handsome?" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Situ Jiuyue: "Scram!"

"How strange," he said to his reflection in the mirror, the young man in it was still handsomely fair-skinned, elegant as jade. He said, "Why is it that when Miss Jiang the Second sees me, she acts as if she’s seen a ghost? When I treat other girls this way, don’t they usually laugh very happily?"

Situ Jiuyue sneered: "Jih Heng is much better looking than you, and Jiang Li is still very calm when she sees him. Who would favor exquisite cuisine and then settle for trash?"

Wen Renyao: "..."

He said, "You’re really vulgar!"

...

Inside the Jiang Residence, the old madam was seated with eyes shut in the Night Wind Hall.

Ever since the incident with Chongxu Daoist Master, and followed closely by Maternal Aunt Hu’s suicide, the Jiang family had indeed experienced a huge disaster. Although these events hadn’t leaked to the public, the people within the Jiang family were well aware. The old madam appeared to age significantly overnight due to the scandal caused by Ji Shuran unfolding right under her nose, leading to several lives lost.

She was always vigorous and vivacious, maintaining an aura and authority nearly on par with her younger days even as she aged. But after the event, it was as if a great part of her physical vitality, energy flow, and spiritual well-being had been drained away. The maids could only watch as the old madam spent her days with closed eyes.

She hadn’t even bothered to lay eyes upon her most cherished grandson, Jiang Bingji.

Feicui came in and said, "Old madam, the Third Miss is still outside, pleading to see you."

The old madam opened her eyes but didn’t look at Feicui, instead gazing at the fireplace in front of her, and said, "Tell her to go back."

"As you wish," Feicui replied, then left to convey the message to Jiang Youyao.

The maid stood beside the old madam, carefully massaging her shoulders, and said, "The Third Miss has come looking for you several times these past few days."

"She’s shrewd indeed, coming to find me rather than her father," the old madam said, her tone carrying a trace of scorn.

Jiang Yuanbai was the one who doted on Jiang Youyao the most, yet after the incident, Jiang Youyao did not plead for Ji Shuran in front of him. Instead, she came to the old madam, fearing that Jiang Yuanbai would take his anger out on her over Ji Shuran’s issues, so she simply chose not to appear before him at all.

"Just as cunning as her mother," the old madam remarked, with a hint of weariness in her eyes.

Although she knew that Jiang Youyao wasn’t to be blamed for the deeds of Ji Shuran, everyone raised on the grains of the earth has emotions and desires. It’s one thing to know this rationally, another to act on it. The old madam knew she shouldn’t take her anger out on Jiang Youyao, but whenever she thought of Ye Zhenzhen, of the deceased Jiang Yueer, of the fact that even Ji Shuran might have had an illicit child with Liu Wencai, she felt nauseous. And with that, she simply couldn’t bring herself to take any pleasure in seeing Jiang Youyao.